swordfish

https://www.953mnc.com/2020/04/23/tri-way-drive-in-theatre-denied-in-effort-to-reopen-on-friday/?fbclid=IwAR21yBSkNlteDUfBd2Bi0LswCUft5PrPGer4Lw4gYSTXyL627sORsepS81w Tri-Way Drive-In Theatre denied in effort to reopen on Friday By Tommie Lee - April 23, 2020 Hundreds of people sit in their cars watching a movie trailer at a drive-in cinema, as all other theaters in Germany are closed due to the coronavirus in Essen, Germany, on Monday, March 30, 2020. Only two persons are allowed per car, tickets are available only online and no snacks are sold to limit social contacts. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner) Plans to open the Tri-Way Drive-In Theatre in Plymouth have been put on the shelf by the pandemic. Tri-Way had announced their intention to open this weekend with a number of restrictions in place for social distancing. Thursday the Marshall County Health Department received word from the state’s Excise Police saying the plan to reopen was not approved. Tri-Way will have to wait until Governor Holcomb lifts the current restrictions.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/04/23/navy-comfort-westchester-county-center-coronavirus/3010754001/ WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. – The Naval hospital ship USNS Comfort is set to leave New York City’s harbor after it floated for three weeks mostly empty of patients. Projections about the spread of the coronavirus sent New York state scrambling to increase its hospital bed capacity by more than double its 53,000 limit. The federal government was called in to convert spaces like the Jacob Javits Center in Manhattan into overflow hospitals, but a month after shutdown efforts, that capacity hasn’t been stretched to its limits. Comfort and its 1,000 hospital beds sailed into New York late last month, but was under scrutiny for being sparsely used. Gov. Andrew Cuomo met with President Donald Trump Tuesday and their discussion included Comfort. They agreed the ship can be sent elsewhere. Of four overflow hospitals built in the state, only the Javits Center has taken patients so far, according to state officials. Although the overflow hospital construction was overseen by the federal government, it was coordinated with the New York Department of Health. The Navy hospital ship, equipped with 1,000 beds and 12 operating rooms, was intended to host non-coronavirus-related patients, which would free up resources at medical centers dealing with the outbreak. Just outside of New York City, the Westchester County Center was ready to open this week as an overflow hospital but questions arose whether the 110 beds would be needed as the spread of the coronavirus shows signs of slowing. “What we did was prepare for the worst and if the best comes to pass then we’ll consider ourselves fortunate,” said George Latimer, county executive of Westchester, which owns and runs the center. Projections be damned........Better safe than sorry I guess......

I figured that out after I ran the jingle in my head a few times. LOL. Speaking of which, I have missed Arby's now that I think about it.....Yes, we always get livestock the from the same local guys and they use a local butcher house for that. Soooo looking forward to some fresh bacon this weekend......

We took delivery of 1/2 a cow about 2 weeks prior to the shut-down way back in March, and will be picking up a hog tomorrow we have been waiting for. Feeling like Burger King - "We have the Meats".....

IMHO - If you are scared - stay home. If not, go ahead and work.

A buddy of mine has a Tesla he got last year. A 2019 Model S. We went out for a spin 2 weeks ago and he made me drive. IMPRESSIVE. Exactly what I thought it would be, and better. I asked what his electric bill jumped and he avoided an outright answer, but agreed it jumped. But I have to agree - It was a cool car, and I was very impressed, even scared when you put the pedal down.....No lag time, incredible acceleration - Very impressive. He goes between Chicago, Detroit and Elkhart alot, and it is perfect for that since both destinations have adequate charging stations. His only dislike is the lack of distance. I explained if he tried to ease up on his acceleration rates (I know - hard to do cause it's so cool) maybe he could get better results.

OPEC + They certainly want the control back from the US.......and are willing to sell at a loss to get it back...... https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/081315/opec-vs-us-who-controls-oil-prices.asp OPEC vs. the United States: Who Controls Oil Prices? Up until the middle of the 20th century, the United States of America (U.S.A) was the largest producer of oil and controlled oil prices. In the years to follow, OPEC controlled the oil markets and prices for most of the latter part of the 20th century. However, with the discovery of shale oil in the U.S.A and advances in drilling techniques, America has re-emerged as a top producer of oil. In this article, we explore the historical battle between OPEC and the United States of America to control oil prices and how world events have influenced that struggle.1 KEY TAKEAWAYS As of 2019, OPEC controlled roughly 75% of the world's total crude oil reserves and produced 42% of the world's total crude oil output. However, the U.S. was the world's largest oil-producing country in 2019 with more than 12 million barrels per day. Although OPEC still has the ability to drive prices, the U.S. has limited the cartel's pricing power by ramping up production whenever OPEC cuts its output. United States Oil was first commercially extracted and put to use in the United States of America. Consequently, pricing power for the fossil fuel lay with the U.S.A which was, at that time, the largest producer of oil in the world. In general, oil prices were volatile and high during the early years because economies of scale during extraction and refining (which mark the current extraction and drilling processes) were not present. 1For example, in the early 1860s, according to the Business Insider, the price per barrel of oil reached a peak of US $120 in today's terms, partly due to rising demand resulting from the U.S. civil war. The price fell by more than 60% over the next five years and rose by 50% during the next five years.2 In 1901, the discovery of the Spindletop refinery in eastern Texas opened the floodgates of oil in the U.S. economy.3 It's estimated that 1,500 oil companies were chartered within a year of the discovery. Increased supply and the introduction of specialized pipelines helped further reduce the price of oil. 4The supply and demand for oil rose additionally with the discovery of oil in Persia (present-day Iran) in 1908 and Saudi Arabia during the 1930s.56 By the mid-twentieth century, the use of oil in weaponry and the subsequent European coal shortage further ratcheted demand for oil, and prices came crashing down to $40 in today's terms.78 American reliance on imported oil began during the Vietnam war and the economic boom period of the 1950s and 1960s. In turn, this provided Arab countries and OPEC, which had been formed in 1960, with increased leverage to influence oil prices.1 OPEC OPEC, or the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, was formed to negotiate matters concerning oil prices and production. As of April 2020, OPEC countries included the following 13 nations:9 Algeria Angola Congo Equatorial Guinea Gabon Iran Iraq Kuwait Libya Nigeria Saudi Arabia United Arab Emirates Venezuela The 1973 oil shock swung the pendulum in OPEC's favor. That year, in response to America's support for Israel during the Yom Kippur War, OPEC and Iran stopped oil supplies to the United States. The crisis had far-reaching effects on oil prices. 10 OPEC controls oil prices through its pricing-over-volume strategy. According to Foreign Affairs magazine, the oil embargo shifted the structure of the oil market from a buyer's to a seller's market. In the magazine's view, the oil market was earlier controlled by the Seven Sisters, or seven western oil companies, that operated a majority of the oil fields. Post-1973, however, the balance of power shifted towards the countries that comprise OPEC. According to them, “what the Americans import from the Persian Gulf is not so much the actual black liquid but its price.11” A number of world events have helped OPEC maintain control over oil prices. The fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the resulting economic tumult disrupted Russia's production for several years. 12The Asian financial crisis, which had several currency devaluations, had the opposite effect in that it reduced oil demand.13 In both instances, OPEC maintained a constant rate of oil production. As of 2019, OPEC controlled 74.9% of the world's total crude oil reserves and produced 42% of the world's total crude oil output.1415 OPEC+ came into existence in late 2016 as a means for the top oil exporting nations to exert control over the price of the precious commodity. Essentially, OPEC+ is an amalgamation of OPEC and high oil exporting non-OPEC nations like Russia and Kazakhstan.16 Combined, they control over 50 percent of global oil supplies and about 90 percent of proven oil reserves. OPEC+ remains influential due to three primary factors: An absence of alternative sources equivalent to its dominant position A lack of economically feasible alternatives to crude oil in the energy sector OPEC, especially Saudi Arabia, has the world's lowest barrel production costs. These advantages enable OPEC+ to have a wide-ranging influence over oil prices. Thus, when there is a glut of oil in the world, OPEC+ cuts back on its production quotas. When there is less oil, it increases oil prices to maintain stable levels of production. 17 OPEC vs. the United States—The Future But OPEC's monopoly over oil prices seems to be in danger of slipping. The discovery of shale oil in North America has helped the U.S.A achieve near-record volumes of oil production. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), America's oil production was 12 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2019, making them the world's largest oil-producing country.1819 As of December 2019, U.S.A. was the world's top producer followed by Russia and Saudi Arabia. However, Saudi Arabia is still the global leader in exporting oil followed by Russia and Iraq. In fact, these three nations, all members of OPEC+, account for nearly 36% of the supply of oil for the rest of the world. Shale is also gaining popularity beyond American shores. For example, China and Argentina have drilled more than 475 shale wells between them in the last few years. Other countries, such as Poland, Algeria, Australia, and Colombia, are also exploring shale formations. A viable alternative to OPEC+ could shift the power structure. The Iran-U.S. nuclear debate could also impact oil production and supply in the future as further discord could provoke more sanctions to curtail production which would affect prices.20 Other factors that impact the price of oil include the budgets of Arab nations, which need high oil prices to fund government spending programs.21 Also, demand continues to increase from developing economies, such as China and India, further influencing prices in the face of constant production.2223 The dynamics of the oil economy are complex, and the oil price determination process goes beyond the simple market rules of demand and supply, though at its most primal level the market is the final arbiter of the price of oil. Theoretically, oil prices should be a function of supply and demand. When supply and demand increase, prices should drop and vice versa. But the reality is often quite different. Oil's status as the preferred source of energy has complicated its pricing. Demand and supply are only part of the complex equation that has generous elements of geopolitics and environmental concerns. Regions that hold pricing power over oil control vital levers of the world's economy. The United States controlled oil prices for a majority of the previous century, only to cede it to the OPEC countries in the 1970s.1 Recent events, however, have helped to shift some of the pricing power back towards the United States and western oil companies, which led OPEC to form an alliance with Russia et al. to form OPEC+. As oil prices rise, U.S. oil companies pump out more oil to capture higher profits which would limit OPEC's ability to influence the price of oil. Historically, OPEC's production cuts had devastating effects on global economies which has been somewhat diminished recently. Also, the U.S. is one of the world's top consumers of oil, and as production at home increases, there will be less demand for OPEC oil in the U.S. But, it is important to note that, although the United States is the top producing nation, the top exporters are predominantly members of OPEC+, which means that they are still the key player in the oil price determination process. 24There may come a day when OPEC loses its clout but that day is not yet here. Conclusion: Anything the US can do to keep oil production at home will help us against OPEC.......Although SF paid 1.15 per gallon last night......Not gonna complain about that......

https://www.wdrb.com/in-depth/deaths-from-covid-19-spike-in-indiana/article_d418a624-83e7-11ea-8ca3-070ba6d2ec4e.html LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Indiana reported a surge in COVID-19 deaths Tuesday, an increase that comes a day after a top health official said the state would start disclosing cases of Hoosiers who also presumably died from the illness. The 61 new deaths -- ranging between April 7 and Monday -- are the most announced in a single day since the first death was confirmed in mid-March. That accounts for just under 10 percent of the state's total fatalities related to the infection. The previous one-day high was 55 deaths on April 15. In all, 630 Hoosiers have died after contracting the respiratory disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Indiana reported 431 new cases of COVID-19. That's lower than the 505 new infections included in Monday's statewide data, but the Indiana State Department of Health said in a news release that the new figure is likely lower than the actual number of new cases. "The new cases and new tests reported today are lower than expected due to a technology issue and should not be interpreted as a decline in new infections," the department said in a news release. "The additional positive cases not included in today’s report will be captured in the coming days and reflected appropriately." Indiana's health commissioner, Dr. Kristina Box, said Monday the state would begin listing presumptive COVID-19 deaths this week to better reflect the scope of the illness. Those deaths will include people who weren't diagnosed but died after likely contracting it, according to medical experts. Presumptive....? Well isn't that convenient........It's almost like States need to get the numbers higher, but why? Maybe to get closer to the 60,000 "target" the country is having trouble reaching? Or maybe the states get more funding with more deaths? "He got hit by a bus, but since he was having trouble breathing on his own when he died, it must be Coronovirus related...."

Had a thought (I know, hard to believe) if the deaths were reported in say, North Dakota instead of New York, would New York or the rest of the country still shut down?

IMHO - Freddie Mercury was far and above the best front man for a band.....

From a friend..... Remember all the @!#$ you would always hear from Democrats and those on the left about the evil oil companies?? How they were always gouging prices and hurting the American people all for their own profits and greed. They always believed that it was the oil companies that controlled prices of oil and gas at the pump, not the open market. Well then, why don't they just raise their prices to stay profitable?? Looks like another falsehood has been exposed. I hope the hell people remember this stuff later. The market dictates prices through supply and demand. It's simple economics. When it's left alone, it works pretty good. Don't ever count on the left to remember that though. Capitalism and basic economics is something they will never fully grasp as it's something totally foreign to a group of socialists. With oil prices through the floor, and no place left to put the excess, I could see the US benefiting from a Jones Act repeal...... Let's use more US oil, not imported....

Here's a great competing theory for you...... https://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2020/04/20/the-plot-to-install-michelle-obama-in-the-white-house/ RUSH: This Robert, Empire, Michigan. Thank you, sir. Hello. CALLER: Hey, Rush. How you doing? RUSH: Fine, sir. Thank you. CALLER: I see a lot of political strategizing going on right now. And what I’m scared of is Joe Biden picking Gretchen Whitmer to be his VP running mate. Now, we know darn well that Joe Biden is not going to be able to make it another four years, if he by a freak of nature gets elected in the presidency. So that means she moves up to that position, and that’s something we cannot afford. I mean, we can’t even go into a Walmart here in Michigan and buy a can of spray paint or go into a gardening section and buy grass seed or plant seed because it’s considered nonessential and it’s marked off with crime tape. RUSH: Because of the governor. CALLER: Because of the governor, because of Gretchen Whitmer. RUSH: Right, so what you’re saying is you don’t want this babe anywhere near the White House because if she’s Biden’s VP, she’s gonna end up being president because Biden’s not gonna know where he is? CALLER: Absolutely. And I can see her being the future Nancy Pelosi. RUSH: I know she’s got everybody in Michigan ticked off and I know she’s got everybody paranoid. I don’t blame you. The woman is another classic Democrat governor that’s feeling all-powerful, loving this power that they’ve got, able to fall back on, “If it saves one life, it’s worth it.” Is that the standard now? If it saves one life, I’m gonna fly a drone over your house to find out if you’re social distancing. If it saves one life you’re not gonna go to the grocery store for six months. If it saves one life. Could be anything. And that seems to be one of the criteria — CALLER: Absolutely. RUSH: Well, I got a competing theory for you. Ain’t gonna be Gretchen Whitmer or anybody. It’s gonna be Michelle Obama. CALLER: Yeah, that scares me, too. RUSH: Yeah, I can imagine that it would. This is a New York Post story. It’s by Michael Walsh. “How the Obamas Could Easily Win Eight More Years in the White House.” It is convoluted. It is dark. It is depressing. But it sounds like everything in this idea could actually happen. So not enough time to get into it before the break here at the bottom of the hour. But when I go through this, as Michael Walsh has constructed it, it will make you forget about Gretchen Whitmer being Biden’s chosen VP. It will open your eyes to something else, which many people have thought is gonna be Michelle Obama from the get-go — may even be her. This is just a way to get her in the White House. So hang on. BREAK TRANSCRIPT RUSH: Now, the Obamas in the story… The reason why these stories are cropping up is ’cause I don’t care what you think, I don’t care what you’ve heard, Biden is dying. The polling data may not show it. Biden doesn’t have a prayer. Everybody knows she doesn’t have a prayer. Biden, they can’t even keep him standing up and making cogent statements about the coronavirus shutdown, even from his own basement. They don’t risk letting him out there for five minutes even if it’s on a prompter. They know the guy cannot withstand a presidential campaign. They know the guy cannot participate in a debate with Donald Trump. They are fully aware of the liability. So what do they do? Well, here come all these theories like the last caller, Gretchen Whitmer. Michael Walsh: “How the Obamas Could Easily Win Eight More Years in the White House.” Here is the progression of events: “In the next month or so, Biden would announce Michelle Obama as his running mate. With a little reverse engineering of the Obama-Biden bumper stickers of 2008 and 2012, they’re good to go.” Michelle Obama, after being named as Biden’s running mate, “would immediately attract the undying worship of the national [media]. With the country still in lockdown, she can wave to Andrea Mitchell & Co. from the front door of her residences in Washington, D.C. … Martha’s Vineyard … or Chicago,” and fulfill every necessary photo-op requirement of a candidate. Stand the front door and wave, observing the lockdown, being socially responsible and so forth waving to the peeps — eager to get out and join everybody on the campaign trail. “Barack Obama, who manfully supports his wife in all her endeavors,” or else, “would joke about being the First Husband and cite his familiarity with the White House as a qualification. “Nov. 3: With the black vote and the Bernie Sanders wing of the party solidly behind them, the Biden-Obama(s) team would defeat Trump in both the popular vote and the Electoral College, flipping Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona and North Carolina and winning both houses of Congress.” This is the Democrat dream. This is not a prediction of what actually would happen. This is the dream. So don’t get alarmed yet. “Jan. 20, 2021: Joe Biden is inaugurated as the 46th president of the United States,” having not been seen during the campaign. “Jan. 21: On live television, Joe and Dr. Jill Biden tearfully announce that the 78-year-old president is [suddenly] ‘unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office,’ and that under the 25th Amendment, he’s resigning. “Michelle Obama is now president of the United States and will not only fill out Biden’s term but will retain her eligibility to run again in her own right in 2024 when she will have turned 60. Jan. 22: President Obama announces her choice for vice president,” and it would be her husband, Barack Hussein Obama. “However unlikely,” writes Mr. Walsh, “it’s the smart play. How could the Republicans ever counter it” if it happened. Well, here’s the thing that’s misunderstood about this. The thing that’s misunderstand widely by the media and the Democrat Party is Barack Obama’s popularity. He ain’t, in terms of people he endorses. Barack Obama’s endorsements more often than not doom candidates. Ask Hillary. You go look it up. Don’t believe me if you don’t want to. Barack Obama-endorsed candidates do not win, including Hillary. “But, Rush! But, Rush! He’s not the candidate here. Michelle (My Belle) is, and she’s universally popular.” Yeah, I know that’s the conventional wisdom — and like so much of the conventional wisdom, formed by the Washington establishment, sorry, I just don’t buy it.

https://nypost.com/2020/04/20/unconscionable-for-released-inmates-to-commit-crimes-de-blasio/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_medium=SocialFlow&utm_source=NYPTwitter&__twitter_impression=true It is “unconscionable” that Riker’s Island inmates who were released due to coronavirus concerns are committing new crimes, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Monday. “I think it’s unconscionable just on a human level that folks were shown mercy and this is what some of them have done,” the mayor said during his morning briefing Monday, which came on the heels of a Post report outlining the issue. De Blasio said the number of re-offenders remains relatively small and said the city was “buckling down” on monitoring and supervising released prisoners. “We do see some recidivism. I have not seen a huge amount but any amount is obviously troubling,” he said. “We’re going to just keep buckling down on it, making sure there’s close monitoring and supervision to the maximum step possible. And the NYPD is going to keep doing what they’re doing.” More than 1,400 city inmates have been granted early releases due to concerns of the spread of coronavirus inside jailhouses, Hizzoner said. The Post reported Sunday that at least 50 of the newly released Riker’s Island prisoners were rearrested for new crimes in recent weeks — and in some cases were cut loose again. The Legal Aid Society, Bronx Defenders and other legal defense groups have been petitioning courts since the outbreak of the deadly global pandemic, arguing that inmates, particularly those who are older or have medical conditions, are more vulnerable to the deadly bug within the confines of city jails. The releases have helped drop the inmate population at Riker’s Island under 4,000 for the first time since the World War II era, city officials said. City officials said last week that more than 300 inmates and 500 correction department employees have tested positive for COVID-19, with at least two inmates killed by the virus. I can buy into a liberal policy releasing non-violent offenders in this instance ..... but "Once bitten twice shy" - you get arrested that quick , you are in for the duration dude, don't ask to get out again....

The rest of the office crew is coming back into the office today.......So.......I felt a plague mask would be fitting......😂

No "elective" appointments or procedures (profitable occurrences)......BTW - this is happening all around the country not just in the Midwest. Simple supply and demand. And the unavoidable truth that Profit = Revenue - Expenses. Next to follow is the local government budget shortfalls due to lower tax revenues...... https://www.huntingdondailynews.com/news/local/hospital-sees-layoffs/article_7fd73017-372b-56d7-9e82-7cc4ec92b3b4.html Norman noted the pandemic has forced unprecedented changes to healthcare organizations across the U.S., and Penn Highlands Healthcare is not immune to the economic fallout. “In the past two to three weeks alone, we’ve seen a dramatic decline,” said Norman. “In analyzing finances and volumes, we’ve seen a 59% drop in clinic visits, 83% decline in surgeries, 57% in radiology visits, 55% in lab testing and there’s been a net revenue drop of 40% in Penn Highlands Healthcare.” Norman noted that while hot spots across the U.S. are seeing a surge of patients who are suspected or have been confirmed to have COVID-19, that hasn’t been the case in the health system. “We’ve seen a decline in elective services, preventative care and outpatient testing,” he said. “People are canceling doctors appointments out of fear or because of shelter-in-place orders.” https://www.wxyz.com/news/coronavirus/wayne-mayor-demands-answers-in-wake-of-covid-19-hospital-shutdown-layoffs WAYNE, Mich. (WXYZ) — "It’s a travesty.” Wayne Mayor calls for criminal investigation into closure of Beaumont Wayne. The Mayor of Wayne is calling for a criminal investigation into why Beaumont Health paused operations at its hospital in the City of Wayne during a pandemic. “This is a travesty, and I cannot believe this is happening in America right now,” said Mayor John Rhaesa. Rhaesa says he’s always been a proud supporter of Beaumont Wayne, he’s even a member of their community advisory board. But now Rhaesa wants to know why Beaumont Health has paused operations at the Wayne hospital, and why they transferred patients on ventilators to other facilities. “It makes no sense to take a hospital away. In my opinion that’s criminal and should be investigated in the future, because this is not right,” Rhaesa told 7 Investigator Heather Catallo. Rhaesa says he’s now contacting the Attorney General and the Governor. Beaumont has said they will use the now-empty Wayne location as a covid19-only hospital again if there’s another surge. A spokesman says the remaining patients were transferred safely earlier this week and they are re-deploying some staff to other locations. But other healthcare workers from Beaumont Wayne say they received lay off notices. “How do you do this to your heroes? They’re putting their life on the line for us. Yet, they’re just thrown out like garbage. This is wrong! This absolutely just blows my mind that this could happen in a pandemic when we’re in such a crisis,” said Rhaesa. Relatives who’s loved ones were being treated at Wayne tell 7 Action News that in those final hours of life, family members were getting calls from the hospital saying they were going to send them to other facilities. Those relatives say the patient’s doctors did not agree with the decision to move the patients. “I am so sorry that happened to you. No one deserves that, no one deserves to have to go through what you’ve gone through. And you are owed an apology from Beaumont, and on behalf of myself and my citizens, we’re ashamed that this has happened to you. This should not happen in my city,” said Rhaesa. The 7 Investigators have learned a total of 39 Beaumont patients from across their system have now been transferred to the Veterans Affairs hospitals in Detroit and Ann Arbor, even though they are not military patients. Four of them came from the Wayne campus. VA officials proudly told 7 Action News this is a historic move, and they’re happy to help, but they believed all of the patients were coming from hospitals at capacity – not a hospital about to close it’s doors. A Beaumont spokesman says “Beaumont is committed to reopening Beaumont Wayne and making sure the services there both meet the community’s needs and fit within our system’s overall strategic plan.” Mayor Rhaesa says that’s not good enough during a pandemic. “My community rallied around the hospital. My businesses have rallied around the hospital. I mean, they’ve been sending stuff – anything and everything they can do to help and support them. How can you do this? How? It’s just wrong,” said Rhaesa. Mayor Rhaesa says his EMS crews are already short staffed. Now without this hospital for covid19 patients or any other kind of medical care, he says there will be a much longer response time. Beaumont Hospital Director of Communications Mark Geary issued this statement about Beaumont Wayne: Ruthanne Sudderth, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs & Communications for the Michigan Health & Hospital Association sent us this statement about the VA: https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/business/healthcare/5203517-Nurses-bargaining-with-Essentia-over-potential-layoffs In late March, Essentia laid off about 500 employees that it described as non-medical staff. This week, those layoffs were extended by another 30 days. The health system said more layoffs had taken place this week, but refused to say how many. The actions come as hospitals throughout the state face an economic shortfall caused by canceling elective procedures and reducing clinic visits in anticipation of a surge of COVID-19 cases. Minnesota hospitals and health systems expect to lose $3 billion over the next 90 days, the Minnesota Hospital Association has said. "We're in talks with lots of other hospitals around the state about this very same issue," Fuentes said, adding about northern Minnesota: "There are a lot of empty beds up there."

I am having a problem with the laying off of 70 - 80% of hospital staff in the areas with next to zero Coronavirus cases to make room for all the Coronavirus cases we can expect. And you don't hear about that in the statistics everyday. Yeah, we know - look at the previous page.

Every day we are subjected to a cornucopia of things that "could" kill you. Every person who is concerned about getting sick, being in an accident, or whatever malaise that they may encounter - STAY HOME. Nobody is guaranteed their next heartbeat - But, we had to shut down the entire US/world economy over the equivalent of a really bad flu year......

Does anyone else remember in March NY Governor Cuomo demanding DEMANDING 40,000 ventilators? Well - They got 5,000 from FEMA. This week, the same Governor Cuomo is donating some of his state's surplus ventilators (of the 5,000) to other states......I wonder if some of that surplus came from his National Guard troops who he was supposedly sending throughout the state to get more ventilators.....That (as it turns out) he actually didn't need. Yeah I didn't see that story reported either.....Just the exhalation of the caring Governor of New York for having done such a great job now donating HIS ventilators.....BTW - California is "donating" ventilators as well. Yes - I do think this was a huge HUGE over-reaction that just like everything else the government starts (the shutdown) it has a hard time ending......

Well he's gonna need every one of them Sanders votes he can get. SF isTotally ignoring the allegations of that lady from years ago, (there will be no coverage anyway, so drop it - not worth it) Former Vice President Joe Biden will get destroyed by the President. He is truly exhibiting signs of dementia or at the very least his mind is getting too weak to process or handle the complex issues that are coming up. He literally can't maintain a speech or presser for more than 15 minutes. My suspicion is that with Sanders out of the race, the Dems are positioning Cuomo to move in some capacity at the convention or something like that. He's the fallback position for the left. (IMHO)

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2020/04/14/with-empty-beds-at-the-javits-center-and-on-the-comfort-uniformed-health-workers-are-going-straight-into-nyc-hospitals/ Turns out the ship docked in New York (whose premature pulling out of retrofit was covered by everyone under the sun), and the Javits Center (whose opening the media covered intensely to illustrate the gravity of the virus) wasn't needed. Positive thing the medical staffs are close enough and flexible enough to help in various locations as needed...... I am assuming the same media will do a story on this as well......right? A friend of mine used the analogy "we are now using nuclear weaponry to kill mice"....

https://www.wsj.com/articles/nursing-homes-remain-a-concern-as-new-yorks-coronavirus-outbreak-appears-to-plateau-11586892250 New York City raised its likely death toll from coronavirus by 3,778 people on Tuesday afternoon, after city officials released new numbers counting people who were presumed to have died of the disease but who hadn’t tested positive for the virus. Until now, only people who died after testing positive for the virus were counted among its victims in New York in publicly released data. So the death rate wasn't supporting the actions, now we need "presume" someone probably had it.......I thought science was absolute, not a consensus......

Ridin' with Biden......LOL