Measles and more measles

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I saw on the news that a measles outbreak is occurring in South Carolina with cases numbering 558. Most of these are in the I-85 corridor near Spartanburg. This corridor is heavily traveled for business, so exposure is heightened. This outbreak follows an outbreak in Texas.

I found an article in AARP, whose audience is older retired folks. So, it opens with the following question.

“What older adults should know about immunity to the virus as cases continue to climb.

The number of measles cases in the U.S. continues to climb, reaching 1,958 this year, as of Dec. 16 — the highest number on record in more than three decades, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The vast majority (93 percent) of these cases have occurred in unvaccinated individuals or people of unknown vaccine status. Roughly 222 people have been hospitalized with the vaccine-preventable illness, and three have died…

Here are five things you need to know about the current situation, including vaccine advice for older adults. The article offers more in depth observations beneath these topics.

1. Measles is highly contagious

2. Many older adults have immunity — but some may need the vaccine

3. Without population immunity, measles can spread

4. Measles can be dangerous, even deadly

5. Unvaccinated travelers can spread measles

Given the I-85 corridor, this last concern is of importance. This disease was larger eliminated in the US. But, with anti-vaxxers and the inexperienced RFK, Jr. leading the way, we are more at risk. Listen to your doctor is my advice.

My retired attorney friend’s dream

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The following was sent by my retired attorney friend in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday. This dream is more about cleaning up the trash than Civil Rights.

“Dr. King, whose Holiday is this coming weekend( unless Trump has revoked it by Executive Order) had a dream. My dream is not as profound, aspirational and inspirational as his. In my dream, Nicolas Maduro has been convicted of narco-terrorism (whatever that is) and sentenced to prison. His cellmate is Donald John Trump who has been convicted of promoting an insurrection and attempting to overturn a free and fair election (SCOTUS has reversed itself and declared “no one is above the law.” It is rumoured that George Soros bought Clarence Thomas a new bus and Cardinal Alito had a private confession with Pope Leo and his penance was no dissent). One of the dream’s many ironies is that Maduro successfully overturned an election but was not convicted for it, while Trump was convicted of unsuccessfully attempting to overthrow an election. They are visited frequently by the former President of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernandez, a free man who was inexplicably pardoned by Trump after he was convicted of conspiracy to distribute 400 tons of cocaine into the USA. Another of the dream’s many ironies. It turns out the three men are fey strong men who secretly belong to the LGBTQ+ community. The visits are conjugal in nature. But for the extensive redactions in the Epstein files, MAGA nuts would have learned that their hero and Jeffrey Epstein were lovers. Ghislaine Maxwell has been moved from minimum security to maximum security resulting in her loss of baked alaska in favor of pork ‘n beans. Pam Bondi and Kristi Noem are her cellmates. Their only accoutrement is a shared hair dryer. Also cellmates are Pete Hegseth and Robert Kennedy,Jr. Their only extra is a chin up bar. Kash Patel is such a jerk they could not find him a cellmate so they had to put him in solitary confinement. Former ICE agent Jonathan Ross is in the same prison for executing Renee Good. The jury summarily rejected his self defense defense. It’s a helluva dream! Back in the real world, J. Edgar Hoover and Jessie Helms said bad things about Dr. King but the truth is he was a great man and role model for peacefully and nonviolently navigating his difficult times. Amazingly, he remains a role model for enduring the current insanity. HAPPY DR. KING HOLIDAY!”

Let me know what you think.

Mark Ruffalo speaks important truth

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At the Golden Globes Award show, it went according to plan. Yet, per Stuart Heritage’s article in The Guardian called “Mark Ruffalo’s howl of frustration was the Golden Globes’ finest hour,” news was made. Per Heritage:

“Little wonder, then, that the only real moment of the show to go viral was a red carpet interview with Mark Ruffalo. Called over by an interviewer to explain the pin he was wearing on his tuxedo, Ruffalo explained that ‘I’m not feeling so great. We have a woman, Renee Good was murdered in our streets of America today … As much as I love all this, I don’t know if I can pretend like this crazy stuff isn’t happening.’ (An assistant attorney general has decided not to investigate the killing of an unarmed civilian by an ICE agent even though this would be usual in the case of a shooting by law enforcement.)

Ruffalo was far from the only attender who wore a Be Good badge to the ceremony – Jean Smart, Ariana Grande, Wanda Sykes and Natasha Lyonne all did the same – but he does seem to be one of the few figures who consistently speaks his mind on matters such as these. The ‘activism and political views’ section of his Wikipedia page runs to 14 dense paragraphs of causes he has supported, on issues ranging from Iran to pollution to the preservation of Manhattan churches. Just this week, post-Globes, he signed a letter calling for the immediate restoration of medical care in Gaza.

Being this outspoken puts Ruffalo in the crosshairs – just today, a newspaper called him ‘the most sanctimonious man in Hollywood’ – which, in an age where the entertainment industry is being run by a smaller and smaller number of figures, can be a dangerous game to play. But the beauty of Mark Ruffalo is that he has always danced to the beat of his own drum.”

In a world where celebrities are relatively quiet on issues, it is welcome to see Ruffalo speak ouf. He also is daring in some of his movie roles such as “Spotlight,” “Dark Waters,” and “The Normal Heart.” George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bruce Springsteen, and Rob Reiner are others that are top of mind at speaking out.

A large dose of hypocrisy

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This headline from The Guardian shows a large dose of hypocrisy in the incumbent president.

“Iran crisis live: Trump says killers of protesters will ‘pay a big price’ and urges Iranians to ‘take over your institutions.’”

In essence, his competing messages are:

-Protest against my policies – killing protestors is OK.
-Protest with my policies – killing protestors is NOT OK.

The hypocrisy abounds. But, this is not a surprise as another key contradiction is it is OK for Trump and team to cheat and break the law, but it is not OK for others to cheat and break the law, even if it is just perception.

So, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth can violate the Constitution or breach national security, but former astronaut and Senator Mark Kelly cannot correctly say that the military can decline to do unconstitutional orders. Of course, the Senator is the one in trouble.

Former chair of Republican National Committee refers to the bully

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An article by David Smith in The Guardian called “Former Republican chair says US institutions yielded to Trump, ‘the bully’” caught my eye. The subtitle spells it out: “Michael Steele argues law firms, universities and media capitulated with startling speed and voters want accountability.”

Please note, while I disagree with more than some of his politics, I have long found Steele to be a reasonable voice, one that the Republicans need more of. Here are just two paragraphs that tell you all you need to know.

“The biggest surprise of Donald Trump’s first year back in office is how quickly America’s institutions capitulated to ‘the bully’, said Michael Steele, a former chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC) turned arch critic.

But with the midterm elections for Congress looming, Steele predicts a resounding Democratic victory amid a hunger among voters to hold the president and his allies accountable for threatening democracy.”

I have been saying for some time Donald Trump is an anchor to his party. Sadly, he is an anchor for the rest of the country and planet. Organizations and people need to stop acquiescing to the incumbent president and push back when he breaks the law, strips peoples’ rights and benefits, and damages the US reputation.

Steele says voters want accountability. We need that from Trump, legislators, staff, companies, et al. We are not getting any in a uniform way. Yet, with Trump, he does not accept accountability on anything. Nothing is ever his fault. That is sad when so much is.

Retired financial executive friend poses concerns about Venezuela oil investment

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In a back and forth with some staunch MAGA friends regarding the economic veracity of investing in Venezuela oil, a retired finacial executive offers the following.

“Of course your premise that China and Russia will be dependent on the US for oil is way off base. It makes a good story but Russia produces most of their oil and is the largest supplier to China. Other oil suppliers to China include Brazil , Iran and Saudi Arabia. China will now likely turn to Russia for increased oil purchases so any sanctions against purchases of Russian oil will merely drive China and Russia into a stronger alliance. We shall see.

My original point was merely that investments in Venezuelan oil production will be hard to come by. Partly due to the unknowns surrounding the country’s future, partly because of sufficient global supply from more reliable countries and with existing capabilities, partly because Venezuelan oil has to sell at a $ .21 bbl discount (making ROI impossible) and partly by most of the globe gradually shifting away from fossil fuels. Could be a hard row to hoe down in the Venezuela oil fields.

Chevron seems best positioned to expand and take advantage of the new opportunity but even they sounded reluctant to invest in new facilities and who could blame them. Exxon seemed anxious to graciously back out of the investment conversation this week while Trump proclaimed dozens of others were lining up for a shot at the Venezuelan oil. Who understands the situation better, Trump ( Miller and Rubio ) or Exxon and Chevron?”

I found this to be informative. We must always remember these oil companies are publicly traded, so their goal is meeting their EPS projections. They will make profit based decisions for their shareholders. Trump has never worked for a publicly traded company, so he seems to lack that perspective. And, I would add one more concern of these oil companies. The risk of Trump whipsawing on issues exists. He can change his mind or move onto the next shiny thing. That has made CFOs in all industries a little gun shy on investing, especially with the tariffs.

If you were inclined to believe Fox News, history tells you to think twice

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After settling three defamation lawsuits around Donald Trump’s bogus election fraud claims, Fox News has unabashedly returned to full sycophant (even gaslighting) status on his behalf. In one of the lawsuits, court documents revealed Fox anchors, reporters, writers, managers and owners knew they were gaslighting their audience,

To sum up their current reporting on most any issue – Trump good, Liberals bad. Yet before you start believing them, here is a repeat of a post of a couple of years ago.

**********

An interesting article by the Associated Press that appeared in The Guardian yesterday called “New York City pension funds and state of Oregon sue Fox over 2020 election coverage,” is not a total surprise. The subtitle adds a little more flavor – “New York pension funds and Oregon are long-term shareholders of Fox and accuse network of inviting defamation claims.”

A few paragraphs from the piece add even more clarity:

“New York City pension funds and the state of Oregon have sued Fox Corporation, alleging the company harmed investors by allowing Fox News to broadcast falsehoods about the 2020 election that exposed the network to defamation lawsuits.

The lawsuit, filed in Delaware, accuses Fox of inviting defamation claims by amplifying conspiracy theories about the election, including a suit Fox News agreed to settle for nearly $800m with Dominion Voting Systems, a maker of voting machines.”

In earlier posts about Fox having to fork over $1.1 billion of settlements in two defamation cases which note their is one pending defamation case for $2.7 billion with a yet another in the wings, I made reference that shareholders of Fox have to be none to happy about the management of their investment. The article about the lawsuit of the two pension fund investors verifies this.

The fact internal emails between on-air personalities, producers and management revealed Fox was aware the former president could not prove his election fraud claims, yet gaslit their audience is even more telling. These emails confirm that Fox is not a news entity. It is in a disinformation source.

The defamation cases and the shareholder lawsuit confirm the lesson that too many people fail to understand until it is too late. When you fly too close to the Trump sun, your reputation will get burned. Sadly, the network is still propping up this illicit acting former president.

This lawsuit will sweep out some management, but it will not solve the propaganda effort. It will just go to another source and in some respects it has. But, it is doubtful the new source will learn the lessons of Fox, when Fox still has not.

Why Venezuela or Greenland?

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Per The Guardian, “Big oil spent a stunning $445m throughout the last election cycle to influence Donald Trump and Congress, a new analysis has found.

That figure includes funding from January 2023 and November 2024 for political donations, lobbying and advertising to support elected officials and specific policies. Because it does not include money funneled through dark-money groups – which do not have to reveal their donors – it is almost certainly a vast understatement, says the report from green advocacy group Climate Power, which is based on campaign finance disclosures and advertising industry data.”

I had read the figure $1 billion as an approximation of the oil industry funding to Republicans, but that may or may not be true. With Citizens United (one of SCOTUS’ more awful decisions), the industry can clandestinely fund as much as they like. Since this industry garners significant concessions from legislators, (and have for a very long time) they will likely be getting a return on investment. They even fund some to Democrats to cover their bases.

So, if one wonders why the incumbent president attacked Venezuela and talks about Greenland, it is all about what lues beneath ground. Oil, natural gas, rare earth metals, et al are desired. Our history is one of making political decisions are funders want us to do. One of the more famous ones is deposing Iran’s elected leader in 1953, and facilitating the rise to power of the US friendly Shah of Iran. Iranis have largely detested Americans since that time.

The Iran regime change was not right then, nor is the action in Venezuela. But, doing the right thing is not in the president’s list of priorities. Neither is doing things the right way.

Note to Congress – please fire this person

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Per The Guardian today:

“Donald Trump has said that he does not ‘need international law’ and that his power is limited only by his ‘own morality.’

In a new interview with the New York Times, Trump said the only constraint to his power as president of the US is ‘my own morality, my own mind.’”

Call me crazy, but not needing the law is something a criminal would say. Further to this theme, an amoral acting person is not one I would look to for moral reflection. A moral person does not denigrate and demean others as is his want.

Before reading the latest inane comment from the incumbent president, I read where he and two of his direct reports demonized a 37 year old mother who was in the wrong place at the wrong time and was gunned down by his goons in ICE.

As a concerned American and independent (and former Republican and Democrat ) voter, I feel the incumbent president is a clear and present danger to our country and our planet. He is also a danger to his own party.

So, please Congress fire this person. He needs to be impeached by the House and convicted by the Senate. And, we need Republicans to play a significant role in so doing. He may not care about the law, but we need him to. We also need to impeach (and convict) select others on his staff.

Trump’s former security advisor critical of Venezuela action while top Republicans condemn any action toward Greenland

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Two articles in Politico speak to Republicans feeling greater license to be critical of the incumbent president. The first involves his former security director. Per Politico:

“President Donald Trump has long been obsessed with the idea he could simply take Venezuela’s oil, says John Bolton, Trump’s onetime national security adviser.

But Bolton warned in an interview Tuesday with POLITICO’s E&E News that Trump’s recent actions against Venezuela could embolden U.S. rivals — especially since Trump laid claim to Venezuela’s natural resources after his administration deposed President Nicolás Maduro.

‘The mistakes he’s making today … lend greater credence to a Russian or a Chinese effort to say, well, we’re just doing what the U.S. did in Venezuela,’ Bolton said.”

The second story involves Republican Senators and Congress representatives. Per Politico:

“Top Republicans on Capitol Hill are publicly breaking with President Donald Trump over his threats to seize Greenland — an unusual show of dissent that underscores how seriously the president’s allies view the situation.

Trump isn’t ruling out military coercion to take the self-governing island, which is Danish territory and therefore part of NATO. Several leading defense hawks dismissed that option, contending it would do lasting damage to U.S. alliances and strategic interests in Europe and the Arctic.”

Attacking Venezuela and abducting its leader and his wife is beyond poor form. It violates laws and norms both here and abroad. The US is now a rogue nation in the view of many. The chest beating about Greenland is just childish and provocative. If the incumbent president did that he would lower the limbo bar to a degree that only thugs could ooze under.

It is good to see more Republicans speaking up against the mean-spirited bullying of the president. Maybe, they can stop him from further damage to our global relationships.