![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
May. 19th, 2020
A week ago Friday, 10 Delta Airlines jetliners flew into a remote desert airstrip between Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona. Not one flew out.
So far this past week, planes owned by Avianca Ecuador, Air Canada and its regional carrier Jazz Aviation, and a contract carrier from Bangor, Maine, have arrived at Pinal Air Park near Marana.
They carried no passengers and only a skeleton crew, usually just a pilot and a first officer, and those planes, too, never left, reports The Arizona Republic, which is part of the USA TODAY Network.
In the last 10 days more than 50 jetliners have filed final flight plans to the converted World War II training base.
They are part of a wave of ghost flights landing at an unprecedented rate at desert airstrips all over the Southwest near places like Marana and Kingman in Arizona, Mojave and Victorville in California, Roswell, New Mexico, and Abilene, Texas.
The planes will sit in storage at the airstrips as airlines deal with the economic shocks of the COVID-19 crisis. Since Feb. 20, airline passenger traffic is down an estimated 95%, and industry stocks have lost two-thirds of their value.
Rather than flying empty planes, most airlines are parking significant portions of their fleets, which even for a short term involves an intricate maintenance schedule to make sure the planes are airworthy if and when they are needed again.
https://news.yahoo.com/grounded-arizona-flights-arrive-dont-162954229.html
So far this past week, planes owned by Avianca Ecuador, Air Canada and its regional carrier Jazz Aviation, and a contract carrier from Bangor, Maine, have arrived at Pinal Air Park near Marana.
They carried no passengers and only a skeleton crew, usually just a pilot and a first officer, and those planes, too, never left, reports The Arizona Republic, which is part of the USA TODAY Network.
In the last 10 days more than 50 jetliners have filed final flight plans to the converted World War II training base.
They are part of a wave of ghost flights landing at an unprecedented rate at desert airstrips all over the Southwest near places like Marana and Kingman in Arizona, Mojave and Victorville in California, Roswell, New Mexico, and Abilene, Texas.
The planes will sit in storage at the airstrips as airlines deal with the economic shocks of the COVID-19 crisis. Since Feb. 20, airline passenger traffic is down an estimated 95%, and industry stocks have lost two-thirds of their value.
Rather than flying empty planes, most airlines are parking significant portions of their fleets, which even for a short term involves an intricate maintenance schedule to make sure the planes are airworthy if and when they are needed again.
https://news.yahoo.com/grounded-arizona-flights-arrive-dont-162954229.html
"The good news is a lot of Trump voters are going to die over the next six to twelve months." ~Nebris
https://news.yahoo.com/judge-tosses-coronavirus-restrictions-oregon-201711786.html
https://news.yahoo.com/judge-tosses-coronavirus-restrictions-oregon-201711786.html
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (CBS12) — As Florida starts to reopen, the architect and manager of Florida's COVID-19 dashboard, announced she'd been removed from her position, Florida Today reported.
Rebekah Jones said in an email to CBS12 News that her removal was "not voluntary" and that she was removed from her position because she was ordered to censor some data, but refused to "manually change data to drum up support for the plan to reopen."
Jones made the announcement May 5 in a farewell email to researchers and other members of the public who had signed up to receive updates on the data portal, according to Florida Today. She said that for "reasons beyond my division's control," her office is no longer managing the dashboard, involved in its publication, fixing errors or answering any questions.
Florida's COVID-19 dashboard, created by a team of Florida Department of Health data scientists and public health officers led by Jones, was praised by White House officials for its accessibility, the Florida Daily reported. But over the last few weeks, it "crashed and went offline, data disappeared with no explanation and access to the underlying data sheets became difficult."
https://cbs12.com/news/local/woman-who-designed-floridas-covid-19-dashboard-has-been-removed-from-her-position
Rebekah Jones said in an email to CBS12 News that her removal was "not voluntary" and that she was removed from her position because she was ordered to censor some data, but refused to "manually change data to drum up support for the plan to reopen."
Jones made the announcement May 5 in a farewell email to researchers and other members of the public who had signed up to receive updates on the data portal, according to Florida Today. She said that for "reasons beyond my division's control," her office is no longer managing the dashboard, involved in its publication, fixing errors or answering any questions.
Florida's COVID-19 dashboard, created by a team of Florida Department of Health data scientists and public health officers led by Jones, was praised by White House officials for its accessibility, the Florida Daily reported. But over the last few weeks, it "crashed and went offline, data disappeared with no explanation and access to the underlying data sheets became difficult."
https://cbs12.com/news/local/woman-who-designed-floridas-covid-19-dashboard-has-been-removed-from-her-position
Scrolling through my Twitter feed I happened to notice a tweet sent out by Richard Medhurst, drawing attention to a new fundraising endeavor for Joe Biden’s general election campaign against Donald Trump. Linked in the tweet was an event put on by the Biden Victory Fund involving a Zoom call, entitled: ‘Virtual Conversation with Hillary Rodham Clinton and DNC Chair Tom Perez’.
Tickets for this Zoom call are selling for as high as $100,000 dollars.
Of course, there are other levels of contribution as well. A “champion” can purchase a ticket for $50,000, “guests” for $5,600, and limited availability “attendee” tickets are selling for $2,800. If you want to be considered a “friend” to the Biden campaign and by extension the democratic party as well, you must purchase a ticket for no less than $15,600.
In the month of April alone, 20.5 million Americans lost their jobs due to the Coronavirus pandemic and the economic fallout it created. Aside from losing their ability to pay rent or put food on the table for themselves and their families, they’ve lost their health insurance as well. As the lines outside food banks grow longer and desperation throughout the country increases, Hillary Clinton and Tom Perez will grant a “supporter” the honor of a private zoom call conversation for a minimum of $41,100.
This isn’t a democracy, it’s an auction to the highest bidder. If this fundraising effort alone isn’t enough to prompt a voter to acknowledge that the democratic party is arguably beyond all hope, then I’m not sure what will.
Needless to say, a party charging you over $15,000 dollars just to be considered a friend is not a party of the people, and a party charging a minimum of $41,100 dollars for a private conversation is not going to listen to the concerns of the middle and working classes. While they continue to present themselves as the “resistance” to Donald Trump’s administration and its practices, the Democrats instead have proven to be representative of the greed and corruption that allowed him to rise to power in the first place. $100,000 zoom call tickets are not going to create the change necessary to improve the lives of the American people let alone motivate them to turn out and vote, but credit to Joe Biden for at least admitting that nothing would be fundamentally different under his leadership.
When Democrats lose in November, this loss does not get to be blamed on the Bernie Sanders supporter. The democratic party has been warned for fives years about what would happen if they continued in this direction, and rather than use the 2016 election as a learning moment they have doubled down on the practices that has disenfranchised and demoralized countless voters. But given the economic circumstances people across the nation are finding themselves in, this type of behavior isn’t just repugnant it’s frankly dangerous.
Not only are these $100,000 Zoom call tickets an indicator of what’s wrong with the democratic party, they’re representative of what’s wrong with the American political and economic system overall. Forget pitchforks and “social unrest”. Those terms are mere child’s play in comparison to what could be coming in the near future when more and more of us lose everything while political figures in both parties continue to ignore the pain and trauma we’re feeling. As more time passes and the crisis continues to get worse, I’ve never been more convinced the United States is at the very least on the verge of becoming a failed state. Learning about this Zoom call fundraiser did little to ease my concerns.
If we want any chance at an opportunity for a livable future that prioritizes the wellbeing of human beings over power and profits, then it’s time to abandon the democratic party once and for all. After seeing this, I’m not ashamed to say that they absolutely deserve the loss they have coming to them in this approaching election. We cannot tolerate this any longer, and we have a responsibility not just to ourselves and our communities but to the generations that come after us to demand and cultivate better. There is too much at stake to let this type of behavior continue, and it has never been more critical to remember that it will so long as we allow it to. The American people deserve far better, and I refuse to perpetuate the system that motivates these practices with my vote for either mainstream political party in November.
I’m done with the Democratic party and you should be, too.
https://medium.com/discourse/hillary-clintons-100-000-zoom-call-tickets-represent-everything-wrong-with-the-democratic-party-32a79baacea1
Tickets for this Zoom call are selling for as high as $100,000 dollars.
Of course, there are other levels of contribution as well. A “champion” can purchase a ticket for $50,000, “guests” for $5,600, and limited availability “attendee” tickets are selling for $2,800. If you want to be considered a “friend” to the Biden campaign and by extension the democratic party as well, you must purchase a ticket for no less than $15,600.
In the month of April alone, 20.5 million Americans lost their jobs due to the Coronavirus pandemic and the economic fallout it created. Aside from losing their ability to pay rent or put food on the table for themselves and their families, they’ve lost their health insurance as well. As the lines outside food banks grow longer and desperation throughout the country increases, Hillary Clinton and Tom Perez will grant a “supporter” the honor of a private zoom call conversation for a minimum of $41,100.
This isn’t a democracy, it’s an auction to the highest bidder. If this fundraising effort alone isn’t enough to prompt a voter to acknowledge that the democratic party is arguably beyond all hope, then I’m not sure what will.
Needless to say, a party charging you over $15,000 dollars just to be considered a friend is not a party of the people, and a party charging a minimum of $41,100 dollars for a private conversation is not going to listen to the concerns of the middle and working classes. While they continue to present themselves as the “resistance” to Donald Trump’s administration and its practices, the Democrats instead have proven to be representative of the greed and corruption that allowed him to rise to power in the first place. $100,000 zoom call tickets are not going to create the change necessary to improve the lives of the American people let alone motivate them to turn out and vote, but credit to Joe Biden for at least admitting that nothing would be fundamentally different under his leadership.
When Democrats lose in November, this loss does not get to be blamed on the Bernie Sanders supporter. The democratic party has been warned for fives years about what would happen if they continued in this direction, and rather than use the 2016 election as a learning moment they have doubled down on the practices that has disenfranchised and demoralized countless voters. But given the economic circumstances people across the nation are finding themselves in, this type of behavior isn’t just repugnant it’s frankly dangerous.
Not only are these $100,000 Zoom call tickets an indicator of what’s wrong with the democratic party, they’re representative of what’s wrong with the American political and economic system overall. Forget pitchforks and “social unrest”. Those terms are mere child’s play in comparison to what could be coming in the near future when more and more of us lose everything while political figures in both parties continue to ignore the pain and trauma we’re feeling. As more time passes and the crisis continues to get worse, I’ve never been more convinced the United States is at the very least on the verge of becoming a failed state. Learning about this Zoom call fundraiser did little to ease my concerns.
If we want any chance at an opportunity for a livable future that prioritizes the wellbeing of human beings over power and profits, then it’s time to abandon the democratic party once and for all. After seeing this, I’m not ashamed to say that they absolutely deserve the loss they have coming to them in this approaching election. We cannot tolerate this any longer, and we have a responsibility not just to ourselves and our communities but to the generations that come after us to demand and cultivate better. There is too much at stake to let this type of behavior continue, and it has never been more critical to remember that it will so long as we allow it to. The American people deserve far better, and I refuse to perpetuate the system that motivates these practices with my vote for either mainstream political party in November.
I’m done with the Democratic party and you should be, too.
https://medium.com/discourse/hillary-clintons-100-000-zoom-call-tickets-represent-everything-wrong-with-the-democratic-party-32a79baacea1
When Norma McCorvey, the anonymous plaintiff in the landmark Roe vs. Wade case, came out against abortion in 1995, it stunned the world and represented a huge symbolic victory for abortion opponents: “Jane Roe” had gone to the other side. For the remainder of her life, McCorvey worked to overturn the law that bore her name.
But it was all a lie, McCorvey says in a documentary filmed in the months before her death in 2017, claiming she only did it because she was paid by antiabortion groups including Operation Rescue.
“I was the big fish. I think it was a mutual thing. I took their money and they’d put me out in front of the cameras and tell me what to say. That’s what I’d say,” she says in “AKA Jane Roe,” which premieres Friday on FX. “It was all an act. I did it well too. I am a good actress.”
In what she describes as a “deathbed confession,” a visibly ailing McCorvey restates her support for reproductive rights in colorful terms: “If a young woman wants to have an abortion, that’s no skin off my ass. That’s why they call it choice.”
https://www.yahoo.com/news/woman-behind-roe-v-wade-160020572.html
But it was all a lie, McCorvey says in a documentary filmed in the months before her death in 2017, claiming she only did it because she was paid by antiabortion groups including Operation Rescue.
“I was the big fish. I think it was a mutual thing. I took their money and they’d put me out in front of the cameras and tell me what to say. That’s what I’d say,” she says in “AKA Jane Roe,” which premieres Friday on FX. “It was all an act. I did it well too. I am a good actress.”
In what she describes as a “deathbed confession,” a visibly ailing McCorvey restates her support for reproductive rights in colorful terms: “If a young woman wants to have an abortion, that’s no skin off my ass. That’s why they call it choice.”
https://www.yahoo.com/news/woman-behind-roe-v-wade-160020572.html
...one day before they can claim benefits
Rep. Max Rose (D-N.Y.) slammed the White House’s decision to end the National Guard’s deployments the day before they can claim benefits in a Tuesday statement.
Rose criticized President Trump’s administration for deciding to stop deployments on June 24, the day before thousands of National Guard members would qualify for early retirement and education benefits under the Post-9/11 GI bill.
The New York lawmaker called for the decision to be reversed because it is “unpatriotic [and] economically unsound.”
“Intentionally ending orders one day short of a deadline for National Guard soldiers to receive benefits for their heroic sacrifices is the definition of heartless,” he said.
“In peace time we should never balance our budget on the backs of our soldiers," he added, "so why anyone would think this is okay to do in the middle of a wartime effort is beyond human comprehension."
The White House’s approval of the National Guard deployment to assist during the pandemic gave them federal pay and benefits and put them under the command of state governors through May 31. The administration reportedly further extended the National Guard deployment to June 24 — one day short of the 90-day benchmark for benefits to go into effect, Politico reported Tuesday.
A National Guard Bureau spokesman told The Hill in a statement that it is working with the Defense Department and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to "determine the best ways to care for our Guard men and women in this unprecedented response."
The spokesman added that FEMA makes the final decisions on how long National Guard members are activated.
"We are always supportive of policies that provide National Guard soldiers and airmen with benefits that match the service they provide to their communities, states, and our nation," he said.
A FEMA spokesperson told The Hill in a statement that Trump has approved 49 National Guard requests, which the government will fund fully through June 24. As of Tuesday, the National Guard has authorized 39,891 National Guard troops and an additional 891 troops in state active duty status.
The White House did not immediately return a request for comment.
Rose, a captain in the National Guard, deployed last month to help set up a COVID-19-only emergency hospital on Staten Island.
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/498499-max-rose-slams-wh-decision-to-end-national-guard-deployments-before-they-can
Rep. Max Rose (D-N.Y.) slammed the White House’s decision to end the National Guard’s deployments the day before they can claim benefits in a Tuesday statement.
Rose criticized President Trump’s administration for deciding to stop deployments on June 24, the day before thousands of National Guard members would qualify for early retirement and education benefits under the Post-9/11 GI bill.
The New York lawmaker called for the decision to be reversed because it is “unpatriotic [and] economically unsound.”
“Intentionally ending orders one day short of a deadline for National Guard soldiers to receive benefits for their heroic sacrifices is the definition of heartless,” he said.
“In peace time we should never balance our budget on the backs of our soldiers," he added, "so why anyone would think this is okay to do in the middle of a wartime effort is beyond human comprehension."
The White House’s approval of the National Guard deployment to assist during the pandemic gave them federal pay and benefits and put them under the command of state governors through May 31. The administration reportedly further extended the National Guard deployment to June 24 — one day short of the 90-day benchmark for benefits to go into effect, Politico reported Tuesday.
A National Guard Bureau spokesman told The Hill in a statement that it is working with the Defense Department and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to "determine the best ways to care for our Guard men and women in this unprecedented response."
The spokesman added that FEMA makes the final decisions on how long National Guard members are activated.
"We are always supportive of policies that provide National Guard soldiers and airmen with benefits that match the service they provide to their communities, states, and our nation," he said.
A FEMA spokesperson told The Hill in a statement that Trump has approved 49 National Guard requests, which the government will fund fully through June 24. As of Tuesday, the National Guard has authorized 39,891 National Guard troops and an additional 891 troops in state active duty status.
The White House did not immediately return a request for comment.
Rose, a captain in the National Guard, deployed last month to help set up a COVID-19-only emergency hospital on Staten Island.
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/498499-max-rose-slams-wh-decision-to-end-national-guard-deployments-before-they-can
Stock up on soft foods and learn to talk wifout teef. Oh, and your home will be stolen by Medi-Cal when you die. Remember, Democrats control a 75% supermajority in the Legislature and can pass anything they want. This is what they've proposed. Good luck.
"Under the revised state budget, adult dental benefits would revert to 2014 levels, which means enrollees would once again lose gum disease treatment, deep cleanings, partial dentures and root canals, said Shannon McConville, a researcher with the Public Policy Institute of California.
"For example, the state’s proposal to reinstate an expanded 'estate recovery policy' could deter seniors from seeking the care they need, Nguy and other advocates said. This policy allows the state to seek repayment for certain services provided under Medi-Cal after a person has died, if the individual was 55 or older when services were provided and there is no will.
"Typically, the only asset a low-income person has is their home, meaning this policy could potentially allow the state to come after a deceased person’s house, explained Claire Ramsey, a staff attorney with the Justice in Aging, an advocacy group focused on senior poverty."
https://lostcoastoutpost.com/2020/may/19/california-budget-yanks-back-medi-cal-health-care/
"Under the revised state budget, adult dental benefits would revert to 2014 levels, which means enrollees would once again lose gum disease treatment, deep cleanings, partial dentures and root canals, said Shannon McConville, a researcher with the Public Policy Institute of California.
"For example, the state’s proposal to reinstate an expanded 'estate recovery policy' could deter seniors from seeking the care they need, Nguy and other advocates said. This policy allows the state to seek repayment for certain services provided under Medi-Cal after a person has died, if the individual was 55 or older when services were provided and there is no will.
"Typically, the only asset a low-income person has is their home, meaning this policy could potentially allow the state to come after a deceased person’s house, explained Claire Ramsey, a staff attorney with the Justice in Aging, an advocacy group focused on senior poverty."
https://lostcoastoutpost.com/2020/may/19/california-budget-yanks-back-medi-cal-health-care/
Pier 1 Imports is calling it quits.
The bankrupt home-goods retailer has asked a court for permission to liquidate its remaining 540 stores once they reopen after coronavirus-driven lockdowns, ending a 58-year legacy of selling glassware, wicker furniture and other home decor.
Pier 1 said it is in talks with several prospective buyers to sell its remaining assets, including its intellectual property and e-commerce business, during a court-supervised auction on July 15. The company has tapped Gordon Brothers to begin liquidating its locations this weekend across the US, according to court documents.
“It is now clear that Pier 1’s future does not involve any brick-and-mortar retail locations,” Pier 1 said in court filings.
The Fort Worth, Texas-based chain — founded in 1962 in San Mateo, Calif., under the moniker Cost Plus Imports — filed for bankruptcy protection in February, pushed to the brink by increasing competition from online home furnishings giant Wayfair, Target and Walmart.
https://nypost.com/2020/05/19/pier-1-imports-to-close-all-540-stores-after-58-years/
The bankrupt home-goods retailer has asked a court for permission to liquidate its remaining 540 stores once they reopen after coronavirus-driven lockdowns, ending a 58-year legacy of selling glassware, wicker furniture and other home decor.
Pier 1 said it is in talks with several prospective buyers to sell its remaining assets, including its intellectual property and e-commerce business, during a court-supervised auction on July 15. The company has tapped Gordon Brothers to begin liquidating its locations this weekend across the US, according to court documents.
“It is now clear that Pier 1’s future does not involve any brick-and-mortar retail locations,” Pier 1 said in court filings.
The Fort Worth, Texas-based chain — founded in 1962 in San Mateo, Calif., under the moniker Cost Plus Imports — filed for bankruptcy protection in February, pushed to the brink by increasing competition from online home furnishings giant Wayfair, Target and Walmart.
https://nypost.com/2020/05/19/pier-1-imports-to-close-all-540-stores-after-58-years/
"We spent $6.4 TRILLION fighting two wars. Guess the cupboard is bare. Oh wait, didn't we dish out a $2 TRILLION tax cut to billionaires two years ago?" ~Nebris
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/washington-probably-wont-deliver-another-coronavirus-aid-package-says-republican-senator-2020-05-19
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/washington-probably-wont-deliver-another-coronavirus-aid-package-says-republican-senator-2020-05-19