A book I'm reading about the Spanish Flu (and that came out pre-COVID) had this curious note:
"In this global reshuffle, some fell through the cracks: long-term invalids, including melancholics, who could no longer work, and who were misunderstood as war veterans...Some were caught in a very fragile, very threadbare safety net. Among them were the lucky beneficiaries of life insurance polices: the US life insurance paid out nearly $100 million in claims after the pandemic - the equivalent of $20 billion today. Other had been named in wills. Upon the death from flu of one German immigrant to America, for example, his widow and son received a sum of money. They invested it in property, and today the immigrant's grandson is a property magnate purportedly worth billions. His name is Donald Trump."
It’s being reported that Trump will NOT pardon himself or family members. Advisors have told him it would look bad for the impeachment trial. I don’t buy it.
Biden says not so fast..
https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/18/polit...ons/index.html
Biden is set to take over the presidency on Wednesday and his incoming press secretary, Jen Psaki, said that his administration would not lift the restrictions.
"With the pandemic worsening, and more contagious variants emerging around the world, this is not the time to be lifting restrictions on international travel," Psaki said on Twitter. "On the advice of our medical team, the Administration does not intend to lift these restrictions on 1/26. In fact, we plan to strengthen public health measures around international travel in order to further mitigate the spread of COVID-19."
Kyle gets BUCKETS!
https://youtu.be/NJWPASQZqLc
WaPo has in their update feed that Trump has taped his farewell address and that it will be released tomorrow. No new reporting to suggest Trump will attend inauguration, welcome the Bidens to the White House, leave a letter wishing Biden well, or engage in any of the other transfer of power norms and traditions.
I believe this will be the first time since Johnson/Grant that an outgoing president has not attended his successor's inauguration. And, of course, we aren't actually having a peaceful transfer of power.
Really hope the next couple of days are anti-climatic.
Sage Grouse
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'When I got on the bus for my first road game at Duke, I saw that every player was carrying textbooks or laptops. I coached in the SEC for 25 years, and I had never seen that before, not even once.' - David Cutcliffe to Duke alumni in Washington, DC, June 2013
This is why I think impeachment was a brilliant move. Trump’s address will likely be directed to Senators as well as his supporters. In fact everything he has said and done since the capital insurrection has been less Trumpy because of the teal treat of being convicted by the a Senate.
Sage Grouse
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'When I got on the bus for my first road game at Duke, I saw that every player was carrying textbooks or laptops. I coached in the SEC for 25 years, and I had never seen that before, not even once.' - David Cutcliffe to Duke alumni in Washington, DC, June 2013
Guys... come on now.
Too soon?
Anyway, two things I am watching in the next/last 26.25 hours of the Trump presidency.
1. Pardons -- close to 100 expected today. Most reporting is that he will not self-pardon, nor pardon his family or Rudy. That can always change and who knows how accurate reporting on such things is at present. (Will the Tiger King make the cut? He's been openly begging on Twitter for months).
2. Departure crowd size -- Trump is trying to get a huge crowd to see him off early tomorrow morning in the cold out at Andrews. Word is, RSVP's are pretty light. This is only intersting to watch for me in that Trump sees crowd size as a proxy for his popularity.
On other interesting news (to me at least) -- tomorrow afternoon/evening, Biden will be joined by Obama, W, and Clinton at Arlington to lay a wreath at the Tomb of The Unknown Soldier. I bet they will have an interesting conversation tomorrow to say the least. Also, tomorrow morning, the Big Four will be joining Biden at a Catholic church service and AFAIK all intend to attend.
Last edited by OldPhiKap; 01-19-2021 at 09:49 AM.