This weblog "connects the dots" created by news stories about major domestic policy issues. Particularly important are health care, nation security, financial markets, and education.
Since the 1990s I have been very involved with fighting the military "don't ask don't tell" policy for gays in the military, and with First Amendment issues. Best contact is 571-334-6107 (legitimate calls; messages can be left; if not picked up retry; I don't answer when driving) Three other url's: doaskdotell.com, billboushka.com johnwboushka.com Links to my URLs are provided for legitimate content and user navigation purposes only.
My legal name is "John William Boushka" or "John W. Boushka"; my parents gave me the nickname of "Bill" based on my middle name, and this is how I am generally greeted. This is also the name for my book authorship. On the Web, you can find me as both "Bill Boushka" and "John W. Boushka"; this has been the case since the late 1990s. Sometimes I can be located as "John Boushka" without the "W." That's the identity my parents dealt me in 1943!
Dr. Mike Hansen in NYC has another video, detailing a
case where a doctor died of a cerebral hemorrhage about two weeks after getting
the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
The doctor had thrombocytopenia, an inability to clot
due to loss of platelets, from what sounds like an autoimmune disorder.I knew someone with AIDS who died of this in 1986.Incidents like this can be triggered by viruses
or certain drugs and are hard to predict.Susceptibility is probably genetic.
With any vaccine, very rare complications may happen if
there are enough doses (in this case, over 10 million so far).
The University of Colorado is suggesting that a loss
of smell kit be used as a rapid test for flying or entering events.A visitor would be required to identify a
smell on a smart phone.The proponents
claim that loss of some olfactory function occurs in 80% of infections, and is
often the only symptom. Sometimes there is temporary loss or distortion of smell
and taste that resolves in a few days, which may mean an aborted infection that
the person’s immune system caught in time.(Such an incident may variolate the person and effectively “vaccinate”
them.) But there is still a good question as to how long to quarantine.
ZDoggMD discusses antibody-dependent enhancement, and
explains why it won’t be a concern with the mRNA vaccines for SARS_CoV2.
Apparently some personalities in the anti-Vax crowd
have been trying to cite the problem, which indeed was brought up back in March
and April 2020 as a possible problem for vaccines.
He discusses two other viral diseases, which do
present an ADE problem with vaccines, and these are dengue and RSV, which
present slightly different mechanics where incomplete antibody protect actually
attracts the virus back in.
If you buy an
N95-style mask (like from Respokare online) can you reuse it?3M, one manufacturer, says you shouldn’t, but
with home use you make do.
Generally, the videos recommend heating to 185 F in a
conventional oven (they don’t want an obvious lone-of-sight heat source, which
would seem to require a gas oven, when many people have electric coils).
They also recommend some supplementary cleaning.
But another way, according to a second video, is
simply to rotate them every seven days and let any virus die off.
Dr. Mike Hansen, a pulmonologist in NYC, had recommended Respokare for ordinary use in a video last summer. He also recommends eye shields.
It obviously matters if you need to wear the mask all
day at work, or have other people in your household. If you are single and work
from home, it’s probably much easier because you don’t have to wear the mask
for long periods (outside of shopping).In practice, people who live alone seem to have a tremendous advantage
in avoiding infection or having much milder illness.
The new Biden administration should make sure that the
masks that Americans need (for work) along with proper cleaning supplies are
manufactured and easily available.
In the picture of me, I really should pull up the lower strap (but one time when I did this it broke.)
There are two recent stories showing that a minority
of recovered patients have strong neutralizing antibody levels for very long
times. Some seem to have special super-antibodies which might be called upon
for convalescent plasma or might be cloned for monticlonal antibodies, Lauren
Gray story.
There are still conflicting stories on the value of
lockdowns.FEE, a libertarian site,
argued against them in November 2020, but the worst of the peaks had not
occurred yet.
However today Bloomberg writes, “from Bubonic Plague
to 2021, Why Lockdowns Look Set to Stay.
The article describes China’s success with the
practice. Western countries (outside of
New Zealand and Victoria in Australia) found it difficult to maintain such
absolute control but have been forced to it.
The problem is that lockdowns really are strict and
long enough, but somebody has to pay for the enormous economic
consequences.In anycase, once a society
has been undermined by an exponentially staged pathogen, it is impossible to
control without destroying many individual lives.They work better in socialist, authoritarian
societies.
Karlyn Borysenko alerted us on Twitter to the
expectation of “worse lockdowns in 2021” (although Cuomo is already thinking about
rapid tests for reopening) and refers to a Vox tweet that if people continue as
they are, given greater contagion of the UK and other variants, “The US is
screwed.”
The Vox articleis by Julia Belluz and has the
alarming and “authoritarian” title “Still going to the grocery store? With new
virus variants spreading, it’s probably time to stop” with the subtitle “Health
experts say you should avoid optional trips whenever you can. You probably need
a better mask, too.”
It is true that we should have better masks, and they
should be mass-manufactured and delivered periodically.If that is the nature of the emergency.If Biden wants a 100-day mask wearing mandate
(on federal property and interstate travel), he should say something about
quality of masks and the supply.
I am finding grocery delivery to my highrise door and
Doordash for restaurant meals quite workable.I expect to use it during the worst of the surge until I can get
vaccinated.
But large grocery and retail stores should have first-rate
air filtration systems and announce to the public what systems the use. They need to be able to capture aerosolized particles. Best Life has an important article on Hepa filters from Smart News.
I am 77 and it is not possible to avoid all risk, so
at some level I have to be fit enough to survive.That sounds like a right-wing statement, but
so be it.I sold an inherited single-family
home in 2017, and moved into a highrise condos.Yes, repeated elevator rides (15 seconds) and multiple passengers might
present a risk (even with KN95 masks, which I use), or they might provide
enough tiny exposure to gradually immunize me even before the vaccine. There are people around who are careless and
don’t cover their noses with masks.
I have a problem with the idea that someone else
should take the risk for me and shop for me.After all, they have more years ahead than I and long term disability
from COVID is an increasing danger for younger people. I have to own my own risk (no kids or relatives).
And it is not possible to segregate seniors, because that
would put them in congregate housing with its own risks, as we well know.
One thing that would help would be to vaccinate
workers who go into homes to repair things, before vaccinating seniors.
Studies of grocery store and retail workers have shown
that many have tested positive at one time with no symptoms, and some have antibodies
with no positive antigen or PCR tests.The experience of grocery store workers is that gradual variolation
probably does happen, as the virus is no longer novel.With healthy people their cellular immune systems
should detect variants if they have had past exposure to the original viruses.
But as a nation, our health is not too good.
First, let’s share a Nieman article from Harvard, “The Extremist Mob at the U.S. Capitol was America", too.tribalism, seems to be everywhere, on “both sides”.They all feel looked down on as “proles” by
the liberal “elites”.
Emma Brown, et al, have astory on how close the “protesters”
got to VP Pence. The media suggests that one or more (Republican)
members of Congress could have been in on the attack, as maybe some members of
military and police. Consider the
reports about special tours in the Capitol the day before. These claims are not yet proven.But they leave us wondering Pete Williams and Adam Edelman have a similar account for NBCNews. Matthew Brown of USA Today provides some details on the "shaman" and says the feds have "walked back" their most alarming theories.
My own feeling is that the biggest concern could be
inside corruption, including that coming from President Trump himself.
Media outlets are projecting increasing concern this
morning about an “escape mutation” E484K, in the South African coronavirus
variation.Elizabeth Cohen has a typical story on CNN
Scientists fear that it may escape some of the monoclonal
antibody or plasma treatments. It is not as likely to escape all the varied
antibodies generated by an mRNA vaccine, and in time these vaccines can be
modified to catch them. But the South
African variant poses more questions than does the UK one.
MSN also had a story with Fauci’s remarks, by Herb
Scribner.
There are two new variants in the US (maybe in Ohio).
One of the biggest concerns I would have is that the appearance
of mutations strengthens the arguments for much more draconian lockdowns, to
forestall future evasive mutations, such as what we are seeing in the UK.
There is some controversy in the press as to whether Biden
would press for a nationwide stick lockdown, most likely about six weeks, as
Osterholm was quoted as recommending and then denied. Biden has promised he
would “follow the science” but that would imply that the mutations add to the
arguments of “lockdown ideology”. There
are also legal questions as to whether in our federal system he does have to go
through governors.In the UK, the
severity and length of the lockdowns was suddenly announced right before Christmas,
over fears of the UK mutation (it’s really unclear from reports how contagious
or severe it is).
There could also be a question as to whether national
lockdowns would enable police to handle security threats similar to the Capitol
riot, which would have spread more cases.
Branko Marcetic has a long article in the Dec. 10, 2020
Jacobian (a socialist magazine) critical of Biden’s ambivalence, and offering a
lot of evidence for the success of strict lockdowns.But “rapid tests” if done right could reduce
the need for them, if combined with automated contact tracing.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has very recently
indicated that he wants to use rapid test technology and centers to help New York
City businesses reopen sooner (NBCNewYork) . Tweets by Michael Mina have explained how rapid testing strategy should work in a public health manner against variants.
One of the purposes of my blogs is to cover issues that
could appear suddenly and have unexpected impacts on readers’ lives, even if
the scenarios are speculative or hypothetical.
Aaron Blake, in the Washington Post, discusses what damage more Donald Trump could do in the seven days of office.
Judging from observation, security preparations for
the inauguration appear quite thorough in Washington DC.There are various reports from states (such
as Virginia, where Richmond must host Lobby Day on January 18) discussing
fortification.There was a minor armed
protest in Austin, Texas yesterday involving the Castle doctrine that remained
peaceful. It’s common sense that swing
states might get the most attention.
Pence has said he will not use the 25th,
and the impeachment proceedings going on now are very unlikely to result in a Senate
conviction before January 20.
One idea that keeps popping up in Martial Law.Could the president put the entire nation
under Martial Law out of emotional spite?
Gillian Brockell has an article in the Post Dec. 22 on
the topic.Yes, you need to look at the
history.
Martial law was most recently declared by a governor
in Cambridge Maryland (on the Eastern shore) in 1963.But it has been used by governors numerous
times in the distant past, even for such matters as labor disputes.
Criminal Defense Lawyer has a guide as to what
happens.In theory, the military takes
over civilian courts in prosecuting civilians.In practice, there is no way to do this without the approval of
Congress, which would not happen.
Legal scholars say that the Constitution does not give
a president direct authority to declare and enforce martial law, and that this
is not the same thing as the Insurrection Act (an ironic observation given
January 6).
It still appears possible that Trump could shut down
Internet services, to me at least, based on an Atlantic article I reviewed on
the Books blog in January 2019.
Update: Jan 16
Washington Post intelligence on Trump's meeting with Mark Lindell, the "MyPillow guy", and a proposal for martial law to stay in power, which CNN is laughing at now. It isn't funny.
There are numerous stories in the media today about
the serious security challenges in the next 10 days or so, going through the
Inauguration.I won’t add too much speculation,
but give the references, from reputable sources.
The most widely circulated story on Monday evening
concerned intelligence on plans for protests (or worse) near all 50 state capitols,
particularly starting Sunday January 17. The AP reports (Colleen Long et al)
here. Richmond, Virginia will have Lobby Day on
MLK day on Monday January 18.Last year’s
event, January 20, was a display for Second Amendment Rights and I went and
filmed.Despite reports of people having
fear, the day was peaceful.Those sound
like the “good old days” before we realized the pandemic would stalk us.
The reports also contained concerns over Washington DC,
especially Capitol Hill and the security for the inauguration itself. The New York Times has a detailed story by
Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Helene Cooper. There are some pretty horrible worst case scenarios
involving drones or illegal aircraft or multiple snipers.But it is also true that normally before inaugurations
there are very strict protocols in place to detect these tactical threats.‘Bullet-proof
barricades or enclosures would sound to be in order.
It is certainly wise for people to stay away from DC
and watch the ceremonies from home.But
independent journalists will have choices to make.
The most frightening story appears on Huffpost, by
Matt Fuller, “House Democrats briefed on three terrifying plans to overthrow
government”.Whether a domestic ground
force could really pull off option three sounds very speculative. The chatter using the verb "storm" the capitals, like the notorious website (Daily Stormer) axed after Charlottesville.
Nevertheless, the inability of the Capitol Police to
be prepared for Wednesday’s attack (when the Capitol is normally a fortress)
sounds like corruption from within, maybe even also in some of the armed
forces. By this president.
There were a few potentially important articles on
Medium this morning about research on the SARS_CoV2 spike protein and the idea
that even outside of the virus entering cells it might be harmful.
There is a chain of articles by Shin Jie Yong on the
topic, leading off with “Spike proteins used in Covid-19 vaccines: are they
safe?" He refers to a study in Nature Neuroscienceshowing
that the S1 protein could cross the blood-brain barrier in mice.He
explains that the spike proteins have two components, S1 (which binds to the
ACE2 receptor) and S2, which performs the fusion initiation cell infection.
He goes on to make a lot of comments as to what can be
inferred, which is probably not a lot.
He discusses the spike protein in the brain and in
blood vessels.It is conceivable that
without “infection” it is still a kind of toxin (maybe tetanus is a comparison,
because the shots are called “antitoxin”).
Later in the sequence there is an article about a
preprint concerning SARS_CoV2 and the human genome. There is talk of chimera-like
activity (mixing of human and viral gene)
There is also some talk of effects in cells that have
been affected by previous HIV-1 infection (these have been mentioned before but
without much followup).Other sources
have said that SARS_CoV2 can enter some T-cells but don’t reproduce inside them
(as they do inside HIV) and don’t have reverse transcriptase.
These biological capabilities, however, suggest that effective
drugs to intervene that are similar to protease inhibitors for HIV could be
developed (the “gay medicine” idea).
He goes on to suggest there could be implications for
supposed “reinfections” and that the operation of cellular immunity to stop SARS_CoV2
is indeed very complicated and two-faced.Nevertheless, so far, many adults have very little trouble recovering completely
from the virus, with few symptoms, despite the many long haulers.
There have been many speculative uncertainties about
the progress of vaccines and treatments, such as concerns in the past about ADE,
or antibody-dependent enhancement.But
many of these have not persisted in medical news.
Certainly the data on phase-3 trials on all the major
vaccines (not just the mRNA’s) sound encouraging so far, and recipients don’t
seem to have any effects.Yet reports
like these makes one wonder if there could be effects years later.
It would be important to look at the recent mutations
(in UK, SA, mink in Denmark, etc) with regard to these issues.
Our returning to acceptable normal life activity (with
the freedoms we have become used to) depend on effective vaccines and early-intervention
treatments.We hope these don’t become
less optimistic with time.One can
understand the idea of “zero virus” lockdown ideology for future years, demanding
so much “communistic” sacrifice from people now.
Wikipedia embed of how mRNA works, click for attribution
Virtual Legality (Hoeg Law) in Michigan, discusses
Article 25, second Impeachment, and self-pardon.He says this is a diversion from his usual
interest in games.
He does go into the subject of sedition, all the way
back to the 18th century.Woodrow Wilson used it (it could have applied to criticizing the draft).
The 25th Amendment is not about “policy” he
says, or about “political disagreement”. It is about the president's not being "able" to perform as president. Is mental illness, psychosis, or dementia a reason. When the Vice President offers the document saying the president is unable to do his job, the VP temporarily becomes the acting president, etc.
Impeachment, by contrast, is a "political process". It could lead to permanent disqualification for any future office holding.
Karlyn Borysenko has a very interesting perspective on
what happened in the Capitol riots.
She says there were about 50,000 people on the Mall, and
about 200 stormed the Capitol.(It looks
like more in the videos).A few of the rioters
were probably Antifa posing as Trump supporters, but most really were Trump
supporters who wanted to say “we’ve had enough”, of being called deplorables
(by “Crooked” Hillary), or intellectually handicapped or stupid (by college
professor David Pakman).
She says if they had wanted to, they could have caused
tremendous carnage but did not.She says
Antifa would have become and could be a bigger threat.
But allowing such an unexpected rout on the Capitol is
hardly acceptable. And so are Trump’s incredible claims of fraud despite overwhelming
evidence to the contrary from the individual states. And it certainly looks like the rioters wanted to stop an "electoral college certification" from happening at all, but if finished early this AM. It has been called treason by MSM.
But maybe the electoral count process is porous and
needed to be tested.
Mike Pence should consult his cabinet tonight, about a 25th Amendment removal.I would even stop the certification hearings
(where hopefully there will be only one state, Arizona, “challenged”), have the
cabinet meeting and vote, and then resume the election certification tomorrow.
The Washington Post expressed this view just nowin an
editorial.
It appears that you need a 2/3 vote in each house.
Trump appears to have dementia.His mental capabilities have deteriorated
markedly since he “recovered” from coronavirus in early October.
The US faces enhanced (think the severe storm scale)
risk of a major cyber attack (beyond the one on government agencies) or infrastructure
attacks on the power grids at any time as long as Trump is in office.
To say “you’re fired” almost misses the point.Trump is medically ill.
This probably doesn’t need a lot of comment from me, but
Amber Phillips of the Washington Post has outlined what will happen at the
joint session of Congress starting Wednesday, January 6.
Note that the House will deny every objection because
the Democrats control the House 222-211.
The Senate right now is 50-48 GOP (it’s unclear what
happens tomorrow from the election), and as of now, 12-13 GOP senators want to
protest.
The 1887 law requires both houses of Congress to
object, so that can’t happen. ‘
Even if they did, the states’ governors are “on call” (almost
like in a computer room of the past) to ratify the fact that they had certified
the electors.
There seems to be no serious talk of the idea of
postponing some votes for a “10 day audit” which Cruz proposals. The law would not allow that.
Since there may be several states that cause objections (like Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania), the entire process could well take 12-14 hours and last until early AM Thursday, long past Metro closing time! (and bedtimes).
A three-judge panel in the 5th Circuit
threw out Gohmert’s appeal on standing.An en banc session or SCOTUS appeal tonight would be possible, but would
have to get done before 1 PM game time tomorrow.
Some people have suggested that Pence could step away and allow the president pro tempore of the Senate Chuck Grassley (R-IA) to perform the MC duties, and right now that is considered improbable (Business Insider).
Jordain Corney reports in The Hill that resistance to
objection is growing among the rest of the GOP Senators.
The CDC has created some controversy with an MWWR
report on antigen-based testing for SARS_CoV2 for both symptomatic and
asymptomatic persons, as of January 1, 2021.
CDC is saying that negative antigen tests for
asymptomatic need to be followed by PCR tests, which would defeat the idea of
Rapid Tests. .
Michael Mina points out a contradiction in the
report.The antigen test is based on
infectiousness.An extra PCR test would
probably show non-infectious waste RNA.
Senator James Lankford (R-OK) appeared on Judge
Jeanine tonight (Saturday) and reported he had signed on to aproposal from TedCruzthat Congress should create a commission for 10 days to examine claims of
irregularities and allow swing states to be voted for a different slate (Trump)
if irregularities are documented.
It’s not clear that this would make any difference Jan.
6 unless a majority of each house sustained an objection.
Fox News says that if a commission is formed, the vote is delayed and objections don't happen (broadcast). That doesn't sound likely right now, but stay tuned.
Gohmert is appealing the dismissal of the Pence case
to the Fifth Circuit.
Update: Jan 3
Now, this. I'm speechless. Trump calls Georgia Secretary of State to "find votes" (W Post). The Trump campaign is getting sued for defamation by Dominion Voting Systems (Reuters).
Hugo Martin writes for the Los Angeles Times, “Visibly
ill people aren’t being kept off planes”.
The story gives an example of someone who lied on a
health form in Orlando, and died after the plane had to be diverted when passengers
tried to give him CPR, at risk to themselves.
Practically the only solution would be uniform rapid
tests at airports.
Reuters reports that Roche says that its varied tests
for the coronavirus, including rapid tests, won’t be impacted by the
mutations.
But one has the impression that the UK mutation is
probably quite widespread in much of the US, being found in the San Diego, in
Florida, and California, in young adults with no history of travel.In Colorado they are represented by National Guard personnel associated with helping a nursing home.
A mutated virus might help explain the super rapid spread
in California, on top of travel.A virus
that enters ACE2 receptors more easily might attack younger adults more easily
and might increase the risk of more severe illness in a population that
generally has very little.We don’t know
if a few of the other disturbing cases of severe illness in young adults might have
been associated with mutant strains.
The mRNA vaccination strategy should be more flexible
in dealing with mutations since it trains the immune system to recognize many
different parts of the proteins. Here are some talking points on Twitter about human behavior pressuring selective mutations from someone playing Devil's Advocate. If you think about the points here, that might be a reason for New Zealand's (or Umair Haque's) demands to make the public sacrifice to drive the virus to absolute zero. But BGR's Chris Smith suddenly offers us some reassuring news from Dr. Fauci: immunity to the normal D and G variants protects one against the UK mutation.
The Astrazenca vaccine, developed with Oxford
University, may be submitted to the US FDA by February, the UK Daily Mail
reports. The US trial is behind the UK’s because of a couple of problems (a spinal chord inflammation and a mistake with
dosages). WJLA says it may not be approved until Spring (late March) in the US/
However, having the vaccine could tremendously
accelerate the vaccine delivery and bring an end to many new infections, by
early spring.
Trials in the US may be more difficult because it is important
to test on enough minority subjects.People
who can get one of the mRNA vaccines now (age 75+ may be available in January)
will be reluctant to risk a placebo when they need the protection now.
But Benjamin Mueller et al report in the New York
Times shows convincing results in the UK, where the new strain creates an
emergency.In the UK, authorities should
learn very quickly how effective the vaccine is against the new more transmissible
“B117” strain (and there is a similar one in South Afirca).The UK strain has been found in Colorado and
now California in the US.
The first known case of the B117 variant of Sars-CoV2
was detected in Colorado, examining a 29 year old man with apparently mild or
moderate symptoms, but in isolation.He
had not traveled, so back contact tracing may find a travel source (USA Today)
If the mix of virus really is to become more
contagious, indoor ventilation, as of workplaces, becomes even more critical (because
of aerosols).But it is very difficult
for ordinary businesses outside of medicineHere is an interesting article in EHS from September.
We find increasing evidence that “essential workers”
have not simply more COVOD disease, but also more asymptomatic infection.About 20% of retail checkout clerks in the US
test have tested positive, and well over 75% reported no clinical illness.These workers may be becoming “variolated”.
It would be interesting to so antibody and T-cell reactivity tests on all these
workers and be stunned at the results.
Luke Money et al describe the blowup in California partly in terms of large populations of low-income workers living in large households (LA Times).
NPR has a pretty straightforward explanation of what happens
indoors in the Congress on Wednesday, Jan. 6, when the House and Senate
combined read the results of the electoral vote and accept it.
Both House and Senate have to object to a particular
slate, and they can have separate wigwams for two hours each challenge, which
can draw out the day indeed.
The article says that since Democrats control the House
(they may come out to 50-50 in the Senate but Pence is still the tie-break that
day) this can’t go anywhere.
There are states where both would agree, and if there
were some way to get swing states to revote with state delegations, in theory
the outcome would change.But I don’t
know off hand if the GOP has the majority of representatives (and Senators) in
the four biggest swing states.
It will be mild in DC, 52 degrees, on Jan 6, for the
protesters, and partly cloudy.
Update:
Dec. 30 Josh Hawley (R-MO) will clog the process with his challenge (CNN). And, then, there is Hawley's "Walmartgate". And the Gohmert lawsuitagainst Pence.