Chaos Reigns

 

We are reaching a peak moment in the Covid-19 era.

Like most narcissists, Donald Trump thinks his life is a movie. As such, no doubt his favorite actor would be John Wayne.

The legendary tough guy bragged "I beat the Big C" when his cancer subsided. His life went on for a while, but then he died -- of cancer.

Trump is battling the new Big C, and he wants to act like John Wayne. Maybe he will recover and live on, too; or maybe he will go the way Wayne went.

He got his photo-op by taking a helicopter from the hospital to the White House. I watched the tape -- his face was flushed and he looked to me like a sick man.

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* The Covid Economy Carves Deep Divide Between Haves and Have-Nots -- The comeback since the start of the pandemic is kind to those who can work from home, to firms serving them and to regions hospitable to them. Left behind are the less-educated, old-line businesses and areas reliant on tourism. Rising wealth coincides with lines at food banks. (WSJ)

* The current military conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh dates back to the fall of the Soviet Union when the two fought a bloody war over the territory. The mountainous region is historically claimed by both Armenians and Azerbaijanis. (ABC)

* Biden is favored to win the election -- We simulate the election 40,000 times to see who wins most often. The sample of 100 outcomes below gives you a good idea of the range of scenarios our model thinks is possible. Biden 81%, Trump 18%. (538)

* We are witnessing a Covid-19 coverup directed by Donald Trump. (Carl Bernstein, CNN)

* Second Covid-19 Wave Rolls Through Europe -- Rising hospitalizations and deaths are prompting governments to impose more restrictions, from travel bans in Madrid to the closure of bars in Paris. (WSJ)

* Republicans face major head winds in final stretch to maintain Senate majority (WashPo)

* White House residence staffers who caught coronavirus were reportedly told to keep it quiet (The Week)

* Trump Didn’t Disclose First Positive Covid-19 Test While Awaiting a Second Test on Thursday (WSJ)

* Coronavirus upends GOP plans for speedy Barrett confirmation process (CNN)

* Americans say Trump acted irresponsibly and distrust White House on his health (CNN)

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I've got a couple more years on you, baby, that's all. 
I've had more chances to fly and more places to fall. 
And it ain't that I'm wiser, 
It's only that I've spent more time with my back to the wall

-- Waylon Jennings

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