Monday, August 24, 2020

 

Quarantine Day #160.

Last night I went to bed at 10:30, fell asleep quickly and didn’t wake or get up until 6:15. Delicious!

Last night I played 4 games on Chess.com, winning 3 and losing 1. My new rating is 1211. The game I lost I was actuallyi winning but then I gave it away.

I watched the first 20 minutes of the Today show, Teresa left to pick up her monthly medication in Sabaneta and I left for my walk in 66 degree weather and overcast skies. I was still sweating by the time I returned. I made a side trip to the small grocery store but they were closed. Maybe I was a few minutes too early?

 

More than two dozen former Republican lawmakers announced Monday they are endorsing Joe Biden for president.

Former Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona and former Rep. Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania are among those throwing their support behind the Democratic presidential nominee through "Republicans for Biden," and the endorsements come on the morning of the first day of the Republican National Convention.

Biden has repeatedly emphasized Republican support as he looks to build a broad coalition in his campaign against President Donald Trump.

 

White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, one of President Trump's closest advisers, announced Sunday, on the eve of the Republican National Convention, that she will be leaving the administration at the end of the month. She informed the president of her decision on Sunday evening in the Oval Office, according to a senior administration official.

In a statement on Sunday, Conway cited as the reason for her departure the challenges of distance learning this fall for her four children, "teens and 'tweens starting a new academic year, in middle school and high school, remotely from home for at least a few months."

Her husband George Conway, who is a vocal critic of Mr. Trump, "is also making changes," Conway said. "We disagree about plenty but we are united on what matters most: the kids."

 

Travelers returning from a trip outside the country or their state no longer face recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to self-quarantine for 14 days upon return. 

 

• Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz used his speech at the Republican National Convention on Monday to paint a dystopian and largely false picture of the US under a potential Joe Biden presidency.
• The Florida congressman claimed that Democrats will "disarm you, empty the prisons, lock you in your home, and invite MS-13 to live next door."
• Gaetz is among President Trump's most vocal supporters in Congress, and he didn't mince words during his speech at the Republican National Convention, urging voters to deliver Trump a win in the November election.
• Gaetz is well known for using congressional hearings to push unfounded conspiracy theories and Republican talking points.
• He also landed in hot water this year after two separate reports said he shelled out more than $200,000 in taxpayer funds to a limited liability company and a longtime friend and donor.

 

President Trump on Monday claimed Democrats are using the coronavirus to "steal" the 2020 election, arguing closures of businesses and demands for mail-in voting are not driven by a pandemic that has killed nearly 180,000 Americans in five months, but to defeat him.

 

The New York State attorney general’s office has asked a judge to order Eric Trump to provide testimony under oath and the Trump Organization to hand over documents about four Trump properties it is investigating, asserting the company has stalled the inquiry for months, court papers show.

 

Former Republican Party chairman Michael Steele became the latest anti-Trump Republican to join the Lincoln Project, a political action committee led by Republicans working to defeat President Donald Trump and elect Democrat Joe Biden.

 

Infectious disease experts are cautioning that more data is needed before widely using blood plasma therapy as a possible treatment for COVID-19 after President Donald Trump announced its authorization Sunday.

 

Teresa edged me in parcheesi today 5 games to 4.

According to the evening news it appears we (Colombia) may be opening up again as of August 31^st. I would still be very careful for 2 more weeks to see if there is an explosion of new infections.

 

The US has 5,658,367 ð 5,696,871 ð 5,750,997 coronavirus cases with 175,600+ ð 176,400+ ð 177,100+ deaths.

Per Medellin Guru, as of this afternoon Colombia has a total of 533,103 ð 541,147 ð 551,696 cases with 17,612 deaths.  Medellin has 39,974 ð 40,756 ð 41,289 cases, an increase of 530 from August 23^rd to 24^th. Envigado has a total of 2,227 cases, an increase of 22 from August 23^rd to 24^th. So, new infections has plateaued or even decreased recently.

 

Joke of the day

I’ll tell you a coronavirus joke now, but we’ll have to wait 2 weeks to see if you got it.