Patterico's Pontifications

2/1/2020

Weekend Open Thread

Filed under: General — Dana @ 9:05 am



[guest post by Dana]

Feel free to talk about anything you think is newsworthy or might interest readers.

I’ll start.

First news item:

Coronavirus numbers, queue the stupid:

Scientists at Hong Kong University published research in a medical journal on Saturday that projects as many as 75,815 people in Wuhan, China, may have been infected with Coronavirus, the South China Morning Post reported.

The city of 11 million people has been on virtual lockdown for weeks as China seeks to stem the spread of the deadly virus. The death toll jumped overnight by 46 to 259 people, while the number of confirmed cases in China soared to 11,791. Around two dozen other countries have reported another 137 cases, Reuters reported.

President Trump tweeted a photo of the White House task force at work with various agencies about a response to the virus:

Here was CNN reliably bringing the stupid:

CNN wasn’t alone:

As the world continues to worry about the spread of the coronavirus, many weary style lovers are beginning to wonder; how do I stay chic in the event of an epidemic? The social set are now rushing to get their hands on surgical-grade face masks, rumoured to be the most effective, but fashion has been getting prepared for a while.

More here.

Second news item:

A positive State of the Union speech coming:

President Trump’s third State of the Union address on Tuesday will put forth a vision of “relentless optimism” that focuses on addressing issues affecting America’s working families…”The theme of the State of the Union is the great American comeback,” the senior administration official said. “In his address, the president will lay out a vision of relentless optimism…“He will encourage Congress to work with him to continue building an inclusive economy where the least well-off are making some of the fastest gains and where people of every background are finding new opportunities,” the official said.

When the president heads to Capitol Hill, the Senate will be on the verge of acquitting the president of the impeachment articles brought against him by the Democratic-controlled House. It’s unclear whether or how the vote will impact what he plans to say.

The official on Friday declined to say whether Trump planned to address impeachment at all, further emphasizing that the speech would strike an “optimistic” tone and urge Congress to take action on legislative actions related to health care and other areas.

[Ed. – Since Trump’s likely acquittal will happen Wednesday, Trump, who is not a gracious winner or loser, will not be able to resist addressing the impeachment during the SOTU by mocking Democrats, emphatically reiterating that he has done nothing wrong, and droning on about having been the victim of a “Witch Hunt”.]

Third news item:

March of the Media – A Metaphor:

Fourth news item:

You have a voice, use it to dialogue with whom you disagree, instead of hiding out in fear:

Conservative author Heather Mac Donald spoke at Emory University on Tuesday—despite the best efforts the student government’s chief of staff, who filed a petition arguing that the event violated “the right of freedom from discrimination by any student group.”

This petition was dismissed, since Mac Donald’s talk was not funded by student fees and therefore was free of the non-discrimination requirement.

But many students agreed that Mac Donald’s words were discriminatory and a threat to public safety. They gathered in a “safe space” while she spoke, watching her speech on a video feed from a remote location.

…Simultaneously, downstairs, a group of more than 80 students, faculty and staff members crowded into a lecture hall to watch a livestream of Mac Donald’s remarks. This event, hosted by Emory NAACP, the Caucus of Emory Black Alumni (CEBA) and Rollins Earn and Learn, was advertised as “a safe space for students to be able to express their reaction to what Heather Mac Donald has to say.”

CEBA President Natalie Gullatt (11C), who helped organize the response event, emphasized the need for an environment for individuals affected by Mac Donald’s inflammatory remarks. Gullatt said that the two events were held at the same time to reduce attendance at Mac Donald’s lecture.

“We don’t want to give her any type of ammunition or any type of way to use anything that’s done tonight to help propel her message,” Gullatt said.

Fifth news item:

Speaking of optimism:

(Cross-posted at The Jury Talks Back.)

–Dana


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