OT: COVID-19 thread #3

[dice]

the pentagon was given a billion dollars in the pandemic bill. they were supposed to use 75% of it on medical supplies. instead, the strong majority will go to the military industrial complex:

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/09/pentagon-reportedly-blew-its-dollar1-billion-coronavirus-budget-on-body-armor-and-planes

we STILL don't have enough N95 masks nationwide. our federal response to COVID-19 is an international embarrassment

[transplant]

the pentagon was given a billion dollars in the pandemic bill. they were supposed to use 75% of it on medical supplies. instead, the strong majority will go to the military industrial complex:

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/09/pentagon-reportedly-blew-its-dollar1-billion-coronavirus-budget-on-body-armor-and-planes

we STILL don't have enough N95 masks nationwide. our federal response to COVID-19 is an international embarrassment

This should cause much more outrage than it has/will. Unfortunately, my reaction is pretty much, "Yeah, add it to the list."

[dice]

the pentagon was given a billion dollars in the pandemic bill. they were supposed to use 75% of it on medical supplies. instead, the strong majority will go to the military industrial complex:

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/09/pentagon-reportedly-blew-its-dollar1-billion-coronavirus-budget-on-body-armor-and-planes

we STILL don't have enough N95 masks nationwide. our federal response to COVID-19 is an international embarrassment

This should cause much more outrage than it has/will. Unfortunately, my reaction is pretty much, "Yeah, add it to the list."

a billion dollars isn't a lot in the scheme of things, but it's emblematic of where we're at. i shudder to think of how the HUNDREDS of billions in corporate welfare in the pandemic bill is likely being misappropriated by this administration

ironically, apparently trump hired a bunch of grifters to help out with his re-election campaign and they've been wasting his warchest:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/sep/13/us-election-trump-biden-war-chest-campaign-finance

[Jimako10]

Florida lifting all restrictions.

I'm sure that will turn out well.

Sent from my SM-G950U using RealGM mobile app

[Dez]

Florida lifting all restrictions.

I'm sure that will turn out well.

Sent from my SM-G950U using RealGM mobile app

I just looked up an article that was reporting that Florida had less than 3000 new cases for the sixth consecutive day and it was written like that should be celebrated?

What the actual f***?

[dice]

Florida lifting all restrictions.

I'm sure that will turn out well.

Sent from my SM-G950U using RealGM mobile app

I just looked up an article that was reporting that Florida had less than 3000 new cases for the sixth consecutive day and it was written like that should be celebrated?

What the actual f***?

at least it's a warm weather state...

i would not be the least bit surprised if this is a swing state political marketing scheme pushed by the trump team in advance of the election...at the expense of the collective health of floridians

"florida beats COVID! MAGA!"

[Dresden]

the pentagon was given a billion dollars in the pandemic bill. they were supposed to use 75% of it on medical supplies. instead, the strong majority will go to the military industrial complex:

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/09/pentagon-reportedly-blew-its-dollar1-billion-coronavirus-budget-on-body-armor-and-planes

we STILL don't have enough N95 masks nationwide. our federal response to COVID-19 is an international embarrassment

Here's the real kicker from that article: "Military spending was already nearing record highs when the Pentagon’s virus fund arrived, according to the Post, which compares the fiscal year 2019 defense budget—$686 billion—“to a typical year during the Cold War or the period shortly after 9/11, although it has declined somewhat as a percentage of the economy.”

Who needs more N95 masks for our doctors and nurses when you can make rich companies like GE and Rolls Royce a bit wealthier?

[Dresden]

To their credit, the govt. accountants are starting to go after some of the massive fraud that occurred in the Payroll Protection Program. They'll probably only ever get to the tip of the ice berg, but it's good to know at least some of these cheaters are getting caught. The former Bear, Josh Bellamy, was involved in a ring that was committed massive fraud. One syndicate was caught with applications for the PPP for over 100 fake companies. I still think people like this should be paraded in a public square with signs around their necks announcing their crimes, like they used to do.

[dice]

the pentagon was given a billion dollars in the pandemic bill. they were supposed to use 75% of it on medical supplies. instead, the strong majority will go to the military industrial complex:

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/09/pentagon-reportedly-blew-its-dollar1-billion-coronavirus-budget-on-body-armor-and-planes

we STILL don't have enough N95 masks nationwide. our federal response to COVID-19 is an international embarrassment

Here's the real kicker from that article: "Military spending was already nearing record highs when the Pentagon’s virus fund arrived, according to the Post, which compares the fiscal year 2019 defense budget—$686 billion—“to a typical year during the Cold War or the period shortly after 9/11, although it has declined somewhat as a percentage of the economy.”

much of that military budget is completely wasted:

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/pentagon-budget-mystery-807276/

[johnnyvann840]

To their credit, the govt. accountants are starting to go after some of the massive fraud that occurred in the Payroll Protection Program. They'll probably only ever get to the tip of the ice berg, but it's good to know at least some of these cheaters are getting caught. The former Bear, Josh Bellamy, was involved in a ring that was committed massive fraud. One syndicate was caught with applications for the PPP for over 100 fake companies. I still think people like this should be paraded in a public square with signs around their necks announcing their crimes, like they used to do.

That Josh Bellamy scam is outrageous. They were stealing millions (really from taxpayers ultimately) fraudulently and then went on spending sprees at luxury stores and hotels. Spending binges for millions of dollars. Bellamy personally took part in it all stealing cash based on phony employees that didn't exist for a defunct company only re-instated just for the purpose of grabbing some of that government relief money. I hope he goes to prison for a long time for his part in it all. What a dirtbag. Anybody who tries to take advantage of this tragic situation for personal gain is scum of the earth.

The Department of Justice has charged NFL free agent Joshua Bellamy with wire fraud, bank fraud and conspiracy charges over his alleged role in a scheme to obtain more than $24 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans as part of the Cares Act.

Prosecutors in the Southern District of Florida say Bellamy, 31, worked with a man named Phillip J. Augustin to obtain the loan. Augustin allegedly obtained a fraudulent PPP loan for his talent management company using falsified documents and then helped others, including Bellamy, do the same for their companies, receiving a kickback in return. Prosecutors allege that Bellamy himself obtained a PPP loan of $1,246,565 for his company, Drip Entertainment LLC, and then used that money to purchase more than $104,000 in luxury goods at retailers such as Dior and Gucci. He also spent $62,774 of the loan proceeds at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Fla., and withdrew more than $302,000.

According to a PPP database maintained by the Small Business Administration, which regulates the loan program, Drip Entertainment claimed to have 47 employees on its loan application. A search of the Florida Division of Corporations database shows that Drip Entertainment was registered as a limited liability company under Bellamy’s name in September 2018 and filed for reinstatement only on Wednesday.

The scheme involving Augustin and Bellamy included 10 other defendants who prepared at least 90 fraudulent PPP applications for more than $24 million in loans......

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/09/11/josh-bellamy-nfl-ppp-loan-fraud/

[Dresden]

That Josh Bellamy scam is outrageous. They were stealing millions (really from taxpayers ultimately) fraudulently and then went on spending sprees at luxury stores and hotels. Spending binges for millions of dollars. Bellamy personally took part in it all stealing cash based on phony employees that didn't exist for a defunct company only re-instated just for the purpose of grabbing some of that government relief money. I hope he goes to prison for a long time for his part in it all. What a dirtbag. Anybody who tries to take advantage of this tragic situation for personal gain is scum of the earth.

The Department of Justice has charged NFL free agent Joshua Bellamy with wire fraud, bank fraud and conspiracy charges over his alleged role in a scheme to obtain more than $24 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans as part of the Cares Act.

Prosecutors in the Southern District of Florida say Bellamy, 31, worked with a man named Phillip J. Augustin to obtain the loan. Augustin allegedly obtained a fraudulent PPP loan for his talent management company using falsified documents and then helped others, including Bellamy, do the same for their companies, receiving a kickback in return. Prosecutors allege that Bellamy himself obtained a PPP loan of $1,246,565 for his company, Drip Entertainment LLC, and then used that money to purchase more than $104,000 in luxury goods at retailers such as Dior and Gucci. He also spent $62,774 of the loan proceeds at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Fla., and withdrew more than $302,000.

According to a PPP database maintained by the Small Business Administration, which regulates the loan program, Drip Entertainment claimed to have 47 employees on its loan application. A search of the Florida Division of Corporations database shows that Drip Entertainment was registered as a limited liability company under Bellamy’s name in September 2018 and filed for reinstatement only on Wednesday.

The scheme involving Augustin and Bellamy included 10 other defendants who prepared at least 90 fraudulent PPP applications for more than $24 million in loans......

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/09/11/josh-bellamy-nfl-ppp-loan-fraud/

Kind of makes you lose your faith in humanity. I don't know how these people thought they wouldn't get found out either- it's pretty easy to see that it's a scam when you leave a paper trail like that behind you.

[dice]

china has given perhaps hundreds of thousands of their citizens an unproven vaccine:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/26/business/china-coronavirus-vaccine.html?campaign_id=9&emc=edit_nn_20200927&instance_id=22575&nl=the-morning&regi_id=94658923&section_index=1&section_name=big_story&segment_id=39160&te=1&user_id=7ea4e9d4dbdb5ec9d68d451510e3f47d

[DuckIII]

Florida lifting all restrictions.

I'm sure that will turn out well.

Sent from my SM-G950U using RealGM mobile app

I just looked up an article that was reporting that Florida had less than 3000 new cases for the sixth consecutive day and it was written like that should be celebrated?

What the actual f***?

at least it's a warm weather state...

i would not be the least bit surprised if this is a swing state political marketing scheme pushed by the trump team in advance of the election...at the expense of the collective health of floridians

"florida beats COVID! MAGA!"

It’s pretty obvious that’s exactly what it is.

[dice]

I just looked up an article that was reporting that Florida had less than 3000 new cases for the sixth consecutive day and it was written like that should be celebrated?

What the actual f***?

at least it's a warm weather state...

i would not be the least bit surprised if this is a swing state political marketing scheme pushed by the trump team in advance of the election...at the expense of the collective health of floridians

"florida beats COVID! MAGA!"

It’s pretty obvious that’s exactly what it is.

are other red states conspicuously fully opening right now as well? i think indiana is

[Dresden]

San Francisco is opening indoor dining now- a mistake I think, given the evidence of how dangerous that particular activity is.

[Ccwatercraft]

San Francisco is opening indoor dining now- a mistake I think, given the evidence of how dangerous that particular activity is.

It's not so bad, we've had them open for some time. Never was much of a dinner out person even before so it didn't impact me that much, but it's been good to be able to get back to my favorite chicago dog restaurant for a fresh & hot (vs semi soggy) meal that's bad for me.

[Dresden]

San Francisco is opening indoor dining now- a mistake I think, given the evidence of how dangerous that particular activity is.

It's not so bad, we've had them open for some time. Never was much of a dinner out person even before so it didn't impact me that much, but it's been good to be able to get back to my favorite chicago dog restaurant for a fresh & hot (vs semi soggy) meal that's bad for me.

I don't know, there was a research article that came out recently that pointed to indoor dining as one of the riskiest things you can do right now. I think they studied people who had come down with covid, asked them what they had been doing recently, and the most common thing was eating out somewhere. More so than other activities (I can't remember what all was on the list).

If you think about, you have a lot of people, indoors, not wearing masks, for an hour, hour and a half, often talking loudly to be heard, it goes against most of what you don't want to be doing.

[Ccwatercraft]

San Francisco is opening indoor dining now- a mistake I think, given the evidence of how dangerous that particular activity is.

It's not so bad, we've had them open for some time. Never was much of a dinner out person even before so it didn't impact me that much, but it's been good to be able to get back to my favorite chicago dog restaurant for a fresh & hot (vs semi soggy) meal that's bad for me.

I don't know, there was a research article that came out recently that pointed to indoor dining as one of the riskiest things you can do right now. I think they studied people who had come down with covid, asked them what they had been doing recently, and the most common thing was eating out somewhere. More so than other activities (I can't remember what all was on the list).

If you think about, you have a lot of people, indoors, not wearing masks, for an hour, hour and a half, often talking loudly to be heard, it goes against most of what you don't want to be doing.

ya, read that, but anybody that eats out more than once is likely doing a ton of things that would make others nervous. I've eaten out, also taken a dozen flights, gone to walmart, target, grocery store, the dentist, the doctor, work, I've shaken hands and been to a birthday party, my spouse has done the same thing along with some other random stuff. Honestly the only thing I haven't done is gone to a pool party or a protest.

If I tested positive today how the hell are they going to figure out what caused it?

[Dresden]

It's not so bad, we've had them open for some time. Never was much of a dinner out person even before so it didn't impact me that much, but it's been good to be able to get back to my favorite chicago dog restaurant for a fresh & hot (vs semi soggy) meal that's bad for me.

I don't know, there was a research article that came out recently that pointed to indoor dining as one of the riskiest things you can do right now. I think they studied people who had come down with covid, asked them what they had been doing recently, and the most common thing was eating out somewhere. More so than other activities (I can't remember what all was on the list).

If you think about, you have a lot of people, indoors, not wearing masks, for an hour, hour and a half, often talking loudly to be heard, it goes against most of what you don't want to be doing.

ya, read that, but anybody that eats out more than once is likely doing a ton of things that would make others nervous. I've eaten out, also taken a dozen flights, gone to walmart, target, grocery store, the dentist, the doctor, work, I've shaken hands and been to a birthday party, my spouse has done the same thing along with some other random stuff. Honestly the only thing I haven't done is gone to a pool party or a protest.

If I tested positive today how the hell are they going to figure out what caused it?

I think the way the study worked was that they counted all the various risky things people did, then counted them up. The thing that was the most common among people who tested positive was that they had eaten out someplace. Now, that could be because people do that more often than, say, taking air flights or going to the dentist. But it could also mean that that is a good way to get infected.

[johnnyvann840]

I don't know, there was a research article that came out recently that pointed to indoor dining as one of the riskiest things you can do right now. I think they studied people who had come down with covid, asked them what they had been doing recently, and the most common thing was eating out somewhere. More so than other activities (I can't remember what all was on the list).

If you think about, you have a lot of people, indoors, not wearing masks, for an hour, hour and a half, often talking loudly to be heard, it goes against most of what you don't want to be doing.

ya, read that, but anybody that eats out more than once is likely doing a ton of things that would make others nervous. I've eaten out, also taken a dozen flights, gone to walmart, target, grocery store, the dentist, the doctor, work, I've shaken hands and been to a birthday party, my spouse has done the same thing along with some other random stuff. Honestly the only thing I haven't done is gone to a pool party or a protest.

If I tested positive today how the hell are they going to figure out what caused it?

I think the way the study worked was that they counted all the various risky things people did, then counted them up. The thing that was the most common among people who tested positive was that they had eaten out someplace. Now, that could be because people do that more often than, say, taking air flights or going to the dentist. But it could also mean that that is a good way to get infected.

Or, it could just mean that people who are eating out are the ones who are more willing to participate in riskier behavior than people who have not, or will not, eat out during this time.

OTOH, I think it's interesting that we see a spike in areas where Trump has held his "super-spreader" indoor (or even outdoor) campaign rallies. I think in a case like that, such as Tulsa, it is fair to assume that many people are getting infected at these events and then spreading the virus in their own communities.