He’s sulking.

A day after he floated the idea of using disinfectants and light to treat COVID-19, President Donald Trump declined to take any questions at his daily coronavirus briefing at the White House.

“If you don’t like my brilliant ideas you don’t get to ask me questions any more.”

Yesssssssssssss.

The briefing — which can sometimes last about two hours — was over in just over 20 minutes, following remarks from Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and FDA head Stephen Hahn. The two top government doctors charged with combating the coronavirus crisis, Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx, were not in attendance.

No party for Donnie today.… Read the rest

Oh for heaven’s SAKE.

Dr. Birx defends the President: When he gets new information, he likes to talk that through out loud and really have that dialogue and so that’s what dialogue he was having. I think he just saw the information at the time immediately.. and he was still digesting that information pic.twitter.com/3XrNvs8UjX

— Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) April 24, 2020

Yes, we know, we could tell. He was “digesting the information” that disinfectants can remove a virus from hard surfaces, and telling us all about it the way a toddler tells us all about what she just learned. It’s sweet when a toddler does it, it’s not sweet at all when a 73-year-old criminal who is president of the … Read the rest

Transcript of that chat with reporters today:

Trump: When I was asking a sarcastic — a very sarcastic question to the reporters in the room about disinfectant on the inside, but it does kill it, and it would kill it on the hands and that would make things much better. That was done in the form of a sarcastic question to a reporter.

Reporter: But you were asking your medical experts to look into it.

Trump: To look into whether or not sun — and disinfectant on the hands — but whether or not sun can help us. Because, I mean he came in yesterday and he said they’ve done a big study. This is a study. This isn’t where

Oh wait, it turns out Trump was quoted out of context. You may wonder how that’s possible given that he said what he said at a live press briefing and there are many video clips of it with no telltale gaps or jerks where something was edited out, but that’s just because you’re a Nelitist.

The White House press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, on Friday said the news media had taken President Donald Trump’s statements on Thursday — when he said the US should investigate whether injecting disinfectant into people’s bodies might cure COVID-19 — out of context to run negative stories.

“President Trump has repeatedly said that Americans should consult with medical doctors regarding coronavirus treatment, a point that

So she is my new favorite person.

How to medical pic.twitter.com/0EDqJcy38p

— Sarah Cooper (@sarahcpr) April 24, 2020

H/t Alan Henness… Read the rest

More of Trump’s sarcasm:

“So I said, how do we do it inside the body or even outside the body with the hands and disinfect, I think would work. .. Maybe there’s something there.” pic.twitter.com/UsmOqiaxzt

— Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) April 24, 2020

I do think this – I do think disinfectant on the hands could have a very good effect. Now Bill az gone back to check that in the laboratory, you know it’s an amazing laboratory, by the way, it’s amazing, the work that they do. So [rubbing his hands together vigorously] he’s going to check…because…it’s a hard surface, this is a hard surface [meaning, his hands, which he rubs together some more so we’ll understand], I guess maybe

No, Don, that’s not going to work.

President Donald Trump said Friday that his remarks on injecting disinfectants to treat COVID-19 were sarcasm, after doctors responded with horror and disinfectant manufacturers urged people not to ingest the poisonous substances.

Nope. I mean, obviously that’s just a desperate ploy, but even apart from that – we know his mannerisms, and that was not his sarcastic mode. That was his “Look how smart I am, hearing about disinfectants in the pre-briefing discussion and then thinking up a way to use them even more strongly” mode. That was his big boy in big boy pants talking about sciencey stuff with the scientists because he had this uncle who was brilliant and … Read the rest

For some reason the makers of Lysol and Dettol have issued a statement saying don’t drink the stuff.

Due to recent speculation and social media activity, RB (the makers of Lysol and Dettol) has been asked whether internal administration of disinfectants may be appropriate for investigation or use as a treatment for coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2).

As a global leader in health and hygiene products, we must be clear that under no circumstance should our disinfectant products be administered into the human body (through injection, ingestion or any other route).  As with all products, our disinfectant and hygiene products should only be used as intended and in line with usage guidelines. Please read the label and safety information.

I feel as … Read the rest

It’s all a conspiracy! A left-wing soshalisst Mooslim atheist health-mongering conspiracy to close our parks and make us drink bleach no wait to tell us not to drink bleach yes that’s it. Ice cream, Mandrake?

A video of a mother arrested in Idaho at a playground that was closed under stay-at-home orders during the coronavirus pandemic has quickly gone viral, with far-right social media accounts rallying around her.

But the mother, 40-year-old Sara Walton Brady, wasn’t on the playground simply so her kids could play. Brady is an anti-vaccine activist with connections to several far-right groups in Idaho, and she was participating in an organized protest on Tuesday against the governor’s stay-at-home order. A group of people removed police caution

Oh christ here’s the clip. Why has the 25th amendment not been invoked yet??! This is beyond belief!

Fresh off of touting the failed hydroxychloroquine treatment, Trump is now promoting injecting coronavirus patients with disinfectant to kill the virus.

Can't see this backfiring at all. pic.twitter.com/Uq08VsFd5Q

— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) April 23, 2020

And then I said – suppose you brought the light inside the body – which you can do – either through the skin or in some other way. Aaaand [turning to look at Birx] I think you said you’re gunna test that too. Sounds intresting.

He thinks for a couple of seconds then turns to look at Birx again.

And then I see the disinfectant, that

The Guardian has more notes on Trump’s accelerating mental decay:

Maybe we should insert some cleaning products in people?

“Supposing you brought the light inside the body – either through the skin or some other way,” Trump wondered. He also mused about ways to use disinfectants on people, “by injections inside or almost a cleaning.”

“It’d be interesting to check that,” the president said. “You’d have to use medical doctors.”

That would be interesting. That would be very interesting. Let’s try it on Trump. Let’s inject some disinfectants inside Trump, starting with his brain. We’d have to use medical doctors. Can we start now?

The DHS’s Bryan is asked about the president’s suggestions that disinfectants be injected into a

Today’s coronarally is on, and Trump has been giving suggestions about how to fix the virus – heat and light, he says, apply heat and light.

"I'm the president and you're fake news" — Trump to @PhilipRucker after he asks him if it's responsible to make all sorts of wacky and unproven suggestions about possible coronavirus treatments pic.twitter.com/8ag4izDrGj

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 23, 2020

Rucker points out that people are looking for real advice, not random brain-hiccups about getting a sunburn.

"I wasn't happy with Brian Kemp … and I coulda done something about it if I wanted to" — an angry Trump on Georgia governor's move to reopen businesses pic.twitter.com/ACTyGqekCG

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 23, 2020

He … Read the rest

Originally a comment by Your Name’s not Bruce? on Largely in a lot of parts of the world.

“It’s overhyped,” she said.

For this degree of media and institutional attention, she was expecting a lot more deaths. This? Pfft! This is just weak sauce. Should be tucked in under the horoscopes.

“And I don’t wish anybody ill will. You know I don’t wish that…

But we don’t know that, do we? There’s a strong whiff of the other, like, you know that sentence you just uttered in regards to a pandemic that, in less than four months, has come within spitting distance of killing more Americans than the Vietnam war, in which you thought that it has been “overhyped?” … Read the rest

Another reason we’ll be needing to get those express flights to Mars up and running:

The number of people harmed by floods will double worldwide by 2030, according to a new analysis.

The World Resources Institute, a global research group, found that 147 million people will be hit by floods from rivers and coasts annually by the end of the decade, compared with 72 million people just 10 years ago.

By 2050 the numbers will be catastrophic.

Floods are getting worse because of the climate crisis, decisions to populate high-risk areas and land sinkage from the overuse of groundwater.

And because we’re not doing much about any of them.

The worst flooding will come in south and south-east Asia, including

The Guardian talks to one of Trump’s billionaire fans about this whole business of billionaire Trump fans having a big influence on whether or not we get to survive the pandemic:

One of Donald Trump’s most fervent billionaire donors is lobbying against strict stay-at-home rules in the election battleground state of Wisconsin, raising troubling new questions about how the president’s rightwing financial supporters may influence the US response to the pandemic.

Liz Uihlein, the billionaire behind Wisconsin’s Uline shipping and packaging company – who with her husband, Richard, has been dubbed the most “powerful conservative couple you’ve never heard of” – is using her clout to try to force Wisconsin’s Democratic governor to relax stay-at-home rules, claiming

Mitch McConnell to states (that aren’t Kentucky): you’re on your own.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Wednesday he would rather let state governments declare bankruptcy during the coronavirus pandemic than receive more federal funding. He suggested Republicans should oppose additional aid for state and local governments in future coronavirus relief bills.

…

McConnell alleged that local governments would use federal funds to simply bail out pensions, which he pinned as the source of most of their financial trouble. He also said Congress would not “just send a blank check down to states and local governments to spend any way they choose to.”

“We all have governors, regardless of party, who would love to have free money,” the Kentucky Republican

How dare a woman write a book.

After 6 days of solid 24/7 abuse, it was terrifying that I was using my computer and they took control.

I know all my stuff had been shared on 4chan and shit.

I’m horrified that writing a book about the victim blaming of women has led to this.

— Dr. Jessica Taylor (@DrJessTaylor) April 23, 2020

This book – which I need to read.

Thank you so much for all the support – both the emotional support and the support for the book.

I thought maybe my book would interest some and ruffle feathers but I never imagined I would be under this much threat for my book. pic.twitter.com/0csZq9Xdyk

— Dr. Jessica Taylor

Terry Gross did a pretty interesting conversation with Mark O’Connell about his book on apocalypse preppers, but there was this one area where…how shall I say, everyone was missing something. I can’t find a transcript but there’s a summary.

On how some doomsday preppers see Mars as a backup planet

Mars is almost like the next step up from New Zealand. If New Zealand is kind of the safest retreat on this planet, then, if — everything goes wrong here and the planet gets hit by an asteroid or whatever — the term that is used amongst Mars enthusiasts would be we need a “backup planet.”

That already gets my back up, because Mars can’t be a “backup planet” … Read the rest

The embarrassing shameful bit where Trump stands there like a palooka who doesn’t know where his arms go, watching Redfield explain what he said to the Post.

Trump tries to say that coronavirus could just disappear, but CDC Director Redfield warned in WaPo a second wave of COVID-19 in the winter could be worsened because it’s also flu season. Redfield confirms: “I’m accurately quoted in The Washington Post."pic.twitter.com/JLz3WccgoE

— Amee Vanderpool (@girlsreallyrule) April 22, 2020

To be fair, for once Trump does have a ghost of a point: Redfield said one thing in the interview and the Post said another thing in the headline. Redfield says the interview was accurate and the headline wasn’t. That happens a lot: the … Read the rest