Archive for 2017

WELL, THAT’S COMFORTING: Work Stops at C.D.C.’s Top Deadly Germ Lab Over Air Hose Safety. “The problem came to light when the C.D.C. ordered new hoses to replace the original ones, which had been installed when the laboratory opened in 2005. The manufacturer — the same one that had provided the original hoses — informed the C.D.C. that its products were not meant for breathing. Dr. Monroe declined to name the company. Why the unsuitability of the hoses was not recognized in 2005 is not clear.”

Sure, it’s not a big deal, and it could just be a one-off. But look at the list of related articles:

Perhaps there’s a larger problem here.

THE “DAY WITHOUT IMMIGRANTS” BECAME A TEACHABLE MOMENT: “This is reality. If you don’t show up to work you can get fired. Actions have consequences. Consider this a ‘teachable moment’…a day without immigrants is not a day without consequences.”

Read the whole thing.

THOUGHTS ON THE DECLINE OF SPORTSWRITING:

In the age of liberal sportswriting, the writers are now far more liberal than the readers. “Absolutely I think we’re to the left of most sports fans,” said Craig Calcaterra, who writes for HardballTalk. “It’s folly for any of us to think we’re speaking for the common fan.”

Of course, labels like “liberal” and “conservative” don’t translate perfectly to sports. Do you have to be liberal to call Roger Goodell a tool? So maybe it’s better to put it like this: There was a time when filling your column with liberal ideas on race, class, gender, and labor policy got you dubbed a “sociologist.” These days, such views are more likely to get you a job.

An audience? Not so much.

RICHARD FERNANDEZ ON TODAY’S FACTIONALISM: “The danger of America dividing in the face of an opportunistic enemy should be obvious to the combatants. But the factions of American politics may be too enraged to stop out of fear of a common threat. . . . If Trump is overthrown by the Deep State in a year, he’s unlikely to be the last. If neither faction will suffer itself to be governed by the other, whoever succeeds Trump can expect his term to be short. America could have its own period of the 26 presidents. That will be good news for the Barbarians, waiting at the edge of the Baltics, in the South China Sea, and on Europe’s borders, ready to move in.”

DON SURBER: Historians Sense Obama Failed.

Only 12th best?

Gee, you would think in light of the last eight years of hosannas from the press, Barack Obama would rank with Washington and Lincoln among America’s academics. But nope, he was only 12th. . . .

The rankings by category show a distinctly affirmative action grading curve.

For example, he ranks third in “Pursued Equal Justice For All,” ahead of Grant (reconstruction and the Civil Rights Act of 1875), Coolidge (gave Indians citizenship), Eisenhower (sent the 101st to enforce school desegregation and the Civil Rights Act of 1957), and Truman (desegregated the military). Frankly, I can find nothing in Obama’s portfolio that speaks to equal justice for all. The court legalized gay marriage without him. A gentleman’s C puts him at 22.

Eighth in economic management? He added $9 trillion to the national debt and we never recovered from the recession he inherited. Bottom 10 in that category.

Twenty-fourth in international relations? He bombed countries without provocation, armed the Islamic State, and let Iran develop nuclear weapons. Bottom 10 in that category.

His domestic policy consisted of Obamacare, which elected a Republican House in 2010, a Republican Senate in 2014, and a Republican president in 2016.

Obama leaves the White House having achieved nothing positive on the economic front, nothing positive on the international front, and nothing positive on the domestic front.

He’s the best black president, though, and given the way he poisoned the racial well, he’s likely to hold that status for quite a while.

WHY WOULD ANY MAN GO THERE? Male student sues Allegheny College after ‘false accusation’ of sexual assault.

The student, identified only as John Doe in court documents, alleges that he attempted to present evidence that made it clear his accuser was only angry because they were no longer speaking and wanted him expelled out of spite. He says this evidence and witness testimony was ignored by Allegheny.

The incident that led to John’s accusation occurred in late September 2014. John and some of his track teammates had gathered to celebrate their recent time trials. John’s accuser, listed in court documents as Jane Doe, attended the celebration. John alleges that Jane brought a bottle of tequila with her to the party but says she did not consume any alcoholic beverages and was sober.

Eventually, John and Jane went back to John’s dorm room. The two slept together in John’s bed, as they had done previously. On this night, the two engaged in sexual activity. Twice during the evening, Jane left John’s room to use the bathroom, passing the resident assistant (RA) each time. Jane, according to John, made no indication that she did not want to engage in sexual activity or was held against her will, as she could have left at any time and could have sought the help of the RA.

Jane slept in John’s bed that night and returned the following night to sleep in his dorm room as well. For the next few weeks, Jane texted John multiple times to talk about their relationship. John alleges in his lawsuit that he “largely ignored Jane Doe’s text messages and her efforts to communicate with him.”

Two months later, Jane would accuse John of sexual assault.

Cost of attending Allegheny college: $58,920 per year.

GOOD LUCK WITH THAT: Poll: Americans want Democrats to work with Trump.

A strong majority of Americans say Democrats should look to cooperate with President Trump to strike deals, according to the inaugural Harvard-Harris poll provided exclusively by The Hill.

The survey found that 73 percent of voters want to see Democrats work with the president, against only 27 percent who said Democrats should resist Trump’s every move.

The findings are significant as Democratic leaders in Congress are under growing pressure by their liberal base to obstruct the president’s agenda. The poll shows the party is divided on how to deal with Trump: 52 percent of Democrats polled say they should cooperate with him on areas of agreement and 48 percent saying they shouldn’t.

Those figures are nearly identical when the question is flipped – 68 percent of those polled say that Trump should be willing to compromise and find ways to work with Democrats in Congress. Thirty-two percent said Trump shouldn’t bend at all, even if it means finding ways to achieve his agenda without congressional approval.

I think our house is pretty divided, even if our House isn’t.

GEERT WILDERS VOWS TO DE-ISLAMIZE THE NETHERLANDS.

Wilders – who has lived in hiding since an Islamist murdered Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh in 2004 – pledges to ban Muslim immigration, close all mosques and take the Netherlands out of the European Union.

Many of his supporters at the Spijkenisse market, however, said they cared more about his social welfare policies.

“The most important thing for me is bringing the pension age back down to 65,” said Wil Fens, 59, a crane operator at the port.

Wilders hopes a global upsurge in anti-establishment feeling that has already helped to propel Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency and to persuade Britons to vote to quit the European Union will propel him to power in the March 15 parliamentary election.

A win for Wilders would boost French far-right leader Marine Le Pen and the Alternative for Germany party, both hoping to transform European politics in elections this year.

“Despite all the hate and fear-mongering of the elite both in Britain and Brussels, people took their fate in their own hands,” he said. “I think that will happen in Holland, in France, Austria and in Germany.”

Wilders’ party leads in opinion polls with 17 percent, a whisker ahead of the pro-business Liberals of Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who has closed the gap by matching some of Wilders’ anti-immigration rhetoric and received a boost from a surging economy.

Hmm. Well, stay tuned.