TO BE FAIR, HE’S A HACK:

DOUBLE STANDARDS ARE THE BEST STANDARDS BECAUSE YOU HAVE TWICE AS MANY AS LESS-PRINCIPLED PEOPLE DO: Missouri Dem Touts Endorsement From Dark Money Group After Denouncing Dark Money.

KRUISER’S MORNING BRIEF: Lock Up the Lockdown Governors. “The ‘never let a crisis go to waste’ crowd continues to overplay its hand, which is why this would be the perfect time to begin some real push-back against them.”

WHEN HE’S RIGHT, HE’S RIGHT: Bill Maher On OCD Pandemic Overreaction: ‘What’s The Point Of Life If You Can’t Live It?’

YOU DON’T SAY: China’s aggressive approach to coronavirus criticism ‘not working.’

It was a huge contrast to China’s later high-profile propaganda campaign when it started shipping medical products to Europe and other countries in dire need as the coronavirus spread, the businessman pointed out, and had contributed to growing negative perceptions of Beijing’s approach to the pandemic. “The situation is getting worse day by day,” he said.

China’s critics have accused the country of playing up its political system as superior in containing the virus and highlighting its role as a world leader, while ignoring early missteps including cover-up and disinformation in the initial stages of the outbreak in December.

Observers have also said the aggressive – and sometimes unprofessional and undiplomatic – remarks by Chinese diplomats in defending the county’s handling of the virus had led to fading sympathy for China. An article in Chinese state media suggesting the US and the world owed China “an apology and thanks” for its efforts against the pandemic did not improve perceptions.

It’s one thing to be an asshole, but it’s another to be an asshole demanding gratitude for being such a jerk.

LIKE MOTHER LIKE DAUGHTER: Rep. Omar’s Daughter Accuses U.S. Soldiers Of ‘Actively Killing Innocent Children Abroad.’

COPYCAT: Ubisoft Sues Apple, Google Over Alibaba’s Rainbow Six ‘Ripoff.’

“Area F2,” created by Alibaba Group Holdings Ltd.’s Ejoy.com, is a “near carbon copy” of Rainbow Six: Siege, and that can’t be “seriously be disputed,” Ubisoft said in a complaint filed Friday in federal court in Los Angeles.

Rainbow Six: Siege, or R6S, has 55 million registered players around the world, according to Ubisoft’s copyright infringement lawsuit and is played by more than 3 million people every day. R6S also is played as a competitive “esport,” with professional and semi-professional teams competing for millions of dollars in prizes.

“R6S is among the most popular competitive multiplayer games in the world, and is among Ubisoft’s most valuable intellectual properties, the French company said. “Virtually every aspect of AF2 is copied from R6S, from the operator selection screen to the final scoring screen, and everything in between.”

Alibaba is based in Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China.

BOMBSHELL: Mike Flynn’s Name Might Never Have Been Masked In The First Place.

HMM: Who Illegally Leaked the Michael Flynn Call to the Media? Here’s Who I’m Betting On.

GOOD QUESTION: Just How Inflated Are Coronavirus Death Counts, Exactly?

WHILE HIS BERNIE-BRO APPROVED VEEP WAITS IN THE WINGS: Five Scandals That Would Threaten Joe Biden’s Presidency on Day One.

WHY NOT TAKE A BREAK FROM THE SERIOUS NEWS FOR A FEW MINUTES? Florida Man Friday: Ready! Fire! Aim!

CHINA IS ASSHOLE: China Threatens ‘Severe Consequences’ for Tom Cotton, Dan Crenshaw, Missouri AG.

DECOUPLING: U.S. Moves to Cut Huawei Off From Global Chip Suppliers.

ONE OUT OF THIRTY-TWO: County supervisor says San Diego has only had 6 “pure, solely coronavirus deaths” out of 194 listed as such.

WAY OUT AHEAD OF YOU ON BOTH COUNTS, JOE: Joe Biden Literally Tells Voters Who Believe Tara Reade Not to Vote for Him.

The Trump campaign could put a commercial together of nothing but clips of Biden telling people not to vote for him, or to vote for the other guy. The only problem would be keeping it down to 30 seconds.

NO. WAY. Over 100 Inmates Released From Rikers Busted For New Offenses.

MAGGIE HABERMAN ALWAYS STRUCK ME AS EMINENTLY TRIGGERABLE: NYT Journo Becomes Triggered After WH Press Sec. Kayleigh McEnany Calls Her out for Spreading Fake News.

OH: COVID-19 Tests in Washington Challenge Official Wuhan Virus Timeline. “Both victims fell ill in December, weeks earlier than the virus is officially said to have arrived here on January 15. With an incubation period generally around two weeks, that means the Wuhan Virus could have arrived on American shores as early as the first week of December.”

Much more at the link.

THE CURVE IS SO BENT: Vanderbilt reduces coronavirus hospitalization estimates from thousands to 300.

FEATURE NOT A BUG: ‘Contact Tracing’ Jobs Create Terrifying Army of Karens.

IF REPUBLICANS ARE REALLY TRYING TO KILL PEOPLE, THEY’RE AWFUL AT IT: COVID-19 Cases Decline in States Ending Their Lockdowns. “According to a graph by Axios, states ending the lockdown have either stalled in COVID-19 case numbers or are beginning a decline. This includes Georgia and Florida, which according to Axios are seeing double-digit declines.”

Let’s get back to work.

HARSH, BUT FAIR:

KRUISER’S MORNING BRIEF: ACLU Sues Due Process Champion DeVos. “This is the American Civil Liberties Union almost gleefully taking a legal stand against due process. DeVos’s revisions strengthened protections for the accused where none existed. Males on college campuses merely had to be accused to have their lives completely upended. In reality, the ACLU should have gotten involved earlier.”

I’m so old, I can remember when the ACLU was actually a civil liberties organization… which makes me older than I’d like to admit.

CHINA IS ASSHOLE: Chinese State Media Warn Country Will Interfere in U.S. Election.

China is threatening to meddle in the upcoming U.S. presidential election as retribution for a flurry of American lawsuits seeking to hold Beijing accountable for the spread of the coronavirus.

The Communist Party “won’t just strike back symbolically, but will impose countermeasures that will make them feel pain,” according to the Global Times, an outlet controlled by the regime.

The threats come as outrage grows over China’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak in the country and the subsequent global spread of the virus.

Most anything Beijing does at this point to help speed along the decoupling process is fine with me.