Items

• 
  2022-06-16

  Why have politicians stopped talking about Covid?

  This is a text story from Vox by Dylan Scott. The article claims that COVID helped sink President Donald Trump's re-election campaign, yet despite this, it is not being focused on by either party. Though, this author believes the Democrat response hasn't been much better, with people not really touting President Joe Biden's vaccine rollout and other initiatives. The author links the reason for inflation being COVID interrupting supply lines, which is on people's minds for this midterm election. According to Gallup polling, COVID has lost importance in many people's minds, with it falling behind Russia and gas prices. On the Republican side of things, COVID is rarely mentioned, and if it is, it is in a negative light. Scott says that candidates favored by Donald Trump have gone against his ideas, with them being more skeptical of vaccines, and some refusing to get the vaccine at all. COVID is being tied to an anti-establishment attitude that has been rising within the Republican party. As for my own opinion on this piece, I believe that is does bring up an interesting point with linking COVID to current inflation. I do agree that COVID has impacted the economy for the worst with supply chains being more limited and rising spending of the federal government to counter it, but I do not think it can explain everything. Federal spending in general has been on an increase, which is driving up the cost of items, and not all that spending is COVID related. In addition to that, the shutdown of important pipelines has made reliance on foreign oil more of a necessity, which then drives up gas prices. These types of decisions can't all be traced back to COVID. So while I do think COVID has impacted the economy, I do not think it explains nearly all the economic issues the United States is facing.
• 
  2021-08-11

  If it isn't one thing its another [REVIEW]

  I have never realized how different my friends on social media are. Growing up in Los Angeles I have many friends who are all politically and socially like-minded. My husband joined the military and then my social media was flooded with the opposite from my "liberal" friends. The differences of opinions never bothered me and hardly ever showed themselves until Trump became president. It's funny how Trump ignited a flame in so many people. Today with politics fueling everything I still see that clear distinction between my friend groups. The saddest part about the pandemic is seeing how science has been "canceled" and political views have somehow replaced common sense. Because so many Democrats are urging people to get vaccinated it seems like Republicans must refuse. I see posts like the one pictured all the time. There's always a reason to refuse common sense. First, it was because COVID wasn't real, then it was because their right to contract covid was being infringed on. I heard some say robots were being implanted, that the government was running experiments on willing democrats. When the death rate continued to rise, they said the numbers were made up. Today it seems like most covid deniers are claiming that if COVID was real essential workers would not be required to be protected against it. I will never understand their reasoning.
• 
  2020-03-18

  How Will COVID-19 Change the World? Historian Frank Snowden on Epidemics From the Black Death to Now

  This video is an interview the Democracy Now did with Frank Snowden, Professor Emeritus at Yale University early on in the pandemic (March 18, 2020). Dr. Snowden specializes in the history of epidemic diseases and the history of modern Italy. His father was the first African American ambassador to Italy. At the time of the interview, Dr. Snowden was in lockdown in Rome, Italy. He had gone there to research another project when the pandemic hit, so he changed his focus to studying covid-19. He contracted the disease himself, but was lucky enough to live through it. I was particularly interested in Dr. Snowden's views on the pandemic since I had watched his Yale lecture series on epidemics available on Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3AE7B3B6917DE8E6) which was incredible in its thorough exploration of some of the worlds worst outbreaks. In the interview he states that an early modern Florentine would recognize a lot of governments' actions to combat covid-19 as very similar to those used by the Italian city-states and elsewhere in Europe to combat bubonic plague, especially the concept of quarantine. He also addresses the startling commonality between anti-Semitism during the first several plague outbreaks to the Sinophobia and xenophobia seen during our current pandemic. The interviewer also brings up a great question about the possibility of fascism arising out of strict government measures to combat disease. I was particularly curious to hear Dr. Snowden's response in light of the protests in the United States against quarantine and mask-wearing. He acknowledged that while it could be one outcome, it is not the only nor the most probable possibility. Many governments have voluntarily ended their strict measures during pandemics without devolving into fascist states. Now that the pandemic is, it seems, waning I believe it is abundantly clear that those Americans who feared that their freedoms were threatened by historically proven practices were both selfish and foolish. They and our ineffective and dangerous leadership cause the United States to become a hotbed for Covid-19, while other countries who swiftly enacted and enforced lockdown measures and mask mandates, such as New Zealand and Italy, recovered much more quickly. I contend that Donald Trump and his sheep are responsible for thousands of unnecessary deaths.
• 
  2020-11-24

  Putin Not Allowed To Take Russian Vaccine

  Interesting how Donald Trump was given experimental treatments for his COVID-19 incident but Vladimir Putin is not allowed to take the Russian vaccine. This is not a good look for the vaccine. Understandable though you wouldn't want the head of state taking an experimental drug barring a critical circumstance
• 
  2020-11-10

  Keith Sweat’s “Nobody” Election 2020 Version

  A FB friend shared this spoof on Keith Sweat’s song “Nobody” talking about the 2020 election of Joe Biden. The video was shared by Jody Hawes Jr. with the hashtag #NobodyRemix.
• 
  2020-11-13

  Over 130 COVID-19 cases in the Secret Service

  The Washington Post reported that over 130 members of the Secret Service are either in quarantine or have contracted the virus. 130 people accounts for around 10% of the total number of secret service agents. The outbreak comes as a result of the amount of traveling President Donald Trump did before the election. The White House has received massive amount of criticism for their lack of care.
• 
  2020-10-30

  Over 90,000 Cases Recorded in a Single Day

  The United States is experiencing yet another surge in Covid cases, this time just days before the presidential election. "The new benchmark of 90,456 cases was hit Thursday just hours after the U.S. logged its 9 millionth coronavirus case and shattered the previous daily record of 80,662 infections, set a day earlier. Also, the 540,035 new Covid-19 cases reported from last Friday, Oct. 23, to Thursday was the most for any seven-day period since July." The Trump administration has said that the U.S. is rounding the corner on the pandemic and even cited "ending" the pandemic as one of Donald Trump's accomplishments in office, yet the growing number of cases and deaths would say otherwise.
• 
  2020-10-19

  Will Trump Use Covid to Pull Off A Bolivia?

  In 2019 the right-wing party in Bolivia used an excuse to pull off a coup of the government. Sighting irregular election processes. Riots ensued on the streets and within a few weeks, the right-wing power took control. The US government supported the coup before the election and supported them after the coup. 1 year later Bolivia redid their election and people lined up in the midst of a COVID-19 pandemic to cast their votes and re-elect the former government. I wonder if Trump will copy Bolivia. I believe Trump would be able to garner enough people and support for intense riots. As well as make a contention to the validity of the election. Regardless, from examing Bolivia, anything is possible.
• 
  2020-10-15

  Remdesivir does not decrease healing times, according to the WHO.

  It's interesting, because US President Donald Trump took this experimental drug.
• 
  2020-10-07

  Trump tiene COVID-19

  Un dibujo de Andrés Edery mostrando la cara de Trump, y un Coronavirus intentando escaparse. El Coronavirus parece que quiere salirse, lo entiendo con un sentido de humor, como ni siquiera un virus horrible quiere permanecer en su cuerpo.
• 
  2020-10-09

  Controversy Over if Trump can Return to Office

  twitter screenshot of whether President Donald Trump can return to his presidential duties after contacting COVID-19. Despite being cleared by his physician, other medical experts are skeptical, as Trump may still be contagious.
• 
  2020-10-06

  Trump Postpones Stimulus Check until After Election

  The main point of the news article is to inform those looking for a second stimulus check that it will be pushed back until after the election. I choose this article because it's important to a large number of people because the check is very important to many people’s businesses, families, and other things. It reveals how people struggle financially during this crisis as it can be hard to provide an income. Some bias against Trump, for trying to sway the votes in his favor. I think the media’s responsibility during the pandemic is to inform the public on new occurrences that manifest with the virus. It is also their responsibility to be a watchdog over other media sources and people. If any wrong doing happens it is their job to report on it.
• 
  2020-10-08

  トランプ氏「コロナ感染は神からの祝福」豪語のワケ(2020年10月8日) - Mr. Trump "Corona Infection is a Blessing from God" A reason for the bold statement (October 8, 2020)

  トランプ大統領が新たな動画を公開。「感染は神からの祝福だ」と話しました。 　7日、ツイッターに投稿されたメッセージ。トランプ大統領は自らに投薬された未承認の抗体薬を絶賛しました。しかし、この動画には批判の声も。 　そもそも、こうなったのは誰の責任か。副大統領候補による討論会。現副大統領は上司の擁護に追われます。 　共和党・ペンス副大統領：「皆さんに知ってほしい。大統領は最初から皆さんの健康が第一だと考えていた。ワクチンなどもまもなくできる。大統領のリーダーシップで」 　果たして、そうなのか。例えば、マスク。大統領がしていなかった期間はあまりに長く、感染発覚後、スタッフの前で外す様子も確認されています。対策は十分なのか。トランプ大統領はいまだに陰性かどうか明らかにされていません。その一方で、バイデン候補との討論会には意欲を示しています。新たな動画でこう主張しています。 　トランプ大統領：「抗体薬は無償化する。皆さんの責任ではないのです。中国の責任だ。中国は大きな代償を払うことになる。 [I have personally translated the debate from Japanese to English and thus, it might not be the exact meaning/words from the actual debate.] President Trump releases a new video. "Infection is a blessing from God," he said. The message posted on Twitter on the 7th. President Trump has praised the unapproved antibody drug he had been given for treatment. However, there are criticisms against this video. Standford University, Subramanian said she was appalled by Trump’s comment that his diagnosis had been a blessing from God. “It really makes my stomach turn,” she said. “So would he say that the 210,000 Americans who died, they were cursed by God?” In the first place, who is responsible for this situation? Kamala Harris: “On January 28th, the Vice president and president received the information that this pandemic will cause death and yet they did not tell the citizens. Debate by Vice Presidential Candidates. The current Vice President is busy defending his boss. Republican Vice President Pence: "I want you to know. From the beginning, the president thought that your health was the number one priority. Vaccines will soon be available. Under the leadership of the president." Is that actually true? For example, a mask. The period that the president was not wearing the mask was too long, and it has been confirmed that he removed it in front of the staff after he was known to have the virus. Are the measures sufficient? Moderator: “(Last month) During the even at the White House, people in the front row were not social distancing, most did not wear a mask, and a lot of people from that event was found to be infected. Do you think the citizens will follow the president despite this incident?” Vice President Pence: “There are great deal of speculations. But a lot of people who participated did receive the test.” President Trump still has not stated whether he is a negative or not. On the other hand, he was enthusiastic during the debate with Biden. In the new video, he insists "The antibody drug will be free. It's not your responsibility. It's China's responsibility. China will pay a big price. Please remember that."
• 
  2020-10-06

  Approaching another Civil War?

  A friend took this picture of her neighbors’ house. It’s a duplex shared by two families- one that supports Trump and one that supports Biden. It’s hard to ignore the feeling of impending civil war here in the US these days. The political polarization only continues to get worse. It’s starting to seem like no matter what the result of the Nov 2020 election is, this division will not be remedied. Perhaps the worst part is that preserving the union doesn’t even seem as important as escaping “the other half.” The only thing that makes me want to work to keep the country together (not that I can make much difference) is the fact that there are vulnerable folks living in Red states who would be made even more vulnerable if the Blue states left the union or joined Canada or whatever other flippant solutions are bandied about.
• 
  2020-10-05

  As Trump Seeks to Project Strength, Doctors Disclose Alarming Episodes

  Its showing how the president left the hospital to do political teater it talked about how he put everyone in the vehicle at risk. Also It brought up the question of is Trump ordering his doctors around.
• 
  2020-10-04

  Trump leaves the hospital to greet supporters and says in a video he has ‘learned a lot’ about Covid.

  The main point of this article is that Donald Trump, who was hospitalized for the coronavirus, visited his supporters outside the hospital through a drive-by in a SUV with two Secret Service agents. I chose this article because it’s a controversial topic and people have a lot of different views on Trump’s visit. It’s also been in the news a lot. This news article reveals the perspectives on the severity of the coronavirus during the pandemic, from both doctors and citizens. It also shows how life is still divided from a political and scientific standpoint even during a pandemic. This news article is important because our leader of our nation is potentially breaking medical protocols. In our society, it would be expected for our president to follow the rules to protect himself and others, so potentially breaking rules is a big deal for Trump. The bias that exists in this article puts a negative spin on Trump. For example, the article stated that “The president[‘s] mishandling of the pandemic has become a political liability”, making it clear that the writers of the article don’t believe that Trump has done a good job protecting citizens from the pandemic and that it’s hurting his political side. The article also included a statement made by a doctor at the hospital Trump stayed at. The quotes that the article included from the doctor were that Trump was putting the lives of the Secret Service agents in the car with him at risk. The doctor also stated that “the irresponsibility [was] astounding”, that the agents were “commanded by Trump to put their lives at risk for political theater”, and that it was “insanity”. By choosing to include these many quotes from the doctor, New York Times is siding with the doctor, implicitly agreeing that what Trump did was irresponsible. The article also stated that the N95 masks that the agents were wearing were “not an absolute guarantee of stopping transmission, especially in a small enclosed space occupied by a person known to be infected”; even though this statement doesn’t explicitly state it, the authors of this article don’t believe that the agents were protected well enough and that it wasn’t a smart choice. The article seems to contain Liberal views and biases. The responsibility of the media during the COVID-19 is to keep the media informed with all the updates with the coronavirus. This includes precautions, vaccine advancements, and what the government is doing to help protect the American people. The media should provide citizens with all the necessary information to keep us safe. It should also keep us updated with the presidential election and how the coronavirus will affect the process. The media’s primary goal is to keep the public well-informed.
• 2020-10-04

  Now I Know How My UK Fiancé Felt With Boris

  I remember earlier in the pandemic Boris Johnson got sick. It was weird thinking the leader of England could get sick from such a deadly disease. How the country was panicking wondering what happens if the Prime Minister dies. I could only imagine how it must've been like. Now I actually get to experience it. Donald Trump is officially in the Hospital with covid, but it seems hes doing better then Boris did.
• 2020-10-02

  What Trump's COVID-19 diagnosis could mean for his campaign

  The main point of this article is to deliver what Trump’s diagnosis could mean for his political campaign in the near future- things like rallies are canceled and moved online, along with any events involving the first family altogether. I chose this article because it was at the beginning of the list when I looked up articles about Coronavirus, but it genuinely is a good article and very well-written. It’s important to life now because for the entire quarantine, Trump has been downplaying the effects of COVID- not wearing a mask, having rallies with no-social distancing, not taking the health risks seriously. Him catching coronavirus is quite possibly one of the most monumental moments this year simply just because it’s so ironic- after not believing in the virus he suddenly contracts it, although asymptomatic. There's bias because ABC is a left leaning news source, but the information seems pretty straight forward with very little attempts at slander.
• 
  2020-09-30

  Presidential Debate During the Pandemic

  A presidential debate unlike any other (for many reasons). In a regular presidential debate there are usually more people packed together in the room. Attendees can be seen in distanced seating and most are wearing masks.
• 
  2020-10-02

  Trump has COVID lego movie

  Last night around midnight, we learned that Trump tested postive for COVID. And I recognize it's not the most mature move, but this morning I woke up and started looking for Trump memes or memes about Trump. On Twitter I found the hashtag #TrumpHasCovid and found this video. It shows a lego representation of President Trump at a podium, and the audio plays several of his statements about COVID-19 and the pandemic. In the end, Trump gets run over by coronavirus (represented as a tomato) and it eats him, but spits out the tupet. Later, a street cleaner gets the tupet caught in his vechincle and it blows up. *humor, President Donald Trump, COVID-19
• 
  2020-10-02

  Justin Trudeau and other Canadian politicians send get-well messages to POTUS

  Justin Trudeau and other prominent Canadian politicians, such as Conservative leader Erin O'Toole. have sent get-well messages to Donald and Melania Trump due to their recent positive COVID-19 test.
• 
  2020-07-04

  Native Americans protest Trump’s Mt. Rushmore rally

  The pandemic has amplified existing societal and systemic injustices and racism in the United States. In 2020, fighting for social justice has been just as important as looking for a covid-19 vaccine. President Trump has inflamed flashpoints among his base, mostly white conservative voters, and Black and Indigenous People of Color. As an example, Trump held a 4th of July rally on sacred Sioux land at Mt. Rushmore, which seemed like an intentional act to show that Indigenous peoples hold no power or sovereignty there. This interview was conduced by PBS with Chase Iron Eyes, who is Special Advisor to the president of the Ogala Sioux Tribe.
• 
  2020-08-11

  Election Infection and #SavetheChildren

  This screenshot shows two signs that purportedly hang in an unknown brick-and-mortar establishment that read "Face Masks are BANNED from this Studio. If you are sick please do not enter. #SavetheChidren [sic]" and "The Real Pandemic is Pedophillia [sic]. We do not believe in the Election Infection #SaveTheChidren [sic]" The signs suggest that the Covid-19 pandemic is a political stunt meant to rig the 2020 Presidential Election and, instead, shift the narrative to the problem of pedophilia and child sex trafficking. Though President Trump is not mentioned, observers might get the impression that this establishment, if it indeed exists, supports him for several reasons. Most importantly, there is the suggestion that a global pandemic is nothing more than a choreographed conspiracy to ensure Donald Trump loses the 2020 Election. But the hashtag #savethechildren (misspelled in the signs) has been used to shift the narrative away from the Covid-19 pandemic and toward another problem the country faces, human trafficking. The dismantling of human trafficking networks has been one of Trump's less controversial achievements, one that many believe has been ignored by the news media. It is unclear if these signs exist of if they have been altered for dissemination on social media. Many Facebook and Twitter users have shared the image.
• 
  03/21/2020

  Susan Gould Oral History, 2020/03/21

  Susan Gould describes her preparations for COVID-19 and what everyday life is like in a state mandated lockdown. She also explains how her employer, Menorah Park, a nursing home located in the epicenter of Ohio’s Covid-19 outbreak responded to the pandemic.
• 
  04/01/2020

  Daniel Cogley Oral History, 2020/04/01

  Daniel Cogley discusses his experience with the COVID-19 pandemic. Daniel is a salesman for a sanitization company that provides products and services to primarily restaurants and bars. Daniel was furloughed during the crisis and discusses his experiences with money, food, the response of government officials to the pandemic and his hopes that people will take the disease more seriously.
• 
  2020-07-03

  Political Cartoon Trump Oblivious to Current Events

  This political cartoon shows Trump standing on a flag, chaos all around him. In the background we see George Floyd being murdered.
• 
  2020-06-01

  Don't Talk, Just Listen

  I was moved by a photograph that I saw of a protestor holding this painting in what appears to be a peaceful march in Sacramento, California. The message is clear - it is time for America's leaders, and for all of America, to listen.
• 
  2020-06-01

  Trump focuses on law and order instead of unity

  The nation has experienced a full week of protests, some violent, in response to the killing of a black man in police custody. The president has remained silent except for a few tweets. On a call with the nation's governors he shared his feelings and appears to be more focused on how we appear to the world at large and maintaining law and order, rather than uniting the country, offering solutions, or addressing the feelings of the protestors.
• 
  2020-05-29

  US cuts World Health Organization ties over virus response

  "President Donald Trump said Friday that the U.S. will be terminating its relationship with the World Health Organization, saying it had failed to adequately respond to the coronavirus because China has “total control” over the global organization." This is a step toward deflecting Trump's own failures. It is a failure to enact true leadership and important for future generations to note when remembering the loss of lives during 2020.