September Dumping Ground, 2021: Stories You Probably Missed

 ____________________ 

“The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts.” 

Bertrand Russell

____________________

  

September Dumping Ground: As the month comes to an end, we catch up on a few stories you might have missed. 

The “Justice for J6” rally in Washington D.C., organized by former Trump campaign aide Matt Braynard and planned for Sept. 18, proves a fizzle. The cause for which rally-goers had planned to gather was to demand release of “political prisoners” jailed for their part in the Jan. 6 attack on Capitol Hill. 

Apparently, most Americans with eyeballs had deduced that the rioters were not innocent patriots and, because of their alleged advocacy of violence in many cases, might deserve to be sitting in jail until trial. Only a few hundred pro-insurrectionist types showed up, and found themselves outnumbered (this time) by police. 

Even most Republican politicians, who had backed up Donald Trump’s claims of a stolen election, decided showing up to support people who beat up scores of police officers would be bad optics. So they stayed away.

 

* 

Sept. 20: The Wall Street Journal reports that Loser Donald is still fuming over Mitch McConnell’s failure to support him – just because he wanted to steal the election, and maybe watch Mike Pence hanged. 

Donald is trying to recruit allies in the Senate “to depose Mr. McConnell.” In a recent interview, Trump said McConnell should be taken out like the trash, and maybe left at the curb, in hopes some scavenger would pick him up. (Okay, he did mention trash; I just made up the part about the scavenger.) Trump added that the Kentucky lawmaker “is very bad for the Republican Party.” 

In particular, Loser Don was angry because McConnell had gone along with President Biden, in working to pass an infrastructure plan. That deal, he grumbled, made “the Republicans look weak, foolish and dumb.” 

As opposed to the fine infrastructure deal that Trump never got done.

 

* 

Sept. 21: People magazine posts a story about an Idaho nurse, Natalie Rise, mother of two ten-year-old twins. Mom died from COVID-19 in August. Her own mother first fell ill, then Ms. Rise developed symptoms and went to the hospital. She and her mother ended up in rooms not far apart, but her mother recovered. Even as Natalie’s condition deteriorated, she told her brother not to get vaccinated. 

“She was telling me not to get vaccinated,” he explained. “I think it was from misinformation, I think it was from falling into negative social media and bloggers, YouTubers.”

 

* 

Sept. 23: NOAA reports that the Southwest is suffering through the worst drought in “instrumental history,” going back to 1895, when accurate and detailed measurements became common. 

The source of the problem? Scientists warn that in an already dry region, higher temperatures – a result of climate change – melt snow packs in the mountains earlier, speeding up drying of soil. (And vegetation.) Water evaporates quicker in the heat, and levels in reservoirs start falling. 

(I think it’s safe to say Rejected-President Trump has not been keeping up with reports from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, and neither have his generally clueless fans.)

 

* 

Sept. 23: The Mormon Church informs members that all workers and patrons will be required to wear masks in all temples at all times. God might work in mysterious ways. But no need to take chances with viruses here on earth.

 

* 

Sept. 24: We learned that Dr. Matthew Trunsky, a pulmonologist and director of the palliative care unit at a Beaumont Health hospital in southeastern Michigan, had reached a breaking point. 

He’s seen more than a hundred coronavirus deaths, but reactions of the most recent patients have been hard to take. As the Washington Post explains, one night he went home, still in his black scrubs, opened up Facebook, and vented: 

He wrote about a critically ill patient who disputed his covid-19 diagnosis. Another threatened to call his lawyer if he wasn’t given ivermectin, an anti-parasite drug that is not approved for treating covid. A third, Trunsky wrote, told the doctor they would rather die than take one of the vaccines.

 

One demanded a different doctor. “I don’t believe you,” he told the physician [when told he had the coronavirus].

 

[Dr. Trunsky] added: “Of course the answer was to have been vaccinated – but they were not and now they’re angry at the medical community for their failure.”

 

* 

Sept. 24: We learned that Rudy Giuliani has been banned from appearing on Fox News, much to his chagrin. (In fact, he’s been banned for three months, but didn’t know it until September 11.) Since he, and Fox have both been sued for defamation, for peddling “stolen election claims” focusing on Dominion Voting Systems, it would seem likely Fox doesn’t want to give Dominion’s lawyers any more ammunition to use in court. Because this is Rudy. You know, if he shows up on Sean Hannity’s show, he’s going to say something truly nuts.

 

* 

Sept. 26: A crush of new COVID cases in Idaho has left morgues scrambling. One funeral director has brought in a refrigerator truck to handle the overflow. According to the Idaho Statesman, other funeral directors are embalming bodies that might not need it, in order to save space in coolers. 

Even cremation facilities are finding it difficult to keep up. Idaho, of course, is one of the least-vaccinated states. (With only 41.4% of adults fully or partially vaccinated, when I checked the Mayo Clinic website three days later, only Wyoming and West Virginia had fared worse when it came to convincing citizens to take the shots.)

 

* 

Sept. 26: We learned, via a report on Politico, but also covered by Fox News, that Team Trump had suffered another self-inflicted gunshot wound to the groin. This time, Trump loyalist Corey Lewandowski got the boot after a Trump donor accused him of drunken, sexual misconduct. 

To wit, from his accuser Trashelle Odom: 

“On the evening of September 26 in Las Vegas, Nevada, I attended a dinner to support a charity and spend time with wonderful friends,” Odom told Politico. “He repeatedly touched me inappropriately, said vile and disgusting things to me, stalked me, and made me feel violated and fearful,” she said, referring to Lewandowski.

 

“I am coming forward because he needs to be held accountable,” Odom continued. “I am blessed to have a loving husband and family behind me. I want other women to know that you can be heard, too, and together we can stop terrible things like this from happening.”

 

Team Trump released a statement, wishing Mr. Lewandowski well, but noting, “He will no longer be associated with Trump World.” 

As an added bonus, a conservative website, citing multiple sources, accused Lewandowski of conducting a months-long affair with South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, whom he was serving as an informal adviser. For her part, the governor has denied the story, calling it “total garbage.” 

“I love Bryon,” she added in a Twitter post pledging fealty to her husband. “I’m proud of the God-fearing family we’ve raised together. Now I’m getting back to work.”

 

* 

Sept. 28: We learned that Louisiana had piled up another 1,048 cases of the coronavirus, 30% of which were kids. Officials noted that across the state, 952 persons were hospitalized with COVID-19.

 

* 

Sept. 29: At the Billings Clinic, the largest hospital in Billings, Montana, emergency room doctor Jaimee Belsky was warning that staff could barely keep up with the influx of extremely sick COVID-19 patients. The ICU was operating at 150% of normal capacity. “People need to get vaccinated because right now we’re hurting,” she explained. The National Guard had been called out to help.