Gender: Female Hometown: NE New York Home country: USA Current location: Serious Snow Country :( Member since: 2003 before July 6th Number of posts: 134,426
Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, U.S. Army (ret.), discusses his new book, "Here, Right Matters," and his role in the first impeachment of Donald Trump, including Rudy Giuliani's effort to manufacture a Biden scandal in Ukraine to help Trump in the 2020 election. Aired on 08/02/2021.
Alexander Vindman On Lessons From Exposing Trump - Ali Velshi - MSNBC
Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, U.S. Army (ret.), discusses his new book, "Here, Right Matters," his future, and the lessons he has drawn from his experience at the center of exposing Donald Trump's corruption and Trump's impeachment. Aired on 08/02/2021.
Police in Washington have confirmed that a fourth office who responded to the Capitol insurrection has now died from suicide. Meanwhile, a Trump ally on the Hill is still floating FBI conspiracy theories about January 6. The National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 800-273-8255. Aired on 08/02/2021.
The U.S. has surpassed last summer’s average for new cases as the delta variant fills ICUs. This comes as the White House confirmed 70 percent of adults are at least partially vaccinated. Aired on 08/02/2021.
What’s different about DELTA Variant Patients? This: The delta variant is almost like a whole new COVID virus, as it behaves very differently from the previous COVID strains. It has at least three mutations on its spike protein, and more specifically, on it receptor binding domain. That’s the part of the spike protein that binds to the ACE2 receptor on the cells in your body. The delta variant’s mutations help it bind more efficiently to the ACE2 receptor, and also allows the virus to enter the cell easier. Also, its mutations allow it to better evade the body’s immune system.
The delta variant has caused COVID cases in the US to rise over 300% over the past month, along with similar increases in hospitalizations and deaths. The Delta variant is estimated to be at least 60% more transmissible. One CDC document suggests the Delta variant is about as transmissible as chickenpox -- with each infected person infecting on average, 8 or 9 other people. Compare that to the original strain of COVID, which was about as contagious as the common cold, with each infected person infecting two others, on average.
Studies on people infected with delta variant showed that the fully vaccinated had as much virus in their bodies as unvaccinated people did. That doesn’t mean worse infection though, if you’re vaccinated. But what the significance of those high viral loads leads to higher transmission of the virus, vaccinated or not. Even if they don’t have symptoms. Its why the CDC says that even vaccinated people should wear masks in areas of sustained or high transmission. Also, a study in China found that viral loads of people infected with Delta were 1,000 times higher than people infected at the very beginning of the pandemic……and delta transmits in four days, compared to six days for the original strain. There are three somewhat older studies from Canada, Singapore and Scotland, showing that people infected with the Delta variant are more likely to end up in the hospital.
Does it make unvaccinated people more prone to dying compared to the original strain? Hard to know, since there are currently no studies showing that one way or another. It’s also trickier to answer this question because you’re comparing apples to oranges. You’re not only comparing different strains, but with the original strain, no one was vaccinated in 2020. Also, in the beginning of the pandemic, we weren’t using things like dexamethasone and tocilizumab, two drugs that we now use to treat COVID, because we now know they reduce mortality. With the mRNA vaccines we have, they are about 95% effective at preventing serious COVID illness. So we know that even before the delta variant emerged, there are going to be breakthrough cases. The CDC released a study examining an outbreak in Massachusetts where 74% of people who got infected had been fully vaccinated -- and four of them ended up in the hospital. Testing showed that the Delta variant made up 90% of those cases. But overall, still, MOST of the virus is spread by unvaccinated people. The CDC reported a total of 6,587 breakthrough cases, including 6,239 hospitalizations and 1,263 deaths as of July 26. At that time, more than 163 million people in the US were fully vaccinated against Covid-19.
But here is a pretty impressive. STAT: Less than 0.004% of people who have been fully vaccinated experienced a breakthrough infections resulting in hospitalization, and less than 0.001% have died from the disease.
“The story of three Republican governors in particular is the story of Republican politics at the moment—and how deeply perverse the political incentives are in their party,” says Chris Hayes of DeSantis of Florida, Noem of South Dakota, and Scott of Vermont. Aired on 08/02/2021.
Congresswoman Madeleine Dean (D-PA) reacts to Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s comment about hitting Speaker Nancy Pelosi, which he defended by saying was a joke, and details her own concerning interactions with the House Minority Leader. Aired on 08/02/2021.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy joking ‘it would be hard not to hit' Speaker Nancy Pelosi with a gavel is slammed by Rep. Tim Ryan who tells The ReidOut the GOP is, ‘searching for issues to try to incite their base. Aired on 08/02/2021.
Washington reporter for Spectrum News Taylor Popielarz, White House correspondent for PBS NewsHour Yamiche Alcindor, and editor at large of The Bulwark Charlie Sykes discuss Republican lawmakers increasingly under scrutiny as witnesses to Trump’s conduct leading up to and on January 6th. Aired on 08/02/2021.
Political strategist and Texan, Matthew Dowd, is angered by the blatant disregard by his state’s leaders to the rise of Covid cases, and is concerned what the surge means for already crowded Texas ICUs. Aired on 08/02/2021.
