Kilauea – Holiday travel – Trump’s latest escapade – Evening statistics
An eruption of Kilauea on the Big Island of Hawaii occurred at about 11:30 HST (6:30 EST) and authorities are requesting residents to remain inside to avoid ash exposure. This item interests me because I have been on Kilauea myself several years ago. My brother and my parents and I visited Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and I was quite surprised by the lack of restrictions on where visitors could wander over the lava field. There were indeed barriers posted just before the lava flow started, I could hardly help noticing the patches glowing a dull red in the rock path underneath our feet (at times I wondered if the rubber soles of my shoes would be distorted by the heat emanating from below) and my surprise was increased when we came fairly close to the lava pouring into the sea, resulting in a great plume of mingled smoke and steam. The obsidian lava mingling with sea water could not fail to fill the surrounding atmosphere with minute particles of glass, and it was strange to me that the park authorities were not more solicitous about its effects on visitors’ lungs. It was a magnificent sight and I was glad of the opportunity to view it, but if I had had the administration of the park in my hands, I would have placed the barriers somewhat further from the lava flow. I believe that stricter safety guidelines have been issued since our visit there, which occurred at least two decades ago.
Holiday travel is on the rise. More than 1 million people used the airlines today, for the first time since November 29th. There has been a slight decrease in the numbers of new cases and of COVID-related deaths in the past two or three days, but these are certain to augment again just as they did as a result of the Thanksgiving festivities. It has been estimated (by AAA, among others) that about 85 million people will travel between Dec. 23 and Jan. 3, most of them by car. That would be a drop of nearly one-third from a year ago, but it is still a massive movement of people in the middle of a pandemic.
Good old Donald, you never can keep him down. Undeterred by the failure of at least three cases challenging the results of the Pennsylvania state election results and that were swiftly tossed out of court, he has issued yet another case, this one directed to the Supreme Court. It is useless asking whether he is aware that the Supreme Court has already rejected cases out of hand concerning challenges to election results or whether he knows how distasteful he is making himself not only to his countrymen at large but to his erstwhile Republican allies. He knows only that he will be open to attack from various lawyers pursuing the charges levied against him once he steps down from office, and he will resort to any means short of murder to retain his power. Indeed, I have my doubts about that last qualifying phrase. Biden will do well to watch his back when he enters the White House on January 20th.
Today’s statistics as of 8:00 PM – # of cases worldwide: 77,688,116; # of deaths worldwide: 1,708,249; # of cases U.S.: 18,456,062; # of deaths; U.S.: 326,682. Well over half a million new COVID cases worldwide, of which the U.S. accounts for more than a third. There was a time when both Brazil and India seemed on the verge of catching up with us in the number of COVID cases, but they’re trailing far behind us now.