Catching up on the news, such as it is – The Trillium hike – Evening statistics, with caveats
What has happened on the national and international fronts while I have been cavorting in the U.K.? I admit that I have not been following the news very closely during the past two weeks. Ascending Scafell Pike and savoring the views of the various fells from its summit, including the Mourne Mountains in Northern Ireland, somehow seemed to be of greater importance than the comings and goings of Donald Trump. I cannot account for it, but so it is.
I gather, however, that Tucker Carlson is no longer associated with Fox News and that he has been dismissed for “undisclosed” reasons, though I would venture to guess that his having played a major role in the organization’s being forced to disgorged the largest settlement for slander in the history of journalism might have been a factor in this outcome. As for Trump himself, he recently has visited Scotland, on account of his beloved golf course, though it must be observed that the country does not love him much in return; such comments that I overheard about this episode in Edinburgh were almost universally derisive.
He has recently hastened back to New York to superintend the lawsuit that E. Jean Carroll has levelled against him, denouncing the judge as “extremely hostile.” His own lawyer appears to have given up on him; in a conversation with Lewis Kaplan, the judge in question, he said “I know you understand what I am dealing with.” Joe Tacopina went on to assure Kaplan that he would attempt to control the stream of insults that Trump continues to post on his various media outlets, to which Kaplan responded hope you’re more successful” and went on to say that Trump “may or may not be tampering with a new source of potential liability. . . . And I think you know what I mean.” Dare I hope that Kaplan will have the strength to impose a few days of imprisonment for Trump’s repeated violations in this respect? Contempt of court can incur a jail sentence of up to ten days.
In any case, I continue to roam the forest floors. I went with the Capital Hiking Club on the Trillium Hike today. The trilliums reached peak bloom earlier than usual this year on account of the early beginning of spring, but there were still several to be seen, as well as many other wildflowers: starry chickweed, wild geranium, May apple, bloodroot, rue anemone. It was gratifying to overhear the remarks of several other riders in the bus to the effect that they were grateful to have the opportunity to access trailheads in this manner – the alternative, since they live in the city and do not possess cars, being to rent out a car and drive on their own, a troublesome and potentially expensive undertaking.
After the hike I conversed with LE, an epidemiologist. I expressed some relief that the mortality rate of COVID has been declining and that it appears to be approaching the containable rate of influenza. She was somewhat hesitant in concurring: a decline was certainly apparent since the advent of the vaccines, she said, but the amount of excess mortality (the number of deaths greater than the expected number as a result of the records of previous years) suggests that the data in this respect are incomplete. Testing is now performed less frequently than it was in earlier stages and home testing has been all but abandoned. Several deaths imputed to other causes have in all probability had COVID as their root cause. I also referred to the expected announcement next week of the end of the national state of emergency that had been declared three years ago, to which she smiled and said, “It’s mainly political.”
The statistics below therefore must be viewed with certain reservations. Such as they are, however –
Today’s statistics as of 8:00 PM – # of cases worldwide: 687,722,214; # of deaths worldwide: 6,870,840; # of cases U.S.: 106,767,388; # of deaths; U.S.: 1,162,427.