Tag: Nonsense

The surge in global measles cases might be the first medical epidemic bolstered by a political movement. The anti-vaccination crowd — long relegated, quite properly, to the fringes of society — has moved perilously close to the mainstream, riding in on the same currents that brought us the Tea Party, Brexit and other populist movements. It’s the enthusiastic undermining of societal norms, however legitimate they might be. “Vaccine hesitancy and political populism are driven by similar dynamics: a profound distrust in elites and experts.” The correlation between populism and the anti-vaccination movement is so clear, the paper argues, that doctors should be tracking where populist sentiments are strongest and focus their vaccine-awareness efforts there: “Support for populist parties could be used as a proxy for vaccine hesitancy … with an increase in support being a signal for public health actors to be vigilant.” The Guardian, as part of a recent deep-dive series on the resurgence of populism, concluded the relationship with the anti-vaccination movement is a symbiotic one: Populism gets converts, and vaccination opponents get a political home after having been mostly rejected by established political parties. “The arguments align,” wrote the British daily. “Populists are often suspicious of the establishment and authority figures. Antivaxers are hostile to government, medical institutions, Big Pharma and science. More than 41,000 cases were reported in Europe in the first half of last year, almost double the year prior, with more than 30 deaths. England’s almost 1,000 cases in 2018 were fully triple the year before. In more than a half-dozen states, including Missouri, Republican lawmakers have responded to the epidemic by trying to pass legislation making it easier for people to avoid vaccinating their kids.

Elizabeth Warren has declared war on the Trump administration’s own “war on regulations”. In a speech in Washington on Tuesday, the Massachusetts senator and potential 2020 challenger to Donald Trump delivered a liberal rejoinder to the president’s aggressive deregulatory agenda, which she said was really just evidence of a determination to “let the rich guys do whatever they want”. So let’s call it what it really is – a war on public health, a war on public safety, a war on truly free and competitive markets, a war on American workers, a war on American consumers.” Warren’s speech was expected to be the first of several on the subject. In the coming weeks, she said, she will introduce “sweeping anti-corruption legislation” that will aim to “padlock the revolving door between government and industry”, restrict lawmakers’ ability to make policy decisions that benefit themselves, and bolster the ability of federal agencies to pass consumer-friendly regulations. In one of his first acts as president, he signed an executive order that required federal agencies to relax or eliminate two regulations for every new one introduced. The administration has also turned its attention to the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau, the agency Warren established in the wake of the financial crash. Earlier this year, however, several Democrats joined Republicans in loosening rules imposed on the banking industry after the financial crisis. Warren also discussed the rollback of protections for workers, the environment and public lands. But, she said, such changes are not the ones Republicans want to enact. “They are making government work better and better for fewer and fewer people.” Warren closed with a call to arms and a promise that “change is coming”.

There is a new designer jean here in Los Angeles that could soon sweep this nation called 'Extreme Cut Jeans.' They may just be dumb looking jeans, but to us they mean so much more. So Jimmy took a moment…

As seen on Watters' World 'Angel Mom' Slams CA Gov. on Sanctuary Law: 'I Would Expect My Government to Protect Us' Former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci blasted James Comey Saturday, saying the former FBI director needs to "develop a little bit self-awareness" as he makes the rounds on his book tour. "The power went to [Comey's] head ... This is nonsensical stuff," Scaramucci said. "My recommendation to him is get off the air, take a chill and develop a little bit of self-awareness about the problems you, yourself have, because guess what: we all have problems." Jesse Watters also noted an un-aired portion of Comey's interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos, during which Comey said he did not know if the Christopher Steele dossier on President Trump was credible. Scaramucci said that Comey is showing "a lot of partisanship" and "the politics of personal dislike" toward Trump. "You don't like the person, so now you're going to curve the rules to affect and hurt the person. It's unfair," he said on "Watters' World." Watch more above.