No One Has Ever Told DeSantis That Florida is Like West Berlin

During a press conference yesterday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis claimed visitors to his state tell him, “This must be what it was like going from East Berlin to West Berlin.” DeSantis made these remarks in the context of his administration's looser policies when it comes to COVID.

I call shenanigans. Somehow I doubt tourists who happen to bump into Governor DeSantis liken Boca Raton to Berlin. Indeed, back in May 2021, DeSantis himself dubbed Florida "America's West Berlin" claiming people were escaping the "repressive" policies of Democratic states. His claim that people are telling him that Florida is "West Berlin" is a figment of his imagination sprinkled with fertilizer.

Now there were certainly people who relocated from New York to Florida but their pilgrimage can hardly be described as going from East Berlin to West Berlin. After all, no one was stopping these people from leaving New York nor anywhere else. Those who wished to flee East Berlin to West Berlin faced near certain death from the bullets of East German guards.

Of course, DeSantis knows this full well. But so long as Trump doesn't let facts get in the way of an argument then DeSantis certainly won't either. That is unless Florida voters decide to dump DeSantis in favor of Charlie Crist in November.

U.S. Passes 95 Million COVID Cases as Biden Admin Proposes Annual Boosters

The United States has now passed 95 million COVID cases. According to Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, there have been 95,017,148 cases of COVID-19 resulting in 1,048,941 deaths representing a mortality rate of 1.1%. Hospitalizations continue to decline. After topping 40,000 hospitalizations in late July, the most recent figure is just over 30,000 (30,162) according to Our World in Data. 

Yesterday, the Biden Administration proposed moving towards annual booster shots as is currently done with the flu. White House COVID Response Coordinator Ashish Jha said during a press briefing, "Barring any new variant curve balls, for a large majority of Americans we are moving to a point where a single, annual COVID shot should provide a high degree of protection against serious illness all year." 

While 68.02% of Americans are fully vaccinated, this puts us 65th in the world just behind India and just ahead of Sri Lanka. As of month ago, half of those fully vaccinated who are eligible for a booster had not seen fit to get one. Then there is the lingering issue of unvaccinated Americans which comprise a third of the population. At this point, this group will have to learn the hard way if they learn at all.

Nevertheless, COVID is far more manageable now than it was 20 months ago. Hopefully annual booster shots will help keep it manageable.

Can Truss Gain The Trust of UK Voters?

As widely expected, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss defeated former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak to win Britain's Tory Party leadership succeeding Boris Johnson who resigned amid scandal this summer. Tomorrow, Truss will be sworn in as Prime Minister and will take up residence at Number 10 Downing Street.

The question is can Truss gain the trust of UK voters? Truss does have time on her side as an election does not legally need to be held until January 28, 2025. Assuming this comes to pass, the Tories will have been in power for nearly 15 years and Truss is the fourth Prime Minister during this reign. 

Truss has a tall task ahead of her. Aside from the stench of scandal left by Johnson for his pandemic parties, Truss will face high energy prices compounded by double digit inflation and a wave of strikes. This could make the Winter of Discontent faced by the Labour government of James Callaghan in 1978 and 1979 look like a Sunday school picnic by comparison. 

When British voters do get the chance, Truss will not have the luxury of facing the inept Jeremy Corbyn. She will have to face the far more formidable Keir Starmer. Granted, Starmer's Labour Party might need help from the Liberal Democrats to form a governing coalition, but this was the case with David Cameron when the Tories returned to power in 2010. 

The only other thing which could benefit Truss other than time is if she exceeds expectations. Of course, Johnson set the bar so low that Truss might be able to overcome it. However, one should not underestimate the Tories' tendency towards cruelty and scandal. When it comes to Liz Truss, the jury is out on her for the forseeable future.

10 People Stabbed to Death in Saskatchewan

While at dinner with my Dad last night in New York City, I learned of the horror in Saskatchewan where 10 people were stabbed to death at multiple locations mainly on the James Smith Cree Nation while 18 other people were injured. The suspects were a pair of brothers one of whom was found deceased today while the other is still at large. It is unclear at this point if the perpetrators were members of the James Smith Cree Nation. Most of the victims have yet to be identified as of this writing.

What is clear is there is a community and a province that will be traumatized by this violence for years to come. As many people died yesterday as are typically murdered in Regina and Saskatoon in an average year. This is the first mass murder to have taken place in Saskatchewan since 1969. While no community is immune from violence some places experience less violence than others. 

On a personal note, the last time I was in Saskatchewan was 25 years ago when I went to Regina for the Federal NDP Convention. The people with whom I stayed in Regina did not lock their doors at night and told me this was fairly common in the area. I don't know if that has changed over the past quarter century, but if it hasn't I strongly suspect those habits will change now. 

Earnie Shavers, R.I.P.

Boxing legend Earnie Shavers passed away on September 1st, the day after his 78th birthday. No cause of death was released.

Although Shavers never won a title during his lengthy career in the ring, he was regarded as the hardest puncher in the sport by the likes of both Muhammad Ali and Larry Holmes. While Ali successfully defended his title against Shavers in 1977, Ali said of Shavers, "Earnie hit me so hard, it shook my kinfolk in Africa." Shavers would twice come out on the short end against Holmes, but in their second fight in 1979 for the WBC Heavyweight Title Shavers actually knocked Holmes down. Although Holmes quickly got up he has stated that he had never been hit so hard in the ring. Shavers would earn that second fight against Holmes as a result of a first round knockout of former world heavyweight champion Ken Norton six months earlier. Shavers was nearly cast as Clubber Lang in Rocky III but Sylvester Stallone thought better of it after a sparring session with Shavers which he would later remark brought him close to death. 

Shavers may have never won a championship, but he certainly made an impact and an imprint with his fists. He was one tough hombre.

President Biden: Extremism of Trump & MAGA Republicans Threatens Liberty of Our Republic

Speaking in front of Constitution Hall in Philadelphia, President Biden declared that defeated former President Donald Trump and "MAGA Republicans" represent a threat to the liberty of our Republic.

During the course of his half hour speech, President Biden explained that Trump and MAGA Republicans threaten the Republic's liberty because they do not believe in the U.S. Constitution, the rule of law, the results of free and fair elections and the willingness to use violence as a political tool.

President Biden was repeatedly interrupted by pro-Trump hecklers, but carried on with his remarks. He defined politics as "a mediation of our differences" with room for disagreement, debate and dissent. But such a mediation is impossible when one side only accepts election results when they win while making claims of cheating if they lose. This has been Trump's stock and trade since November 7, 2020 and has passed down to the likes of Sarah Palin who along with other Republicans cried foul objecting to Alaska's newly implemented ranked choice voting after losing her Congressional race to Democrat Mary Peltola last night.

One can make the case that President Biden ought to have made this speech months ago. But now is the perfect time with the 2022 midterm elections only two months away along with the expected resumption of the January 6th Committee hearings. Democracy is on the ballot and the President of the United States should be leading the charge in favor of it. 

The question remains if we will choose wisely especially for those of us who live in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. If these states elect MAGA Republicans to oversee those elections then we can expect those officials not to abide by the will of people if it contravenes their own. 

Should this come to pass then the United States will have turned to authoritarianism. Once that turn is made it will be almost impossible to turn back. 

Worse still other democracies such as Canada, Britain, France, Italy and Australia could be soon to follow. The decisions we make at the polls in 2022 and 2024 not only will have profound implications for the future of democracy in America, but for its very future wherever it exists in our world.

In other words, President Biden probably gave the most important speech he's ever given in 50 years of public service.

MLB Notes for August: Is This The Greatest Dodgers Team Ever?

The 2022 edition of the Los Angeles Dodgers could be the greatest ever. If not for the passing of Vin Scully last month this year could have been perfect.. After a 22-6 August, the Dodgers enter September with 90 wins and an 18.5 game lead over the San Diego Padres in the NL West. Their magic number to clinch their 9^th division title in 10 years is 14. The Dodgers play the Padres six times between September 2^nd and September 13^th and could very well wrap up the division by then. Then again the Padres are no pushovers. Although Josh Hader proved to be ineffective as the team’s closer after being acquired at the trade deadline from the Milwaukee Brewers, the Friars have won 7 of their last 10 games and have a 2.5 game lead over the Brew Crew for the third NL Wild Card berth.

 

The Dodgers only need to go 17-16 in September to eclipse their franchise record of 106 wins which they set in both 2019 and 2021. Of course, 106 wins last year wasn’t enough to win the division after the San Francisco Giants’ franchise record 107 wins. In 2022, the Giants are a shell of their former selves. They haven’t had a winning month since April and finished August with 7 straight losses with losses in 8 of their last 10 games. They are now tied for third in the NL West with the Arizona Diamondbacks who last year lost 110 games. A year ago, the D’Backs finished 55 games back of the Giants. This year, the D’Backs and Giants are both 29 games back of the Dodgers. Baseball is indeed a funny game. Perhaps not so funny to the last place Colorado Rockies, but barring a complete disaster in September they will very likely avoid losing 100 games.

 

The NL East has remained remarkably stable. A month ago, the New York Mets led the Atlanta Braves by 3 games and the Philadelphia Phillies by 9.5 games. Entering, today the Mets lead over the Braves is still 3 games while their lead over the Phillies is now at 10 games. The Mets have led the division the entire season, but the Braves remain ensconced in the first and second NL Wild Card berths. Unfortunately, things have got worse for both the Miami Marlins and Washington Nationals. Entering August, they were 17.5 games and 30 games back of the Mets. Now they are 27.5 games and 38 games back of the division lead. The Marlins went 8-20 in August and might very well have fared worse if not for likely NL Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara who had 3 of their 8 wins last month. Meanwhile, the Nats, less than three years removed from winning the World Series, own MLB’s worst record.

 

The biggest swing in MLB has occurred in the NL Central. Entering August, the Milwaukee Brewers held a 3 game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals. Entering September, the Redbirds now lead the Brew Crew by 6 games. As mentioned previously, the Brew Crew have a greater chance at a NL Wild Card berth. If the Brewers fail to reach the post-season for the first time since 2017 will Brewers manager Craig Counsell be on the hot seat. His contract expires after next season. Unlike the Brewers, however, the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates have no chance for post-season in 2022. The Cubs actually have a winning record since the All-Star Break (21-18) while the Reds have escaped the fate of eclipsing the 1962 New York Mets. The Pirates, however, have the worst record in MLB since the All-Star Break with a 10-27 record. The Bucs were annoyed when Boston Red Sox broadcaster Dennis Eckersley referred to the team as “a hodgepodge of nothingness”. While they might not have enjoyed hearing that they have not demonstrated otherwise.

 

While the New York Yankees remain atop the AL East their lead has shrunk considerably. Their 10-18 record in August was nearly as bad as that of the 9-19 “hodgepodge of nothingness” known as the Pittsburgh Pirates. Although the Yankees have managed to win 6 of their last 10 games their lead now stands at 6 games. A month ago, it was 11.5 games and it is enough for Yankees fans to want Aaron Boone fired immediately. The Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays have exchanged spots in the division but both currently own two of the three AL Wild Card berths while the Baltimore Orioles are only 2 games back of the Jays for the third AL Wild Card berth. Despite trading away Trey Mancini and closer Jorge Lopez, the O’s proved their 16-9 July was no fluke by going 17-10 in August. However, if they don’t make the post-season how much of a factor will those trades have made? But at least the Orioles still have September. The Boston Red Sox, while in little danger of losing 100 games, are already looking to 2023.

 

Over the past month, the division lead has switched in the AL Central. At the beginning of August, the Minnesota Twins led the Cleveland Guardians by a game. Now the Guardians lead the Twins by 1.5 games. A month ago, it was a three team race. Now the jury is very much out on the Chicago White Sox who have lost 10 of their last 13 games going from 1 game back of the division to 5 games off the pace. Now manager Tony La Russa is out indefinitely with health problems with bench coach Miguel Cairo taking the helm. Will the Chisox have a September surge under Cairo? Or is the White Sox organization in denial? However, the Chisox have a chance. The same cannot be said of either the Kansas City Royals or the Detroit Tigers, the latter of whom is only marginally better than the Oakland A’s who own the worst record in the AL.

 

The A’s find themselves 35 games back of the Houston Astros who will invariably clinch their sixth AL West title in seven seasons. The Astros are 11.5 games ahead of the Seattle Mariners. But barring a complete sinking, the Mariners will end their 21-year post-season drought. The Texas Rangers are an organization in transition having fired both manager Chris Woodward and longtime GM Jon Daniels last month. So too are the Los Angeles Angels amid news last week that owner Arte Moreno is planning to sell the team.  As for the A’s, their team is such that there is more action going on in the stands than on the field.

 

So what will come of September and early October? Will the Dodgers break the MLB record for games won in a single season? Can the Padres hold off the Brewers for the last NL Wild Card berth? Can the Braves catch the Mets in the NL East? If they do will it matter to the Phillies? Or for that matter to the Cardinals? Will Yankees fans still call for Aaron Boone’s head if they regain a double digit lead for the AL East? Can the Orioles earn an AL Wild Card berth? If they do will it be at the expense of AL East rival Jays or Rays or will they prolong the Mariners post-season drought? Can the Chisox get back into the AL Central race with the Guardians and Twins? We shall see come Game 162.