January 1, COVID-19: America See Its Deadliest Day Yet

This Day in History | 1933

James Brown, the Godfather of Soul is born in Barnwell South, Carolina.

Good morning Middle America, 

As the country begins to open back up we are also seeing the numbers of fatalities rise across the U.S.. According to the World Health Organization (so lets be a little skeptical) the U.S. had its deadliest COVID-19 day ever.  Coronavirus fatalities are a lagging indicator, so this was somewhat expected. But it’s also a grim reminder of where we’ve been and how far we have to go to regain our lives. 

Here’s a scary story for President Trump, COVID-19 seems to be hitting his supporters harder than other groups. At least that’s what one new study shows. Because the virus is hitting certain demographics harder than others, it could swing the election. 

And as if the Chinese coronavirus wasn’t enough, Asia has sent America another invasive pest. And it’s name is horrifying. America meets the “murder hornet” and fine out how it got its name bellow. 

Read all about!

-Fraser Dixon

US Endures Worst One-Day Death Toll Yet as States Reopen

(CNBC) – The United States just had its deadliest day on record due to the coronavirus as states across the country begin to ease restrictions meant to curb the spread of the virus, according to data published by the World Health Organization. 

The U.S. saw 2,909 people die of Covid-19 in 24 hours, according to the data,which was collected as of 4 a.m. ET on Friday. That’s the highest daily Covid-19 death toll in the U.S. yet, based on a CNBC analysis of the WHO’s daily Covid-19 situation reports. 

Before May 1, the next highest U.S. daily death toll was 2,471 reported on April 23, according to the WHO. State officials have previously warned that data on Covid-19 deaths are difficult to analyze because they often represent patients who became ill and were hospitalized weeks ago.

Read more here

Study: Elderly Trump Voters Dying of Coronavirus Could Cost Him in November

(Politico) – Mass casualties from the coronavirus could upend the political landscape in battleground states and shift contests away from President Donald Trump, according to a new analysis.

Academic researchers writing in a little-noticed public administration journal — Administrative Theory & Praxis — conclude that when considering nothing other than the tens of thousands of deaths projected from the virus, demographic shifts alone could be enough to swing crucial states to Joe Biden in the fall.

“The pandemic is going to take a greater toll on the conservative electorate leading into this election — and that’s simply just a calculation of age,” Andrew Johnson, the lead author and a professor of management at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, said in an interview. “The virus is killing more older voters, and in many states that’s the key to a GOP victory.”

Find out more here

What the Heck is a “Murder Hornet” and Why Are they in the U.S.?

(CBS News) – A roughly two-inch long insect known as the “murder hornet” has made its way to the U.S. for the first time ever, researchers said. The Asian giant hornet, Vespa mandarinia, has been known to kill up to 50 people a year in Japan, according to The New York Times, and has the potential to devastate U.S. bee populations, which have already been declining. 

Susan Cobey, bee breeder with Washington State University’s Department of Entomology, told WSU Insider that the hornets are “like something out of a monster cartoon with this huge yellow-orange face.”

The hornets are usually between 1.5 to 2 inches long, have large yellow-orange heads with prominent eyes, and a black and yellow striped abdomen. 

See a murder hornet here