January 1, New Coronavirus Hot Spots Ignite in Midwest, TX

This Day in History | 1883

The Brooklyn Bridge over the East River opens, connecting the great cities of New York and Brooklyn for the first time in history. The dedication ceremony was presided over by Pres. Chester A. Arthur and New York Gov. Grover Cleveland. The Brooklyn Bridge was the largest suspension bridge ever built at the time.

Good morning Middle Americans,

We hope you are enjoying your memorial day weekend. It looks like large parts of American are getting back in the swing of things. This – while we are also seeing new hotspots crop up in places like the midwest and Texas. 

If you have ever been to San Francisco, you’ve probably visited Fisherman’s Warf. Right now firefighters are battling a blaze in one of the piers there, and the pics are something else. 

There have been a lot of videos like this one of people who act like they are taking a stand when it comes to wearing a mask. They are really just jerks. Wear a mask people. It’s just the right thing to do. Like wearing a rally cap in the dugout. You don’t want to be that guy, who doesn’t support the team.  Don’t take our word for it. We have a link to a tearful plea from North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, to please wear a mask. 

Meanwhile, President Trump stepped on the golf course for the first time since the pandemic started. And of course, his political rivals have slammed him for. And yes, we have a link to a flashback when Trump slammed Obama for playing golf during the ebola epidemic. Politics. 

Read all about it. 

-Fraser Dixon 

Texas Leads the Country at Coronavirus Spread

(Washington Post) – The coronavirus may still be spreading at epidemic rates in 24 states, particularly in the South and Midwest, according to new research that highlights the risk of a second wave of infections in places that reopen too quickly or without sufficient precautions.

Researchers at Imperial College London created a model that incorporates cellphone data showing that people sharply reduced their movements after stay-at-home orders were broadly imposed in March. With restrictions now easing and mobility increasing with the approach of Memorial Day and the unofficial start of summer, the researchers developed an estimate of viral spread as of May 17.

Learn more here

Developing: Massive fire erupts at San Francisco’s iconic Fisherman’s Wharf

(CBS News) – A four alarm fire erupted on San Francisco’s iconic Fisherman’s Wharf early Saturday morning, CBS San Francisco reports. The blaze started at a warehouse that contained a large fish processing operation on Pier 45. 

More than 100 firefighters responded to towering flames around 4 a.m. local time. Flames began to spread underneath the pier, and the structure began to collapse. Firefighters took a defensive approach, shutting down streets around the waterfront neighborhood.

CBS San Francisco reports the fire could be seen for miles, and a large plume of smoke covered much of the Bay.

See the damage here

GOP Governor. Tearfully Pleads Anti-Maskers to End ‘Political’ Divide

(Talking Points Memo) – As some right-wingers in several areas of the country (and the government) openly defy requirements on wearing masks on ideological grounds in spite of the COVID-19 outbreak, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R) despairs at the prospect of his state falling into the same quagmire.

“If someone is wearing a mask, they’re not doing it to represent what political party they’re in or what candidates they support,” the Republican governor said during an emotional press briefing on Friday.

“They might be doing it because they’ve got a 5-year-old child who’s been going through cancer treatments,” he continued, voice breaking.

Burgum took a moment to collect himself before continuing: “They might have vulnerable adults in their life who currently have COVID, and they’re fighting.”

Read more here

Biden Slams Trump for Golfing During Pandemic 

(The Hill) – Former Vice President Joe Biden released a political attack ad against President Trump Saturday, slamming his decision to play golf on Memorial Day Weekend amid an ever-rising death toll due to the coronavirus in the United States. 

The 30-second video shows Trump playing golf at his Virginia club Saturday. The footage is interspersed with what appears to be frontline healthcare workers walking into hospital rooms, administering COVID-19 tests at drive-thrus and interacting with patients on stretchers. 

There also appears to be a small red bar graph increasing in size as the number of coronavirus-related deaths hovers close to 100,000. 

Learn more here

Related | Flashback: Trump Criticizes Obama for Playing Golf During Crisis

In 2014, Trump criticized former President Barack Obama for golfing after a second confirmed case of Ebola was reported in the United States.Listen here