David Rasmussen, aka Rasamoto @Bertrecords@social.cleverlibre.org

@jcrabapple @JamesGleick
I'm not a lawyer, but the citation that @JamesGleick gave in the original post is an amendment to Title 18 of the US Code, section 3056. Full text here: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/3056

Relevant part seems to be:
"...the United States Secret Service is authorized to protect the following persons... Former Presidents and their spouses for their lifetimes..."

First thing I notice is that the Secret Service is "authorized" not "required".

Second thing is that it says "protect". It doesn't say "allocate personnel to always be in physical proximity", it simply says "protect".

So, to this non-lawyer, it seems like, as the laws are today, the Secret Service could choose to:
- Simply decline to protect Trump while he is in prison.
- Lobby to have Trump serve his sentence in isolation, for his own protection.
- Coordinate with prison staff on a plan to reduce the chances that he gets shanked in the shower.
etc.

(not sure if there are other rules/laws in play, though)

43 years ago
Chrissie Hynde and Joan Jett backstage at the Whisky a Go Go, April 1980.

Photo by Donna Santisi

#punk #punks #punkrock #womenofpunk #chrissiehynde #joanjett #history #punkrockhistory

For those who like primary source docs:

Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, Jr’s statement on #indictment of #Trump
https://www.manhattanda.org/district-attorney-bragg-announces-34-count-felony-indictment-of-former-president-donald-j-trump/

Indictment of Trump on 34 felony counts PDF
https://www.manhattanda.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Donald-J.-Trump-Indictment.pdf

Statement of Facts (PDF)
https://www.manhattanda.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Donald-J.-Trump-SOF.pdf

I don’t need white Mastodon users or any other Mastodon users be they “liberal”, “conservative” or otherwise to TONE POLICE or try to trivialize the point or the criticism I have of ANY politician or First Lady, regardless of political affiliation. If that does not sit well with anyone reading this—please unfollow me now. Thanks.

Whenever a Black person has a criticism of something a white Democratic politician does there is always pushback from white Democratic voters or supporters.

Boost if this happenes to you all the time...

enter password
wrong password
wrong password
wrong password
wrong password
reset password
new password cannot be the same as the old password

RIP

Vice President Kamala Harris began a week-long trip in Ghana today. The vast majority of the US corporate news media and cable won’t cover this and certainly not in any appreciable depth. ⁦‪Roland Martin‬⁩ will. Download the ⁦‪Black Star Network‬⁩ app.

#RolandMartinUnfiltered #Mastodon #usa #BlackMastodon #BlackOwnedMediaMatters

In memory of Nick Knox, American longtime drummer for the influential psychobilly punk rock band the Cramps, born on this day in 1953, Cleveland, Ohio.

Photo by Youri Lenquette

#punk #punks #punkrock #punkdrummer #NickKnox #thecramps #history #punkrockhistory #otd

Why is the world silent on SARS-CoV2-19?
It isn’t really, but the media and health agencies are. What do we know?

1. This is an airborne virus that lingers for hours in the air. Improving air circulation with proper filtering can help this.

2. This is a vascular virus, meaning the cardio-vascular system of your body. Because the cardio-vascular system touches every part of your body, and this virus can infect ANY part of your body, it means it can infect everything. It can infect your blood, your skin, your brain, your lungs, your liver, your kidneys.

3. Damage caused by this virus is cumulative, and the cumulative damage it causes can lead to long term health issues, varying depending on what was infected, referred to as Long Covid.

4. Covid has been shown to impact and damage your immune system, making people infected more vulnerable to not just Covid reinfections, but any other virus that your immune system normally protects you from. A cold or flu after Covid infections will be worse than prior to the infection, as your body loses capacity to fight those infections.
5. Because of all this, the more infections you fight off, the more likely you end up being immunocompromised, and potentially disabled to some degree. Covid is a virus that can kill you but is much more likely to give you a lifelong disability. Instances of other diseases also rise with Covid infections – people who’ve had Covid are more likely to be diagnosed with heart conditions, brain conditions, diabetes, and high levels of blood clots in your system that can hamper organ function, even cause heart attacks and strokes.

6. The risk of long-term symptoms and disability is high and increases with each infection. Suggestions from doctors and scientists who’ve been studying this suggest as high as 10% (1 in 10) on a first infection, which that rising with each subsequent infection. (depending on where you look, the first infection number will vary, but regardless appears to be significant enough to warrant concern, especially with subsequent infections.)

Note that while guidance on these things may change over time, and as more and more people are infected, we’ll have a much better understanding of percentages and odds, this is all well known and clear. We know that mask wearing (Quality N95 or better respirators), proper air circulation and filtration reduce the chances of transmission, and vaccination reduces the chances of death or disability. Also note that reduces does not mean eliminates. The smart way to deal with Covid-19 is to avoid infection, as even a single infection is likely to be life altering, More so than a previous infection, with each infection increasing the likelihood more than the last.

Another worthwhile consideration is the rate of mutation. Coronaviruses are well known for rapid, massive mutation – there are thousands of variants running around that we know about. Some are less deadly/disabling, some are more so, some are less transmissible, and some much more than others, and some are less affected by vaccine protections. We’re currently in a situation where without proper precautions and mitigation, we’re going to see a gradual economic downward trend, since the number of people who can’t contribute to the workforce is growing, and with them, the number of people who participate in the economy shrinking. This is a trend that will continue for as long as we continue to ignore the dangers.

At some point we may find a sterilizing vaccine, proper prevention, but until we do, this is going to remain a pandemic – one that has killed countless people. In the US alone, officially Covid 19 has killed more people than wars. Not A war, all wars, foreign and civil.

If we want to save the economy, we must save people. Little known fact, people ARE the economy. The more people we have that are healthy, working, and participating in the economy, the stronger the economy.

#COVID19 #LongCovid #InfectiousDisease #CovidIsNotOver #CovidIsNotMild #StaySafe