Senate Majority Leader Lindsey Graham, The Republican from South Carolina is standing up for President Trump in a very public way and plans to get it on the record.
He told Sean Hannity on Fox news on Thursday, that he plans to get the Senate on the record saying they blame China for the coronavirus pandemic, not President Donald Trump. “The first thing I want to do is get the United States Senate on the record where we don’t blame Trump. We blame China. The Chinese government is responsible for 16,000 American deaths and 17 million Americans being unemployed. It’s the Chinese government and the way they behave that led to this pandemic. This is the third one to come out of China,” the senator said.
Graham was referring to the “wet markets” in China and said they should be closed permanently, because they have been the source of three pandemics that originated out of China. They were temporarily closed during the forced quarantines of several cities on the Chinese mainland but many have already reopened.
He also delivered some good news. We’re turning the corner on testing. We’re going to get the economy back open safely, and the way to do it is to have a testing regime that’ll allow people to go back to work safely. Better days lie ahead,” he said. “A lot of people have had it and don’t know it. We need to test them and get them back to work, because they are good to go, and we need mass tests to show they don’t have it right now.”
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Rig counts show that America is also cutting production
The Baker Hughes rig count figures, which is the go-to data set for the number of natural gas and crude oil rigs currently operational in the United States, dropped for the 4th week in a row.
The oil rig count, which gives a clue to upcoming oil production in the U.S. , is down 39% from the same week a year ago when 833 oil rigs were pumping. As of this past Friday, the number was 504. U.S crude production last week fell 600,000 barrels per day to 12.4 million bpd, and is expected to fall by nearly 2 million bpd by next year, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA).
“The American oil and gas industry is stepping heavily on the brake pedal and is reducing drilling at record speed.” analysts at Rystad Energy said. In their Baker Hughes rig count preview note they wrote that the total number of rigs could “free-fall to a potential bottom of around 200” with most of that decline expected by the end of April.
Exxon Mobil Corp this week throttled back investment in shale, gas and deep water production, cutting planned capital spending by 30% in 2020 versus 2019. OPEC and its allies in OPEC+ agreed to cut about 10 million barrels a day as they closed their meeting on Sunday. Many members had said they would not sign off on an agreement unless the US was a part of it. It turns out the US is cutting production without necessarily wanting to.
Clean Air and a Dirty Sound
If you’re like me, the thought of driving around in an eco-friendly rechargeable electric car is just emasculating. Although, companies are beginning to design more attractive, somewhat macho electric cars, they still haven’t mastered that purr a muscle car makes as it idles or the deep growl when you rev its engine.
What if there was an alternative to electric cars that was still eco-friendly but allowed us to have that internal combustion that makes you feel like you’re sitting on a sub-woofer? Well, the COO at McLaren is planning to build a test car that can run on synthetic fuel. The fuel would reduce emissions, and with small modifications, current internal combustion engines could burn the fuel.
Although synthetic fuel is far from reality, it would be a complementary alternative to electric cars. It would also allow those who have not gone the way of the battery powered vehicle to keep their current ride and not have to invest in a new whip.
V.R. Replacing Visitors
During such a short time where so much has changed, everyone is feeling the impact. Especially the elderly who are in senior centers and are not allowed visitors due to the high risks that come with exposure to the Covid-19 virus.
In Reno, Nevada, the Stone Valley Assisted Living and Memory Care facility has implemented the use of virtual reality to allow the residence to feel a sense of peace during this trying time. The residence has started to notice the lack of visitors and some, who are not of sound mind, are unable to comprehend what is happening outside of their home.
The virtual reality allows them to venture out into the world and visit different locations that help with their memories or bring them joy. Some travel through town, others visit their old homes. One woman was able to go to the beach which helped her recall a forgotten memory she had experienced long ago with her daughter. She was even able to remember the fine details of the day all because of the VR system.
For other residence in the home, virtual reality is a tool to ease stress, anxiety and depression while the lockdown is still enforced. It’s clear VR is a positive addition to the home and there is no intention of removing the program once the quarantine is lifted.
Sweet Eyebrows
Meet Madame Eyebrows. An adorable English Bulldog who, by the looks of it, is always blue. But don’t let the sad mug fool ya, this little pup, like most dogs, has a wonderful life. A caring mom, a nice safe home and lots of friends. Around 138,000 friends to be exact. This little pooch is an Instagram sensation all because of her aptly placed “eyebrows” and her sad little frown that make her look so unhappy.
You can follower her on Instagram too at madame_eyebrows and see all her heartbreakingly adorable photos. I don’t know about you, but if my dog looked this sad all the time, she would definitely be overweight from all the treats I’d give her to make her feel better!