Meanwhile, South of the Line, In the Delusional States of America.

Dr. Bright
Snitches Get Stitches

Doctor Rick Bright, recently fired head of the American government's Biomedical Advanced Research and Development agency, who was axed for refuting Trump's push for anti-malarial drugs as a solution to the Covid-19 pandemic, is soon to testify before a House committee. House Dems posted a transcript of the evidence he'll give. Here's the zinger:

I continue to believe that we must act urgently to effectively combat this deadly disease. Our window of opportunity is closing. If we fail to develop a national coordinated response, based in science, I fear the pandemic will get far worse and be prolonged, causing unprecedented illness and fatalities. While it is terrifying to acknowledge the extent of the challenge that we currently confront, the undeniable fact is there will be a resurgence of the COVID19 this fall, greatly compounding the challenges of seasonal influenza and putting an unprecedented strain on our health care system. Without clear planning and implementation of the steps that I and other experts have outlined, 2020 will be darkest winter in modern history.

Jerome, What's that Lump Over Your Shoulder?

 Meanwhile, the head of the Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, is warning that Congress' mishandling of the pandemic could permanently damage the American (and our) economy.

Jerome H. Powell, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, delivered a stark warning on Wednesday that the United States was facing an economic hit “without modern precedent,” one that could permanently damage the economy if Congress did not provide sufficient policy support to prevent a wave of bankruptcies and prolonged joblessness.

“The recovery may take some time to gather momentum,” Mr. Powell said at a Peterson Institute for International Economics virtual event, where he lauded Congress’s early response packages and suggested that an uncertain outlook may call for more. “Additional fiscal support could be costly, but worth it if it helps avoid long-term economic damage and leaves us with a stronger recovery.”

And turning to Trump alumni and their incarceration status. A US judge has chosen not to rubberstamp AG Barr's bid to overturn Mike Flynn's convictions in order that third parties can file amicus curiae briefs. Tough news for Mike.

Never Looked Better
Prison Seems to Agree With Him

Former Trump campaign manager, Paul Manafort, is being released from the Greybar Hotel to serve his 7-year sentence instead under house arrest. Michael Cohen, Trump's former lawyer, serving a 3-year sentence was to be released last week but, through some fluke, that's been cancelled and he's still cooling his heels behind bars.  Hmm - I wonder why Manafort got out but Cohen's release was derailed?