Meanwhile - part 2

More than 1.5 million Americans filed new claims for unemployment benefits during the first week of June, according to Labor Department data released Thursday.

[...]

Roughly 705,676 Americans also filed new claims for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), an extension of jobless benefits to workers who lost their jobs during the pandemic but do not qualify for standard unemployment insurance.

[...]

Weekly new claims for unemployment still remain far above historic levels but have dropped steadily from a peak of 6.9 million in April. The new batch of claims also came less than a week after a surprisingly strong May employment report showed the U.S. adding 2.5 million jobs that month, largely due to 2.7 million workers returning from furloughs.

More than 40 million Americans have filed new claims for unemployment benefits since March, and the economy had lost more than 21 million jobs before May's reversal

Even so, nearly 300,000 Americans lost their jobs permanently in May and more than 15 million others who are currently on temporary layoffs are at risk to join them.

  The Hill

Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman (R) announced Wednesday that he tested positive for the coronavirus after originally receiving the "wrong results."

“After a second try, test results came back positive for Covid-19,” Huntsman, 60, tweeted. “Have been experiencing classic symptoms..like so many others, my goal is to keep my family safe.”

  The Hill

Texas health authorities on Wednesday released data showing that 2,153 people are currently hospitalized with the novel coronavirus, marking the third straight day it has reported a record number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in the state.

Hospitalizations have gradually increased since Monday, when the total reached a new high of 1,935, according to The Texas Tribune.

[...]

The previous high for COVID-19 hospitalizations before this week reportedly came on May 5, when 1,888 had been hospitalized.

The news comes more than a month after Texas lifted its stay-at-home order and began gradually reopening the state.

[...]

"The people of Texas continue to prove that we can safely and responsibly open our state for business while containing COVID-19 and keeping our state safe,” Abbott said in a statement on June 3.

  The Hill

We see that.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

John Huntsman, US ambassador to Russia

Fox News' Abby Huntsman:



For Huntsman, it would be the only honorable thing to do, but who would Trump replace him with?  No one with any loyalty to the US.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

We're Doomed

And by "we", I could possibly mean the planet.

A self-described "email prankster" in the UK fooled a number of White House officials into thinking he was other officials, including an episode where he convinced the White House official tasked with cyber security that he was Jared Kushner and received that official's private email address unsolicited.

"Tom, we are arranging a bit of a soirée towards the end of August," the fake Jared Kushner on an Outlook account wrote to the official White House email account of Homeland Security Adviser Tom Bossert. "It would be great if you could make it, I promise food of at least comparible (sic) quality to that which we ate in Iraq. Should be a great evening." Bossert wrote back: "Thanks, Jared. With a promise like that, I can't refuse. Also, if you ever need it, my personal email is" (redacted).

Bossert did not respond to CNN's request for comment; the email prankster said he was surprised Bossert responded given his expertise. The emails were shared with CNN by the email prankster.

[...]

The email prankster tweets under the name @SINON_REBORN, where he posts his pranks, and describes himself as a "lazy anarchist."

  CNN

Fake News!?

White House officials acknowledged the incidents and said they were taking the matter seriously. "We take all cyber related issues very seriously and are looking into these incidents further," White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told CNN.

When incompetent clowns take things seriously.

Read the article. There are several other high level email pranks reported, including this one:

[Jon] Huntsman himself was also tricked, with the prankster pretending to be Eric Trump, the President's son. "Thanks for the thoughtful note," the ambassador-designate wrote to fake Eric Trump. "Russia will be a challenging but no doubt rewarding assignment." The fake Eric Trump responded with this suggestion: "Maybe we could have Dad sat (sic) on a horse, top off, giving the full Putin! He's in better shape than his suits suggest."

Are we sure that's not from the real Eric Trump?

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

The GOP 2012 Circus Continues

It's admittedly excruciating to have to pay any attention to the Trump-moderated debate, but it will be interesting to watch which GOP candidates agree to participate and which bail.

So far, Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum are in, and Ron Paul and Jon Huntsman are out.

The rest, including Romney, Perry and Bachmann, have yet to say.

  TPM

Which is another reason John Huntsman and Ron Paul don’t stand a chance. They’re serious.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.