EnviroPolitics Blog

Blood stains on golf cart in Florida’s ‘friendliest’ retirement community

Some seniors are packing mace and stun guns in their golf bags as the national political divide plays out in The Villages

By Cleve R. Wootson Jr. Washington Post July 4, 2020

THE VILLAGES, Fla. — Sharon Sandler was already irritated as she walked toward the growing line of golf carts preparing to parade around one of her retirement community’s town squares for President Trump’s birthday.

Sandler, who is in her 60s, had spent the early afternoon of June 14 at an anti-racism vigil that sought to honor the memory of people killed by police, but whoever controlled the Villages’ sound system wouldn’t lower the volume, she said, so a solemn moment was pierced with a hydrant of Fox News.

Within minutes, Sandler’s silent protest devolved into a profanity-laced screaming match, with Sandler at the center. The confrontation would later draw international outrage when Trump, last Sunday morning, shared a video showing one of his supporters at the parade pumping his fist and screaming, “White power!”

The tweet was deleted hours later and the White House said Trump had not heard what the man had said. But to Sandler, who settled here a decade ago, the episode showed what Trump’s presidency has done to political discourse in a community that bills itself as a friendly, laid-back place where people 55 and older can live like millionaires on a retiree’s budget.

“I thought it was ‘America’s friendliest hometown’ like it says in all the brochures,” she said. “But I’m here, and it’s not.

“Even a lot of the Democrats down here were not supportive of me as they said, ‘they go low, we go high,’ and all that other crap. I just think it’s time for all of us to open our mouths and say enough is enough.”

Trump ‘white power’ tweet set off a scramble inside the White House — but no clear condemnation

The Villages, an hour’s drive northwest of Orlando, is one of the nation’s largest retirement developments, a place where residents can be seen golfing on executive courses and inline-skating down sunny streets. Almost everyone who lives there is white, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and the community has long been a reliable bucket of Republican votes in a pivotal place, with residents routinely courted by state and national politicians.

Although Republican numerical advantages have persisted for years, locals say tensions began to escalate, much as they did across the country, in 2016, the first time Sandler slapped a “Dump Trump” sticker on her golf cart.

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Some Republican villagers decided that the community’s Republican club wasn’t supportive enough of the president and started clubs like Villagers for Trump and Veterans for Trump, where they could meet with like-minded neighbors, bring in outside speakers and organize the occasional golf cart parade.

Now, political fights lead at times to physical fights, prompting some septuagenarians to pack pepper spray and stun guns into the golf carts residents use to dart around the 35-square mile community,according to some locals.

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What autopsies are telling us about coronavirus

A story of 38 brains, 87 lungs and 42 hearts. Learning from the dead that could help the living

An examination room in the morgue at the Franklin County Forensic Science Lab in Columbus, Ohio. (Ty Wright for The Washington Post)

By Ariana Eunjung Cha Washington Post

When pathologist Amy Rapkiewicz began the grim process of opening up the coronavirus dead to learn how their bodies went awry, she found damage to the lungs, kidneys and liver consistent with what doctors had reported for months.

But something was off.

Rapkiewicz, who directs autopsies at NYU Langone Health, noticed that some organs had far too many of a special cell rarely found in those places. She had never seen that before, yet it seemed vaguely familiar. She raced to her history books and — in a eureka moment — found a reference to a 1960s report on a patient with dengue fever.

In dengue, a mosquito-borne tropical disease, she learned, the virus appeared to destroy these cells, which produce platelets, leading to uncontrolled bleeding. The novel coronavirus seemed to amplify their effect, causing dangerous clotting.

She was struck by the parallels: “Covid-19 and dengue sound really different, but the cells that are involved are similar.”

Autopsies have long been a source of breakthroughs in understanding new diseases, from HIV/AIDS and Ebola to Lassa fever — and the medical community is counting on them to do the same for covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. With a vaccine probably many months away in even the most optimistic scenarios, autopsies are becoming a critical source of information for research into possible treatments.

When the pandemic hit the United States in late March, many hospital systems were too overwhelmed trying to save lives to spend too much time delving into the secrets of the dead. But by late May and June, the first large batch of reports — from patients ranging in age from 32 to 90 years who died at a half-dozen institutions — were published in quick succession. The investigations have confirmed some of our early hunches of the disease, refuted others — and opened up new mysteries about the pathogen that has killed more than 500,000 people worldwide.

Among the most important findings, consistent across several studies, is confirmation the virus appears to attack the lungs the most ferociously. They also found the pathogen in parts of the brain, kidneys, liver, gastrointestinal tract and spleen and in the endothelial cells that line blood vessels, as some had previously suspected. Researchers also found widespread clotting in many organs.

A mysterious blood-clotting complication is killing coronavirus patients

But the brain and heart yielded surprises.

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Ocean, concessions legal again in Rockaway Beach

People at Rockaway Beach the day after it opened for swimming again — SCOTT LYNCH / GOTHAMIST

BY SCOTT LYNCH reports for Gothamist

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On the one hand it seems like the most natural thing in the world, that on a hot sunny day at one of New York City’s great beaches people would swim and play and jump around in the water. On the other hand, given that we’re still in the midst of a pandemic, it also feels surreal that we can do this again.

It’s true though: lifeguards are now on duty at the city’s beaches, for those who want to get in on some of that cool and refreshing Atlantic Ocean action. When I asked one young guard at Rockaway if he was happy to be back on the job he said without hesitation, “I’m ecstatic. I fucking love the beach.”

While beaches were previously open, swimming was not permitted, and Mayor Bill de Blasio had sent mixed messages about what was allowed prior to July 1st when lifeguards returned; in May, he said, “It’s just not time for beaches yet. If people want to take a beach chair and sit on the beach, fine. If it starts to seem like a typical summer beach scene, that’s what we won’t allow.”

A lifeguard stands on his chair on a crowded beach — SCOTT LYNCH / GOTHAMIST

The return of legal swimming to Rockaway also marks the reopening of the boardwalk concession stands, with vendors serving food and drinks once again at Beach 106th, Beach 97th, and Beach 86th. And they have plenty of pandemic protocols in place.

There are no tables at any of the stands, for instance, though the benches on the boardwalk remain in place and, of course, you can always bring your food down to the beach (though technically not your alcohol). Each concession has a two-window “Order Here” and “Pick Up Here” setup, with plexiglass shields between customers and counter workers. Distancing is expected on any lines that may (will) occur, and there are more reminders and demands and pleas to wear a mask than anywhere I’ve seen.

A word about masks. Wear a mask. Just wear one! Cloth, surgical, N95, bandana, fashionable, silly, functional… if you’re going to be close to or interacting with another human being, wear a mask. Don’t be like the dude who was leaning over the counter maskless talking with a masked-up worker who couldn’t really back up and, when I asked why he wasn’t wearing a mask, said “Oh yeah I have one. Back at the house. But I was surfing before…”

A sign reads: Respect the locals, wear a mask — SCOTT LYNCH / GOTHAMIST

At Beach 106th you’ll find the beloved Brothers making their delicious smoothies, salads, pastries, and killer egg-and-pesto sandwiches. Speaking about all of the new pandemic procedures one of the namesake brothers Matthew Webster told me, “Yeah, the whole thing sucks! But I’m excited and grateful to finally be open.” Also here at Beach 106th is the venerable Caracas Arepas with a pared-down menu of arepas, empanadas, and beverages like frozen sangrias.

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Happy Fourth of July from EnviroPolitics

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New York adds 241 acres to Catskills Preserve

Acquisitions Create New Recreational Opportunities, Trails to Connect Existing Public Lands, and Access to Renowned Trout Fishery

NYDEC News Release

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos today announced the acquisition of 241 acres in the Catskills, including 208 acres adjoining existing Forest Preserve lands in the Bluestone Wild Forest that will preserve critical open space and expand recreational opportunities to support the local economy. The purchases of the two properties were made possible through a partnership with the Open Space Institute (OSI) and $758,000 from New York’s Environmental Protection Fund (EPF).

“New Yorkers will have new opportunities for outdoor recreation in the Catskills thanks to these significant acquisitions, which will expand our trail network to connect the Jockey Hill and Onteora Lake properties in the Bluestone Wild Forest and protect critical habitat in the town of Warwarsing,” Commissioner Seggos said. “We are grateful to our partners at the Open Space Institute and the Woodstock Land Conservancy, and for Governor Andrew Cuomo’s continued commitment to the Environmental Protection Fund and other significant investments in forest conservation and preservation.”

In addition, DEC and the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) today launched the PLAY SMART * PLAY SAFE * PLAY LOCAL Campaign to encourage all New Yorkers to recreate safely, responsibly, and locally this summer and to always treat fellow outdoor adventurers with respect. The campaign invites people to take the PLAY SMART * PLAY SAFE * PLAY LOCAL pledge, and promise to use common sense to protect themselves and others when enjoying the outdoors.

During the State’s ongoing response to COVID-19, New Yorkers across the state want and need to get outside for a nature break, which is good for physical and mental health. See a video message from DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos and State Parks Commissioner Erik Kulleseid.

“During the State’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 public health crisis, DEC is working with our partners at State Parks to encourage all New Yorkers to PLAY SMART * PLAY SAFE * PLAY LOCAL when visiting public lands and parks. Getting outside can serve as a much-needed getaway from the stresses and fears of everyday life. So get outside, but #PlaySmartPlaySafePlayLocal, and remember to treat the outdoor adventurers you encounter with respect,” DEC Commissioner Seggos said.

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Tesla now the most valuable automaker in the World — surpassing Toyota

By Derick Lila PV Buzz

Tesla’s market cap has exploded and it has become the most valuable automaker in the world.

The company smashed through milestones, surpassing auto giants like Toyota in terms of market value. Shares are up a staggering 26% this week — and then there are the Q2 delivery numbers. Tesla crushed those as well even in the middle of a pandemic.

Tesla delivered more vehicles than expected this quarter — a total of 90,650. Of these deliveries, about 80,000 were Model 3s and Model Ys.

Tesla usually doesn’t break down how many of the deliveries came from the gigafactory factory in Shanghai China versus how many came out of the Tesla plant in Fremont California. Analysts were not expecting Tesla to deliver more than 78,000 vehicles this quarter because the plant in California was basically shut down for five or six weeks because of COVID-19.

Nonetheless, Elon Musk and his team were able to not only meet expectations but exceed them by a wide margin. Now, this sets up the question of whether or not Tesla can hit its guidance of delivering a half-million vehicles this year.

In order to do that, Tesla will have to deliver at least 322,000 vehicles over the next six months — challenging, not impossible — but definitely challenging.

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More openings as NJ heads into July 4 weekend

Briana Vannozzi reports for NJTV News

Today marks another big step forward in New Jersey’s coronavirus recovery plan.

Ahead of the Fourth of July holiday weekend there are a number of reopenings including casinos, amusement parks, museums and libraries, to name just a few.

Indoor dining is still on an indefinite pause, and the governor warned he’ll scale back reopenings if the same large crowds without masks gather at sites across the state.

Gov. Phil Murphy extended the public health emergency for another 30 days to keep his executive orders in place. While signing another, in contrast, that raises the limit on crowd sizes for outdoor gatherings to 500 people, effective today.

The limits on indoor gatherings remain. Despite progress slowing the virus, the state reported another 27 COVID-19 related deaths on Thursday. Total confirmed and probable fatalities is 15,105.

There were 539 new positive test results overnight for a cumulative total of 172,356.

The state also announced another roughly 130 contact tracers have been on-boarded over the past week to help prevent new cases that become flare ups and threaten the state’s recovery.

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