Take Yourself Back to 2017.

What would you think of a Democrat who came out in favor of a 1.75 trillion dollar Build Back Better bill and favored raising the rates for taxes on the rich?

The red and blue Covid gap.

Then the vaccines arrived.

They proved so powerful, and the partisan attitudes toward them so different, that a gap in Covid’s death toll quickly emerged. I have covered that gap in two newsletters — one this summer, one last month — and today’s newsletter offers an update.

The brief version: The gap in Covid’s death toll between red and blue America has grown faster over the past month than at any previous point.

In October, 25 out of every 100,000 residents of heavily Trump counties died from Covid, more than three times higher than the rate in heavily Biden counties (7.8 per 100,000). October was the fifth consecutive month that the percentage gap between the death rates in Trump counties and Biden counties widened.

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Data unavailable for Alaska and Washington, D.C.
Data unavailable for Alaska and Washington, D.C.Credit...Source: New York Times database, Edison Research
Some conservative writers have tried to claim that the gap may stem from regional differences in weather or age, but those arguments fall apart under scrutiny. (If weather or age were a major reason, the pattern would have begun to appear last year.) The true explanation is straightforward: The vaccines are remarkably effective at preventing severe Covid, and almost 40 percent of Republican adults remain unvaccinated, compared with about 10 percent of Democratic adults.

Covid Gets Even Redder https://nyti.ms/31uJ8uD

Moderate Covid spread.

The country hasn't seen that level since delta. It looks like Florida and Louisiana are there. CT has moderate spread in the majority of counties and local towns are lifting their indoor mask mandates. Mine did a week ago. Several other states are getting close.

I Want It That Way - Backstreet Boys

It was 10:O0am. I just made it 9:00am

How great is that!

Biden Backs Payments to Families Separated at the Border!

Whatever you do, Don't read the lead editorial

in the New York Times today.

White Christmas - Michael Feinstein

A New Day for New York

David Patrick Columbia normally writes about the social life of New York Society. Today he does a little reminiscence about seeing a past President and has some thoughts about New York City's new Mayor-elect. I'm not the new mayor's only fan. It's a nice read:

https://www.newyorksocialdiary.com/a-new-day-for-new-york/

PS: I just had an email exchange with Mr. Columbia. We both shared the same thought: Eric Adams next job might be the Main One. We'll see.

New York's New Mayor is Sending a Message With His Clothes.

Whether he’s talking or not, he’s always saying something with his dress,” said George Arzt, a Democratic political consultant who was also Ed Koch’s press secretary. “And it’s: ‘I’m here. I’m in charge. I mean business.’”

It’s unusual for city politicians to engage with questions of image-making. Most often, they actively avoid personal discussions of dress, believing it makes them seems frivolous or elitist. If they do connect with the fashion world, it is usually as an economic driver of the city or of the garment district: Michael Bloomberg handing Ralph Lauren a key to the city for investing millions in new stores; Bill de Blasio welcoming the industry to Gracie Mansion before fashion week. It’s usually just about business.

Not for Mr. Adams.

As he proved when he wore a bright red blazer to a Hamptons fund-raiser in August, or posted a photograph of himself in a new tower with the city’s skyscrapers spread out at his feet, his aviators reflecting the girders and gleam of the building, he is more than willing to use his clothes to stand out.

https://nyti.ms/3BHBJob

I'm a bit of a clothes horse myself, so it's one more reason to admire NYC's new Mayor.