The World and Everything in It — February 18, 2021

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Good morning!

Israel’s way out in front in the Covid vaccine race. What do they know that we don’t?

MEGAN BASHAM, HOST: Also: landing on Mars! We’ll talk to an astronomer. 

Plus we’ll meet the keeper of an age old tradition: dog sledding.

And commentator Cal Thomas on the scandal surrounding New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

REICHARD: It’s Thursday, February 18th. This is The World and Everything in It from listener-supported WORLD Radio. I’m Mary Reichard.

BASHAM: And I’m Megan Basham. Good morning!

REICHARD: Now the news. Here’s Kent Covington.

KENT COVINGTON, NEWS ANCHOR: FEMA steps up relief to storm-stricken Texas » White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the federal government is stepping up efforts to help the millions in Texas who were hit hard by this week’s winter storm. 

PSAKI: FEMA has provided generators to Texas and is preparing to move diesel into the state to ensure the continued availability of backup power, which of course is a major issue on the ground, to keep critical infrastructure, including communications, hospitals, and water. 

Nearly three-and-half million U.S. customers were without electricity on Wednesday, most of them in Texas. 

Carol Haddock is director of Houston Public Works. She told reporters…

HADDOCK: Telling you that you need to boil your water when you may not have power right now is a very harsh message to be delivered. And so if you do have those periods of time when you have power for a little while, please take that opportunity to boil the water while you have power. It will last. Once it’s been boiled, it’s good. 

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is calling for an investigation of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which runs the state’s power grid. 

And Harris County, Texas Judge Lina Hidalgo said the weather alone does not explain this kind of breakdown in the grid. 

HIDALGO: We’ve been hit hard by nature this week, but we can’t deny that some of this is a manmade disaster as well. And the 5 million residents of this county, and really this region and the state, will deserve answers. 

Nationwide, more than two dozen people have died as plunging temperatures pounded nearly the entire country this week. 

U.K. ethics panel approves world’s first human challenge COVID-19 study » Researchers in London will soon begin a study that will involve intentionally infecting people with the coronavirus. WORLD’s Anna Johansen Brown has details. 

ANNA JOHANSEN BROWN, REPORTER: The U.K.’s Research Ethics Committee approved the clinical study on Wednesday. It will be the world’s first COVID-19 human challenge study. 

The goal is to figure out exactly how the virus spreads and to better understand the immune response to the virus. 

Researchers are asking for young, healthy volunteers, between ages 18 and 30. Participants will be exposed to very small amounts of the original coronavirus strain, which is believed to pose minimal risk to young, healthy adults. 

The study could begin within a month at a London hospital. It will take place in a controlled environment, and doctors will monitor the volunteers 24 hours a day. 

Researchers have used human challenge studies in the past against other public health threats, including malaria and the flu. 

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Anna Johansen Brown. 

Despite winter disruptions, Biden admin predicts vaccines for all in July » The winter weather is making it tough to distribute coronavirus vaccines right now in some parts of the United States. 

White House virus response coordinator Jeff Zients said Wednesday…

ZIENTS: It’s having an impact on distribution and deliveries from the delivery companies and the distribution companies. 

But Vice President Kamala Harris says that overall, the vaccination effort is picking up steam. She told NBC’s Today Show that she expects vaccine doses to be available to all Americans over the summer. 

HARRIS: We expect that that will be done in terms of having the available supply by the end of July. 

The Biden administration is also clarifying its goal for reopening schools. President Biden has long said he wants K-8 schools open within the first 100 days of his presidency. But that was later defined as in-person schooling just one day per week. 

Harris said Wednesday that the administration’s goal is in fact to have kids back in K-8 classrooms five days per week over the next couple of months.

Retail sales soared in January » Americans opened their wallets last month. The Commerce Department says retail sales jumped in the month of January after three months of declines. WORLD’s Kristen Flavin has that story. 

KRISTEN FLAVIN, REPORTER: Retail spending soared a seasonally adjusted 5.3 percent last month. It was the biggest increase since June and much larger than the 1 percent rise Wall Street expected.

Analysts say the $600 stimulus checks, sent out at the very end of last year, helped get Americans in the buying mood. 

Besides strong sales at furniture and appliance stores, sales jumped almost 24 percent at department stores. Online sales soared 11 percent. And spending at restaurants, which have been hard hit by lockdowns, rose about 7 percent last month.

Wednesday’s report covers about a third of overall consumer spending. But it does not include haircuts, hotel stays, and other services that have been hit hard by the pandemic. 

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Kristen Flavin. 

Radio host Rush Limbaugh dies » Rush Limbaugh has died—just a little more than a year after announcing he had lung cancer.   

After taking The Rush Limbaugh Show national in 1988, he quickly became the most listened to talk radio host in the country with his off-the-cuff, no-holds-barred style. 

AUDIO: The views expressed by the host on this show are the result of a relentless pursuit of the truth. 

His wife, Kathryn Rogers Limbaugh announced his death on Wednesday to Rush Limbaugh’s radio audience. 

K.LIMBAUGH: I would personally like to thank each and every one of you who prayed for Rush and inspired him to keep going. 

Former President Trump, who awarded Limbaugh the Presidential Medal of Freedom, honored him on Wednesday, telling Fox News. 

TRUMP: He loved this country. He loved the country. He loved his wife and his family. 

Limbaugh was politically pointed and often controversial, but his impact on the media landscape was undeniable. At its peak, his show reached more than 15 million listeners. And his success sparked a conservative talk radio wave in the 1990s. 

Rush Limbaugh was 70 years old.

I’m Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: Lessons on a successful vaccination campaign.

Plus, commentator Cal Thomas on a scandal engulfing New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. 

This is The World and Everything in It.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: It’s Thursday the 18th of February, 2021.

You’re listening to The World and Everything in It and we are happy you’ve joined us today. Good morning, I’m Mary Reichard.

MEGAN BASHAM, HOST: And I’m Megan Basham. First up: Israel’s vaccine program.

Every nation is racing to vaccinate its population against COVID-19. One country outpaces all others: Israel.

Nearly half of Israelis have received at least one dose of the vaccine. The United Kingdom comes in second, with about one-quarter of its population vaccinated.

REICHARD: The United States? So far, just over one-tenth of our population’s been vaccinated. So many are looking to Israel for a glimmer of hope. What can we learn from the country that may become the first to achieve herd immunity? WORLD correspondent Jill Nelson reports.

AUDIO: [Soccer fans]

JILL NELSON, REPORTER: For nearly a year, Americans have been waiting in anticipation for a COVID-19 vaccine. Health officials say that’s the only thing that will bring down the death toll and bring a return to sporting events, concerts, and indoor gatherings. 

So when Israeli leaders announced they had secured enough of the Pfizer vaccine to inoculate everyone over 16 by the end of March, U.S. health experts took notice.

AUDIO: [Israeli music]

Israeli doctors and nurses celebrated the launch of their vaccination drive on December 20th. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in January there’s no time to waste.

NETANYAHU: You ask what’s the challenge? We’re in an arms race, except it’s not an arms race, it’s a race between vaccination and mutation.

Some say Israel quickly secured large numbers of vaccines by bidding the highest.

BAHAR: I kind of disagree. 

Dany Bahar is a senior fellow in the Global Economy and Development program at the Brookings Institution. He says money was only part of the equation.

BAHAR: I think the most important part is that Israel was giving and is giving to the pharmaceutical companies something that they really need and want, which is phase 4 of the test of the effectiveness of the vaccines. 

Israel has an advanced universal health care system that closely tracks its patients. Bahar says that means researchers can learn a lot about the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness in what has become the largest real-world trial.

BAHAR: There are very good news among everybody who’s been vaccinated with the two doses that the probability of hospitalizations or even getting strong disease have gone down dramatically, I mean to something very close to zero.

Israel released data in early February showing that 97 percent of virus deaths during the past month were among people who had not been vaccinated. It also had good news for those concerned about side effects: Less than 0.3 percent had symptoms significant enough to report to doctors after getting the Pfizer vaccine. Overall, that vaccine is showing 95 percent effectiveness.

But while deaths and hospitalizations have dramatically decreased among those 60 and older, the overall daily new cases of the coronavirus in Israel have not significantly decreased.

Andrew Noymer is an epidemiologist at the University of California in Irvine. He says the drop in new daily cases has plateaued in Israel, but the vaccine is working.

NOYMER: I think what’s probably happening is everyone is just sort of getting out and about more because of the vaccine, because of the confidence the vaccine gives us and that includes people who aren’t vaccinated yet.

Israel also began its vaccination drive when COVID cases were at their highest. The country enacted its third lockdown and banned all international flights in January. And the British variant of  COVID-19 which spreads more quickly has contributed to the country’s surge of cases. But so far the vaccine is proving effective against this new variant.

Noymer says Israel’s vaccination outcome won’t be exactly like America’s since it has a population of only 9 million in an area the size of New Jersey. But we can still learn from the Israeli experience.

NOYMER: I see Israel as a cautionary tale about thinking that the vaccine is going to be an absolute game changer like in a short time frame because the United State’s rollout is much more in dribs and drabs….than the Israeli roll out.

Israel’s fast-paced and highly organized vaccination drive hit a slowdown in February that could be instructive for other countries. Demand dropped by more than 50 percent from the month prior, and health officials are struggling to figure out why. Some attribute the decline to vaccine conspiracy theories circulating online. 

The United States could face a similar drop in demand. According to a recent study, just under half of Americans said they were very likely to get a COVID-19 vaccine. That could make it difficult to reach the threshold scientists say is necessary for herd immunity. One of the nation’s top infectious disease experts, Anthony Fauci, told CNN the percentage necessary herd immunity is likely much higher.

FAUCI: But I think we all have to be honest and humble. Nobody really knows for sure, but I think 70 to 85 percent for herd immunity for COVID-19 is a reasonable estimate, and in fact, most of my epidemiology colleagues agree with me.

Israel’s health department is looking for ways to promote the latest research about vaccine safety and provide incentives for those who get vaccinated. The Ministry of Health is issuing immunity passports that would grant access to larger events for those who have been vaccinated.

More data will be available within the next two weeks, after scientists analyze the results among younger Israelis and those with underlying health conditions. Noymer says he is watching for promising trends.

NOYMER: What I want to see in Israel is significant declines in new cases by around March 1st and significant declines in mortality by April 1st. 

That could be the good news for Americans to cling to when patience runs thin in the coming months.

NOYMER: We have to use the Israeli experience so that we don’t become the deer in the headlights in April and May when we get up to 50, 60 percent vaccinated, which I think we will because I expect the Johnson and Johnson vaccine to be authorized by the FDA.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Jill Nelson.

MEGAN BASHAM, HOST: Coming up next on The World and Everything in It: Mars.

At about 4 p.m. Eastern time today, NASA’s Perseverance rover will touch down on the Red Planet. It took off from Cape Canaveral in July and traveled nearly 300 million miles to get to its final destination.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: The $2.4 billion mission is designed to hunt for signs of life. What kind of signs? Well, joining us now to answer that question is Jim Murphy. He’s an astronomy professor at New Mexico State University and his research focuses on the weather and climate on Mars. 

Professor Murphy, thanks so much for joining us today!

JIM MURPHY, GUEST: Thanks for the opportunity to talk about this. 

REICHARD: Start by telling us where Perseverance will be landing and what the conditions are like there.

MURPHY: Alright. It’s targeted to land in an impact crater called Jezero Crater. It is about 25 miles across, maybe a little less than a kilometer deep. So not huge compared to some of the really big craters on Mars. The interesting thing about Jezero Crater is when you look at it from orbit, it looks as though water flowed into it at some point in the past, and it actually looks like a river delta that we see here on Earth where large rivers deposit their water and material into a large body of water. And the purpose of going there is, well, gee, if there was water there in the past—either standing water as a lake or a river flowing into it—river sediments apparently are pretty good at preserving evidence of past biological activity within the minerals themselves and being laid down. So, within the materials that would have been laid down by water in this location, maybe there’s some chemical signatures that life existed there in the past. 

REICHARD: Why did NASA pick that spot for the landing?

MURPHY: Specifically because those people who are knowledgeable about such things and looking at geological features and correlations here terrestrially with where you might find chemical evidence that life exists. There were probably five or six locations that were tentatively listed as being a possibility for the location for this lander or rover, really, to set down on the surface. So, the physical characterization not just for science purposes but for safe landing and then the ability of the rover to rove around would come into play as well. When all those pieces were put together, it was determined that Jezero is the best location to send this mission. 

REICHARD: So it’s looking for signs of life. What kind of signs? And what kind of life?

MURPHY: The signs of life, it’s really looking for chemical signatures of previous life. I tend to think of coral reefs. Coral reefs are living structures, but they don’t survive forever. But it’s not as though the coral reef “dies” and then just disappears. It stays around. So, you could go a thousand, a million years subsequent to that and possibly still see the chemical signature and say, oh, this was a living organism at some point in the past. And I think it’s similar to what is being hunted for with the instruments aboard Perseverance, and that is chemical signatures that suggest life existed there previously. 

REICHARD: NASA isn’t the only space agency landing on Mars this month. Who else has missions there and is it going to get crowded?

MURPHY: It is. So, last Tuesday, the United Arab Emirates had their Hope orbiter mission arrive on Mars. It’s focused on atmospheric science of Mars, so characterizing the atmosphere from the surface to thousands of kilometers above the surface and understanding the vertical interactions between the layers in the atmosphere. And that’s very exciting. The Chinese space agency had a spacecraft arrive last Wednesday. It is a spacecraft that has an orbiter component, but it also has a lander rover component. All three of those pieces have gone into orbit around Mars successfully and I think it’s probably several months before the lander rover system will be dropped off and descend through the atmosphere and land on the surface. So, yeah, it’s an exciting time for Mars exploration. 

REICHARD: Revoice: Not everyone is a space fan, so for those people: Why should we be excited about this? 

MURPHY: I remember the first time I looked through a telescope and saw the moon and the craters on the moon and was kind of awed that I could sit here, be on the surface of the Earth and see that. I’m excited scientifically because it is a compelling question: did life ever exist on Mars? And now we have much better technology. We’re better able to ask these interesting questions. And for my own bias, I’m pleased that this rover has a meteorology package on it. It’ll measure wind and temperature and humidity and ground temperature and some characteristics of dust in the atmosphere. Those of us who study the atmosphere can learn that much more. 

REICHARD: Jim Murphy is an astronomy professor at New Mexico State University. Thanks so much for joining us today!

MURPHY: Oh, it’s a pleasure. It’s a fun thing to talk about.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Last week, you heard here about the kitty-cat filter on Zoom that a lawyer couldn’t disable for his trial court hearing. 

Well, that lawyer has passed the torch to a member of Congress. Listen to Minnesota Congressman Tom Emmer speaking remotely during a House Committee meeting last week…

EMMER: … sole proprietors and the smallest of small businesses receive timely …
WATERS: Will the gentleman suspend? I’m sorry, Mr. Emmer? Are you okay?
EMMER: I am.
UNKNOWN REP.: You’re upside down, Tom.
EMMER: I don’t know how to fix that.

Only the Congressman’s face was visible, and he appeared on the screen as an upside down floating head.

AUDIO: (laughs) Okay the — well at least you’re not a cat!

Yup, at least he wasn’t a cat. 

When he couldn’t figure out how to fix it, another Congressman wise-cracked: Why don’t you just stand on your head?

It’s The World and Everything in It.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Today is Thursday, February 18th. Thank you for turning to WORLD Radio today. Good morning. I’m Mary Reichard.

MEGAN BASHAM, HOST: And I’m Megan Basham. Coming next on The World and Everything in It: dog sledding.

For thousands of years, dog sledding—or mushing—helped humans thrive in winter. Archeologists believe Native Americans first began using dogs this way.

REICHARD: Today, sledding is done more for enjoyment than necessity but some enthusiasts in Utah are working to keep the tradition alive. WORLD’s Sarah Schweinsberg has our story.

SARAH SCHWEINSBERG, REPORTER: Tourists wearing snow pants, big, puffer jackets, and ski goggles climb into a big white van. After a bumpy ride, the driver pulls up at the end of a snowy road where six sleds and some eager canines wait. 

The driver tells her passengers to be prepared.

BRADIE: As we get out, they’re gonna get louder because they know as soon as this big white van pulls up, they get to go running and they love it.

Sure enough, when the van doors open, 72 sled dogs send up a welcoming chorus. 

AUDIO: [Dogs barking, howling]

The dogs are harnessed to sleds in pairs of two. They howl and playfully snap at their partners. Others jump and lunge into their harnesses. 

A musher steers each team. They help guests climb into the sled and wrap up in blankets. 

Snow is starting to fly. It’s time to ride. 

Wade Donaldson guides one sled. Unlike traditional, wooden sleds, this one’s frame is made of plastic, but it still has wooden  runners. Donaldson steps onto the back and gives the team the go-ahead. 

DONALDSON: Hike! 

Donaldson saw mushing for the first time when he lived in Northern Minnesota in college. After school, he bought his first team as a hobby. A couple years later, he decided to make a business of it. So he started Bear Ridge Adventures. 

DONALDSON: It’s just so cool to be on the trail with a group of dogs. It almost feels like you’re taking a step back in time… I think it really gives you some perspective.

The dogs pull the sled uphill. It glides over the snow by pines and aspens. This is the most physically demanding part of the trail.

DONALDSON: They’re gonna have to work pretty hard going up, because they’re gonna put us up on top of that mountain in front of us. 

 As they run, some dogs reach their noses out and scoop up a mouthful of snow. 

DONALDSON: You call that dipping. That helps cool them down and keep them hydrated. 

All that moving, keeps a dog’s digestive system operating. The smell from behind isn’t always pleasant. 

Wade Donaldson only uses voice commands to direct the team. 

DONALDSON: Hold on. Whoa. 

DONALDSON: I don’t have a steering wheel, I have no reins, it’s not like riding horses. All I have is voice commands. So if you’re going to turn to the right, the command is Gee, I want to go to the left, the command is Haw.

Donaldson says a good musher knows his dogs. How they move, so he can spot injuries. Their personalities and strengths, so he knows who to put in the front, middle and back.

DONALDSON: You want a dog that’s very disciplined and focused and can can do their job, and be independent and smart. So the dogs right behind the leaders, that’s what you call your swing or your point dogs. A lot of times they’re kind of your backup leaders. 

Males go in the back because they’re stronger. 

DONALDSON: So like the two right in front of us are what you call the wheel dogs. And they’re the ones that are really going to dig in and pull a lot harder. So the dogs closest to the sled physically are the ones that are pulling the most. 

AUDIO: [Stopping the dogs]

At the top of the mountain, Donaldson stops the team for a breather. If he didn’t stop the team, they’d just keep going and going and going. These teams can cover 100 miles a day.

DONALDSON: They just want to run and run… I can’t stop them sometimes.

To stop them, Donaldson pushes an anchor called a claw break into the snow. 

DONALDSON: They feel the tension on that line. So as soon as I pop that out, they’re gonna want to go again. 

Sure enough, after about 30 seconds, the team wants to take off. Donaldson says these tours let people see how much the dogs love their job. 

DONALDSON: I think the sport of dog sledding  has faced more and more scrutiny from people who maybe don’t totally understand a working dog. Where I’ve had people before that come out. And they think these poor dogs. But this isn’t your poodle. This is what they want to do. 

The dogs on the teams are short and weigh 45 to 65 pounds. Wade says small dogs can cover more distance. 

DONALDSON: If you’re going to run a marathon, you don’t very often see a great big, 350 pound guy that’s very competitive doing it. Same thing with the dogs.

Mushers started breeding today’s sled dogs during the Alaskan Gold Rush 170 years ago. Prospectors began cross breeding native Malamutes and Huskies with foreign breeds like St. Bernards and German Shepherds. 

That mixed dog heritage shows up on Donaldson’s team. Some have short hair like a Labrador. A handful have long, thick coats and icy, blue eyes like a Husky. Others are a mix. 

DONALDSON: There’s a lot of variation within their body type or their color pattern. And that’s just because somewhere in their bloodlines, there’s just kind of this mixed bag of dog genes.

Now, it’s time for the fun part: the downhill. 

DONALDSON: This part’s really fun. 

The trail narrows through the trees. And it isn’t always smooth. As the dogs pick up speed, the sled goes airborne over bumps. It lands with a thud. 

AUDIO: [SLED LANDING]

It feels like riding a roller coaster. On one turn the sled almost tips over. 

AUDIO: [Screams]

Wade Donaldson has had a few spills over the years. But not today. 

DONALDSON: It’s pretty smooth sailing from this point on.

These dogs easily cover 5 miles in an hour. And that’s with stops along the way. 

DONALDSON: Whoa guys. K move up. 

It’s the end of the day. Now it’s time for these snow buddies to rest and eat. 

The mushers load the dogs into several trailers filled with fresh straw. Back at their kennels, these canines will eat a mix of kibble and beef. 

Making sure so many dogs get exercise, training and medical care is a full-time job. And it comes with quite the food bill. 

DONALDSON: Last week, I helped unload a semi trailer of dog food. So he brought in 20,000 pounds, the whole truck. And that’ll last for a couple of months.

Wade Donaldson says the time commitment and expenses are some of the reasons there aren’t as many mushers these days. 

That’s why it’s so important to him that more people get out on the sled and into the woods with these furry friends. Maybe just one more person will come to love the sport as much as he does and almost as much as the dogs. 

DONALDSON:  That’s one thing about these dogs that you have to admire is that they are so driven and so passionate about their work that they just want to go.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Sarah Schweinsberg in Coalville, Utah.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Coming up next, a preview of Listening In. This week, host Warren Smith talks with pastor and author James Emery White. Over the years, White has helped Christians answer an important question: “How does someone become a fully devoted follower of Christ?”

WARREN SMITH: When you say that prayer is no, slow, grow, go–that those are the four possible answers–that sometimes God pauses us in the slow and the grow portion of that. So say a few words, about about meditation and about reflection and about just slowing down in this crazy world that we live in.

JAMES EMERY WHITE: You know, when I teach on this, I tend to assume that the way most people who are hearing me is thinking about it as an Eastern form and emptying of themselves, which I think is obviously not the Christian form of meditation. In fact, I think it obviously can even invite the occultic. But the Christian meditation is being filled, filling yourself, meditating on the Word of God. And being in prayer and prayerful meditation and those things. And I do think there’s a sense where, until we can quiet ourselves, as the scriptures say, we can’t hear that still small voice, and that the Holy Spirit. 

You know, the consequences of our life can scream, but the Holy Spirit tends to whisper. And and so that’s why silence and solitude have been part of Christian formation from the earliest. So I do think that there’s a key place for that in a disciplined way. I mean, really, I think there should be regular times we have set aside, this is when I’m going to be quiet. This is what I’m going to be silent. So I’m going to retreat. And for that very purpose.

REICHARD: That’s James Emery White talking to Warren Smith. To hear the complete conversation, look for Listening In tomorrow wherever you get your podcasts.

MEGAN BASHAM, HOST: Today is Thursday, February 18th. Good morning! This is The World and Everything in It from listener-supported WORLD Radio. I’m Megan Basham.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: And I’m Mary Reichard. 

Commentator Cal Thomas now on the calls for New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to resign.

CAL THOMAS, COMMENTATOR: The people who hand out Emmy Awards should ask New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to return the one they gave him.

Cuomo received an Emmy for what it called his “masterful” COVID-19 press briefings. The media lauded those performances, extolling his honesty and transparency. It now turns out he was as honest as many other politicians and as transparent as a brick.

The New York Post reported last week that Cuomo aide Melissa DeRosa privately apologized to Democratic legislators for withholding the number of people who died in state nursing homes. Why did they do that? For fear that the real numbers would be quote—“used against us” by federal prosecutors.

The New Yorker magazine once called Cuomo “The King of New York.” Similar fawning could be found in other media outlets before and during the early stages of the pandemic. Now it appears his kingship may be coming to an end. Cuomo is facing calls to resign, and threats of impeachment.

Cuomo allowed—some critics say “forced”—many elderly people with COVID-19 into nursing homes. Adding to the pain already inflicted on their family and friends, the governor later said, “Who cares if they died in the nursing home or in the hospital? They died.”

Comments like these are what contribute to the cynicism many Americans have toward our leaders.

CNN, which employs Cuomo’s brother, Chris, didn’t do much to look into nursing home deaths in New York or fact-check the governor’s claims. When Chris Cuomo had his brother on as a guest, the two often joked as if they were attending a family reunion. If shame has any meaning these days—and it doesn’t—CNN and Chris Cuomo should be repenting in sackcloth and ashes.

Among the few seeking the truth was Fox meteorologist Janice Dean. Her parents-in-law died after being infected with the virus in a New York nursing home. In an essay for foxnews.com, Dean wrote: “We lost them both to COVID last spring as the virus ravaged their long-term care facilities. Their death warrant was signed as an executive order by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo who put infected patients into the places where our most vulnerable resided.”

The last New York governor to be impeached and removed from office was William Sulzer in 1913 during the Tammany Hall scandals. He was convicted of misappropriating funds.

Covering up the number of deaths and arguably contributing to them is a far worse offense. The state legislature should begin impeachment proceedings and remove Governor Cuomo from office.

I’m Cal Thomas.

MEGAN BASHAM, HOST: Tomorrow: John Stonestreet is back for Culture Friday.

And, I’ll review a new surprisingly clean sitcom from Netflix.  

That and more tomorrow. 

I’m Megan Basham.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: And I’m Mary Reichard.

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