Good morning, RVA! It's 38 °F, and today looks pretty nice. Expect highs around 50, lots of sunshine, and maybe an opportunity to take an afternoon walk around your neighborhood should you get a minute.
Water cooler
As of this morning, the Virginia Department of Health reports 4,530 new positive cases of the coronavirus in the Commonwealth and 10 new deaths as a result of the virus. VDH reports 366 new cases in and around Richmond (Chesterfield: 92, Henrico: 188, and Richmond: 86). Since this pandemic began, 591 people have died in the Richmond region. I missed this yesterday, but the seven-day average of statewide new reported cases broke 5,000; this morning's seven-day average is 5,121. Michael Martz at the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association has officially asked the Governor to impose more restrictions to fight the dramatic spread of the virus, specifically to "consider temporarily implementing additional public health measures regarding limits on indoor dining, stricter occupancy limits, expanded use of telework, and requirements for non-essential businesses." It does make me feel better—in a dark, morbid way—to hear folks with some influence asking the Governor to take further actions to slow down the disease while we wait on the vaccine. Speaking of, on the vaccine side of things, here's my first attempt at a graph of our regions vaccination efforts. I don't love it yet and reserve the right to change it in the future! Remember, Ross's Stupid-Math Goal (which is not anyone else's goal and should not be treated as such), is around 2,720 vaccinations per day in Richmond, Henrico, and Chesterfield. Over the last seven days, the region averaged 1,683 vaccinations. I think that's pretty good considering we've only been at this for a couple weeks now; the health systems, health districts, and pharmacies are still in the process of ramping up their vaccine machines; and, of course, the ever-present data-reporting issues. Once we do get some more data, though, I think I'll move to looking at a weekly regional goal of around 20,000 vaccinations.
I didn't watch City Council last night because I had my first ever viewing of the Christian Bale classic Newsies. Which was more drama-filled? Which had more dance fighting? I'll never know. For those of you that did watch City Council, you saw that ORD. 2020-214, the ordinance that helps fund the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, passed. Interestingly, the amended Monument & Allen medians ordinance, ORD.2020-217, was stricken. You don't see that a ton, but the patron, Kim Gray, no longer sits on Council and can no longer withdraw bills (which is usually the more common option). I am bummed to have missed seeing all of the first-meeting jitters of the new councilmembers, but I'm glad to have finally been introduced to "Spot Conlon."
Yesterday, the House, for the second time, introduced Articles of Impeachment against Donald Trump. As a result, one of my favorite newsleetter from the twenty-teens, impeachment.fyi, is back. I encourage you to subscribe and let Dan Sinker walk you through the next couple of weeks with a single evening email covering all of the day's impeachment news. Sinker says the vote on impeachment is set for Wednesday, and the Articles already have enough cosponsors to make it a done deal that Trump will be a twice-impeached president—an American first. What happens in the Senate, though, is anyone's guess (although I will guess right now: Nothing, nothing will happen in the Senate).
Related, the next week or so at the state Capitol promises to be...something. The General Assembly kicks off their 2021 session tomorrow, which means Lobby Day (also MLK Day) is right around the corner. Last year's Lobby Day was pre-pandemic, which seems hard to believe, and featured thousands of gun-toting men trying to intimidate legislators from voting for some pretty basic gun legislation. Graham Moomaw at the Virginia Mercury says one pro-gun-violence group still intends on going through with whatever kind of rally they plan on hosting this coming Monday. Additionally, Michael Martz at the RTD says the governors (and mayor) of Virginia, Maryland, and D.C. have asked that folks not come to Biden's inauguration. Very cool and normal stuff here in America lately.
This morning's longread
Six hours of paralysis: Inside Trump’s failure to act after a mob stormed the Capitol
With impeachment back on the table, it's worth reading this good tick-tock of last Wednesday's horrible events.
But as senators and House members trapped inside the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday begged for immediate help during the siege, they struggled to get through to the president, who — safely ensconced in the West Wing — was too busy watching fiery TV images of the crisis unfolding around them to act or even bother to hear their pleas. “He was hard to reach, and you know why? Because it was live TV,” said one close Trump adviser. “If it’s TiVo, he just hits pause and takes the calls. If it’s live TV, he watches it, and he was just watching it all unfold.” Even as he did so, Trump did not move to act.
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