We have reached the point in this pandemic when our greatest adversary now has a rival. The novel coronavirus that entered the United States sometime early this year and which has now killed more than 75,000 Americans in 68 days remains our biggest concern – or at least it should. The financial catastrophe left in…
Category: Non-sports
Beshear’s mask directive unmasks division, but why?
Let’s talk masks. The novel coronavirus has steered our digest discussions into numerous places, from social distancing to past pandemics to worst-case scenarios to the folly of projections. My intention for this edition of the digest was to begin to talk about economic difficulty we now face and the importance not just of sequencing but…
So what happened to all those models?
Prediction is a messy business. Those of us who cover horse racing have known this for a long time. I know I’ve told the story about the old guy at the racetrack who gave me some advice I’ve never forgotten, “I don’t need to know what happened yesterday. Tell me what will happen tomorrow.” That’s…
A word to the at-risk, from one of the at-risk
I write to you today as a member of the vulnerable population. As one of those with “underlying conditions.” I’m not that old. I’m 51. But I’ve had two strokes, because of high blood pressure, which now is treated with three medications. Like much of Kentucky, if the state surveys are to be believed, I…
We’ll get through this together? Sometimes I wonder
The commercials used to try to sell us products. Lately, as the nation settles into its second month under a coronavirus cloud, they are trying to sell us hope. Maybe I’m falling prey to the frustration that everyone else seems to be feeling, but lately, I’m not buying. JP Morgan Chase offers the message that,…
Amid national coronavirus progress, Kentucky must keep eyes on the ball
Every once in a while, this needs to be said. Today seems like a good time to do it: We need to keep our eyes on the ball. COVID-19 cases in New York, which Gov. Andrew Cuomo has called the “canary in the coal mine” in the U.S. battle against the novel coronavirus, appear to…
How high will Kentucky’s coronavirus peak be?
As Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has rolled out more information on the modeling the state is using to plan for what it sees as a peak in the COVID-19 pandemic in the state somewhere around early May (sooner in some projections), several have written to me wondering about the math. I’m not a statistician. I’m…
Pulling over to acknowledge the coronavirus procession
I grew up in a rural part of Kentucky. A distinct aspect of life in such places: When a funeral procession passes by, you pull to the side of the road and stop. You show some respect. You acknowledge the passing of a life, the grieving of a family. Maybe you’re in a rush to…
A grim day, as leaders point to a long ordeal
It was another grim news day. Today, the United States surpassed 3,700 dead from the fast-moving coronavirus COVID-19, more than the number killed in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, more than were killed at Pearl Harbor. Today, Americans were told for the first time by the Trump administration that the number of dead from…
The latest projections: Where they come from, and what they mean
Years ago there was a board game based on a book titled, “The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook.” The popular book, which then became a series of books, provided tips for handling various catastrophes. It was entertaining, because most of the things in the book were things most of us would never encounter. And it brought…