How bad is Trump’s case of Covid?

Doctors treating the US President have been crap about sharing good information about his condition. First, they spent days playing down his illness. Now, they admit that Trump’s oxygen level has dropped twice in recent days. And yet they insist that he is “improving” and will be discharged from hospital today. The lead doctor at Walter Reed hospital astonishingly admitted:

"I was trying to reflect the upbeat attitude of the team, that the president, that his course of illness has had. Didn’t want to give any information that might steer the course of illness in another direction.”

Because the truth would make Trump more ill? In any case, the medical community agrees that Trump most likely has a severe case. The evidence: He is being treated with dexamethasone, which is only used when a person is in serious or critical condition.

The really crazy bit: Trump jumped in a car to pay a ‘drive by’ visit to supporters outside the hospital—accompanied by Secret Service agents in respirator masks and eyewear. A Walter Reed doctor tweeted: 

“For political theater. Commanded by Trump to put their lives at risk for theater. This is insanity… That Presidential SUV is not only bulletproof, but hermetically sealed against chemical attack. The risk of COVID19 transmission inside is as high as it gets outside of medical procedures. The irresponsibility is astounding.”

Also a big question: The future of the election. StatNews lays out what we can expect in terms of Trump’s recovery—given his age and weight. New York magazine looks at what happens if he dies. The Atlantic explains why Biden could still have caught Covid from his rival at the debate—and how long we have to wait before we know he is safe.

Paytm takes on Google

The company launched an online store for ‘mini-apps’—which are browser-based products that behave like apps but don’t have to be downloaded. It will reside on the Paytm app which, of course, is available on the Google Play store. What this is about: Big Indian startups are mad at Google, which has been pulling their apps up for violations—while collecting a hefty 30% fee. And this may be the first step toward creating an atmanirbhar app store. Buzzfeed News has that story.

Bollywood drug saga continues

A former producer of one of Karan Johar’s companies says the Narcotics Control Bureau bullied him into falsely implicating Ranbir Kapoor, Arjun Rampal and Dino Morea. Earlier, he claimed that he’d been forced to name KJo. 

Speaking of KJo: This explains why Johar sent out a fawning announcement unveiling the #ChangeWithin project that will mark Independence Day 2021—i.e. make films that celebrate the “valour, values and the culture of India.” All this while “drawing inspiration from our Honorable Prime Minister from whom we also seek sustained guidance.” Too much!

ICYMI: Sushant Singh Rajput’s autopsy has revealed zero evidence of foul play. AIIMS has now confirmed that it was indeed caused by suicide. Only person upset: Rajput family’s lawyer who wants a fresh investigation. No one else cares since we’ve already moved on to more pressing matters like #MaalChats.

Parting gift: Republic TV’s reporters have made a complete spectacle of themselves while covering the Bollywood drug bust story. Going viral: a clip of one of their reporters doing… Ok, we honestly don’t know what he was doing! More to the point, that clip has been turned into this bit of comedic gold:

A match-fixing red flag in Dubai

IPL authorities have launched an investigation after one of the players reported being approached by a fixer. No other details are available as yet. But it does indicate that the illegal gambling mobsters have managed to pierce the strict Covid bubble. (Reuters)

Are Indian jobs coming back?

The unemployment rate has fallen to 6.67% in September—but experts say the ‘recovery’ is deceptive. The reason: unemployment rates only measure people actively looking for jobs, and many people are not: “It indicates that people are so discouraged by the conditions that they prefer to sit out and not participate in the jobs market.” Mint has more on the numbers.

The great pandemic: A quick update

• India’s cases have been steadily declining for over a week—and the Finance Ministry says that numbers may indicate that the peak behind us. Indian Express points out that new cases dropped significantly over the weekend—and explains why this is truly a mystery.
• Meanwhile, the Health Minister says that the government aims to vaccinate 250 million Indians by July 2021.
• Pandemic hair loss is real! People are losing clumps of hair not just because of the virus—but also stress associated with the pandemic itself. New York Times has that story.
• Bloomberg News reports on India’s richest temples—that are planning to mortgage their gold to pay mounting bills.
• Want to go on a ‘workcation’? Uttarakhand is rolling out a ‘Tourist Incentive Coupon’ plan to attract long-stay visitors. The deal: Up to Rs 3,000 in discounts for anyone staying more than three days.

A new weapon for government crackdown?

Two children’s homes associated with human rights activist Harsh Mander were raided by the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR). He alleges that the commission is the latest weapon being used to target critics—citing the case of Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair who was charged with “stalking” a child online. Mander also claims that authorities questioned the kids to figure out if they attended anti-CAA protests. (The Wire)

Also troubling: New data suggests that the National Board for Wildlife has cleared the use of 212-plus hectares of protected wildlife sanctuaries and national parks for dams, power lines and roads. Point to note: the board is headed by PM Modi. Peacocks in my garden, yes. Tigers in the jungle, not so much. Article 14 reports on the growing concern over the NBW acting like a “clearing house” for the government’s development projects.

Two excellent discoveries in Kerala

One: A tree believed to be extinct for over a century has been rediscovered on the premises of a temple. Samples of Madhuca diplostemon were first and last collected 184 years ago! It is the only known tree of its kind. Scientists now plan to conserve and revive the species. (The Hindu)

Two: A schoolkid has found a ‘button’ bearing the insignia of a royal Roman seal—in her uncle’s backyard in the village of Pattanam. Why this matters: Archeologists have long speculated that Pattanam may be the great port city of Muziris—which flourished between 1st century BC and 4th century AD thanks to trade with the Roman empire.  Indian Express has more on this significant find.

Intermittent fasting not so awesome?

A new study shows that intermittent fasting results in minimal weight loss—and most of it is in the form of muscle:

“But according to the new study, most participants lost just two-to-three pounds over three months, and most of that weight was “lean mass,” which includes muscle. Losing some muscle is expected with weight loss, but the researchers note that the fasting group lost more than expected. This is worrisome because muscle is very important to overall health: It’s linked to lower mortality, helps prevent falls in old age, and increases metabolism, which can help prevent weight lost during a diet from coming right back.”