Another Data Point To Fact-Check -- April 16, 2020

Fake news: AP reported that global deaths due to COVID-19 hit the two million mark this past week.

In fact: 120,000 deaths worldwide due to COVID-19. In the US, the CDC says it is using the most liberal definition when "counting" deaths due to COVID-19.

The definition: if one tests positive at the time of death for COVID-19, that is a "COVID-19" death, which, of course, a person who tests positive for COVID-19 and then shoots himself is tallied a COVID-19 death. Likewise, a COVID-19-postive homicide or a COVID-19-positive car-accident victim are also tallied as COVID-19 deaths. And, of course, that makes sense.

From the CDC's point of view, had that person not died from suicide, homicide, accident, the victim was likely to have died from the virus anyway --  well, at least a 1.5% chance.

AP COVID-19 data: fact-checked by Brian Williams, Rachel Madcow, and the NYT editorial board.

Re-posting: seriously -- I thought she had blonde roots. LOL. Hey, it's a joke. Okay, I take it back. I thought she was Norwegian -- who else but a Norski could make such a blunder? By the way, Brian Williams could claim he knew this all along, simply stringing his guest out -- he, the straight man; she, the comedienne.

Really Bad Math, Brian Williams Really Bad Math, Brian Williams

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Oh-Oh

Anticipation: US crude oil storage may be maxed out in weeks. If oil companies pay refiners to take their oil, will your neighborhood service station pay you to take their gasoline -- to get you to come into buy their Twinkies? Bragging rights still go to Wisconsin: 89 cents/gallon regular unleaded gasoline.

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Fact Check Please

Hard to beat this price: crude oil goes negative -- and not buy just a little -- Iran is paying China $7.20/bbl to take its oil off its hands -- at least that's how I'm reading this tweet -- it's so incredibly unbelievable, I hope a reader tells me I'm wrong --

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That Graphic That Arab Light Is Selling For $17/Bbl --- Never Mind

Link here. This is not the Babylon Bee. This is S&P Global Platts.

How's that Saudi Aramco IPO working out?