POWERLINE is suspicious, too. When the daily number of reported cases maintains its trend line (even flattening a little) and the daily number of deaths suddenly spikes, something ain't right.

WUHAN FLU [CORONAVIRUS] UPDATE for April 16, 2020.

I think it's now safe to say there really is something rotten in the fish markets. The confirmed cases are still tapering off, but look at the reported death rates -- particularly U.S., since that also affects the global rates. There was the hiatus on the 14th, followed by a slight increase on the 15th, even after correcting for the 14th fiasco, and now look at the sharp increase on the 16th. Twelve of thirteen (13!) states today reported death rate increases in excess of 10%. The one that did not is New York, which started this increased reporting on the 14th with a whopping 3,700 increase in deaths. Of the thirteen, New York (606), New Jersey (362), Massachusetts (137), Connecticut (103), Illinois (124), Maryland (43), Rhode Island (18), Oregon (6) and Delaware (6) are Democrat-controlled urban strongholds. They're clearly (to me, at least) manipulating the data.

The projected death rate chart is clearly ridiculous, suddenly jumping from about 3,000 daily to 6,000. Seriously? Come on, something is seriously stinky at the fish market.

I'll keep tracking, for a while at least, but to my mind the data is now worthless. I'm convinced the professional pandemic panic purveyors have decided that Americans aren't frightened enough and need another dose of panic to keep them in line and under control.

I'm not buying.

I MAY HAVE BEEN THE FIRST, but I'm not the only one who recognized that there is something rotten at the fish market.

THAT'S A BAD THING? Has anyone noticed that an absent Congress has allowed Trump to run things on his own?

With Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House, I think not.

MOST JOURNALISTS ARE DUMB PARTISANS, and Katy Tur is not boosting their collective IQ.

Room temperature (Celsius) at best.

WHO NEEDS CONGRESS ANYWAY? Actually President Trump is having a spat with Senate Majority McConnell over judicial appointments, but given the complete and total dysfunction of the House of Representatives, it's a good question.

On the merits, I'll give this one to McConnell unless the Senate can unilaterally come back in session to consider judicial appointments only.

OH? THINK AGAIN: Peaceful assembly is nonessential. I would suggest that elected officialdom is nonessential.

OBAMA ENDORSES BIDEN with his usual grace and elegance.

From America's News of Record, but it could be mistaken for real.

INSIDE EVERY LIBERAL is a totalitarian screaming to get out. Don't let them.

NUMBERS? We don't do numbers. There is no math in 'journalism'.

THE CORONAVIRUS REVOLT is enroute.

I would disagree in only one itsy-bitsy item:

“People always say: ‘Conservatives never protest because they are too busy working,'” the event page says. “Well, guess what. You’re not working — so it’s time to PROTEST.”

The protests are coming not because conservatives are not working; it's because they (we) are working damned hard to keep families together and food on the table in response to the unprecedented restriction of our civil liberties by our ruling-class wokesters.

POWERLINE has a mid-week coronavirus edition of its usual Week in Pictures. Here's my favorite:

Now go see the rest.

WHILE TRUMP RANTS, it’s Governors who have gone full Captain Queeg.

In the next election it's going to be sorely tempting to can every single incumbent, President down all the way to local dogcatcher, and start fresh.

LOOK CAREFULLY through any Democrat-sponsored coronavirus relief legislation.

Update: Here's why.

RANDOM THOUGHT: On the highway of life, give a Democrat an inch and he'll take you straight to Venezuela.