Do you remember when hundreds of thousands of Harley Davidson enthusiasts thumbed their noses at the coronavirus and converged on Sturgis, South Dakota to participate in the nation’s largest motorcycle rally? And do you remember when South Dakota’s governor Kristi Noem filmed a TV commercial boasting that her state is more interested in hunting than in doing anything about Covid-19? And do you ALSO remember how South Dakota just assumed third place in the entire world for global Covid mortality rate?

If you think all these things might be related, John and Jayar agree with you, and in this clip from The Damage Report they discuss the factors leading to skyrocketing coronavirus case numbers and deaths in both Dakotas. John resignedly registers zero surprise at the terrible numbers coming out of the Dakotas, noting that when you treat a highly contagious pathogen like a big joke and listen to Fox News telling you it’s no big deal, reality will eventually force you to sit up and take notice.

Jayar, meanwhile, says he’ll be watching with interest to see how Republican constituents respond as these right-wing governors are forced to impose restrictions and mask mandates to prevent their hospitals and other health care facilities from being overwhelmed.