At first, the angel of death skipped over South Dakota. This pleased the Snow Queen.It was Fourth of July weekend, and Gov. was hosting Donald Trump for fireworks at Mount Rushmore. had already killed 122,000 Americans. Still, Noem cleaved closer to Trump’s failed policies than any other governor. In public, she recited Trump’s talking points: Covid was a Democratic plot to take over the country, masks were optional, and we’re open for business. Superficially, the statements seemed less crazy when delivered in the calm voice of a rancher’s daughter instead of that of an outdated tangerine...…At first, the angel of death skipped over South Dakota. This pleased the Snow Queen.It was Fourth of July weekend, and Gov. was hosting Donald Trump for fireworks at Mount Rushmore. had already killed 122,000 Americans. Still, Noem cleaved closer to Trump’s failed policies than any other governor. In public, she recited Trump’s talking points: Covid was a Democratic plot to take over the country, masks were optional, and we’re open for business. Superficially, the statements seemed less crazy when delivered in the calm voice of a rancher’s daughter instead of that of an outdated tangerine...WW…

This story appears in the June 2020 print edition of Rolling Stone.In late April Marko Kolanovic, a financial analyst for JPMorgan Chase, wrote to clients with good news. Pandemic aside, investors should expect stock prices in S&P 500 companies to return to record numbers some time early next year!“The S&P 500 should attain previous all-time highs,” Kolanovic wrote, “if the monetary measures are sustained.”The key part of this phrase was the last bit, “if the monetary measures are sustained.” In countries that did not have a Federal Reserve Bank shooting a bazooka of cash daily at ,...…This story appears in the June 2020 print edition of Rolling Stone.In late April Marko Kolanovic, a financial analyst for JPMorgan Chase, wrote to clients with good news. Pandemic aside, investors should expect stock prices in S&P 500 companies to return to record numbers some time early next year!“The S&P 500 should attain previous all-time highs,” Kolanovic wrote, “if the monetary measures are sustained.”The key part of this phrase was the last bit, “if the monetary measures are sustained.” In countries that did not have a Federal Reserve Bank shooting a bazooka of cash daily at ,...WW…