Patterico's Pontifications

4/9/2020

Trump Looking To Open Up The Economy With A “Big Bang” By May 1

Filed under: General — Dana @ 8:15 pm



[guest post by Dana]

The Trump administration is moving toward opening up as much of the economy as they can by May 1 (excluding “hot spots” like New York, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Detroit, New Orleans):

The Trump administration is pushing to reopen much of the country next month, raising concerns among health experts and economists of a possible covid-19 resurgence if Americans return to their normal lives before the virus is truly stamped out.

Behind closed doors, President Trump — concerned with the sagging economy — has sought a strategy for resuming business activity by May 1, according to people familiar with the discussions.

In phone calls with outside advisers, Trump has even floated trying to reopen much of the country before the end of this month, when the current federal recommendations to avoid social gatherings and work from home expire, the people said. Trump regularly looks at unemployment and stock market numbers, complaining that they are hurting his presidency and reelection prospects, the people said.

Note: “The administration sees rapid and widespread testing as a crucial step, [and] allowing public health authorities to better identify infected people, including those who don’t show symptoms, and isolate them from healthy people who could go about their businesses.”

The assistant secretary for Health spoke to the issue of testing with regard to reopening the country:

…the administration aims to have “millions” of tests on the market by May that can tell if healthy people have been exposed to the virus and developed antibodies against it.

“A combination of that kind of test with the current kind of test we have now is how America opens back up again.”…

On Tuesday, Trump told Sean Hannity that he wanted to open the economy with a “big bang”:

I’d love to open with a big bang, one beautiful country, but it’s very possible.

So we are looking at two concepts, we are looking at the concept we open up sections and also looking at the concept where you open up everything. I think New York is getting ready if not already, but getting ready to peak and once it peaks, it will start coming down and it’s going to come down fast.

The report notes that the CDC guidelines expire April 30, and, as they did when establishing stay-at-home restrictions, states will be able to decide how they want to proceed with easing up on the restrictions. Because the White House cannot unilaterally reopen the country, it is the states that have “put the force of law behind those suggestions”.

While Dr. Fauci agreed that it made sense to develop a plan to reopen the country, he warned against taking a universal approach:

We have a very large country with very different patterns of disease and outbreaks in different parts of the country, so it’s not gonna be one size fits all.”

“I don’t think there are going to be benchmarks consistent” throughout the U.S., Fauci said, noting public health officials would pay close attention to data everywhere. Some places, including smaller towns and cities in the midwest, could see a quicker reopening, Fauci said.

He added that in New York, where more than 7,000 have died, he would “not pull back … at all” on mitigation including social distancing until there was a “steep decline” in cases and better systems in place to contain the virus should a resurgence occur.

When Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin was asked whether he thought there was the likelihood that the U.S. might be ready for business next month, he said, “I do.”

Larry Kudlow, the director of the National Economic Council, estimates it will happen within the next four to eight weeks:

We are coming down, I think, the home stretch, that’s what the health experts are telling us. Once we can reopen this thing, I think it’s going to be very successful.

Again, it’s an issue of competing interests. And both interests are vital. I’m just hoping that Trump can use some restraint, and take the time to carefully listen to his health care experts as much as he does his economic advisers.

Perhaps a good question to ask is: Will the American people be ready to return to their regular routines and activities, as well as return to work after the social distancing guidelines expire on April 30?

–Dana

135 Responses to “Trump Looking To Open Up The Economy With A “Big Bang” By May 1”

  1. Hello.

    Dana (0feb77)

  2. I’m sure Trump will listen to them all. But how long before he reverts to habit and hears only what he wants to hear?

    Kishnevi (2326a6)

  3. America is not going to be ready to reopen the economy without sufficient testing so that we know it’s safe. Problem is, Trump is f*cking idiot.

    ▪ At the White House Coronavirus Task Force daily press briefing, Trump continued to praise the country’s testing capabilities, which have ramped up significantly in recent weeks. Public health experts say the U.S. needs more in order to lift social distancing restrictions.
    ▪ When asked if the country needs a nationwide testing system for the virus before people can start going back to work, Trump said, “No. We have a great testing system, the best testing system in the world.”
    ▪ Two former FDA commissioners, Mark McClellan and Scott Gottlieb, published a paper on Tuesday outlining the need for at least 750,000 tests per week (and later Gottlieb upped his estimate to 3.8 million tests per week) to contain the disease and reopen the country. When asked if that number is needed before the economy can open, Trump said, “I don’t like using the word ‘needed,’ because I don’t think it’s needed, but we are going to try and hit a number like that, that’s a very high number.”
    ▪ The U.S. has conducted 2.4 million tests total, according to the Covid-19 Tracking Project, an independent effort spearheaded by journalists at the Atlantic, far less than the testing need outlined by McClellan and Gottlieb.
    Crucial quote: “What we’ll be doing in the very near future is going to certain areas of the country and do massive testing. It’s not necessary, but it would be a good thing to have,” Trump said.

    Yes, we do need a “very high number”. That’s how we have an economic recovery. JCOAFPS.

    Paul Montagu (f57f23)

  4. And since here it’s only half an hour away, a Good Friday to all who observe it tomorrow.

    Kishnevi (2326a6)

  5. This is the reason we can’t have nice things. With people like this, it’s going to be hard to build a plan. You can’t argue with stupid.

    And yes, there was the guy in a mask with his rifle, because…I don’t know, DeWine is obviously a liberal shill or something.

    Colonel Klink (Ret) (305827)

  6. I can’t imagine why I would listen to Trump’s non-plan on anything to do with Corona virus. I’ll wait for my governor to talk, thanks.

    Nic (896fdf)

  7. When is he going to make the Mississippi River flow South?

    Of course the country is going to be returning to be normal and, hopefully, by May 1. But like Nic said, it’s going to be up to the people on the ground — the state governors and city mayors.

    What the Orange Boil On America’s Butt is doing is getting ahead on the narrative. That he did it, the Fifth Avenue Four-flushing 4-F.

    nk (1d9030)

  8. Another big question: Do we have reason to believe that there will indeed be extensive testing available by April 30?

    Dana (0feb77)

  9. It is good to have goals.

    But, goals should be achievable.

    This is pure Trump, he likes to throw spaghetti at the wall and see if it sticks. If it doesn’t he will adjust, just wait, that date will slip. This is one of the biggest reasons he should not be surrounded by yes men. The yes men will all admire how sticky the spaghetti is as it falls to the floor.

    Colliente (05736f)

  10. It’s not up to him. It’s up to fifty governors.

    aphrael (7962af)

  11. The question is whether Americans are ready, willing, and able to accept the perceived new risks. Have they figured out the societal catastrophe that awaits? That it’s about being more selfless than they ever actually imagined they would need to be? All the later generations know how to do is to shout and deflect blame. All they know is that the USA enjoys an unlimited credit facility and bail outs really don’t harm us. What’s another multi-trillion line of credit among friends?

    There are serious folks, who for now anyway, have the ear of the governors and the media, who insist that short of a vaccine we can not be allowed to freely associate. This, I would argue, is the consensus opinion of the great unwashed, as well.

    Bottom line: Americans are in no way prepared to stomach the risks and pain that will follow a return to anything remotely resembling “normalcy.” DJT will be crucified for bucking “science.” In a pique of irony, any anecdotal evidence of illnesses and deaths will be trumpeted to high heaven. The anecdote becomes supreme.

    Ed from SFV (950df5)

  12. “All the later generations know how to do is to shout and deflect blame.”

    Ok Boomer.

    Davethulhu (d0f7de)

  13. May day will be more like a whimper then a bang!

    rota (0711be)

  14. checks in the mail
    lol, I’ll keep working my 40 hour week until the new kitchen is installed in this walkout basement. Then I will start another project, remodeling a master bath. Works around if you want. The feds can kiss my old azz. I have mouths to feed and land to tend. Papers Please says govna charlie brown, stick in your ear, biotch.

    mg (8cbc69)

  15. One thing that I hope comes out of this event is a new federalism, or appreciation for federalism.

    THAT would be a very fine benefit in the midst of all the detriment. For the states to reclaim at least some of what they enjoyed through most of our history would be wonderful.

    I hope the governors have the sand to resist the T-rumpian stupid, and make decisions on sound information.

    Ragspierre (d9bec9)

  16. Dr. Fauci: We must close down the whole country!

    Also Dr. Fauci: We must not take a universal approach to reopen the whole country!

    SMDH

    Gryph (08c844)

  17. Time is linear.

    SMDH

    Ragspierre (d9bec9)

  18. Perhaps a good question to ask is: Will the American people be ready to return to their regular routines and activities, as well as return to work after the social distancing guidelines expire on April 30?

    I think we could very well be.
    -Start demonstrating both that we have this under control and that we know what’s going to happen with some accuracy.
    -Lay out steps that we’ll take in way that makes sense.
    -Lay out the plan in advance so that people can raise concerns and they can be addressed ahead of time.

    If we do it that way it could work.

    Time123 (ea2b98)

  19. Dr. Fauci: We must close down the whole country!

    Also Dr. Fauci: We must not take a universal approach to reopen the whole country!

    SMDH

    Why do you think those two things are incompatible?

    One thing: Closing
    A different thing: Opening

    Two things.

    Colonel Klink (Ret) (305827)

  20. https://hotair.com/archives/allahpundit/2020/04/09/hoo-boy-south-korean-study-finds-virus-might-reactivating-recovered-patients/

    Well, THAT could throw a monkey in the wrench!

    The coronavirus may be “reactivating” in people who have been cured of the illness, according to Korea’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

    About 51 patients classed as having been cured in South Korea have tested positive again, the CDC said in a briefing on Monday. Rather than being infected again, the virus may have been reactivated in these people, given they tested positive again shortly after being released from quarantine, said Jeong Eun-kyeong, director-general of the Korean CDC.

    “While we are putting more weight on reactivation as the possible cause, we are conducting a comprehensive study on this,” Jeong said. “There have been many cases when a patient during treatment will test negative one day and positive another.”

    Ragspierre (d9bec9)

  21. I may have been a little bit uncharitable to the Drumpfelschnitzel. Hope is a virtue. And boosting the national morale, even if it’s “only” hope, is good leadership.

    nk (1d9030)

  22. False hope is very dangerous to all concerned. In this case, it can get people killed. Let’s hope we have good reason to hope.

    Ragspierre (d9bec9)

  23. It’ll never work – Trump will KILL US ALL!!
    And if it does work, well Trump should have done it sooner.

    The MSM Meme

    rcocean (1a839e)

  24. Notice that trump is NOT saying:

    He will open the entire US for business
    He has definitely decided to open Anything on May 1st

    The opening is contingent on the medical status. This is his HOPE.

    rcocean (1a839e)

  25. I blame law school for instilling me with a sense of justice. It can be really annoying at times.

    nk (1d9030)

  26. It’ll never work – Trump will KILL US ALL!!
    And if it does work, well Trump should have done it sooner.

    The MSM Meme

    Link to some examples. If it’s a meme, you should find several.

    Ragspierre (d9bec9)

  27. “False Hope” only exists when you know it is false. How does anyone know that the USA will NOT reopen – at least partly – on May 1st? If you can forecast the future, you must be very, very, Rich.

    rcocean (1a839e)

  28. It’s not up to him. It’s up to fifty governors.

    That’s absolutely true. But if the Trump and the CDC are saying its OK to re-open, the Governors who resist will be facing lawsuits.

    rcocean (1a839e)

  29. I was against shutting down the economy all across the country from the beginning. Our whole nation is not New York City and I’m tired of everyone thinking that it is. Now we have trillions more in debt, super high unemployment, and that isn’t going to fix itself in days. We have created such panic that people don’t even speak civilly to each other anymore. We have created a situation where it is more profitable to quit your job than work. And how are we going to pay for all this? Why print more money, let the Fed take more control, keep bending reality of the economy to fit our narrative. All the while opening the door for more socialism to creep in. I think Trump is right to try to reopen the country because if we don’t HOW are we going to pay for all the people not working? My 401k? I don’t doubt some are looking to take it. In my opinion it would have been better to “lock down” the people at high risk and let the economy move on. It will be interesting to see how Sweden comes out as they did not lock down.

    Marci (405d43)

  30. In any case, trump will be coordinating with the Governors on what and where to reopen. If SF Bay, LA, NYC, and DC, want to remain shut down, that’s OK with me. But there’s no reason why Mississippi and Montana should suffer.

    rcocean (1a839e)

  31. “False Hope” only exists when you know it is false.

    That may be the silliest thing you’ve said, and you say a AWFUL lot of silly spit.

    Ragspierre (d9bec9)

  32. …the Governors who resist will be facing lawsuits.

    I’d love to work on those!

    Ragspierre (d9bec9)

  33. I have been saying that the federal government government will follow the lead of the cities and states, but more than a month before that I said that the people will be the leaders. They will only put up with this for so long and not a day longer.

    I still say that. The mayors and governors will follow the lead of their respective constituencies. Insensate freak shows like DeBlasio and Lightfoot will be overruled by the more sensible and competent Cuomos and Pritzkers.

    nk (1d9030)

  34. It will be interesting to see how Sweden comes out as they did not lock down.

    Right now it isn’t looking real good for them.

    https://hotair.com/archives/john-s-2/2020/04/09/swedens-coronavirus-approach-starting-look-like-mistake/

    Ragspierre (d9bec9)

  35. “federal government government” was a typo but I like it. I’ll leave it like that.

    nk (1d9030)

  36. Right now it isn’t looking real good for them.

    No it isn’t, but if they had changed direction like the UK did they’d still have as many deaths but less herd immunity. I give them credit for sticking to a plan. It would have worked far better if they had testing and tracking and had started before those two things were useless. Every country will have to prevent the second wave through testing and quarantine; a prolonged shutdown is suicidal.

    Kevin M (ab1c11)

  37. The New York Times
    @nytimes

    China has reclassified dogs as pets instead of livestock for the first time, as part of a clampdown on animal trade and consumption that was spurred by the pandemic https://nyti.ms/2y6MogZ
    __ _

    harkin (b64479)

  38. This is America, people! Doesn’t the fact that toilet paper was the first thing to be sold out and that people are turning their face masks into fashion statements tell us anything? For crying out loud!

    nk (1d9030)

  39. I give them credit for sticking to a plan.

    Why does The Charge Of The Light Brigade spring to mind…?

    Ragspierre (d9bec9)

  40. 38… 0bama hardest hit…

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  41. 33… lockdown remains in NYC, Detroit and other large, impacted cities.

    Masks, social distancing for everyone else… businesses re-open.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  42. All this reopen the economy, rush back to work, tens of thousands of cheering fans gleefully flocking to football stadiums in September, has a dangerous precedent.

    During the 1918 influenza pandemic, which killed 675,000 in the US and 55 million worldwide (three times as many people killed in WW I), cities and counties, states, that lifted restrictions on business and travel, large social gatherings, experienced a double spike in infections and deaths when the second wave hit, and had a much longer and slower economic recovery. Whereas cities, counties and states that continued restrictions on business and travel, large social gatherings, did not. Those areas of the country saw a decline in infections and deaths, and experienced robust economic growth after the second wave passed. That’s not gloom and doom. That’s a historical and epidemiological fact.

    Influenza returns seasonally and kills tens of thousands every year. And we have had vaccines and treatments for that virus for decades. We don’t have anything approaching an effective vaccine, or even successful treatments, for coronavirus, and won’t for several months, probably years.

    Anyone who thinks otherwise is a blind idiot. High-apple-pie-in-the-sky-hopes have never stopped a pandemic, and this one is global. Ostrich-people need to pull their heads out of the ground and look around. Businesses are closing, many will not be able to reopen. Unemployment is soaring. The economy is spiraling into a deep recession, if not a greater depression. Return to normalcy, or any kind of economic recovery, is so far off in the distant future it can’t be seen with an electron super-telescope.

    This is the grim, dark reality that ostrich-people simply refuse to look at. Hey, people are getting sick and dying, by the thousands every week. Jobs are being lost that will not come back. The real estate market is dead for the foreseeable future, and the real estate market is and always has been the best indicator of the health of the economy. Millions are losing equity in their homes as housing values and sales plummet. That hurts everyone, not just realtors, tens of thousands of whom I expect will be broke and out of business in just a few weeks or months, nationwide. 80% of people who get real estate licenses quit and leave the business within two years, because they can’t afford to live on a pure commission basis. And that’s during a healthy housing market. It costs money to maintain a license, board membership and MLS dues. When there are no sales, there is no income, and who can survive like that? Necessarily spending money but not able to make any.

    Don’t worry about us. I’ve been in real estate for the last 17 years, and my mother, primary owner and principal broker, for over the last 45 years. We’ll weather this storm, although at a substantially reduced income. We’re basically living off savings, and it doesn’t look like that’s going to change any time soon. I don’t expect the real estate market to begin to recover until April next year, after taxes, and even then it will be severely depressed.

    No one is going to be buying homes and moving, not in this downturn. And it’s going to get a lot worse before it gets better. We’re talking about years of economic hardship, declining sales, lost equity, here.

    This is the dirty little secret about real estate. And don’t tell anyone I told you this. There are three kinds of appraisals of property value–county, private, and broker’s, also known as a comparative market analysis. Guess which one is the most accurate.

    Here’s the thing. The county appraiser never enters the house and performs a personal inspection. He just drives by and estimates his valuation on the property taxes paid by homeowners in the surrounding area. That’s because his job is not to valuate the property, but to increase property taxes. He works for the county, not the homeowner.

    A private appraiser will enter and inspect the property. What’s the difference between a private appraisal and a broker’s price opinion? Not much, both are about as equally detailed. A private appraisal will include maps, and what not, extra pages to make the appraisal look more legitimate. However, the private appraiser is given a copy of the sales contract before he begins his inspection. He must value the house at the contract sales price or higher, otherwise the lender will not approve the loan. Thus, he must justify the loan, even if it is way overpriced, because if he doesn’t, the lender will not call him for another appraisal, and he’s out of a job. This is how overpriced homes get sold to buyers who cannot afford them. The result is economic ruin.

    A broker, on the other hand, has to deal with the reality of the market. This is what this house is likely to sell for in the next six months, given the current economic environment. Nobody wants to hear that, not the seller anyway, whether it be some GSE, like Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, some bank or investment groups that bought into collateralized debt obligations and all sorts of other financial nonsense. The result was an economic implosion that rocked the world.

    This will be no different, because the federal government is incapable of doing any thing other than deficit spending in a time of crisis of it’s own making.

    No, I am not very happy about it. I have no source of income for the next several months or at least a year. I have to spend money, which I do not have, in order to not make money for months, because the real estate market is shut down. This sucks, for everybody.

    Trump and his butt gerbil cult can stick their heads in the sand all they want, but nothing is is going to change the situation. This economy is in free fall, and it’s only going to get worse, especially with these idiotic trade wars and tariffs, which have disrupted supply chains, raised prices on consumer products (tariffs are taxes on consumers of import products), and closed esport markets. None of this is going to end well, and it won’t be over for a long time.

    Brace yourselves, because the worst is yet to come. And it will all because of the Trump administration policies, or lack thereof.

    Gawain's Ghost (b25cd1)

  43. That may be the silliest thing you’ve said, and you say a AWFUL lot of silly spit.

    So sayeth teh Titan of Twits.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  44. It’s not up to him. It’s up to fifty governors.

    That’s absolutely true. But if the Trump and the CDC are saying its OK to re-open, the Governors who resist will be facing lawsuits.

    rcocean (1a839e) — 4/10/2020 @ 8:24 am

    They’ll definitely be facing push back. Which is why his failure to communicate a clear plan for how we’re going to accomplish a major coordinated activity in 3 weeks is such a failure on his part.

    Time123 (457a1d)

  45. 33… lockdown remains in NYC, Detroit and other large, impacted cities.

    Masks, social distancing for everyone else… businesses re-open.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 4/10/2020 @ 8:57 am

    A huge amount of economic activity is based in the heavily impacted Cities and there’s no easy way to ban travel between clean areas and areas with CV-19.

    Not saying impossible, but there are a lot of logistics that need to be worked out.

    Time123 (457a1d)

  46. About those Trump Mass Graves on Hart Island:

    https://reason.com/2020/04/10/no-nyc-is-not-running-out-of-burial-space-due-to-covid-19/?amp&__twitter_impression=true
    __

    Related:

    New York City stockpiled ventilators for a pandemic, only to later auction them off: report

    https://www.foxnews.com/politics/new-york-stockpiled-ventilators-for-pandemic-only-to-later-auction-them-off-report.amp

    _

    harkin (b64479)

  47. Sure. I would like to see a Presidential news conference where they spell out the earliest point after the peak when it makes sense to remove most restrictions, if it’s even possible. And then tell us how many masks, coronavirus tests and antibody tests they will need to accomplish it. Then tell us how they will obtain them. Things like that.

    But no. When the experts are done walking on eggshells, trying not to offend the President, we get Trump’s dangerous contradictory “cheerleading”.

    noel (4d3313)

  48. I have about a half dozen of the blue earloop spanakopita maker masks left. When they run out, I am not going to get a bandanna (which are basically gay code these days I don’t care that John Wayne wore one). I’m going to get a shemagh a/k/a kaffiyeh and wear it Tuareg style (that way I won’t need to carry an AK-47, only a sword).

    nk (1d9030)

  49. Brace yourselves, because the worst is yet to come.

    I’m in the consulting/appraisal side of the biz, Gawain. I couldn’t begin to tell you much a property is worth after, like, Feb 29th, at least for commercial property.

    Paul Montagu (f57f23)

  50. One of my friends has a son who’s in the commercial real estate biz, based in Orange County. Friend told me last night that son has lost two deals so far, which doesn’t sound like much.., except his deals normally run between $45m to $70m.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  51. I have about a half dozen of the blue earloop spanakopita maker masks left. When they run out, I am not going to get a bandanna (which are basically gay code these days I don’t care that John Wayne wore one). I’m going to get a shemagh a/k/a kaffiyeh and wear it Tuareg style (that way I won’t need to carry an AK-47, only a sword).

    Just make sure you have a large wet spot on the crotch area of yer pants to complete the look and you will be given a wide berth.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  52. This incident and the prescription may prove to be a large overreaction in most of the country. Except for NYC, Detroit, Chicago, Nawlins, etc.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  53. the thing is, colonel haiku, it’s impossible to tell the difference between “we overreacted” and “we reacted appropriately and as a result kept the infection and death count low enough that it looked like we overreacted”.

    in the bay area, i think it’s substantially more likely that it’s the latter.

    aphrael (7962af)

  54. This is a worrying potential development. If infection and recovery doesn’t confer even limited immunity, “opening up” before treatment or a vaccine is just not going to happen.

    The panacea of “herd immunity” may be not actually be a thing with this. I suspect, hope, it is just some limited re-infection, or that they were never actually fully recovered. If not, this is going to be a much larger problem, and it’s already a 100 year storm level of a problem.

    Colonel Klink (Ret) (305827)

  55. Just make sure you have a large wet spot on the crotch area of yer pants

    Nah! If that worked, all the AOC fanbois would be immune.

    nk (1d9030)

  56. As I posted earlier and Klink just noted, all our victories may be pyrrhic.

    This finding, if borne out, changes the whole testing paradigm.

    Ragspierre (d9bec9)

  57. Acosta: Don’t you need a nationwide testing system for the virus before you reopen?

    Trump: No. We have a great testing system. We have the best testing system in the world… Do you need it? No. Is it a nice thing to do? Yes

    The man is a toxic idiot. See the period?

    Ragspierre (d9bec9)

  58. Colonel Klink — it seems possible that this behaves like chicken pox, where it goes and hides somewhere and then re-emerges later under certain conditions.

    It’s also true that the existing tests we have have an insanely high false negative rate, so maybe that’s what’s going on.

    But if exposure doesn’t confer immunity and re-infection is possible and you can die from re-infections, then humanity is just f*cked.

    aphrael (7962af)

  59. 54… the models were wrong from the start. Not just a smidgen… they were exceedingly overstated.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  60. It will be interesting to see if they are able to determine if the virus hit California during 4Q’19.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  61. Why does The Charge Of The Light Brigade spring to mind…?

    It’s not like they could have stopped half-way through the charge and lost fewer people.

    Kevin M (ab1c11)

  62. Which is why his failure to communicate a clear plan for how we’re going to accomplish a major coordinated activity in 3 weeks is such a failure on his part.

    To be fair, neither one of expects Trump to announce anything clearly, let alone a plan. I would like Fauci, CDC, HHS, the Fed and the AMA to be on board with a clear plan and then have Trump hold it up and say “Here’s my plan!”

    Kevin M (ab1c11)

  63. It will be interesting to see if they are able to determine if the virus hit California during 4Q’19.

    While it is theoretically possible that someone came back from Wuhan with the virus in December, I doubt anyone other than in a small cluster would have been infected and all would have thought it the flu.

    The first major opportunity for multiple Chinese to carry this to the US would have been the January 7-1o Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas. As I’ve posted, I have anecdotal reports of a “bad flu” following that event. It attracts literally thousands of people from China, South Korea, Japan and Europe, not to mention Silicon Valley, the Seattle area (Microsoft, Amazon, T-Mobile) and New York City ($).

    Kevin M (ab1c11)

  64. “the models were wrong from the start. Not just a smidgen… they were exceedingly overstated.”

    Show your work.

    Davethulhu (d0f7de)

  65. But if exposure doesn’t confer immunity and re-infection is possible and you can die from re-infections, then humanity is just f*cked.

    Not with a bang, but a long, drawn-out whimper?

    Actually if something this bad mutates fast enough to evade vaccines or antibodies, we either develop anti-viral drugs with a vengeance, or we accept that the average life-span is somewhat shorter. My money (and everyone else’s) would be on the anti-virals. Lots of it, in fact. We’d probably solve the HIV thing by accident.

    Kevin M (ab1c11)

  66. We had lots and lots of deadly diseases before antibiotics. TB, syphilis, bacterial pneumonia, cholera, etc. Not to mention debilitating ones like dysentery. People just suffered and died, or took cures that make drinking aquarium chemicals seem tame.

    If necessary, we can live with this, too. I hope not, but we cann’t just all hide in caves like we are doing now.

    Kevin M (ab1c11)

  67. Why does The Charge Of The Light Brigade spring to mind…?

    It’s not like they could have stopped half-way through the charge and lost fewer people.

    They thought that the Russian artillery had packed up their cannons and were retreating. A chance to ride down the essentially unarmed cannoneers* and spike or capture the guns. Instead, the Russian artillery was still emplaced and could defend itself adequately. There could be a parallel, here.

    *(That’s what light cavalry did at that time. Scouting, skirmishing, and harrying a retreating foe. Not fighting pitched battles. IIRC, the British heavy cavalry went in the next day and wiped out that same Russian artillery unit.)

    nk (1d9030)

  68. It’s not like they could have stopped half-way through the charge and lost fewer people.

    How would you know this?

    The other option, of course is NOT “sticking with the plan” in the first place.

    The Swedish plan was essentially the same as ours, with the exception that they were counting on the Nordic propensity for being good, obedient citizens instead of having civil authorities issue orders. That apparently was not their experience, and now they’re paying for it.

    Ragspierre (d9bec9)

  69. 64… I wonder how many Chinese citizens fly into California (on average) every month? e.g., 3Q & 4Q 2019…

    There would seem to be little doubt that the Las Vegas show was a factor, but what if the Chinese had been experiencing this months earlier than the media would have it? That’s a lot of potential exposure for California.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  70. I hope not, but we cann’t just all hide in caves like we are doing now.

    I’ve watched tradesmen come and go all day, installing and servicing stuff in new homes being built and existing homes…none of which are caves. Pool guys and lawn-care crews, remodeling contractors and city inspectors, with the traffic tempo pretty brisk in the farm-to-market road behind the development.

    This is Texas.

    Ragspierre (d9bec9)

  71. the thing is, colonel haiku, it’s impossible to tell the difference between “we overreacted” and “we reacted appropriately and as a result kept the infection and death count low enough that it looked like we overreacted”.

    Actually, it’s not. In Italy and and NYC they did nothing until too late, and then ignored the restrictions even after. Now they are triaging patients and sending the old off to die. Probably the UK soon, too, for the same reasons. California won’t experience that, and it is clearly the result of draconian action.

    Now, there may have been other actions that could have been taken with earlier warning of a more nimble healthcare industry. And no, a government health monopoly will not make them more nimble; most of the mistakes and holdups have been in places like the CDC and the White House. The NHS does the best it can, now, but it was late to get started and so was Whitehall.

    Going forward we will have better choices. Anyone who still feels they are too draconian can go ride the NYC subways for a week.

    Kevin M (ab1c11)

  72. This is Texas.

    Well, next door in New Mexico, all those people are staying home. I haven’t seen a workman anywhere, even though this is the time to DO THINGS. Maybe a plumber would come for an emergency — that sounds like a critical business, but the pool guy or the housekeeper? Not likely.

    So, how much time do you send outside the house, anyway? From what you claim it must be a lot.

    Kevin M (ab1c11)

  73. Still, Texas is predicted to have about 50% more deaths than CA. Just bad luck, I guess.

    Kevin M (ab1c11)

  74. Coronavirus Was Slow to Spread to Rural America. Not Anymore.
    ……. A new wave of coronavirus cases is spreading deep into rural corners of the country where people once hoped their communities might be shielded because of their isolation from hard-hit urban centers and the natural social distancing of life in the countryside.

    The coronavirus has officially reached more than two-thirds of the country’s rural counties, with one in 10 reporting at least one death. Doctors and elected officials are warning that a late-arriving wave of illness could overwhelm rural communities that are older, poorer and sicker than much of the country, and already dangerously short on medical help.
    …..
    Deaths are being reported in small farming and manufacturing towns that barely had a confirmed case a week ago. Fourteen infections have been reported in the county encompassing Ms. Rhodes’s southern Illinois hometown of Murphysboro, and she recently quarantined with her parents, who are nurses, as a precaution after they got sick.

    Rich ski towns like Sun Valley, Idaho, and Vail, Colo., have some of the highest infection rates in the country, and are discouraging visitors and second homeowners from seeking refuge in the mountains. Indian reservations, which grapple daily with high poverty and inadequate medical services, are now confronting soaring numbers of cases.

    Michael Angelucci, a state delegate in West Virginia and the administrator of the Marion County Rescue Squad, said the recent closure of a hospital there is already being felt.

    In some places, the virus has rushed in so suddenly that even leaders are falling ill. In the tiny county of Early in southwest Georgia, five people have died. And the mayor and the police chief of the county seat, Blakely, are among the county’s 92 confirmed cases. It has been a shock for the rural county of fewer than 11,000 people. .. ..
    ……
    In Mississippi, a mostly rural state, the virus had spread to nearly every county by April, with more than 1,000 cases and nearly two dozen deaths reported, causing health care workers to wonder, nervously, when the governor would issue a stay-at-home order. Last week, he finally did, and doctors at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson breathed a sigh of relief.
    …….
    In Mangum, Okla., a town of 6,000 in the western part of the state, it all started with a visit. A pastor from Tulsa appeared at a local church, but got sick shortly thereafter and became the state’s first Covid-19 fatality.

    Then somebody at the local church started to feel unwell — a person who eventually tested positive for coronavirus.
    …….
    Over all in the town, there are now three deaths and 26 residents who have tested positive for the coronavirus — one of the highest infection rates in rural America.
    …..

    RipMurdock (1d97e4)

  75. So, how much time do you send outside the house, anyway? From what you claim it must be a lot.

    This desk is right beside a window looking out on two streets, and I spend a few pleasant hours basking like a lizard on the front walk smoking good cigars. When I’m outside, I can see much more.

    Ragspierre (d9bec9)

  76. It’s not “rural” but Albuquerque is surrounded by 200 miles of desert, yet this thing eventually got here. Still it was late — the virus won’t peak here until May. And then there are the little towns in the middle of literal nowhere, and they’ve got it woo, mostly from people who returned after traveling.

    Kevin M (ab1c11)

  77. Still, Texas is predicted to have about 50% more deaths than CA. Just bad luck, I guess.

    We’ll see. One of my sons reports that the mood in the stores he serves is better lately, though people are being careful. A WalMart receiver is gone, which could be a quarantine or something more dire. A daughter-in-law lost an uncle in Ecuador to CV19 last week.

    I was born in Hollywood. I’d rather die in Texas then live in Kulhifornia.

    Ragspierre (d9bec9)

  78. Of interest, if you look at the number of people in the USA that are dying of this disease.
    In the last few days the # of deaths has looked like this:
    Apr 5th – 1212
    Apr 6th – 1164
    Apr 7th – 1939
    Apr 8th – 1973
    Apr 9th – 1783

    I don’t mean to sound insensitive, 2000 people dying a day is still 2000 people a day. Things can still change for the worse because nobody really understands this virus yet. I just thought this data seemed encouraging, and we need encouragement. I’ll continue to monitor the rate and if it changes in the next few days I’ll repost.

    Colliente (05736f)

  79. Do the Texas numbers skew more to the I-45 corridor and eastward to Louisiana rather than I-35 and surrounding communities?

    urbanleftbehind (c68296)

  80. Harris county has the most with 31 deaths, followed by Bexar and Dallas counties with 20, and Tarrant with 19.

    Colliente (05736f)

  81. ” I’m just hoping that Trump can use some restraint.”

    From the campaign iin early 2016 – “Will this be the week Trump pivots?”

    It appears that there is learning impairment outside the president and his advisors.

    John B Boddie (678895)

  82. Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia faces blowback as he curtails scope of worker relief in unemployment crisis
    ……
    In recent days, Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia, who has expressed concerns about unemployment insurance being too generous, has used his department’s authority over new laws enacted by Congress to limit who qualifies for joblessness assistance and to make it easier for small businesses not to pay family leave benefits. The new rules make it more difficult for gig workers such as Uber and Lyft drivers to get benefits, while making it easier for some companies to avoid paying their workers coronavirus-related sick and family leave.
    ……
    “You could have massive civil unrest if these systems cannot get checks out the door. We’re talking about 20 percent unemployment, maybe even more,” (Sen. Lindsey) Graham said. “The application process is a nightmare. The state systems are failing.”
    …….
    Still, Scalia has made clear he is wary of taking an excessively lax approach to disbursing aid, an argument that he used to help win GOP support for recent legislation. Writing on Fox Business Network’s website on Monday, he warned that he does not want unemployed people to become addicted to government aid.
    “We want workers to work, not to become dependent on the unemployment system,” Scalia wrote with Small Business Administration chief Jovita Carranza. “Unemployment is not the preferred outcome when government stay-at-home orders force temporary business shutdowns.” …

    Scalia told conservative senators that once enacted, his agency would ensure the provisions his agency oversees would not hurt U.S. companies, according to three congressional officials aware of the conversations and granted anonymity to discuss the call. …..

    RipMurdock (1d97e4)

  83. An army of unemployed and angry workers will not help Trump’s re-election. Pitchforks and torches for all!

    RipMurdock (1d97e4)

  84. RipMurdock (1d97e4) — 4/10/2020 @ 1:43 pm

    I’ll assume you are right. But wasn’t that the demo that elected him?

    felipe (023cc9)

  85. ” I’m just hoping that Trump can use some restraint.”

    From the campaign iin early 2016 – “Will this be the week Trump pivots?”

    It appears that there is learning impairment outside the president and his advisors.

    John B Boddie (678895) — 4/10/2020 @ 1:36 pm

    Now go re-read that in the knowingly futile, yet still desperately, if not remotely, hopeful tone in which it was written.

    Dana (0feb77)

  86. @85 Felipe-
    COVID-19 is Chinese bioweapon targeting Trump supporting workers and elderly Republicans. Brilliant!
    /sarc

    RipMurdock (1d97e4)

  87. Chris Cillizza
    @CillizzaCNN
    ·
    “Staying at home leads to death also….if you look at numbers it leads to a different kind of death perhaps.” — Donald Trump

    What?
    __ _

    Stephen L. Miller
    @redsteeze
    ·
    Ezra Klein at Vox
    https://vox.com/2020/3/12/21173938/coronavirus-covid-19-social-distancing-elderly-epidemic-isolation-quarantine…

    NBC News
    https://nbcnews.com/health/health-news/social-distancing-could-have-devastating-effect-people-depression-n1157871…

    The Washington Post (The Fix.. which you edited!)
    https://washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/03/30/what-do-we-know-about-how-down-economy-will-affect-suicides/…

    And drumroll… Your own network
    https://cnn.com/2020/04/09/health/coronavirus-mental-health-long-term-wellness/index.html
    __ _

    harkin (b64479)

  88. They just can’t help themselves……

    Jason Howerton
    @jason_howerton

    Our media is so eager to create controversy, one reporter just basically hinted that the black surgeon general was being racist when he said “big momma” and “pop pop.”
    _

    harkin (b64479)

  89. To Prod Mexico, Trump Offers to Cut U.S. Oil Output

    President Trump said Friday that he had offered to cut U.S. oil production to help advance an agreement between the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Russia and other countries. But it was not clear what exactly he had promised and whether it would even work. ……

    In a highly unusual move, Mr. Trump said he had told President Andrés Manuel López Obrador of Mexico that he would cut U.S. oil production by 250,000 barrels a day so that Mexico would cut its output by only 100,000 barrels a day. Mexico’s reluctance to cut output was a key sticking point in a Thursday conference call between OPEC and other oil producers. …..

    American oil executives said it was not clear to them how the president would cut production. The federal government controls permitting on federal lands and offshore, but drilling for oil is done by private companies and it would be highly unusual for the federal government to force them to cut production. ..,,

    Low gas prices are one of few bright spots in this economic crash, and directly helps the newly unemployed, yet Trump wants higher prices for his oil company buddies. I can see the campaign ads right now, accusing Trump of supporting a cartel over out of work consumers. Just because you can make a deal doesn’t mean you should.

    RipMurdock (1d97e4)

  90. @86 (Dana)

    Making statements about the president in a” …knowingly futile, yet still desperately, if not remotely, hopeful tone …” is a waste of potentially useful electrons at this point.

    John B Boddie (678895)

  91. Well, at least Mexico likes the idea – even if it cannot be delivered.

    felipe (023cc9)

  92. Russian Pres. Putin says he views the OPEC+ deal “very positively” as a compromise agreement that will have a positive impact in stabilizing global markets.

    I can well imagine he DOES…!!!

    Ragspierre (d9bec9)

  93. But wasn’t that the demo that elected him?

    The unemployment rate was 4.6% in November 2016.

    Dave (1bb933)

  94. >what if the Chinese had been experiencing this months earlier than the media would have it?

    I’ve been reading the academic literature on this as it’s released in pre-publication form for at least a month. Pretty much everyone in the epidemiological community believes that this didn’t exist before November and that it wasn’t widely disseminated *within China* until the end of the year.

    Some of this is based on analysis of RNA mutation, the same sort of analysis that’s allowing us to discern that the east coast’s cases largely came by way of Europe while the west coast’s cases largely came directly from China.

    aphrael (7962af)

  95. > Unemployment is not the preferred outcome when government stay-at-home orders force temporary business shutdowns.

    What is the preferred outcome, I wonder? There aren’t enough available jobs at the appropriate skill level to absorb the increase in idle labor and won’t be until the shutdowns are over.

    Personally I’d prefer that we take the approach of some European countries and just backstop wages of employees of businesses which are closed — that has the least distortive economic effect — but as far as I know Sen. Hawley is the only person even talking about that.

    aphrael (7962af)

  96. Was listening to the Press Briefing by Trump and the task force. Things are looking good. Turned it off after 20 minutes of MSM questions, since its the same old story. Reporters REPEATING questions they asked yesterday or the day before, reporters asking “gotcha” questions, Reporters wanting Trump to criticize other R’s or mysterious “conservatives” who are saying “blah,blah”. And of course, the lazy beeps will also ask the same question twice. Incredible. How anyone can have any respect for these MSM clowns is a mystery. The questions for the Surgeon General or the two doctors weren’t much better.

    rcocean (1a839e)

  97. OMG Trump is working with….Putin!!!…the most EVIL MAN IN THE WORLD!!! And according to Hillary, Trump is a Russian asset. can we trust our President in Oil negotiations?

    OMG!

    rcocean (1a839e)

  98. Trump is in favor of cutting production, because the price is too low to support American oil production. We need to be independent in Energy, and need a healthy US Energy sector, which employs plenty of poeple. Why not “essential”, like Lawyers, Gov’t Bureaucrats, Liberal Arts Professors, Hollyweirdo actors and producers, and Journalists, the Oil men and Coal Miners do their bit to make us a strong country.

    rcocean (1a839e)

  99. Cutting oil production is his opinion, but Trump has no legal or constitutional authority to do so. Declarations like that only work with government-owned oil companies, like those in OPEC. Remember when OPEC was the enemy? Still is.

    RipMurdock (1d97e4)

  100. By becoming the leading producer of energy in the world we broke OPEC. Have a nice day.

    NJRob (4d595c)

  101. We need to be independent in Energy, and need a healthy US Energy sector, which employs plenty of poeple.

    We have all that. And we have it according to what market conditions support, not what some thug dictates. Why would you want a lot of hands producing LESS oil?

    Ragspierre (d9bec9)

  102. Compassionate Use of Remdesivir for Patients with Severe Covid-19

    New England Journal of Medicine-Abstract

    BACKGROUND
    Remdesivir, a nucleotide analogue prodrug that inhibits viral RNA polymerases, has shown in vitro activity against SARS-CoV-2.

    METHODS
    We provided remdesivir on a compassionate-use basis to patients hospitalized with Covid-19, the illness caused by infection with SARS-CoV-2. Patients were those with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection who had an oxygen saturation of 94% or less while they were breathing ambient air or who were receiving oxygen support. Patients received a 10-day course of remdesivir, consisting of 200 mg administered intravenously on day 1, followed by 100 mg daily for the remaining 9 days of treatment. This report is based on data from patients who received remdesivir during the period from January 25, 2020, through March 7, 2020, and have clinical data for at least 1 subsequent day.

    RESULTS
    Of the 61 patients who received at least one dose of remdesivir, data from 8 could not be analyzed (including 7 patients with no post-treatment data and 1 with a dosing error). Of the 53 patients whose data were analyzed, 22 were in the United States, 22 in Europe or Canada, and 9 in Japan. At baseline, 30 patients (57%) were receiving mechanical ventilation and 4 (8%) were receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. During a median follow-up of 18 days, 36 patients (68%) had an improvement in oxygen-support class, including 17 of 30 patients (57%) receiving mechanical ventilation who were extubated. A total of 25 patients (47%) were discharged, and 7 patients (13%) died; mortality was 18% (6 of 34) among patients receiving invasive ventilation and 5% (1 of 19) among those not receiving invasive ventilation.

    CONCLUSIONS
    In this cohort of patients hospitalized for severe Covid-19 who were treated with compassionate-use remdesivir, clinical improvement was observed in 36 of 53 patients (68%). Measurement of efficacy will require ongoing randomized, placebo-controlled trials of remdesivir therapy. (Funded by Gilead Sciences.)

    Link includes full article.

    RipMurdock (1d97e4)

  103. The application process is a nightmare. The state systems are failing.”

    Not only the states.

    I learned via a phone call regarding my own UI claim that
    1) every state authenticates identity via Social Security’s computer system…
    2) which under the stress of the last three weeks has crashed completely…
    3) and it’s not known when it will get back online.

    So if true [I have no way of knowing if it is true, or just a DEO clerk trying to BS me], no one’s getting those checks until Social Security gets its computers working.

    Kishnevi (5faaf8)

  104. No, they can’t. But it’s good to know where their true sympathies lie…

    https://twitter.com/iowahawkblog/status/1248708451926188033

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  105. A National and State Plan To End the Coronavirus Crisis
    The Trump administration has failed to develop a coherent, evidence-based plan to end the coronavirus crisis. Because the administration did not take the pandemic seriously when cases first emerged in the United States, our response is now far behind that of countries such as South Korea; as a result, our death toll will be far higher. Although President Donald Trump reversed course and extended the federal government’s physical distancing guidelines from April 12 through April 30, the guidelines are not aggressive enough. April 30 is still too early, and the steps necessary to ease restrictions have not been laid out. Most importantly, we need to act now to ensure the country has developed the necessary health infrastructure to allow us to gradually reopen our economy. A comprehensive, multifaceted plan is needed to reopen the economy without sparking a second wave of infections.
    ……..
    ….. Americans are willing to make sacrifices and do their part to break transmission, but they need to have faith that there is a plan in place that will work. There is no conflict between aggressive public health measures that save lives and economic growth: In a study of the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, cities that intervened earlier and more aggressively had faster economic growth after the pandemic.

    In order to contemplate reopening the economy, even in phases, the following components are necessary:

    A stay-at-home policy for a minimum of 45 days starting April 5

    Ramping up testing to South Korean levels so that every individual who has a fever, and every member of a household of a positive case, has access to a test

    Robust surveillance testing of representative samples of every county, including counties that are not reporting any cases

    Instantaneous contact tracing and isolation of individuals who were in close proximity to a positive case

    Public alerts and mapping to inform the general public of the location of COVID-19 cases

    Isolation of individuals who test positive for COVID-19, individuals who have a fever, and front-line health care workers

    Restrictions of mass transit

    Guidelines for the use of face masks

    Benchmarks for when restrictions can be eased, with some restrictions on large gatherings and mass transit remaining until herd immunity is achieved

    If the federal government refuses to implement such a plan, states are not powerless to act and can proceed to follow this plan in order to ease restrictions for their residents.
    ……

    RipMurdock (1d97e4)

  106. Lefty media for Teh Suck…

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  107. Crossfire Hurricane is in the news again tells us all what we already knew, that the investigation was a sham and trying to tilt the election then undermine the presidency.

    NJRob (4d595c)

  108. Saw that, Rob. Catherine Herridge is on it for CBS, if you can believe it. CBS, finally hires a real journalist!

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  109. Opinions may vary…….

    Barb McQuade
    @BarbMcQuade
    ·
    Michigan is fortunate to have @GovWhitmer and @LtGovGilchrist leading with wisdom and compassion during this crisis.
    __ _

    Garlin Gilchrist II
    @LtGovGilchrist
    ·
    That woman from Michigan has a name…it’s Governor Gretchen Whitmer

    There is nobody better prepared to handle this crisis, and I’m blessed to be her partner as we #StayHome and #StaySafe to #SaveLives

    https://politico.com/news/magazine
    __ _

    Nick Short Flag of United States
    @PoliticalShort
    ·
    Also, “All public and private gatherings of any size are prohibited,” Whitmer said.
    __ _

    Ben Domenech
    @bdomenech
    ·
    I didn’t believe this at first, but Whitmer’s order does indeed require stores to shut down their gardening and planting sections.
    __ _

    (((AG)))
    @AGHamilton29
    ·
    The Whitmer coverage is very revealing. She has screwed up several key aspects of the response, but is getting overwhelmingly positive coverage because she has openly clashed with Trump several times. Shows the extent to which politics is driving coverage.

    __ _

    Ben Domenech
    @bdomenech
    ·
    “In-store purchases of Michigan Lottery tickets are still permitted, but buying a bag of seeds is off limits.”
    __ _

    Whatevs II
    @joesichspach
    .
    @GovWhitmer
    has banned us from growing our own food. This is f**king insane.
    __ _

    That ‘Woman Governor’ Just Banned Michigan Residents From Visiting Family and Neighbors

    https://pjmedia.com/trending/that-woman-governor-has-just-banned-michigan-residents-from-visiting-friends-and-neighbors/amp/?__twitter_impression=true
    __

    harkin (b64479)

  110. @GovWhitmer
    has banned us from growing our own food. This is f**king insane.

    It’s also f**king false. She ordered *large stores* to close their carpeting, flooring, furniture, garden centers, plant nurseries and paint departments. If people want these non-essential items, they should order them by mail. There is no ban on growing food.

    That ‘Woman Governor’ Just Banned Michigan Residents From Visiting Family and Neighbors

    There are exceptions for caring for a relative, an elderly friend or a pet.

    Dave (1bb933)

  111. From the Trumpravda PJMedia opinion piece at 110:

    People will still be able to travel to other residences outside the state, but not to cottages or vacation rentals inside the state, the order says.

    The rule against traveling to a favorite vacation spot will devastate the economy in the north. Michigan is a wonderland of lakes and rivers set in some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world. The economies of many of the state’s small cities and towns will crater if their summer business fails to show up.

    Facepalm. The only good thing, the absolute very onliest good thing, about PJMedia is that it does not kill trees.

    nk (1d9030)

  112. There’s a reason that half-baked opinion site claiming to be news sold for only $100,000 to Salem, Mr. Dave.

    nk (1d9030)

  113. It’s sad. Great businessmen don’t sell out for low six-figures, Mr. nk.

    Great businessmen file half a dozen nine- or ten-figure bankruptcies, stiffing everyone who trusted them, and then dodge personal income taxes for the next decade or two, as a reward.

    Dave (1bb933)

  114. Did I hear those two numb nut drs. say vote by mail? Fire these two democrat operatives, Trump.

    mg (8cbc69)

  115. WOLF

    mg (8cbc69)

  116. not to worry mr mg russia has a top notch postal service and their bulk rates are priced to fit the budget of any campaign

    Dave (1bb933)

  117. Voting by mail has always been problematic, with hundreds of thousands (or is it millions?) of military ballots pouring in from who knows where, but I don’t know what we can do about it.

    I voted by mail this past primary (for the first time), but I did not have a sergeant looking over my shoulder to make sure I voted the right way, I took it to the mailbox myself, and I got an email from the board of elections saying they had received it. What happened afterwards was as much in my control as if I had voted in person, and likely more honest because it eliminated the precinct workers from the chain of possible fraud.

    As far as the November election goes, if we’re not out of the lockdown by then all I can say is: ” F*** ballots! Pitchforks and torches!” Right now, it’s nothing more than the OBOAB creating phantom concerns, something which he’s really good at.

    nk (1d9030)

  118. Instead, a collection of governors, former government officials, disease specialists and nonprofits are pursuing a strategy that relies on the three pillars of disease control: Ramp up testing to identify people who are infected. Find everyone they interact with by deploying contact tracing on a scale America has never attempted before. And focus restrictions more narrowly on the infected and their contacts so the rest of society doesn’t have to stay in permanent lockdown.

    But there is no evidence yet the White House will pursue such a strategy.

    Instead, the president and his top advisers have fixated almost exclusively on plans to reopen the U.S. economy by the end of the month, though they haven’t detailed how they will do so without triggering another outbreak. President Trump has been especially focused on creating a second coronavirus task force aimed at combating the economic ramifications of the virus…
    –WaPo

    Idiots can get you killed. From flag-men on the highway to presidents and their toadies.

    Ragspierre (d9bec9)

  119. “It’s also f**king false. She ordered *large stores* to close their carpeting, flooring, furniture, garden centers, plant nurseries and paint departments. If people want these non-essential items“

    Lol – but lottery tickets are essential?

    Imagine the logistics of everyone doing their spring planting by mail.

    Common sense will prevail.

    harkin (b64479)


  120. Tori Sachs
    @Tori_Sachs
    ·
    Per order from @GovWhitmer, people in Michigan are now banned from purchasing a new baby car seat in stores.

    This is dangerous and this order needs clarification immediately. #migov #mileg
    __

    VP material.

    harkin (b64479)

  121. John Roberts
    @johnr87884
    ·
    $0.50 per gal gas tax, banning doctors from providing prescription chloroquine till she had to reverse course within days with Henry Ford Hospital starting trials, now this bonehead move, where’s Michigan’s 25th Amendment?
    __

    harkin (b64479)

  122. Those responsible for getting the job done will be held accountable. Critics criticize.

    “Teachers and critics all dance the poot.”

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  123. Per order from @GovWhitmer, people in Michigan are now banned from purchasing a new baby car seat in stores.

    This is dangerous and this order needs clarification immediately. #migov #mileg

    Ohhh, won’t somebody please think of the children?

    nk (1d9030)

  124. If only seeds, small vegetable seedlings and children’s car seats funded public unions like the lottery tickets do…..

    harkin (b64479)

  125. still crazy, with some hold outs, huh,

    narciso (7404b5)

  126. OT:

    “The way it was”… 50 years ago today, April 11, 1970, in the age of Aquarius, the Odyssey began:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-Cv5VBjH4M

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  127. Rene Warren
    @Ruralph
    ·
    @GovWhitmer
    The lines at lottery machines in the inner city are disgusting you need to shut the lottery down now with the state put lives before money??

    _

    I’ve got a feeling this isn’t going to go on much longer. The hypocrisy is brazen.
    _

    harkin (b64479)

  128. And a day this week 50 years ago is also the unofficial date of the Beatles breaking up, based IIRC on some sort of statement from Paul.

    Oh for those days when we’d bring home a new Beatles album every 8 months or so and then just play it over and over for days.

    harkin (b64479)

  129. Ohhh, won’t somebody please think of the children petunias?

    FYP.

    Dave (1bb933)

  130. narciso!!!

    PP just gained 25 points IQ !!!

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  131. You know what departure from normal life in New York City is being extended in small increments, repeatedly??

    Suspension of alterntae side of the street parking regulations.

    Sammy Finkelman (2178a8)

  132. 43. One problem is the economic policy (this closure won’t last) is not in line with the medical policy (keep things closed)

    One thing or the other needs to be changed.

    Sammy Finkelman (3bf6ea)


Powered by WordPress.

Page loaded in: 0.1318 secs.