Tuesday, March 10, 2020
Trump Is Counting on the Supreme Court to Save Him
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/03/mazars-lawsuit/607540/
"Although Trump is suing his accountants and his bankers as a private citizen, his case has been joined by the Department of Justice. Solicitor General Noel Francisco has signed an amicus brief on behalf of the United States. It is an astonishing document. It invites the Supreme Court to junk two centuries of precedent—and to substitute an entirely new system of judicial review of congressional subpoenas that involve a president. A legislative subpoena must therefore satisfy heightened requirements when it seeks information from the President. At the threshold, the full chamber should unequivocally authorize a subpoena against the President. Moreover, the legislative purpose should be set forth with specificity. Courts should not presume that the purpose is legitimate, but instead should scrutinize it with care. And as with information protected by executive privilege, information sought from the President should be demonstrably critical to the legislative purpose. A congressional committee cannot evade these heightened requirements merely by directing the subpoena to third-party custodians, for such agents generally assume the rights and privileges of their principal, as this Court has recognized in analogous cases. All the requirements in that above paragraph were devised for purposes of this litigation. None of them has ever been enforced—none of them has ever been imagined—in the previous 230 years of skirmishing between Congresses and presidents. Every must and should and cannot was invented in this very brief, for the immediate legal purposes of this president in this dilemma. The solicitor general might as well have said that subpoenas must be delivered by a sled pulled by flying reindeer, for all the connection between these demands and the previous constitutional history of the United States. As the House of Representatives noted in the brief it filed, previous Congresses have obtained the bank records of Presidents Andrew Johnson and Jimmy Carter, and the tax records of President Richard Nixon.'
"Although Trump is suing his accountants and his bankers as a private citizen, his case has been joined by the Department of Justice. Solicitor General Noel Francisco has signed an amicus brief on behalf of the United States. It is an astonishing document. It invites the Supreme Court to junk two centuries of precedent—and to substitute an entirely new system of judicial review of congressional subpoenas that involve a president. A legislative subpoena must therefore satisfy heightened requirements when it seeks information from the President. At the threshold, the full chamber should unequivocally authorize a subpoena against the President. Moreover, the legislative purpose should be set forth with specificity. Courts should not presume that the purpose is legitimate, but instead should scrutinize it with care. And as with information protected by executive privilege, information sought from the President should be demonstrably critical to the legislative purpose. A congressional committee cannot evade these heightened requirements merely by directing the subpoena to third-party custodians, for such agents generally assume the rights and privileges of their principal, as this Court has recognized in analogous cases. All the requirements in that above paragraph were devised for purposes of this litigation. None of them has ever been enforced—none of them has ever been imagined—in the previous 230 years of skirmishing between Congresses and presidents. Every must and should and cannot was invented in this very brief, for the immediate legal purposes of this president in this dilemma. The solicitor general might as well have said that subpoenas must be delivered by a sled pulled by flying reindeer, for all the connection between these demands and the previous constitutional history of the United States. As the House of Representatives noted in the brief it filed, previous Congresses have obtained the bank records of Presidents Andrew Johnson and Jimmy Carter, and the tax records of President Richard Nixon.'
Testing for the coronavirus might have stopped it. Now it’s too late.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/coronavirus-testing-united-states/2020/03/05/a6ced5aa-5f0f-11ea-9055-5fa12981bbbf_story.html
"The battle to keep covid-19 from becoming established in the United States is probably over without a single shot being fired. We were not outwitted, outpaced or outflanked. We knew what was coming. We just twiddled our thumbs as the coronavirus waltzed in. The first thing officials need when responding to an infectious disease is a way to test for it — a way to tell who has it and who is at risk. Dozens of such test procedures have been produced in the scant weeks since covid-19 announced itself to the world by shutting down Wuhan, China, a city the size of New York. Public health agencies around the globe have generated huge amounts of data on how well these tests work and have rolled them out on a massive scale. South Korea alone has tested more than 100,000 of its citizens. But the United States has lagged far behind the rest of the world in testing for the new coronavirus. As a result, outbreaks here are likely to be more numerous and more difficult to control than they would have been otherwise. I research infectious disease and how to fight it, so I know how important it is to detect outbreaks early. The covid-19 outbreak is the largest acute infectious-disease emergency most of us have experienced. And we may have let it go undetected here for too long."
"The battle to keep covid-19 from becoming established in the United States is probably over without a single shot being fired. We were not outwitted, outpaced or outflanked. We knew what was coming. We just twiddled our thumbs as the coronavirus waltzed in. The first thing officials need when responding to an infectious disease is a way to test for it — a way to tell who has it and who is at risk. Dozens of such test procedures have been produced in the scant weeks since covid-19 announced itself to the world by shutting down Wuhan, China, a city the size of New York. Public health agencies around the globe have generated huge amounts of data on how well these tests work and have rolled them out on a massive scale. South Korea alone has tested more than 100,000 of its citizens. But the United States has lagged far behind the rest of the world in testing for the new coronavirus. As a result, outbreaks here are likely to be more numerous and more difficult to control than they would have been otherwise. I research infectious disease and how to fight it, so I know how important it is to detect outbreaks early. The covid-19 outbreak is the largest acute infectious-disease emergency most of us have experienced. And we may have let it go undetected here for too long."
Presidential tweets can't paper over Trump's coronavirus failures
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/presidential-tweets-can-t-paper-over-trump-s-coronavirus-failures-n1153346
"For three years, a question about Trump has lingered in the background: what would happen when the nation's first amateur president faced a genuine crisis? One he couldn't overpower with spectacle and nonsense? One that required him to listen, learn, and lead with a steady hand? Such a crisis has arrived and Trump is making clear that he's not up to the task. The president's go-to moves are familiar -- lie, divert blame, contradict experts, tout a personal expertise that exists in his imagination -- but they are a poor fit for the dangerous circumstances."
"For three years, a question about Trump has lingered in the background: what would happen when the nation's first amateur president faced a genuine crisis? One he couldn't overpower with spectacle and nonsense? One that required him to listen, learn, and lead with a steady hand? Such a crisis has arrived and Trump is making clear that he's not up to the task. The president's go-to moves are familiar -- lie, divert blame, contradict experts, tout a personal expertise that exists in his imagination -- but they are a poor fit for the dangerous circumstances."
'Code for Massive Cuts': Audio Shows GOP Sen. Joni Ernst Telling Donors She Wants 'Changes' to Medicare, Medicaid
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/02/14/code-massive-cuts-audio-shows-gop-sen-joni-ernst-telling-donors-she-wants-changes
"The audio clip comes months after the Democratic super PAC American Bridge posted a video of Ernst telling a town hall audience in August that members of Congress should negotiate changes to Social Security "behind closed doors" to avoid scrutiny from advocacy groups and the press."
"The audio clip comes months after the Democratic super PAC American Bridge posted a video of Ernst telling a town hall audience in August that members of Congress should negotiate changes to Social Security "behind closed doors" to avoid scrutiny from advocacy groups and the press."
The White House Has Hired Two College Seniors to Fill Top Posts in Recent Weeks
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/03/white-house-hired-two-college-seniors-fill-top-posts.html
"In recent weeks, the White House has tapped two college seniors to take on key roles in the administration as there seems to be a premium on loyalty above all else. The most recent hire is Anthony Labruna, who is scheduled to start on Monday as deputy White house liaison at the Department of Commerce, according to Politico. Some in the department are reportedly “pretty concerned” that someone who is so young and inexperienced will take over a job that involves filling political vacancies with qualified people. “It’s not a job that you take a kid who doesn’t know anything about the government,” a source said. Labruna is set to graduate from Iowa State University in early May and had worked on Trump’s 2020 Iowa campaign. According to his Facebook page, Labruna is 22, which would make him one year younger than James Bacon, who was tapped late last month to be one of the top officials in the Presidential Personnel Office."
"In recent weeks, the White House has tapped two college seniors to take on key roles in the administration as there seems to be a premium on loyalty above all else. The most recent hire is Anthony Labruna, who is scheduled to start on Monday as deputy White house liaison at the Department of Commerce, according to Politico. Some in the department are reportedly “pretty concerned” that someone who is so young and inexperienced will take over a job that involves filling political vacancies with qualified people. “It’s not a job that you take a kid who doesn’t know anything about the government,” a source said. Labruna is set to graduate from Iowa State University in early May and had worked on Trump’s 2020 Iowa campaign. According to his Facebook page, Labruna is 22, which would make him one year younger than James Bacon, who was tapped late last month to be one of the top officials in the Presidential Personnel Office."
Trump Promised to Protect Medicare. That’s Not What He Said Two Weeks Ago.
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2020/02/trump-promised-to-protect-medicare-thats-not-what-he-said-two-weeks-ago/
"During a January interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, CNBC’s Joe Kernen asked if cuts to entitlements, a euphemism for programs like Medicare and Social Security, would ever be on his agenda. “At some point they will be,” Trump answered. “It’ll be toward the end of the year. The growth is going to be incredible. And at the right time, we will take a look at that.” As the New York Times reported, it wasn’t the first time Trump threatened cuts to popular safety-net programs: The president has already proposed cuts for some safety-net programs. His last budget proposal called for a total of $1.9 trillion in cost savings from mandatory safety-net programs, like Medicaid and Medicare. It also called for spending $26 billion less on Social Security programs, the federal retirement program, including a $10 billion cut to the Social Security Disability Insurance program, which provides benefits to disabled workers."
"During a January interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, CNBC’s Joe Kernen asked if cuts to entitlements, a euphemism for programs like Medicare and Social Security, would ever be on his agenda. “At some point they will be,” Trump answered. “It’ll be toward the end of the year. The growth is going to be incredible. And at the right time, we will take a look at that.” As the New York Times reported, it wasn’t the first time Trump threatened cuts to popular safety-net programs: The president has already proposed cuts for some safety-net programs. His last budget proposal called for a total of $1.9 trillion in cost savings from mandatory safety-net programs, like Medicaid and Medicare. It also called for spending $26 billion less on Social Security programs, the federal retirement program, including a $10 billion cut to the Social Security Disability Insurance program, which provides benefits to disabled workers."
Trump budget would cut Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security while expanding tax cuts for the rich
https://www.salon.com/2020/02/10/trump-budget-would-cut-medicare-medicaid-and-social-security-while-expanding-tax-cuts-for-the-rich/
"The plan also calls for a steep 8% cut to the Education budget; a 9% cut to the Health and Human Services Budget, including the Centers for Disease Control; and a 26% cut to the Environmental Protection Agency budget. The Interior Department would see a 13% budget cut; the Department of Housing and Urban Development would see a 15% cut; and both the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development would be slashed by 22%. However, Trump's budget proposal calls for an increase to the Homeland Security funding and $2 billion in additional funding for his border wall, down from $5 billion last year. Despite the deep cuts, the budget plan acknowledges that the proposal would fail to eliminate the deficit over the next decade. Trump's advisers vowed to eliminate the deficit by 2028, but it has only grown instead."
"The plan also calls for a steep 8% cut to the Education budget; a 9% cut to the Health and Human Services Budget, including the Centers for Disease Control; and a 26% cut to the Environmental Protection Agency budget. The Interior Department would see a 13% budget cut; the Department of Housing and Urban Development would see a 15% cut; and both the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development would be slashed by 22%. However, Trump's budget proposal calls for an increase to the Homeland Security funding and $2 billion in additional funding for his border wall, down from $5 billion last year. Despite the deep cuts, the budget plan acknowledges that the proposal would fail to eliminate the deficit over the next decade. Trump's advisers vowed to eliminate the deficit by 2028, but it has only grown instead."
The Trump administration has contradicted itself on coronavirus no fewer than 14 times in less than a month
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/03/09/trump-administration-has-contradicted-itself-coronavirus-no-fewer-than-14-times-less-than-month/
"Initially, warmer weather would kill it. Then it wouldn’t. The number of cases would soon be close to zero. Then they rose. It should be treated like the flu. Except Americans should know it is deadlier. As many as 1 million people could be tested by the end of last week. Until they weren’t. As President Trump has tried to contain the potential health, economic and political consequences of the coronavirus over the past month, he and administration officials have repeatedly undercut one another’s messaging about their efforts to combat the virus. We show exactly how in the video above. Over the past 30 days, Trump and members of his administration have contradicted other Trump officials at least 14 times on various parts of the coronavirus response. Often, Trump has sought to play down the threat with a mix of selectively presented facts and false statements. At other points, Trump officials have focused some of their remarks on praising the president during interviews and press gaggles about the virus. “A lot of people think [the coronavirus] goes away in April with the heat,” Trump said Feb. 10. Three days later, Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told CNN, “This virus is probably with us beyond this season or beyond this year.” Laying out his administration’s response to the virus at a news conference on Feb. 26, Trump said Americans should “view this the same as the flu.” One week later, Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told Congress that the coronavirus mortality rate is “multiple times” higher than the seasonal flu. Later that day, Trump told Fox News that based on his “hunch,” the World Health Organization’s coronavirus mortality rate was a “false number.” On multiple occasions, Trump has suggested that a coronavirus vaccine may be available sooner than expected, even as Fauci has repeatedly said a potential vaccine wouldn’t be available for at least a year."
"Initially, warmer weather would kill it. Then it wouldn’t. The number of cases would soon be close to zero. Then they rose. It should be treated like the flu. Except Americans should know it is deadlier. As many as 1 million people could be tested by the end of last week. Until they weren’t. As President Trump has tried to contain the potential health, economic and political consequences of the coronavirus over the past month, he and administration officials have repeatedly undercut one another’s messaging about their efforts to combat the virus. We show exactly how in the video above. Over the past 30 days, Trump and members of his administration have contradicted other Trump officials at least 14 times on various parts of the coronavirus response. Often, Trump has sought to play down the threat with a mix of selectively presented facts and false statements. At other points, Trump officials have focused some of their remarks on praising the president during interviews and press gaggles about the virus. “A lot of people think [the coronavirus] goes away in April with the heat,” Trump said Feb. 10. Three days later, Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told CNN, “This virus is probably with us beyond this season or beyond this year.” Laying out his administration’s response to the virus at a news conference on Feb. 26, Trump said Americans should “view this the same as the flu.” One week later, Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told Congress that the coronavirus mortality rate is “multiple times” higher than the seasonal flu. Later that day, Trump told Fox News that based on his “hunch,” the World Health Organization’s coronavirus mortality rate was a “false number.” On multiple occasions, Trump has suggested that a coronavirus vaccine may be available sooner than expected, even as Fauci has repeatedly said a potential vaccine wouldn’t be available for at least a year."
Monday, March 9, 2020
President Trump Is Unfit for This Crisis. Period.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/09/opinion/trump-corona-cdc.html
"Whose side is the Trump administration on? Based on every public appearance we’ve seen so far — whether it’s from a cabinet member or the director of the Centers for Disease Control or the president himself — the answer is clear: not the public’s. President Trump, hellbent on re-election, is focused on massaging numbers and silencing bearers of bad news. That’s what autocrats do. And it’s endangering lives."
"Whose side is the Trump administration on? Based on every public appearance we’ve seen so far — whether it’s from a cabinet member or the director of the Centers for Disease Control or the president himself — the answer is clear: not the public’s. President Trump, hellbent on re-election, is focused on massaging numbers and silencing bearers of bad news. That’s what autocrats do. And it’s endangering lives."
Trump Weekends in Florida as Fear of the Coronavirus Rises
https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/trump-weekends-in-florida-as-fear-of-the-coronavirus-rises
"Trump, meanwhile, evidently decided that the situation isn’t serious enough to keep him in Washington. From the beginning, he has sought to minimize the seriousness of the emerging epidemic, and he is still at it. That’s when he’s not praising himself for how he and the U.S. government have responded to the crisis or offering himself as an expert. During a remarkable press conference at the Atlanta headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, on Friday, Trump mentioned an uncle who had taught science at M.I.T. and said, “I like this stuff. I really get it. People are surprised that I understand it. Every one of these doctors said, ‘How do you know so much about this?’ Maybe I have a natural ability. Maybe I should have done this instead of running for President"."
"Trump, meanwhile, evidently decided that the situation isn’t serious enough to keep him in Washington. From the beginning, he has sought to minimize the seriousness of the emerging epidemic, and he is still at it. That’s when he’s not praising himself for how he and the U.S. government have responded to the crisis or offering himself as an expert. During a remarkable press conference at the Atlanta headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, on Friday, Trump mentioned an uncle who had taught science at M.I.T. and said, “I like this stuff. I really get it. People are surprised that I understand it. Every one of these doctors said, ‘How do you know so much about this?’ Maybe I have a natural ability. Maybe I should have done this instead of running for President"."
Trump Bears Full Responsibility for Botched Response to Coronavirus in US
https://truthout.org/articles/trump-bears-full-responsibility-for-botched-response-to-coronavirus-in-us/
"A serious president would have been taking the lead in organizing an international response. But Trump was busy doing other things. In addition to his golf games, Trump was holding campaign rallies and fundraisers around the country. When he wasn’t traveling, he was busy on Twitter making boasts about the economy, lying about his poll results and directing schoolyard taunts against his political opponents. With such a busy schedule, how could we expect Trump to have time to worry about a pandemic? It gets worse. Trump had dismantled the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) team to deal with pandemics. The CDC was also coping with Trump budget cuts, and is facing another cut of 16 percent slated for next year. Trump also attacked those who tried to warn of the risks of the virus. He claimed the whole thing was a Democratic hoax, and said that the United States had 15 cases and that the number would fall quickly. He then went full Trumpian in his management style, pushing aside the public health experts at the CDC, and putting Vice President Mike Pence in charge of protecting the country from the pandemic. Pence’s main credentials for this task are a disbelief in science (he doesn’t believe in evolution or global warming) and a failed effort to stem the spread of AIDS when he was governor of Indiana. Trump also attempted to clamp down on any accurate, concrete information that would contradict his “no-big-deal” story. He required that Pence clear all statements from the CDC. Using his famed vindictiveness, he also retaliated against a Health and Human Services whistleblower who reported that people exposed to coronavirus on a cruise ship were greeted by health care workers without protective gear or training. In short, the fact that we are likely facing a serious pandemic, unlike any we have seen in more than a century, is 100 percent Trump’s fault. Because of his vanity and ineptitude, people will die, and many more will get sick."
"A serious president would have been taking the lead in organizing an international response. But Trump was busy doing other things. In addition to his golf games, Trump was holding campaign rallies and fundraisers around the country. When he wasn’t traveling, he was busy on Twitter making boasts about the economy, lying about his poll results and directing schoolyard taunts against his political opponents. With such a busy schedule, how could we expect Trump to have time to worry about a pandemic? It gets worse. Trump had dismantled the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) team to deal with pandemics. The CDC was also coping with Trump budget cuts, and is facing another cut of 16 percent slated for next year. Trump also attacked those who tried to warn of the risks of the virus. He claimed the whole thing was a Democratic hoax, and said that the United States had 15 cases and that the number would fall quickly. He then went full Trumpian in his management style, pushing aside the public health experts at the CDC, and putting Vice President Mike Pence in charge of protecting the country from the pandemic. Pence’s main credentials for this task are a disbelief in science (he doesn’t believe in evolution or global warming) and a failed effort to stem the spread of AIDS when he was governor of Indiana. Trump also attempted to clamp down on any accurate, concrete information that would contradict his “no-big-deal” story. He required that Pence clear all statements from the CDC. Using his famed vindictiveness, he also retaliated against a Health and Human Services whistleblower who reported that people exposed to coronavirus on a cruise ship were greeted by health care workers without protective gear or training. In short, the fact that we are likely facing a serious pandemic, unlike any we have seen in more than a century, is 100 percent Trump’s fault. Because of his vanity and ineptitude, people will die, and many more will get sick."
Trump struggles to explain why he disbanded his global health team
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/trump-struggles-explain-why-he-disbanded-his-global-health-team-n1153221
"It's worth emphasizing that this is Trump's second explanation related to his decision to disband his global health security team. "I'm a business person," he explained two weeks ago in response to a similar question. "I don't like having thousands of people around when you don't need them. When we need them, we can get them back very quickly." As it turns out, the administration cannot actually reassemble such a team "very quickly," though Trump, still unfamiliar with how much of the executive branch works, may not have known that. It set the stage for this new argument: Trump dissolved the White House's pandemic team because he had no idea he might need a pandemic team. Except, that's not an especially satisfying answer. The whole point of having a team focused on epidemiological threats is (a) viral outbreaks can happen; (b) one never knows when they'll happen; and (c) countries want to be prepared when they do happen. According to the president, "you can never really think is going to happen," but the National Security Council's team existed precisely because officials recognized the possible hazard. Indeed, as the New York Times noted overnight that President Barack Obama established the Directorate for Global Health Security and Biodefense at the National Security Council after the 2014 Ebola outbreak, making clear that some folks were acutely aware of possibilities like these. It's as if the president is unfamiliar with the idea of insurance on a conceptual level."
"It's worth emphasizing that this is Trump's second explanation related to his decision to disband his global health security team. "I'm a business person," he explained two weeks ago in response to a similar question. "I don't like having thousands of people around when you don't need them. When we need them, we can get them back very quickly." As it turns out, the administration cannot actually reassemble such a team "very quickly," though Trump, still unfamiliar with how much of the executive branch works, may not have known that. It set the stage for this new argument: Trump dissolved the White House's pandemic team because he had no idea he might need a pandemic team. Except, that's not an especially satisfying answer. The whole point of having a team focused on epidemiological threats is (a) viral outbreaks can happen; (b) one never knows when they'll happen; and (c) countries want to be prepared when they do happen. According to the president, "you can never really think is going to happen," but the National Security Council's team existed precisely because officials recognized the possible hazard. Indeed, as the New York Times noted overnight that President Barack Obama established the Directorate for Global Health Security and Biodefense at the National Security Council after the 2014 Ebola outbreak, making clear that some folks were acutely aware of possibilities like these. It's as if the president is unfamiliar with the idea of insurance on a conceptual level."
Italy Locks Down Entire Country To Help Prevent Spread Of Coronavirus
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/italy-lockdown-coronavirus_n_5e66ab53c5b605572809d54d
"Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced all of Italy is on lockdown as the country works to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The northern part of the country, which includes 16 million people, had already been on lockdown. The new lockdown goes into effect on Tuesday and lasts until April 3. Conte said travel within the country should only occur if completely necessary. Public gatherings, like sporting events, are canceled. “Stay at home,” Conte said in a press conference Monday. People should only travel for urgent work or emergencies, the PM said. Schools and universities will stay closed, as well as theaters and gyms. The government’s decree also calls for banning public events like weddings and funerals. The country, which has about 60 million people living in it, had over 9,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus and at least 463 dead as of Monday."
"Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced all of Italy is on lockdown as the country works to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The northern part of the country, which includes 16 million people, had already been on lockdown. The new lockdown goes into effect on Tuesday and lasts until April 3. Conte said travel within the country should only occur if completely necessary. Public gatherings, like sporting events, are canceled. “Stay at home,” Conte said in a press conference Monday. People should only travel for urgent work or emergencies, the PM said. Schools and universities will stay closed, as well as theaters and gyms. The government’s decree also calls for banning public events like weddings and funerals. The country, which has about 60 million people living in it, had over 9,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus and at least 463 dead as of Monday."
Dow sinks 2,000 points in worst day since 2008, S&P 500 drops more than 7%
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/08/dow-futures-drop-700-points-as-all-out-oil-price-war-adds-to-coronavirus-stress.html
"The Dow dropped 2,013.7 points — 7.79% — as Boeing, Apple, Goldman Sachs and Caterpillar cut the index by at least 100 points each. The Dow ended the day at 23,851.02 and represented its single-worst day since Oct. 15, 2008, when it fell 7.87%. The S&P 500 plunged 7.6% to 2,746.56 as investors punished financials and energy stocks. Energy names in the S&P 500, including Exxon Mobil, Hess and Marathon Oil, finished the day down more than 20%. Financial stocks ended down more than 10%. The equity benchmark suffered its worst day since Dec. 1 2008. The Nasdaq Composite fell 7.29% to end the day at 7,950.68. The massive sell-off triggered a key market circuit breaker minutes after the opening bell. Trading was halted for 15 minutes until reopening at 9:49 a.m. ET."
"The Dow dropped 2,013.7 points — 7.79% — as Boeing, Apple, Goldman Sachs and Caterpillar cut the index by at least 100 points each. The Dow ended the day at 23,851.02 and represented its single-worst day since Oct. 15, 2008, when it fell 7.87%. The S&P 500 plunged 7.6% to 2,746.56 as investors punished financials and energy stocks. Energy names in the S&P 500, including Exxon Mobil, Hess and Marathon Oil, finished the day down more than 20%. Financial stocks ended down more than 10%. The equity benchmark suffered its worst day since Dec. 1 2008. The Nasdaq Composite fell 7.29% to end the day at 7,950.68. The massive sell-off triggered a key market circuit breaker minutes after the opening bell. Trading was halted for 15 minutes until reopening at 9:49 a.m. ET."
Italy’s Coronavirus Response Is a Warning From the Future
https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2020/03/italy-coronavirus-covid19-west-europe-future/607660/
"Italians woke up on Sunday morning, and it was already the future. Overnight, the government announced the most dramatic measures yet taken by a democracy to try to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Other Western countries are watching closely, worried they may soon have to follow Italy’s lead. Rome placed severe travel restrictions on the entire Lombardy region surrounding Milan—the country’s economic, fashion, and media capital—and on 14 other provinces across the wealthy north, including Venice and parts of the Emilia Romagna region. In this area of 16 million people, the coronavirus’s European epicenter, where the number of cases has been rising rapidly, Italy banned all public gatherings—no weddings, funerals, concerts, sporting events, discos, bingo games, video arcades, or Mass—until April 3. While trains and planes are still operational, and running on time, the government is forbidding people from leaving unless absolutely necessary."
"Italians woke up on Sunday morning, and it was already the future. Overnight, the government announced the most dramatic measures yet taken by a democracy to try to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Other Western countries are watching closely, worried they may soon have to follow Italy’s lead. Rome placed severe travel restrictions on the entire Lombardy region surrounding Milan—the country’s economic, fashion, and media capital—and on 14 other provinces across the wealthy north, including Venice and parts of the Emilia Romagna region. In this area of 16 million people, the coronavirus’s European epicenter, where the number of cases has been rising rapidly, Italy banned all public gatherings—no weddings, funerals, concerts, sporting events, discos, bingo games, video arcades, or Mass—until April 3. While trains and planes are still operational, and running on time, the government is forbidding people from leaving unless absolutely necessary."
The U.S. Isn’t Ready for What’s About to Happen
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/03/us-isnt-ready-whats-about-happen/607636/
"Trump’s initial impulse to downplay the risk, at least until the stock market took note, wasn’t just fanciful; it was dangerous. He has consistently minimized the number of sick, blamed Barack Obama’s administration for a shortage of test kits, and publicly mused about the potential of a vaccine being found quickly. The American response to the new disease should be based on something more than hunches and magical thinking. The whole time, people like me have been dutifully advising friends, family, and everyone else to take prudent precautions and avoid panicking. That’s still good advice, because any measures that slow the spread of the disease and lower the death rate could save thousands of lives. But Americans should also understand that even the best preparation humanly possibly wouldn’t be perfect—and that what the United States has done so far falls far short of that. Especially at this point, even a more vigorous response will not preclude a lot of people from getting sick. Preventing all infections is no longer a possibility, and the measure of success is how much public-health authorities can reduce the number of people who die or fall seriously ill."
"Trump’s initial impulse to downplay the risk, at least until the stock market took note, wasn’t just fanciful; it was dangerous. He has consistently minimized the number of sick, blamed Barack Obama’s administration for a shortage of test kits, and publicly mused about the potential of a vaccine being found quickly. The American response to the new disease should be based on something more than hunches and magical thinking. The whole time, people like me have been dutifully advising friends, family, and everyone else to take prudent precautions and avoid panicking. That’s still good advice, because any measures that slow the spread of the disease and lower the death rate could save thousands of lives. But Americans should also understand that even the best preparation humanly possibly wouldn’t be perfect—and that what the United States has done so far falls far short of that. Especially at this point, even a more vigorous response will not preclude a lot of people from getting sick. Preventing all infections is no longer a possibility, and the measure of success is how much public-health authorities can reduce the number of people who die or fall seriously ill."
Trump Plays Golf While Coronavirus Cases Surge
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/03/trump-plays-golf-coronavirus-cases-surge.html
"Around the world, leaders and health authorities were struggling to try to get a handle on the rapidly spreading coronavirus. But in the United States, President Donald Trump seems to have thought it would be a great time to hit the links with professional baseball players. On Sunday, the commander in chief played golf with current and former Washington Nationals players at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach."
"Around the world, leaders and health authorities were struggling to try to get a handle on the rapidly spreading coronavirus. But in the United States, President Donald Trump seems to have thought it would be a great time to hit the links with professional baseball players. On Sunday, the commander in chief played golf with current and former Washington Nationals players at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach."
Ignore Everything Trump Says About Coronavirus
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/coronavirus-advice-trump-fox-news-962594/
"Trump clearly has no idea what he’s talking about, and every American would be wise to categorically dismiss anything that comes out of his mouth regarding the coronavirus. He’s only concerned with it so far as it will affect his ability to win reelection this fall, and he will do or say anything to ensure it doesn’t." The president told Sean Hannity that people are getting over the virus by “sitting around” and “going to work”
"Trump clearly has no idea what he’s talking about, and every American would be wise to categorically dismiss anything that comes out of his mouth regarding the coronavirus. He’s only concerned with it so far as it will affect his ability to win reelection this fall, and he will do or say anything to ensure it doesn’t." The president told Sean Hannity that people are getting over the virus by “sitting around” and “going to work”
Psst, After You Wash Your Hands, Clean Your Smartphone
https://slate.com/technology/2020/03/coronavirus-clean-phone-wash-hands.html
"While people typically transmit COVID-19 by spewing respiratory droplets with a cough or sneeze, a recent study in the Journal of Hospital Infection found, after swabbing the mobile devices of 250 hospital staff, that coronaviruses can survive on the kinds of smooth glass and plastic found in smartphones for up to nine days. Kenneth Mak, the director of the Singapore Ministry of Health’s medical services, told reporters in February that cleaning phones is an even more important anti-coronavirus measure than wearing face masks. Your phone is, as public health professor Peter Hall put it recently in the Conversation, a “portable petri dish.” Touching an infected surface, or your face, and then a phone is an easy way for the virus to find a home on your screen. The mucus that carries the coronavirus can then dry on your phone, allowing the disease to last longer. A 2019 survey found that people touch their phones 2,617 times per day on average, and experts estimate that the devices generally host 10 times more bacteria than toilet seats, mostly because people don’t commonly clean them as often. Wash your hands! Then wash your phone. “The rule of thumb is that you need to clean it when it’s been exposed to a risk,” says Michael Schmidt, a microbiology and immunology professor at the Medical University of South Carolina. “When you’ve been out in public and you return home, that’s when I would clean the phone to make certain that the phone is safe in your residence, so you don’t have to be washing your hands continuously subsequent to using it.” Apple instructs users to clean iPhones by first unplugging all cables and then rubbing them down with a microfiber cloth and warm soapy water. Google similarly recommends cleaning the backs and sides of Pixels with cleaning wipes or household soap, and to hand-wash the case fabric with mild soap or laundry detergent."
"While people typically transmit COVID-19 by spewing respiratory droplets with a cough or sneeze, a recent study in the Journal of Hospital Infection found, after swabbing the mobile devices of 250 hospital staff, that coronaviruses can survive on the kinds of smooth glass and plastic found in smartphones for up to nine days. Kenneth Mak, the director of the Singapore Ministry of Health’s medical services, told reporters in February that cleaning phones is an even more important anti-coronavirus measure than wearing face masks. Your phone is, as public health professor Peter Hall put it recently in the Conversation, a “portable petri dish.” Touching an infected surface, or your face, and then a phone is an easy way for the virus to find a home on your screen. The mucus that carries the coronavirus can then dry on your phone, allowing the disease to last longer. A 2019 survey found that people touch their phones 2,617 times per day on average, and experts estimate that the devices generally host 10 times more bacteria than toilet seats, mostly because people don’t commonly clean them as often. Wash your hands! Then wash your phone. “The rule of thumb is that you need to clean it when it’s been exposed to a risk,” says Michael Schmidt, a microbiology and immunology professor at the Medical University of South Carolina. “When you’ve been out in public and you return home, that’s when I would clean the phone to make certain that the phone is safe in your residence, so you don’t have to be washing your hands continuously subsequent to using it.” Apple instructs users to clean iPhones by first unplugging all cables and then rubbing them down with a microfiber cloth and warm soapy water. Google similarly recommends cleaning the backs and sides of Pixels with cleaning wipes or household soap, and to hand-wash the case fabric with mild soap or laundry detergent."
Trump used his Fox News town hall to again mislead Americans about coronavirus
https://www.vox.com/2020/3/6/21167675/trump-fox-news-town-hall-coronavirus-health-care
"One night after an interview with Sean Hannity in which he cited a “hunch” to make a case that the coronavirus mortality rate is actually far lower than the one identified by the World Health Organization (WHO), President Donald Trump was back on Fox News Thursday night once again misleading people about the public health crisis caused by the virus."
"One night after an interview with Sean Hannity in which he cited a “hunch” to make a case that the coronavirus mortality rate is actually far lower than the one identified by the World Health Organization (WHO), President Donald Trump was back on Fox News Thursday night once again misleading people about the public health crisis caused by the virus."
Trump Org charged taxpayers eight times more for Secret Service stays than it claimed: documents
https://www.salon.com/2020/03/06/trump-org-charged-taxpayers-eight-times-more-for-secret-service-stays-than-it-claimed-documents/
"The report found that taxpayers spent more than $471,000 on Trump properties, but the new receipts show that the Trump Organization charged Secret Service an additional $157,000 since 2017, bringing the total to more than $628,000."
"The report found that taxpayers spent more than $471,000 on Trump properties, but the new receipts show that the Trump Organization charged Secret Service an additional $157,000 since 2017, bringing the total to more than $628,000."
Under President Trump, income growth has slowed across the U.S.
https://www.newsweek.com/income-growth-slowed-across-us-under-donald-trump-1488871
"New analysis of government data shows that, since Donald Trump took office, inflation-adjusted income growth has slowed significantly across the U.S. All but two states saw a decline in growth of real median household income under Trump – including Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Florida, four states widely regarded as the key electoral battlegrounds that will likely determine the 2020 presidential election. Middle-class incomes grew at a rate of 2.7 percent from 2016 through 2018, compared to a 5.8 percent growth rate from 2014 through 2016 when accounting for inflation."
"New analysis of government data shows that, since Donald Trump took office, inflation-adjusted income growth has slowed significantly across the U.S. All but two states saw a decline in growth of real median household income under Trump – including Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Florida, four states widely regarded as the key electoral battlegrounds that will likely determine the 2020 presidential election. Middle-class incomes grew at a rate of 2.7 percent from 2016 through 2018, compared to a 5.8 percent growth rate from 2014 through 2016 when accounting for inflation."
As Americans Continue To Get Coronavirus, Trump Shows He Doesn’t Really Care
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/coronavirus-trump-doesnt-care_n_5e63ca67c5b68d6164551e41
"At least 17 people in the U.S. have died from the coronavirus and more than 200 people in the country are infected. That number could be much higher, but the CDC has bungled its response and limited the number of diagnostic tests that can be administered. None of these facts stopped the president from patting himself on the back as he bragged about being as smart as the public health experts tasked with handling the situation. “People are really surprised I understand this stuff,” Trump said during a press briefing at the CDC. “Every one of these doctors said, ‘How do you know so much about this?’ Maybe I have a natural ability.” He doesn’t. In fact, he has disputed a report from World Health Organization scientists that put the death rate from the virus at 3.4%. “I think the 3.4% is really a false number,” Trump told Fox News’ Sean Hannity on Wednesday. “Now, and this is just my hunch, and — but based on a lot of conversations with a lot of people that do this.” In a meeting with health experts on Monday, Trump asked why doctors don’t just administer the flu vaccine to combat the virus. “But the same vaccine could not work?” he said. “You take a solid flu vaccine — you don’t think that would have an impact or much of an impact on corona?” It would not have an impact, the experts told him. During Friday’s visit to the CDC, Trump bragged about having “beautiful” coronavirus testing kits, and bizarrely claimed they were as “perfect” as the phone call that got him impeached. And when asked about infected passengers on a cruise ship anchored near San Francisco, Trump strongly indicated that he cares about bad PR — in the form of a higher number of infected Americans — above all else."
"At least 17 people in the U.S. have died from the coronavirus and more than 200 people in the country are infected. That number could be much higher, but the CDC has bungled its response and limited the number of diagnostic tests that can be administered. None of these facts stopped the president from patting himself on the back as he bragged about being as smart as the public health experts tasked with handling the situation. “People are really surprised I understand this stuff,” Trump said during a press briefing at the CDC. “Every one of these doctors said, ‘How do you know so much about this?’ Maybe I have a natural ability.” He doesn’t. In fact, he has disputed a report from World Health Organization scientists that put the death rate from the virus at 3.4%. “I think the 3.4% is really a false number,” Trump told Fox News’ Sean Hannity on Wednesday. “Now, and this is just my hunch, and — but based on a lot of conversations with a lot of people that do this.” In a meeting with health experts on Monday, Trump asked why doctors don’t just administer the flu vaccine to combat the virus. “But the same vaccine could not work?” he said. “You take a solid flu vaccine — you don’t think that would have an impact or much of an impact on corona?” It would not have an impact, the experts told him. During Friday’s visit to the CDC, Trump bragged about having “beautiful” coronavirus testing kits, and bizarrely claimed they were as “perfect” as the phone call that got him impeached. And when asked about infected passengers on a cruise ship anchored near San Francisco, Trump strongly indicated that he cares about bad PR — in the form of a higher number of infected Americans — above all else."
Coronavirus Researcher Calls It The 'Most Frightening Disease I've Ever Encountered'
https://crooksandliars.com/2020/03/coronavirus-researcher-calls-it-most
"Appearing on Channel 4 in the UK a couple of days ago, Dr Richard Hatchett, who advised both the Bush and Obama administrations on pandemic preparedness called the coronavirus "the most frightening disease" he has ever seen, based on both the high rate of infectiousness and lethality. He compared it to the Spanish Flu of 1918 which killed tens of millions. Also noteworthy, Dr. Hatchett mentioned that the United States is particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 because of a lack of a centralized health system that other advanced industrialized nations enjoy, both in terms of mobilizing an effective response from the various government agencies, state and federal, and also the excessive costs. People will go untreated because they simply can't afford it here. The 20-minute interview has since gone viral online."
"Appearing on Channel 4 in the UK a couple of days ago, Dr Richard Hatchett, who advised both the Bush and Obama administrations on pandemic preparedness called the coronavirus "the most frightening disease" he has ever seen, based on both the high rate of infectiousness and lethality. He compared it to the Spanish Flu of 1918 which killed tens of millions. Also noteworthy, Dr. Hatchett mentioned that the United States is particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 because of a lack of a centralized health system that other advanced industrialized nations enjoy, both in terms of mobilizing an effective response from the various government agencies, state and federal, and also the excessive costs. People will go untreated because they simply can't afford it here. The 20-minute interview has since gone viral online."
Coronavirus: Italy Puts Quarter of Its Population on Lockdown as Cases Soar
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/03/coronavirus-italy-quarter-population-lockdown-cases-soar.html
"Italy’s government has implemented the most restrictive measures outside China to try to contain the rapidly spreading coronavirus. Early Sunday, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte signed a decree that virtually locks down large parts of the country’s wealthy northern region, affecting a quarter of its population. The extraordinary move amounts to the country sacrificing much of its fragile economy in an effort to try to slow the increase of new cases."
"Italy’s government has implemented the most restrictive measures outside China to try to contain the rapidly spreading coronavirus. Early Sunday, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte signed a decree that virtually locks down large parts of the country’s wealthy northern region, affecting a quarter of its population. The extraordinary move amounts to the country sacrificing much of its fragile economy in an effort to try to slow the increase of new cases."
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