crooksandliars--2020-05-11--Trump's Promotion Of 'Twisted' OAN Propaganda Network Endangers Lives

If you 're blessed with emails from Crazy Uncle Liberty , you know that your right-wing , whack job relative now has his own video network , OAN .
From Brian Stelter 's email newsletter outlines the latest quack quack `` news '' they pulled out of their butts .
Check out the conspiracy buzz names !
It was all deranged stuff -- and normally , a tiny media outlet promoting a crazy conspiracy theory like that would n't garner much attention .
But it matters because this is a channel that Trump has repeatedly promoted .
It 's a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' reporting .
It 's a channel Trump has said all cable companies should carry .
It 's a channel that he has given special WH access .
And it 's the channel he has said he watches `` whenever possible . ''
A video report from OAN ... falsely asserted that the Clintons , George Soros , Bill Gates , Dr. Anthony Fauci , and the Chinese are using coronavirus to “ establish sweeping population control . ''
The report , which also attacked authorities for backing remdesivir over hydroxychloroquine , claimed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is using the situation to undo the Constitution and `` force the American people into total submission .
Stelter talked with a panel about OAN .
Transcript via CNN : STELTER : News is in high demand right now , but so are sick and vile conspiracy theories .
And where there 's demand , there 's supply .
Have you heard of One America News ?
It 's a small but loud right-wing channel that 's frequently promoted by President Trump .
He touts OAN on Twitter all the time , right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ questions from OAN 's person at the press briefings even though that person was expelled from the briefing rotation because she was violating social distancing guidelines .
So , OAN , it does n't have high ratings .
In fact , it 's not rated by Nielsen at all , so it 's pretty small , but it 's getting a huge megaphone thanks in part to the president .
So , that 's why this next point matters .
This is one of the most heinous things I have ever seen on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in recent days , a crazy conspiracy theory -- that 's the only word for it , crazy -- a crazy conspiracy theory .
Let 's keep going .
I do n't want to the old , let show the new video of what was broadcast recently .
On Friday , as was re-airing , it 's on YouTube , an entire segment , a crazy segment , claiming the Clintons and George Soros and Bill Gates and Anthony Fauci and all these people are into this plot to hurt people , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the banner .
It says population control through COVID-19 .
That is crazy .
It 's dangerous .
But it 's broadcast on cable .
It might be broadcast into your home , and it 's up on YouTube right now from a former Russian propagandist , OK ?
And this is the kind of channel the president promotes all the time .
Now , I spoke with two people from OAN , from One America News , who are just as embarrassed by the video as I am .
They say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to it .
They do n't want to work at a channel that broadcasts those kinds of lies .
But there it is on YouTube right now .
So , let 's talk about it and other COVID-19 conspiracy theories with Oliver Darcy , CNN 's senior media reporter , just wrote a new story about OAN and its influence .
Renee DiResta is also here , she 's a disinformation researcher .
She works at the Stanford Internet Observatory .
And Brendan Nyhan is here , a political science professor at Dartmouth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talking about this crazy lie they 're spreading , but it 's happening .
The only way to try to expose it is to talk about it and explain why it 's so crazy .
Do you think there 's any chance , any , any responsibility , any accountability in this case ?
OLIVER DARCY , CNN SENIOR MEDIA REPORTER : I doubt it .
I mean , if you look at what the kind of content this outlet has pushed in the past , this is just really run of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they kind of mask a lot of their content by running `` Reuters '' and `` Associated Press '' packages throughout the day .
You can pay for those and run their content .
DARCY : If you look at the kind of content that OAN produces and the people they hire , they have hired well-known right-wing conspiracy theorists , very prominent conspiracy theories .
No secret to the kind of content they promote , and they run packages like the one there .
The bigger problem is not almost what they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president of the United States is promoting this channel during a public health emergency .
When people need accurate information , the president of the United States is promoting this channel .
They 're promoting other things as well .
Bad drug treatments , you know , all sorts of conspiracy theory about Bill Gates , but the president is effectively endorsing this messaging during a public health emergency .
Brian , if you took the president 's advice and watched the channel and tuned in to the news he wants you to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very twisted , frankly , Frankenstein image of America , and I can only think that he does this because it benefits him politically , but it 's certainly not good for the national discourse , and again , it 's important to stress that during a health emergency , people should be watching and consuming credible news information , not these crazy conspiracy theories .
STELTER : And so , let 's zoom out beyond this one idea of population control .
There 's other COVID-19 theories out there .
There 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's anti-vaccine messaging going on .
Help us connect the dots , Renee DiResta , between these .
What we 're seeing is this amalgamation of QAnon believers , and anti-vaccination activists , and now , these COVID conspiracy theorists .
RENEE DIRESTA , STANFORD INTERNET OBSERVATORY RESEARCH MANAGER : Yes , so there 's nothing new about conspiracies popping up during an epidemic , right ?
It 's remarkable to see it on American media , but it 's not new .
I think what we see with the others , though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from person to person .
People do n't really know what to trust right now .
They 're not getting good information from the government .
The government does n't even have good information because the disease is so new .
And you see a lot of the appeal is people wanting to inform their community .
So when they see a slickly produced conspiracy theory video like the ones making the rounds on social media over the last few days , they 're inclined to share it .
They think , this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that resonates with something I want to believe , so I 'm going to share it .
And the way that the pipeline works is anti-vaccine activists , there 's a lot of them in the QAnon community is shared to the antivax pages and groups .
Most of the QAnon pages and groups moves to the reopen pages groups .
Whenever you have that overlap on social channels , you do start to see things move through communities one after another after another .
And that 's how they go viral .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that , you know , why -- why at a gut level to people want to believe in conspiracy theories ?
BRENDAN NYHAN , PROFESSOR OF GOVERNMENT , DARTMOUTH COLLEGE : It seems to be appealing to believe that someone is pulling the strings .
That may be less scary than thinking that there are these unpredictable risks out there that none of us can control .
And , of course , there is this information vacuum that Renee is describing .
It 's hard for anyone to make sense of what 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provide a simple story .
So , it 's not surprising people might want to share them , but what 's worrisome is when those move from the fringe into the mainstream in the way Oliver was describing , and in that process , potentially put us all at risk .
There have always been conspiracy theories but these might undermine the public health measures that we need everyone to undertake to protect us .
We are in this together .
If people believed in a 9/11 conspiracy theory , it did n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health at risk , but this one might , and that is very worrisome to me to see media amplifying those kinds of dangerous claims .
STELTER : Renee , how are the social platforms handling this ?
They got attention in March for being proactive and taking down disinformation related to the virus .
Are they still on top of it or are they starting to flag ?
What 's going on ?
DIRESTA : There 's a real challenge with -- there 's a pipeline happening here .
So , YouTube @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are emerging from .
There 's a lot of creators on YouTube who produce them , and then very deliberately , they 're shared to Facebook .
Some of the recent one that went viral was actually organized as a book marketing campaign .
So , what 's happening is the platforms are struggling to figure out what is health misinformation and what is a political opinion .
When the YouTube video is titled Dr. So-and-so takes down Fauci , that 's not vaccines cause autism .
That 's a different angle that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where they 're trying to decide what to take down .
The other problem is if YouTube takes it down but it 's been uploaded to Facebook organically so it 's local to Facebook , then Facebook has to decide what to do about it as well .
So , you have these gaps in enforcement , these gaps in the areas where the platforms decide this is going to come down , this is not going to come down , and sometimes the discrepancy or the takedown after the fact where it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ means there 's a second order wave of complaints about the conspiracy to sensor .
So , that 's one of the challenges that the platforms have to deal with right now .
STELTER : And oftentimes it 's really on the fringe that gets removed , then gets the attention of Fox News which is much more mainstream because of the censorship complaint .
STELTER : I wonder , Brendan , what you make of Fox News stars who are out there encouraging people to resume their normal lives , get back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homes , staying at home ?
NYHAN : Yeah , I think you should watch what people do and not what they say .
I think there are a lot of people sitting in their houses on webcams telling everyone they should go back out and resume their lives .
And that 's cheap talk from elites who are n't frontline workers , who are n't in essential roles that put them at risk .
I think it 's really being tossed off casually in an irresponsible manner .
I think , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is hard to know .
But I think people are being very casual with the stakes right now , right ?
People are dying , in the thousands .
We 're already over the totals for the Vietnam War .
So , you know , this is just different than the kind of conspiracy content that Fox was running prior to this pandemic .
The stakes are higher in a direct way for everybody .
STELTER : The stakes are so high .

If you're blessed with emails from Crazy Uncle Liberty, you know that your right-wing, whack job relative now has his own video network, OAN. From Brian Stelter's email newsletter outlines the latest quack quack "news" they pulled out of their butts. Check out the conspiracy buzz names!
It was all deranged stuff -- and normally, a tiny media outlet promoting a crazy conspiracy theory like that wouldn't garner much attention. But it matters because this is a channel that Trump has repeatedly promoted. It's a channel Trump has lauded for "brilliant" reporting. It's a channel Trump has said all cable companies should carry. It's a channel that he has given special WH access. And it's the channel he has said he watches "whenever possible."
A video report from OAN ...falsely asserted that the Clintons, George Soros, Bill Gates, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and the Chinese are using coronavirus to “establish sweeping population control." The report, which also attacked authorities for backing remdesivir over hydroxychloroquine, claimed that a "deep-state Democratic cabal" is using the situation to undo the Constitution and "force the American people into total submission.
Stelter talked with a panel about OAN. Transcript via CNN:
STELTER: News is in high demand right now, but so are sick and vile conspiracy theories. And where there's demand, there's supply.
Have you heard of One America News?
It's a small but loud right-wing channel that's frequently promoted by President Trump. He touts OAN on Twitter all the time, right along with Fox News. He takes questions from OAN's person at the press briefings even though that person was expelled from the briefing rotation because she was violating social distancing guidelines.
So, OAN, it doesn't have high ratings. In fact, it's not rated by Nielsen at all, so it's pretty small, but it's getting a huge megaphone thanks in part to the president.
So, that's why this next point matters. This is one of the most heinous things I have ever seen on television. What OAN was showing viewers in recent days, a crazy conspiracy theory -- that's the only word for it, crazy -- a crazy conspiracy theory.
Let's keep going. I don't want to the old, let show the new video of what was broadcast recently. On Friday, as was re-airing, it's on YouTube, an entire segment, a crazy segment, claiming the Clintons and George Soros and Bill Gates and Anthony Fauci and all these people are into this plot to hurt people, to maybe establish sweeping population control.
Look at the banner. It says population control through COVID-19.
That is crazy. It's dangerous. But it's broadcast on cable. It might be broadcast into your home, and it's up on YouTube right now from a former Russian propagandist, OK? And this is the kind of channel the president promotes all the time.
Now, I spoke with two people from OAN, from One America News, who are just as embarrassed by the video as I am. They say they don't want their name attached to it. They don't want to work at a channel that broadcasts those kinds of lies. But there it is on YouTube right now.
So, let's talk about it and other COVID-19 conspiracy theories with Oliver Darcy, CNN's senior media reporter, just wrote a new story about OAN and its influence. Renee DiResta is also here, she's a disinformation researcher. She works at the Stanford Internet Observatory. And Brendan Nyhan is here, a political science professor at Dartmouth.
Oliver, OAN, I hate talking about this crazy lie they're spreading, but it's happening. The only way to try to expose it is to talk about it and explain why it's so crazy. Do you think there's any chance, any, any responsibility, any accountability in this case?
OLIVER DARCY, CNN SENIOR MEDIA REPORTER: I doubt it. I mean, if you look at what the kind of content this outlet has pushed in the past, this is just really run of the mill for them. You know, they kind of mask a lot of their content by running "Reuters" and "Associated Press" packages throughout the day. You can pay for those and run their content.
STELTER: Just straight news. Yeah.
DARCY: If you look at the kind of content that OAN produces and the people they hire, they have hired well-known right-wing conspiracy theorists, very prominent conspiracy theories. No secret to the kind of content they promote, and they run packages like the one there. The bigger problem is not almost what they're running but the fact that the president of the United States is promoting this channel during a public health emergency.
When people need accurate information, the president of the United States is promoting this channel. They're promoting other things as well. Bad drug treatments, you know, all sorts of conspiracy theory about Bill Gates, but the president is effectively endorsing this messaging during a public health emergency.
Brian, if you took the president's advice and watched the channel and tuned in to the news he wants you to, you would end up with a very twisted, frankly, Frankenstein image of America, and I can only think that he does this because it benefits him politically, but it's certainly not good for the national discourse, and again, it's important to stress that during a health emergency, people should be watching and consuming credible news information, not these crazy conspiracy theories.
STELTER: And so, let's zoom out beyond this one idea of population control. There's other COVID-19 theories out there. There's death toll denialism going on, there's anti-vaccine messaging going on.
Help us connect the dots, Renee DiResta, between these. What we're seeing is this amalgamation of QAnon believers, and anti-vaccination activists, and now, these COVID conspiracy theorists.
RENEE DIRESTA, STANFORD INTERNET OBSERVATORY RESEARCH MANAGER: Yes, so there's nothing new about conspiracies popping up during an epidemic, right? It's remarkable to see it on American media, but it's not new. I think what we see with the others, though, is they're really spread virally from person to person. People don't really know what to trust right now. They're not getting good information from the government. The government doesn't even have good information because the disease is so new.
And you see a lot of the appeal is people wanting to inform their community. So when they see a slickly produced conspiracy theory video like the ones making the rounds on social media over the last few days, they're inclined to share it. They think, this is a researcher telling me a truth that resonates with something I want to believe, so I'm going to share it.
And the way that the pipeline works is anti-vaccine activists, there's a lot of them in the QAnon community is shared to the antivax pages and groups. Most of the QAnon pages and groups moves to the reopen pages groups. Whenever you have that overlap on social channels, you do start to see things move through communities one after another after another. And that's how they go viral.
STELTER: Brendan, add on to that, you know, why -- why at a gut level to people want to believe in conspiracy theories?
BRENDAN NYHAN, PROFESSOR OF GOVERNMENT, DARTMOUTH COLLEGE: It seems to be appealing to believe that someone is pulling the strings.
That may be less scary than thinking that there are these unpredictable risks out there that none of us can control. And, of course, there is this information vacuum that Renee is describing. It's hard for anyone to make sense of what's going on, and these conspiracy theories provide a simple story.
So, it's not surprising people might want to share them, but what's worrisome is when those move from the fringe into the mainstream in the way Oliver was describing, and in that process, potentially put us all at risk. There have always been conspiracy theories but these might undermine the public health measures that we need everyone to undertake to protect us.
We are in this together. If people believed in a 9/11 conspiracy theory, it didn't put my family and your family's health at risk, but this one might, and that is very worrisome to me to see media amplifying those kinds of dangerous claims.
STELTER: Renee, how are the social platforms handling this? They got attention in March for being proactive and taking down disinformation related to the virus. Are they still on top of it or are they starting to flag? What's going on?
DIRESTA: There's a real challenge with -- there's a pipeline happening here. So, YouTube is where a lot of the videos are emerging from. There's a lot of creators on YouTube who produce them, and then very deliberately, they're shared to Facebook.
Some of the recent one that went viral was actually organized as a book marketing campaign.
So, what's happening is the platforms are struggling to figure out what is health misinformation and what is a political opinion. When the YouTube video is titled Dr. So-and-so takes down Fauci, that's not vaccines cause autism. That's a different angle that kind of crosses into that gray area where they're trying to decide what to take down.
The other problem is if YouTube takes it down but it's been uploaded to Facebook organically so it's local to Facebook, then Facebook has to decide what to do about it as well. So, you have these gaps in enforcement, these gaps in the areas where the platforms decide this is going to come down, this is not going to come down, and sometimes the discrepancy or the takedown after the fact where it's massively viral on one platform, means there's a second order wave of complaints about the conspiracy to sensor. So, that's one of the challenges that the platforms have to deal with right now.
STELTER: And oftentimes it's really on the fringe that gets removed, then gets the attention of Fox News which is much more mainstream because of the censorship complaint.
DIRESTA: Right.
STELTER: I wonder, Brendan, what you make of Fox News stars who are out there encouraging people to resume their normal lives, get back to work, while broadcasting from their homes, staying at home?
NYHAN: Yeah, I think you should watch what people do and not what they say. I think there are a lot of people sitting in their houses on webcams telling everyone they should go back out and resume their lives. And that's cheap talk from elites who aren't frontline workers, who aren't in essential roles that put them at risk.
I think it's really being tossed off casually in an irresponsible manner. I think, you know, what's right to do is hard to know. But I think people are being very casual with the stakes right now, right?
People are dying, in the thousands. We're already over the totals for the Vietnam War. So, you know, this is just different than the kind of conspiracy content that Fox was running prior to this pandemic. The stakes are higher in a direct way for everybody.
STELTER: The stakes are so high.


crooksandliars--2020-04-24--Senator Elizabeth Warren's Oldest Brother Dies Of COVID-19

Sen. Elizabeth Warren ’ s oldest brother has died after testing positive for COVID-19 .
The Boston Globe reported that @ @ @ @ @ the age of 86 in Oklahoma .
Warren confirmed the news in a statement to @ @ @ @ @ ’ m grateful to the nurses and other front-line staff who took care of my @ @ @ @ @ hard to know that there was no family to hold his hand or to say @ @ @ @ @ one more time , ” she said .
“ And now there ’ s no @ @ @ @ @ who loved him to hold each other close.
” UPDATE : Senator Warren tweeted about @ @ @

Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s oldest brother has died after testing positive for COVID-19.
The Boston Globe reported that Donald Reed Herring died at the age of 86 in Oklahoma.
Warren confirmed the news in a statement to the paper.
“I’m grateful to the nurses and other front-line staff who took care of my brother, but it is hard to know that there was no family to hold his hand or to say ‘I love you’ one more time,” she said. “And now there’s no funeral for those of us who loved him to hold each other close.”
“I will miss my brother,” Warren added.
UPDATE: Senator Warren tweeted about it too:
My oldest brother, Don Reed, died from coronavirus on Tuesday evening. He joined the Air Force at 19 and spent his career in the military, including five and a half years off and on in combat in Vietnam. He was charming and funny, a natural leader. https://t.co/b8m0xKzAmM — Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) April 23, 2020
What made him extra special was his smile—quick and crooked, it always seemed to generate its own light, one that lit up everyone around him. pic.twitter.com/SFMOaBVCN3 — Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) April 23, 2020


crooksandliars--2020-04-24--Giuliani And Ingraham Laugh Off New York's Contact Tracing Efforts

Rudy Giuliani and Laura Ingraham mocked the very important step of `` contact tracing '' in controlling the spread of the COVID-19 on Fox News last night , because Gov .
Cuomo has made it part of New York 's recovery plans .
Ingraham and Giuliani have been two of the most dangerous promoters of phony coronavirus cures the country has seen so far , outside of Trump , when they spout their crackpot theories on Fox News .
Last night was about as ludicrous as it gets .
Ingraham actually brought up Trump 's `` UV light '' and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these should be tested by the American people , and are possible cures .
She has taken every faux cure , and promoted it like it 's a winning lotto ticket every chance she gets .
Ingraham called these phony remedies `` good news , '' and blasted the mainstream media for always correctly shooting them down .
After blaming China and praising Trump , Ingraham and Giuliani turned their attention to Bloomberg and `` contact tracing . ''
`` Michael Bloomberg is going to handle the tracing .
‘ Army of tracers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Ingraham said .
Crazy Rudy said , `` That ’ s totally ridiculous.
” “ Army of tracers , ” Ingraham said while laughing .
Giuliani then did what all Trump sycophants do — lie and throw out false equivalences to defend Trump , saying , “ Then we should trace everybody for cancer.
” This got Giuliani on a roll , and started naming diseases that are n't contagious .
“ We should trace a provider for cancer and heart disease and obesity and — I mean , a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , so we should be traced for all those things , '' he said .
He continued trying to get Fox News viewers killed , saying , `` Because life is a certain degree of risk , and we have to be willing to live with it.
” Giuliani started attacking Democratic Governors for trying to protect their citizens , and that 's too much for him and Ingraham .
`` Try a few experiments .
Let ’ s get back to work again because we are ready to go back .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everything.
” Ingraham chimed in , “ Can ’ t live in a bubble , that doesn ’ t work.
” Both of these hucksters should volunteer to be infected so they can be experimented on with their harebrained ideas .
Now , that would get massive viewers for Fox , and maybe they can help some people .
I know , that 's way too much to ask .
It 's up to Trump supporters to risk their lives , all in an effort to get people back to work — sick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a better chance of getting re-elected .
ProPublica has some very helpful information ( that these lunatics will never agree to ) and would n't cause massive amounts of new suffering in our country .

Rudy Giuliani and Laura Ingraham mocked the very important step of "contact tracing" in controlling the spread of the COVID-19 on Fox News last night, because Gov. Cuomo has made it part of New York's recovery plans.
Ingraham and Giuliani have been two of the most dangerous promoters of phony coronavirus cures the country has seen so far, outside of Trump, when they spout their crackpot theories on Fox News. Last night was about as ludicrous as it gets.
Ingraham actually brought up Trump's "UV light" and "sunshine" idiocy, as if these should be tested by the American people, and are possible cures. She has taken every faux cure, and promoted it like it's a winning lotto ticket every chance she gets. Ingraham called these phony remedies "good news," and blasted the mainstream media for always correctly shooting them down.
After blaming China and praising Trump, Ingraham and Giuliani turned their attention to Bloomberg and "contact tracing."
"Michael Bloomberg is going to handle the tracing. ‘Army of tracers’ in New York we learned today," Ingraham said. Crazy Rudy said, "That’s totally ridiculous.” “Army of tracers,” Ingraham said while laughing.
Giuliani then did what all Trump sycophants do — lie and throw out false equivalences to defend Trump, saying, “Then we should trace everybody for cancer.”
Ingraham replied, “Yeah, army of tracers.”
This got Giuliani on a roll, and started naming diseases that aren't contagious. “We should trace a provider for cancer and heart disease and obesity and — I mean, a lot of things kill you more than COVID-19, so we should be traced for all those things," he said.
He continued trying to get Fox News viewers killed, saying, "Because life is a certain degree of risk, and we have to be willing to live with it.”
Giuliani started attacking Democratic Governors for trying to protect their citizens, and that's too much for him and Ingraham. "Try a few experiments. Let’s get back to work again because we are ready to go back. We can’t be protected forever from everything.”
Now he's Dr. Frankenstein.
Ingraham chimed in, “Can’t live in a bubble, that doesn’t work.”
Both of these hucksters should volunteer to be infected so they can be experimented on with their harebrained ideas. Now, that would get massive viewers for Fox, and maybe they can help some people. I know, that's way too much to ask.
It's up to Trump supporters to risk their lives, all in an effort to get people back to work — sick or not — so Trump can have a better chance of getting re-elected.
ProPublica has some very helpful information (that these lunatics will never agree to) and wouldn't cause massive amounts of new suffering in our country.


crooksandliars--2020-01-30--Wilbur Ross Touts Coronavirus' Economic Benefits To The U.S.

The Commerce Secretary said he did n't want to talk about a victory lap because of China 's current misfortunes with the coronavirus outbreak , but then went on to take a victory lap because of China 's current misfortunes with the coronavirus outbreak .
Their loss , our gain in the amoral world of global capitalism .
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said Thursday that the coronavirus outbreak in China could lead businesses to bring jobs back to the United States and Mexico .
`` Well , first of all , every American 's heart has to go out to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I do n't want to talk about a victory lap over a very unfortunate , very malignant disease , '' Ross told Fox Business Network on Thursday .
`` But the fact is , it does give businesses yet another thing to consider when they go through their review of their supply chain . ''
`` On top of all the other things , you had SARS , you had the African swine virus there , now you have this , '' Ross continued .
`` It 's another risk factor that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So , I think it will help to accelerate the return of jobs to North America .
Some to U.S. , probably some to Mexico , as well . ''

The Commerce Secretary said he didn't want to talk about a victory lap because of China's current misfortunes with the coronavirus outbreak, but then went on to take a victory lap because of China's current misfortunes with the coronavirus outbreak. Their loss, our gain in the amoral world of global capitalism.
Source: NBC News
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said Thursday that the coronavirus outbreak in China could lead businesses to bring jobs back to the United States and Mexico.
"Well, first of all, every American's heart has to go out to the victims of the coronavirus. So, I don't want to talk about a victory lap over a very unfortunate, very malignant disease," Ross told Fox Business Network on Thursday. "But the fact is, it does give businesses yet another thing to consider when they go through their review of their supply chain."
"On top of all the other things, you had SARS, you had the African swine virus there, now you have this," Ross continued. "It's another risk factor that people need to take into account. So, I think it will help to accelerate the return of jobs to North America. Some to U.S., probably some to Mexico, as well."


crooksandliars--2020-05-31--Racist Lou Dobbs Calls Black Church Leaders 'Pathetic'

On Friday 's Lou Dobbs Tonight , guess who he blamed for the protests in Minnesota after a policeman murdered George Floyd ?
Are you still guessing ?
# 1 presidential fluffer Pete Hegseth was Dobbs ' guest and he began the segment by blaming all this pent-up rage at law enforcement on Democratic leaders in Minnesota .
To him they should have mobilized tanks and the Blue Angels against any protester who dared raise their voice about a white cop putting his knee on a Black man until he suffocated and died .
Dobbs weighed in with his usual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undignified remarks .
You have to wonder where are the leaders of the community ?
Where have they been during city council meetings ?
Where have they been trying to counsel this inexperienced and untested mayor who is facile and unwilling to stand up like a man and take responsibility in a moment of great sorrow and pain for his community ?
To see this kind of ignorance unleashed on the streets of Minneapolis because a mayor does n't have guts , because the city council is n't engaged , because the community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ council , obviously .
They had the ability to control their lives with those local power centers , and I do n't know where the Black churches are are , I do n't know where the Black teachers and leaders are .
It is such a failure of community and local government that it 's just pathetic .
What 's pathetic is that Lou Dobbs has a job on television .
Where 's the outrage over the murder of George Floyd ?
Of course he does n't matter .
You always count on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pete Hegseth to excuse law enforcement for their violence against the black community and defend a nonexistent racist president , who is unable to lead while only stoking the flames of racism since that is The Dotard knows .
Trump was more interested in watching Space X take off than in dealing with COVID-19 or the nationwide protests against police violence that was caused by the murder of George Floyd .

On Friday's Lou Dobbs Tonight, guess who he blamed for the protests in Minnesota after a policeman murdered George Floyd?
Are you still guessing?
#1 presidential fluffer Pete Hegseth was Dobbs' guest and he began the segment by blaming all this pent-up rage at law enforcement on Democratic leaders in Minnesota.
To him they should have mobilized tanks and the Blue Angels against any protester who dared raise their voice about a white cop putting his knee on a Black man until he suffocated and died.
Dobbs weighed in with his usual menu of callous, racist, and undignified remarks.
You have to wonder where are the leaders of the community? Where have they been during city council meetings? Where have they been trying to counsel this inexperienced and untested mayor who is facile and unwilling to stand up like a man and take responsibility in a moment of great sorrow and pain for his community? To see this kind of ignorance unleashed on the streets of Minneapolis because a mayor doesn't have guts, because the city council isn't engaged, because the community there isn't engaged with the city council, obviously. They had the ability to control their lives with those local power centers, and I don't know where the Black churches are are, I don't know where the Black teachers and leaders are. It is such a failure of community and local government that it's just pathetic.
What's pathetic is that Lou Dobbs has a job on television.
Where's the outrage over the murder of George Floyd? Of course he doesn't matter.
You always count on Fox News sycophants like Lou Dobbs and Pete Hegseth to excuse law enforcement for their violence against the black community and defend a nonexistent racist president, who is unable to lead while only stoking the flames of racism since that is The Dotard knows.
Trump was more interested in watching Space X take off than in dealing with COVID-19 or the nationwide protests against police violence that was caused by the murder of George Floyd.


crooksandliars--2020-04-05--Surgeon General Calls Next Week 'Our Pearl Harbor Moment, Our 9/11 Moment'

Initially , one of the more skeptical of Trump 's lackeys , Jerome Adams has in recent weeks become his most zealous convert to the thinking that the COVID-19 pandemic is a real threat to the United States .
The Surgeon General 's transformation has been , shall we say , nothing short of remarkable .
Surgeon General Jerome Adams Sunday called on U.S. governors who haven ’ t issued statewide stay-at-home orders that combat the spread of coronavirus to at least “ give us a week ” of restrictions , as health officials warn of an accelerating rate of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his message to those governors who have not yet issued such drastic orders , Adams called on them to follow the administration 's guidelines , which include measures like avoiding social gatherings and discretionary travel .
“ The next week is going to be our Pearl Harbor moment , it ’ s going to be our 9/11 moment , it ’ s going to be the hardest moment for many Americans in their entire lives .
And we really need to understand that if we want to flatten that curve and get through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do their part , ” he said during an interview on “ Meet the Press .
”

Initially, one of the more skeptical of Trump's lackeys, Jerome Adams has in recent weeks become his most zealous convert to the thinking that the COVID-19 pandemic is a real threat to the United States. The Surgeon General's transformation has been, shall we say, nothing short of remarkable.
Source: NBC News
Surgeon General Jerome Adams Sunday called on U.S. governors who haven’t issued statewide stay-at-home orders that combat the spread of coronavirus to at least “give us a week” of restrictions, as health officials warn of an accelerating rate of infections and deaths.
When asked for his message to those governors who have not yet issued such drastic orders, Adams called on them to follow the administration's guidelines, which include measures like avoiding social gatherings and discretionary travel.
“The next week is going to be our Pearl Harbor moment, it’s going to be our 9/11 moment, it’s going to be the hardest moment for many Americans in their entire lives. And we really need to understand that if we want to flatten that curve and get through to the other side, everyone needs to do their part,” he said during an interview on “Meet the Press.”


crooksandliars--2020-04-05--Man Who Tested Positive For Coronavirus After Attending Party At Trump Golf Club Dies

A California man who was one of at least five people that tested positive for COVID-19 after attending a disco-themed birthday party at the Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles in Rancho Palos Verdes has died .
According to The Washington Post , 75-year-old Bert Argo passed away Friday , March 27 .
Argo and his wife Carol attended the 70th birthday party of Susan Brooks , the former mayor of Rancho Palos Verdes , on March 8 .
Brooks ’ daughter says her mother consulted Los Angeles County Supervisor ( and family friend ) Janice Hahn about whether they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the virus was an issue but since Los Angeles had yet to issue any bans on large gatherings , they opted to send an email telling attendees not to come if they were feeling unwell or showing any symptoms of illness .
Since then , at least five people tested positive for the virus while 11 others who attended the party felt ill .
According to Argo ’ s daughter Melanie Young , her mother Carol also got sick but has thankfully recovered from her illness .
Young also said that her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before the party .

A California man who was one of at least five people that tested positive for COVID-19 after attending a disco-themed birthday party at the Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles in Rancho Palos Verdes has died. According to The Washington Post, 75-year-old Bert Argo passed away Friday, March 27. Argo and his wife Carol attended the 70th birthday party of Susan Brooks, the former mayor of Rancho Palos Verdes, on March 8.
Brooks’ daughter says her mother consulted Los Angeles County Supervisor (and family friend) Janice Hahn about whether they should hold the party. They knew that the virus was an issue but since Los Angeles had yet to issue any bans on large gatherings, they opted to send an email telling attendees not to come if they were feeling unwell or showing any symptoms of illness. Since then, at least five people tested positive for the virus while 11 others who attended the party felt ill.
According to Argo’s daughter Melanie Young, her mother Carol also got sick but has thankfully recovered from her illness. Young also said that her parents had not shown signs of illness before the party.
Posted with permission from Daily Kos.


crooksandliars--2020-04-05--Devin Nunes Says Homeless People Are The 'Zombie Apocalypse': 'We Let Our Criminals Out'

Rep. Devin Nunes ( R-CA ) suggested on Sunday that homeless people are the `` zombie apocalypse '' even though they have not seen large numbers of infections during the COVID-19 pandemic .
`` The situation out here in California with the homeless population is quite dire and that was before the coronavirus , '' Nunes explained to Fox News .
`` It 's almost like zombie apocalypse .
You 've seen the pictures . ''
`` I 've got several thousand just in my district , '' he continued .
`` It 's largely due because we let our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ let multiple convicted drug abusers out .
Now unfortunately , a lot of these people -- I call it zombie apocalypse because a lot of these people have done drugs for a long period of time .
You know , they 're just not well . ''
According to Nunes , `` one of the advantages '' of the homeless population is that they live outside where it 's more difficult to become infected by COVID-19 .
`` One of the positive things in all this is if you 're outside in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we have n't seen it run through homeless population , '' he explained .
`` At least , that we know of yet . ''

Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) suggested on Sunday that homeless people are the "zombie apocalypse" even though they have not seen large numbers of infections during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The situation out here in California with the homeless population is quite dire and that was before the coronavirus," Nunes explained to Fox News. "It's almost like zombie apocalypse. You've seen the pictures."
"I've got several thousand just in my district," he continued. "It's largely due because we let our criminals out. We pass laws that let multiple convicted drug abusers out. Now unfortunately, a lot of these people -- I call it zombie apocalypse because a lot of these people have done drugs for a long period of time. You know, they're just not well."
According to Nunes, "one of the advantages" of the homeless population is that they live outside where it's more difficult to become infected by COVID-19.
"One of the positive things in all this is if you're outside in the outdoors, you're social distancing, we haven't seen it run through homeless population," he explained. "At least, that we know of yet."


crooksandliars--2020-04-05--Fox News Doc: It's Time For COVID-19 Patients To 'Come Off' Ventilators And Either Survive Or Die

Fox News medical contributor Dr. Nicole Saphier on Sunday said COVID-19 patients would soon need to be removed from ventilators even if they can not breathe on their own .
`` There 's going to be more deaths this coming week , '' Saphier said on Fox & Friends .
`` The reason I try and explain that to people is although our rates of hospitalization are going down , that is a good thing . ''
`` But we 're going to start seeing more deaths , '' she continued .
`` Because the people that are having to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they are being kept on the ventilators from anywhere one to four weeks . ''
Saphier argued that `` at some point , they will have to come off the ventilators . ''
`` And they 're either going to survive or they 're either going to die , '' she added .
`` Some of the mortality rates coming out of China are ranging from 60 to 90 % of people on the ventilators [ who die ] .
Thankfully , here in the United States , that number varies .
@

Fox News medical contributor Dr. Nicole Saphier on Sunday said COVID-19 patients would soon need to be removed from ventilators even if they cannot breathe on their own.
"There's going to be more deaths this coming week," Saphier said on Fox & Friends. "The reason I try and explain that to people is although our rates of hospitalization are going down, that is a good thing."
"But we're going to start seeing more deaths," she continued. "Because the people that are having to be in the ICU on the ventilators, they are being kept on the ventilators from anywhere one to four weeks."
Saphier argued that "at some point, they will have to come off the ventilators."
"And they're either going to survive or they're either going to die," she added. "Some of the mortality rates coming out of China are ranging from 60 to 90% of people on the ventilators [who die]. Thankfully, here in the United States, that number varies."


crooksandliars--2020-03-26--You Won't Believe What Mnuchin Said To Pelosi

Speaker Pelosi shows incredible compassion in her press conference .
It 's not just about the economy and stimulus during @ @ @ @ @ .
People are sick .
As she says , we need testing testing testing , @ @ @ @ @ .
pic.twitter.com/fU9Yfh5Cho

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crooksandliars--2020-03-26--13 Dead In One Day At 'Apocalyptic' Elmhurst Hospital In Queens, NY

CNN 's Brynn Gingras was reporting live from Queens , NY at Elmhurst Hospital in Queens .
`` A horrific 24-hour period there , Brynn , with 13 deaths .
What 's the latest ? ''
John Berman asked .
`` That 's the grim reality of what we are seeing here on the ground , '' Gingras said .
`` It 's not going away .
The demand is still there .
It 's not going down .
As you can see behind me , this line started forming earlier this morning .
It 's even longer at this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get care .
The hospital tells us every day they 're working to increase the capacity of this hospital by flooding it with nurses and doctors and equipment just to keep up with this demand .
13 people have died at this hospital in Queens while outside it 's swamped with New Yorkers waiting in long lines to get tested for the coronavirus .
The numbers in the city are rapidly growing .
but the nation 's top infectious disease experts says studying what 's happening here could give clues to reduce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country .
ANTHONY FAUCI : It 's accelerating .
There are other parts of the country which we need to get a better feel for what is going on .
The way we do that is by increasing testing and identifying people who are infected , isolating them , getting out of circulation and then do contact tracing .
`` New York Governor Andrew Cuomo reports there 's early signs showing stay at home measures are working . ''
Social distancing , no restaurants , no nonessential workers .
Yes , they 're @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are effective and the evidence suggests at this point that they have slowed the hospitalization .
`` Nationwide , some medical staff are fearful of working in hospitals overloaded with coronavirus patients .
The shortage of personal protective equipment makes their already difficult job even more dangerous . ''
We are terrified .
Everybody is terrified .
We feel an obligation to take care of our patients .
Everybody does .
But we do n't want to become sick .
`` Watch medical personnel in New Jersey dressed in full protective gear move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after several tested positive .
The Washington Post reports in Chicago , doctors privately discussed a 'do not resuscitate ' policy for infected individuals regardless of the wishes of the patient or their family members .
With cases growing in Louisiana , the governor worries hospitals in New Orleans could reach capacity by the first week of April . ''

CNN's Brynn Gingras was reporting live from Queens, NY at Elmhurst Hospital in Queens.
"A horrific 24-hour period there, Brynn, with 13 deaths. What's the latest?" John Berman asked.
"That's the grim reality of what we are seeing here on the ground," Gingras said.
"It's not going away. The demand is still there. It's not going down. As you can see behind me, this line started forming earlier this morning. It's even longer at this hour. People waiting in the cold to get care. The hospital tells us every day they're working to increase the capacity of this hospital by flooding it with nurses and doctors and equipment just to keep up with this demand. 13 people have died at this hospital in Queens while outside it's swamped with New Yorkers waiting in long lines to get tested for the coronavirus. The numbers in the city are rapidly growing. but the nation's top infectious disease experts says studying what's happening here could give clues to reduce infection rates in other parts of the country.
ANTHONY FAUCI: It's accelerating. There are other parts of the country which we need to get a better feel for what is going on. The way we do that is by increasing testing and identifying people who are infected, isolating them, getting out of circulation and then do contact tracing.
"New York Governor Andrew Cuomo reports there's early signs showing stay at home measures are working."
Social distancing, no restaurants, no nonessential workers. Yes, they're burdensome. By the way, they are effective and the evidence suggests at this point that they have slowed the hospitalization.
"Nationwide, some medical staff are fearful of working in hospitals overloaded with coronavirus patients. The shortage of personal protective equipment makes their already difficult job even more dangerous."
We are terrified. Everybody is terrified. We feel an obligation to take care of our patients. Everybody does. But we don't want to become sick.
"Watch medical personnel in New Jersey dressed in full protective gear move dozens of residents from this nursing home after several tested positive. The Washington Post reports in Chicago, doctors privately discussed a 'do not resuscitate' policy for infected individuals regardless of the wishes of the patient or their family members. With cases growing in Louisiana, the governor worries hospitals in New Orleans could reach capacity by the first week of April."


crooksandliars--2020-03-25--Seth Meyers Clobbers Trump: 'Emotional Maturity Of A Middle Schooler'

Seth Meyers is one of many late-night comics performing their monologues and interviews from the confines of their homes during this pandemic .
Though the above video is a couple of days old , its points are , and will be , sadly evergreen .
In it , Myers compares Donald Trump to the dumbest Price Is Right contestant in history , with his bullsh*t prediction that the 15 COVID-19 cases would soon be `` close to zero , '' game show sound effects and all .
He ripped Trump for ignoring `` ominous '' classified intelligence as far back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new coronavirus , interrupting the briefings to ask questions about — get this — the availability of new vaping flavors .
MEYERS : So , either he knew about it the whole time , and lied , or he was n't paying attention during his briefings , and honestly , both — both are probably true .
Donald Trump can not stand when someone else is talking in a meeting .
I mean , look at him .
He literally looks down at the table and hugs himself like he 's hoping it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he 's gon na start going to meetings wearing a , I do n't know , a Thundershirt ?
Switching to the few positives that have been cause for occasional cheer while one-third of the country is on lock-down , Meyers questioned why we found Steve Martin playing the banjo in the woods such a pleasure .
MEYERS : You know things are bad when the sound of someone playing the banjo in the woods is comforting .
Usually that 's when you run back to the camper and head for the city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' would have been a whole , entirely different movie if it had been Steve Martin , instead of that weird kid .
I wo n't ruin his take on traffic in New York for you , but as a Born and Bred Brooklynite , I can confirm and concur .
Meyers then takes time expressing his appreciation for the badassery of New York 's Governor Andrew Cuomo .
Young people ?
You are wrong .
( About what , Dad ?
EVERYTHING , Son . )
After ripping on Rand Paul 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ damn Senate , and also his unfortunate hair , Meyers moved on to Trump 's grotesque and sarcastic reaction to learning that Senator Mitt Romney was self-quarantining ( and his denial when called on it . )
MEYERS : No , no ?
So that was n't sarcasm ?
So , you 're genuinely , genuinely concerned about Romney 's well-being ?
Did you also send him a get well card that said , `` Ooooo , you 're sick ?
?
?
I 'm sooooooo soooorry ! ''
I mean it 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passes up an opportunity to remind us that he is an awful person .
Even in the midst of a global pandemic .
It 's almost like he 's afraid we 'll forget .
Like he 's worried that if he 's too focused on solving the crisis , people wo n't remember he 's the same asshole who once tweeted , `` I have never seen a thin person drinking Diet Coke . ''
Trump , of course , need n't worry we 'll forget .
He proves it to us multiple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the term `` deplorables '' was even perhaps a bit too kind to describe his supporters .
They 're enablers .
They 're conspirators .
They 're complicit .
He would n't have it any other way , and that is why we are in this mess .
MEYERS : Instead of facing the stark truth , Trump demands constant praise and flattery .
In fact , at one point last week , a reporter simply tried to ask Trump about the very real , urgent concerns faced by health care professionals on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical equipment , like masks and ventilators ... .
( video clip ) REPORTER : I just want to read you what some of the doctors on the front lines of this crisis are saying -- TRUMP : You mean the ones that are saying good things , or bad things ?
( end video clip ) I assure you , no one who is saying good things is a medical professional ... .Seriously , why are you like this ?
Why do you have the emotional maturity of a middle school student @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , `` Do you like me ?
Check 'Yes ' or 'Yes . '
''

Seth Meyers is one of many late-night comics performing their monologues and interviews from the confines of their homes during this pandemic. Though the above video is a couple of days old, its points are, and will be, sadly evergreen. In it, Myers compares Donald Trump to the dumbest Price Is Right contestant in history, with his bullsh*t prediction that the 15 COVID-19 cases would soon be "close to zero," game show sound effects and all.
He ripped Trump for ignoring "ominous" classified intelligence as far back as January about the spread of the new coronavirus, interrupting the briefings to ask questions about — get this — the availability of new vaping flavors.
MEYERS: So, either he knew about it the whole time, and lied, or he wasn't paying attention during his briefings, and honestly, both — both are probably true. Donald Trump cannot stand when someone else is talking in a meeting. I mean, look at him. He literally looks down at the table and hugs himself like he's hoping it's all a dream. Pretty soon he's gonna start going to meetings wearing a, I don't know, a Thundershirt?
Switching to the few positives that have been cause for occasional cheer while one-third of the country is on lock-down, Meyers questioned why we found Steve Martin playing the banjo in the woods such a pleasure.
MEYERS: You know things are bad when the sound of someone playing the banjo in the woods is comforting. Usually that's when you run back to the camper and head for the city. I will say, "Deliverance" would have been a whole, entirely different movie if it had been Steve Martin, instead of that weird kid.
I won't ruin his take on traffic in New York for you, but as a Born and Bred Brooklynite, I can confirm and concur. Meyers then takes time expressing his appreciation for the badassery of New York's Governor Andrew Cuomo. Young people? You are wrong. (About what, Dad? EVERYTHING, Son.)
After ripping on Rand Paul's knowingly potentially spreading COVID-19 all over the damn Senate, and also his unfortunate hair, Meyers moved on to Trump's grotesque and sarcastic reaction to learning that Senator Mitt Romney was self-quarantining (and his denial when called on it.)
MEYERS: No, no? So that wasn't sarcasm? So, you're genuinely, genuinely concerned about Romney's well-being? Did you also send him a get well card that said, "Ooooo, you're sick??? I'm sooooooo soooorry!" I mean it's just a reminder that Donald Trump never passes up an opportunity to remind us that he is an awful person. Even in the midst of a global pandemic. It's almost like he's afraid we'll forget. Like he's worried that if he's too focused on solving the crisis, people won't remember he's the same asshole who once tweeted, "I have never seen a thin person drinking Diet Coke."
Trump, of course, needn't worry we'll forget. He proves it to us multiple times a day, and reinforces that the term "deplorables" was even perhaps a bit too kind to describe his supporters. They're enablers. They're conspirators. They're complicit. He wouldn't have it any other way, and that is why we are in this mess.


crooksandliars--2020-03-26--MN Governor Blasts Federal Testing Failure: 'Too Late To Flatten The Curve'

Minnesota Gov .
Tim Walz ( D ) said on Wednesday that his state is trying to prevent deaths from surging due to the federal government ’ s initial failures in testing for COVID-19 .
At a briefing on Minnesota ’ s coronavirus response efforts , Walz explained why it is “ too late to flatten the curve , ” referring to the steep increase in infections .
“ The objective of everything we ’ re doing here is — it ’ s too late to flatten the curve , ” the governor said .
“ The testing regimen was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be able to do that.
” “ So what our objective is now is to move the infection rate out , slow it down and buy time , ” he continued , pointing to the need for Hospital resources .
“ If we get to a situation , which we ’ ve seen in certain parts of the world — and the place we can not get to is when someone can ’ t get that ICU care , we see the death rates skyrocket.
” Walz said that he was also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ so that we can flatten the curve ” in the future .

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) said on Wednesday that his state is trying to prevent deaths from surging due to the federal government’s initial failures in testing for COVID-19.
At a briefing on Minnesota’s coronavirus response efforts, Walz explained why it is “too late to flatten the curve,” referring to the steep increase in infections.
“The objective of everything we’re doing here is — it’s too late to flatten the curve,” the governor said. “The testing regimen was not in place soon enough for us to be able to do that.”
“So what our objective is now is to move the infection rate out, slow it down and buy time,” he continued, pointing to the need for Hospital resources. “If we get to a situation, which we’ve seen in certain parts of the world — and the place we cannot get to is when someone can’t get that ICU care, we see the death rates skyrocket.”
Walz said that he was also focused on a second wave of infections “so that we can flatten the curve” in the future.


crooksandliars--2020-04-07--Biden V. Trump Or Truth V. Bullsh*t

Biden V. Trump Or Truth V. Bullsh*t

Donald Trump ’ s epic string of lies about coronavirus is impressive enough on its own , but it looks even worse when you compare it with former Vice President Joe Biden ’ s public statements on the same topic .
Greg Sargent did just that , with a devastating timeline .
Bear in mind that Biden doesn ’ t command the airwaves every time he decides to clear his throat .
He doesn ’ t get daily press briefings to stroke his own ego .
He has to make what he says count—like writing a USA Today op-ed on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will get worse before it gets better ” and that “ I am concerned that the Trump administration ’ s shortsighted policies have left us unprepared for a dangerous epidemic that will come sooner or later.
” That op-ed came three days after Trump said “ It will all work out well ” and three days before Trump said “ We think we have it very well under control.
” The day after Trump said “ We think we have it very well under control , ” on January 31 , Biden told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a crisis with the coronavirus ” and “ This is no time for Donald Trump 's record of hysteria and xenophobia—hysterical xenophobia—and fearmongering to lead the way instead of science.
” The day after that , Biden emphasized the same point , tweeting “ We are in the midst of a crisis with the coronavirus .
We need to lead the way with science—not Donald Trump ’ s record of hysteria , xenophobia , and fear-mongering .
He is the worst possible person to lead our country through a global health emergency.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We pretty much shut it down , coming in from China.
” Eight days later , on February 10 , he made his unsubstantiated claim that coronavirus would go away when the weather got warm .
Biden responded the next day by slamming that claim on Morning Joe .
In late February , Trump made some of his most notorious claims about coronavirus , from that it was “ going very substantially down , not up ” to “ It ’ s going to disappear .
One day—it ’ s like a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a Democratic “ hoax.
” On February 28 , Biden went on CNN to say “ You need to let the experts speak , ” running through several of the ways Trump had weakened U.S. pandemic response .
“ This is not a way to run a nation , this is not a way to reassure the world.
” From March 9 to 13 , Trump again made a series of statements dangerously downplaying the dangers of COVID-19 , including the notorious “ It will go away .
Just stay calm .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12 , Biden gave a major speech on coronavirus and presidential truthtelling , unveiling his own plan , which included expanded testing , emergency paid sick leave , and more .
“ No president can promise to prevent future outbreaks , ” he said .
“ But I can promise you this : When I ’ m president , we will be better prepared ; we will respond better and recover better .
We will lead with science .
We will listen to the experts.
” In sharp contrast to Trump , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you the truth.
” That was the day before Trump said “ I don ’ t take responsibility at all.
” Two days later , Biden wrote , “ It is the job of the President to take responsibility—and his response is unacceptable , ” while renewing his call for expanded—and free—testing .
It can be difficult for Biden to break through to the news in the current environment , while Trump has seized the microphone and is the main mouthpiece for his administration ’ s response .
But while Trump has said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least ) about coronavirus , it ’ s clear who is advocating for truth-telling , for the more effective response , and for the more serious attention to this as a danger to human life rather than personal political prospects .

Donald Trump’s epic string of lies about coronavirus is impressive enough on its own, but it looks even worse when you compare it with former Vice President Joe Biden’s public statements on the same topic. Greg Sargent did just that, with a devastating timeline.
Bear in mind that Biden doesn’t command the airwaves every time he decides to clear his throat. He doesn’t get daily press briefings to stroke his own ego. He has to make what he says count—like writing a USA Today op-ed on January 27 warning that the outbreak “will get worse before it gets better” and that “I am concerned that the Trump administration’s shortsighted policies have left us unprepared for a dangerous epidemic that will come sooner or later.”
That op-ed came three days after Trump said “It will all work out well” and three days before Trump said “We think we have it very well under control.” The day after Trump said “We think we have it very well under control,” on January 31, Biden told reporters “We have, right now, a crisis with the coronavirus” and “This is no time for Donald Trump's record of hysteria and xenophobia—hysterical xenophobia—and fearmongering to lead the way instead of science.” The day after that, Biden emphasized the same point, tweeting “We are in the midst of a crisis with the coronavirus. We need to lead the way with science—not Donald Trump’s record of hysteria, xenophobia, and fear-mongering. He is the worst possible person to lead our country through a global health emergency.”
Trump, the next day: “We pretty much shut it down, coming in from China.” Eight days later, on February 10, he made his unsubstantiated claim that coronavirus would go away when the weather got warm. Biden responded the next day by slamming that claim on Morning Joe.
In late February, Trump made some of his most notorious claims about coronavirus, from that it was “going very substantially down, not up” to “It’s going to disappear. One day—it’s like a miracle—it will disappear” to that it was a Democratic “hoax.”
On February 28, Biden went on CNN to say “You need to let the experts speak,” running through several of the ways Trump had weakened U.S. pandemic response. “This is not a way to run a nation, this is not a way to reassure the world.”
From March 9 to 13, Trump again made a series of statements dangerously downplaying the dangers of COVID-19, including the notorious “It will go away. Just stay calm. It will go away.”
On March 12, Biden gave a major speech on coronavirus and presidential truthtelling, unveiling his own plan, which included expanded testing, emergency paid sick leave, and more. “No president can promise to prevent future outbreaks,” he said. “But I can promise you this: When I’m president, we will be better prepared; we will respond better and recover better. We will lead with science. We will listen to the experts.” In sharp contrast to Trump, he pledged “I’ll always tell you the truth.”
That was the day before Trump said “I don’t take responsibility at all.”
Two days later, Biden wrote, “It is the job of the President to take responsibility—and his response is unacceptable,” while renewing his call for expanded—and free—testing.
It can be difficult for Biden to break through to the news in the current environment, while Trump has seized the microphone and is the main mouthpiece for his administration’s response. But while Trump has said a lot more (in public, at least) about coronavirus, it’s clear who is advocating for truth-telling, for the more effective response, and for the more serious attention to this as a danger to human life rather than personal political prospects.
Published with permission of Daily Kos


crooksandliars--2020-04-07--'Pro-Life' Protesters Okay With Killing Pregnant Women During Pandemic

Republicans have always been overt about wanting to remove control of women 's bodies from , well , women .
They 're especially good , though , at doing it covertly as well .
Take the COVID-19 crisis .
You can be sure that while the nation is understandably consumed with staying informed , and hopefully alive during the pandemic , the GOP is busy finding ways to go stealth about restricting rights for the marginalized — in this case , women .
Elie Mystal wrote about this on a macro level at The Nation .
The courts , packed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hell-bent on taking us back to the 1950s , are already taking advantage of COVID-19 .
I urge you to read the piece in its entirety to get a sense of the contempt with which the GOP hold women , and the legal details of how fragile our hold on this right really is .
In a nutshell : Within the last few weeks , the governors of Texas , Ohio , Iowa , and Alabama—Republicans all—have taken advantage of the coronavirus pandemic to issue orders further restricting the rights of women .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” medical procedures and therefore have to be put on hold alongside all the other elective procedures that are being suspended during the crisis .
As if a woman ’ s right to her body is akin to getting a nose job .
[ ... ] If states are allowed to ban abortions because of a state of emergency , that ’ s a power Republicans will use again and again to shut down abortion providers .
[ ... ] Governors declare states of emergencies for all sorts of things .
Every one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pretext to ban abortions , if the coronavirus restrictions stand .
While Mystal speaks to our legal rights from a legislative and judicial standpoint , I 'd like to take you into the streets .
Not only is the GOP using this pandemic/crisis as cover to further restrict women 's reproductive rights .
They 're making the women who approach clinics less safe for another reason .
Clinic Escorts are no longer allowed at most Planned Parenthood and family planning clinics .
That 's where I take my stand against forced birthers .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` pro-life . ''
They care nothing for the life of the mother , nor do they care for the child once it has passed through the birth canal . )
I volunteer as a clinic escort - we escorts are all volunteers .
Because of COVID-19 , Planned Parenthood , and other family planning clinics have asked clinic defense escorts to stop coming .
The patients who have appointments now must approach the clinics without the benefit of a friendly face who can act as a calming buffer between them and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them .
In order to do our jobs as escorts , we put our bodies between the patients and the forced birthers .
We shield them .
We offer our arms to hold .
We speak calmly to them so that they can focus on something other than the misogynists trying to coerce them away from their chosen path .
We can not do this from 6 feet away .
Do you think the forced-birth protestors are abiding by social distancing guidelines ?
Stay-at-home orders ?
Guess what ?
They are n't .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ I know the protestors are still there , no masks , no 6-feet distancing , and freedom to approach patients at will .
In North Carolina , fifty forced-birthers — FIFTY !
— gathered to harass patients at a women 's health clinic .
Police dispersed the crowd , and arrested eight of them for violating the ban on mass gatherings .
Senator Ted Cruz was outraged at the arrests .
Again , there were 50 of these assh0les gathering to harass women seeking legal medical treatment .
Joyce Vance explained it to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not be able to escort , because I know firsthand the harassment these women face , the lies they 're told , the tricks employed , the sweet-talk , the double-talk , the anger and intimidation they face .
Here is just one of the more despicable examples : they rent spaces right next to legitimate family planning clinics and call them `` Pregnancy Crisis Centers . ''
They try steer women into THOSE offices to work their manipulation in private .
Sometimes it 's 10 or 15 minutes before the patient will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did n't realize they were going into a Christian `` crisis '' center .
Without us there to help , some might not make it to the correct clinic at all , or they might miss their appointment entirely and have to reschedule — if they even have the luxury of rescheduling .
Yet , because we follow the rules , and do n't want to infect/endanger the women , we do what the clinics ask of us and stay home , it means these anti-choice , forced-birth , hypocrite misogynist psychos have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yes , on a grand scale , legislators and judges are using the pandemic to whittle away further at what few reproductive rights to which women cling .
But on a micro scale , misogynistic forced-birthers are taking full advantage of COVID-19 to harass and abuse vulnerable women even more on their way into clinics , because escorts are not there to help .
And you can be sure they 're still out there , swooping in because they know we 're not — no masks , no 6-ft buffer .
These anti-choice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to trauma on women and girls just seeking LEGAL medical care for all kinds of things , mind you - not just pregnancy .
The ones who try claim the `` pro-life '' moniker are willing to infect pregnant women with COVID-19 in order to convince them to carry out a pregnancy they do n't want or that present a danger to them .
A pregnancy that might not survive a now newly COVID-19-positive mother .
They are risking killing both mother and fetus .
But hey .
They 're just providing `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Republicans have always been overt about wanting to remove control of women's bodies from, well, women. They're especially good, though, at doing it covertly as well. Take the COVID-19 crisis. You can be sure that while the nation is understandably consumed with staying informed, and hopefully alive during the pandemic, the GOP is busy finding ways to go stealth about restricting rights for the marginalized — in this case, women.
Elie Mystal wrote about this on a macro level at The Nation. The courts, packed by and with Federalist Society judges, hell-bent on taking us back to the 1950s, are already taking advantage of COVID-19. I urge you to read the piece in its entirety to get a sense of the contempt with which the GOP hold women, and the legal details of how fragile our hold on this right really is. In a nutshell:
Within the last few weeks, the governors of Texas, Ohio, Iowa, and Alabama—Republicans all—have taken advantage of the coronavirus pandemic to issue orders further restricting the rights of women. Their excuse? Abortions are “elective” medical procedures and therefore have to be put on hold alongside all the other elective procedures that are being suspended during the crisis. As if a woman’s right to her body is akin to getting a nose job.
[...]
If states are allowed to ban abortions because of a state of emergency, that’s a power Republicans will use again and again to shut down abortion providers.
[...]
Governors declare states of emergencies for all sorts of things. Every one of those emergencies could be used as pretext to ban abortions, if the coronavirus restrictions stand.
While Mystal speaks to our legal rights from a legislative and judicial standpoint, I'd like to take you into the streets. Not only is the GOP using this pandemic/crisis as cover to further restrict women's reproductive rights. They're making the women who approach clinics less safe for another reason.
Clinic Escorts are no longer allowed at most Planned Parenthood and family planning clinics. That's where I take my stand against forced birthers. (I will never call these people "pro-life." They care nothing for the life of the mother, nor do they care for the child once it has passed through the birth canal.) I volunteer as a clinic escort - we escorts are all volunteers.
Because of COVID-19, Planned Parenthood, and other family planning clinics have asked clinic defense escorts to stop coming. The patients who have appointments now must approach the clinics without the benefit of a friendly face who can act as a calming buffer between them and the forced-birther, anti-choice protesters trying to harass them. In order to do our jobs as escorts, we put our bodies between the patients and the forced birthers. We shield them. We offer our arms to hold. We speak calmly to them so that they can focus on something other than the misogynists trying to coerce them away from their chosen path. We cannot do this from 6 feet away.
Do you think the forced-birth protestors are abiding by social distancing guidelines? Stay-at-home orders? Guess what? They aren't.
At the clinics where I escort, I know the protestors are still there, no masks, no 6-feet distancing, and freedom to approach patients at will. In North Carolina, fifty forced-birthers — FIFTY! — gathered to harass patients at a women's health clinic. Police dispersed the crowd, and arrested eight of them for violating the ban on mass gatherings. Senator Ted Cruz was outraged at the arrests.
2/x WATCH: This is an unconstitutional arrest. @BenhamBrothers exercising core First Amendment rights. PEACEFULLY. In a way fully consistent w/ public safety. Because elected Dems are pro-abortion, they are abusing their power—in a one-sided way—to silence pregnancy counselors. https://t.co/at4UxQrXBU — Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) April 4, 2020
Again, there were 50 of these assh0les gathering to harass women seeking legal medical treatment. Joyce Vance explained it to him.
It's not pregnancy counseling if the pregnant woman doesn't request it. It's just harassment. https://t.co/NkKqHVv8oN — Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) April 5, 2020
It has been killing me not be able to escort, because I know firsthand the harassment these women face, the lies they're told, the tricks employed, the sweet-talk, the double-talk, the anger and intimidation they face. Here is just one of the more despicable examples: they rent spaces right next to legitimate family planning clinics and call them "Pregnancy Crisis Centers." They try steer women into THOSE offices to work their manipulation in private. Sometimes it's 10 or 15 minutes before the patient will come out bewildered and/or furious because they didn't realize they were going into a Christian "crisis" center. Without us there to help, some might not make it to the correct clinic at all, or they might miss their appointment entirely and have to reschedule — if they even have the luxury of rescheduling.
Yet, because we follow the rules, and don't want to infect/endanger the women, we do what the clinics ask of us and stay home, it means these anti-choice, forced-birth, hypocrite misogynist psychos have easier access to their prey.
So yes, on a grand scale, legislators and judges are using the pandemic to whittle away further at what few reproductive rights to which women cling. But on a micro scale, misogynistic forced-birthers are taking full advantage of COVID-19 to harass and abuse vulnerable women even more on their way into clinics, because escorts are not there to help. And you can be sure they're still out there, swooping in because they know we're not — no masks, no 6-ft buffer. These anti-choice, sadistic assh0les inflicting everything from inconvenience to trauma on women and girls just seeking LEGAL medical care for all kinds of things, mind you - not just pregnancy.
The ones who try claim the "pro-life" moniker are willing to infect pregnant women with COVID-19 in order to convince them to carry out a pregnancy they don't want or that present a danger to them. A pregnancy that might not survive a now newly COVID-19-positive mother. They are risking killing both mother and fetus. But hey. They're just providing "counseling," right Sen. Cruz?


crooksandliars--2020-04-12--Laura Ingraham Very Concerned Americans Can’t ‘Freely’ Catch And Spread Coronavirus

Laura Ingraham proved herself totally on board with Fox ’ s pro-death agenda as she worried about Americans not being able to spread and catch COVID-19 in church and elsewhere and showed almost no concern about stopping the outbreak .
During her extended chat with Attorney General William Barr , Ingraham groused so much about restrictions on church attendance , she seemed to think that was a bigger loss than the thousands more Americans who could die without them .
It reminded me of Fox host Ainsley Earhardt ’ s reaction to a mass shooting in a Texas church a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no other place ” she 'd rather be killed .
Oh , and did I mention that Ingraham claims to be staunchly pro-life ?
Ingraham ’ s very first question for Barr was an obvious suggestion to get him to limit shelter-in-place rules .
INGRAHAM : Right now , we have no freedom of worship , public worship to go , to gather .
We have no real freedom of assembly , not even freedom of movement , given what some of the states are doing .
What can you tell our viewers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do after this limited period to ensure that our civil liberties are balanced properly against the need to protect the public ?
BARR : Well , you know , generally speaking there are occasions where liberties have to be restricted during certain emergencies such as war or , in this case , a potentially devastating pandemic but they have to be balanced .
Whatever steps you take have to be balanced against the civil liberties of the American people and it can not be used as an excuse for broad deprivations of liberty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know we 're going to be interested in both what the federalgovernment is imposing and also making sure that that 's justified but also what the states do .
The states have very broad well as you know what we call policepowers they have very broad powers that the federal government does n't have to regulate the lives of their citizens as long as they do n't violate the Constitution .
So we 'll be keeping a careful , a careful eye on that .
That was not enough for Ingraham .
Never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jewish community has both ignored social distancing and experienced high rates of infection .
Ingraham sounded like a woman demanding a Constitutional right to scream fire ( or , more to the point , the right to urge people to start one ) in a crowded movie theater .
INGRAHAM : : Governor Cuomo spoke out this week very forcefully this holy week for Christians , obviously Passover as well for Jewish Americans , about the importance of not gathering together to celebrate and I want you to listen .
VIDEO CLIP OF @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time for large religious gatherings .
I mean , we 've paid this price already .
We 've learned this lesson .
You do no one a service by making this worse and infecting more people .
INGRAHAM : At what point in time do Americans feel like they 're going to be able to have that right back and that the federal government will stand up if local officials continue this all-out prohibition going forward ?
Barr assured her that he is “ very , very concerned ” about such restrictions but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power to impose them during a time of public emergency , such as this one .
Then , he played the role of public health expert on TV : BARR : When this 30-day period ends I think we have to consider alternative ways of protecting people .
Still not good enough for Ingraham .
INGRAHAM : I guess that [ Cuomo 's ] focused on a lot of the funerals that the Hasidic Jews are having in New York where people do gather , they gather and , you know , tightly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and so that 's the concern .
Actually , that ’ s more than a concern , that has been an apparent source of contagion .
Funny how such a devout person as Ingraham said not a word about that .
Instead , she continued her crusade for more death in the name of liberty .
INGRAHAM : I tweeted out something earlier today , just how , you know , these are inalienable rights .
It means - and there 's a lot of Americans today who are mourning those who 've @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who also say the government does n't have this right , to take this right , to take our rights away .
even when the experts are saying this is a horrible time for us health wise .
But hey , maybe Ingraham believes that if she could just dole out enough hydroxychloroquine , all those churchgoers could just rise like Lazarus .
You can watch Ingraham ’ s pro-death agenda below , from the April 8 , 2020 The Ingraham Angle .

Laura Ingraham proved herself totally on board with Fox’s pro-death agenda as she worried about Americans not being able to spread and catch COVID-19 in church and elsewhere and showed almost no concern about stopping the outbreak.
During her extended chat with Attorney General William Barr, Ingraham groused so much about restrictions on church attendance, she seemed to think that was a bigger loss than the thousands more Americans who could die without them. It reminded me of Fox host Ainsley Earhardt’s reaction to a mass shooting in a Texas church a few years ago: “There’ no other place” she'd rather be killed. Oh, and did I mention that Ingraham claims to be staunchly pro-life?
Ingraham’s very first question for Barr was an obvious suggestion to get him to limit shelter-in-place rules.
INGRAHAM: Right now, we have no freedom of worship, public worship to go, to gather. We have no real freedom of assembly, not even freedom of movement, given what some of the states are doing. What can you tell our viewers tonight about what the Justice Department will do after this limited period to ensure that our civil liberties are balanced properly against the need to protect the public? BARR: Well, you know, generally speaking there are occasions where liberties have to be restricted during certain emergencies such as war or, in this case, a potentially devastating pandemic but they have to be balanced. Whatever steps you take have to be balanced against the civil liberties of the American people and it cannot be used as an excuse for broad deprivations of liberty. So as things proceed, you know we're going to be interested in both what the federalgovernment is imposing and also making sure that that's justified but also what the states do. The states have very broad well as you know what we call policepowers they have very broad powers that the federal government doesn't have to regulate the lives of their citizens as long as they don't violate the Constitution. So we'll be keeping a careful, a careful eye on that.
That was not enough for Ingraham. Never mind that New York’s Orthodox Jewish community has both ignored social distancing and experienced high rates of infection. Ingraham sounded like a woman demanding a Constitutional right to scream fire (or, more to the point, the right to urge people to start one) in a crowded movie theater.
INGRAHAM: : Governor Cuomo spoke out this week very forcefully this holy week for Christians, obviously Passover as well for Jewish Americans, about the importance of not gathering together to celebrate and I want you to listen. VIDEO CLIP OF ANDREW CUOMO: Now is not the time for large religious gatherings. I mean, we've paid this price already. We've learned this lesson. You do no one a service by making this worse and infecting more people. INGRAHAM: At what point in time do Americans feel like they're going to be able to have that right back and that the federal government will stand up if local officials continue this all-out prohibition going forward?
Barr assured her that he is “very, very concerned” about such restrictions but he also acknowledged that government has the power to impose them during a time of public emergency, such as this one.
Then, he played the role of public health expert on TV:
BARR: When this 30-day period ends I think we have to consider alternative ways of protecting people.
Still not good enough for Ingraham. INGRAHAM: I guess that [Cuomo's] focused on a lot of the funerals that the Hasidic Jews are having in New York where people do gather, they gather and, you know, tightly together, to mourn and to pray and so that's the concern.
Actually, that’s more than a concern, that has been an apparent source of contagion. Funny how such a devout person as Ingraham said not a word about that. Instead, she continued her crusade for more death in the name of liberty.
INGRAHAM: I tweeted out something earlier today, just how, you know, these are inalienable rights. It means - and there's a lot of Americans today who are mourning those who've lost their lives in this horrible virus who also say the government doesn't have this right, to take this right, to take our rights away. even when the experts are saying this is a horrible time for us health wise.
But hey, maybe Ingraham believes that if she could just dole out enough hydroxychloroquine, all those churchgoers could just rise like Lazarus.
You can watch Ingraham’s pro-death agenda below, from the April 8, 2020 The Ingraham Angle.
Posted with permission from News Hounds.


crooksandliars--2020-04-12--Dr. Fauci Admits Trump Administration's Foot-Dragging Cost Lives: 'It Is What It Is'

Dr. Fauci is probably in for another round of Trump sycophants bashing him after he displayed some honesty and use of facts instead of conspiracy theories during an appearance on CNN .
On Jake Tapper 's CNN 's State of the Union program this morning Tapper said that the U.S. announced its first confirmed case of the coronavirus at the same time as South Korea , yet the United States has 30 % of the world 's cases and almost 20 % of deaths related to COVID-19 .
Tapper asked Fauci if it 's because we got started too late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a dangerous question .
Dr. Fauci is keenly aware of the immense pressure Trump and his Fox News minions have put on anybody who dares to contradict him so he tried to soft-pedal it as much as possible saying South Korea has an easier time to respond to this type of the situation .
Still , Dr. Fauci admitted , `` It would have been nice if we had a better head start . ''
`` The New York Times '' reported yesterday that you and other top officials wanted to recommend social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as far back as the third week of February , but the administration did n't announce such guidelines to the American public until March 16th , almost a month later , '' Tapper observed .
`` Why ? ''
Dr. Fauci replied that the health team looks at everything from a purely health standpoint ( obviously ) and some of their recommendations are taken and some are not .
`` It is what it is , '' he said .
Tapper pressed on that .
`` Do you think lives could have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , stay-at-home measures , had started the third week of February instead of mid-March ? ''
Dr. Fauci tried to deflect before admitting , `` Obviously you could logically say that if you had a process that was ongoing and you started mitigation earlier , you could have saved lives .
Obviously no one is going to deny that . ''
Trump is and has been denying it .
He 's taken no responsibility and told the country that and early on he characterized the fears associated with the virus outbreak as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` But what goes into those kinds of decisions is complicated , '' Fauci continued .
`` But you 're right , I mean , obviously , if we had right from the very beginning shut everything down , it may have been a little bit different , but there was a lot of pushback about shutting things down back then . ''
Who were the people offering resistance and pushing back against out top medical professionals ?
Who refused to take swift actions at the beginning of the virus outbreak ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of economists turned the initial outbreak into a political game .
They were more worried about the stock market and Trump 's reelection plans than the health and welfare of the American public .

Dr. Fauci is probably in for another round of Trump sycophants bashing him after he displayed some honesty and use of facts instead of conspiracy theories during an appearance on CNN.
On Jake Tapper's CNN's State of the Union program this morning Tapper said that the U.S. announced its first confirmed case of the coronavirus at the same time as South Korea, yet the United States has 30% of the world's cases and almost 20% of deaths related to COVID-19.
Tapper asked Fauci if it's because we got started too late in our response to the virus, a dangerous question.
Dr. Fauci is keenly aware of the immense pressure Trump and his Fox News minions have put on anybody who dares to contradict him so he tried to soft-pedal it as much as possible saying South Korea has an easier time to respond to this type of the situation.
Still, Dr. Fauci admitted, "It would have been nice if we had a better head start."
"The New York Times" reported yesterday that you and other top officials wanted to recommend social and physical distancing guidelines to president Trump as far back as the third week of February, but the administration didn't announce such guidelines to the American public until March 16th, almost a month later," Tapper observed. "Why?"
Dr. Fauci replied that the health team looks at everything from a purely health standpoint (obviously) and some of their recommendations are taken and some are not.
"It is what it is," he said.
Tapper pressed on that. "Do you think lives could have been saved if social distancing, physical distancing, stay-at-home measures, had started the third week of February instead of mid-March?"
Dr. Fauci tried to deflect before admitting, "Obviously you could logically say that if you had a process that was ongoing and you started mitigation earlier, you could have saved lives. Obviously no one is going to deny that."
Trump is and has been denying it. He's taken no responsibility and told the country that and early on he characterized the fears associated with the virus outbreak as a Democratic hoax to hurt his reelection chances.
"But what goes into those kinds of decisions is complicated," Fauci continued. "But you're right, I mean, obviously, if we had right from the very beginning shut everything down, it may have been a little bit different, but there was a lot of pushback about shutting things down back then."
Who were the people offering resistance and pushing back against out top medical professionals? Who refused to take swift actions at the beginning of the virus outbreak?
Trump, Fox News and his team of economists turned the initial outbreak into a political game. They were more worried about the stock market and Trump's reelection plans than the health and welfare of the American public.