thetennesseestar--2020-04-17--More Than 1 Million People Have Filed for Unemployment in Michigan

More than 1 million people in Michigan have filed for unemployment benefits after nearly 220,000 people asked for government assistance this past week , according to data released by the U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday .
For the week ending April 11 , nearly 220,000 Michigan residents filed for unemployment insurance benefits .
It follows the more than 380,000 who filed the week before and drives the total of Michigan residents filing for unemployment insurance benefits over 1 million .
Nationally , more than 5.2 million people filed for unemployment in the week ending on April 11 , down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week before .
There are more than 22 million people across the nation that have filed for unemployment since the pandemic began shutting down the economy roughly a month ago .
“ Today ’ s report reflects the continuing impact of the important public health measures being taken to defeat the coronavirus .
Americans are making sacrifices for the wellbeing of the country , and the Trump Administration is moving quickly to support workers and small businesses during this difficult time , ” said Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia in a statement .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ all the essential guidance the States need to implement the historic unemployment benefits expansion under the CARES Act , and 29 States are now paying the $ 600 weekly boost in unemployment benefits under the Act.
” The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 8.2 percent for the week ending April 4 , the Department of Labor said .
That number is up 3.1 percentage points from the previous week ’ s unrevised rate and outpaces history ’ s previous high , 7 percent in May of 1975 .
Thursday ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Great Recession , where the highest active claim total was a little more than 363,000 in early 2009 .
The United States currently has more than 632,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
The death toll is more than 31,000 .
Jordyn Pair is a reporter with The Michigan Star .
Follow her on Twitter at @ JordynPair .
Email her at [ email protected ] Photo “ Long Lines ” by Gabriel White .
CC BY-SA 2.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-04-17--Minnesotans Plan Friday Protest of Walz Outside Governor’s Residence: ‘Lives Are Being Destroyed’

More than 400 Minnesotans plan to participate in a protest Friday of Gov .
Tim Walz outside the Governor ’ s Residence in St. Paul .
Governors across the country are facing similar protests in response to what residents believe are unconstitutional restrictions imposed under the coronavirus pandemic .
In Michigan , for instance , residents clogged the streets Thursday outside the state capitol to protest Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer ’ s stay-at-home order .
A group of Michiganders sued Whitmer in federal court this week because of the “ draconian encroachments on their freedom.
” Nearly 500 Minnesotans have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Liberate Minnesota ” event scheduled for Friday at noon outside the Governor ’ s Residence .
“ Minnesota citizens now is the time to demand Gov .
Walz and our state legislators end this lock down !
Thousands of lives are being destroyed right now .
It is not the governor ’ s place to restrict free movement of Minnesota citizens !
Gov .
Walz , you work for the citizens of this state !
” organizers of the protest said .
The protesters believe that their freedoms and the economy “ are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governor.
” “ Gov .
Walz is using this entire situation to launch a full blown attack on the citizens of Minnesota , not to save lives , but to strip away and annihilate the freedoms that we enjoy , ” they said .
Gov .
Walz issued an executive order April 8 extending his stay-at-home order through May 3 .
He has also extended his peacetime emergency declaration for an additional 30 days , bringing the total number of executive orders issued since the beginning of the pandemic to 36 .
Technically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a violation of the governor ’ s stay-at-home order , which is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail or a $ 1,000 fine .
Walz , however , has previously said that law enforcement will be more focused on “ education ” than on making arrests .
Nathan Hansen , a Minnesota attorney , said on Twitter that he thinks the “ protest restriction is a pretty weak part of Gov .
Tim Walz ’ s shutdown order and will likely be defeated in court.
” Republican lawmakers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Walz ’ s extension of the stay-at-home order and attempted to pass two resolutions that would have ended the peacetime emergency and voided many of his executive orders .
Both were defeated Tuesday in the DFL-controlled House .
Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of The Minnesota Sun and The Ohio Star .
Follow Anthony on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ] .
Photo “ Minnesota Governor ’ s Residence ” by McGhiever .
CC BY-SA 4.0 .

by Eric Lendrum
On April 7th, an amicus brief was filed in favor of Florida’s current ban on using state funds to support “transgender” treatments, with 17 state attorneys general voicing their support for the law.
According to the Daily Caller, the brief’s filing was part of an ongoing legal battle in the state of Florida, where far-left, pro-transgender activists have teamed up with several pseudo-medical organizations to file a lawsuit against the law. The groups involved include the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), the Endocrine Society, and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The law in question states that Medicaid funds cannot be used to cover any transgender operations, including sex change surgery, cross-sex hormones, and puberty blockers.
The 17 states that have filed in support of Florida are: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Virginia. In their filing, the AGs argue that the organizations involved in the lawsuit have “prioritized politics over science.”
“The amici States submit this brief in support of Florida’s right to regulate medicine and determine appropriate treatments for Medicaid coverage,” the brief states. “Moreover, there is particular reason to be suspicious of the interest groups in this case.”
Their brief goes on to point out that several European countries, including the United Kingdom, Finland, Norway, and Sweden have taken similar steps to crack down on transgender treatments, declaring that “transitioning treatments for minors are experimental.”
The case has already seen a judge order the three organizations to comply with subpoenas ordering them to turn over documents related to their guidance for children suffering from gender dysphoria, the official name for the condition of transgenderism. In addition, Florida’s Agency for Healthcare Administration (AHCA) submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Biden Administration demanding access to similar internal documents related to the administration’s gender transition policies.
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Eric Lendrum graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he was the Secretary of the College Republicans and the founding chairman of the school’s Young Americans for Freedom chapter.


thetennesseestar--2020-04-17--Governor Mike DeWine Targets May 1 as the Date to Reopen Ohio

Ohio Gov .
Mike DeWine plans to begin reopening Ohio on May 1 provided the state has demonstrated the proper protocol during the pandemic .
However , he added the working environments may never be the same .
“ The world that we ’ re going to see is a different world , ” DeWine said during Thursday ’ s COVID-19 press briefing .
“ Barriers , distancing , all the things we have talked so much about.
” The plans are still being finalized with businesses to reopen gradually .
The first businesses that will open up are ones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protocol providing a safe environment for employees .
“ We ’ re excited about being able to do it .
So May 1 is the date .
It ’ s not that we ’ re reopening the state , in that sense .
But we want to do it in a way that engenders confidence in the people of the state of Ohio , ” he said .
The governor didn ’ t address schools , which remain closed through May 2 , but promised : “ We ’ ll be dealing with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” DeWine said Ohio has entered the end of the first stage of the fight against the coronavirus .
Despite wanting to get the economy moving again , he warned Ohio must be careful to avoid problems such as future COVID-19 spikes after society has reopened .
“ If we don ’ t do it right , the consequences are horrendous , ” said the governor .
When DeWine was asked about the stay-at-home order he said he wouldn ’ t answer those questions today but would soon .
Ohio Department of Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ optimistic about the “ new road the state is traveling.
” She explained the importance of the “ stages of grief throughout this process ” and its new normal .
Acton also stated that certain things would come back in phases over a two to three week period .
“ Our commitment to you remains very very strong , ” Acton said .
“ We ’ re fighting every day for your lives and your well-being and your livelihood as well .
We know that health is so much more than whether you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a very , very trying time for all Ohioans.
” The Governor was not sure on sporting events , or if county fairs would be revived by the summer .
“ The thought of kids wouldn ’ t be able to take their lambs to show is , I think that ’ s just horrible , ” he said .
“ It ’ s something we all have to work through .
They ’ re challenging .
That doesn ’ t mean they can ’ t be done.
” To date , Ohio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2,237 hospitalizations , 677 ICU admissions , 361 deaths ; and a total of 71,552 individuals tested .
Samantha Witwer is a reporter at The Ohio Star .
Photo “ Mike DeWine ” by The Ohio Channel .


thetennesseestar--2020-04-17--Nashville Using ‘Contact Tracing’ to Help Contain Coronavirus

Leslie Waller , an epidemiologist with the Nashville Metro Public Health Department , discussed the use of “ contact tracing ” in helping contain the coronavirus during Mayor John Cooper ’ s press conference Wednesday .
She said that contact tracing is a tried and true public health tool that has been around for a long time .
Contact investigations are a core public health function that provides the foundation for many disease outbreak responses , including more familiar infections such as tuberculosis , syphilis and hepatitis , according to Waller .
They are the first line of defense in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of COVID-19 with the absence of treatment or a vaccine .
The process begins with the receipt of all reports of positive cases , said Waller .
Then the information is collected by asking questions to determine when the person became contagious and who they interacted with during the infectious period , explained Waller .
Questions include who they live with , who they have gone to dinner with , what travel has taken place , whether they go to work or school and what their office looks like , said Waller .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Waller says the team calls and confidentially notifies the contacts of their exposure and explains the legal requirements to quarantine as well as the number of days they must be isolated .
The department has several databases that are used to keep track of the cases and contacts , one of which is a statewide database , Waller advised .
To manage the information from contact investigations and contact management and the follow-up process , Excel and SharePoint are used .
Waller said cell phone data or records are not used and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to that information .
The logic behind contact investigations advised Waller is if all of the people with exposure to an infectious case can be identified , they can be contacted quickly to isolate them in order to prevent further spread of the virus .
Waller cautioned , “ Without this high level of communication with our cases , though , we do not end COVID in Nashville.
” The team has done a good job of keeping up with the existing and new cases , said Waller , with the investigation team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the number of cases per day slowing down .
As of Tuesday , 466 people were being actively monitored as having come in contact with a case , according to Waller , who sees that number growing as the city is reopened and interactions increase .
To deal with the increase , Waller intends to increase the staff and expand the program , although the source of funding for expanding the team was not discussed .
Learning from the investigations , Waller advised , indicate exposure on the job accounts for 15 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent of recent cases had exposure in the household .
Another group of cases is linked to a local cluster that has been identified within the larger pandemic .
Contact tracing reflects that about 54 percent are household contacts to a confirmed case , which puts them at a very high risk , said Waller , given the environment .
Another 34 percent of contacts are from a social , communal or work setting .
The epidemiologist said that the public needs to understand the role they play in their own health and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contact tracing investigations if called or visited in the home , adding the public is as much a part of the response as the health department staff .
Hospitals and private business partners are equally important in notifying exposed personnel or patients , which the health department works with them to do .
Businesses should also have plans in place , said Waller , to allow them to quickly share necessary information with health department investigators .
Waller advised that business should consider work exposure an “ if ” not a “ when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for that .
Waller urged , “ Without your active participation , this city will not be able to end COVID-19.
” Waller asked that individuals consider their contacts and their exposures as a “ new way of civic engagement in these strange times , ” and for those who are impacted to fully cooperate with investigators and staff .
Removal from the monitoring list is part of a larger process , where the department is in daily contact with cases and contacts .
Once the monitoring timeframe is completed , which Waller @ @ @ @ @ @ @ released from the quarantine .
Laura Baigert is a senior reporter at The Tennessee Star .
Photo “ Leslie Waller ” by The Tennessean .


thetennesseestar--2020-04-18--Knoxville Manufacturer Needs to Hire Many Employees Despite Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic

While other sectors of Tennessee ’ s economy languish during the COVID-19 pandemic , officials at Republic Plastics in Knoxville want to hire people for several new positions , including full-time machine operators and other manufacturing positions .
Staff at Republic Plastics manufacture custom private label foam tableware , including plates , bowls , food containers , and more for individual homes , restaurants , and hospitals .
People have high demand for this product , especially now , said Republic Plastics spokeswoman Suzanne McGowan .
“ Our product that we produce is Styrofoam .
And Styrofoam is disposable , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that are closed , obviously , in Tennessee with it being shut down , ” McGowan said .
“ A lot of people are purchasing the Styrofoam because they are having to eat outside and take food to people .
Then , with the coronavirus , people are very self-conscious about not reusing items , so that has caused an influx .
This is coming into our busy season and then summer is coming.
” McGowan said the company has 42 positions to fill , and that company officials “ are desperate for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hours a day , seven days a week .
Employees work 12-hour shifts , McGowan said .
Company officials want employees who are already in the Knoxville area .
Company officials also want employees with at least three months of prior manufacturing experience .
Company officials are hiring to replace former employees , and they are also hiring to fill new positions , McGowan said .
“ We have some people who have left due to the coronavirus for various reasons .
We are very strict with our attendance .
We have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” McGowan said .
“ If they are late they can rack up points pretty quick because they have to be able to work as a team , and if someone on your team is missing that just puts extra work on everybody on your team .
We have a culture that is like none other in manufacturing .
And I always encourage everyone to please come to the work facility because it is a culture where you actually see people that enjoy being there .
We just try to take care of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ]

Eighteen individuals are now collecting petitions for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District race as of last Friday.
Twelve people are collecting qualifying petitions for the GOP primary, three are gathering petitions for the Democrat primary, and three independents are also accumulating petitions.
The 12 Republicans listed on the Tennessee Secretary of State’s website as collecting petitions are former Speaker of the Tennessee House Beth Harwell of Nashville, businessman Baxter Lee of Nashville, Robby Starbuck of Franklin (listed as Robert Starbuck Newsom), Geni Batchelor of Lebanon, Natisha Brooks of Nashville, former Williamson County GOP Chair Omar Hamada of Franklin, Timothy Bruce Lee of Nashville, Annabelle Lee of Madison, Alan Clement Sharp of Nashville, David Vitalli of Brentwood, Stewart Parks of Nashville, and Richie Lee of Nashville.
Among the publicly announced candidates, Tennessee newcomer and former State Department spokesman Morgan Ortagus and retired Brig. General Kurt Winstead have not yet been listed as having begun their qualifying petitions process. Hamada has not yet made a decision as to whether or not he is officially entering the race.
Records show that Harwell, Starbuck, Brooks, Baxter Lee, Ortagus, Winstead, Batchelor, and Timothy Bruce Lee have also filed candidate paperwork with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC). Starbuck has raised $255,066.53 and has $138,741.16 on hand, which Brooks has raised $24,517.00 and has $19,655.34 on hand. The rest filed their FEC paperwork after the year-end December 31, 2022 deadline. The 2022 first quarter January 1-March 31 financial reports, which are scheduled to be released in mid-April, will cover all candidates who have reached the FEC reporting threshold.
Sources tell The Star that several Republican candidates are expected to have impressive fundraising totals.
Clay Faircloth, Richard H. Harris, and Joel Michael Hurbert, all from Nashville, are listed as collecting petitions for the Democrat primary.
Derrick Brantley of Nashville, Patrick O. Halfacre of Hohenwald, and Richard A. Shannon of Franklin are the independents who are collecting petitions. Shannon has appeared on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy. Only Brantley appears to have filed documents with the FEC.
In order to appear on the ballot, candidates are required to collect 25 valid signatures from registered voters and have until noon on April 7 to turn in those qualifying petitions. Candidates who qualify have until April 14 to withdraw their names from the ballot. The Tennessee Secretary of State’s Office told The Star, unless pending legislation changes things, that they will finalize the ballots on April 21.
The 5th Congressional District consists of parts of Davidson, Williamson, and Wilson counties, and all of Maury, Marshall, and Lewis counties.
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Aaron Gulbransen is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected] Follow Aaron on GETTR.
Photo “U.S. Capitol” by Martin Falbisoner. CC BY-SA 3.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-04-18--Commentary: America Needs a Manhattan Project to Create a Coronavirus Vaccine

There are only two ways human action can get the SARS-CoV-2 virus permanently behind us and return to normal life : we either develop a knock-out therapy that kills the virus dead in people who have contracted it , like powerful antibiotics do with bacterial infections , or we need to develop herd immunity .
Without one of those , we are left hoping that the virus simply burns itself out and disappears .
That would be foolish .
But a knockout drug—a cure—is highly unlikely .
There is no such drug for the seasonal flu or for the rhinoviruses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while effective therapies should be a part of the strategy to combat the ill effects of this virus , and sensible precautions like masks can prevent its spread , the only way to permanently defeat it is through herd immunity .
Doctors and public health officials all know this .
So do politicians .
Governor Gavin Newsom ( D-Calif. ) said during a press conference describing his plan for reopening California : “ Normal it will not be .
At least until we have herd immunity and a vaccine.
” Most people think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and avoided the dire predictions of millions dead made just weeks ago , that we ’ ve defeated the virus .
We haven ’ t .
What we did was slow the infection rate and that ’ s good ; but the virus is still circulating and countries with much better testing and tracing systems like South Korea and Singapore have experienced further outbreaks after reopening which , in turn , have led to more lockdowns .
We want to avoid both of those things .
Escaping that unhappy fate means getting to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ achieved when roughly 70 percent of the population is immune to the virus either because of a natural genetic immunity or because they have developed antibodies against the virus as the result of prior exposure .
When this happens there are not enough available hosts for the virus to spread and it slowly peters out and becomes , from a public health standpoint , more of a nuisance than a threat , before fading away .
Vaccines are the way we create this immunity without infection , thus , developing an effective vaccine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That ’ s what we did with polio , measles , mumps , smallpox , and a number of other dangerous diseases that once vexed mankind .
A vaccine eliminates the danger of the virus and the political , cultural , and economic miasma that comes with it .
It is the fear resulting from our lack of herd immunity that is leading and will continue to lead to bad decisions .
The best way to solve this problem isn ’ t penning people up in their homes .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ built around quick , reliable , ubiquitous testing .
That would be an improvement over the status quo and such improvements in testing should be pursued , but it ’ s not enough .
The belief that testing can be a fix is just as much a sign of institutional failure as the quarantines and lockdowns for which more testing would serve as a predicate .
The best way forward is an aggressive scientific effort that solves the problem rather than a turbo-charged regime of testing and quarantining , which is basically a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That isn ’ t greatness .
That ’ s why we need an equivalent of the Manhattan Project to quickly develop , test , manufacture , and distribute a vaccine for COVID-19 .
No expense should be spared and the best and brightest should be recruited to the effort as a matter of national urgency .
There is no more pressing concern .
It also shouldn ’ t take them too long .
Their goal should be complete success by autumn .
Does that sound too aggressive ?
It isn ’ t .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ On April 17 , 1957—almost exactly 63 years ago—Dr .
Maurice Hilleman , the head of respiratory diseases at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research , identified a dangerous viral threat that had originated in the Guizhou Province of China .
He predicted that it would infect a large number of Americans and kill hundreds of thousands if a vaccine were not developed immediately .
So he went to work .
He was right in his prediction , and because of him , a vaccine was ready in September .
Nonetheless , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flu pandemic since 1918-19 , with 116,000 succumbing to the virus .
Many more would have died but for Hilleman ’ s work .
It is important to remember , however , that Hilleman was only able to do it by breaking the rules .
One history says , “ Hilleman bypassed regulatory agencies in his efforts to push the vaccine forward because he worried those agencies would slow the process down.
” The release of that vaccine effectively ended the pandemic .
Hilleman was a giant in his field , developing more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Medal of Science in 1988 .
There are some differences between then and now : the 1957 virus was related to a prior virus that already had been studied , so researchers had some experience with its relatives .
Now we are facing a novel coronavirus .
But today we have much more advanced means of analyzing this and any other novel virus , and we can do it much more quickly than could have been done in 1957 .
New technology more than offsets the advantage they had in familiarity with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a catch .
We ’ re not the same country we were in 1957 .
We ’ re buried under many more layers of administrators , regulators , and rulemakers .
We ’ re also much more risk-averse .
When Dr. Hilleman went to work on his vaccine , he simply acted , like great scientists have done in the past .
He didn ’ t waste time filling out the proper forms , he just did it .
That ’ s almost inconceivable today .
It would likely be career ending , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that surround vaccine development work relatively well under normal circumstances when time is not critical .
But that ’ s not our situation .
Every day counts .
And what people don ’ t understand is that right now , there is no good strategy in place to permanently end the threat of the virus .
There are short-term tactical plans , hastily thrown together , with the assumption that a vaccine will work its way through the usual process in a year or two .
The impression left with most people is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lockdowns and shelter-in-place orders to slow the spread of the virus , we will vanquish it and then return to life as normal .
But we shouldn ’ t count on that .
The cost is too high and the virus will still be circulating .
Policymakers hope that with a national regime of rapid testing , contact tracing , and isolation of infections , they can preclude future outbreaks of the type seen in New York City and northern New Jersey .
But even now there isn ’ t enough testing capacity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And government now is looking at tech giants like Google and Facebook to monitor their users ’ vital signs , movements , and internet activity through their phones in order to track signs of infection .
Tim Cook already infamously said that Apple ’ s policy on surveillance of its users is to go up to the creepy line but not over it .
This goes well beyond that line .
It is so invasive that it makes the Patriot Act look like it was written by civil libertarians .
If we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the scenario described by Neel Kashkari , president of the Minneapolis Fed , on “ Face the Nation ” on April 12th .
He said that the Fed is monitoring foreign countries that have lifted their lockdowns and that every time , there are second and third wave outbreaks when they do so .
As a result , he explained , Americans will have to learn to live with rolling lockdowns for the next 18-24 months , by which time he thought a vaccine would be ready .
But it would only take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the usual procedure .
We can ’ t afford to do it that way .
Doing it that way would be an utter failure of leadership .
So far Congress has spent over $ 2 trillion to blunt the economic effects of the lockdowns .
They will surely spend much more .
And in every one of those emergency bills , everyone knows there will be all kinds of grift inserted at the last moment to benefit some rent-seeking group or another .
Already Democrats tried to add a laundry list of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Parenthood to the last bill .
Add to this the trillions in quantitative easing so far committed by the Federal Reserve and you have a mind-boggling sum being spent as a result of our experiment in national quarantining .
Compared to the sums already committed , spending what might amount to tens of billions to rush a vaccine is a small price to pay for getting our lives back .
Without it , what happens ?
Will we have impromptu local and regional lockdowns this fall when the seasonal flu surges ?
What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cautious , even afraid , to go to a restaurant or ball game ?
How many trillions of spending in future emergency bills would it save us ?
What ’ s more , a vaccine would be a strategic victory for the United States .
It would show that America can innovate and create solutions for ourselves and for the entire world .
It would also create a template for fast-tracking vaccines what undoubtedly will be necessary in the future .
And we can reasonably assume that the teams working on the project @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that as of yet are unforeseeable .
As a bonus , I ’ d bet we would get some really good science out of it that could lead to positive unintended consequences .
How do we do it ?
First , we keep it out of the hands of the public health bureaucracy .
President Trump should appoint a czar to oversee this project and give him broad power to act as he sees fit without answering to any existing agency like the FDA , the CDC , or DHS .
Computer modelling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a number of promising vaccine candidates , but trials take a long time to put together .
That ’ s a delay we don ’ t need and can ’ t afford .
The czar should recruit teams of top scientists and technologists in both the public and private sector to the effort .
The teams would work on parallel tracks , shielded from the usual regulatory burdens and whoever gets to the finish line first , wins .
The czar ’ s job will be identifying and recruiting the right people to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resources they need quickly , and then protecting them from the outside world so they can do their work .
When a vaccine is ready for production , the manufacturer should be shielded from tort liability and the federal government should guarantee purchase of enough quantity to make mass production economic .
However , standard testing protocols for potential vaccines create a bottleneck and take time that we don ’ t have .
But there ’ s a solution : human challenge trials .
These involve intentionally “ challenging ” humans with an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and is not normally done .
But these are not normal times and it can be done responsibly and ethically .
Contemplating this possibility , Curtis Yarvin asked in a noteworthy essay describing a much broader program than I describe here , “ Who are these humans ?
” Good question .
He had an answer that sounds right : “ Maybe they are altruistic volunteers .
Maybe they are mercenaries , paid a million bucks each—cheap at the price .
It is difficult to imagine much trouble recruiting either class.
” I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a need , there are people who will answer the call even when it means risking their own lives .
There are brave , selfless people in the world who would step forward .
And for the good it would do mankind , they should be richly rewarded .
This idea may be unorthodox , but respected scientists are also advocating for it .
Nir Eyal , Marc Lipsitch , and Peter G. Smith argued for just this approach in a major article in the Journal of Infectious Diseases .
They said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine candidates could accelerate the testing and potential rollout of efficacious vaccines .
By replacing conventional phase 3 testing of vaccine candidates , such trials may subtract many months from the licensure process , making efficacious vaccines available more quickly.
” Lipsitch , an epidemiologist at Harvard has been one of the more interesting and innovative people in his field working on solutions to the virus .
Once developed we ’ d need to scale production and distribution quickly .
In 1957 , Merck was ready with millions of doses of vaccine in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in development a few months earlier .
We can do this , what we need are the right people in charge and the obstacles out of the way .
Balaji Srinivasan succinctly described what this would look like : “ 1 ) List all credible vaccine candidates 2 ) Recruit enough volunteers for challenge trials 3 ) Obtain sufficient funds , legal assistance , lab , hospital space for each trial 4 ) Execute all trials in parallel.
” For the best chance of success , we need the best innovators who have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t wedded to the incrementalism either of Washington or corporate America .
Find entrepreneurs with a background in science or technology who have scaled pioneering businesses in emerging fields .
Elon Musk comes to mind .
So does Palmer Luckey .
Ask successful venture investors like Peter Thiel and Marc Andreessen for their recommendations .
Both have a track record of backing energetic , talented people .
Marc Lipsitch of Harvard should certainly be involved .
What is essential is that it be done soon .
It ’ s a sign of institutional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we resort to the most draconian , most primitive response to a virus .
And instead of science , we get scientism—the ritualistic display of competence rather than truth .
Let ’ s do real science and build something new and powerful .
America has a lot of smart , innovative people .
Let ’ s put them to work .
Chris is publisher and editor of American Greatness and the host of The Chris Buskirk Show .
He was a Publius Fellow at the Claremont Institute and received a fellowship from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serial entrepreneur who has built and sold businesses in financial services and digital marketing .
He is a frequent guest on NPR ’ s “ Morning Edition.
” His writing has appeared in the New York Times , the Washington Post , The Hill , and elsewhere .
Follow him on Twitter at @ TheChrisBuskirk


thetennesseestar--2020-04-18--Trump Announces Guidelines for ‘Phased and Deliberate Approach’ Allowing Governors to Reopen States

President Donald Trump on Thursday announced a plan to allow states to begin reopening their economies in a phased approach .
“ Based on the latest data , our team of experts now agrees that we can begin the next front in our war , which we ’ re calling ‘ Opening up America Again , ’ ” Trump said during a press briefing at the White House .
“ To preserve the health of our citizens , we must also preserve the health and functioning of our economy , ” he added .
“ Over the long haul you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Trump said his administration ’ s new federal guidelines will allow governors to start a “ phased and deliberate approach ” to the reopening of their economies , a strategy “ based on hard , verifiable data.
” Many states have been under stay-at-home orders for more than a month to reduce the spread the novel coronavirus .
The U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday morning released new data showing more than 5.2 million Americans filed unemployment claims last week .
Over the past four week , 22 million people have filed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states , such as California , Washington and Oregon , have been considering opening economies regionally .
Earlier this week , seven Northeast states announced a similar initiative , as did seven Midwest states .
There have been 632,220 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 31,071 deaths as of Thursday , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
“ We are slowing the spread , we are flattening the curve , we have preserved the capacity of our health care system , and we have protected the most vulnerable , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the White House Coronavirus Task Force .
Pence said the federal guidelines can be applied statewide or on a county-by-county basis .
Dr. Deborah Birx , part of the task force , detailed three phases for states to follow , adding that the guidelines don ’ t include a timeline for when states should advance stages , leaving that decision up to governors .
States must show a 14-day decline in total cases before starting the phases , she said .
“ We want the governors , with the data that they have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up those timelines , ” Birx said .
“ Phase one ” includes vulnerable individuals continuing quarantining , continued social distancing measures such as staying six feet in distance from other people , and continued avoidance on nonessential travel .
For employers , telework should be prioritized , but certain employers could start bringing work forces back in phases .
“ Phase two ” includes continued social distancing measures but allows for gatherings of up to 50 people and resumed nonessential travel .
The phase continues to encourage telework but says those returning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ areas .
Schools and daycares could also be reopened under “ phase two.
” “ Phase three ” includes “ essentially returning to our new normal , ” Birx said .
The phase will require continued hygiene practices such as handwashing and some social distancing measures , as there will likely still be an issue with spread from asymptomatic individuals , she added .
Derek Draplin is a regional editor at The Center Square .
He previously worked as an opinion producer at Forbes , and as a reporter at Michigan Capitol Confidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s also an editor at The Daily Caller .


thetennesseestar--2020-04-18--Dr. Louis DeGennaro, President and CEO of Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Talks About Their Financial

Dr. Louis DeGennaro, President and CEO of Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Talks About Their Financial Aid for Cancer Patients in Wake of COVID-19

In an interview , Tuesday morning on the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville ’ s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed Dr. Louis DeGennaro , Ph.D. , president and CEO of Leukemia and Lymphoma Society ( LLS ) to the newsmakers line .
During the third hour , Dr. DeGennaro described his efforts as the leader of LLS which offers financial aid to cancer patients in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic .
He explained how the society has answered patient @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through the creation of a successful financial aid program that assists blood cancer patients immediately .
Leahy : We are joined now by Dr. Louis DeGennaro .
President and CEO of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society who is doing great work here in treating blood cancers .
Dr. DeGennaro you wanted to talk to us a little bit with dealing with cancer during the COVID-19 crisis .
Welcome to The Tennessee Star Report .
DeGennaro : Thank you , Michael .
Thanks very much .
Yes , it is a particularly important time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Because of their disease and because of their treatments while they are not at a greater risk of catching the COVID virus .
And they are at greater risk of getting sicker from it if they do .
We really need to be cautious and be observing the recommendations of the CDC and local health officials .
Making certain they are washing their hands , cleaning surfaces , and avoiding crowds and so on .
Leahy : So we know that in normal circumstances if you had a diagnosis of cancer that is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impact on the patients and their family .
But right now the economy is having great difficulty .
Unemployment is up .
GDP will be down .
What is your Society of Leukemia and Lymphoma doing to help these kinds of patients at this time ?
DeGennaro : Michael , we hear every day from patients who are feeling the financial impact during the COVID-19 pandemic .
We recognize that the situation has imposed a greater burden than cancer patients already have .
We have always been there for patients providing free of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients and their families and caregivers .
They need that more now than ever .
But we stepped up in a special way in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to create the LLS financial aid program to provide immediate financial assistance to blood cancer patients .
Eligible blood cancer patients will receive an individual 250 stipend to help with non-medical expenses .
this includes food , housing , utilities , transportation , and other needs that they may have .
It ’ s got to be clear that patients don ’ t have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We are here to help cancer patients with this financial boost right now .
I hope that they ’ ll take advantage of that .
I can tell you that we stood up this fund on the first of April and already have distributed more than two million dollars to more than 8,000 patients all across the United States including Tennessee .
Leahy : How big is the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and how long have you been around ?
DeGennaro : Gosh .
We are the second-largest cancer-focused not for profit in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years ago by a father and mother who lost their 16-year-old son to leukemia .
And they sent us on a direction to fund research to find cures for these diseases .
And to be in a position to help patients .
And we have been true to their goals and their objectives for 70 years now .
Leahy : I had never heard of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society until about nine years ago when my late mother was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma .
She actually went into remission and died from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I ’ ve been very impressed with all the work that you ’ ve done and appreciate all your efforts .
How did you Dr. Genarro become involved and become president of this organization ?
DeGennaro : Michael , it ’ s very kind of you to recognize the success that we ’ ve had .
LLS has invested more than 1.3 billion dollars into cutting edge research .
And we have the development of growth treatments for these diseases .
And we have we haven ’ t quite found a cure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and closer .
I ’ m glad to hear your mother went into complete remission .
That ’ s the story I like to hear .
For me , tomorrow is my 15th anniversary with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society .
I came out of the pharmaceutical industry to run the research program at LLS .
Leahy : You raise money through contributions is that right ?
Or do you have other sources of revenue ?
DeGennaro : Our revenue is completely from donations from private individuals and a bit from corporations as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenging time for us Michael I have to be honest with you .
We raise most of our money through events like walks called Light the Night Walk , marathons , and cycle rides and so on .
In these challenging times , it will be difficult to conduct these events .
Many have been canceled and postponed .
But we ’ ve got tens of thousands of supporters across the US .
I ’ m betting on their generosity even in these challenging times to help us fund things like the financial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with five million dollars of funding that came from a very generous set of corporate donors .
I see the need to be much bigger and raise 10 million dollars .
I hope that volunteers and supporters out there can see their way .
Every dollar counts and I hope they can see their way in this time when patients really need it .
Leahy : By the way , if you would like to donate to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society go to www.lls.org and you can look in the upper left-hand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a big red donate button .
I think when people are trying to determine what they can do and if they are ok financially themselves but a lot of people aren ’ t these days as you know Dr. DeGenarro .
But if you are ok and you want to do something that will make a difference you can go to www.lls.org and make a contribution .
Are those contributions dedicated specifically to helping financially current patients or does it just go to the general fund right now ?
DeGennaro : They are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lymphoma Society does to support patients .
That includes the research component and the development of new treatments and all of the patient-facing work that we do .
The free support and information that we have for patients .
We have a group of college nurses and social workers who speak with patients every day and guide them to the right treatment .
This is the kind of thing the dollars go to in addition to this financial aid fund .
Leahy : Where are you headquartered ?
Are you up in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that where your headquarters are ?
DeGennaro : Our national headquarters is in Westchester , New York .
We have offices all across the U.S. including a great chapter in Nashville , Tennessee .
But we have a footprint across all of the United States .
Leahy : So if you are in Westchester County which is one of the counties that ’ s been hard hit by the coronavirus .
Have you personally or anybody on your staff experienced the difficulties associated with this big pandemic up there ?
DeGennaro : You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m calling you from my home office in Connecticut .
We closed our offices about three weeks ago .
The most important and my number one priority as CEO of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is the health and well being of the patients that we serve and my team/staff across the US .
We raised the flag about this quite some time ago in late February and we made the decision that was in the best interest of our patients and our staff to close our doors and get people working from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in their home offices trying to raise money and continue to push research and helping patients every day .
Leahy : Dr. Louis DeGennaro , president and CEO of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society .
You can donate today at www.lls.org .
Dr. DeGenarro , thanks so much for joining us today .
DeGennaro : Michael , thank you very much .
Have a good day .
Listen to the full third hour here : Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Listen online at iHeart Radio .
Photo “ Dr .
Louis DeGennaro ” by Leukemia and Lymphoma Society .


thetennesseestar--2020-04-18--Analysis: Crucial Facts About Covid-19

Analysis: Crucial Facts About Covid-19

Given the spread of misinformation about Covid-19 , Just Facts is providing a trove of rigorously documented facts about this disease and its impacts .
These include some vital facts that have been absent or misreported in much of the media ’ s coverage of this issue .
This research also includes a groundbreaking study to determine the lethality of Covid-19 based on the most comprehensive available measure : the total years of life that it will rob from all people .
This accords with the CDC ’ s tenet that “ the allocation of health resources must consider not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but also ” the “ years of potential life lost.
” The CDC emphasizes that the Covid-19 pandemic “ is a rapidly evolving situation , ” and as such , this article will be updated each weekday as the CDC publishes new data .
On one hand , the facts show that : • None the death rate for people who contract Covid-19 is uncertain but is probably closer to that of the seasonal flu than figures commonly reported by the press .
• None the average years of life lost from each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ causes of untimely death like accidents and suicides .
• None the virus that causes Covid-19 is “ very vulnerable to antibody neutralization ” and has limited ability to mutate , which means it is very unlikely to take like the flu and other recurring scourges • None if 240,000 Covid-19 deaths ultimately occur in the United States , the virus will rob about 2.9 million years of life from all Americans who were alive at the outset of 2020 , while the flu will rob them of about 35 million years , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years , and accidents will rob them of 409 million years .
On the other hand , elderly people and those with chronic ailments are extremely vulnerable to Covid-19 .
Furthermore , the disease is highly transmissible , which means it could spread like wildfire and overwhelm hospitals without extraordinary measures to contain it .
This would greatly increase its death toll .
However , such precautionary measures often have economic and other impacts that can cost lives , and overreacting can ultimately kill more people than are saved .
Per the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a total of 632,548 people in the United States have been diagnosed with Covid-19 as of 4:00 PM EST on April 15 , 2020 .
The U.S. population is 329 million people , which means that one out of every 521 people has been diagnosed with Covid-19 .
The disease is not equally dispersed throughout the nation , so this figure is much higher in some areas and much lower in others .
Reported cases don ’ t include people who may have Covid-19 but have not yet been diagnosed .
Because its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of people who have been infected could substantially exceed the number who have been diagnosed .
Also , the vast majority of people who contract Covid-19 experience only mild or no symptoms , and many of them may never be diagnosed .
This means that the count of reported cases further understates the actual number of people who have been infected .
A February 2020 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association based on data from China found that 81 % of reported Covid-19 cases are “ mild.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ higher than this , for as the paper explains , there are “ inherent difficulties in identifying and counting mild and asymptomatic cases.
” A rare case in which asymptomatic cases can be counted is the Diamond Princess cruise ship , since all passengers were tested for Covid-19 .
Among those who tested positive , 51 % didn ’ t have symptoms when they were tested .
The number of these people who later developed symptoms is currently unavailable .
Conversely , the number of people who have ever been infected may greatly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Growing numbers of people who were once diagnosed with Covid-19 have recovered , and the count of those who were unknowingly infected and had fast recoveries could be enormous .
A March 2020 paper in the journal Microbes and Infection notes that “ most infected individuals … appear to be able to recover with little to no medical intervention.
” Moreover , a March 2020 paper in the Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal states : “ Preliminary evidence suggests children are just as likely as adults ” to contract Covid-19 , but they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” and even those with diagnosed infections typically “ recover 1–2 weeks after the onset of symptoms.
” The upshot of all this is that the number of people who are actively infected and contagious is lower than the total of reported and undiagnosed cases .
A March 2020 paper in the journal Science condenses the factors above into a single number .
It estimates that 86 % of all Covid-19 infections in Wuhan , China “ were undocumented ” before the government implemented travel restrictions .
This means that the number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ times the number of documented infections .
This figure declines as social distancing measures are adopted and as diagnoses and recoveries rise as time passes .
Under that worst-case scenario from Wuhan , if the number of people with contagious Covid-19 infections in the U.S. is actually six times the number of people who have been diagnosed with it , the average American would have to come in contact with 87 people to be exposed to one person who has it .
A total of 27,012 U.S. residents have died from Covid-19 as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 .
To put this figure in perspective : • None roughly 12,469 people in the U.S. from April 12 , 2009 to April 10 , 2010 .
Unlike Covid-19 , which of people killed by the swine flu were under the age of 65 .
• None in the U.S. have ( “ the flu ” ) each year over the past nine years .
• None around 170,000 people per year in the U.S .
In other words , deaths from Covid-19 are now 13.0 % of the annual fatalities from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a new disease and took its first reported life in the U.S. during late February , this comparison may substantially overstate the relative deadliness of Covid-19 because fatalities from accidents and the flu occur in droves every year , and this is unlikely for Covid-19 .
The primary reason why the flu takes tens of thousands of lives every year is because the viruses that cause it mutate in ways that prevent people from becoming immune to them .
Per the Journal of Infectious Diseases , “ All viruses mutate , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” because it mutates very rapidly , and thus , “ new vaccines are needed almost every year ” to protect against it .
While much remains to be seen about the mutations of the virus that causes Covid-19 , the early indications are that it will not mutate rapidly and become an ongoing scourge .
As detailed in a March 2020 paper in a molecular biology journal that cites Michael Farzan , co‐chair of the Department of Immunology and Microbiology at Scripps Research , once a vaccine for Covid-19 is developed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , unlike seasonal influenza vaccines ” because the part of the virus that the vaccine targets “ is protected against mutation ” by a feature of its genetic material , or RNA .
The same point applies to naturally acquired immunity .
People who get Covid-19 develop natural antibodies that protect against future infections of it .
The physiology textbook The Human Body in Health and Illness explains that such immunity , which is called “ active immunity , ” is “ generally long lasting.
” The same applies to diseases like measles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If someone contracts these diseases , they rarely get them again , and furthermore , they are very unlikely to transmit them to others .
Thus , these people become firewalls against the spread of these contagions .
Media outlets like The Atlantic , Vox , and Forbes have turned the truth of this matter on its head by confusing the general nature of coronaviruses with that of Covid-19 .
The habit of calling Covid-19 “ the coronavirus ” can be very misleading because there are different types of coronaviruses , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them .
Coronaviruses are a family of RNA viruses that includes some common cold viruses .
These viruses tend to mutate rapidly , but Covid-19 does not share that trait .
Per the same March 2020 paper cited just above , the virus that causes Covid-19 “ does not mutate rapidly for an RNA virus because , unusually for this category , it has a proof‐reading function ” in its genetics .
Likewise , a February 19th editorial in the British Medical Journal about Covid-19 reports that the “ genome data available so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signs of adaptation….
” Put simply , Covid-19 does not mutate nearly as much as the flu , and thus , it is far less likely to take lives regardless of acquired immunity and vaccines .
If this proves true in the long run , as current evidence suggests it will , the lifetime risk of dying from Covid-19 is greatly overstated by comparing its ultimate death toll to yearly fatalities from the flu , accidents , suicides , and other frequent causes of death .
Beyond raw numbers of deaths , another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a public health threat is the ages of its victims .
In the words of the CDC , “ the allocation of health resources must consider not only the number of deaths by cause but also by age.
” Hence , the “ years of potential life lost ” has “ become a mainstay in the evaluation of the impact of injuries on public health.
” In this respect , Covid-19 is much less lethal than common causes of untimely death , such as accidents .
The precise average age of death for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the vast majority of victims are elderly or have one or more chronic illnesses , as is the case with deaths from the flu and pneumonia .
Based on the CDC ’ s latest data for the age distribution of deaths , the average age of death for accidents is about 53.3 years , while for the flu and pneumonia , it is about 77.4 years .
Using flu and pneumonia as a rough proxy for Covid-19 , this disease robs an average of 12.0 years of life from each of its victims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lost life for each accident .
And again , accidents kill around 170,000 Americans per year , while Covid-19 is unlikely to have an ongoing high death toll because of its limited prospects for mutation .
In a March 29th comment that generated headlines in virtually every major media outlet , renowned immunologist Anthony Fauci told CNN ’ s Jake Tapper that “ looking at what we ’ re seeing now , I would say between 100,000 and 200,000 ” Americans will die from Covid-19 , but “ I just don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a projection when it ’ s such a moving target that you can so easily be wrong and mislead people.
” The next day , Dr. Fauci emphasized that those figures are based on a model , and “ a model is as good as the assumptions that you put into ” it .
A day later at a White House press conference , Dr. Deborah Birx , another world-renowned immunologist , presented a slide of model results based upon “ five or six international and domestic modelers from Harvard , from Columbia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ helped us tremendously.
” The model projects that 100,000 to 240,000 deaths will occur if Americans follow social distancing and hygiene guidelines .
She added that “ we really believe and hope every day that we can do a lot better than that because that ’ s not assuming 100 % of every American does everything that they ’ re supposed to be doing , but I think that ’ s possible.
” If the high-end of that range comes to pass , and 240,000 U.S. residents die from Covid-19 , this disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from all Americans who were alive at the outset of 2020 .
In comparison , the flu will rob them of about 35 million years and accidents will rob them of 409 million years .
These figures reveal that accidents are about 140 times more lethal to Americans than this worst-case scenario for Covid-19 given mitigation .
Likewise , the flu is 12 times as lethal .
This is a substantially more comprehensive measure of deadliness than the tally of lives lost during a year—or any other random unit of time—because it accounts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives and the total years of life that they lose .
While not diminishing the value of any life , these facts speak to the efforts that society takes to save some lives versus others .
Initial media reports of a 2–3 % mortality rate for Covid-19 are inflated , and the actual figure may be closer to that of the flu , which has averaged about 0.15 % over the past nine years in the United States .
A large degree of uncertainty surrounds this issue due to the same factor that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases .
As explained by Dr. Brett Giroir—who has authored nearly 100 peer-reviewed scientific publications and serves as the Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services—the Covid-19 death rate is “ lower than you heard probably in many reports ” because the bulk of people who contract coronavirus don ’ t get seriously ill , and thus , many of them never get tested .
Giroir calls this a “ denominator problem ” because if you ’ re “ not very ill , as most people are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They do not get counted in the denominator.
” Giroir ’ s best estimate is that the mortality rate is probably “ somewhere between 0.1 % and 1 % .
” This “ is likely more severe in its mortality rate than the typical flu ” rate of 0.1 % to 0.15 % , “ but it ’ s certainly within the range.
” Giroir ’ s estimate accords with a February 2020 commentary in the New England Journal of Medicine by Fauci and others : If one assumes that the number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several times as high as the number of reported cases , the case fatality rate may be considerably less than 1 % .
This suggests that the overall clinical consequences of Covid-19 may ultimately be more akin to those of a severe seasonal influenza ( which has a case fatality rate of approximately 0.1 % ) or a pandemic influenza ( similar to those in 1957 and 1968 ) rather than a disease similar to SARS or MERS , which have had case fatality rates of 9 to 10 % and 36 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how journalists misreport on this issue is a March 12th article in Business Insider by Andy Kiersz .
In this piece , he compares the “ death rates ” of Covid-19 from the South Korean CDC to that of the flu from the United States CDC .
Based on these numbers , he reports that “ South Korea—which has reported some of the lowest coronavirus death rates of any country—still has a COVID-19 death rate more than eight times higher than that of the flu.
” What Kiersz and his editors fail to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Korean rate is the number of “ confirmed cases , ” while the denominator for the U.S. rate is based on a “ mathematical model.
” The CDC clarifies how the model works by citing a study on swine flu , which multiplies “ 43,677 laboratory-confirmed cases ” of the disease by 41 to 131 times to calculate the denominator for the death rate .
In the authors ’ words , they do this because confirmed cases are : likely a substantial underestimate of the true number .
Correcting for under-ascertainment using a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million–5.7 million cases occurred , including 9,000–21,000 hospitalizations .
Put simply , Covid-19 death rates that are based upon reported or confirmed infections grossly undercount the number of people with the disease .
This , in turn , makes the death rate seem substantially higher than reality .
The famous maxim that “ there are six degrees of separation between everyone in the world ” has changed in recent years due to social media .
A 2014 paper in the journal Computers in Human Behavior finds that the “ average number of acquaintances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from six to 3.9 .
A 2011 paper in the American Journal of Sociology estimates that each American knows an average of 550 people .
If 150 of these are mutual connections who already know each other , each American has about 220,000 friends of friends—and 88 million friends of friends of friends .
Thus , if everyone is sharing on social media about people they know who have been infected or killed by Covid-19 , it can seem like the world is coming to an end .
Yet , if people did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person would hear every year about an average of : • None 1,905 deaths among their friends of friends , and 761,844 deaths among their friends of friends of friends .
• None 38 deaths from the flu and pneumonia among their friends of friends , and 15,075 such deaths among their friends of friends of friends .
• None 6 deaths of people under the age of 65 from the flu and pneumonia among their friends of friends , and 2,385 such deaths among their friends of friends of friends .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acts as another megaphone of Covid-19 ’ s impacts .
Because the U.S. is the third-most populous nation in the world , it is easy for journalists to create misleading impressions by focusing on certain events and ignoring the broader context of facts that surround them .
This kind of crucial context is missing from much of the media ’ s coverage of Covid-19 and practically every other public policy issue .
Another important factor in weighing the risks posed by Covid-19 is its transmissibility , or how contagious it is .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dangerous than the seasonal flu because it spreads very quickly and can overwhelm hospitals .
Scientists measure the contagiousness of diseases with a basic reproduction number , which is the average number of people who tend to catch a disease from each person who has it .
This measure is an innate characteristic of the disease because it doesn ’ t account for actions that people take to prevent it .
A February 2020 paper published in the Journal of Travel Medicine explains that any disease with a basic reproduction number above 1.0 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The same paper evaluates 12 studies of the basic reproduction number of Covid-19 in various nations and finds that they “ ranged from 1.4 to 6.49 , ” with an average of 3.28 and a median of 2.79 .
Based on their analysis of these studies , the authors conclude that the basic reproduction number of Covid-19 will likely prove to be “ around 2–3 ” after “ more data are accumulated.
” In contrast , a 2014 paper in the journal BMC Infectious Diseases analyzes 24 studies of the seasonal flu and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ basic reproduction number is 1.28 .
The authors stress that the seemingly small difference between 1.28 and higher figures like 1.80 “ represent the difference between epidemics that are controllable and cause moderate illness and those causing a significant number of illnesses and requiring intensive mitigation strategies to control.
” In other words , if the transmissibility of Covid-19 is as high as currently estimated , the aggressive measures that some governments , organizations , and individuals have taken to limit large gatherings and travel from areas with outbreaks will save many more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diseases like the flu .
Because Covid-19 spreads so quickly , it can easily overwhelm hospitals and thereby prevent people from getting the care they would otherwise receive under normal circumstances .
There are , however , mortal dangers in overreacting because measures to limit the spread of Covid-19 often have economic impacts that can cost lives .
As detailed in the textbook Macroeconomics for Today , countries with low economic growth “ are less able to satisfy basic needs for food , shelter , clothing , education , and health.
” These @ @ @ @ @ @ @ periods of time .
If certain industries adopted the social distancing extremes that many people have embraced , this would shut down food production and distribution , health care , utilities , and other life-sustaining services .
Even under far more moderate scenarios where people who are not in these industries shun work , all of those necessities and many more aspects of modern life depend on the general strength of the economy .
Thus , overreacting can ultimately kill more people than are saved .
The same applies to people who are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paper , and other supplies .
In doing so , they have often stood in close proximity to each other and touched the same items , which opens avenues to spread the disease .
Panic buying also creates shortages that deprive typical consumers of provisions .
Likewise , panic can fuel suicides , which snuff out about 47,000 lives per year in the U.S. at an average age of 46 years old .
Over a lifetime , that amounts to 132 million lost years of life—or 46 times the loss from Covid-19 if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ implications of overreacting to Covid-19 or any other potential hazard are aptly summarized in a teaching guide published by the American Society for Microbiology .
This book explains why “ the factors driving your concept of risk—emotion or fact—may or may not seem particularly important to you , yet they are ” because “ there are risks in misperceiving risks.
” Aggressive social distancing can extend the timeframe over which Covid-19 patients are infected and hospitalized , but it can not by itself reduce those outcomes in the long run .
This is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak will begin and quickly proliferate as soon as the distancing measures cease .
Hence , the Imperial College ’ s March 16th report on Covid-19 states that in order to “ avoid a rebound in transmission , ” policies of “ population-wide social distancing combined with home isolation of cases and school and university closure ” must “ be maintained until large stocks of vaccine are available to immunize the population—which could be 18 months or more.
” Moreover , the report notes that the “ more successful a strategy is at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ epidemic is predicted to be in the absence of vaccination , due to lesser build-up of herd immunity.
” A 2012 paper in the journal PLoS One about “ Immunity in Society ” underscores the importance of that point by noting that : when a sufficiently high proportion of individuals within a population becomes immune ( either through prior exposure or through mass vaccination ) , community or “ herd ” immunity emerges , whereby individuals that are poorly immunized are protected by the collective “ immune firewall ” provided by immunized neighbors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ … responses to a previously encountered pathogen are faster and stronger than those to a novel pathogen , and thus individuals are better at blocking its spread .
[ Emphasis added . ]
Equally , if very few people are immune to a disease , they can transmit it to others instead of blocking it .
Without a vaccine , the only way people can become immune to Covid-19 is by catching it and recovering .
This means that too much social distancing may cause more deaths because young , healthy people—who would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and become firewalls—remain as potential carriers .
However , social distancing can keep hospitalizations at reasonable levels so that victims receive proper care , and it can also buy time to discover and mass-produce effective treatments .
This is a distinct possibility in the short term , for as Michael Farzan , co‐chair of the Department of Immunology and Microbiology at Scripps Research , has stated , the same physical feature of the virus that makes it so contagious also makes it : very vulnerable to antibody neutralization , and thus it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against .
I refer to it as “ stupid ” on a spectrum where HIV , which lives in the face of an active immune system for years , is a “ genius.
” President Trump has touted a small French study showing that treatment with a combination of two drugs , hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin , “ is significantly associated with viral load reduction/disappearance in COVID-19 patients….
” The study was published in the International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents , and the 18 scholars who authored it wrote that the “ results are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid-19 patients be treated with ” these drugs “ to cure their infection and to limit the transmission of the virus to other people.
” Nonetheless , media outlets have covered this matter by reporting that Trump “ is not a doctor ” and that he shouldn ’ t hype “ unproven ” and “ untested ” treatments or give people “ false hope.
” Theatrics aside , the FDA has issued an Emergency Use Authorization that allows doctors to treat certain hospitalized Covid-19 patients with hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine “ when a clinical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The authors of the French study make clear that their “ study has some limitations including a small sample size , limited long-term outcome follow-up , and dropout of six patients from the study , however in the current context , we believe that our results should be shared with the scientific community.
” During a March 14th press conference , U.S .
Surgeon General Jerome Adams asserted that “ this situation will last longer , and more people will be hurt ” if “ we are complacent , selfish , uninformed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , distrust , and misinformation.
” Conversely , he said that “ we will overcome this situation ” if we “ pitch in ” and “ share the facts.
” The vital facts above confirm the wisdom of his words .
James D. Agresti is the president of Just Facts , a think tank dedicated to publishing rigorously documented facts about public policy issues .


thetennesseestar--2020-04-18--Crom Carmichael Predicts May 1 for Slow Reopening of the Economy with Crowdlike Events Suffering Mos

Crom Carmichael Predicts May 1 for Slow Reopening of the Economy with Crowdlike Events Suffering Most

Friday morning on the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville ’ s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – Leahy was joined in studio by all-star panelist Crom Carmichael .
During the second hour , Carmichael reflected upon the new federal guideline rollout and the coronavirus ’ s lengthy impact on the restaurant , hotel and airline industries .
He predicted that May 1 the economy will begin a slow reopening citing New York ’ s insistence that citizens wear face masks in public as evidence .
Leahy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ friend and the original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael .
Good morning Crom .
Carmichael : Good morning Michael .
How are you , sir ?
Leahy : It ’ s two weeks and three days until I declare an open studio .
( Laughs ) Carmichael : Well good .
I think it will be open by then .
Leahy : Asterisk .
We ’ ve got to get the clearance from iHeart Media .
We haven ’ t even had that conversation yet .
But that is an aspirational goal .
So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sign-off , two weeks and three days from today Crom , you ’ ll be in studio here .
We have the official WLAC hazmat suit .
( Chuckles ) Leahy : WLAC logos .
We ’ ll give you an N-95 mask .
( Chuckles ) And gloves .
Carmichael : Alright .
I ’ ll have to get up earlier for that ( Laughs ) than I do to call in .
Leahy : We ’ ll have a special fitting of the hazmat suit for you Crom .
Leahy : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m looking at the distance here from your special guest seat in the studio .
And it ’ s about three and a half feet , four feet from me .
I don ’ t know , it ’ s going to be two feet closer .
Although we could stretch it out .
Maybe we ’ ll take a picture of this Crom .
We ’ ll take the microphones and move everything back and stretch it to about six feet .
Carmichael : I think those microphones will stretch another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so .
I think so .
So we ’ ll be completely compliant .
So that will be kind of interesting .
Did you workout yesterday while you were watching the president ’ s press conference announcing the reopening of America .
Carmichael : I actually was out of the house and forgot to record .
So I have done some research so that I understand what phase one , phase two , and phase three is .
Leahy : Could you perhaps enlighten us ?
Carmichael : It ’ s really going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And these are federal guidelines .
And the guidelines don ’ t necessarily have to be followed .
Although Trump has made it clear that if states abuse the process that he has the authority to step in and enforce the guidelines .
So for example , let ’ s say that New York and California decide to shut down their airports or do something that really hurts the rest of the country .
He would step in and do something about that .
But my guess is that folks in New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of their homes and back to work .
So I think I heard that Cuomo is requiring people in public to have to wear a mask .
Leahy : That is correct .
I saw him say that yesterday .
Carmichael : So that indicates to me that May 1 there is going to be some loosening of the situation in New York and in all the states .
There will be some loosening and it is my hope that people wear masks .
Now the one thing we can be pretty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ future there isn ’ t going to be any big gatherings .
The idea that Major League Baseball playing there games in Arizona without crowds .
If there is to be Major League Baseball this year , that ’ s what they ’ ll do .
Leahy : I hope they do it .
I haven ’ t seen anything on that particular topic Crom since the first report came out a couple of weeks ago from sources in ESPN .
I read that and I said , “ Boy I hope this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won ’ t be any golf .
There won ’ t be any horse racing .
And when you think of all the different things that people attend in large groups there won ’ t be any conferences .
The country will not be operating near all cylinders .
My guess is that in April the country is operating at maybe 30 % and that ’ s because of the food industry and the healthcare industry .
Then the banking industry is processing a lot of financial stuff .
And then governments are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operating at 30 % -35 % .
I think in May that percentage will go up to about 60 % -70 % .
But I think it will be a long time before it passes 80 % because all of the big crowd deals which include airlines won ’ t be back to near normal for along time .
Carmichael : Hotels , conferences , restaurants , and cruise lines .
Those industries make up at least 20 % of the country .
Leahy : We look at this and as you know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we do out of our Star News Education Foundation .
It was going to be held in Washington , D.C. in June .
Our first one was going to be held in April in Oakland County , Michigan .
Ok ?
Actually it was scheduled to be held tomorrow in Oakland County , Michigan , which is one of the five counties in Michigan where they are having this big outbreak .
So obviously we made a good choice not to go there .
Carmichael : Yes .
Now , will it be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to have to be an in-person thing .
We ’ re not doing it at all that way .
We ’ ve rescheduled it and we ’ re on track now .
This is our plan .
We haven ’ t formalized it yet .
but we ’ ve moved our reservations for the National Championship in Washington to October 17 .
Here ’ s what we ’ re thinking of doing .
We are thinking of having instead of these state competitions in the first week of October and last week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ having five regional contests .
One here in Tennessee .
One actually in Michigan .
One in North Carolina .
One in Minnesota .
The last one we ’ re thinking of calling up the hotel owners and the airplanes in Las Vegas and saying , “ Hey how would you like to have a regional Constitution Bee in Las Vegas ?
” We ’ re thinking maybe by that time they might be interested in doing that because they want to have folks coming back .
That ’ s what we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again it depends on the size of your crowd and how much you can spread them out .
Carmichael : It ’ s going to be a crowd .
The crowd issue is going to be with us for at least a number of months .
And that includes restaurants .
Leahy : So you make a very good point Crom .
This is something that we ’ re thinking about .
You could have a crowd of people maybe six feet apart wearing masks and the whole deal .
We are trying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that in person .
Because the crowds aren ’ t that big .
Maybe 100 people all totaled .
So we are thinking about doing that .
We will keep you posted on that .
Leahy : This kind of thing , restaurants , in particular , are going to try to figure out .
Carmichael : Well yes .
I think there will be some creative solutions .
But the restaurant industry is going to have a very tough time coming back simply because their venues are part of the attraction for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be operating at 50 % or 60 % of capacity .
Leahy : And you can ’ t really make money in most restaurants at 50 % -60 % capacity .
Carmichael : Correct .
Same thing with the airline and hotel industries which are very similar .
You have to be above some level and probably in the airline industry you have to be above 80 % capacity .
And you have to have all your planes in the air .
The airline industry is going to be a long time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worse than 9-11 .
Carmichael : After 9-11 it took the airline industry over a year to get their numbers back up .
It took them like four or five years to get their prices back up .
Leahy : So you could make an argument that if you want to get the country rolling back again probably three industries that would need some kind of government subsidy I would think to get up and running for that period of time where they ’ re below break even .
That would be restaurants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Yes .
Then you have a whole bunch of industries that are also impacted that are large gatherings .
Like conferences , of course , that effects hotels .
You have conference centers .
You have concerts .
The music industry in Nashville is going to be hit pretty hard because concerts are how musicians make their money now off of touring .
So concerts won ’ t happen .
Events won ’ t happen .
Horseracing won ’ t happen .
Professional tennis tournaments won ’ t happen .
And it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ football season is pushed a few months .
That ’ s possible .
Carmichael : We ’ ll have to wait and see .
Listen to the second hour here : Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510 .
Listen online at iHeart Radio .


thetennesseestar--2020-04-18--Steve Bannon Presents Part Two of Descent into Hell: Life of the Chinese under the CCP

You can watch a LIVE STREAM of Steve Bannon Presents Descent into Hell : Life of the Chinese under the CCP here beginning at 9 a.m Central Time on Saturday .
The Tennessee Star is the only Tennessee media outlet presenting this special two hour program .
You can watch the recorded second hour here now : You can also watch the recorded first hour of the program on YouTube here .
According to the press release announcing part two of the special live program : Former White House Chief Strategist and War Room : Pandemic host Stephen K. Bannon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entitled “ Descent into Hell : Xi .
And the Death Sentence of Wuhan this Saturday , April 18 , from 10:00 am – 12:00 noon ET .
The groundbreaking special will air live on the John Fredericks Radio Network , America ’ s Voice Network , Dish TV Channel 219 , The Epoch Times , ND TV , GTV and GNews in Mandarin .
Mr. Bannon began the daily War Room : Pandemic radio show and podcast on January 25 , when news of the virus was just beginning to leak out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Bannon and co-hosts bring listeners exclusive analysis and breaking updates from top medical , public health , economic , national security , supply chain and geopolitical experts weekdays from 10:00 am – 12:00 noon ET .
The show ’ s broadcast partners are America ’ s Voice News , the John Fredericks Radio Network , Salem Media Group , and Newsmax TV and the podcast is available on Apple , Spotify , Stitcher , SoundCloud , and Google Play .
– Simone Gao , Award-winning journalist .
Producer and host of Zooming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ current affairs at NTD – Dr. Robert Spalding , III .
Brigadier General ( R ) , United States Air Force , Author , Stealth War : How China Took Over while America ’ s Elite Slept and world-renowned national security strategist – Bill Gertz , Author , Deceiving the Sky : Inside Communist China ’ s Drive for Global Supremacy , investigative journalist , and columnist at The Washington Times – Dr. Bradley A. Thayer , Professor of political science at the University of Texas San Antonio and the co-author of How @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Balance of Power in International Politics .