hotair--2020-03-16--New York City is finally closing its schools. Now what?

Even though a community just north of the Big Apple ( New Rochelle ) recently became ground zero for the New York chapter of the coronavirus drama , Mayor Bill de Blasio had resisted calls to close the city ’ s public schools for weeks .
Finally , over the weekend he relented .
All schools will be closed starting tomorrow .
Hizzoner probably felt that he was running out of options because the teachers ’ unions were already calling for a “ sick-out ” by the staff and attendance had already plunged anyway , with many parents keeping their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mayor Bill de Blasio — facing a coup from parents and teachers over his refusal to close city schools amid the coronavirus –has finally succumbed to the mounting pressure and agreed to shut them down , well-placed sources told The Post on Sunday .
The closure will occur early in the week , a source added .
Gov .
Cuomo told 1010 WINS radio that “ all schools in downstate New York will be closing , ” specifically adding Tuesday or Wednesday .
Hizzoner had been stubbornly repeating his opposition to the move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” because of such things as leaving healthcare workers to scramble for childcare amid the spread of the coronavirus .
To be as fair as possible , the primary reasons the Mayor gave for refusing to heed earlier calls to shut down the schools were all valid .
Many students get two of their meals per day at school and those from poorer families may not be able to make up the difference .
Also , many people in the medical sector , along with first responders , will be left scrambling for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get to work during a crucial period .
But even with that said , all of de Blasio ’ s dithering may well wind up coming at a cost .
First of all , despite having had weeks to figure out a way to address those concerns , de Blasio admitted yesterday that he still didn ’ t have a comprehensive contingency plan for an across-the-board school closure .
This left a lot of people questioning what he ’ d been doing all of this time .
The Mayor didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ question either .
The pressure had definitely been mounting .
On Friday , the New York Post ran a screaming headline reading , “ For the love of God , Mr. Mayor : Close NYC ’ s schools !
” Even New York Governor Andrew Cuomo had finally come around to this conclusion , calling for the immediate closure of all downstate schools .
One of the big concerns being discussed on local media with doctors is the fact that healthy children , if they become infected , are the most likely to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ normal seasonal “ bugs ” that kids always pick up .
This means that they can readily spread the disease around crowded places like schools for quite a while before anyone notices .
If just a few of them in each of New York City ’ s 1,700 public schools were infected , the next couple of weeks could turn into coronavirus armageddon in Gotham .
And while I pray that ’ s not the case , if it happens there will be a lot of people calling for de Blasio ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comes next ?
Governor Cuomo has just put out a call to have the military step in and come to the aid of New York City .
He said that if there isn ’ t more support for the hospitals and clinics on hand , the situation is a disaster waiting to happen .
( NBC News ) I ’ ll give the Governor credit for ingenuity here .
Assuming there are any “ old buildings and dorms ” available , retrofitting them into temporary hospitals could be an incredibly useful idea .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ potentially daunting challenges .
First of all , if you ’ re at all familiar with the New York City real estate market , there are very few buildings just sitting around waiting to be put to use .
And even if there are , those properties are generally owned by somebody .
The state might have to simply seize the properties under powers granted during a state of emergency .
But even if they come up with enough buildings , it takes time for anyone – including the army- to develop a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to convert them to usable hospital rooms .
Then comes the challenge of finding all of the beds and medical equipment to make them useful , not to mention all of the additional doctors and nurses you would need to staff them .
I can tell you from personal experience that New York is currently in a state of what amounts to holding its breath .
Everyone is on edge , hoping that this storm passes without leaving too much wreckage in its wake , but fearing that things could turn very ugly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take this opportunity to offer a rare bit of praise for Governor Andrew Cuomo .
He ’ s been very aggressive in trying to deal with this situation right from the beginning and he ’ s been in constant communication with the public , keeping everyone informed of the latest developments and the plans being put into place .
Sadly , the same can not be said for New York City ’ s mayor .

Even though a community just north of the Big Apple (New Rochelle) recently became ground zero for the New York chapter of the coronavirus drama, Mayor Bill de Blasio had resisted calls to close the city’s public schools for weeks. Finally, over the weekend he relented. All schools will be closed starting tomorrow. Hizzoner probably felt that he was running out of options because the teachers’ unions were already calling for a “sick-out” by the staff and attendance had already plunged anyway, with many parents keeping their children home. (NY Post)
Mayor Bill de Blasio — facing a coup from parents and teachers over his refusal to close city schools amid the coronavirus –has finally succumbed to the mounting pressure and agreed to shut them down, well-placed sources told The Post on Sunday. The closure will occur early in the week, a source added. Gov. Cuomo told 1010 WINS radio that “all schools in downstate New York will be closing,” specifically adding Tuesday or Wednesday. Hizzoner had been stubbornly repeating his opposition to the move, insisting he was “very reticent” because of such things as leaving healthcare workers to scramble for childcare amid the spread of the coronavirus.
To be as fair as possible, the primary reasons the Mayor gave for refusing to heed earlier calls to shut down the schools were all valid. Many students get two of their meals per day at school and those from poorer families may not be able to make up the difference. Also, many people in the medical sector, along with first responders, will be left scrambling for childcare services now and potentially be unable to get to work during a crucial period.
But even with that said, all of de Blasio’s dithering may well wind up coming at a cost. First of all, despite having had weeks to figure out a way to address those concerns, de Blasio admitted yesterday that he still didn’t have a comprehensive contingency plan for an across-the-board school closure. This left a lot of people questioning what he’d been doing all of this time. The Mayor didn’t appear to have an answer to that question either.
The pressure had definitely been mounting. On Friday, the New York Post ran a screaming headline reading, “For the love of God, Mr. Mayor: Close NYC’s schools!” Even New York Governor Andrew Cuomo had finally come around to this conclusion, calling for the immediate closure of all downstate schools.
One of the big concerns being discussed on local media with doctors is the fact that healthy children, if they become infected, are the most likely to display few visible symptoms different from the normal seasonal “bugs” that kids always pick up. This means that they can readily spread the disease around crowded places like schools for quite a while before anyone notices. If just a few of them in each of New York City’s 1,700 public schools were infected, the next couple of weeks could turn into coronavirus armageddon in Gotham. And while I pray that’s not the case, if it happens there will be a lot of people calling for de Blasio’s head on a platter.
So what comes next? Governor Cuomo has just put out a call to have the military step in and come to the aid of New York City. He said that if there isn’t more support for the hospitals and clinics on hand, the situation is a disaster waiting to happen. (NBC News)
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo warned Monday that he needs the U.S. military to step in and help expand hospital capacity because otherwise “this is a disaster waiting to happen.” Cuomo said in an interview on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” that he needs the Army Corps of Engineers to retrofit old buildings and dorms to create more intensive care units beds; about 80 percent of New York’s hospital ICU beds are already occupied, he said.
I’ll give the Governor credit for ingenuity here. Assuming there are any “old buildings and dorms” available, retrofitting them into temporary hospitals could be an incredibly useful idea. But it also faces some immediate and potentially daunting challenges. First of all, if you’re at all familiar with the New York City real estate market, there are very few buildings just sitting around waiting to be put to use. And even if there are, those properties are generally owned by somebody. The state might have to simply seize the properties under powers granted during a state of emergency.
But even if they come up with enough buildings, it takes time for anyone – including the army- to develop a plan and secure the manpower and materials to convert them to usable hospital rooms. Then comes the challenge of finding all of the beds and medical equipment to make them useful, not to mention all of the additional doctors and nurses you would need to staff them.
I can tell you from personal experience that New York is currently in a state of what amounts to holding its breath. Everyone is on edge, hoping that this storm passes without leaving too much wreckage in its wake, but fearing that things could turn very ugly very quickly. But I will also take this opportunity to offer a rare bit of praise for Governor Andrew Cuomo. He’s been very aggressive in trying to deal with this situation right from the beginning and he’s been in constant communication with the public, keeping everyone informed of the latest developments and the plans being put into place. Sadly, the same can not be said for New York City’s mayor.


hotair--2020-03-16--Today's coronavirus whodunit: Who hacked HHS -- and why?

Did Donald Trump invoke the Stafford Act to order a “ national lockdown ” ?
Not at all , especially since nothing in the Stafford Act gives a president that kind of authority .
The message apparently originated as part of a hack into the Health and Human Services Department , the purpose and perpetrators of which are still unknown : The U.S. Health and Human Services Department suffered a cyber-attack on its computer system Sunday night during the nation ’ s response to the coronavirus pandemic , according to three people familiar with the matter .
The attack appears @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agency ’ s systems down , but didn ’ t do so in any meaningful way , said the people , who asked for anonymity to discuss an incident that was not public .
The National Security Council ’ s tweet on Sunday night was related to the hacking and the release of disinformation , according to the people .
The government realized Sunday that there had been a cyber intrusion and false information was circulating .
NSC tweeted just before midnight : “ Text message rumors of a national # quarantine are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
@ CDCgov has and will continue to post the latest guidance on # COVID19.
” What ’ s the point of hacking HHS now ?
The idea that malicious actors want to slow down their coronavirus response is perhaps a guess , but it doesn ’ t make a whole lot of sense .
Who gains by slowing down HHS ’ response to a pandemic ?
Even for the most malicious of hackers , the calculation that a slower response puts everyone at higher risk — including themselves — isn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might be an attempt at undermining confidence in whatever response is being provided , or perhaps just an opportunity to spread a little panic , as was apparently the case with the “ Stafford Act shutdown ” message .
That might interest some outsiders , as Florida ’ s Rep. Michael Waltz suggested on Twitter this morning : That ’ s only a guess , too , but it ’ s probably not a bad one .
Unless the hackers also went after some personnel data to further an identity-theft scheme , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a hack into HHS .
ABC ’ s homeland-security analyst also suspects that the intrusion may have come from outsiders , or perhaps homegrown extremists : It may not have been an actual intrusion , Bloomberg later clarified , but a denial-of-service attack : In the meantime , stop wondering about “ national lockdowns , ” and ignore any messages that claim one is coming .
Presidents don ’ t have authority to order public places shut down .
However , governors do have that authority , and more of them are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social distancing .
Kentucky ’ s Andy Beshear added his state this morning to the growing list that are requiring bars to close and restaurants to serve take-out only : Kentucky Gov .
Andy Beshear will put out an order today to close all restaurants and bars , as part of new steps the state is taking to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus .
“ We ’ re going to have exceptions in there for drive-thru , for delivery but we are to the point now that this is a step @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beshear said .
… Earlier today , Michigan announced it was closing all bars and restaurants .
Ohio , California and New York City , among other areas , announced similar bans yesterday .
What happens if they don ’ t comply ?
The states could revoke their business licenses .
Although that might get tied up in court to see just how far that authority extends , it would probably extend long enough for them to completely fail before getting permission to re-open .
Anyway , Trump ’ s not ordering a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it comes to its internal computer systems .
If this turns out to be just a DDOS attack , then there ’ s not a whole lot to be done about it .
If it ’ s an actual hack , though , then it means we still haven ’ t made much progress years after China penetrated the Office of Personnel Management and the Pentagon , among other systems .
That wouldn ’ t instill much confidence in the federal government ’ s data hygiene in the time of coronavirus , or @ @ @ @

Did Donald Trump invoke the Stafford Act to order a “national lockdown”? Not at all, especially since nothing in the Stafford Act gives a president that kind of authority. The message apparently originated as part of a hack into the Health and Human Services Department, the purpose and perpetrators of which are still unknown:
The U.S. Health and Human Services Department suffered a cyber-attack on its computer system Sunday night during the nation’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, according to three people familiar with the matter. The attack appears to have been intended to slow the agency’s systems down, but didn’t do so in any meaningful way, said the people, who asked for anonymity to discuss an incident that was not public. The National Security Council’s tweet on Sunday night was related to the hacking and the release of disinformation, according to the people. The government realized Sunday that there had been a cyber intrusion and false information was circulating. NSC tweeted just before midnight: “Text message rumors of a national #quarantine are FAKE. There is no national lockdown. @CDCgov has and will continue to post the latest guidance on #COVID19.”
What’s the point of hacking HHS now? The idea that malicious actors want to slow down their coronavirus response is perhaps a guess, but it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Who gains by slowing down HHS’ response to a pandemic? Even for the most malicious of hackers, the calculation that a slower response puts everyone at higher risk — including themselves — isn’t too hard to figure out.
It might be an attempt at undermining confidence in whatever response is being provided, or perhaps just an opportunity to spread a little panic, as was apparently the case with the “Stafford Act shutdown” message. That might interest some outsiders, as Florida’s Rep. Michael Waltz suggested on Twitter this morning:
These hacks will likely be partnered with misinformation campaigns. If attributed to #China, #Russia, #Iran or #NorthKorea, there will be consequences. https://t.co/tC6t6bcRuC — Congressman Waltz Press (@RepWaltzPress) March 16, 2020
That’s only a guess, too, but it’s probably not a bad one. Unless the hackers also went after some personnel data to further an identity-theft scheme, there aren’t too many commercial motives for a hack into HHS. ABC’s homeland-security analyst also suspects that the intrusion may have come from outsiders, or perhaps homegrown extremists:
“As federal state and local governments focus on handling the current public health crisis, national security officials are also tracking other threats — in particular those posed by terrorist or extremist groups and foreign adversaries who may seek to take advantage of all of the attention being focused on the coronavirus and conduct an attack,” said John Cohen, a former acting Undersecretary of the Department of Homeland Security and contributor to ABC News.
It may not have been an actual intrusion, Bloomberg later clarified, but a denial-of-service attack:
Administration officials assume that it was a hostile foreign actor, but there is no definitive proof at this time. The administration has not yet confirmed who was behind the attack, according to a U.S. official. The hack involved overloading the HHS servers with millions of hits over several hours.
In the meantime, stop wondering about “national lockdowns,” and ignore any messages that claim one is coming. Presidents don’t have authority to order public places shut down. However, governors do have that authority, and more of them are starting to flex that muscle to enforce social distancing. Kentucky’s Andy Beshear added his state this morning to the growing list that are requiring bars to close and restaurants to serve take-out only:
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear will put out an order today to close all restaurants and bars, as part of new steps the state is taking to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. “We’re going to have exceptions in there for drive-thru, for delivery but we are to the point now that this is a step that we have to take,” Beshear said. … Earlier today, Michigan announced it was closing all bars and restaurants. Ohio, California and New York City, among other areas, announced similar bans yesterday.
What happens if they don’t comply? The states could revoke their business licenses. Although that might get tied up in court to see just how far that authority extends, it would probably extend long enough for them to completely fail before getting permission to re-open.
Anyway, Trump’s not ordering a lock-down, but maybe HHS should when it comes to its internal computer systems. If this turns out to be just a DDOS attack, then there’s not a whole lot to be done about it. If it’s an actual hack, though, then it means we still haven’t made much progress years after China penetrated the Office of Personnel Management and the Pentagon, among other systems. That wouldn’t instill much confidence in the federal government’s data hygiene in the time of coronavirus, or any other time.


hotair--2020-03-16--While New Yorkers are being told to stay home, de Blasio takes one more trip to a public gym

A lot of bad and good leadership is being revealed by this crisis and it doesn ’ t follow partisan or geographic lines .
You have Democrats like this imbecile who aren ’ t taking it seriously enough and you have Democrats like Andrew Cuomo from the same state who do seem to be .
You have Republicans like Kevin Stitt who are personally putting people at risk and Republicans like Mike DeWine who are aggressively shutting things down to contain the spread .
You have national leaders like Trump who ’ ve contributed to public complacency and you have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communicated the gravity of the crisis .
What makes de Blasio stand out is that his city is the country ’ s financial spinal cord , its biggest population center , and currently the site of the largest outbreak .
He has every reason to be in full 9/11 mode about coronavirus .
Instead , this : Just one last visit to help spread the disease and kill some more senior citizens for old times ’ sake before everything shuts down .
He finally did the right thing this weekend by closing New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and restaurants shut before a million idiots inevitably descended on them tomorrow for St. Patrick ’ s Day .
That ’ s the good news .
The bad news is that , as with today ’ s gym visit , de Blasio continues not to grasp the point that every moment counts with social distancing .
His long delay in closing schools will probably mean thousands of infections in New York City that could have been avoided .
And his short delay in closing bars — they can remain open today but have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ means that many people will doubtless pack in tonight to enjoy St. Pat ’ s a day early .
With the mayor ’ s apparent encouragement : Why the hell would a public official urge people to go out and congregate , even for a night , when the whole point of extraordinary measures like business shutdowns is to prevent them from congregating ?
Why didn ’ t he order bars closed immediately ?
Does he just not grasp the problem on an intellectual level ?
Per Mediaite , even some of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ went to the gym today : Another former staffer grumbled to the New York Post : “ Didn ’ t the CDC recommend no gatherings of 50 people or more ?
… Will he be counting the amount of people there and leaving if it ’ s over 49 ?
“ If we ’ re supposed to be social distancing , then what does that even mean if he gets to play by his own rules ?
Leaders are supposed to set by example .
What kind of example does this set ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Also , why is he at the gym and not hunkered down 24/7 working on this ?
It ’ s a pandemic , and people are dying .
Stunning .
“ How many people have to die before he stops getting chauffeured to the gym is my question .
What ’ s the appropriate number of deaths before he finds it uncouth , ” the staffer continued .
Fortunately , I think we ’ re at the late stage of de Blasio ’ s decline into a national joke that the public won @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The reaction here won ’ t be “ If de Blasio ’ s out and about , it must be fine for us to be out and about too.
” The reaction will be “ I can ’ t wait until this guy ’ s not mayor anymore.
” Unfortunately , other political leaders remain fully capable of strongly influencing their supporters to take the crisis less seriously than they should : Maybe that ’ s not a disaster yet .
Residents in the two hottest coronavirus hotspots , New York and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their cues from Trump and residents of states that who are more likely to follow his lead haven ’ t been inundated yet .
Now that the president ’ s message has shifted towards treating this like the crisis it is , hopefully Republican polling numbers will catch up to Democratic ones .
But in the meantime , lingering skepticism about the virus ’ s severity is driving some very risky public behavior at a moment when we can ’ t afford any more risk : Here ’ s Cuomo with a grim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his message to encourage Trump to unleash the Army Corps of Engineers and start building temporary facilities immediately .
Social distancing will help shrink the tidal wave that ’ s coming , he says , but it ’ s too late to stop it .

He’s somethin’ special, isn’t he?
Mayor de Blasio is indeed here at the Park Slope YMCA this morning. Passers by have commented negatively. One called him an idot. pic.twitter.com/FIgEmlf4Gf — andrew kaczynski (@KFILE) March 16, 2020
A lot of bad and good leadership is being revealed by this crisis and it doesn’t follow partisan or geographic lines. You have Democrats like this imbecile who aren’t taking it seriously enough and you have Democrats like Andrew Cuomo from the same state who do seem to be. You have Republicans like Kevin Stitt who are personally putting people at risk and Republicans like Mike DeWine who are aggressively shutting things down to contain the spread. You have national leaders like Trump who’ve contributed to public complacency and you have national leaders like Pence who have effectively communicated the gravity of the crisis.
What makes de Blasio stand out is that his city is the country’s financial spinal cord, its biggest population center, and currently the site of the largest outbreak. He has every reason to be in full 9/11 mode about coronavirus. Instead, this:
Statement from spokesperson @FreddiGoldstein on the mayor’s gym trip today (she also says “new routine to come”) pic.twitter.com/zywYCTJZer — Good Idea Dave (@DaveCoIon) March 16, 2020
Just one last visit to help spread the disease and kill some more senior citizens for old times’ sake before everything shuts down.
He finally did the right thing this weekend by closing New York’s schools and ordering bars and restaurants shut before a million idiots inevitably descended on them tomorrow for St. Patrick’s Day. That’s the good news. The bad news is that, as with today’s gym visit, de Blasio continues not to grasp the point that every moment counts with social distancing. His long delay in closing schools will probably mean thousands of infections in New York City that could have been avoided. And his short delay in closing bars — they can remain open today but have to close by 9 a.m. tomorrow — means that many people will doubtless pack in tonight to enjoy St. Pat’s a day early. With the mayor’s apparent encouragement:
“If you love your neighborhood bar, go there now.” @NYCMayor – adding that you should do so “briefly” and with “social distancing” but his implication is ALL nyc bars could be shut down. “Everything is on the table.” #nbc4ny pic.twitter.com/PtLsE0eZ29 — Andrew Siff (@andrewsiff4NY) March 15, 2020
Why the hell would a public official urge people to go out and congregate, even for a night, when the whole point of extraordinary measures like business shutdowns is to prevent them from congregating? Why didn’t he order bars closed immediately?
Does he just not grasp the problem on an intellectual level?
Per Mediaite, even some of his former staffers can’t believe he went to the gym today:
She right. It’s pathetic. Self-involved. Inexcusable. — Jonathan Rosen (@JonathanRosenBR) March 16, 2020
Another former staffer grumbled to the New York Post:
“Didn’t the CDC recommend no gatherings of 50 people or more? … Will he be counting the amount of people there and leaving if it’s over 49? “If we’re supposed to be social distancing, then what does that even mean if he gets to play by his own rules? Leaders are supposed to set by example. What kind of example does this set?” the former worker said. “Also, why is he at the gym and not hunkered down 24/7 working on this? It’s a pandemic, and people are dying. Stunning. “How many people have to die before he stops getting chauffeured to the gym is my question. What’s the appropriate number of deaths before he finds it uncouth,” the staffer continued.
Fortunately, I think we’re at the late stage of de Blasio’s decline into a national joke that the public won’t draw lessons from his behavior. The reaction here won’t be “If de Blasio’s out and about, it must be fine for us to be out and about too.” The reaction will be “I can’t wait until this guy’s not mayor anymore.” Unfortunately, other political leaders remain fully capable of strongly influencing their supporters to take the crisis less seriously than they should:
Maybe that’s not a disaster yet. Residents in the two hottest coronavirus hotspots, New York and Washington state, aren’t taking their cues from Trump and residents of states that who are more likely to follow his lead haven’t been inundated yet. Now that the president’s message has shifted towards treating this like the crisis it is, hopefully Republican polling numbers will catch up to Democratic ones.
But in the meantime, lingering skepticism about the virus’s severity is driving some very risky public behavior at a moment when we can’t afford any more risk:
Current crowds at the Magic Kingdom for tonight's showing of Happily Ever After… #DisneyWorld pic.twitter.com/xtBoObaQAx — WDW News Today (@WDWNT) March 16, 2020
Here’s Cuomo with a grim prognosis for New York hospitals, part of his message to encourage Trump to unleash the Army Corps of Engineers and start building temporary facilities immediately. Social distancing will help shrink the tidal wave that’s coming, he says, but it’s too late to stop it.


hotair--2020-03-16--Andrew Gillum calls hotel overdose 'a wake-up call,' says he will enter rehab

Ed wrote about Andrew Gillum ’ s surprising turn on Friday .
Police were called to a Miami Beach hotel room where one man was experiencing a crystal meth overdose .
When police arrived after a 911 call , Gillum was discovered throwing up in the bathroom .
When officers tried to talk with Gillum they found he was “ unable to communicate.
” Sunday , Gillum announced he was withdrawing from public life and would be entering rehab for alcoholism : “ This has been a wake-up call for me , ” the former Tallahassee mayor said in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ race for governor ended , I fell into a depression that has led to alcohol abuse .
I witnessed my father suffer from alcoholism and I know the damaging effects it can have when untreated .
I also know that alcoholism is often a symptom of deeper struggles.
“ “ I will be stepping down from all public facing roles for the foreseeable future , ” he wrote .
Gillum said he would enter a rehabilitation facility .
He apologized and asked for privacy… He also is stepping back from CNN , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that made him a familiar face in the living rooms of voters .
In his initial statement to the media Gillum said , “ I was in Miami last night for a wedding celebration when first responders were called to assist one of my friends.
” That was apparently true .
In fact , Politico reports he was supposed to officiate at a wedding but “ was a no-show.
” The friend who overdosed in the room with Gillum was Travis Dyson .
Dyson apparently advertises himself as a gay escort .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rent the hotel room where he overdosed by the third man who was in the room , Aldo Mejias .
Mejias is the person who rendered aid and called 911 when Dyson collapsed .
After being treated at a local hospital Dyson told the Miami New Times that he wasn ’ t there for a wedding : “ I personally was not celebrating a wedding .
I don ’ t know if [ Gillum ] was in town for a wedding .
He did not mention that , ” Dyson said .
Dyson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last spring .
“ We ’ ve been friends for a while , ” Dyson said .
He then went silent on the phone and did not answer subsequent calls from New Times .
Gillum has not been charged with any crime in relation to the incident .
However , there are some reports that police who arrived at the scene were wearing body cameras .
So it ’ s possible that video of Gillum from the hotel room could be released at some point .
As much as I ’ m not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he does have three young children and I feel sorry for them in this situation .

Ed wrote about Andrew Gillum’s surprising turn on Friday. Police were called to a Miami Beach hotel room where one man was experiencing a crystal meth overdose. When police arrived after a 911 call, Gillum was discovered throwing up in the bathroom. When officers tried to talk with Gillum they found he was “unable to communicate.” Sunday, Gillum announced he was withdrawing from public life and would be entering rehab for alcoholism:
“This has been a wake-up call for me,” the former Tallahassee mayor said in a written statement Sunday. “Since my race for governor ended, I fell into a depression that has led to alcohol abuse. I witnessed my father suffer from alcoholism and I know the damaging effects it can have when untreated. I also know that alcoholism is often a symptom of deeper struggles.“ “I will be stepping down from all public facing roles for the foreseeable future,” he wrote. Gillum said he would enter a rehabilitation facility. He apologized and asked for privacy… He also is stepping back from CNN, where he was paid commentator, a gig that made him a familiar face in the living rooms of voters.
In his initial statement to the media Gillum said, “I was in Miami last night for a wedding celebration when first responders were called to assist one of my friends.” That was apparently true. In fact, Politico reports he was supposed to officiate at a wedding but “was a no-show.”
The friend who overdosed in the room with Gillum was Travis Dyson. Dyson apparently advertises himself as a gay escort. He had been given a credit cart to rent the hotel room where he overdosed by the third man who was in the room, Aldo Mejias. Mejias is the person who rendered aid and called 911 when Dyson collapsed. After being treated at a local hospital Dyson told the Miami New Times that he wasn’t there for a wedding:
“I personally was not celebrating a wedding. I don’t know if [Gillum] was in town for a wedding. He did not mention that,” Dyson said. Dyson said he has known Gillum since around last spring. “We’ve been friends for a while,” Dyson said. He then went silent on the phone and did not answer subsequent calls from New Times.
Gillum has not been charged with any crime in relation to the incident. However, there are some reports that police who arrived at the scene were wearing body cameras. So it’s possible that video of Gillum from the hotel room could be released at some point. As much as I’m not a fan of Gillum or his politics, he does have three young children and I feel sorry for them in this situation.


hotair--2020-03-16--Fauci: If your social distancing measures look like an overreaction then you're probably doing the r

Fauci: If your social distancing measures look like an overreaction then you're probably doing the right thing

Tom Bossert , who used to be Trump ’ s top pandemic advisor before John Bolton shut down his department , calls this idea “ the coronavirus paradox.
” Social distancing is a preventative strategy more so than a remedial strategy , and because the virus is so contagious time is of the essence in implementing it .
That means that draconian measures need to be taken *before* there ’ s a major outbreak in a community and exponential growth takes off .
If a governor shuts down schools for two weeks when there are 50 cases in-state and two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ total , that doesn ’ t mean he or she overreacted .
That means it worked .
People really did flatten the curve by keeping their distance .
To argue otherwise , you need a theory for why a virus that spreads exponentially everywhere else in the world somehow wouldn ’ t spread exponentially here if business went on as usual .
What makes us different from Italy and France and Spain and Germany and various other European countries that are seeing the same sort of exponential growth our ( very limited ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Nothing makes us different .
This is math , says Bossert : Public health officials and scientists studied the implementation of non-pharmaceutical interventions for epidemic mitigation in 43 cities in the United States from Sept. 8 , 1918 , through Feb. 22 , 1919 , when an influenza outbreak– one that killed 50 million people worldwide — became the last major pandemic to affect the United States .
They did this to determine whether city-to-city variations in death rates were associated with the timing , duration and combination of non-pharmaceutical interventions .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ key , according to an article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association , is “ early , sustained , and layered application of non-pharmaceutical interventions.
” The doctors concluded that “ such measures could potentially provide valuable time for production and distribution of pandemic-strain vaccine and antiviral medication .
Optimally , appropriate implementation of non-pharmaceutical interventions would decrease the burden on health care services and critical infrastructure.
” The biggest misunderstanding about these interventions is they are an à la carte menu of options to be selectively implemented .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be implemented to achieve a layered effect .
Anthony Fauci and Scott Gottlieb made the same point yesterday .
Shutting down schools and businesses looks like an overreaction only because exponential growth is “ invisible ” in its early stages .
No one notices when two cases turn into four , then four into eight , then eight into 16 .
But after 3,000 have turned into 6,000 and then 12,000 in a week , there are too many carriers circulating to sharply mitigate the spread with aggressive isolation measures .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Italy are proving : Two weeks ’ difference in aggressive shutdown measures .
Lodi , which started out with more cases than Bergamo , now has less than half the number .
And Italians elsewhere have been howling at people in other countries not to make the same mistake they did by refusing to isolate themselves until after a mass outbreak had already begun locally .
There ’ s no speculative or hypothetical element in any of this .
If we ’ re fortunate enough not to find ourselves drowning in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ll only be because we “ overreacted ” at a moment when we still had an opportunity to arrest a mass contagion .
Maybe we ’ re past that moment already : If we ’ re not past the moment for effective action , a few weeks from now it may look like social distancing has failed to limit the spread — that is , instead of people complaining about an overreaction with all the shutdowns , early April might bring a wave of complaints that the shutdowns were ineffective in slowing it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Indiana University , urges people to bear some things about the numbers to come over the rest of this month in order to keep a proper perspective : Testing will improve and identify more extant cases , which will appear like an “ explosion ” of new ones , and some who were just beginning to develop symptoms when more aggressive isolation measures were ordered in states and major cities will see finally see the illness in full flower .
The new measures will help keep them away from others , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flattens.
” It just doesn ’ t flatten overnight .
Which is bad news for hospital doctors and nurses , who are reportedly “ worried and scared ” that they don ’ t have all the protective equipment they need and still can ’ t test patients reporting symptoms in order to know which people with “ flu-like symptoms ” need treatment for COVID-19 and which don ’ t .
It would be a wonderful thing if social distancing measures could remain strictly voluntary .
Leave all businesses open and trust a rational @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a moment when they ’ re being urged to isolate .
Alas , we do not live in that universe : One way you can tell that the calls for social distancing are starting to penetrate culturally is that major celebrities are getting involved to spread the word .
Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande are pushing the “ stay home ” message , as are sports stars like Steph Curry .
The fateful question is : How long will it go on ?
If we all stay away from each other for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its knees , what ground will we have gained against the virus by the time we all start interacting again ?
Warmer weather in the south might slow it down there soon , and then later in the north as summer begins .
Testing will be available more comprehensively .
Maybe we ’ ll have more ventilators and masks online for health-care workers .
Buying time helps , but as the Dow continues to shed endless billions of dollars in wealth , the urgency to resume commerce and avert a depression will grow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a month from now after the curve has been flattened and we all start shaking hands again ?
Read this thread by Scott Gottlieb , who ’ s encouraged by the measures taken lately , says we ’ re ahead of where China was at this point , and thinks we might turn a corner five or six weeks from now .
Then we get a breather to prepare for the return of COVID-19 in the fall , hopefully with an effective antiviral drug and much faster testing to fight it .

Tom Bossert, who used to be Trump’s top pandemic advisor before John Bolton shut down his department, calls this idea “the coronavirus paradox.” Social distancing is a preventative strategy more so than a remedial strategy, and because the virus is so contagious time is of the essence in implementing it. That means that draconian measures need to be taken *before* there’s a major outbreak in a community and exponential growth takes off. If a governor shuts down schools for two weeks when there are 50 cases in-state and two weeks later there are only 100 cases total, that doesn’t mean he or she overreacted.
That means it worked. People really did flatten the curve by keeping their distance.
To argue otherwise, you need a theory for why a virus that spreads exponentially everywhere else in the world somehow wouldn’t spread exponentially here if business went on as usual. What makes us different from Italy and France and Spain and Germany and various other European countries that are seeing the same sort of exponential growth our (very limited) data shows in the U.S. right now? Nothing makes us different. This is math, says Bossert:
Public health officials and scientists studied the implementation of non-pharmaceutical interventions for epidemic mitigation in 43 cities in the United States from Sept. 8, 1918, through Feb. 22, 1919, when an influenza outbreak– one that killed 50 million people worldwide — became the last major pandemic to affect the United States. They did this to determine whether city-to-city variations in death rates were associated with the timing, duration and combination of non-pharmaceutical interventions. They concluded that they were. The key, according to an article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, is “early, sustained, and layered application of non-pharmaceutical interventions.” The doctors concluded that “such measures could potentially provide valuable time for production and distribution of pandemic-strain vaccine and antiviral medication. Optimally, appropriate implementation of non-pharmaceutical interventions would decrease the burden on health care services and critical infrastructure.” The biggest misunderstanding about these interventions is they are an à la carte menu of options to be selectively implemented. This is dead wrong. They all must be implemented to achieve a layered effect.
Anthony Fauci and Scott Gottlieb made the same point yesterday. Shutting down schools and businesses looks like an overreaction only because exponential growth is “invisible” in its early stages. No one notices when two cases turn into four, then four into eight, then eight into 16. But after 3,000 have turned into 6,000 and then 12,000 in a week, there are too many carriers circulating to sharply mitigate the spread with aggressive isolation measures.
Head of @NIAIDNews Dr. Anthony Fauci said earlier this week that the #CoronavirusPandemic will get worse in the U.S. before it gets better. How much worse? Dr. Fauci to @margbrennan this morning: “It’s going to depend on the effectiveness of our response” pic.twitter.com/mD0WKoufZf — Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) March 15, 2020
Should Americans expect a lockdown nationwide to combat the spread of #coronavirus? @ScottGottliebMD warns we may have to do "much more." "We have never seen anything like this before in modern times. This is gonna be historic right now." WATCH → pic.twitter.com/hYWRHD3L82 — Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) March 15, 2020
It’s simple math, as different regions in Italy are proving:
Real-time evidence of flattening the curve. Lodi had the first Covid-19 case in Italy, and implemented a shutdown on Feb 23. Bergamo waited until March 8.
Look at the difference. Incredible research by @drjenndowd, @melindacmills & co-authors. https://t.co/JYf1F5GnYu pic.twitter.com/iMVXBJ59Y6 — Don Moynihan (@donmoyn) March 15, 2020
Two weeks’ difference in aggressive shutdown measures. Lodi, which started out with more cases than Bergamo, now has less than half the number. And Italians elsewhere have been howling at people in other countries not to make the same mistake they did by refusing to isolate themselves until after a mass outbreak had already begun locally. There’s no speculative or hypothetical element in any of this. If we’re fortunate enough not to find ourselves drowning in an Italy scenario next month, it’ll only be because we “overreacted” at a moment when we still had an opportunity to arrest a mass contagion.
Maybe we’re past that moment already:
NY Governor Cuomo says he doesn’t think NY area can flatten the curve enough to avoid overwhelming the health care system — Kasie Hunt (@kasie) March 16, 2020
If we’re not past the moment for effective action, a few weeks from now it may look like social distancing has failed to limit the spread — that is, instead of people complaining about an overreaction with all the shutdowns, early April might bring a wave of complaints that the shutdowns were ineffective in slowing it down. Aaron Carroll, a researcher at Indiana University, urges people to bear some things about the numbers to come over the rest of this month in order to keep a proper perspective:
There are a few reasons for that. The first is that we may do most testing. When we a case is announced, it's not a new infection. It's a found infection. There's a lot more out there than we "know" just because we haven't been able to look. Once we do, we will find it. — Aaron E. Carroll (@aaronecarroll) March 16, 2020
It takes a number of days (up to 2 weeks) for some people to show symptoms of COVID-19. Therefore, many people who are now social distancing are already infected. When they get sick – it's not a failure of the distancing. They were already infected. — Aaron E. Carroll (@aaronecarroll) March 16, 2020
The flattening of the curve is still sometime off, even with social distancing. So we have to remain committed, even as the numbers go up over the next week or two. Don't see that as a failure. It's somewhat inevitable. Don't panic. Prepare yourselves for the news. — Aaron E. Carroll (@aaronecarroll) March 16, 2020
Testing will improve and identify more extant cases, which will appear like an “explosion” of new ones, and some who were just beginning to develop symptoms when more aggressive isolation measures were ordered in states and major cities will see finally see the illness in full flower. The new measures will help keep them away from others, which is how the proverbial curve eventually “flattens.” It just doesn’t flatten overnight. Which is bad news for hospital doctors and nurses, who are reportedly “worried and scared” that they don’t have all the protective equipment they need and still can’t test patients reporting symptoms in order to know which people with “flu-like symptoms” need treatment for COVID-19 and which don’t.
It would be a wonderful thing if social distancing measures could remain strictly voluntary. Leave all businesses open and trust a rational, well-informed populace not to frequent them at a moment when they’re being urged to isolate. Alas, we do not live in that universe:
https://twitter.com/CashNastyGaming/status/1239039704181493761
One way you can tell that the calls for social distancing are starting to penetrate culturally is that major celebrities are getting involved to spread the word. Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande are pushing the “stay home” message, as are sports stars like Steph Curry.
We all have to take responsibility for ourselves and do whatever it takes to #stopthespread. There’s a sense of urgency to flatten the curve and give ourselves and the healthcare system the best chance to get through this pandemic. Share this message and let’s protect each other! pic.twitter.com/T8JfydahCu — Stephen Curry (@StephenCurry30) March 15, 2020
The fateful question is: How long will it go on? If we all stay away from each other for a month, bringing the economy to its knees, what ground will we have gained against the virus by the time we all start interacting again? Warmer weather in the south might slow it down there soon, and then later in the north as summer begins. Testing will be available more comprehensively. Maybe we’ll have more ventilators and masks online for health-care workers. Buying time helps, but as the Dow continues to shed endless billions of dollars in wealth, the urgency to resume commerce and avert a depression will grow more intense. What’s different a month from now after the curve has been flattened and we all start shaking hands again? Read this thread by Scott Gottlieb, who’s encouraged by the measures taken lately, says we’re ahead of where China was at this point, and thinks we might turn a corner five or six weeks from now. Then we get a breather to prepare for the return of COVID-19 in the fall, hopefully with an effective antiviral drug and much faster testing to fight it.


hotair--2020-03-16--CDC: How about we limit gatherings to 50 for the next eight weeks or so?

Want to get together with a few friends ?
No problem , the CDC said last night , as long as everyone observes proper pandemic hygiene and minds their other contacts for risk of exposure .
Anything more than that should probably be postponed , the CDC recommended , putting an upper limit of 50 people at a time for gatherings anywhere .
That calls into question when restaurants and bars might see a light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel , and whether sports leagues might have a longer hiatus than they first thought : The Centers for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recommended canceling or postponing events with 50 or more attendees for the next eight weeks , signaling a more aggressive federal position on the steps people should take to contain the COVID-19 pandemic .
The agency said gatherings that should be postponed include weddings , festivals , parades , concerts , sporting events and other types of meetups organized by groups or individuals .
The recommendation comes after the governors of Ohio and Illinois closed bars and restaurants in their states , and ahead of the Senate ’ s scheduled return on Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a take-out basis with that limitation , assuming that they strictly police their staff .
Starbucks , for instance , has decided to suspend all in-store accommodations , meaning any lattés will be to go for the next two weeks : Starbucks Corp has moved to a “ to go ” model in all its company-owned stores in the United States and Canada for at least two weeks to facilitate social distancing among customers amid the spread of coronavirus , the coffee chain said on Sunday .
As part of the move , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seating both at its cafe and patio areas and temporarily close stores in communities with high numbers of coronavirus cases as well as malls and university campuses .
“ The situation with COVID-19 is extremely dynamic and we will continue to review the facts and science and make the proactive decisions necessary , ” said Rossann Williams , president of U.S. company-operated and Canada businesses .
The CDC ’ s fifty-person limit and its eight-week time frame has serious implications for the entertainment industry as well .
Sports leagues will have to figure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all , and if so whether by suspending ticket sales or play altogether : The already-delayed professional sports seasons in North America could be on hiatus for significantly longer than first planned after federal officials said Sunday that they recommend all in-person events involving 50 people or more be called off for the next eight weeks .
That ’ s twice as long as the 30-day shutdowns that the NBA , NHL and Major League Soccer decided to put into place last week in response to the global coronavirus pandemic that has already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ financial markets and has been blamed for at least 64 deaths in this country .
Major League Baseball also was going with what essentially was a 30-day shutdown after canceling the rest of spring training and pushing back the start of regular season play for two weeks .
Opening Day was to have been March 26 .
But new recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Sunday night seem to suggest that sports in this country could for all intents and purposes be gone until May , if not later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ almost impossible to even play the games without fans .
Most leagues have rosters that combine for more than fifty people on the field , not to mention the support personnel for medical , training , coaching , and so on .
Perhaps basketball games might slide in under the limit , but that would be it — and how long can they sustain interest in empty arenas ?
On the other hand , if testing ramps up and players get cleared of COVID-19 infection , the basketball leagues could clean up in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ television .
With their smaller rosters , they ’ d have the best chance of fielding “ clean ” squads and staff .
What about schools ?
Only the most quaint little brick schoolhouses have less than fifty people in them .
Most school districts are shutting down for the next couple of weeks anyway , but this warning from the CDC should make it universal .
Here in Minnesota , the state yesterday ordered all schools shut down until March 27 , a reversal from two days earlier when Gov .
Tim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open .
Even before the CDC ’ s recommendation , state officials anticipated several weeks of “ distance learning ” : Minnesota schools will close for at least eight days starting Wednesday under a new order from DFL Gov .
Tim Walz , marking a dramatic shift in the state ’ s approach to combating the spread of the novel coronavirus .
Under the order issued Sunday , teachers and school administrators across the state must continue to meet and implement plans to teach students from afar in the event schools must be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keeps elementary schools open to provide child care for health-care providers and emergency medical personnel who are directly responding to cases of COVID-19 , the illness caused by the virus .
“ We can not wait until the pandemic is in our schools to figure things out , ” Walz said , announcing the closure alongside Mary Cathryn Ricker , the state ’ s education commissioner .
It ’ s an unprecedented move that will affect nearly 900,000 students in public and charter schools across the state , and it comes after a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases spiked to 35 in Minnesota , three of those caused by person-to-person contact .
The state ’ s schools had scheduled planning sessions for today and tomorrow , meaning that students are effectively out of school immediately .
If they aren ’ t back in school until May , that will seriously impact parents ’ ability to work outside the home .
It will create its own social distancing , certainly an impact that will cheer health-care planners but not those who are hoping to avoid sharp economic damage .
Unfortunately , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Even at fifty , the CDC ’ s recommendation seems a bit … generous .
How many of us would feel comfortable surrounded by 49 other people in a room at this moment in time ?
Addendum : For Catholics , most US dioceses have issued dispensations from Mass during the outbreak but have churches still holding them .
The bishops in Albany , New York and Lexington , Kentucky have decided to cancel them until further notice : I ’ d guess we ’ ll see more of this after the @ @ @ @ @

Want to get together with a few friends? No problem, the CDC said last night, as long as everyone observes proper pandemic hygiene and minds their other contacts for risk of exposure. Anything more than that should probably be postponed, the CDC recommended, putting an upper limit of 50 people at a time for gatherings anywhere. That calls into question when restaurants and bars might see a light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel, and whether sports leagues might have a longer hiatus than they first thought:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Sunday night recommended canceling or postponing events with 50 or more attendees for the next eight weeks, signaling a more aggressive federal position on the steps people should take to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. The agency said gatherings that should be postponed include weddings, festivals, parades, concerts, sporting events and other types of meetups organized by groups or individuals. The recommendation comes after the governors of Ohio and Illinois closed bars and restaurants in their states, and ahead of the Senate’s scheduled return on Monday afternoon.
Restaurants can still operate on a take-out basis with that limitation, assuming that they strictly police their staff. Starbucks, for instance, has decided to suspend all in-store accommodations, meaning any lattés will be to go for the next two weeks:
Starbucks Corp has moved to a “to go” model in all its company-owned stores in the United States and Canada for at least two weeks to facilitate social distancing among customers amid the spread of coronavirus, the coffee chain said on Sunday. As part of the move, Starbucks said it would also stop using seating both at its cafe and patio areas and temporarily close stores in communities with high numbers of coronavirus cases as well as malls and university campuses. “The situation with COVID-19 is extremely dynamic and we will continue to review the facts and science and make the proactive decisions necessary,” said Rossann Williams, president of U.S. company-operated and Canada businesses.
The CDC’s fifty-person limit and its eight-week time frame has serious implications for the entertainment industry as well. Sports leagues will have to figure out whether to honor that recommendation at all, and if so whether by suspending ticket sales or play altogether:
The already-delayed professional sports seasons in North America could be on hiatus for significantly longer than first planned after federal officials said Sunday that they recommend all in-person events involving 50 people or more be called off for the next eight weeks. That’s twice as long as the 30-day shutdowns that the NBA, NHL and Major League Soccer decided to put into place last week in response to the global coronavirus pandemic that has already made a deep impact on the U.S. financial markets and has been blamed for at least 64 deaths in this country. Major League Baseball also was going with what essentially was a 30-day shutdown after canceling the rest of spring training and pushing back the start of regular season play for two weeks. Opening Day was to have been March 26. But new recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Sunday night seem to suggest that sports in this country could for all intents and purposes be gone until May, if not later.
The CDC recommendation would make it almost impossible to even play the games without fans. Most leagues have rosters that combine for more than fifty people on the field, not to mention the support personnel for medical, training, coaching, and so on. Perhaps basketball games might slide in under the limit, but that would be it — and how long can they sustain interest in empty arenas? On the other hand, if testing ramps up and players get cleared of COVID-19 infection, the basketball leagues could clean up in the absence of all other sports on television. With their smaller rosters, they’d have the best chance of fielding “clean” squads and staff.
What about schools? Only the most quaint little brick schoolhouses have less than fifty people in them. Most school districts are shutting down for the next couple of weeks anyway, but this warning from the CDC should make it universal. Here in Minnesota, the state yesterday ordered all schools shut down until March 27, a reversal from two days earlier when Gov. Tim Walz had hoped to keep the schools open. Even before the CDC’s recommendation, state officials anticipated several weeks of “distance learning”:
Minnesota schools will close for at least eight days starting Wednesday under a new order from DFL Gov. Tim Walz, marking a dramatic shift in the state’s approach to combating the spread of the novel coronavirus. Under the order issued Sunday, teachers and school administrators across the state must continue to meet and implement plans to teach students from afar in the event schools must be closed past March 27. It also keeps elementary schools open to provide child care for health-care providers and emergency medical personnel who are directly responding to cases of COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus. “We cannot wait until the pandemic is in our schools to figure things out,” Walz said, announcing the closure alongside Mary Cathryn Ricker, the state’s education commissioner. It’s an unprecedented move that will affect nearly 900,000 students in public and charter schools across the state, and it comes after a weekend when the number of known COVID-19 cases spiked to 35 in Minnesota, three of those caused by person-to-person contact.
The state’s schools had scheduled planning sessions for today and tomorrow, meaning that students are effectively out of school immediately. If they aren’t back in school until May, that will seriously impact parents’ ability to work outside the home. It will create its own social distancing, certainly an impact that will cheer health-care planners but not those who are hoping to avoid sharp economic damage.
Unfortunately, it just can’t be helped. Even at fifty, the CDC’s recommendation seems a bit … generous. How many of us would feel comfortable surrounded by 49 other people in a room at this moment in time?
Addendum: For Catholics, most US dioceses have issued dispensations from Mass during the outbreak but have churches still holding them. The bishops in Albany, New York and Lexington, Kentucky have decided to cancel them until further notice:
+@BpStowe cancels all public masses until further notice in Lexington, KY pic.twitter.com/jJ3Ffhw63L — Christopher White (@cwwhite212) March 16, 2020
I’d guess we’ll see more of this after the CDC’s announcement.


hotair--2020-03-16--Trump: Stop hoarding food and supplies. "Take it easy. Just relax."

Someone had to say it .
People are over-shopping in preparation for the spread of the coronavirus .
In order to reassure the American people that there is no disruption in the food and supply chain across the country , President Trump offered some words of advice .
“ You don ’ t have to buy so much.
” On Sunday , President Trump held a call with two dozen executives from consumer and grocery companies including Target , Campbell , and Costco .
The topic of discussion was hoarding and the safety of their supply chain as we face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conference he urged the American public to ease up on shopping for food and supplies like cleaning products and other household supplies .
We ’ ve all seen the pictures of empty shelves in grocery stores or big box stores like Target and Costco .
There are plenty of videos of scuffles in store aisles or check-out lines as tempers flare .
Americans are nervous .
The uncertainty of knowing how long the new normal will last or how bad the COVID-19 outbreak will be in our own communities is the cause of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is don ’ t panic , the supply chain is safe and retailers are working to keep up with demand .
America does not have a food shortage .
“ The President reminded the participants that this is an all-of-America approach and each of their stores and the stores they support can help Americans feel calm and safe when shelves are stocked with the items they need , ” a White House spokesman said .
“ Supply chains in the United States are strong , and it is unnecessary for the American public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added .
A spokesperson for Campbell said , in the meeting , the company “ outlined the steps we are taking to ensure the health and safety of our employees and how we are meeting the increased demand for our foods in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
” No one needs a six month supply of toilet paper or paper towels .
If you ’ re worried about feeling symptoms like sneezing , there is no need to buy out the shelf of facial tissues .
The panic we ’ re seeing is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a hurricane is predicted or a snowstorm .
When people think they may not be able to get out and purchase necessities and food items , they overreact and then the shelves are empty .
Some retailers are limiting purchases in order to manage inventory of the most in-demand products .
Amazon reports it is out of some household items – I assume that includes toilet paper since that is what many Amazon customers are complaining about – and large chain grocery stores like HEB here in Texas are limiting purchases , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soup .
President Trump agreed during the call with the business executives to hold off for six months on new regulatory decisions that could hinder the supply chain .
Consumer Brands Association , an industry trade group , lobbied for funds in upcoming supplemental appropriations to “ mitigate supply chain disruptions and help manage shortages.
” The trade group manages such companies as Clorox and Lysol , popular brand names in cleaning products .
The Association also wrote to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer encouraging them to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ products used to treat or prevent the spread of the coronavirus .
In Los Angeles , public officials are urging people not to panic shop .
In my own city , the mayor is meeting with state and local grocery store chain representatives to receive updates on water and food supplies , store hours , etc .
He plans to hold a press conference to get the information out this morning .
I know HEB , the store I usually patronize , has run low on bottled water because the driver who delivered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The store our order came from was out of bottled water , which is nuts because Houston has safe drinking water .
We use a disposable water filter system that produces a pitcher of water so I wasn ’ t ordering bottled water anyway .
Filtered tap water is fine and city tap water won ’ t be disrupted during this public health crisis .
In my last order – I use a grocery delivery service app – I couldn ’ t get a loaf of bread , spaghetti pasta , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will see what happens with the order I placed this weekend which will be delivered Tuesday afternoon .
Delivery services offered by the stores and apps ( like Instacart , which I use ) are scrambling to keep up with demand .
I placed our order Saturday , expecting a delay , and the earliest delivery time offered was Tuesday between 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m .
I have already received an update explaining that the delivery will be late , likely by 3:00 p.m.
It ’ s fine .
It is good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ try to remain calm and not hoard .
With more people staying home and restaurants closing , cooking at home will increase which puts more strain on grocers .
We just have to learn to manage the needs of our families with our shopping decisions .
And , I ’ ll take this opportunity to ask that you remember to tip your delivery person a bit extra if you use one of the home delivery services while we are all hunkering down .
We are all in this together .

Someone had to say it. People are over-shopping in preparation for the spread of the coronavirus. In order to reassure the American people that there is no disruption in the food and supply chain across the country, President Trump offered some words of advice. “You don’t have to buy so much.”
On Sunday, President Trump held a call with two dozen executives from consumer and grocery companies including Target, Campbell, and Costco. The topic of discussion was hoarding and the safety of their supply chain as we face the coronavirus crisis. During a press conference he urged the American public to ease up on shopping for food and supplies like cleaning products and other household supplies.
“You don’t have to buy so much,” Trump said. “Take it easy. Relax.” He added: “Go and buy. Enjoy it. Have a nice dinner. Relax.”
We’ve all seen the pictures of empty shelves in grocery stores or big box stores like Target and Costco. There are plenty of videos of scuffles in store aisles or check-out lines as tempers flare. Americans are nervous. The uncertainty of knowing how long the new normal will last or how bad the COVID-19 outbreak will be in our own communities is the cause of panic purchasing. Trump’s message is don’t panic, the supply chain is safe and retailers are working to keep up with demand. America does not have a food shortage.
“The President reminded the participants that this is an all-of-America approach and each of their stores and the stores they support can help Americans feel calm and safe when shelves are stocked with the items they need,” a White House spokesman said. “Supply chains in the United States are strong, and it is unnecessary for the American public to hoard daily essentials,” he added. A spokesperson for Campbell said, in the meeting, the company “outlined the steps we are taking to ensure the health and safety of our employees and how we are meeting the increased demand for our foods in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
No one needs a six month supply of toilet paper or paper towels. If you’re worried about feeling symptoms like sneezing, there is no need to buy out the shelf of facial tissues. The panic we’re seeing is much like that of what happens when a hurricane is predicted or a snowstorm. When people think they may not be able to get out and purchase necessities and food items, they overreact and then the shelves are empty. Some retailers are limiting purchases in order to manage inventory of the most in-demand products. Amazon reports it is out of some household items – I assume that includes toilet paper since that is what many Amazon customers are complaining about – and large chain grocery stores like HEB here in Texas are limiting purchases, including eggs, boxed pasta, and canned soup.
President Trump agreed during the call with the business executives to hold off for six months on new regulatory decisions that could hinder the supply chain. Consumer Brands Association, an industry trade group, lobbied for funds in upcoming supplemental appropriations to “mitigate supply chain disruptions and help manage shortages.” The trade group manages such companies as Clorox and Lysol, popular brand names in cleaning products. The Association also wrote to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer encouraging them to push back on global export restrictions on products used to treat or prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
In Los Angeles, public officials are urging people not to panic shop.
During these times, we must work together and not against each other. Here are the facts: -There is no food shortage & stores will restock, so please don’t hoard. -The water supply is clean & safe to drink, so there’s no need to buy water in bulk. -We are in this together. — LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) March 15, 2020
This is about preparation and prevention, not panic. ❌ No need to hoard excess items. There is no food shortage and stores will restock
❌ No need to purchase bottled water. @LADWP water is clean and safe — MayorOfLA (@MayorOfLA) March 14, 2020
In my own city, the mayor is meeting with state and local grocery store chain representatives to receive updates on water and food supplies, store hours, etc. He plans to hold a press conference to get the information out this morning.
🚨Tomorrow 11am🚨 I will join state/national grocery store chains representatives who will provide update on water and food supplies and inform the public about store hours and plans to promote #socialdistancing to help prevent the #COVIDー19 spread. 📍: City Hall Legacy Room pic.twitter.com/MADVr1iReR — Sylvester Turner (@SylvesterTurner) March 16, 2020
I know HEB, the store I usually patronize, has run low on bottled water because the driver who delivered our grocery order last week mentioned it. The store our order came from was out of bottled water, which is nuts because Houston has safe drinking water. We use a disposable water filter system that produces a pitcher of water so I wasn’t ordering bottled water anyway. Filtered tap water is fine and city tap water won’t be disrupted during this public health crisis. In my last order – I use a grocery delivery service app – I couldn’t get a loaf of bread, spaghetti pasta, and pasta sauce that I ordered. We will see what happens with the order I placed this weekend which will be delivered Tuesday afternoon. Delivery services offered by the stores and apps (like Instacart, which I use) are scrambling to keep up with demand. I placed our order Saturday, expecting a delay, and the earliest delivery time offered was Tuesday between 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. I have already received an update explaining that the delivery will be late, likely by 3:00 p.m. It’s fine.
It is good that the president specifically asked people to try to remain calm and not hoard. With more people staying home and restaurants closing, cooking at home will increase which puts more strain on grocers. We just have to learn to manage the needs of our families with our shopping decisions. And, I’ll take this opportunity to ask that you remember to tip your delivery person a bit extra if you use one of the home delivery services while we are all hunkering down. We are all in this together.


hotair--2020-03-16--Where do you fall on the CDC's virus immunization schedule?

First the good news .
The first government trial of a vaccine for the coronavirus , funded by the National Institutes of Health ( NHS ) starts today in Seattle .
The not-so-good news is that it ’ s going to take anywhere from a year to 18 months before any vaccine finishes human testing and is approved for general distribution .
Other private testing is also starting at a variety of laboratories around the country and the world .
The first participant in a clinical trial for a vaccine to protect against the new coronavirus will receive an experimental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government official .
The National Institutes of Health is funding the trial , which is taking place at the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute in Seattle .
The official who disclosed plans for the first participant spoke on condition of anonymity because the move has not been publicly announced .
Public health officials say it will take a year to 18 months to fully validate any potential vaccine .
So once we have an approved , safe , functional vaccine , obviously there won ’ t be 340 million doses available on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
It turns out the CDC has a plan in place and it ’ s published on their website .
Just so you know what you have to look forward to , let ’ s check out the categories and find where you land on the waiting list .
The schedule is broken down into four tiers , with those at the top getting the first vaccines when they are ready to go .
Are you in the military , the National Guard or any federal intelligence service or in Homeland Security ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ some great news for you .
You are at the top of the list of people to receive vaccines before anyone else .
Here is tier 1 .
( Click on pictures below for full-size image . )
Up next in line to ( hopefully ) survive with coronavirus immunity are those who work in the healthcare field .
If you ’ re involved in almost any way , including doctors , nurses , clinicians , or even morticians , you ’ ll be getting your vaccination just as soon as the military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that makes sense , because without you we may not have anyone to administer the vaccinations .
Don ’ t see a category for yourself yet ?
Not to worry .
Plenty of people will qualify for the third tier , though some of them seem a little bit out of place .
The people lucky enough to make the cut will come from various sectors including EMS workers , law enforcement and other first responders .
( Makes sense . )
Also included are people involved in manufacturing the vaccines .
( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to “ critical government personnel.
” ( Hmmm . )
And those involved in “ banking and finance ” ( !
?
! )
and a few other industries .
Wait… how did Wall Street make the cut ?
If you didn ’ t qualify for any of those categories I ’ ve got some bad news for you .
You fall into the bottom tier , including “ everyone else.
” It ’ s named the “ General Population ” tier .
And at the very bottom of that tier are healthy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 65 and over .
There you have it .
That ’ s the CDC ’ s priority list of who gets saved first and who has to wait for the final doses to be produced .
Feeling better ?
For what it ’ s worth , all of the categories in each tier , including the “ everyone else ” pool are supposed to be ranked equally .
In other words , pregnant women ( at the top of tier four ) should have the same chance as “ healthy adults 19-64 years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ word as to who makes the call if a pregnant woman and a healthy 30-year-old male show up at the same time and there ’ s only one dose left .

First the good news. The first government trial of a vaccine for the coronavirus, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NHS) starts today in Seattle. The not-so-good news is that it’s going to take anywhere from a year to 18 months before any vaccine finishes human testing and is approved for general distribution. Other private testing is also starting at a variety of laboratories around the country and the world.
The first participant in a clinical trial for a vaccine to protect against the new coronavirus will receive an experimental dose on Monday, according to a government official. The National Institutes of Health is funding the trial, which is taking place at the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute in Seattle. The official who disclosed plans for the first participant spoke on condition of anonymity because the move has not been publicly announced. Public health officials say it will take a year to 18 months to fully validate any potential vaccine.
So once we have an approved, safe, functional vaccine, obviously there won’t be 340 million doses available on day one. Who gets vaccinated first? It turns out the CDC has a plan in place and it’s published on their website. Just so you know what you have to look forward to, let’s check out the categories and find where you land on the waiting list. The schedule is broken down into four tiers, with those at the top getting the first vaccines when they are ready to go.
Are you in the military, the National Guard or any federal intelligence service or in Homeland Security? If so, I’ve got some great news for you. You are at the top of the list of people to receive vaccines before anyone else. Here is tier 1. (Click on pictures below for full-size image.)
Up next in line to (hopefully) survive with coronavirus immunity are those who work in the healthcare field. If you’re involved in almost any way, including doctors, nurses, clinicians, or even morticians, you’ll be getting your vaccination just as soon as the military is taken care of. I suppose that makes sense, because without you we may not have anyone to administer the vaccinations.
Don’t see a category for yourself yet? Not to worry. Plenty of people will qualify for the third tier, though some of them seem a little bit out of place. The people lucky enough to make the cut will come from various sectors including EMS workers, law enforcement and other first responders. (Makes sense.) Also included are people involved in manufacturing the vaccines. (Ditto.) But then we come to “critical government personnel.” (Hmmm.) And those involved in “banking and finance” (!?!) and a few other industries. Wait… how did Wall Street make the cut?
If you didn’t qualify for any of those categories I’ve got some bad news for you. You fall into the bottom tier, including “everyone else.” It’s named the “General Population” tier. And at the very bottom of that tier are healthy adults age 19-65 and all adults age 65 and over.
There you have it. That’s the CDC’s priority list of who gets saved first and who has to wait for the final doses to be produced. Feeling better? For what it’s worth, all of the categories in each tier, including the “everyone else” pool are supposed to be ranked equally. In other words, pregnant women (at the top of tier four) should have the same chance as “healthy adults 19-64 years old.” But there’s no word as to who makes the call if a pregnant woman and a healthy 30-year-old male show up at the same time and there’s only one dose left.
Sleep tight, America.


hotair--2020-03-16--Baltimore's UMMS self-dealing cash went both ways, and not just to Mayor Pugh

Most of the media coverage of the lengthy scandal involving corrupt , self-dealing activities at the University of Maryland Medical System ( UMMS ) focused on former Mayor Catherine Pugh , who is currently packing her things for a three year stretch in the crowbar motel .
But right from the beginning , the Baltimore Sun uncovered more shady activity involving many other members of the UMMS Board of Directors .
Many of the board ’ s 30 members resigned almost immediately after the news broke , so it wasn ’ t hard to imagine that they were feeling the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well .
After one year of investigation , the local media seems to have tracked down the full extent of all of the dubious activity .
Amazingly ( or perhaps not that amazing if you ’ re familiar with Baltimore politics ) , 27 of the UMMS board ’ s 30 members had direct ties to companies with business before the board that received a staggering total of $ 115M dollars , frequently in no-bid contract awards .
And those are just the figures on the books shown to the public .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Office of Legislative Audits , which conducted the probe after a corruption scandal rocked the hospital network in 2019 , sent the findings of the 100-page review Friday to key lawmakers in Annapolis .
The auditors did not identify board members by name ― and said they could not definitively determine any transactions were “ improper ” ― but did include a detailed list of payments made to board members they called “ vendors.
” System officials took issue with some aspects of the review , arguing auditors counted many aboveboard transactions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paid to a statewide healthcare association ; redacted board member and business names unnecessarily ; and falsely accused UMMS of being uncooperative .
They acknowledged the hospital system has worked to reform since last year ’ s scandal and noted it is focused now on fighting the spread of the new coronavirus .
The results of the probe don ’ t exactly offer much in the way of transparency .
For one thing , they aren ’ t releasing to the public the names of the specific board members involved nor even the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with .
Further , the public records published about UMMS finances don ’ t match the actual records the probe uncovered in terms of many details .
The probe cites one example of a board member who claimed to have only been on the board since June of 2016 so he felt he shouldn ’ t have to provide any records from earlier years .
They discovered that he ’ d actually been a board member since 1984 .
In other words , it appears that the UMMS was keeping two sets of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ designed for public consumption and the other held the details of what was really going on .
There ’ s another reason for Baltimore ’ s residents to not get their hopes up for any sort of accountability and justice in this matter .
A number of those big payments made to companies with ties to board members clearly stink to high heaven , but they may turn out to have been completely legal .
Under the old rules , there were very few restrictions in place as to who could qualify for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they were regulated and monitored .
New reforms passed last year in the wake of the Pugh scandal have changed that , but at the time of the deals , there may have been no rules or laws prohibiting the various board members from cashing in .
It ’ s become increasingly obvious that the University of Maryland Medical System was being used as a piggy bank for Charm City ’ s politically powerful and influential figures .
Landing a spot on the UMMS Board of Directors appears to have been a coveted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sorts of financial “ opportunities.
” Small wonder that so many members of the board were career politicians with little to no experience in medicine or the healthcare industry .
The rot in Baltimore was most obvious in City Hall , but it clearly expanded far out from there .
And many of these politicians were cashing in handsomely at the same time that the city was falling further and further into decay and lawlessness .
For those of you who may not have heard me say this before , it probably bears @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enjoyed the classic HBP series The Wire , you should be aware that it was far more of a documentary than a drama .

Most of the media coverage of the lengthy scandal involving corrupt, self-dealing activities at the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) focused on former Mayor Catherine Pugh, who is currently packing her things for a three year stretch in the crowbar motel. But right from the beginning, the Baltimore Sun uncovered more shady activity involving many other members of the UMMS Board of Directors. Many of the board’s 30 members resigned almost immediately after the news broke, so it wasn’t hard to imagine that they were feeling the heat over some of their own activities as well.
After one year of investigation, the local media seems to have tracked down the full extent of all of the dubious activity. Amazingly (or perhaps not that amazing if you’re familiar with Baltimore politics), 27 of the UMMS board’s 30 members had direct ties to companies with business before the board that received a staggering total of $115M dollars, frequently in no-bid contract awards. And those are just the figures on the books shown to the public. (Baltimore Sun)
The state’s Office of Legislative Audits, which conducted the probe after a corruption scandal rocked the hospital network in 2019, sent the findings of the 100-page review Friday to key lawmakers in Annapolis. The auditors did not identify board members by name ― and said they could not definitively determine any transactions were “improper” ― but did include a detailed list of payments made to board members they called “vendors.” System officials took issue with some aspects of the review, arguing auditors counted many aboveboard transactions as conflicts, including dues the network paid to a statewide healthcare association; redacted board member and business names unnecessarily; and falsely accused UMMS of being uncooperative. They acknowledged the hospital system has worked to reform since last year’s scandal and noted it is focused now on fighting the spread of the new coronavirus.
The results of the probe don’t exactly offer much in the way of transparency. For one thing, they aren’t releasing to the public the names of the specific board members involved nor even the names of the companies they were connected with. Further, the public records published about UMMS finances don’t match the actual records the probe uncovered in terms of many details.
The probe cites one example of a board member who claimed to have only been on the board since June of 2016 so he felt he shouldn’t have to provide any records from earlier years. They discovered that he’d actually been a board member since 1984. In other words, it appears that the UMMS was keeping two sets of books. One of them was clearly designed for public consumption and the other held the details of what was really going on.
There’s another reason for Baltimore’s residents to not get their hopes up for any sort of accountability and justice in this matter. A number of those big payments made to companies with ties to board members clearly stink to high heaven, but they may turn out to have been completely legal. Under the old rules, there were very few restrictions in place as to who could qualify for contracts with the system and how closely they were regulated and monitored. New reforms passed last year in the wake of the Pugh scandal have changed that, but at the time of the deals, there may have been no rules or laws prohibiting the various board members from cashing in.
It’s become increasingly obvious that the University of Maryland Medical System was being used as a piggy bank for Charm City’s politically powerful and influential figures. Landing a spot on the UMMS Board of Directors appears to have been a coveted arrangement that opened the door to all sorts of financial “opportunities.” Small wonder that so many members of the board were career politicians with little to no experience in medicine or the healthcare industry.
The rot in Baltimore was most obvious in City Hall, but it clearly expanded far out from there. And many of these politicians were cashing in handsomely at the same time that the city was falling further and further into decay and lawlessness. For those of you who may not have heard me say this before, it probably bears repeating. If you ever watched and enjoyed the classic HBP series The Wire, you should be aware that it was far more of a documentary than a drama.


hotair--2020-03-16--Debate 11 and "N1H1": Biden survives as Bernie swings and misses

Everyone in the DNC likely heaved a sigh of relief after last night ’ s Democratic presidential debate , even if it caused head-scratching everywhere else .
All Joe Biden had to do was to basically stay awake for two hours and not create a horrid stumble that called his faculties into question .
And Biden did that , although not without a couple of near-misses picked up by Donald Trump ’ s rapid-response team ( via Townhall ) : That might have done some real damage … if Bernie Sanders hadn ’ t made the same mistake : Otherwise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ standard Democratic debate , with Biden doing his best to triangulate Sanders on everything — except Medicare for All .
After Sanders attempted to blame the US health system for the coronavirus outbreak ( after calling it Ebola ) , Biden ripped into Sanders by noting that “ it ’ s not working in Italy right now , and they have a single-payer system ” : Sanders had to land a knockout blow last night to have any reason to stay in the race .
He clearly failed to do that , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t seem to try very hard to do so .
Fox News reported last night that it got personal and produced “ fireworks , ” but only of the safe and sane variety .
It did get a little contentious around Social Security , but hardly anywhere near fatal : Throughout , Biden staked out unusually left-wing positions for a front-runner — including by promising that no one would be deported in his first 100 days in office , and by asserting that there would be “ no new fracking ” under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by environmental activists , has revitalized the economies of battleground states and is expected to be a major issue in the general election .
Even with no live audience , the debate had lively moments .
At one point , Sanders urged viewers to “ go to the YouTube ” to review evidence of Biden calling for cuts to Social Security on the Senate floor .
That prompted one of the night ’ s most contentious exchanges , as Sanders pinned down Biden aggressively — with Biden eventually acknowledging under pressure that various @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as part of congressional negotiations , but that he “ never voted ” specifically to slash Social Security .
“ We did not cut it !
” Biden exclaimed during the exchange , hammering his lectern .
“ I know , because people like me helped stop that !
” Sanders retorted .
“ You ’ re an honest guy , why don ’ t you just tell the truth here ?
” Meh .
This was the last chance that Sanders had to argue that Biden couldn ’ t handle the job @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is this lame Social Security attack — a system no Democrat and few Republicans will touch — then it ’ s an argument for Sanders to get out now and save Democrats the trouble of holding more primaries in the coronavirus outbreak .
That ’ s not to say that the debate didn ’ t produce some tasty clips for later use by Team Trump .
As Fox notes , Biden ’ s triangulation pushed him into some curiously extreme positions , such as his no-fracking pledge , and another promise to stop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ finally achieved full energy independence : Biden won this debate by not losing it .
Democrats lost this debate by not having another option on stage .

Everyone in the DNC likely heaved a sigh of relief after last night’s Democratic presidential debate, even if it caused head-scratching everywhere else. All Joe Biden had to do was to basically stay awake for two hours and not create a horrid stumble that called his faculties into question. And Biden did that, although not without a couple of near-misses picked up by Donald Trump’s rapid-response team (via Townhall):
In the span of 10 seconds, Joe Biden: – Mixes up the #coronavirus with the swine flu – Mistakenly calls the H1N1 virus (swine flu) the "N1H1" – Forgets the name of the Ebola virus, calling it "what happened in Africa"#DemDebate pic.twitter.com/O5cKNBPZSH — Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) March 16, 2020
That might have done some real damage … if Bernie Sanders hadn’t made the same mistake:
WATCH: After Joe Biden short circuits, Bernie Sanders confuses the coronavirus with Ebola.#DemDebate pic.twitter.com/4EirS744v5 — Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) March 16, 2020
Otherwise, this appears to have been a standard Democratic debate, with Biden doing his best to triangulate Sanders on everything — except Medicare for All. After Sanders attempted to blame the US health system for the coronavirus outbreak (after calling it Ebola), Biden ripped into Sanders by noting that “it’s not working in Italy right now, and they have a single-payer system”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuNlyGY2rF0
Sanders had to land a knockout blow last night to have any reason to stay in the race. He clearly failed to do that, and one has to wonder why he didn’t seem to try very hard to do so. Fox News reported last night that it got personal and produced “fireworks,” but only of the safe and sane variety. It did get a little contentious around Social Security, but hardly anywhere near fatal:
Throughout, Biden staked out unusually left-wing positions for a front-runner — including by promising that no one would be deported in his first 100 days in office, and by asserting that there would be “no new fracking” under his administration. Fracking, while opposed by environmental activists, has revitalized the economies of battleground states and is expected to be a major issue in the general election. Even with no live audience, the debate had lively moments. At one point, Sanders urged viewers to “go to the YouTube” to review evidence of Biden calling for cuts to Social Security on the Senate floor. That prompted one of the night’s most contentious exchanges, as Sanders pinned down Biden aggressively — with Biden eventually acknowledging under pressure that various cuts were “on the table” as part of congressional negotiations, but that he “never voted” specifically to slash Social Security. “We did not cut it!” Biden exclaimed during the exchange, hammering his lectern. “I know, because people like me helped stop that!” Sanders retorted. “You’re an honest guy, why don’t you just tell the truth here?”
Meh. This was the last chance that Sanders had to argue that Biden couldn’t handle the job. If the best he can do is this lame Social Security attack — a system no Democrat and few Republicans will touch — then it’s an argument for Sanders to get out now and save Democrats the trouble of holding more primaries in the coronavirus outbreak.
That’s not to say that the debate didn’t produce some tasty clips for later use by Team Trump. As Fox notes, Biden’s triangulation pushed him into some curiously extreme positions, such as his no-fracking pledge, and another promise to stop oil drilling just as the US has finally achieved full energy independence:
Biden won this debate by not losing it. Democrats lost this debate by not having another option on stage.