hotair--2020-03-09--Hmmm: Trump's blue-wall lead over Biden holding

Hmmm: Trump's blue-wall lead over Biden holding -- for now

Can Bernie Sanders ’ fade endanger Donald Trump ’ s ride to re-election ?
According to the GOP pollsters that first saw Trump gathering blue-wall strength last December , the incumbent president still has the advantage .
Joe Biden ’ s renaissance in the Democratic primaries has yet to extend to the general electorate where it matters most — but it ’ s still close : This week we continued our quarterly battleground polling series in Michigan , Pennsylvania , and Wisconsin asking likely 2020 general election voters their political opinions on President Trump , the 2020 presidential election , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely 2020 General Election voters through a combination of live landline , live cell , and text message to web survey modes from March 5th to March 7th .
A summary of our results is presented below .
Since our last survey in December , President Trump ’ s lead has dropped considerably against both Vice President Biden and Senator Bernie Sanders .
In each of the three states , Trump polls better in head-to-head matchups against Sanders than against Biden .
Although Trump leads in each match-up , his leads against Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each state , indicating a tight contest .
Those dates followed Biden ’ s surprise domination on Super Tuesday , which means it takes into account whatever consolidation took place just prior to those 15 primaries .
The only major shift in these three states came in Wisconsin , where Trump will presumably do best in the blue-wall states ; Biden bounced back from nine points down to less than two , well within the margin of error .
Otherwise , Michigan and Pennsylvania barely shifted , and Trump still holds nominal leads @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relatively incremental movement for Biden in these polls to the dramatic shifts in Michigan and other states going to the polls tomorrow .
Allahpundit provided a nice rundown on how fast and strong the Biden consolidation has been in this same period of time within the Democratic Party .
It ’ s not translating outside of it at the moment , at least not in the most important states , and bear in mind that Team Trump had been aiming its fire mostly at Sanders and Bloomberg in the previous month .
When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , especially in those states , the bump may remain limited to Democrats in those states .
In fact , the collapse of Bernie Sanders might create problems for Biden on other points .
New York Magazine took aim at Biden yesterday over his record on criminal justice , making an implicit argument that Biden might struggle in comparison to Trump on a key social-justice issue where Sanders might have done better : Trump is going to try dampening black voter enthusiasm for Biden by contrasting the two men ’ s criminal justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Trump signed a bipartisan criminal-legal reform bill , the First Step Act , and has been generous with his pardon powers toward unjustly imprisoned black people , like Alice Marie Johnson .
This was the essence of his Super Bowl reelection ad and much of his State of the Union address .
His son-in-law-turned-adviser Jared Kushner maintains that such appeals will resonate with black voters , especially in upper midwestern swing states where the slightest chip in Democrat armor could cost them the region .
Indeed , conventional wisdom holds that because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are uniquely susceptible to reformist appeals from politicians .
If this is true , it hasn ’ t been determinative in the 2020 primary : Kamala Harris was a punitive prosecutor in California and enjoyed higher rates of black support than nearly all of her former competitors who ’ ve since dropped out .
Michael Bloomberg , the longtime “ stop and frisk ” proponent , briefly polled higher among black voters than Sanders .
And Biden has been the consensus candidate of most black Democrats ever since he entered the race @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a meritless strategy .
It has the benefit of a soft target .
The president ’ s use of pardons on people like Johnson may indeed be an opportunistic means of laundering his own efforts to get his friends out of prison .
The First Step Act may have fallen into his lap because Mitch McConnell thwarted President Obama ’ s chance to sign a similar bill in 2016 ; his rhetoric on criminal justice may waffle between applauding second chances and touting the merits of executing people for selling drugs .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ self-styled reformer is laughable , Biden ’ s record is grotesque .
It won ’ t take much of a draw off of Biden ’ s African-American support to make it impossible for Biden to beat Trump .
If the Left ’ s already talking about this , it might show that any forward momentum outside of primary contests will be limited at best .
Of course , right now we ’ re also dealing with a wildcard in the coronavirus outbreak .
The doom and gloom has markets on the edge of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ traveling , and that economic impact could change the trajectory of the election .
Firehouse/Optimus finds , however , that voters in these three blue-wall states approve of Trump ’ s handling of the crisis — thus far : Coronavirus an emerging issue .
We also asked voters about the coronavirus outbreak .
A majority of likely voters in all three states are very or somewhat concerned about a large coronavirus outbreak ( 56 % in MI ; 56 % in WI ; 62.5 % in PA ) .
However , an overwhelming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changing any plans due to coronavirus just yet ( MI : 79 % are not changing plans ; PA : 72.4 % ; WI:81 % ) .
Trump has net positive approval on his handling of coronavirus so far ( MI : net 15.6 points ; PA : 11.7 points ; WI : 7.5 points ) even despite his relatively low overall approval rating in those same states ( MI : net +2.9 points ; PA -4.5 points ; WI : -4.5 points ) That in itself is impressive , given the hysterical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s own contradictory statements and reckless tweets over it .
If it gets significantly worse , Trump ’ s standing could be threatened .
However , if this levels off and officials get a better handle on treatment and prevention , Trump could emerge unscathed or perhaps even strengthened in the crisis .

Can Bernie Sanders’ fade endanger Donald Trump’s ride to re-election? According to the GOP pollsters that first saw Trump gathering blue-wall strength last December, the incumbent president still has the advantage. Joe Biden’s renaissance in the Democratic primaries has yet to extend to the general electorate where it matters most — but it’s still close:
This week we continued our quarterly battleground polling series in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin asking likely 2020 general election voters their political opinions on President Trump, the 2020 presidential election, and other political topics. We polled likely 2020 General Election voters through a combination of live landline, live cell, and text message to web survey modes from March 5th to March 7th. A summary of our results is presented below. Since our last survey in December, President Trump’s lead has dropped considerably against both Vice President Biden and Senator Bernie Sanders. In each of the three states, Trump polls better in head-to-head matchups against Sanders than against Biden. Although Trump leads in each match-up, his leads against Biden are within the margin of error in each state, indicating a tight contest.
Those dates followed Biden’s surprise domination on Super Tuesday, which means it takes into account whatever consolidation took place just prior to those 15 primaries. The only major shift in these three states came in Wisconsin, where Trump will presumably do best in the blue-wall states; Biden bounced back from nine points down to less than two, well within the margin of error. Otherwise, Michigan and Pennsylvania barely shifted, and Trump still holds nominal leads in all three states:
Compare the relatively incremental movement for Biden in these polls to the dramatic shifts in Michigan and other states going to the polls tomorrow. Allahpundit provided a nice rundown on how fast and strong the Biden consolidation has been in this same period of time within the Democratic Party. It’s not translating outside of it at the moment, at least not in the most important states, and bear in mind that Team Trump had been aiming its fire mostly at Sanders and Bloomberg in the previous month. When Trump has an opportunity to hammer Biden, especially in those states, the bump may remain limited to Democrats in those states.
In fact, the collapse of Bernie Sanders might create problems for Biden on other points. New York Magazine took aim at Biden yesterday over his record on criminal justice, making an implicit argument that Biden might struggle in comparison to Trump on a key social-justice issue where Sanders might have done better:
Trump is going to try dampening black voter enthusiasm for Biden by contrasting the two men’s criminal justice records. The framing will be simple: Trump signed a bipartisan criminal-legal reform bill, the First Step Act, and has been generous with his pardon powers toward unjustly imprisoned black people, like Alice Marie Johnson. This was the essence of his Super Bowl reelection ad and much of his State of the Union address. His son-in-law-turned-adviser Jared Kushner maintains that such appeals will resonate with black voters, especially in upper midwestern swing states where the slightest chip in Democrat armor could cost them the region. Indeed, conventional wisdom holds that because the system harms black Americans disproportionately, they are uniquely susceptible to reformist appeals from politicians. If this is true, it hasn’t been determinative in the 2020 primary: Kamala Harris was a punitive prosecutor in California and enjoyed higher rates of black support than nearly all of her former competitors who’ve since dropped out. Michael Bloomberg, the longtime “stop and frisk” proponent, briefly polled higher among black voters than Sanders. And Biden has been the consensus candidate of most black Democrats ever since he entered the race. But Trump’s is not a meritless strategy. It has the benefit of a soft target. The president’s use of pardons on people like Johnson may indeed be an opportunistic means of laundering his own efforts to get his friends out of prison. The First Step Act may have fallen into his lap because Mitch McConnell thwarted President Obama’s chance to sign a similar bill in 2016; his rhetoric on criminal justice may waffle between applauding second chances and touting the merits of executing people for selling drugs. But while Trump’s status as a self-styled reformer is laughable, Biden’s record is grotesque.
It won’t take much of a draw off of Biden’s African-American support to make it impossible for Biden to beat Trump. If the Left’s already talking about this, it might show that any forward momentum outside of primary contests will be limited at best.
Of course, right now we’re also dealing with a wildcard in the coronavirus outbreak. The doom and gloom has markets on the edge of panic and consumers staying home rather than traveling, and that economic impact could change the trajectory of the election. Firehouse/Optimus finds, however, that voters in these three blue-wall states approve of Trump’s handling of the crisis — thus far:
Coronavirus an emerging issue. We also asked voters about the coronavirus outbreak. A majority of likely voters in all three states are very or somewhat concerned about a large coronavirus outbreak (56% in MI; 56% in WI; 62.5% in PA). However, an overwhelming majority of likely voters aren’t changing any plans due to coronavirus just yet (MI: 79% are not changing plans; PA: 72.4%; WI:81%). Trump has net positive approval on his handling of coronavirus so far (MI: net 15.6 points; PA: 11.7 points; WI: 7.5 points) even despite his relatively low overall approval rating in those same states (MI: net +2.9 points; PA -4.5 points; WI: -4.5 points)
That in itself is impressive, given the hysterical media handling of the crisis — and Trump’s own contradictory statements and reckless tweets over it. If it gets significantly worse, Trump’s standing could be threatened. However, if this levels off and officials get a better handle on treatment and prevention, Trump could emerge unscathed or perhaps even strengthened in the crisis.


hotair--2020-03-09--Trump: We only have 546 confirmed cases of coronavirus, you know

Someday someone will explain to me what he thought he was accomplishing by saying stuff like this .
My fallback explanation is always “ He ’ s trying to talk the market up , ” but he ’ s been trying that for the past two weeks with zero success .
At some point even he has to understand that unrealistic optimism panics investors more than if he didn ’ t say anything at all .
Maybe this is his way of trying to reassure people .
His aides are probably telling him to stay realistically optimistic in his public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ re working on a fiscal stimulus , and so on — but in his mind that translates into a simple reliance on “ the numbers ” which everyone except him understands by now are faulty .
There are 546 confirmed cases here because we ’ ve only tested a few thousand people .
There ’ s every reason to believe that coronavirus is deadlier than the flu is , and much deadlier to older people .
There ’ s no vaccine , and warmer summer weather doesn ’ t guarantee that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off .
The flu numbers in the tweet below are the tally at the end of flu season whereas we ’ re still in the beginning stages of “ corona season.
” Confirmed cases are about to go way , way , way up as mass testing finally comes online .
Almost everyone understands this .
So why can ’ t he resist stuff like this ?
To stay sane , I try to reassure myself that people routinely discount the truth of things he says and thus pronouncements like these don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the country , including his own advisors , is expressing some degree of alarm , especially about the lack of testing .
Mike Pence ’ s public rhetoric communicates the degree of concern .
Surely even Trump fans are shrugging off his tweets as just “ Trump being Trump ” or whatever and have begun staying away from public places , washing their hands more , and so on .
There are two Republican members of Congress in self-quarantine right now because an attendee at the right ’ s biggest political gathering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he showed up last week .
No one is taking Trump ’ s weird compulsion towards happy talk as superior guidance to Tony Fauci ’ s , right ?
But some are , surely .
And so what can one do to convince him to take this seriously apart from shouting “ STOP ” at him ?
The weirdest part is that he ’ s already paying a political price for being so unrealistically optimistic .
Today this tweet , which was posted two weeks ago , is circulating on political social media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of touch he is : Here he was three days later , discussing the likelihood of community spread in the U.S. : Of the 15 people — the “ original 15 , ” as I call them — 8 of them have returned to their homes , to stay in their homes until fully recovered .
One is in the hospital and five have fully recovered .
And one is , we think , in pretty good shape and it ’ s in between hospital and going home .
So we have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ total of 15 people , and they ’ re in a process of recovering , with some already having fully recovered… Now , what we ’ ve done is we ’ ve stopped non-U.S. citizens from coming into America from China .
That was done very early on .
We ’ re screening people , and we have been , at a very high level — screening people coming into the country from infected areas… So we ’ re at the low level .
As they get better , we take them off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re going to be pretty soon at only five people .
And we could be at just one or two people over the next short period of time .
So we ’ ve had very good luck .
What did he think he was achieving by saying this ?
Fauci and Alex Azar and a dozen other experts must have explained to him ad nauseam by that point that the disease was spreading undetected due to the slow rollout in testing .
Any rational politician would have used his public remarks to prepare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re bound to have more cases but I think we can slow the spread down enough that we won ’ t have a crisis.
” Instead he was making predictions about reducing the number of cases .
This isn ’ t rational behavior even from the standpoint of political self-interest .
A week from now , when there are 5,000 confirmed cases or whatever , people will be flogging him for crowing today about how there are “ only ” 546 .
Democrats will spend the rest of the year running ads @ @ @ @ @ @ @ People are willing to tolerate Trump antics when the economy ’ s roaring and things are relatively quiet but the circus isn ’ t fun when he ’ s tweeting stuff like this amid trading being halted on Wall Street due to selloffs and the surgeon general talking about shifting to a “ mitigation ” approach to the virus : One small thing he could do is lead by example in his own activities .
Start canceling rallies until the crisis is over .
Instead he said yesterday that the rallies will go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now .
( Bernie Sanders is also being irresponsible about this , although Bernie ’ s campaign may be over tomorrow night . )
Here he is today shaking hands with a crowd of people in Florida .
Isn ’ t this guy supposed to be a germaphobe ?
Scott Gottlieb was appointed by Trump to be commissioner of the FDA in 2017 before leaving the job in 2019 .
Here ’ s how seriously he ’ s taking this : DR. GOTTLIEB : Well , I think no state and no city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shut down their economy .
But that ’ s what ’ s going to need to happen .
States and cities are going to have to act in the interest of the national interest right now to prevent a broader epidemic .
MARGARET BRENNAN : Shut down their economy ?
You mean– DR. GOTTLIEB : Close businesses , close large gatherings , close theaters , cancel events .
I think we need to think about how do we provide assistance to the people of these cities who are going to be hit by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ themselves to try to give them an incentive to do this .
Right now , if there ’ s no economic support to do this , you don ’ t want to be the first to go .
And I think you ’ re seeing that .
This exposes one of the challenges of our federal system that we leave a lot of authority to state and local officials .
And there ’ s a good- there ’ s good reasons why .
But in a situation like this , we want them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interests , but the national interests , I think we need to think about both trying to coerce them .
We can ’ t force them but also try to provide some incentives in terms of support .
And we ’ re going to end up with a very big federal bailout package here for stricken businesses , individuals , cities and states .
We ’ re better off doing it upfront and giving assistance to get them to do the right things than do it on the back end after we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The White House is already discussing a fiscal stimulus , probably with a focus on temporary paid sick leave for workers in order to incentivize them to stay home if they feel ill. Gottlieb ’ s worried that the disease is spreading so quickly that hospitals will be overwhelmed by a surge in severe cases .
The only way to slow it down is to encourage “ social distancing.
” Like , say , by canceling political rallies .
And not reminding people that we “ only ” have 546 cases lest they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s the big deal ?
” I don ’ t know what Pence or advisors like Fauci can do about solving the mixed-messaging problem .
If Trump was capable of a more sober public stance , he would have shifted to it already .
“ He has expressed an astonishing lack of knowledge while at the same time claiming to be a medical savant , ” said the Times , summarizing his recent statements .
“ He has treated the crisis as a partisan battle , wearing his red Keep America Great campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the governor presiding over the state with the highest death toll a ‘ snake.
’ He even admitted that he wanted to leave passengers stranded on a cruise ship rather than see statistics for the number of cases on American soil go up because it would look bad.
” Trump critics are often criticized for being hung up on “ character issues , ” as if the problem with his behavior is the Stormy Daniels hush money .
It isn ’ t .
Even a president of “ bad character ” would have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approach in what he says about the virus , if only for reasons of self-interest .
Trump ’ s particular problem is above my pay grade to say , but it ’ s real and it ’ s going to prolong the crisis by leading vulnerable people to underestimate their personal risk from the disease .
They ’ re going to pay a price , and then he ’ s going to pay a price in November .
He should avoid public messaging about this from now on .

Someday someone will explain to me what he thought he was accomplishing by saying stuff like this. My fallback explanation is always “He’s trying to talk the market up,” but he’s been trying that for the past two weeks with zero success. At some point even he has to understand that unrealistic optimism panics investors more than if he didn’t say anything at all.
Maybe this is his way of trying to reassure people. His aides are probably telling him to stay realistically optimistic in his public remarks — the tests are coming, we’re working on a fiscal stimulus, and so on — but in his mind that translates into a simple reliance on “the numbers” which everyone except him understands by now are faulty. There are 546 confirmed cases here because we’ve only tested a few thousand people. There’s every reason to believe that coronavirus is deadlier than the flu is, and much deadlier to older people. There’s no vaccine, and warmer summer weather doesn’t guarantee that cases of a novel virus will tail off. The flu numbers in the tweet below are the tally at the end of flu season whereas we’re still in the beginning stages of “corona season.” Confirmed cases are about to go way, way, way up as mass testing finally comes online. Almost everyone understands this.
So why can’t he resist stuff like this?
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1237027356314869761
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1237024551294382081
To stay sane, I try to reassure myself that people routinely discount the truth of things he says and thus pronouncements like these don’t actually harm anyone. Every doctor in the country, including his own advisors, is expressing some degree of alarm, especially about the lack of testing. Mike Pence’s public rhetoric communicates the degree of concern. Surely even Trump fans are shrugging off his tweets as just “Trump being Trump” or whatever and have begun staying away from public places, washing their hands more, and so on. There are two Republican members of Congress in self-quarantine right now because an attendee at the right’s biggest political gathering, CPAC, had the virus when he showed up last week. No one is taking Trump’s weird compulsion towards happy talk as superior guidance to Tony Fauci’s, right?
But some are, surely. And so what can one do to convince him to take this seriously apart from shouting “STOP” at him?
The weirdest part is that he’s already paying a political price for being so unrealistically optimistic. Today this tweet, which was posted two weeks ago, is circulating on political social media as evidence of just how far out of touch he is:
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1232058127740174339
Here he was three days later, discussing the likelihood of community spread in the U.S.:
Of the 15 people — the “original 15,” as I call them — 8 of them have returned to their homes, to stay in their homes until fully recovered. One is in the hospital and five have fully recovered. And one is, we think, in pretty good shape and it’s in between hospital and going home. So we have a total of — but we have a total of 15 people, and they’re in a process of recovering, with some already having fully recovered… Now, what we’ve done is we’ve stopped non-U.S. citizens from coming into America from China. That was done very early on. We’re screening people, and we have been, at a very high level — screening people coming into the country from infected areas… So we’re at the low level. As they get better, we take them off the list, so that we’re going to be pretty soon at only five people. And we could be at just one or two people over the next short period of time. So we’ve had very good luck.
What did he think he was achieving by saying this? Fauci and Alex Azar and a dozen other experts must have explained to him ad nauseam by that point that the disease was spreading undetected due to the slow rollout in testing. Any rational politician would have used his public remarks to prepare the public for that: “We’re bound to have more cases but I think we can slow the spread down enough that we won’t have a crisis.” Instead he was making predictions about reducing the number of cases.
This isn’t rational behavior even from the standpoint of political self-interest. A week from now, when there are 5,000 confirmed cases or whatever, people will be flogging him for crowing today about how there are “only” 546. Democrats will spend the rest of the year running ads about it, to great effect.
In an exclusive interview with @Lawrence, former Vice President @JoeBiden reacts to Donald Trump’s handling of the coronavirus and the market turmoil. Watch the full interview Monday at 10pm ET on @MSNBC. pic.twitter.com/IUOiUWPDKW — The Last Word (@TheLastWord) March 9, 2020
People are willing to tolerate Trump antics when the economy’s roaring and things are relatively quiet but the circus isn’t fun when he’s tweeting stuff like this amid trading being halted on Wall Street due to selloffs and the surgeon general talking about shifting to a “mitigation” approach to the virus:
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1236979946175725568
One small thing he could do is lead by example in his own activities. Start canceling rallies until the crisis is over. Instead he said yesterday that the rallies will go on, although none are scheduled right now. (Bernie Sanders is also being irresponsible about this, although Bernie’s campaign may be over tomorrow night.) Here he is today shaking hands with a crowd of people in Florida. Isn’t this guy supposed to be a germaphobe?
President Trump shakes hands with people after arriving in Orlando, Florida. pic.twitter.com/rGVDaa9JsA — NBC News (@NBCNews) March 9, 2020
Scott Gottlieb was appointed by Trump to be commissioner of the FDA in 2017 before leaving the job in 2019. Here’s how seriously he’s taking this:
DR. GOTTLIEB: Well, I think no state and no city wants to be the first to basically shut down their economy. But that’s what’s going to need to happen. States and cities are going to have to act in the interest of the national interest right now to prevent a broader epidemic. MARGARET BRENNAN: Shut down their economy? You mean– DR. GOTTLIEB: Close businesses, close large gatherings, close theaters, cancel events. I think we need to think about how do we provide assistance to the people of these cities who are going to be hit by hardship, as well as the localities themselves to try to give them an incentive to do this. Right now, if there’s no economic support to do this, you don’t want to be the first to go. And I think you’re seeing that. This exposes one of the challenges of our federal system that we leave a lot of authority to state and local officials. And there’s a good- there’s good reasons why. But in a situation like this, we want them to act not just in their local interests, but the national interests, I think we need to think about both trying to coerce them. We can’t force them but also try to provide some incentives in terms of support. And we’re going to end up with a very big federal bailout package here for stricken businesses, individuals, cities and states. We’re better off doing it upfront and giving assistance to get them to do the right things than do it on the back end after we’ve had a very big epidemic.
The White House is already discussing a fiscal stimulus, probably with a focus on temporary paid sick leave for workers in order to incentivize them to stay home if they feel ill. Gottlieb’s worried that the disease is spreading so quickly that hospitals will be overwhelmed by a surge in severe cases. The only way to slow it down is to encourage “social distancing.” Like, say, by canceling political rallies. And not reminding people that we “only” have 546 cases lest they think, “Hey, what’s the big deal?”
I don’t know what Pence or advisors like Fauci can do about solving the mixed-messaging problem. If Trump was capable of a more sober public stance, he would have shifted to it already. “He has expressed an astonishing lack of knowledge while at the same time claiming to be a medical savant,” said the Times, summarizing his recent statements. “He has treated the crisis as a partisan battle, wearing his red Keep America Great campaign cap to the C.D.C. and calling the governor presiding over the state with the highest death toll a ‘snake.’ He even admitted that he wanted to leave passengers stranded on a cruise ship rather than see statistics for the number of cases on American soil go up because it would look bad.” Trump critics are often criticized for being hung up on “character issues,” as if the problem with his behavior is the Stormy Daniels hush money. It isn’t. Even a president of “bad character” would have long ago moved towards a more responsible approach in what he says about the virus, if only for reasons of self-interest. Trump’s particular problem is above my pay grade to say, but it’s real and it’s going to prolong the crisis by leading vulnerable people to underestimate their personal risk from the disease. They’re going to pay a price, and then he’s going to pay a price in November. He should avoid public messaging about this from now on.


hotair--2020-03-09--Harvey Weinstein 'miserable' at Rikers, feeling 'humbled'

If you paid any attention to the trial last month , you probably saw that Harvey Weinstein came to court each day using a walker .
There was some speculation that his was a play for sympathy and not a legitimate necessity .
In any case , Weinstein was convicted on two counts nearly two weeks ago .
The NY Times reports this detail about his first moments as a convict : After leaving the courthouse , Weinstein ’ s ambulance was diverted from Rikers Island to Bellevue hospital : The ambulance carrying Weinstein to Rikers on Monday was diverted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and high blood pressure , his attorney Donna Rotunno said .
There is no update on when Weinstein will go to Rikers .
He is very secure but is not handcuffed to the bed , according to Aidala .
Weinstein has family with him , Aidala said .
This again was seen by some as an attempt to stay out of Rikers .
A photo of him watching television at Bellevue made news last week : But it appears that Weinstein ’ s condition was serious enough that doctors at Bellevue placed a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ finally transferred to Rikers one day after the heart procedure .
He is now in a special wing of the infirmary for inmates who would be in danger if placed among the general population .
According to Weinstein ’ s spokesman , he is “ miserable ” at Rikers after a fall that left him complaining he had a concussion .
He is also expressing something like regret : “ He ’ s miserable but trying to be optimistic as best he can , ” Engelmayer said .
“ He has had a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life and be humbled , but he thinks it ’ s going to be a long , uphill battle from here.
” … On Saturday night , Weinstein took a tumble after trying to walk on his own .
“ He fell on his head and thinks he has a concussion , ” Engelmayer said .
“ His head has been pounding since yesterday.
” I say regret rather than remorse because it sounds like he ’ s mostly feeling sorry for himself rather than for the women he harmed .
Still , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ celebrity convict , his life is going to be very , very different from now on .
Weinstein ’ s sentencing is scheduled for this Wednesday .
He is facing up to two decades in prison but at a minimum he ’ ll have several more years to think about his life .
He is also still facing a separate trial on rape charges in Los Angeles .

If you paid any attention to the trial last month, you probably saw that Harvey Weinstein came to court each day using a walker. There was some speculation that his was a play for sympathy and not a legitimate necessity. In any case, Weinstein was convicted on two counts nearly two weeks ago. The NY Times reports this detail about his first moments as a convict:
As the jury read the verdict, Mr. Weinstein said several times to his lawyers, “But I’m innocent.” A few hours later, he was hospitalized with chest pains.
After leaving the courthouse, Weinstein’s ambulance was diverted from Rikers Island to Bellevue hospital:
The ambulance carrying Weinstein to Rikers on Monday was diverted to Bellevue Hospital due to heart palpitations and high blood pressure, his attorney Donna Rotunno said. Weinstein remained in Bellevue’s prison ward Tuesday morning, the hospital said… There is no update on when Weinstein will go to Rikers. He is very secure but is not handcuffed to the bed, according to Aidala. Weinstein has family with him, Aidala said.
This again was seen by some as an attempt to stay out of Rikers. A photo of him watching television at Bellevue made news last week:
#HarveyWeinstein watching #supertuesday2020 results chilling in Bellevue Hospital instead of serving time behind bars on Riker’s Island. Let’s see, can he milk it till March 11 when he is sentenced for being a rapist? pic.twitter.com/weunExnyfU — Barbara Malmet (@B52Malmet) March 4, 2020
But it appears that Weinstein’s condition was serious enough that doctors at Bellevue placed a stent in his heart. He was finally transferred to Rikers one day after the heart procedure. He is now in a special wing of the infirmary for inmates who would be in danger if placed among the general population. According to Weinstein’s spokesman, he is “miserable” at Rikers after a fall that left him complaining he had a concussion. He is also expressing something like regret:
“He’s miserable but trying to be optimistic as best he can,” Engelmayer said. “He has had a lot of time to think about his life and be humbled, but he thinks it’s going to be a long, uphill battle from here.”… On Saturday night, Weinstein took a tumble after trying to walk on his own. “He fell on his head and thinks he has a concussion,” Engelmayer said. “His head has been pounding since yesterday.”
I say regret rather than remorse because it sounds like he’s mostly feeling sorry for himself rather than for the women he harmed. Still, even with the perks of being a celebrity convict, his life is going to be very, very different from now on.
Weinstein’s sentencing is scheduled for this Wednesday. He is facing up to two decades in prison but at a minimum he’ll have several more years to think about his life. He is also still facing a separate trial on rape charges in Los Angeles.


hotair--2020-03-09--Today's pressing Beltway question: Should Congress recess for COVID-19 safety?

Sen. Ted Cruz became the first member of Congress to “ self-quarantine ” after exposure to the novel coronavirus .
Rep. Paul Gosar soon followed suit , both after having come into direct contact with a confirmed carrier at CPAC .
Now rumblings from Capitol Hill suggest that the legislative branch might go into a full recess while the virus plays itself out over the next few weeks : Members of Congress are becoming increasingly anxious about coronavirus , and there is growing pressure on leadership to take steps to protect lawmakers — even potentially recessing for a period of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday .
Multiple sources said anxiety was on the rise among lawmakers as more cases are reported and the virus spreads .
… “ Members are very nervous , ” a senior Democratic leadership aide said .
“ There ’ s a lot of concern that members could bring it home.
” Another source said members from districts and states where the virus is spreading are also concerned about being able to remain at home to help handle the crisis .
Members plan to raise concerns with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ afternoon , two sources said .
It ’ s Pelosi ’ s decision whether to keep the House in session or make changes in the schedule .
It ’ s not just CPAC , either .
A Georgetown church canceled services yesterday after its rector got a positive test for COVID-19 , and the mayor of DC has requested that all parishioners self-quarantine for the next two weeks .
That congregation includes a number of “ government officials and prominent Washingtonians , ” CBS News reporter Nancy Chen explained : Mayor Bowser held @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response : Small wonder , then , that constituents are starting to get concerned that their elected officials might bring home something other than pork on their next visit .
Congress faces two problems in defense against the coronavirus .
First , the grounds are still open for public tours , which might seem a bit strange under the circumstances but isn ’ t really all that remarkable .
Nancy Pelosi has been loathe to close the doors , NBC ’ s Kasie Hunt reports , and has relied on the Capitol ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ access .
That ’ s a manageable risk , as long as grounds personnel clean thoroughly in the wake of these tours , and the contact with members is marginal at best from tours of the Capitol anyway .
The other problem that Hunt notes comes from inside the House , so to speak , as well as the Senate .
The age demographic of each chamber is older than the US as a whole , much older , with a median age in the House of 57.6 years and almost certainly quite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Not only are older Americans more susceptible to the virus , they are less likely to shake off its effects , and any member with an infection could spread it quickly in the close quarters of the Capitol .
The best process would likely be that initiated by Cruz and Gosar , which would be for individual members to remove themselves from the capitol after possible exposure .
If enough members feel the need to do so , though , the normal give-and-take of Congress will become difficult to maintain .
What happens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Senate , and the reverse in the House ?
It opens up the possibility for partisan mischief , although any such stunts would almost certainly backfire immensely with voters under the circumstances .
It might not be a bad idea for a short break to take place to allow for everyone ’ s health , especially with little on the agenda pressing after the passage of the bill funding the fight against the coronavirus .
As the old saying goes , no one ’ s life , liberty , or property has @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Sen. Ted Cruz became the first member of Congress to “self-quarantine” after exposure to the novel coronavirus. Rep. Paul Gosar soon followed suit, both after having come into direct contact with a confirmed carrier at CPAC. Now rumblings from Capitol Hill suggest that the legislative branch might go into a full recess while the virus plays itself out over the next few weeks:
Members of Congress are becoming increasingly anxious about coronavirus, and there is growing pressure on leadership to take steps to protect lawmakers — even potentially recessing for a period of weeks — two Democratic congressional sources said Sunday. Multiple sources said anxiety was on the rise among lawmakers as more cases are reported and the virus spreads. … “Members are very nervous,” a senior Democratic leadership aide said. “There’s a lot of concern that members could bring it home.” Another source said members from districts and states where the virus is spreading are also concerned about being able to remain at home to help handle the crisis. Members plan to raise concerns with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., at their weekly leadership meeting Monday afternoon, two sources said. It’s Pelosi’s decision whether to keep the House in session or make changes in the schedule.
It’s not just CPAC, either. A Georgetown church canceled services yesterday after its rector got a positive test for COVID-19, and the mayor of DC has requested that all parishioners self-quarantine for the next two weeks. That congregation includes a number of “government officials and prominent Washingtonians,” CBS News reporter Nancy Chen explained:
BREAKING: DC mayor asking everyone who attended Christ Church in Georgetown to self-quarantine for 14 days from the last time they visited. Church rector was the first DC coronavirus patient. Officials say it could be "several hundred people" who potentially interacted with him. — Nancy Chen (@NancyChenNews) March 9, 2020
Mayor re-iterates: Anyone who visited Christ Church in Georgetown on February 24 or between February 28-March 3 self quarantine for 14 days from the last time they visited the church. — Nancy Chen (@NancyChenNews) March 9, 2020
Mayor Bowser held a presser this morning to explain the response:
LATEST: DC Mayor Bowser says services have been paused at Christ Church Georgetown after church's rector tested positive for coronavirus. DC Health recommends those who visited the church during select dates self-quarantine for 14 days since last visit. https://t.co/MBX67sHCVN pic.twitter.com/2x4m6zfb9M — ABC News (@ABC) March 9, 2020
Small wonder, then, that constituents are starting to get concerned that their elected officials might bring home something other than pork on their next visit.
Congress faces two problems in defense against the coronavirus. First, the grounds are still open for public tours, which might seem a bit strange under the circumstances but isn’t really all that remarkable. Nancy Pelosi has been loathe to close the doors, NBC’s Kasie Hunt reports, and has relied on the Capitol’s official physician to make decisions on access. That’s a manageable risk, as long as grounds personnel clean thoroughly in the wake of these tours, and the contact with members is marginal at best from tours of the Capitol anyway.
The other problem that Hunt notes comes from inside the House, so to speak, as well as the Senate. The age demographic of each chamber is older than the US as a whole, much older, with a median age in the House of 57.6 years and almost certainly quite a bit older in the Senate. Not only are older Americans more susceptible to the virus, they are less likely to shake off its effects, and any member with an infection could spread it quickly in the close quarters of the Capitol.
The best process would likely be that initiated by Cruz and Gosar, which would be for individual members to remove themselves from the capitol after possible exposure. If enough members feel the need to do so, though, the normal give-and-take of Congress will become difficult to maintain. What happens if more Republicans than Democrats self-quarantine in the Senate, and the reverse in the House? It opens up the possibility for partisan mischief, although any such stunts would almost certainly backfire immensely with voters under the circumstances.
It might not be a bad idea for a short break to take place to allow for everyone’s health, especially with little on the agenda pressing after the passage of the bill funding the fight against the coronavirus. As the old saying goes, no one’s life, liberty, or property has been endangered by a congressional recess.


hotair--2020-03-09--Landslide: New polls of Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri show Biden running away with the primary tom

Landslide: New polls of Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri show Biden running away with the primary tomorrow

The data sites can give you electoral odds on just about anything but I haven ’ t seen them gauge the probability yet that Bernie will be out of this race 48 hours from now .
It can ’ t be much worse than 50/50 .
‘ Nuff said .
Ed already wrote about how Washington state looks surprisingly close , which should ’ t be the case if a national Bernie revival is in the works .
The big prize is Michigan , though , since it ’ s the first contest in a Rust Belt state which Dems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s also a state that Sanders won in 2016 despite poll after poll predicting an easy Clinton victory in the primary there .
In hindsight that was a hint that Hillary would underperform in the states that formed the Democrats ’ “ blue wall.
” If Biden routs Bernie there tomorrow night , the party will be ecstatic at the evidence that their new nominee will fare much better in November than Clinton did .
New Michigan numbers from the Detroit Free Press : Sanders beat Clinton by a point and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Could it be that the DFP poll is fluky , an outlier ?
Sure !
But the other poll out of Michigan today looks a lot like it : But wait .
Didn ’ t I just say that the polls in 2016 predicted an easy Clinton win in Michigan ?
Why should we trust them to accurately gauge Bernie ’ s strength there now if they couldn ’ t do it before ?
The answer is demographics .
The key bloc that the polls seem to have missed four years ago was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hillary struggled in MI in the primary and then , fatefully , again in the general election .
Biden isn ’ t struggling with them .
What ’ s more , suburban voters may be more of a force in Michigan now .
And suburbanites strongly prefer Joe to Bernie : Want more numbers ?
Okay .
CNN has a national poll out today showing Biden up 52/36 .
He leads by 20 among whites and by 10 among nonwhites , thanks to Bernie ’ s relative strength with Latino voters .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Here ’ s the latest poll out of Arizona , a state with a large Latino minority that ’ s set to vote on March 17 .
This would be rough but survivable for Sanders if the map were suddenly about to shift to a series of states that look favorable to him , giving him a chance to chip away at Biden ’ s delegate lead .
But the truth is the opposite .
You can scroll through FiveThirtyEight ’ s chart on the relative likelihood of Biden/Sanders victories on the rest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that a series of big wins for Joe tomorrow and next week will only tilt the odds further in his favor in later states as momentum there builds .
And even if Sanders does pull the upset in Michigan tomorrow… Under normal circumstances I think Bernie might put Biden through his paces and force him to keep winning primaries to clinch the nomination .
He won ’ t want to quit on his “ revolution ” even after Biden ’ s delegate lead becomes prohibitive .
But these aren ’ t normal circumstances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The party badly wants to defeat Trump and that means ending a pointless and divisive primary as soon as possible in order to let the internecine wounds heal before November .
Two : Continuing to hold rallies and elections when the outcome of the race is no longer in doubt would be irresponsible given the risk that doing so will accelerate the spread of coronavirus .
Last night I wrote that Washington state might be Bernie ’ s best chance to win tomorrow given how tight the polls are and the likelihood that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But as I think more about it , that seems wrong .
With Democrats now presented with a golden opportunity to end the national primary and unite as the economy slides and the disease spreads , fencesitters might decide to tilt towards Joe for that reason alone .
And so , if Biden sweeps , Bernie might call it a day on Wednesday .
Which , possibly , will embolden the DNC and state parties to cancel the upcoming primaries and let Biden scale his schedule of campaign events way back to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 50/50 , as I say .

The data sites can give you electoral odds on just about anything but I haven’t seen them gauge the probability yet that Bernie will be out of this race 48 hours from now. It can’t be much worse than 50/50.
Let’s start with Mississippi and Missouri:
Missouri Results: Biden – 62
Sanders – 32
Warren – 4
Gabbard – 2 Mississippi Results: Biden – 77
Sanders – 22
Gabbard – 1
N: 348 MO, 340 MS, fielded 3/4 to 3/7 text to web https://t.co/xRhHbK9P98 — Data for Progress (@DataProgress) March 9, 2020
‘Nuff said. Ed already wrote about how Washington state looks surprisingly close, which should’t be the case if a national Bernie revival is in the works. The big prize is Michigan, though, since it’s the first contest in a Rust Belt state which Dems need to flip to beat Trump. It’s also a state that Sanders won in 2016 despite poll after poll predicting an easy Clinton victory in the primary there. In hindsight that was a hint that Hillary would underperform in the states that formed the Democrats’ “blue wall.” If Biden routs Bernie there tomorrow night, the party will be ecstatic at the evidence that their new nominee will fare much better in November than Clinton did.
New Michigan numbers from the Detroit Free Press:
Sanders beat Clinton by a point and a half there four years ago. Could it be that the DFP poll is fluky, an outlier? Sure! But the other poll out of Michigan today looks a lot like it:
Mitchell Research – Michigan Democratic Primary Poll: Biden 54
Sanders 33 Poll conducted March 8th. If Biden wins in Michigan, it's probably over. If he wins by double digits, there's no coming back for Sanders barring something insane by 2020 standards. — Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) March 9, 2020
But wait. Didn’t I just say that the polls in 2016 predicted an easy Clinton win in Michigan? Why should we trust them to accurately gauge Bernie’s strength there now if they couldn’t do it before? The answer is demographics. The key bloc that the polls seem to have missed four years ago was working-class whites, a group with which Hillary struggled in MI in the primary and then, fatefully, again in the general election. Biden isn’t struggling with them.
Is it possible there's a polling miss in Michigan? Of course. Of course. But Biden just won white non-college voters by 8 in non-Vermont northern states on Super Tuesday. Sanders won em by 15 in 2016. The dynamic is very different. — (((Harry Enten))) (@ForecasterEnten) March 9, 2020
What’s more, suburban voters may be more of a force in Michigan now. And suburbanites strongly prefer Joe to Bernie:
Angela Vasquez-Giroux, a Democratic operative who worked on Attorney General Dana Nessel’s winning 2018 campaign, said the constituency that could suffocate Sanders—potentially turning a defeat into a blowout—is suburban women. They were critical to the victories of two freshman Democratic congresswoman, Elissa Slotkin and Haley Stevens, who flipped red districts in 2018. They also powered the campaign of Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who, it happens, defeated a high-profile Sanders supporter, Abdul El-Sayed, by 22 points in the 2018 primary. (Whitmer, Slotkin and Stevens all endorsed Biden last week.)
Want more numbers? Okay. CNN has a national poll out today showing Biden up 52/36. He leads by 20 among whites and by 10 among nonwhites, thanks to Bernie’s relative strength with Latino voters. But even that strength might be overstated: Here’s the latest poll out of Arizona, a state with a large Latino minority that’s set to vote on March 17.
Joe Biden holds a large lead over Bernie Sanders in the state as Democratic voters consolidate around the former vice president, crushing the Vermont senator by nearly 30 percentage points… Nearly one-half of likely voters (45 percent) prefer Biden with just 17 percent supporting Sanders.
This would be rough but survivable for Sanders if the map were suddenly about to shift to a series of states that look favorable to him, giving him a chance to chip away at Biden’s delegate lead. But the truth is the opposite. You can scroll through FiveThirtyEight’s chart on the relative likelihood of Biden/Sanders victories on the rest of the calendar, bearing in mind that a series of big wins for Joe tomorrow and next week will only tilt the odds further in his favor in later states as momentum there builds.
And even if Sanders does pull the upset in Michigan tomorrow…
You're gonna hear a lot over the next 24 hours that a win in Michigan can reboot Sanders's campaign and put him at even odds to win the nomination. I don't think that's remotely true. Even if you swing the post-MI states to Sanders by 10pts, Biden is still favored to win the nom. — G. Elliott Morris (@gelliottmorris) March 9, 2020
Under normal circumstances I think Bernie might put Biden through his paces and force him to keep winning primaries to clinch the nomination. He won’t want to quit on his “revolution” even after Biden’s delegate lead becomes prohibitive. But these aren’t normal circumstances, for two reasons. One: The party badly wants to defeat Trump and that means ending a pointless and divisive primary as soon as possible in order to let the internecine wounds heal before November. Two: Continuing to hold rallies and elections when the outcome of the race is no longer in doubt would be irresponsible given the risk that doing so will accelerate the spread of coronavirus. Last night I wrote that Washington state might be Bernie’s best chance to win tomorrow given how tight the polls are and the likelihood that turnout will be down due to COVID-19. But as I think more about it, that seems wrong. With Democrats now presented with a golden opportunity to end the national primary and unite as the economy slides and the disease spreads, fencesitters might decide to tilt towards Joe for that reason alone.
And so, if Biden sweeps, Bernie might call it a day on Wednesday. Which, possibly, will embolden the DNC and state parties to cancel the upcoming primaries and let Biden scale his schedule of campaign events way back to keep people from congregating. No worse than 50/50, as I say.


hotair--2020-03-09--Universities respond to COVID-19 fears, foreign exchange programs

Colleges and universities across the country are scrambling to address the public health concerns associated with the coronavirus epidemic .
Some campuses are shutting down temporarily and some are making available online classes .
The CDC has even sent out guidance on student foreign travel and student exchange programs .
We are fast approaching Spring Break time .
Lots of discussions are being held about the safety of students traveling to popular spots and even to places like Mexico .
Should students cancel plans and just stay home ?
That probably depends where the travel destination is and if any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ large crowds is the biggest concern , especially in areas dealing with COVID-19 outbreaks .
In my own city , Rice University announced Sunday evening that classes are canceled for the entire week of March 9 .
The university ’ s Crisis Management Team concluded that “ Out of an abundance of caution and to allow faculty and staff time to prepare for possible remote instruction this semester , in-person classroom instruction and undergrad teaching labs for the week of March 9 are canceled .
During the week of March 9-13 , faculty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remotely and does not require group interaction.
” In other words , students will have to work independently during the week if they can to complete assignments .
While it was a little surprising that the entire campus is shutting down , a larger response was probably expected by the students and staff .
RIce University has managed its own case of an employee ’ s exposure to COVID-19 upon return from traveling overseas .
Like Rice University , other schools are putting together their contingency plans in order to avoid widespread illness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concerned about foreign exchange programs for students .
The CDC is asking schools to “ consider ” postponing or canceling student foreign exchange programs .
Given the global outbreak of novel coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) institutes of higher education ( IHE ) should consider postponing or canceling upcoming student foreign exchange programs .
IHE should consider asking current program participants to return to their home country .
Those overseeing student foreign exchange programs should be aware that students may face unpredictable circumstances , travel restrictions , challenges in returning home or accessing health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asking students participating in study abroad programs to return to the United States .
IHEs should work with state and local public health officials to determine the best approach for when and how ( e.g.
, chartered transportation for countries or areas assessed as high-risk for exposure ) their study abroad students might return .
All plans for returning study abroad students should be designed to protect participants from stigma and discrimination .
Of the almost 19 million college students in the United States , about 1 million students come from overseas .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 370,000 come from China .
Other countries with a large number of students participating in foreign exchange programs are South Korea , Japan , and Iran .
The flip side of this is that about 342,000 students from the U.S. study abroad each year , with Italy being the second most popular destination .
Both abroad and in the United States , schools are making classes available online .
China is making classes online available on mobile phones because some students may be stuck at home without laptop computers .
One NYU history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be difficult in China , she uses the popular Chinese messaging app WeChat to communicate with students during her online lectures .
American universities with campus operations in China and Japan , including Temple University , NYU , Fort Hays State University , and Sam Houston State University , had just a few weeks to respond to cities placed under quarantine .
Colleges and universities in the U.S. are now asking professors to do the same .
Specifically , professors are being asked to familiarize themselves with video conferencing programs like Zoom in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Travel is canceled for many schools now .
Even before the CDC ’ s advisory about study abroad , many colleges and state university systems began canceling both ongoing and upcoming travel programs .
Among them : the University of California system , Arizona State University , University of Pittsburgh , Edinboro University , James Madison University , University of Connecticut , Trinity College and Texas A & M University .
Those cancellations have meant scrambling to find new spots for students on crowded campuses .
Lehman at NYU says that after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with coronavirus looming , hundreds of Shanghai students chose to go study on different campuses : “ The No .
1 destination , ironically , was Florence .
And so actually , a number of those students have had a double bump experience .
But they ’ re troupers.
” Washington State University has been particularly hard hit .
“ As a way to increase precautionary health measures , such as social distancing , and ensure the successful conclusion of the quarter for UW students , as of March 9 , 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campuses ( Bothell , Seattle and Tacoma ) will not be held in person for the remainder of winter quarter , which ends March 20 .
Our campuses will remain open to serve all those who rely on our services , including hospitals and clinics , dining services , residence halls , library services , and recreation and athletics facilities .
Husky athletics events will proceed as scheduled .
We plan to resume normal class operations when spring quarter begins March 30 , pending public health guidance.
” COVID-19 is disrupting all aspects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Universities and colleges are looking to the CDC for guidance on moving forward , trying to complete the semester and keep student life as normal as possible .

Colleges and universities across the country are scrambling to address the public health concerns associated with the coronavirus epidemic. Some campuses are shutting down temporarily and some are making available online classes. The CDC has even sent out guidance on student foreign travel and student exchange programs.
We are fast approaching Spring Break time. Lots of discussions are being held about the safety of students traveling to popular spots and even to places like Mexico. Should students cancel plans and just stay home? That probably depends where the travel destination is and if any large events are scheduled. Caution against large crowds is the biggest concern, especially in areas dealing with COVID-19 outbreaks.
In my own city, Rice University announced Sunday evening that classes are canceled for the entire week of March 9. The university’s Crisis Management Team concluded that “Out of an abundance of caution and to allow faculty and staff time to prepare for possible remote instruction this semester, in-person classroom instruction and undergrad teaching labs for the week of March 9 are canceled. During the week of March 9-13, faculty can provide material that can be completed remotely and does not require group interaction.” In other words, students will have to work independently during the week if they can to complete assignments. While it was a little surprising that the entire campus is shutting down, a larger response was probably expected by the students and staff. RIce University has managed its own case of an employee’s exposure to COVID-19 upon return from traveling overseas.
Like Rice University, other schools are putting together their contingency plans in order to avoid widespread illness on campus. The CDC is particularly concerned about foreign exchange programs for students. The CDC is asking schools to “consider” postponing or canceling student foreign exchange programs.
Given the global outbreak of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) institutes of higher education (IHE) should consider postponing or canceling upcoming student foreign exchange programs. IHE should consider asking current program participants to return to their home country. Those overseeing student foreign exchange programs should be aware that students may face unpredictable circumstances, travel restrictions, challenges in returning home or accessing health care while abroad. IHEs should consider asking students participating in study abroad programs to return to the United States. IHEs should work with state and local public health officials to determine the best approach for when and how (e.g., chartered transportation for countries or areas assessed as high-risk for exposure) their study abroad students might return. All plans for returning study abroad students should be designed to protect participants from stigma and discrimination.
Of the almost 19 million college students in the United States, about 1 million students come from overseas. Of that 1 million students, about 370,000 come from China. Other countries with a large number of students participating in foreign exchange programs are South Korea, Japan, and Iran. The flip side of this is that about 342,000 students from the U.S. study abroad each year, with Italy being the second most popular destination.
Both abroad and in the United States, schools are making classes available online. China is making classes online available on mobile phones because some students may be stuck at home without laptop computers. One NYU history professor said that because firewall issues can be difficult in China, she uses the popular Chinese messaging app WeChat to communicate with students during her online lectures.
American universities with campus operations in China and Japan, including Temple University, NYU, Fort Hays State University, and Sam Houston State University, had just a few weeks to respond to cities placed under quarantine. Colleges and universities in the U.S. are now asking professors to do the same. Specifically, professors are being asked to familiarize themselves with video conferencing programs like Zoom in case their campuses go under quarantine.
Travel is canceled for many schools now.
Even before the CDC’s advisory about study abroad, many colleges and state university systems began canceling both ongoing and upcoming travel programs. Among them: the University of California system, Arizona State University, University of Pittsburgh, Edinboro University, James Madison University, University of Connecticut, Trinity College and Texas A&M University. Those cancellations have meant scrambling to find new spots for students on crowded campuses. Lehman at NYU says that after the school’s Chinese New Year break, with coronavirus looming, hundreds of Shanghai students chose to go study on different campuses: “The No. 1 destination, ironically, was Florence. And so actually, a number of those students have had a double bump experience. But they’re troupers.”
Washington State University has been particularly hard hit.
“As a way to increase precautionary health measures, such as social distancing, and ensure the successful conclusion of the quarter for UW students, as of March 9, 2020, classes and finals on all three campuses (Bothell, Seattle and Tacoma) will not be held in person for the remainder of winter quarter, which ends March 20. Our campuses will remain open to serve all those who rely on our services, including hospitals and clinics, dining services, residence halls, library services, and recreation and athletics facilities. Husky athletics events will proceed as scheduled. We plan to resume normal class operations when spring quarter begins March 30, pending public health guidance.”
COVID-19 is disrupting all aspects of normal life around the world. Universities and colleges are looking to the CDC for guidance on moving forward, trying to complete the semester and keep student life as normal as possible.


hotair--2020-03-09--A "seated debate?" Why?

A "seated debate?" Why?

The format for the next Democratic debate on March 15th in Arizona is reportedly going to be quite different from all the previous ones .
If Politico has the story correct , CNN and the DNC are looking at doing away with the lecterns and most of the questions from a designated moderator and having Biden and Sanders sit in some comfortable chairs and take questions from the audience .
Huh ?
Surely they realize that this is going to raise even more questions about the health of at least one , if not both of the candidates .
Bernie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next debate — and his campaign is accusing Joe Biden of wanting to sit down .
During a private call Friday with CNN , which is moderating the March 15 debate with the Democratic National Committee , Sanders ’ team balked at a new proposed format for debate , saying it gives his opponent Biden too much of a break in their first one-on-one face-off .
Biden ’ s camp denied that it was pressing for a sit-down debate .
The format for the next debate in Arizona — their first since Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would have the candidates seated for the first time this election cycle and take multiple questions from the audience .
Sanders ’ campaign manager was quick to accuse Joe Biden ’ s team of wanting to have them sit .
But Biden ’ s campaign is claiming that the decision was being made by the DNC and CNN .
For their part , CNN is refusing to comment and referring questions back to the DNC .
So this is quickly turning into a he said , he said , they said situation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the one driving the conversation over this .
He knows that he needs to show that he ’ s still physically strong enough to hold up under the wear and tear of the campaign after his heart attack .
But what benefit accrues to Joe Biden if they let him sit in a chair and field ( screened ) audience questions ?
We haven ’ t seen much to indicate that Joe ’ s physical endurance is in question .
They should be more worried about him suddenly losing the thread in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about that time he flew a biplane into a secret underground base in Antarctica or something .
No matter how this winds up being resolved , the fact that a question as simple as whether the candidates sit or stand is generating headlines today speaks volumes .
The Democrats are desperate to beat Donald Trump in November , but they ’ ve managed to narrow their race down to two candidates who both have serious health questions hanging over their heads .
It ’ s already been pointed out that each man is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus .
In fact , their scheduled forum in Orlando was already canceled over concerns regarding the disease .
On top of that , there ’ s the aforementioned “ cardiac event ” that Sanders was taken down by over the winter .
And Biden will continue to face questions as to whether or not he ’ s still in possession of all of his marbles or if his many “ senior moments ” are a sign of something more ominous .
These aren ’ t just questions of whether or not either @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years enduring the rigors of the office .
One of them is going to have to face off against Donald Trump on the debate stage multiple times .
Having the candidate either begin clutching at their chest or start staring blankly into the cameras when they clearly can ’ t remember the question they were just asked is not a good look for the audience watching at home .
The DNC might want to start working on some damage control here .
If putting the two candidates in chairs is going to raise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to answer , perhaps they should just stick with the standard debate format and hope for the best .

The format for the next Democratic debate on March 15th in Arizona is reportedly going to be quite different from all the previous ones. If Politico has the story correct, CNN and the DNC are looking at doing away with the lecterns and most of the questions from a designated moderator and having Biden and Sanders sit in some comfortable chairs and take questions from the audience. Huh? Surely they realize that this is going to raise even more questions about the health of at least one, if not both of the candidates.
Bernie Sanders wants to stand up at the next debate — and his campaign is accusing Joe Biden of wanting to sit down. During a private call Friday with CNN, which is moderating the March 15 debate with the Democratic National Committee, Sanders’ team balked at a new proposed format for debate, saying it gives his opponent Biden too much of a break in their first one-on-one face-off. Biden’s camp denied that it was pressing for a sit-down debate. The format for the next debate in Arizona — their first since Biden’s blowout Super Tuesday victories — would have the candidates seated for the first time this election cycle and take multiple questions from the audience.
Sanders’ campaign manager was quick to accuse Joe Biden’s team of wanting to have them sit. But Biden’s campaign is claiming that the decision was being made by the DNC and CNN. For their part, CNN is refusing to comment and referring questions back to the DNC. So this is quickly turning into a he said, he said, they said situation.
It seems rather obvious why Bernie is the one driving the conversation over this. He knows that he needs to show that he’s still physically strong enough to hold up under the wear and tear of the campaign after his heart attack. But what benefit accrues to Joe Biden if they let him sit in a chair and field (screened) audience questions? We haven’t seen much to indicate that Joe’s physical endurance is in question. They should be more worried about him suddenly losing the thread in the middle of the show and begin talking about that time he flew a biplane into a secret underground base in Antarctica or something.
No matter how this winds up being resolved, the fact that a question as simple as whether the candidates sit or stand is generating headlines today speaks volumes. The Democrats are desperate to beat Donald Trump in November, but they’ve managed to narrow their race down to two candidates who both have serious health questions hanging over their heads. It’s already been pointed out that each man is in the category most susceptible to the coronavirus. In fact, their scheduled forum in Orlando was already canceled over concerns regarding the disease.
On top of that, there’s the aforementioned “cardiac event” that Sanders was taken down by over the winter. And Biden will continue to face questions as to whether or not he’s still in possession of all of his marbles or if his many “senior moments” are a sign of something more ominous. These aren’t just questions of whether or not either of them can last a full four years enduring the rigors of the office. One of them is going to have to face off against Donald Trump on the debate stage multiple times. Having the candidate either begin clutching at their chest or start staring blankly into the cameras when they clearly can’t remember the question they were just asked is not a good look for the audience watching at home.
The DNC might want to start working on some damage control here. If putting the two candidates in chairs is going to raise more questions than they will be expected to answer, perhaps they should just stick with the standard debate format and hope for the best.


hotair--2020-03-09--Bernie Sanders' biggest problem comes down to math

Some of you are probably old enough to remember when Bernie Sanders was the undisputed frontrunner in the Democrats ’ nomination process and was projected to come out of Super Tuesday with an “ insurmountable ” lead in earned delegates .
And then South Carolina happened .
Over at National Review , Rich Lowry asks the question that ’ s no doubt plaguing the minds of Bernie Bros across the nation .
When will Sanders overtake Biden in the delegate race ?
Unfortunately for the socialist faithful , the answer probably isn ’ t going be tomorrow ’ s Mini-Super @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not going to catch up by dragging more delegates out of California when the counting there is finished either .
Unless there ’ s a revolution in the status of the race , it ’ s hard to see Bernie ’ s opening to do it .
Apparently he ’ s been saying that he might catch Biden when all the California delegates are allocated , but that ’ s not plausible .
From NBC ’ s First Read : On Wednesday night , Bernie Sanders told MSNBC ’ s Rachel Maddow that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make him the overall delegate winner from Super Tuesday .
“ At the end of the count in California , where we have won and will win a whole lot of delegates , I think at the end of the day , we may be a little bit ahead of Biden.
” That ’ s optimism on Sanders ’ part as near as anyone can tell .
Yes , there are still plenty of delegates left to be awarded in California when the counting is finally finished ( 151 ) .
But unless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the way the early voting ballots have been breaking , Bernie is only likely to close the gap on Biden by about 25 earned delegates .
And he ’ s ignoring the fact that there are also more delegates left to be awarded in Texas , Massachusetts , North Carolina and Alabama , all of which were won by Biden .
( By a huge margin in Alabama . )
If anything , Sanders could actually wind up further behind than he is currently .
Things aren ’ t looking any better for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prospects , either .
Lowry points to this quick assessment from Steve Kornacki .
Sanders appears to be focusing most of his energy right now on a big comeback in Michigan .
It ’ s the state that The Hill is describing as a “ must-win ” for the socialist candidate .
And while it ’ s possible that he might still pull it off , it ’ s certainly not looking like the blowout people were expecting a couple of weeks ago .
The second to last poll we have shows Bernie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken before South Carolina and Super Tuesday .
The latest one , taken after those states voted , shows Biden up by six .
We could be seeing yet another seismic shift in a short period of time .
Even if we assume that Sanders somehow still wins Michigan , it ’ s probably going to be very tight , netting him only a handful more delegates than Biden .
On the same day , five other states are voting and the breakdown should be worrying for Sanders ’ supporters .
You can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of those states here .
Nobody has even bothered polling Mississippi in the past month , but Biden is expected to win by fifty points or more .
Sanders may have a chance in both Missouri and Washington state , but they ’ re both looking very close .
The only places where Bernie might run up some big wins are Idaho and North Dakota , but they only have 34 delegates between them to offer .
In other words , The bigger pots of delegates are likely to either fall heavily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whereas Sanders ’ strongest pools of support are the places with the fewest delegates .
That ’ s just the math , folks , and it ’ s not looking good for Sanders .
I still don ’ t believe that tomorrow will wind up being a knockout blow , but if Joe Biden has too many more good days like we ’ ve been seeing recently , the door may be closing on the hopes of Bernie ’ s “ revolution .
”

Some of you are probably old enough to remember when Bernie Sanders was the undisputed frontrunner in the Democrats’ nomination process and was projected to come out of Super Tuesday with an “insurmountable” lead in earned delegates. And then South Carolina happened. Over at National Review, Rich Lowry asks the question that’s no doubt plaguing the minds of Bernie Bros across the nation. When will Sanders overtake Biden in the delegate race? Unfortunately for the socialist faithful, the answer probably isn’t going be tomorrow’s Mini-Super Tuesday contests. And he’s not going to catch up by dragging more delegates out of California when the counting there is finished either.
Unless there’s a revolution in the status of the race, it’s hard to see Bernie’s opening to do it. Apparently he’s been saying that he might catch Biden when all the California delegates are allocated, but that’s not plausible. From NBC’s First Read: On Wednesday night, Bernie Sanders told MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow that the outstanding delegates in California could still make him the overall delegate winner from Super Tuesday. “At the end of the count in California, where we have won and will win a whole lot of delegates, I think at the end of the day, we may be a little bit ahead of Biden.”
That’s optimism on Sanders’ part as near as anyone can tell. Yes, there are still plenty of delegates left to be awarded in California when the counting is finally finished (151). But unless there’s a huge shift in the way the early voting ballots have been breaking, Bernie is only likely to close the gap on Biden by about 25 earned delegates. And he’s ignoring the fact that there are also more delegates left to be awarded in Texas, Massachusetts, North Carolina and Alabama, all of which were won by Biden. (By a huge margin in Alabama.) If anything, Sanders could actually wind up further behind than he is currently.
Things aren’t looking any better for tomorrow in terms of Bernie’s prospects, either. Lowry points to this quick assessment from Steve Kornacki.
Very rough math, but just to give an idea, here's how the delegates might look after next Tuesday if:
– Sanders wins MI by 1, WA by 5, ID AND ND by 10
– Biden wins MO by 5 and MS by 56 pic.twitter.com/Oa1HepxOSG — Steve Kornacki (@SteveKornacki) March 5, 2020
Sanders appears to be focusing most of his energy right now on a big comeback in Michigan. It’s the state that The Hill is describing as a “must-win” for the socialist candidate. And while it’s possible that he might still pull it off, it’s certainly not looking like the blowout people were expecting a couple of weeks ago. The second to last poll we have shows Bernie up by nine, but that was taken before South Carolina and Super Tuesday. The latest one, taken after those states voted, shows Biden up by six. We could be seeing yet another seismic shift in a short period of time.
Even if we assume that Sanders somehow still wins Michigan, it’s probably going to be very tight, netting him only a handful more delegates than Biden. On the same day, five other states are voting and the breakdown should be worrying for Sanders’ supporters. You can find a roundup of the latest polls out of those states here.
Nobody has even bothered polling Mississippi in the past month, but Biden is expected to win by fifty points or more. Sanders may have a chance in both Missouri and Washington state, but they’re both looking very close. The only places where Bernie might run up some big wins are Idaho and North Dakota, but they only have 34 delegates between them to offer.
In other words, The bigger pots of delegates are likely to either fall heavily to Biden or be close splits, whereas Sanders’ strongest pools of support are the places with the fewest delegates. That’s just the math, folks, and it’s not looking good for Sanders. I still don’t believe that tomorrow will wind up being a knockout blow, but if Joe Biden has too many more good days like we’ve been seeing recently, the door may be closing on the hopes of Bernie’s “revolution.”


hotair--2020-03-09--Politico: FBI raid, Middle East mystery money, and Biden's brother all raise questions

Joe Biden might enjoy improved electoral math these days , but the math around his family ’ s fortunes doesn ’ t add up at all — and it ’ s not just Hunter , either .
Politico ’ s Ben Schreckinger has spent months tracking how Biden ’ s relatives got wealthy on their connections to the new Democratic frontrunner , including Joe ’ s younger brother James , who finds himself in the middle of a meltdown at a hospital firm .
James Biden has been accused of running out on a personal loan of $ 650,000 after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a big influx of “ Middle East money ” that never materialized .
An FBI raid in January uncovered a strange tale of corporate favor-seeking that left Americore executives burnt : The raid of an Americore Health hospital represented a deepening of the legal morass surrounding James Biden ’ s recent venture into healthcare investing at a time when questions about the business dealings of Joe Biden ’ s relatives , and their alleged connection to the former vice president ’ s public service , continue to dog his presidential campaign .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ small medical firms that did business with James Biden have claimed in civil court proceedings to have obtained evidence that he may have fraudulently transferred funds from Americore “ outside of the ordinary course of business , ” and a former Americore executive has told POLITICO that James Biden had over half a million dollars transferred to him from the firm as a personal loan that has not yet been repaid .
The purpose of the Jan. 30 raid of an Ellwood City , Pa. , hospital remains unclear , and there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actions of Biden ’ s younger brother , who has not been accused of criminal wrongdoing .
Its owner , Americore , has faced legal problems and allegations of mismanagement that are unrelated to James Biden .
But recent filings in ongoing legal proceedings , along with new accounts provided to POLITICO by former Americore executives and others , point to potential pitfalls for the former vice president , painting the fullest picture to date of James Biden ’ s healthcare dealings and the ways in which they allegedly related to his powerful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , James Biden was embarking on a foray into healthcare investing , telling potential partners , including at Americore , that his last name could open doors and that Joe Biden was excited about the public policy implications of their business models , according to court filings and interviews with former business contacts of James ’ s .
The FBI ’ s raid appears aimed more at the company ’ s operations , which became so fraught at one point that it couldn ’ t meet its payroll .
How it got to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lawsuits and through Schreckinger ’ s attempts to determine just what James Biden was promising and what he actually delivered .
Three years ago , James began looking for opportunities in the health-care markets , looking for financial partners who might benefit from his connections to power .
In Schreckinger ’ s telling , which should be read in full , Biden sold himself as a key link to his older brother and his ability to trade power for wealth .
James arranged for Americore ’ s founder to meet Joe and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bridge loan while Joe and Jim got the infusion of cash from Middle Eastern figures purportedly anxious to curry favor with the former VP and presumed presidential candidate .
At the same time , James got a personal loan from Americore , presumably either some sort of advance on the incoming investment or a benefit that Biden would repay when Americore was flush with cash .
Unfortunately for everyone except the mysterious Middle Eastern investors , the influx of cash to Americore never arrived .
Now the firm is in bankruptcy , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is apparently the uncollected loan to James Biden , according to the lawsuits from its creditors .
It ’ s not the first time a company linked to James Biden has found itself in financial distress — Schreckinger mentions two other lawsuits , one of which remains ongoing — but Americore ’ s the first to attract the attention of law enforcement for its collapse .
Assuming that the facts are correct , this reads like a bunco scheme .
A relative of a powerful politician tells a business owner that he can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , gets the owner to sign a loan , and then asks for a large personal loan himself .
When the money doesn ’ t show up , the supposed rainmaker skedaddles with the loot .
If that ’ s in fact what happened , James Biden ’ s biggest mistake might have been pulling this with a publicly-traded company .
Kudos to Schreckinger and Politico for sticking with this story , but it ’ s curious how incurious other media outlets have been about the Bidens .
Donald Trump made Hunter impossible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hunter has been weirdly sympathetic and defensive .
In contrast , they have barely asked any questions at all about James , even after the FBI raid on Americore .
The better Joe ’ s electoral math gets , one presumes the harder the media will attempt to ignore the math around James .

Joe Biden might enjoy improved electoral math these days, but the math around his family’s fortunes doesn’t add up at all — and it’s not just Hunter, either. Politico’s Ben Schreckinger has spent months tracking how Biden’s relatives got wealthy on their connections to the new Democratic frontrunner, including Joe’s younger brother James, who finds himself in the middle of a meltdown at a hospital firm. James Biden has been accused of running out on a personal loan of $650,000 after promising his older brother would arrange for a big influx of “Middle East money” that never materialized.
An FBI raid in January uncovered a strange tale of corporate favor-seeking that left Americore executives burnt:
The raid of an Americore Health hospital represented a deepening of the legal morass surrounding James Biden’s recent venture into healthcare investing at a time when questions about the business dealings of Joe Biden’s relatives, and their alleged connection to the former vice president’s public service, continue to dog his presidential campaign. In the weeks since the raid, two small medical firms that did business with James Biden have claimed in civil court proceedings to have obtained evidence that he may have fraudulently transferred funds from Americore “outside of the ordinary course of business,” and a former Americore executive has told POLITICO that James Biden had over half a million dollars transferred to him from the firm as a personal loan that has not yet been repaid. The purpose of the Jan. 30 raid of an Ellwood City, Pa., hospital remains unclear, and there is no indication it was related to the actions of Biden’s younger brother, who has not been accused of criminal wrongdoing. Its owner, Americore, has faced legal problems and allegations of mismanagement that are unrelated to James Biden. But recent filings in ongoing legal proceedings, along with new accounts provided to POLITICO by former Americore executives and others, point to potential pitfalls for the former vice president, painting the fullest picture to date of James Biden’s healthcare dealings and the ways in which they allegedly related to his powerful older brother. In 2017 and 2018, James Biden was embarking on a foray into healthcare investing, telling potential partners, including at Americore, that his last name could open doors and that Joe Biden was excited about the public policy implications of their business models, according to court filings and interviews with former business contacts of James’s.
The FBI’s raid appears aimed more at the company’s operations, which became so fraught at one point that it couldn’t meet its payroll. How it got to that state is a tale told through the lawsuits and through Schreckinger’s attempts to determine just what James Biden was promising and what he actually delivered.
Three years ago, James began looking for opportunities in the health-care markets, looking for financial partners who might benefit from his connections to power. In Schreckinger’s telling, which should be read in full, Biden sold himself as a key link to his older brother and his ability to trade power for wealth. James arranged for Americore’s founder to meet Joe and then convinced him to seek out a bridge loan while Joe and Jim got the infusion of cash from Middle Eastern figures purportedly anxious to curry favor with the former VP and presumed presidential candidate. At the same time, James got a personal loan from Americore, presumably either some sort of advance on the incoming investment or a benefit that Biden would repay when Americore was flush with cash.
Unfortunately for everyone except the mysterious Middle Eastern investors, the influx of cash to Americore never arrived. Now the firm is in bankruptcy, and one of the assets on the books is apparently the uncollected loan to James Biden, according to the lawsuits from its creditors. It’s not the first time a company linked to James Biden has found itself in financial distress — Schreckinger mentions two other lawsuits, one of which remains ongoing — but Americore’s the first to attract the attention of law enforcement for its collapse.
Assuming that the facts are correct, this reads like a bunco scheme. A relative of a powerful politician tells a business owner that he can find him new money through personal connections, gets the owner to sign a loan, and then asks for a large personal loan himself. When the money doesn’t show up, the supposed rainmaker skedaddles with the loot. If that’s in fact what happened, James Biden’s biggest mistake might have been pulling this with a publicly-traded company.
Kudos to Schreckinger and Politico for sticking with this story, but it’s curious how incurious other media outlets have been about the Bidens. Donald Trump made Hunter impossible to ignore, but the coverage of Hunter has been weirdly sympathetic and defensive. In contrast, they have barely asked any questions at all about James, even after the FBI raid on Americore. The better Joe’s electoral math gets, one presumes the harder the media will attempt to ignore the math around James.


hotair--2020-03-09--Restaurant manager locks out Trump supporters. It doesn't end well

This morning ’ s story comes to us from a parking lot outside of the Bojangles Famous Chicken n ’ Biscuits restaurant in Charlotte , North Carolina .
Last week , President Trump held another one of his rallies in Charlotte with the usual large number of supporters in attendance .
After it ended , a large group of his supporters showed up at Bojangles for a late-night meal .
Upon arriving , however , they found the door locked by the manager , who some of the attendees claimed was refusing service to people wearing Trump paraphernalia and carrying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from there .
( American Mirror ) The manager of a Bojangles ’ restaurant in Charlotte , North Carolina who locked out Trump supporters after leaving a rally for the president has now found himself out of the job .
Donald Trump had given a speech to over 10,000 of his supporters at a venue that is less than a ten-minute walk from the restaurant , according to The Charlotte Observer .
Michael Furick , who attended the rally , took to Facebook afterwards to recount how he and other Trump supporters were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Bojangles locked the doors to the Trump rally last night and denied service , ” Furick wrote .
“ Ironic because the rally was at Bojangles arena .
@ bojangles this is pretty distasteful .
I walk up to the door and people are gathered around and stated they would not serve Trump supporters.
” This brief report from WCNC in Charlotte includes a short interview with the guy who caused the story to go viral .
By all accounts , the encounter never turned violent and no damage was caused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own boss who promptly came down and opened the restaurant back up .
He also fired the shift manager who had locked the place up .
The company quickly took to social media to apologize , saying that the manager “ made a bad decision to close the dining room .
We apologize .
That manager is no longer employed by Bojangles ’ .
” For what it ’ s worth , the company attempted to explain this away by saying that the manager felt “ overwhelmed ” by the large number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lock the doors .
Witnesses on the scene weren ’ t buying that , however , reporting that the manager had made his intentions clear .
Also , photos taken during the dispute appear to show only a couple of customers inside the establishment .
This was just an epic failure on multiple levels .
Even if we were to believe the excuse about the manager being “ overwhelmed , ” he probably still should have lost his job .
The restaurant is in business to sell food .
If dozens ( or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the line stretches out into the parking lot , that ’ s a good thing .
It means that the shift is going to be turning in some killer number and management will be happy .
If you ’ ve risen up through the ranks from the fry machine operator to being a shift manager and you can ’ t handle a surge of customers coming to your eatery , you ’ ve chosen the wrong line of work .
But if , as seems to be the case , the shift @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump supporters , that ’ s not a decision that he or even his boss can make .
This is a franchise .
The owner and the board of directors are the only ones who can set that sort of policy , suicidal though it might be in business terms .
And this manager should have been able to guess that the owners aren ’ t all that woke .
For Pete ’ s sake… the Trump rally was held at Bojangles Stadium and they apparently didn ’ t have any problem with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think the lesson to take away from this cautionary tale is not to let that shift manager title go to your head and set you off on some sort of power trip .
If you want to operate a business that doesn ’ t allow people in MAGA hats to patronize your establishment , earn a couple of billion dollars and go start one of your own .
Of course , after you do you ’ ll probably lose in a discrimination lawsuit brought by Trump ’ s lawyers and be broke again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been a fiasco you were entitled to attempt .

This morning’s story comes to us from a parking lot outside of the Bojangles Famous Chicken n’ Biscuits restaurant in Charlotte, North Carolina. Last week, President Trump held another one of his rallies in Charlotte with the usual large number of supporters in attendance. After it ended, a large group of his supporters showed up at Bojangles for a late-night meal. Upon arriving, however, they found the door locked by the manager, who some of the attendees claimed was refusing service to people wearing Trump paraphernalia and carrying Trump signs. Things quickly went downhill from there. (American Mirror)
The manager of a Bojangles’ restaurant in Charlotte, North Carolina who locked out Trump supporters after leaving a rally for the president has now found himself out of the job. Donald Trump had given a speech to over 10,000 of his supporters at a venue that is less than a ten-minute walk from the restaurant, according to The Charlotte Observer. Michael Furick, who attended the rally, took to Facebook afterwards to recount how he and other Trump supporters were barred from entering the Bojangles’ restaurant. “Bojangles locked the doors to the Trump rally last night and denied service,” Furick wrote. “Ironic because the rally was at Bojangles arena. @bojangles this is pretty distasteful. I walk up to the door and people are gathered around and stated they would not serve Trump supporters.”
This brief report from WCNC in Charlotte includes a short interview with the guy who caused the story to go viral.
By all accounts, the encounter never turned violent and no damage was caused. The shift manager eventually called his own boss who promptly came down and opened the restaurant back up. He also fired the shift manager who had locked the place up. The company quickly took to social media to apologize, saying that the manager “made a bad decision to close the dining room. We apologize. That manager is no longer employed by Bojangles’.”
For what it’s worth, the company attempted to explain this away by saying that the manager felt “overwhelmed” by the large number of customers, leading to the decision to lock the doors. Witnesses on the scene weren’t buying that, however, reporting that the manager had made his intentions clear. Also, photos taken during the dispute appear to show only a couple of customers inside the establishment.
This was just an epic failure on multiple levels. Even if we were to believe the excuse about the manager being “overwhelmed,” he probably still should have lost his job. The restaurant is in business to sell food. If dozens (or even hundreds) of people show up and the line stretches out into the parking lot, that’s a good thing. It means that the shift is going to be turning in some killer number and management will be happy. If you’ve risen up through the ranks from the fry machine operator to being a shift manager and you can’t handle a surge of customers coming to your eatery, you’ve chosen the wrong line of work.
But if, as seems to be the case, the shift manager locked the doors to keep out Trump supporters, that’s not a decision that he or even his boss can make. This is a franchise. The owner and the board of directors are the only ones who can set that sort of policy, suicidal though it might be in business terms. And this manager should have been able to guess that the owners aren’t all that woke. For Pete’s sake… the Trump rally was held at Bojangles Stadium and they apparently didn’t have any problem with the President using their facility.
I think the lesson to take away from this cautionary tale is not to let that shift manager title go to your head and set you off on some sort of power trip. If you want to operate a business that doesn’t allow people in MAGA hats to patronize your establishment, earn a couple of billion dollars and go start one of your own. Of course, after you do you’ll probably lose in a discrimination lawsuit brought by Trump’s lawyers and be broke again, but at least it will have been a fiasco you were entitled to attempt.