hotair--2020-03-12--Of course: Partisanship infects coronavirus relief bill; <span class='red'>Update: No action until a

Of course: Partisanship infects coronavirus relief bill; Update: No action until after recess? YGBKM; Update: Cancel recess, say Tillis and Sasse; Update: No recess, says McConnell

Update , 1:34 pm ET — Mitch McConnell has scotched the idea of a recess next week , at least for the Senate : How hard was that to figure out ?
In the middle of a genuine crisis , having Congress leave for a vacation sends the worst possible signals , especially if it means delaying action on the crisis itself .
Everyone agrees that Congress needs to take action to buffer the public-health and economic shocks that the coronavirus will bring to the US .
So far , that ’ s almost all they do agree on , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrat bill would incorporate enough Republican proposals to win easy approval later today , the bill has instead surprised even some Democrats with its more insular and rushed approach : Democrats unveiled a multi-billion-dollar emergency proposal close to midnight Wednesday , focused on guaranteeing aid programs like food assistance , unemployment insurance and temporary sick leave .
It would also make free coronavirus testing widely available in a bid to address one of the nation ’ s major struggles in containing the outbreak .
Senior Democrats had initially been hopeful — some , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support from Republicans .
By Thursday morning , however , GOP and White House officials suggested they would not support Speaker Nancy Pelosi ’ s plan as drafted .
Several sources said Republicans had concerns with the specifics of the Democrats ’ paid leave plan , as well as some other provisions .
… The sweeping package — crafted in about 72 hours by a handful of Democratic chairmen — took even some Democrats by surprise .
Rep. Ed Perlmutter ( D-Col. ) told Democratic chairmen at a middle-of-the-night meeting of the House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ understand why the vote couldn ’ t be slowed down slightly for all members to digest the package .
“ This is about as far from regular order ” as Congress gets , Perlmutter said early Thursday morning , challenging House Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone .
This morning , House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy announced GOP opposition to the bill , although he remained hopeful that a deal could get worked out .
The main problem with this bill is that it ’ s being used as a vehicle for permanent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been Democratic hobby horses , rather than temporary measures with sunset provisions for dealing with the crisis at hand .
It also ties up the Social Security Administration in managing those changes , McCarthy argues , at a time when their resources are more urgently needed elsewhere : At first , Nancy Pelosi seemed to signal that negotiations were over .
After McCarthy spoke , however , Pelosi sounded more open to changes .
She called Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin ’ s requests for changes “ reasonable , ” and noted that Mitch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mnuchin more .
The House needs to move quickly , Pelosi said , so negotiating time will be short : Pelosi wouldn ’ t commit to whether she would keep the House in session after this week , saying that the Capitol physician would have to weigh in on that decision .
McConnell remarked on the Senate floor that the Senate would continue to operate , even though the physician has recommended that the building be closed to the public : “ Congress will continue to do our work .
Offices will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meetings and official business by appointment , ” McConnell said from the Senate floor .
“ But in deference to the experts , and to protect the health of the many Americans who travel to our nation ’ s capital , tourism and nonofficial access to the Capitol and the complex will be put on pause , ” he added .
McConnell ’ s comments come after new restrictions were issued for visiting the Capitol complex .
In addition to suspending Capitol tours , access to the Capitol and House and Senate Office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , staff , credentialed press and official business visitors.
” “ Their decision was made in close consultation with the Attending Physician of the United States Congress , Dr. Brian Monahan .
I fully support the decision of these nonpartisan officers , ” McConnell added .
Prediction : No one will be going anywhere without an agreement on an emergency-response package .
An attempt to force the Senate to pass the current bill by defaulting on it will backfire on Pelosi and House Democrats , especially given the rush to push the bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can pass a bipartisan bill , the sooner this becomes the White House ’ s problem — and the longer it stalls over partisan food fights , the longer Trump can blame it on Pelosi .
Expect the final version to reduce division by addition , offering spending for both sides ’ priorities rather than trying to narrow down the bill to essentials .
It ’ s not the time to drag out a fight , especially since the crisis has little to do with partisan hobby horses anyway .
Update : This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s a good reason to cancel the recess , not to put off taking action in a crisis .
I ’ d guess this has the same expiration date as Pelosi ’ s take-it-or-leave-it approach .
Update : Regardless of what Alexander ’ s smoking at the moment , other voices in the GOP caucus are calling to cancel recess and stay at work : Nebraska ’ s Ben Sasse issued a statement earlier demanding more work on the crisis , not delays for vacation :

Update: No action until after recess? YGBKM; Update: Cancel recess, say Tillis and Sasse; Update: No recess, says McConnell
Update, 1:34 pm ET — Mitch McConnell has scotched the idea of a recess next week, at least for the Senate:
Notwithstanding the scheduled state work period, the Senate will be in session next week. I am glad talks are ongoing between the Administration and Speaker Pelosi. I hope Congress can pass bipartisan legislation to continue combating the coronavirus and keep our economy strong. — Leader McConnell (@LeaderMcConnell) March 12, 2020
How hard was that to figure out? In the middle of a genuine crisis, having Congress leave for a vacation sends the worst possible signals, especially if it means delaying action on the crisis itself.
Original post follows …
Everyone agrees that Congress needs to take action to buffer the public-health and economic shocks that the coronavirus will bring to the US. So far, that’s almost all they do agree on, however. Despite hopes that a House Democrat bill would incorporate enough Republican proposals to win easy approval later today, the bill has instead surprised even some Democrats with its more insular and rushed approach:
Democrats unveiled a multi-billion-dollar emergency proposal close to midnight Wednesday, focused on guaranteeing aid programs like food assistance, unemployment insurance and temporary sick leave. It would also make free coronavirus testing widely available in a bid to address one of the nation’s major struggles in containing the outbreak. Senior Democrats had initially been hopeful — some, even confident — that it would win support from Republicans. By Thursday morning, however, GOP and White House officials suggested they would not support Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s plan as drafted. Several sources said Republicans had concerns with the specifics of the Democrats’ paid leave plan, as well as some other provisions. … The sweeping package — crafted in about 72 hours by a handful of Democratic chairmen — took even some Democrats by surprise. Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-Col.) told Democratic chairmen at a middle-of-the-night meeting of the House Rules Committee that he didn’t understand why the vote couldn’t be slowed down slightly for all members to digest the package. “This is about as far from regular order” as Congress gets, Perlmutter said early Thursday morning, challenging House Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone.
This morning, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy announced GOP opposition to the bill, although he remained hopeful that a deal could get worked out. The main problem with this bill is that it’s being used as a vehicle for permanent changes to employee-leave policies that have long been Democratic hobby horses, rather than temporary measures with sunset provisions for dealing with the crisis at hand. It also ties up the Social Security Administration in managing those changes, McCarthy argues, at a time when their resources are more urgently needed elsewhere:
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy says the Pelosi bill to battle the coronavirus “comes up short.” “We are committing to get this right … we should not just take a rush just because there’s a bill. We want to make sure it works.” https://t.co/XM2nkvV6gX pic.twitter.com/oEeRpd5olU — ABC News (@ABC) March 12, 2020
At first, Nancy Pelosi seemed to signal that negotiations were over. After McCarthy spoke, however, Pelosi sounded more open to changes. She called Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin’s requests for changes “reasonable,” and noted that Mitch McConnell had pressed her to work with Mnuchin more. The House needs to move quickly, Pelosi said, so negotiating time will be short:
NEW: Speaker Nancy Pelosi tells @ABC News that changes made by Republicans and suggestions made by Treasury Sec. Mnuchin to the coronavirus bill are “all very reasonable and none of them” would “prevent us from moving forward with the bill.” https://t.co/x0KVtNjUo2 pic.twitter.com/FEUKqcXElh — ABC News (@ABC) March 12, 2020
Pelosi wouldn’t commit to whether she would keep the House in session after this week, saying that the Capitol physician would have to weigh in on that decision. McConnell remarked on the Senate floor that the Senate would continue to operate, even though the physician has recommended that the building be closed to the public:
“Congress will continue to do our work. Offices will be able to welcome constituents and visitors for meetings and official business by appointment,” McConnell said from the Senate floor. “But in deference to the experts, and to protect the health of the many Americans who travel to our nation’s capital, tourism and nonofficial access to the Capitol and the complex will be put on pause,” he added. McConnell’s comments come after new restrictions were issued for visiting the Capitol complex. In addition to suspending Capitol tours, access to the Capitol and House and Senate Office buildings “will be limited to members, staff, credentialed press and official business visitors.” “Their decision was made in close consultation with the Attending Physician of the United States Congress, Dr. Brian Monahan. I fully support the decision of these nonpartisan officers,” McConnell added.
Prediction: No one will be going anywhere without an agreement on an emergency-response package. An attempt to force the Senate to pass the current bill by defaulting on it will backfire on Pelosi and House Democrats, especially given the rush to push the bill after its release. The sooner they can pass a bipartisan bill, the sooner this becomes the White House’s problem — and the longer it stalls over partisan food fights, the longer Trump can blame it on Pelosi.
Expect the final version to reduce division by addition, offering spending for both sides’ priorities rather than trying to narrow down the bill to essentials. It’s not the time to drag out a fight, especially since the crisis has little to do with partisan hobby horses anyway.
Update: This seems very, very dumb:
McConnell ally says Senate won't take up House #coronavirus bill until after recess. “The Senate will act when we come back and we have a clearer idea of what extra steps we need to take,” Sen. Lamar Alexander told reporters. — Ana Cabrera (@AnaCabrera) March 12, 2020
That’s a good reason to cancel the recess, not to put off taking action in a crisis. I’d guess this has the same expiration date as Pelosi’s take-it-or-leave-it approach.
Update: Regardless of what Alexander’s smoking at the moment, other voices in the GOP caucus are calling to cancel recess and stay at work:
Our nation’s leaders must cast aside partisan politics and put the health of our country first. Congress needs to cancel its recess and stay in session so we can work together in a bipartisan fashion to address the coronavirus pandemic. — Senator Thom Tillis (@SenThomTillis) March 12, 2020
Nebraska’s Ben Sasse issued a statement earlier demanding more work on the crisis, not delays for vacation:
“Nursing home operators in Nebraska are telling me they’re worried because they have patients who might have coronavirus, but they don’t have enough testing kits to find out. Instead of going into recess next week, the Senate ought to keep working on the people’s business — both addressing the obvious deficiencies in our diagnostic testing pipeline, and debating the President’s call last night for economic legislation. The Senate has work to do, let’s get to it.”
Indeed.


hotair--2020-03-12--Watch infected NBA player Rudy Gobert mock coronavirus precautions by touching a bunch of stuff befo

Watch infected NBA player Rudy Gobert mock coronavirus precautions by touching a bunch of stuff before he realized he was sick

I doubt we ’ ll get a better case study during this nightmare of how a single person ’ s cavalier denialism about the threat from the disease can put entire industries at risk .
This happened two days ago .
Gobert apparently thought it was silly that the NBA had set a new rule requiring reporters to stay six feet away from players at all time .
So , as a goof , he decided to touch all of their microphones after his Q & A ended .
Word leaked last night that he had tested positive for COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Utah Jazz , and the Oklahoma City Thunder was immediately canceled minutes before tip-off .
Five NBA teams are now in self-quarantine .
The season is on hiatus and may not resume in time for the playoffs .
Reporters in the room for Gobert ’ s Q & A are worried that they have the illness too .
Because of one guy .
Who thought it was a big joke .
At least he hasn ’ t infected anyone else yet , right ?
Wrong : The entire reason there ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s spreading undetected thanks to the federal government ’ s criminal failure to facilitate early aggressive testing .
Maybe we ’ re about to find out that 20 players have it .
Or 50 .
I wish I could tell you that non-celebrities are taking the disease more seriously .
Some are .
Look at the decline in air travel .
But others have decided that their plans can ’ t wait , even if those plans involving visiting a giant international petri dish and then bringing the virus back home with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as demand for flights and cruises has fallen , travel agents who plan trips to Disney parks report that business is as high as usual , if not higher .
Visitors to Disney World and Universal Studios in Orlando last week said that they felt safe at the parks and weren ’ t going to allow fear to force them to cancel their vacations… “ I have been in the Orlando parks everyday for the past week and a half and they are as crowded as ever , ” Mr. Antonelle said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve seen is business as usual .
We ’ re not getting cancellations because of coronavirus and from being in the park , you wouldn ’ t know that anything is different.
” … “ Me and my husband have been monitoring things , but didn ’ t feel like we needed to cancel our plans , ” [ one mom ] said .
“ We have wipes , we have hand sanitizer , we aren ’ t elderly and honestly , if you ’ re going to get it , you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m going to get sick and die , I might as well do it at Disney World.
” We have no natural immunity against a novel virus .
A vaccine is at least a year away .
It ’ s uncertain at this point whether any antiviral drugs will work or whether rising temperatures will slow the disease down .
The one and only weapon in our arsenal against an epidemic that will infect millions within a few months if the spread isn ’ t reduced is “ social distancing.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ giant crowds to ride Space Mountain because “ If I ’ m going to get sick and die , I might as well do it at Disney World.
” How about all the 70- and 80-year-olds who are going to die because they end up infected by people like this who couldn ’ t bear to put off their vacations ?
Do they get to ride the teacups at least before having to go to the ER and be told by doctors there that there ’ s no room ?
Disney ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the parks is borderline criminal .
But then , I guess it ’ s not like there ’ s a glut of vulnerable senior citizens at risk of dying in [ checks notes ] Florida .
I saw well-meaning but naive people last night on social media musing that Gobert ’ s and Tom Hanks ’ s infections by COVID-19 are tragic on a micro level but salutary on a macro level .
If you want to convince average people to take this seriously , let them watch some of their favorite celebs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ll prove to them in a stark way that it can reach them too .
Which is fair enough , but young pro athletes like Gobert and Donovan Mitchell are among the least vulnerable people on Earth to coronavirus .
They ’ re in an age group that ’ s unlikely to suffer serious consequences from the disease and they ’ re in much better physical shape than we normies are .
They may recover without a hitch , within days .
What message will that send to people looking to them for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disease ?
Hanks is in much greater peril due to his age , but of course he has unlimited financial resources to get the highest quality care .
He may make it through this relatively unscathed , which will be good news .
But may inadvertently underline the very incorrect belief that this really is nothing more than a flu .
Then again , those perceptions can ’ t last long .
A doctor in northern Italy whose hospital is overwhelmed told the Wall Street Journal that he feels like he ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medicine by having to make split-second decisions on which patients to try to save and which to sacrifice .
An Italian medical college recently published grim ethical guidelines to try to assist them in those decisions : Those who are too old to have a high likelihood of recovery , or who have too low a number of “ life-years ” left even if they should survive , will be left to die .
This sounds cruel , but the alternative , the document argues , is no better .
“ In case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maintaining the criterion of ‘ first come , first served ’ would amount to a decision to exclude late-arriving patients from access to intensive care.
” In addition to age , doctors and nurses are also advised to take a patient ’ s overall state of health into account : “ The presence of comorbidities needs to be carefully evaluated.
” This is in part because early studies of the virus seem to suggest that patients with serious preexisting health conditions are significantly more likely to die .
But it is also because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health could require a greater share of scarce resources to survive : “ What might be a relatively short treatment course in healthier people could be longer and more resource-consuming in the case of older or more fragile patients.
” These guidelines apply even to patients who require intensive care for reasons other than the coronavirus , because they too make demands on the same scarce medical resources .
As the document clarifies , “ These criteria apply to all patients in intensive care , not just those infected with CoVid-19.
” Read @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who needs hospital care for reasons unrelated to COVID-19 , like heart disease or cancer , doesn ’ t get to jump the line just because they ’ re not infected .
Once care is rationed , it ’ s rationed for everyone .
And yes , we ’ re getting closer to that here .
The Times has a story today about a hospital in Kirkland , Washington , the hottest coronavirus hot spot in America , that ’ s already caring for 44 suspected cases of infection .
They ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many from a nursing home , have already died .
“ The past few weeks have seen medical workers operating at the very edges of their capabilities , ” the NYT notes .
Imagine it a month from now .
There are small signs of progress out there but nothing systemic .
This is evidence that many New Yorkers are taking this seriously : Denver rolled out a drive-through spot for coronavirus testing yesterday , free of charge , provided that you have a doctor ’ s order .
The Cleveland Clinic announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing facility that can provide results within eight hours .
Which is great , but none of this addresses the chronic , disgraceful inability of the CDC to ramp up testing nationally during a window when aggressive testing might have changed our trajectory towards an epidemic .
Enjoy Space Mountain while you ’ re able , I guess .

I doubt we’ll get a better case study during this nightmare of how a single person’s cavalier denialism about the threat from the disease can put entire industries at risk. This happened two days ago. Gobert apparently thought it was silly that the NBA had set a new rule requiring reporters to stay six feet away from players at all time. So, as a goof, he decided to touch all of their microphones after his Q&A ended.
Word leaked last night that he had tested positive for COVID-19. The game between his team, the Utah Jazz, and the Oklahoma City Thunder was immediately canceled minutes before tip-off. Five NBA teams are now in self-quarantine. The season is on hiatus and may not resume in time for the playoffs. Reporters in the room for Gobert’s Q&A are worried that they have the illness too.
Because of one guy. Who thought it was a big joke.
At least he hasn’t infected anyone else yet, right? Wrong:
Jazz star Donovan Mitchell has tested positive for the coronavirus, league sources tell ESPN. Jazz players privately say that Rudy Gobert had been careless in the locker room touching other players and their belongings. Now a Jazz teammate has tested positive. — Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 12, 2020
The entire reason there’s a panic about coronavirus is that it’s spreading undetected thanks to the federal government’s criminal failure to facilitate early aggressive testing. Maybe we’re about to find out that 20 players have it. Or 50.
I wish I could tell you that non-celebrities are taking the disease more seriously. Some are. Look at the decline in air travel. But others have decided that their plans can’t wait, even if those plans involving visiting a giant international petri dish and then bringing the virus back home with them to their far-flung communities.
Even as demand for flights and cruises has fallen, travel agents who plan trips to Disney parks report that business is as high as usual, if not higher. Visitors to Disney World and Universal Studios in Orlando last week said that they felt safe at the parks and weren’t going to allow fear to force them to cancel their vacations… “I have been in the Orlando parks everyday for the past week and a half and they are as crowded as ever,” Mr. Antonelle said. “From the business-side what we’ve seen is business as usual. We’re not getting cancellations because of coronavirus and from being in the park, you wouldn’t know that anything is different.”… “Me and my husband have been monitoring things, but didn’t feel like we needed to cancel our plans,” [one mom] said. “We have wipes, we have hand sanitizer, we aren’t elderly and honestly, if you’re going to get it, you’re going to get it. If I’m going to get sick and die, I might as well do it at Disney World.”
We have no natural immunity against a novel virus. A vaccine is at least a year away. It’s uncertain at this point whether any antiviral drugs will work or whether rising temperatures will slow the disease down. The one and only weapon in our arsenal against an epidemic that will infect millions within a few months if the spread isn’t reduced is “social distancing.” And these people are milling about in giant crowds to ride Space Mountain because “If I’m going to get sick and die, I might as well do it at Disney World.”
How about all the 70- and 80-year-olds who are going to die because they end up infected by people like this who couldn’t bear to put off their vacations? Do they get to ride the teacups at least before having to go to the ER and be told by doctors there that there’s no room?
Disney’s and Universal’s refusal to close the parks is borderline criminal. But then, I guess it’s not like there’s a glut of vulnerable senior citizens at risk of dying in [checks notes] Florida.
I saw well-meaning but naive people last night on social media musing that Gobert’s and Tom Hanks’s infections by COVID-19 are tragic on a micro level but salutary on a macro level. If you want to convince average people to take this seriously, let them watch some of their favorite celebs come down with it. That’ll prove to them in a stark way that it can reach them too. Which is fair enough, but young pro athletes like Gobert and Donovan Mitchell are among the least vulnerable people on Earth to coronavirus. They’re in an age group that’s unlikely to suffer serious consequences from the disease and they’re in much better physical shape than we normies are. They may recover without a hitch, within days. What message will that send to people looking to them for cues about how seriously to take the disease? Hanks is in much greater peril due to his age, but of course he has unlimited financial resources to get the highest quality care. He may make it through this relatively unscathed, which will be good news. But may inadvertently underline the very incorrect belief that this really is nothing more than a flu.
Then again, those perceptions can’t last long. A doctor in northern Italy whose hospital is overwhelmed told the Wall Street Journal that he feels like he’s in Afghanistan or Vietnam, performing battlefield medicine by having to make split-second decisions on which patients to try to save and which to sacrifice. An Italian medical college recently published grim ethical guidelines to try to assist them in those decisions:
Those who are too old to have a high likelihood of recovery, or who have too low a number of “life-years” left even if they should survive, will be left to die. This sounds cruel, but the alternative, the document argues, is no better. “In case of a total saturation of resources, maintaining the criterion of ‘first come, first served’ would amount to a decision to exclude late-arriving patients from access to intensive care.” In addition to age, doctors and nurses are also advised to take a patient’s overall state of health into account: “The presence of comorbidities needs to be carefully evaluated.” This is in part because early studies of the virus seem to suggest that patients with serious preexisting health conditions are significantly more likely to die. But it is also because patients in a worse state of overall health could require a greater share of scarce resources to survive: “What might be a relatively short treatment course in healthier people could be longer and more resource-consuming in the case of older or more fragile patients.” These guidelines apply even to patients who require intensive care for reasons other than the coronavirus, because they too make demands on the same scarce medical resources. As the document clarifies, “These criteria apply to all patients in intensive care, not just those infected with CoVid-19.”
Read that last paragraph again carefully. Someone who needs hospital care for reasons unrelated to COVID-19, like heart disease or cancer, doesn’t get to jump the line just because they’re not infected. Once care is rationed, it’s rationed for everyone.
And yes, we’re getting closer to that here. The Times has a story today about a hospital in Kirkland, Washington, the hottest coronavirus hot spot in America, that’s already caring for 44 suspected cases of infection. They’ve had 65 patients overall; 15, many from a nursing home, have already died. “The past few weeks have seen medical workers operating at the very edges of their capabilities,” the NYT notes. Imagine it a month from now.
There are small signs of progress out there but nothing systemic. This is evidence that many New Yorkers are taking this seriously:
The West Side Highway is usually packed with cars 24/7. pic.twitter.com/6rSwlx0SAB — Noah Shachtman (@NoahShachtman) March 12, 2020
Denver rolled out a drive-through spot for coronavirus testing yesterday, free of charge, provided that you have a doctor’s order. The Cleveland Clinic announced that it’s opening an in-house testing facility that can provide results within eight hours. Which is great, but none of this addresses the chronic, disgraceful inability of the CDC to ramp up testing nationally during a window when aggressive testing might have changed our trajectory towards an epidemic. Enjoy Space Mountain while you’re able, I guess.


hotair--2020-03-12--Interview: NC congressional candidate Alan Swain

This week I sat down for an interview with Alan Swain , congressional candidate for North Carolina ’ s Second District .
He ’ s running to replace GOP Congressman George Holding , who is retiring after this term and he will face Democrat Deborah K. Ross and Libertarian Jeff Matemu .
Following recent redistricting , the formerly red Second District has become a tougher race this year , with Cook rating of D+5 , so Mr. Swain is definitely still viable , but he has his work cut out for him .
In the interview , we go over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 26-year career in the Army as a combat helicopter pilot .
He has also served at the White House under two administrations in addition to being a successful entrepreneur and job creator .
We go over some of the issues that are of the greatest concern to voters in his district , as well as getting into his position on immigration enforcement and the current course of the country under the Trump administration .
If you like what you see in this interview and want to learn more about Alan Swain or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you can do so at his campaign web site .
( And before you ask , yes , I ’ m aware that my hair looks like I just came inside after getting caught outdoors in a rainstorm because I did .
And yes , that was a martini I was drinking during the interview .
It was my day off . )
Enjoy !

This week I sat down for an interview with Alan Swain, congressional candidate for North Carolina’s Second District. He’s running to replace GOP Congressman George Holding, who is retiring after this term and he will face Democrat Deborah K. Ross and Libertarian Jeff Matemu. Following recent redistricting, the formerly red Second District has become a tougher race this year, with Cook rating of D+5, so Mr. Swain is definitely still viable, but he has his work cut out for him.
In the interview, we go over Swain’s impressive background which includes a 26-year career in the Army as a combat helicopter pilot. He has also served at the White House under two administrations in addition to being a successful entrepreneur and job creator. We go over some of the issues that are of the greatest concern to voters in his district, as well as getting into his position on immigration enforcement and the current course of the country under the Trump administration.
If you like what you see in this interview and want to learn more about Alan Swain or toss some support to his campaign, you can do so at his campaign web site. (And before you ask, yes, I’m aware that my hair looks like I just came inside after getting caught outdoors in a rainstorm because I did. And yes, that was a martini I was drinking during the interview. It was my day off.) Enjoy!


hotair--2020-03-12--Pence: Yes, we have good reason to restrict travel with EU over COVID-19; <span class='red'>Update:

Pence: Yes, we have good reason to restrict travel with EU over COVID-19; Update: Fauci says travel restrictions will make a difference in spread

Last night ’ s announcement by Donald Trump of travel restrictions to Europe “ blindsided ” the EU , the Washington Post reports , but Mike Pence went on offense this morning to defend them .
The vice president is making a full Ginsburg of sorts this morning to follow up on Trump ’ s Oval Office speech last night , including a clean-up of an error regarding shipping between the US and EU , which will not be interrupted .
Trump himself corrected his error on Twitter shortly after the speech : How did that error get into last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needs a reassignment .
In Brussels , though , it ’ s the temporary halt in people movement that has them steamed .
The Trump administration apparently didn ’ t warn anyone about it , and they took it as a political slight more than a precautionary measure : “ The Coronavirus is a global crisis , not limited to any continent and it requires cooperation rather than unilateral action , ” the statement read , co-signed by E.U .
Commission President Urusla von der Leyen and E.U .
Council President Charles Michel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fact that the U.S. decision to impose a travel ban was taken unilaterally and without consultation.
” The fiery response from Brussels was a sign of just how little the two sides appear to be coordinating their response to the coronavirus pandemic .
European officials were scrambling to play catch-up Thursday to understand the reasoning behind the ban .
The U.S. Mission to the European Union declined to answer questions about how they were explaining the restrictions to their European colleagues .
Most of Europe woke to the news in shock on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the aftermath of the White House announcement .
The restrictions only apply to the Schengen zone , the open-borders area of the EU .
That excludes the UK , Ireland , and several countries in eastern Europe , even though those countries have their own cases of COVID-19 .
However , Italy ’ s central location in Europe as well as its order to lock the entire country down for a month serves as a fairly bright signal that the Schengen zone is a high risk for spread , and that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We ’ ll get back to that in a moment .
This morning , CNN ’ s Alisyn Camerota asked Pence about the necessity of the travel restriction , and quoted former Homeland Security adviser Thomas Bossert as saying it was too late for that to work .
Pence says their experts disagree , and that locking down EU travel will help mitigate community spread here in the US .
Furthermore , Pence says , the administration response is much broader and more vigorous than just a travel restriction , and they ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , too : Which experts support the travel restriction ?
CDC director Dr. Robert Redfield is one of them .
On Tuesday , Redfield told a House subcommittee that “ the new China is Europe ” and that unrestricted travel was “ seeding ” the virus in US communities .
It ’ s not just Italy , either : The biggest threat of the new coronavirus outbreak has shifted from China to Europe , where large populations of people may have been exposed , according to Dr. Robert Redfield , director of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CDC ) .
“ Right now , the new China is Europe and there ’ s a lot of people coming back and forth from Europe that are now starting to seed these communities , ” Redfield told a House subcommittee on Tuesday .
China has reported the majority of the total 113,851 cases and 4,015 deaths , but health officials claim the virus ’ toll on its origin country appears to be waning .
As new cases in China are slowing down , global cases continue to rise , especially in Italy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China have been reported .
… France and Germany also had a surge in cases on Monday , according to WHO , and Redfield said officials are testing blood samples to identify if travel or unrecognized community transmission is driving outbreaks in America .
“ My own personal opinion right now is the new cases that we ’ re seeing in the U.S. are probably disproportionately driven from people who returned from Europe , ” Redfield told the subcommittee , explaining that those who returned could have transmitted it to someone who then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s probably correct in that much of that damage has already been done , but that doesn ’ t mean mitigating it now is useless either .
Redfield certainly seemed to imply that something should be done to slow down or stop that “ seeding , ” and that testimony was on the record more than a day before Trump acted .
It ’ s the type of action that should have prompted coordination with allies on the other side of the Atlantic , a point that ’ s certainly open for critique @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least supported by the evidence coming from the CDC , even if it does mean a temporary disruption to commercial and diplomatic relationships .
Update : Former NIH chief Dr. Anthony Fauci has been one of the media ’ s most popular go-to experts in this crisis .
Politico ’ s Kyle Cheney asked him about the EU travel restrictions and whether he thinks they will help , and he concurred with Pence and Redfield :

Last night’s announcement by Donald Trump of travel restrictions to Europe “blindsided” the EU, the Washington Post reports, but Mike Pence went on offense this morning to defend them. The vice president is making a full Ginsburg of sorts this morning to follow up on Trump’s Oval Office speech last night, including a clean-up of an error regarding shipping between the US and EU, which will not be interrupted. Trump himself corrected his error on Twitter shortly after the speech:
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1237924658185469954
How did that error get into last night’s speech? Someone probably needs a reassignment.
In Brussels, though, it’s the temporary halt in people movement that has them steamed. The Trump administration apparently didn’t warn anyone about it, and they took it as a political slight more than a precautionary measure:
“The Coronavirus is a global crisis, not limited to any continent and it requires cooperation rather than unilateral action,” the statement read, co-signed by E.U. Commission President Urusla von der Leyen and E.U. Council President Charles Michel. “The European Union disapproves of the fact that the U.S. decision to impose a travel ban was taken unilaterally and without consultation.” The fiery response from Brussels was a sign of just how little the two sides appear to be coordinating their response to the coronavirus pandemic. European officials were scrambling to play catch-up Thursday to understand the reasoning behind the ban. The U.S. Mission to the European Union declined to answer questions about how they were explaining the restrictions to their European colleagues. Most of Europe woke to the news in shock on Thursday morning, and markets plummeted in the aftermath of the White House announcement.
The restrictions only apply to the Schengen zone, the open-borders area of the EU. That excludes the UK, Ireland, and several countries in eastern Europe, even though those countries have their own cases of COVID-19. However, Italy’s central location in Europe as well as its order to lock the entire country down for a month serves as a fairly bright signal that the Schengen zone is a high risk for spread, and that’s not the only such signal either.
We’ll get back to that in a moment. This morning, CNN’s Alisyn Camerota asked Pence about the necessity of the travel restriction, and quoted former Homeland Security adviser Thomas Bossert as saying it was too late for that to work. Pence says their experts disagree, and that locking down EU travel will help mitigate community spread here in the US. Furthermore, Pence says, the administration response is much broader and more vigorous than just a travel restriction, and they’re doing the other things Bossert advises, too:
Vice President Pence takes questions about America's response to the coronavirus pandemic on @newday https://t.co/aiA2mFSJQP pic.twitter.com/EEY9fqxQyS — CNN (@CNN) March 12, 2020
Which experts support the travel restriction? CDC director Dr. Robert Redfield is one of them. On Tuesday, Redfield told a House subcommittee that “the new China is Europe” and that unrestricted travel was “seeding” the virus in US communities. It’s not just Italy, either:
The biggest threat of the new coronavirus outbreak has shifted from China to Europe, where large populations of people may have been exposed, according to Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “Right now, the new China is Europe and there’s a lot of people coming back and forth from Europe that are now starting to seed these communities,” Redfield told a House subcommittee on Tuesday. China has reported the majority of the total 113,851 cases and 4,015 deaths, but health officials claim the virus’ toll on its origin country appears to be waning. As new cases in China are slowing down, global cases continue to rise, especially in Italy, where the most deaths outside of China have been reported. … France and Germany also had a surge in cases on Monday, according to WHO, and Redfield said officials are testing blood samples to identify if travel or unrecognized community transmission is driving outbreaks in America. “My own personal opinion right now is the new cases that we’re seeing in the U.S. are probably disproportionately driven from people who returned from Europe,” Redfield told the subcommittee, explaining that those who returned could have transmitted it to someone who then further spread the virus.
Bossert’s probably correct in that much of that damage has already been done, but that doesn’t mean mitigating it now is useless either. Redfield certainly seemed to imply that something should be done to slow down or stop that “seeding,” and that testimony was on the record more than a day before Trump acted. It’s the type of action that should have prompted coordination with allies on the other side of the Atlantic, a point that’s certainly open for critique. However, the action itself seems at least supported by the evidence coming from the CDC, even if it does mean a temporary disruption to commercial and diplomatic relationships.
Update: Former NIH chief Dr. Anthony Fauci has been one of the media’s most popular go-to experts in this crisis. Politico’s Kyle Cheney asked him about the EU travel restrictions and whether he thinks they will help, and he concurred with Pence and Redfield:


hotair--2020-03-12--So Chelsea Manning attempted suicide in jail this week

The last time we checked in on Chelsea Manning , she had been in jail on contempt charges for nearly a year and was running up massive fines that the judge ruled would have to be paid .
Manning also wasn ’ t being released without agreeing to testify before the grand jury investigating Julian Assange and the Wikileaks debacle .
But now the story has reportedly taken a darker turn .
Yesterday , Manning was transported to the hospital after allegedly attempting to commit suicide in her jail cell .
( Fox News ) Former army intelligence analyst Chelsea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life ” in a Virginia jail on Wednesday ahead of a looming court date , her legal team said in a statement .
She has been recovering and is still expected to appear in court for a hearing Friday after refusing to testify before a grand jury in a WikiLeaks probe , the attorneys said .
Manning was re-arrested last May for failing to comply with the subpoena to testify after serving two months for the same issue .
A judge is set to rule Friday on a motion to terminate the civil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There are virtually no details about the alleged suicide attempt being released at this time so any conclusions we draw will have to include a bit of speculation for now .
The real question is just how much of a suicide attempt this was .
Your options in a jail cell are limited , as Jeffrey Epstein found out , but if you ’ re not on suicide watch it ’ s certainly possible .
But some people make a serious , determined effort while others do something that ’ s unlikely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a cry for help or attention .
Given that the report indicates Manning is still expected to be in court tomorrow for a scheduled hearing on her attorney ’ s latest motion to have her released , it doesn ’ t sound like there was too much damage for the doctors to attend to .
It could have been anything from a halfhearted attempt at hanging to taking too many aspirins .
A spokesperson for Manning ’ s legal team released a statement including the following claim .
“ Her actions today evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well as the profound harm she continues to suffer as a result of her ‘ civil ’ confinement.
” Really ?
Maybe it ’ s just me , but attempting to take your own life doesn ’ t really speak to the “ strength of your convictions.
” The fact remains that all of this drama has been for nothing and Manning could have easily avoided this situation .
Her protest supposedly has nothing to do with the specific issues currently being investigated or her potential involvement .
( Manning was already offered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . )
She ’ s supposedly protesting the grand jury system itself , saying it ’ s unfair and open to abuse .
But one person is not going to bring the grand jury system to an end .
All she needs to do is go in , tell them what she knows and she could go home and get on with her life .
And killing herself isn ’ t going to change anything either .
Before closing , I wanted to address something that regularly comes up in the comments whenever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
While Manning is still obviously a male ( and has the freedom of speech to call herself whatever she likes ) , I began referring to her using female pronouns in May of last year because of my own personal policy when it comes to transgender individuals .
You can read the full explanation of how I deal with this question at the end of this post from last year if you ’ re interested .
How you handle the issue is entirely up to you .

The last time we checked in on Chelsea Manning, she had been in jail on contempt charges for nearly a year and was running up massive fines that the judge ruled would have to be paid. Manning also wasn’t being released without agreeing to testify before the grand jury investigating Julian Assange and the Wikileaks debacle. But now the story has reportedly taken a darker turn. Yesterday, Manning was transported to the hospital after allegedly attempting to commit suicide in her jail cell. (Fox News)
Former army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning tried to “take her own life” in a Virginia jail on Wednesday ahead of a looming court date, her legal team said in a statement. She has been recovering and is still expected to appear in court for a hearing Friday after refusing to testify before a grand jury in a WikiLeaks probe, the attorneys said. Manning was re-arrested last May for failing to comply with the subpoena to testify after serving two months for the same issue. A judge is set to rule Friday on a motion to terminate the civil contempt sanctions stemming from her May refusal.
There are virtually no details about the alleged suicide attempt being released at this time so any conclusions we draw will have to include a bit of speculation for now. The real question is just how much of a suicide attempt this was. Your options in a jail cell are limited, as Jeffrey Epstein found out, but if you’re not on suicide watch it’s certainly possible. But some people make a serious, determined effort while others do something that’s unlikely to succeed and is really more of a cry for help or attention.
Given that the report indicates Manning is still expected to be in court tomorrow for a scheduled hearing on her attorney’s latest motion to have her released, it doesn’t sound like there was too much damage for the doctors to attend to. It could have been anything from a halfhearted attempt at hanging to taking too many aspirins.
A spokesperson for Manning’s legal team released a statement including the following claim.
“Her actions today evidence the strength of her convictions, as well as the profound harm she continues to suffer as a result of her ‘civil’ confinement.”
Really? Maybe it’s just me, but attempting to take your own life doesn’t really speak to the “strength of your convictions.”
The fact remains that all of this drama has been for nothing and Manning could have easily avoided this situation. Her protest supposedly has nothing to do with the specific issues currently being investigated or her potential involvement. (Manning was already offered immunity in exchange for any testimony given.) She’s supposedly protesting the grand jury system itself, saying it’s unfair and open to abuse. But one person is not going to bring the grand jury system to an end. All she needs to do is go in, tell them what she knows and she could go home and get on with her life. And killing herself isn’t going to change anything either.
Before closing, I wanted to address something that regularly comes up in the comments whenever Chelsea Manning is the subject of discussion. While Manning is still obviously a male (and has the freedom of speech to call herself whatever she likes), I began referring to her using female pronouns in May of last year because of my own personal policy when it comes to transgender individuals. You can read the full explanation of how I deal with this question at the end of this post from last year if you’re interested. How you handle the issue is entirely up to you.


hotair--2020-03-12--CNN's Lemon to Kasich: How dare you not be outraged over Trump tonight

How insane did this post-Oval Office speech analysis last night on CNN get ?
John Kasich had to raise his voice to defend Donald Trump in order to pitch over Don Lemon ’ s absolute meltdown .
Kasich at first seemed more inclined to damn Trump with faint praise , but when Kasich offered a positive take on Trump ’ s tone in discussing the coronavirus , Lemon flipped out , barking at Kasich for defending Trump .
By the end of this , Kasich had to wonder why they bothered to invite him on at all .
Lemon wasn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from a two-term governor about the substance or the nuance of the speech ; all he wanted was someone to validate his shrieking hysteria over it .
Lemon would have been better off going out into the street and collaring a rando for this segment — and Kasich would have been better off , too .
Viewers would be better served , though , if CNN looks at this segment and rethinks its host assignments .
Not only did Lemon treat Kasich rudely , his partisan advocacy turned CNN ’ s coverage of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ joke .
If this is how CNN treats coronavirus news , who in their right mind will trust them to cover anything less serious ?

How insane did this post-Oval Office speech analysis last night on CNN get? John Kasich had to raise his voice to defend Donald Trump in order to pitch over Don Lemon’s absolute meltdown. Kasich at first seemed more inclined to damn Trump with faint praise, but when Kasich offered a positive take on Trump’s tone in discussing the coronavirus, Lemon flipped out, barking at Kasich for defending Trump.
This … is CNN:
Watch @DonLemon have a meltdown over John Kasich not bashing President Trump's Oval Office Address pic.twitter.com/AHrO465eP4 — Benny (@bennyjohnson) March 12, 2020
By the end of this, Kasich had to wonder why they bothered to invite him on at all. Lemon wasn’t interested in getting an analysis from a two-term governor about the substance or the nuance of the speech; all he wanted was someone to validate his shrieking hysteria over it. Lemon would have been better off going out into the street and collaring a rando for this segment — and Kasich would have been better off, too.
Viewers would be better served, though, if CNN looks at this segment and rethinks its host assignments. Not only did Lemon treat Kasich rudely, his partisan advocacy turned CNN’s coverage of a critically serious topic into a complete joke. If this is how CNN treats coronavirus news, who in their right mind will trust them to cover anything less serious?


hotair--2020-03-12--Now it's serious. NBA suspends season

Now it's serious. NBA suspends season

Now we know what it takes to shut down ( at least temporarily ) a major professional sports league .
One person .
Yep , a single player on the Utah Jazz tested positive for the coronavirus shortly before their scheduled game against Oklahoma City and the game was canceled , followed shortly by the suspension of all games for the entire league .
So was this a sensible precaution or a massive overreaction ?
( Townhall ) The National Basketball Association announced Wednesday evening that it would be suspending the remainder of the season amid growing concern over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a player tested positive for the foreign virus which originated in China .
“ The NBA announced that a player on the Utah Jazz has preliminarily tested positive for COVID-19 , ” an official release from the NBA stated .
“ The test result was reported shortly prior to the tip-off of Wednesday ’ s game between the Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena .
At that time , Wednesday ’ s game was canceled .
The affected player was not in the arena.
” It ’ s really starting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shutting down .
We learned last night that President Trump was temporarily suspending all travel to the United States from Europe after we ’ d already paused flights from most of Asia .
Parades are being canceled right and left .
The NCAA will be playing games in front of empty stands , assuming one of their players doesn ’ t test positive and they wind up canceling March Madness entirely .
The effect on the stock market was predictable but still disappointing .
Global supply chains have been disrupted and we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are on China for our supplies of everything from medicines to sneakers and batteries .
That ’ s something we might want to have a public debate about once the virus fades .
It seems to me that we ’ re facing two obvious choices at this point .
One option is to try to hunker down and basically put the world on hold until a vaccine can be approved and hundreds of millions of doses are produced , something that probably won ’ t happen until next winter at the earliest .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the wind and let the virus wash over the world and hope that the death toll isn ’ t too high .
I know that second choice sounds crazy , but when we look at the pandemic bell curve , the chances are that this thing will burn itself out for the most part by May or June .
And at that point , the vast majority of the country ’ s population will have their own , natural immunity from having survived the virus .
People in my age range and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not surviving it , but we ’ re also probably the easiest ones to keep in isolated groups while we wait for the vaccine .
The alternative is to essentially shut down the global economy for as much as a year .
We ’ re already seeing the effects of that this week and the prognosis isn ’ t good .
It ’ s eventually going to start impacting food supplies .
And is it doing any good ?
We ’ re seeing new pockets of infected people all over the place every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in place and the precautions the government has been urging everyone to take .
For all we know , the virus already almost everywhere but we just didn ’ t have enough tests manufactured and distributed to realize it .
As someone from the CDC said recently , we ’ ve cleared moved from the containment stage to the mitigation stage .
For Pete ’ s sake… even Tom Hanks and his wife contracted the virus and they were on a movie set in Australia .
( Production was halted on that project @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already out of the barn , folks .
Humanity is going to survive this .
Well… at least 98 % of humanity , assuming the vaccine takes too long to develop .
But at least here in the United States , once this is over we clearly can ’ t afford to simply shrug and go back to business as usual .
We are learning some harsh lessons about how prepared we were for a pandemic and how our dependence on globalization has left us in a fragile , exposed position when those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We need to do better in the future because this won ’ t be the last pandemic to hit us and the next one could turn out to be Captain Trips .
And if you read The Stand , you know that story doesn ’ t end very well .

Now we know what it takes to shut down (at least temporarily) a major professional sports league. One person. Yep, a single player on the Utah Jazz tested positive for the coronavirus shortly before their scheduled game against Oklahoma City and the game was canceled, followed shortly by the suspension of all games for the entire league. So was this a sensible precaution or a massive overreaction? (Townhall)
The National Basketball Association announced Wednesday evening that it would be suspending the remainder of the season amid growing concern over the Wuhan virus. The decision comes after a player tested positive for the foreign virus which originated in China. “The NBA announced that a player on the Utah Jazz has preliminarily tested positive for COVID-19,” an official release from the NBA stated. “The test result was reported shortly prior to the tip-off of Wednesday’s game between the Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena. At that time, Wednesday’s game was canceled. The affected player was not in the arena.”
It’s really starting to feel like the whole world is shutting down. We learned last night that President Trump was temporarily suspending all travel to the United States from Europe after we’d already paused flights from most of Asia. Parades are being canceled right and left. The NCAA will be playing games in front of empty stands, assuming one of their players doesn’t test positive and they wind up canceling March Madness entirely.
The effect on the stock market was predictable but still disappointing. Global supply chains have been disrupted and we’ve learned just how prohibitively dependent we are on China for our supplies of everything from medicines to sneakers and batteries. That’s something we might want to have a public debate about once the virus fades.
It seems to me that we’re facing two obvious choices at this point. One option is to try to hunker down and basically put the world on hold until a vaccine can be approved and hundreds of millions of doses are produced, something that probably won’t happen until next winter at the earliest. The other choice is to throw caution to the wind and let the virus wash over the world and hope that the death toll isn’t too high.
I know that second choice sounds crazy, but when we look at the pandemic bell curve, the chances are that this thing will burn itself out for the most part by May or June. And at that point, the vast majority of the country’s population will have their own, natural immunity from having survived the virus. People in my age range and above will be the most susceptible to not surviving it, but we’re also probably the easiest ones to keep in isolated groups while we wait for the vaccine.
The alternative is to essentially shut down the global economy for as much as a year. We’re already seeing the effects of that this week and the prognosis isn’t good. It’s eventually going to start impacting food supplies. And is it doing any good? We’re seeing new pockets of infected people all over the place every week even with all the travel restrictions in place and the precautions the government has been urging everyone to take. For all we know, the virus already almost everywhere but we just didn’t have enough tests manufactured and distributed to realize it. As someone from the CDC said recently, we’ve cleared moved from the containment stage to the mitigation stage.
For Pete’s sake… even Tom Hanks and his wife contracted the virus and they were on a movie set in Australia. (Production was halted on that project too.) The horses are clearly already out of the barn, folks.
Humanity is going to survive this. Well… at least 98% of humanity, assuming the vaccine takes too long to develop. But at least here in the United States, once this is over we clearly can’t afford to simply shrug and go back to business as usual. We are learning some harsh lessons about how prepared we were for a pandemic and how our dependence on globalization has left us in a fragile, exposed position when those international supply lines are suddenly cut off. We need to do better in the future because this won’t be the last pandemic to hit us and the next one could turn out to be Captain Trips. And if you read The Stand, you know that story doesn’t end very well.


hotair--2020-03-11--Trump: We are 'suspending all travel from Europe...for the next 30 days'

In the wake of the decision by the World Health Organization to label the coronavirus a pandemic , President Trump addressed the nation at 9 pm ET .
The biggest announcement from the speech is that the United States will be shutting down incoming flights from Europe for 30 days .
“ After consulting with our top government health professionals I have decided to take several strong but necessary actions to protect the health and well-being of all Americans , ” Trump said .
He added , “ To keep new cases from entering our shores , we will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States for the next 30 days .
The new rules will go into effect Friday at midnight.
” Trump said the restrictions would be adjusted “ subject to conditions on the ground.
” Americans who have undergone “ appropriate screening ” will be exempt .
Also , the restrictions on Europe will not apply to the UK .
As for travel from China and South Korea , Trump said that as the situation there improves , he would re-evaluate the travel restrictions on those nations .
Trump also announced that the insurance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for coronavirus treatments .
Trump said the risk of the virus to young , health people was “ very , very low ” but added , “ the elderly population must be very , very careful…In general , older Americans should also avoid non-essential travel and crowded areas.
” Trump said he would be asking Congress to implement a series of financial changes designed to help those who are ill or caring for others with the virus .
He also announced he was asking the SBA to help businesses with loans to help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” caused by the virus .
The speech ended on an upbeat note : “ Acting with compassion and love , we will heal the sick , care for those in need , help our fellow citizens , and emerge from this challenge stronger and more unified than ever before .
God bless you and God bless America.
” Trump didn ’ t single out any countries but , as I wrote earlier today , Italy is currently the country with the second highest number of infections after China ( officially , though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worse than we know ) .
Today , Italy ’ s Prime Minister ordered nearly all businesses nationwide to shut down .
Only grocery stores , pharmacies , banks and public transit will remain open .

In the wake of the decision by the World Health Organization to label the coronavirus a pandemic, President Trump addressed the nation at 9 pm ET. The biggest announcement from the speech is that the United States will be shutting down incoming flights from Europe for 30 days.
“After consulting with our top government health professionals I have decided to take several strong but necessary actions to protect the health and well-being of all Americans,” Trump said. He added, “To keep new cases from entering our shores, we will be suspending all travel from Europe to the United States for the next 30 days. The new rules will go into effect Friday at midnight.”
Trump said the restrictions would be adjusted “subject to conditions on the ground.” Americans who have undergone “appropriate screening” will be exempt. Also, the restrictions on Europe will not apply to the UK.
As for travel from China and South Korea, Trump said that as the situation there improves, he would re-evaluate the travel restrictions on those nations.
Trump also announced that the insurance industry had agreed to waive all co-payments for coronavirus treatments.
Trump said the risk of the virus to young, health people was “very, very low” but added, “the elderly population must be very, very careful…In general, older Americans should also avoid non-essential travel and crowded areas.”
Trump said he would be asking Congress to implement a series of financial changes designed to help those who are ill or caring for others with the virus. He also announced he was asking the SBA to help businesses with loans to help them deal with “temporary economic disruption” caused by the virus.
The speech ended on an upbeat note: “Acting with compassion and love, we will heal the sick, care for those in need, help our fellow citizens, and emerge from this challenge stronger and more unified than ever before. God bless you and God bless America.”
Trump didn’t single out any countries but, as I wrote earlier today, Italy is currently the country with the second highest number of infections after China (officially, though the situation in Iran may be much worse than we know). Today, Italy’s Prime Minister ordered nearly all businesses nationwide to shut down. Only grocery stores, pharmacies, banks and public transit will remain open.
Here’s the full speech:


hotair--2020-03-11--Recall alert: CDC sounds the alarm about Listeria from mushrooms

The CDC issued a food safety alert Tuesday .
This came on the heels of a recall issued Monday by Sun Hong Foods , Inc in Korea for enoki mushrooms because they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria .
So far , 36 people in 17 states have been sickened , including six pregnant women two of whom suffered a miscarriage or stillbirth .
Four people have died .
Enoki mushrooms are white , with long stems and small caps .
Enoki mushrooms from Sun Hong Foods were sold in 7.05 oz / 200 g clear plastic packaging with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Korea ” is labeled on the front of the packaging , and “ Sun Hong Foods , Inc. ” is labeled on the back of the packaging underneath the bar code .
These products can also be identified by the UPC code : 7 426852 625810 .
The source of the contamination and any other products linked to the Listeria outbreak are being investigated .
Until more is known about the source and distribution of the mushrooms , the CDC says people at higher risk for Listeria infections should avoid eating any enoki @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Those at higher risk include pregnant women , adults ages 65 or older , and people with weakened immune systems , such as people with cancer or on dialysis .
The people at high risk of being suspectable to Listeria are the same as those being cautioned to take extra protection against COVID-19 .
These are the most vulnerable , medically speaking , of the general population .
The CDC recommends you check your refrigerator for enoki mushrooms labeled as “ Product of Korea ” .
If you have them , don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out .
If you have them , wash and sanitize drawers or shelves in refrigerators where they were stored .
If you buy them at a grocery store or order enoki mushrooms in a restaurant , ask if they are from Korea , if it isn ’ t on a package label .
If the restaurant can ’ t answer , don ’ t order the dish .
As with any other medical alert , if you begin to feel symptoms , consult a health care professional .
Symptoms vary depending on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affected .
Pregnant women typically experience only fever and other flu-like symptoms , such as fatigue and muscle aches .
However , infections during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage , stillbirth , premature delivery , or life-threatening infection of the newborn .
People other than pregnant women : Symptoms can include headache , stiff neck , confusion , loss of balance , and convulsions in addition to fever and muscle aches .
Symptoms for invasive listeriosis usually start 1 to 4 weeks after eating food contaminated with Listeria .
Some people have reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after exposure or as early as the same day of exposure .
Listeria is a curable virus and fairly easy to avoid when an outbreak is established – avoid the food product , which in this case is enoki mushrooms specifically from Korea .
It is a relatively rare occurrence each year with about 1,600 people getting sick from Listeria and about 260 people die .
A list of states and the number of cases can be found HERE .
So , heads up , enoki mushroom lovers .
Check and make sure @ @ @ @ @ @

The CDC issued a food safety alert Tuesday. This came on the heels of a recall issued Monday by Sun Hong Foods, Inc in Korea for enoki mushrooms because they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria.
So far, 36 people in 17 states have been sickened, including six pregnant women two of whom suffered a miscarriage or stillbirth. Four people have died.
Enoki mushrooms are white, with long stems and small caps. Enoki mushrooms from Sun Hong Foods were sold in 7.05 oz / 200 g clear plastic packaging with a green label. “Product of Korea” is labeled on the front of the packaging, and “Sun Hong Foods, Inc.” is labeled on the back of the packaging underneath the bar code. These products can also be identified by the UPC code: 7 426852 625810.
RECALL ALERT: Recall of enoki mushrooms linked to Listeria outbreak. Don’t eat, serve, or sell recalled enoki mushrooms. Learn more & how to protect people in high risk groups (pregnant women, adults 65 & older, people with weakened immune systems): https://t.co/fEopiPU6zH pic.twitter.com/vI3wVSilsy — CDC (@CDCgov) March 10, 2020
The source of the contamination and any other products linked to the Listeria outbreak are being investigated. Until more is known about the source and distribution of the mushrooms, the CDC says people at higher risk for Listeria infections should avoid eating any enoki mushrooms labeled “Product of Korea”. Those at higher risk include pregnant women, adults ages 65 or older, and people with weakened immune systems, such as people with cancer or on dialysis. The people at high risk of being suspectable to Listeria are the same as those being cautioned to take extra protection against COVID-19. These are the most vulnerable, medically speaking, of the general population.
The CDC recommends you check your refrigerator for enoki mushrooms labeled as “Product of Korea”. If you have them, don’t eat them and throw them out. If you have them, wash and sanitize drawers or shelves in refrigerators where they were stored. If you buy them at a grocery store or order enoki mushrooms in a restaurant, ask if they are from Korea, if it isn’t on a package label. If the restaurant can’t answer, don’t order the dish. As with any other medical alert, if you begin to feel symptoms, consult a health care professional.
Symptoms vary depending on the person and the part of the body affected.
Pregnant women typically experience only fever and other flu-like symptoms, such as fatigue and muscle aches. However, infections during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or life-threatening infection of the newborn. People other than pregnant women: Symptoms can include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions in addition to fever and muscle aches. Symptoms for invasive listeriosis usually start 1 to 4 weeks after eating food contaminated with Listeria. Some people have reported symptoms starting as late as 70 days after exposure or as early as the same day of exposure. Listeriosis is treated with antibiotics.
Listeria is a curable virus and fairly easy to avoid when an outbreak is established – avoid the food product, which in this case is enoki mushrooms specifically from Korea. It is a relatively rare occurrence each year with about 1,600 people getting sick from Listeria and about 260 people die. A list of states and the number of cases can be found HERE.
So, heads up, enoki mushroom lovers. Check and make sure yours are not from Korea.


hotair--2020-03-11--The coronavirus long battle: Trump admin to attack China's pharmaceutical supply chains

Long overdue , and likely too late to do much good in this present crisis , but the US has to start somewhere to gain control over its pharmaceutical access .
The second pandemic originating from China in the past decade-plus has shut down a significant part of their manufacturing capacity , including that which produces medicines and/or component materials for American consumers , not just for coronavirus response but for a wide range of medical issues .
The risk for running out of potentially life-saving medications has risen considerably , and the White House wants to push manufacturers to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The global spread of the coronavirus is reigniting efforts by the Trump administration to encourage more American manufacturing of pharmaceuticals and reduce dependence on China for the drugs and medical products that fuel the federal health care system .
The effort includes a push by the White House trade adviser Peter Navarro to tighten “ Buy American ” laws so federal agencies are required to purchase American-made pharmaceuticals and medical equipment , according to people with knowledge of the plans .
The administration has been preparing an executive order , which could be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would close loopholes allowing the government to purchase pharmaceuticals , face masks , ventilators and other medical products from foreign countries .
The hope is that increasing government demand for American-made drugs and medical products will provide an incentive for companies to make their products in the United States , rather than China .
To help facilitate such production , the White House is also pushing for streamlined regulatory approvals for American-made products and more detailed labeling of the origin of products made offshore , these people said .
This is of particular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issues , perhaps especially transplant patients .
Their survival depends on a reliable supply of immunosuppresive medication .
How much of that comes from China or other foreign sources ?
Our family has been dealing with immunosuppressive medications for 25 years , and I am not sure how much or how little of my wife ’ s medications will get impacted by supply-chain issues in China stemming from the pandemic .
According to a new op-ed from Sen. Marco Rubio ( R-FL ) and Newt Gingrich , “ up to 80 percent of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They want the US to set up proper incentives for pharmaceutical manufacturers to bring back those supply lines ASAP : It is unacceptable that China holds this much leverage over America ’ s public health and economy , both essential components of our national security .
For this reason , we propose that the U.S. take action to expand our production capacity while global supply chains are in flux and the global economy teeters on the edge of recession .
In exchange for commitments by U.S. companies to invest in America and take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump administration should take whatever steps possible to enable the private sector to expand .
Doing so will help stabilize the U.S. economy , potentially help save American lives , and strengthen our ability to mitigate the effects of disease .
Most importantly , it would be a high-return investment in our long-term capacity and independence from China during a moment when supply chains are up for grabs .
… First , the U.S. government should empower our robust private business sector to expand in order to meet new demand for medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manufacturers committing to new capital spending in America by making permanent the accelerated cost depreciation measures in the 2017 Republican tax law .
New medical structures and equipment should be temporarily singled out for additional reductions .
Second , agencies with lending operations like the U.S. Small Business Administration should make low-cost capital available to businesses seeking to solve their supply chain problems by bringing production in-house to America , or otherwise buying from American small businesses .
Rubio discussed this with Tucker Carlson last night , noting that Rubio had warned about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disruption in Wuhan threatened pharmaceutical manufacture and distribution : It ’ s late in this crisis to fix this issue , but it ’ s better to start now to get ahead of the next one .
In the meantime , we have to hope that these distribution channels don ’ t dry up — because that could cost more lives than the WuFlu itself .

Long overdue, and likely too late to do much good in this present crisis, but the US has to start somewhere to gain control over its pharmaceutical access. The second pandemic originating from China in the past decade-plus has shut down a significant part of their manufacturing capacity, including that which produces medicines and/or component materials for American consumers, not just for coronavirus response but for a wide range of medical issues. The risk for running out of potentially life-saving medications has risen considerably, and the White House wants to push manufacturers to bring those supply chains back home:
The global spread of the coronavirus is reigniting efforts by the Trump administration to encourage more American manufacturing of pharmaceuticals and reduce dependence on China for the drugs and medical products that fuel the federal health care system. The effort includes a push by the White House trade adviser Peter Navarro to tighten “Buy American” laws so federal agencies are required to purchase American-made pharmaceuticals and medical equipment, according to people with knowledge of the plans. The administration has been preparing an executive order, which could be released in the coming days, that would close loopholes allowing the government to purchase pharmaceuticals, face masks, ventilators and other medical products from foreign countries. The hope is that increasing government demand for American-made drugs and medical products will provide an incentive for companies to make their products in the United States, rather than China. To help facilitate such production, the White House is also pushing for streamlined regulatory approvals for American-made products and more detailed labeling of the origin of products made offshore, these people said.
This is of particular concern for patients with significant chronic medical issues, perhaps especially transplant patients. Their survival depends on a reliable supply of immunosuppresive medication. How much of that comes from China or other foreign sources? Our family has been dealing with immunosuppressive medications for 25 years, and I am not sure how much or how little of my wife’s medications will get impacted by supply-chain issues in China stemming from the pandemic.
According to a new op-ed from Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Newt Gingrich, “up to 80 percent of active pharmaceutical ingredients are sourced abroad.” They want the US to set up proper incentives for pharmaceutical manufacturers to bring back those supply lines ASAP:
It is unacceptable that China holds this much leverage over America’s public health and economy, both essential components of our national security. For this reason, we propose that the U.S. take action to expand our production capacity while global supply chains are in flux and the global economy teeters on the edge of recession. In exchange for commitments by U.S. companies to invest in America and take care of their employees, Congress and the Trump administration should take whatever steps possible to enable the private sector to expand. Doing so will help stabilize the U.S. economy, potentially help save American lives, and strengthen our ability to mitigate the effects of disease. Most importantly, it would be a high-return investment in our long-term capacity and independence from China during a moment when supply chains are up for grabs. … First, the U.S. government should empower our robust private business sector to expand in order to meet new demand for medical supplies. Congress should cut taxes on manufacturers committing to new capital spending in America by making permanent the accelerated cost depreciation measures in the 2017 Republican tax law. New medical structures and equipment should be temporarily singled out for additional reductions. Second, agencies with lending operations like the U.S. Small Business Administration should make low-cost capital available to businesses seeking to solve their supply chain problems by bringing production in-house to America, or otherwise buying from American small businesses.
Rubio discussed this with Tucker Carlson last night, noting that Rubio had warned about this issue a year ago when another disruption in Wuhan threatened pharmaceutical manufacture and distribution:
Watch the latest video at foxnews.com
It’s late in this crisis to fix this issue, but it’s better to start now to get ahead of the next one. In the meantime, we have to hope that these distribution channels don’t dry up — because that could cost more lives than the WuFlu itself.


hotair--2020-03-11--Pelosi: "We are the captains of the ship", nixes closing Congress

Should Congress just shut down and wait for the COVID-19 virus to run its course ?
That is the topic of discussion behind closed doors on Capitol Hill .
Speaker Nancy Pelosi is in favor of keeping the lights on .
When Rep. Jerry Nadler suggested that members of Congress could vote remotely instead of gathering to vote in person , Pelosi quickly shot that idea down .
The idea is to present a sense of calmness from lawmakers to the public who are on edge over the COVID-19 outbreaks across the country .
There is also the fact that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no intention of giving up the power they hold – especially the power to compel members to convene at the Capitol .
It ’ s Washington , D.C. and it is always all about power .
It is much more difficult to twist arms over the phone than it is in person , you know .
The topic came up because members of Congress have been asked to come up with contingency plans to keep their offices open .
Congress is in recess next week and some lawmakers are wondering if it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than just extend the break for another week or so , especially since some go home to epicenters of the epidemic .
“ I don ’ t think it ’ s the best idea for us to be flying back and forth , ” said Representative Pramila Jayapal , a Washington state Democrat whose home district includes the hard-hit city of Seattle .
“ It ’ s time for us to take some steps to figure out other ways that we can get our business done , ” she said .
Jayapal said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday night that drew more than 4,000 participants and 120 questions .
Lawmakers in both parties are struggling with a solution to the problem – how does Congress continue doing the work of the people while taking precautions to keep themselves and others around them healthy ?
For example , many lawmakers are in their 70s and 80s which puts them in a category as being some of the most vulnerable to COVID-19 .
Leadership in both the House and Senate are older people .
Pelosi and McConnell are both in their late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to their districts and states and that places perhaps unnecessary risks to the folks back home , as well as themselves .
In order to conduct normal business , Congress requires a quorum – a bare majority of members present .
They can arrange for unanimous voice votes , though , and that would allow Congress to function with a limited number of members present from districts around D.C .
It happened during the Spanish flu outbreak in 1918 when members were reluctant to return to Washington from their home districts .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pass with unanimous consent .
It ’ s understandable that Nadler would encourage working remotely for the time being – his wife is battling pancreatic cancer and is more vulnerable because of that .
Jerry Nadler is 72 years old .
Some lawmakers are voluntarily self-quarantining after learning they may have been exposed to the virus .
It seems to me that a rational way for lawmakers to deal with concerns of exposure to COVID-19 through interaction with groups of other people is to limit the exposure by continuing to work on Capitol @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Remaining in D.C. is an option and that would restrict travel .
Maybe closing the Capitol to large group tours is an option .
Teleconferences with constituents are a perfectly reasonable option and are already done by many lawmakers on a regular basis , even before COVID-19 .
None of the lawmakers are so important that they can ’ t take some time off if they begin to be symptomatic .
My first response is usually “ good ” when I hear that Congress will not be in session – less chance of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it ’ s reasonable to think that they can soldier on , at least enough to do what needs to be done to help the public health experts combat COVID-19 so life can get back to normal .
They should do the same as the public is expected to do to limit exposure to the virus .
Most of us aren ’ t looking to them anyway .
We ’ re listening to the president , his administration , and public health professionals .

Should Congress just shut down and wait for the COVID-19 virus to run its course? That is the topic of discussion behind closed doors on Capitol Hill.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi is in favor of keeping the lights on. When Rep. Jerry Nadler suggested that members of Congress could vote remotely instead of gathering to vote in person, Pelosi quickly shot that idea down. The idea is to present a sense of calmness from lawmakers to the public who are on edge over the COVID-19 outbreaks across the country.
“We are the captains of the ship,” House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi told Democratic lawmakers at a meeting, according to a person in the room. “We are the last to leave.”
There is also the fact that Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader McConnell have no intention of giving up the power they hold – especially the power to compel members to convene at the Capitol. It’s Washington, D.C. and it is always all about power. It is much more difficult to twist arms over the phone than it is in person, you know. The topic came up because members of Congress have been asked to come up with contingency plans to keep their offices open. Congress is in recess next week and some lawmakers are wondering if it is wise to travel back and forth rather than just extend the break for another week or so, especially since some go home to epicenters of the epidemic.
“I don’t think it’s the best idea for us to be flying back and forth,” said Representative Pramila Jayapal, a Washington state Democrat whose home district includes the hard-hit city of Seattle. “It’s time for us to take some steps to figure out other ways that we can get our business done,” she said. Jayapal said she held a telephonic town hall on Monday night that drew more than 4,000 participants and 120 questions.
Lawmakers in both parties are struggling with a solution to the problem – how does Congress continue doing the work of the people while taking precautions to keep themselves and others around them healthy? For example, many lawmakers are in their 70s and 80s which puts them in a category as being some of the most vulnerable to COVID-19. Leadership in both the House and Senate are older people. Pelosi and McConnell are both in their late 70s. Lawmakers travel back and forth to their districts and states and that places perhaps unnecessary risks to the folks back home, as well as themselves.
The House is distributing about 1,500 laptops to member offices for teleworking, and lawmakers have been given access to money left over from 2019 to purchase additional equipment. A bipartisan pair of House lawmakers – Democrat Eric Swalwell and Republican Rick Crawford – have introduced legislation that would allow members of Congress to participate in committee hearings and vote on legislation from remote sites.
In order to conduct normal business, Congress requires a quorum – a bare majority of members present. They can arrange for unanimous voice votes, though, and that would allow Congress to function with a limited number of members present from districts around D.C. It happened during the Spanish flu outbreak in 1918 when members were reluctant to return to Washington from their home districts. A deal was struck to allow legislation to pass with unanimous consent.
It’s understandable that Nadler would encourage working remotely for the time being – his wife is battling pancreatic cancer and is more vulnerable because of that. Jerry Nadler is 72 years old. Some lawmakers are voluntarily self-quarantining after learning they may have been exposed to the virus.
It seems to me that a rational way for lawmakers to deal with concerns of exposure to COVID-19 through interaction with groups of other people is to limit the exposure by continuing to work on Capitol Hill but make adjustments when possible. Remaining in D.C. is an option and that would restrict travel. Maybe closing the Capitol to large group tours is an option. Teleconferences with constituents are a perfectly reasonable option and are already done by many lawmakers on a regular basis, even before COVID-19.
None of the lawmakers are so important that they can’t take some time off if they begin to be symptomatic. My first response is usually “good” when I hear that Congress will not be in session – less chance of their regular tomfoolery. In this case, it’s reasonable to think that they can soldier on, at least enough to do what needs to be done to help the public health experts combat COVID-19 so life can get back to normal. They should do the same as the public is expected to do to limit exposure to the virus. Most of us aren’t looking to them anyway. We’re listening to the president, his administration, and public health professionals.


hotair--2020-03-11--Mara Gay: The backlash to my math mistake was racist

Last Thursday a clip of MSNBC host Brian Williams and NY Times editorial board author Mara Gay went viral on social media .
The reason it went viral is that it was utterly cringe-worthy watching two highly paid adults ( plus the unseen producers of this show ) struggle and fail to do 3rd grade math : Allahpundit wrote about it last week and if you read his well-written take you ’ ll notice one thing that is not mentioned at all : The fact that Mara Gay is black .
And really , why would it be mentioned ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ math error here , just as the fact that Brian Williams is white had nothing to do with it .
The question AP ’ s post asked was simply “ How did this happen ?
” How did a bunch of otherwise intelligent people make a mistake this obvious ?
The answer he suggested was that Williams and Gay wanted this to be true .
At a minimum , the mistake was funny .
At most , it was an insight into why some on the left still believe taxing billionaires would cover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Jump forward to today and the NY Times has published Mara Gay ’ s opinion piece about the incident .
It ’ s titled “ My People Have Been Through Worse Than a Twitter Mob.
” According to her , the backlash was all about racism .
I tried to laugh it off .
“ Buying a calculator , ” I wrote on Twitter on Friday .
“ Brb.
” In a normal time , that would have been the end of it .
But the country has lost its mind , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beginning .
Across social media , right wing trolls celebrated .
And some journalists did too .
Most of them were men who are prolific on Twitter .
( Going out and doing actual reporting ?
That ’ s harder . )
The next time they make a mistake , I hope people are nicer to them than they were to me .
“ How did this end up on TV ?
” one of them helpfully wrote , sharing the video .
I ’ m not sure , but I think she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is one that I saw circulating last week : My great sin was trivial , harmless , silly .
What ’ s it like when people are trying to cancel you for a math mistake ?
Weird , and maddening and painful .
Of course , in my case it wasn ’ t really about math , as anyone who read through my mentions on Twitter or saw my inbox would know .
“ You ’ re a great example of why we need to end Affirmative Action , ” someone named Jim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weekend .
“ Get a job scrubbing floors .
It ’ s the only thing you ’ re good for.
” On Twitter , it was about the same .
“ Keep thinking that your important .
Lol … your a nobody … you fill a seat … only because your Black .
that ’ s the only reason .
cause if was based on education or merit , you would be working at Walmart … sometimes the truth hurts … your a lowlife.
” … I am a black woman who writes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on national TV .
And if you ’ re black in America , no matter who you are , what you accomplish or how hard you work , there will always be people to remind you that you are black , that you are “ just a nigger.
” Unfortunately there really are some racist creeps out there .
I don ’ t think Gay or anyone else should have to put up with that crap and I don ’ t blame her for being angry about it .
That said , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of genuinely racist comments means that most of the people sharing this clip were doing so because of her race .
As someone who might have written about this ( if my co-worker hadn ’ t gotten to it first ) , I can say that the impetus for sharing this was simple : A couple of progressives on a progressive network making a math error for the ages .
Speaking of which , you may have noticed that Gay referred to this as a “ trivial ” mistake .
The tweet she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same word : The subject may be trivial but was the mistake itself really that trivial ?
Her answer ( and Brian Williams ’ as well ) to how much money Bloomberg could have given each American : $ 1,000,000 .
The actual answer based on the numbers in the tweet : $ 1.52 .
That ’ s a bit more than a rounding error .
Is it an important national issue ?
No .
But it is pretty embarrassing that no one caught this before it aired .
Bottom line : There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who enjoy harassing minorities from behind anonymous accounts .
If you want to tell those losers to f**k right off , I ’ m with you .
But if you assume that ’ s the norm ( or just the norm on the right ) , you ’ re really painting with far too broad a brush .
Don ’ t let the bastards get you down but equally important don ’ t assume everyone to the right of MSNBC is a racist just because they ’ re laughing about a math mistake @

Last Thursday a clip of MSNBC host Brian Williams and NY Times editorial board author Mara Gay went viral on social media. The reason it went viral is that it was utterly cringe-worthy watching two highly paid adults (plus the unseen producers of this show) struggle and fail to do 3rd grade math:
“Mike Bloomberg spent enough on his campaign to give every American $1 million.” @BWilliams on @11thHour @MSNBC pic.twitter.com/iBsWvqEIHf — Bad Econ Takes (@BadEconTakes) March 6, 2020
Allahpundit wrote about it last week and if you read his well-written take you’ll notice one thing that is not mentioned at all: The fact that Mara Gay is black. And really, why would it be mentioned? It has nothing to do with the math error here, just as the fact that Brian Williams is white had nothing to do with it. The question AP’s post asked was simply “How did this happen?” How did a bunch of otherwise intelligent people make a mistake this obvious? The answer he suggested was that Williams and Gay wanted this to be true. At a minimum, the mistake was funny. At most, it was an insight into why some on the left still believe taxing billionaires would cover the cost of Bernie Sanders’ agenda.
Jump forward to today and the NY Times has published Mara Gay’s opinion piece about the incident. It’s titled “My People Have Been Through Worse Than a Twitter Mob.” According to her, the backlash was all about racism.
I tried to laugh it off. “Buying a calculator,” I wrote on Twitter on Friday. “Brb.” In a normal time, that would have been the end of it. But the country has lost its mind, so instead, it was only the beginning. Across social media, right wing trolls celebrated. And some journalists did too. Most of them were men who are prolific on Twitter. (Going out and doing actual reporting? That’s harder.) The next time they make a mistake, I hope people are nicer to them than they were to me. “How did this end up on TV?” one of them helpfully wrote, sharing the video.
I’m not sure, but I think she’s talking about this tweet which is one that I saw circulating last week:
https://twitter.com/KFILE/status/1235808311834021888
She continues:
My great sin was trivial, harmless, silly. What’s it like when people are trying to cancel you for a math mistake? Weird, and maddening and painful. Of course, in my case it wasn’t really about math, as anyone who read through my mentions on Twitter or saw my inbox would know. “You’re a great example of why we need to end Affirmative Action,” someone named Jim B. wrote me in an email this weekend. “Get a job scrubbing floors. It’s the only thing you’re good for.” On Twitter, it was about the same. “Keep thinking that your important. Lol … your a nobody … you fill a seat … only because your Black. that’s the only reason. cause if was based on education or merit, you would be working at Walmart … sometimes the truth hurts … your a lowlife.”… I am a black woman who writes for The New York Times and appears on national TV. And if you’re black in America, no matter who you are, what you accomplish or how hard you work, there will always be people to remind you that you are black, that you are “just a nigger.”
Unfortunately there really are some racist creeps out there. I don’t think Gay or anyone else should have to put up with that crap and I don’t blame her for being angry about it. That said, I also don’t think a handful of genuinely racist comments means that most of the people sharing this clip were doing so because of her race. As someone who might have written about this (if my co-worker hadn’t gotten to it first), I can say that the impetus for sharing this was simple: A couple of progressives on a progressive network making a math error for the ages.
Speaking of which, you may have noticed that Gay referred to this as a “trivial” mistake. The tweet she put out sharing her piece used the same word:
A racist Twitter mob came for me over a trivial math mistake. I'm not going anywhere. https://t.co/McxAT8P7OI — Mara Gay (@MaraGay) March 11, 2020
The subject may be trivial but was the mistake itself really that trivial? Her answer (and Brian Williams’ as well) to how much money Bloomberg could have given each American: $1,000,000. The actual answer based on the numbers in the tweet: $1.52. That’s a bit more than a rounding error. Is it an important national issue? No. But it is pretty embarrassing that no one caught this before it aired.
Bottom line: There really are some racist jack-holes out there who enjoy harassing minorities from behind anonymous accounts. If you want to tell those losers to f**k right off, I’m with you. But if you assume that’s the norm (or just the norm on the right), you’re really painting with far too broad a brush. Don’t let the bastards get you down but equally important don’t assume everyone to the right of MSNBC is a racist just because they’re laughing about a math mistake.