hotair--2020-03-23--What was Rand Paul thinking? Update: Paul issues statement

Can we all agree now that members of Congress should be allowed to vote remotely ?
If not , why ?
Five Republican senators are in self-quarantine as I write this ( although not every case is related to Paul ) , which means the GOP is momentarily at a 48/47 advantage in the chamber .
If any more senators test positive , that ’ ll trigger another cascade of quarantines .
We could be staring at a quorum problem very quickly , right in the thick of needing a massive fiscal relief package to pass ASAP .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but it ’ s clear why he thought he needed to be .
He was at a fundraiser in Kentucky on March 7 ; by March 15 local papers were reporting that several attendees had later tested positive .
Why didn ’ t Paul immediately self-quarantine out of an abundance of caution , like Ted Cruz did after learning that someone at CPAC was infected ?
“ Privately , some lawmakers were incensed that Mr. Paul had continued to circulate among colleagues when he knew he might have the virus , ” notes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some cases !
Kevin Cramer tactfully described Paul ’ s decision to keep showing up to work — even after being tested — as “ peculiar , ” saying , “ He ’ s a physician .
He ’ s able to do his own risk assessment , and he evidently miscalculated .
People have self-quarantined for less.
” Paul was on the Senate floor on Wednesday , per the Times , and was at luncheons with Senate Republicans on Thursday and Friday .
Realistically , every Republican who was at those meetings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t right now because the country has urgent business in Congress and McConnell won ’ t allow remote voting .
As I ’ m writing this , news is breaking : Klobuchar ’ s husband began coughing up blood and is now on oxygen due to trouble breathing but she hasn ’ t been near him in two weeks so she isn ’ t being tested .
She ’ s not the only senator who ’ ll need to be away from her spouse for awhile either .
Mitt Romney ’ s one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to his exposure to Paul .
His wife Ann has MS and he can ’ t risk passing the disease along to her , in case he has it .
Hopefully he can fight it off without needing treatment if he does ; Ann Romney ’ s odds of accomplishing that would doubtless be poorer .
The weirdest detail about Paul ’ s cavalier insistence on carrying on with business as usual is that he had special reasons to take his possible exposure to the disease seriously .
He had part of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the assault by his neighbor in 2017 .
A respiratory illness as ferocious as COVID-19 is even more of a risk to his life than it is to the average 57-year-old ’ s .
What was he doing swimming in the Senate pool after being tested ?
There are no answers as of this morning but the pressure on McConnell to allow remote voting is growing intense .
While we wait for an explanation , here ’ s the president reacting yesterday to the news about Romney having to self-quarantine .
Please @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being sarcastic , just like I ’ m not being sarcastic in saying that Trump certainly doesn ’ t have severe personality disorders that make him much more of a liability to the country in this crisis than an asset .
Update : Here ’ s Paul ’ s statement , emphasizing that he had no direct contact with the people at the March 7 fundraiser who later tested positive .
What he ’ s really doing here , though , is making the case for remote voting .
He ’ s right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unusual degree of risk given how often they travel and attend mass gatherings ( not to mention their average age ) .
Who knows if Paul contracted coronavirus at that fundraiser or on a plane or at some other function ?
The prudent move at this point would be to send members of Congress home immediately and have them vote remotely .
We don ’ t do prudence in government anymore , though .
“ Given that my wife and I had traveled extensively during the weeks prior to COVID-19 social distancing practices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ higher risk for serious complications from the virus due to having part of my lung removed seven months ago , I took a COVID-19 test when I arrived in D.C. last Monday .
I felt that it was highly unlikely that I was positive since I have had no symptoms of the illness , nor have I had contact with anyone who has either tested positive for the virus or been sick .
“ Since nearly every member of the U.S. Senate travels by plane across the country multiple times per week and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believed my risk factor for exposure to the virus to be similar to that of my colleagues , especially since multiple congressional staffers on the Hill had already tested positive weeks ago .
“ As for my attendance at the Speed Art Museum fundraiser on March 7 , unlike the other Kentucky government officials there , I had zero contact or proximity with either of the two individuals who later announced they were positive for COVID-19 .
The event was a large affair of hundreds of people spread throughout the museum .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Metro Louisville Communicable Disease department that “ those who public health officials consider at higher risk from possible exposure are being notified.
” Louisville ’ s health director put out a statement in The Courier Journal that “ most of the people at the Speed Ball were at ‘ very minimal risk.
’ ” I was not considered to be at risk since I never interacted with the two individuals even from a distance and was not recommended for testing by health officials .
“ I believe we need more testing immediately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The nature of COVID-19 put me – and us all – in a Catch-22 situation .
I didn ’ t fit the criteria for testing or quarantine .
I had no symptoms and no specific encounter with a COVID-19 positive person .
I had , however , traveled extensively in the U.S. and was required to continue doing so to vote in the Senate .
That , together with the fact that I have a compromised lung , led me to seek testing .
Despite my positive test result , I remain asymptomatic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to criticize me for lack of quarantine , realize that if the rules on testing had been followed to a tee , I would never have been tested and would still be walking around the halls of the Capitol .
The current guidelines would not have called for me to get tested nor quarantined .
It was my extra precaution , out of concern for my damaged lung , that led me to get tested .
“ Perhaps it is too much to ask that we simply have compassion for our fellow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ becoming so .
Thousands of people want testing .
Many , like David Newman of The Walking Dead , are sick with flu symptoms and are being denied testing .
This makes no sense .
“ The broader the testing and the less finger-pointing we have , the better .
America is strong .
We are a resilient people , but we ’ re stronger when we stand together .
”

Can we all agree now that members of Congress should be allowed to vote remotely? If not, why?
He expects to be back in the Senate after his quarantine period ends and will continue to work for the people of Kentucky at this difficult time. Ten days ago, our D.C. office began operating remotely, hence virtually no staff has had contact with Senator Rand Paul. — Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) March 22, 2020
Five Republican senators are in self-quarantine as I write this (although not every case is related to Paul), which means the GOP is momentarily at a 48/47 advantage in the chamber. If any more senators test positive, that’ll trigger another cascade of quarantines. We could be staring at a quorum problem very quickly, right in the thick of needing a massive fiscal relief package to pass ASAP.
It’s not clear when Paul got tested but it’s clear why he thought he needed to be. He was at a fundraiser in Kentucky on March 7; by March 15 local papers were reporting that several attendees had later tested positive. Why didn’t Paul immediately self-quarantine out of an abundance of caution, like Ted Cruz did after learning that someone at CPAC was infected?
Isn’t this guy a doctor by trade?
During the Senate GOP lunch today, Moran told colleagues that Rand was at the gym this morning, per two sources briefed on the lunch, and that he was swimming in the pool. Rand got his COVID-19 results back this morning. — Seung Min Kim (@seungminkim) March 22, 2020
I took a picture inside the Senate GOP lunch when the door was open Friday and saw Rand Paul seated next to other senators. He is visible in this photo. pic.twitter.com/4qwZo5YdBs — Manu Raju (@mkraju) March 22, 2020
“Privately, some lawmakers were incensed that Mr. Paul had continued to circulate among colleagues when he knew he might have the virus,” notes the Times. Not so privately in some cases!
I’ve never commented about a fellow Senator’s choices/actions. Never once. This, America, is absolutely irresponsible. You cannot be near other people while waiting for coronavirus test results. It endangers others & likely increases the spread of the virus. https://t.co/651TJf8mWf — Kyrsten Sinema (@kyrstensinema) March 22, 2020
I couldn't agree more @kyrstensinema. As we ask all Americans to sacrifice their livelihoods and alter their behavior to save lives, we must ourselves model appropriate #coronavirus behavior. No one is too important to disregard guidance to self-quarantine pending test results. https://t.co/0zQx8yrJA4 — Martha McSally (@MarthaMcSally) March 23, 2020
Kevin Cramer tactfully described Paul’s decision to keep showing up to work — even after being tested — as “peculiar,” saying, “He’s a physician. He’s able to do his own risk assessment, and he evidently miscalculated. People have self-quarantined for less.” Paul was on the Senate floor on Wednesday, per the Times, and was at luncheons with Senate Republicans on Thursday and Friday. Realistically, every Republican who was at those meetings should self-quarantine. But they can’t right now because the country has urgent business in Congress and McConnell won’t allow remote voting.
As I’m writing this, news is breaking:
My husband has coronavirus. I love him & not being able to be by his side is one of the hardest things about this disease. So many are going through this & much worse. I pray for him & you & meanwhile I will do all I can to get help to the American people.https://t.co/fqQU6tA29r pic.twitter.com/SjyfdQxe1R — Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) March 23, 2020
Klobuchar’s husband began coughing up blood and is now on oxygen due to trouble breathing but she hasn’t been near him in two weeks so she isn’t being tested. She’s not the only senator who’ll need to be away from her spouse for awhile either. Mitt Romney’s one of the five Republicans in self-quarantine thanks to his exposure to Paul. His wife Ann has MS and he can’t risk passing the disease along to her, in case he has it. Hopefully he can fight it off without needing treatment if he does; Ann Romney’s odds of accomplishing that would doubtless be poorer.
.@senatorromney: "Very, very unhappy to hear that Rand Paul has been diagnosed with COVID-19. Wish him the very best. He's compromised given health conditions he's had in the past, so we'll be praying for him…all the senators are going to seek medical advice…" pic.twitter.com/tUVuaKBLMm — CSPAN (@cspan) March 22, 2020
The weirdest detail about Paul’s cavalier insistence on carrying on with business as usual is that he had special reasons to take his possible exposure to the disease seriously. He had part of his lung removed last year due to complications from the assault by his neighbor in 2017. A respiratory illness as ferocious as COVID-19 is even more of a risk to his life than it is to the average 57-year-old’s.
What was he doing swimming in the Senate pool after being tested?
There are no answers as of this morning but the pressure on McConnell to allow remote voting is growing intense. While we wait for an explanation, here’s the president reacting yesterday to the news about Romney having to self-quarantine. Please note that he’s definitely not being sarcastic, just like I’m not being sarcastic in saying that Trump certainly doesn’t have severe personality disorders that make him much more of a liability to the country in this crisis than an asset.
“Romney’s in isolation? Gee, that’s too bad” — Trump, sarcastically, on Mitt Romney going into quarantine over coronavirus concerns. #BeBest pic.twitter.com/d4KPIDto6Z — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 22, 2020
Update: Here’s Paul’s statement, emphasizing that he had no direct contact with the people at the March 7 fundraiser who later tested positive. What he’s really doing here, though, is making the case for remote voting. He’s right that members of Congress are at an unusual degree of risk given how often they travel and attend mass gatherings (not to mention their average age). Who knows if Paul contracted coronavirus at that fundraiser or on a plane or at some other function? The prudent move at this point would be to send members of Congress home immediately and have them vote remotely. We don’t do prudence in government anymore, though.


hotair--2020-03-23--Safety equipment shortage leads to "Let's build a mask" innovation

Tech billionaires are stepping up to ship masks out to help ease shortages .
Medical safety equipment shortages are putting care providers at risk due to the coronavirus pandemic .
Along the way , some real innovation is happening , too , from ordinary people .
I don ’ t know about you but I ’ m looking around for any good news stories I can find these days .
The can-do spirit of the American people is undeniable .
Face masks and N95 respirators are in short supply which adds to the stress medical workers are feeling .
Apple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company will donate “ millions of masks for health professionals in the US and Europe.
” This announcement follows up on what Vice-President Pence mentioned during a coronavirus task force press briefing .
During the Saturday briefing , Pence said HHS “ placed an order for hundreds of millions of N95 masks , ” with the order coordinated through the Federal Emergency Management Agency .
There is no confirmed date of delivery , though .
Some medical care providers are making due with less effective masks or rationing masks .
This increases the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need them to remain healthy and on the job now .
Pence also called upon construction companies to donate industrial masks that can be substituted in for standard medical masks .
“ Those industrial masks that they use on construction sites are perfectly acceptable for healthcare workers to be protected from a respiratory disease , ” he said .
Some donations from the corporate world are going directly to specific facilities .
For example , Elon Musk donated “ a truckload of PPEs ( masks , gowns , etc . )
” to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mark Zuckerberg is making a large donation of masks and searching for more to give .
He posted the announcement on Facebook .
The mom and pop style innovation is happening , too , as creative minds come together to work on easing the shortage of masks .
My sister lives in Montana and sent along an article from her local newspaper about a doctor who is using 3D printers to make masks .
Pretty cool , right ?
In Billings , Montana , the state ’ s largest city , surgeons are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per day instead of using a new one for each patient .
The drastic measure is being taken in order to stretch out their supply , hoping to not completely run out .
A neurosurgeon went to work to find a better solution .
Last Thursday night he had an idea .
He teamed up with a local dentist who has four 3D printers and his son , who has experience in design .
They developed a plastic surgical mask that can be used 6 to 10 times .
A template was used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it can be scaled up or down to fit other faces .
The mask can be cleaned between uses by wiping them down and sanitizing them .
The masks take about two hours to print and cost a dollar each to produce .
Then another company in Billings came up with a timesaving solution – a machine that can cut dozens of inserts at once instead of one surgical mask being cut at a time .
So , in a matter of days , a local solution to help in the battle against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upon to increase the supply of masks in that city .
This is something other cities can do , too , with the help of 3D printers .
Richardson is partnering with others locally to get masks widely distributed , mostly for free .
Billings Public Schools has offered their help with the use of the districts 3D printers .
“ We want this to be free to everybody , ” said Richardson .
“ We want to disseminate the information so that people can start making these things.
” “ My hope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are experiencing critical shortages of these materials they can take what materials they have left on hand and use them and extend them and make them last longer , ” Richardson said .
It ’ s a great story .
A surgeon , a dentist , and a son came together – “ Let ’ s build a mask , ” said Colton , a trained microbiologist who also helps healthcare professionals with marketing .
And they did .

Tech billionaires are stepping up to ship masks out to help ease shortages. Medical safety equipment shortages are putting care providers at risk due to the coronavirus pandemic. Along the way, some real innovation is happening, too, from ordinary people.
I don’t know about you but I’m looking around for any good news stories I can find these days. The can-do spirit of the American people is undeniable. Face masks and N95 respirators are in short supply which adds to the stress medical workers are feeling. Apple CEO Tim Cook announced Saturday that the company will donate “millions of masks for health professionals in the US and Europe.” This announcement follows up on what Vice-President Pence mentioned during a coronavirus task force press briefing.
“The president and I literally heard directly from Apple that they’re donating 2 million industrial masks to this effort around the country and working with our administration to distribute those,” Pence said at a White House press briefing.
Our teams at Apple have been working to help source supplies for healthcare providers fighting COVID-19. We’re donating millions of masks for health professionals in the US and Europe. To every one of the heroes on the front lines, we thank you. — Tim Cook (@tim_cook) March 21, 2020
During the Saturday briefing, Pence said HHS “placed an order for hundreds of millions of N95 masks,” with the order coordinated through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. There is no confirmed date of delivery, though. Some medical care providers are making due with less effective masks or rationing masks. This increases the chance of exposure for them when we need them to remain healthy and on the job now. Pence also called upon construction companies to donate industrial masks that can be substituted in for standard medical masks. “Those industrial masks that they use on construction sites are perfectly acceptable for healthcare workers to be protected from a respiratory disease,” he said.
Some donations from the corporate world are going directly to specific facilities. For example, Elon Musk donated “a truckload of PPEs (masks, gowns, etc.)” to a Los Angeles facility.
I want to publicly thank @elonmusk for sending a truckload of PPEs (masks, gowns, etc.) to UCLA Health today! They will be put to good use. My wife, her co-workers and her patients thank you profusely. pic.twitter.com/SiAdqMcPCT — Peyton Reed (@MrPeytonReed) March 22, 2020
And, Mark Zuckerberg is making a large donation of masks and searching for more to give. He posted the announcement on Facebook.
Health workers urgently need more protective gear. To help, Facebook donated our emergency reserve of 720,000 masks that we had bought in case the wildfires continued. We’re also working on sourcing millions of more to donate. I hope you’re all staying healthy and safe!
The mom and pop style innovation is happening, too, as creative minds come together to work on easing the shortage of masks. My sister lives in Montana and sent along an article from her local newspaper about a doctor who is using 3D printers to make masks. Pretty cool, right?
In Billings, Montana, the state’s largest city, surgeons are being asked to use only one mask per day instead of using a new one for each patient. The drastic measure is being taken in order to stretch out their supply, hoping to not completely run out. A neurosurgeon went to work to find a better solution.
“We commonly change those masks out between every case for sanitary reasons,” said Dr. Dusty Richardson, a neurosurgeon at Billings Clinic. “Starting about two weeks ago, the supply became limited enough that we have now been only able to use one mask per day.”
Last Thursday night he had an idea. He teamed up with a local dentist who has four 3D printers and his son, who has experience in design. They developed a plastic surgical mask that can be used 6 to 10 times. A template was used on the son’s face and it can be scaled up or down to fit other faces. The mask can be cleaned between uses by wiping them down and sanitizing them. The masks take about two hours to print and cost a dollar each to produce.
Then another company in Billings came up with a timesaving solution – a machine that can cut dozens of inserts at once instead of one surgical mask being cut at a time.
“Essentially, we can use hospital grade filtration material that fits right there inside the mask and can be massed produced,” said Richardson. The inserts are made of hospital grade, HEPA filtration material.
So, in a matter of days, a local solution to help in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic was created and expanded upon to increase the supply of masks in that city. This is something other cities can do, too, with the help of 3D printers. Richardson is partnering with others locally to get masks widely distributed, mostly for free.
Billings Public Schools has offered their help with the use of the districts 3D printers. “We want this to be free to everybody,” said Richardson. “We want to disseminate the information so that people can start making these things.” “My hope with this is that in communities that are experiencing critical shortages of these materials they can take what materials they have left on hand and use them and extend them and make them last longer,” Richardson said.
It’s a great story. A surgeon, a dentist, and a son came together – “Let’s build a mask,” said Colton, a trained microbiologist who also helps healthcare professionals with marketing. And they did.


hotair--2020-03-23--A loophole is allowing Bloomberg to dump $18M into the DNC's coffers

Michael Bloomberg ’ s ill-fated presidential bid may be “ suspended ” ( which means ended for all intents and purposes ) , but it ’ s still active in a way that ’ s exposing a glaring loophole in our campaign finance rules .
Many campaigns end up in the hole when the candidate drops out of the race , leaving them scrambling to continue to raise funds to cover their debts .
Not so with Bloomberg .
He loaned his own campaign a bazillion dollars of his own money and he still had some left over when he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And now , he ’ s dropping nearly twenty million on the DNC .
This is not how the system was designed to work .
( Free Beacon ) Michael Bloomberg announced he will transfer $ 18 million from his failed presidential campaign to the Democratic National Committee—a move experts say exploits a loophole in campaign finance laws… Experts are assailing the move , which they say allows Bloomberg to bypass individual donor limits .
“ Incredible .
Candidates may transfer leftover campaign funds to the party , but I don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in this way and to this degree , ” said Brendan Fischer , program director at the Campaign Legal Center .
“ It guarantees that Bloomberg will retain enormous influence over the Democratic Party.
” Lee Goodman , former chairman of the Federal Election Commission , referred to the multimillion-dollar transfer as a “ legal two-step.
” Normally , individual donors are limited to giving $ 35,500 to either the DNC or the RNC .
They can also contribute a bit more than $ 100K to other projects such as convention costs and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are allowed to “ transfer ” their extra money to other committees with no limits on the amounts involved .
This usually isn ’ t a problem because the campaigns generally collect money from individuals who are all capped in how much they can give .
In that sense , when a campaign conducts such a transfer , they ’ re basically just taking those smaller , individual donations , bundling them and shifting them over to the committee .
But the Bloomberg campaign was rather unique in that regard .
That was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and he ’ s now giving a huge shot in the arm to the DNC that normally wouldn ’ t have been possible .
This definitely opens the door to future abuse .
What ’ s to stop Tom Steyer from doing the same thing , albeit probably in smaller amounts ?
For that matter , every billionaire in the country could just announce that they are running for some high office , form a campaign , flush massive amounts of money into it and then drop out of the race .
Sure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they were doing and the optics would be terrible , but it would still be legal .
There is a two-step solution to this nasty bit of business available if the concerned parties are willing to address it and they truly care about the spirt as well as the letter of the law .
First of all , the rules clearly need to be changed .
Either limit the amount that campaigns can transfer or mandate that they provide a list of the individual donors who contributed the money to show that nobody @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this would be the truly stunning and impressive part – the DNC should announce that they ’ re not going to accept the money from Bloomberg and that they will be working across the aisle to reform the process so this doesn ’ t happen again in the future .
I ’ m not holding my breath for that to happen , however .
Given that the RNC has been outraising the DNC by a nearly three-to-one clip this cycle , the Democrats need every dime they can scrape up .
It seems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nose up at a quick 18 million dollar score , no matter how bad it looks .

Michael Bloomberg’s ill-fated presidential bid may be “suspended” (which means ended for all intents and purposes), but it’s still active in a way that’s exposing a glaring loophole in our campaign finance rules. Many campaigns end up in the hole when the candidate drops out of the race, leaving them scrambling to continue to raise funds to cover their debts. Not so with Bloomberg. He loaned his own campaign a bazillion dollars of his own money and he still had some left over when he finally dropped out of the race. And now, he’s dropping nearly twenty million on the DNC. This is not how the system was designed to work. (Free Beacon)
Michael Bloomberg announced he will transfer $18 million from his failed presidential campaign to the Democratic National Committee—a move experts say exploits a loophole in campaign finance laws… Experts are assailing the move, which they say allows Bloomberg to bypass individual donor limits. “Incredible. Candidates may transfer leftover campaign funds to the party, but I don’t believe that loophole has ever been exploited in this way and to this degree,” said Brendan Fischer, program director at the Campaign Legal Center. “It guarantees that Bloomberg will retain enormous influence over the Democratic Party.” Lee Goodman, former chairman of the Federal Election Commission, referred to the multimillion-dollar transfer as a “legal two-step.”
Normally, individual donors are limited to giving $35,500 to either the DNC or the RNC. They can also contribute a bit more than $100K to other projects such as convention costs and legal defense funds. But political campaigns are allowed to “transfer” their extra money to other committees with no limits on the amounts involved.
This usually isn’t a problem because the campaigns generally collect money from individuals who are all capped in how much they can give. In that sense, when a campaign conducts such a transfer, they’re basically just taking those smaller, individual donations, bundling them and shifting them over to the committee. But the Bloomberg campaign was rather unique in that regard. That was almost entirely Bloomberg’s own money and he’s now giving a huge shot in the arm to the DNC that normally wouldn’t have been possible.
This definitely opens the door to future abuse. What’s to stop Tom Steyer from doing the same thing, albeit probably in smaller amounts? For that matter, every billionaire in the country could just announce that they are running for some high office, form a campaign, flush massive amounts of money into it and then drop out of the race. Sure, it would be totally obvious what they were doing and the optics would be terrible, but it would still be legal.
There is a two-step solution to this nasty bit of business available if the concerned parties are willing to address it and they truly care about the spirt as well as the letter of the law. First of all, the rules clearly need to be changed. Either limit the amount that campaigns can transfer or mandate that they provide a list of the individual donors who contributed the money to show that nobody exceeded the limits.
Then – and this would be the truly stunning and impressive part – the DNC should announce that they’re not going to accept the money from Bloomberg and that they will be working across the aisle to reform the process so this doesn’t happen again in the future. I’m not holding my breath for that to happen, however. Given that the RNC has been outraising the DNC by a nearly three-to-one clip this cycle, the Democrats need every dime they can scrape up. It seems unlikely that they’d turn their nose up at a quick 18 million dollar score, no matter how bad it looks.


hotair--2020-03-23--"This week, it's going to get bad": Surgeon General tells America to "stay home"

Get serious , people .
That ’ s the message that Surgeon General Jerome Adams told NBC ’ s Savannah Guthrie on Today about the coronavirus and the need to slow its roll across America .
“ We don ’ t want Dallas , or New Orleans , or Chicago to turn into the next New York , ” Adam said , pressing home the urgency of staying at home rather than congregating in public .
“ This week , it ’ s going to get bad , ” Adams warned about the rate of contagion in the second half @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Spread ” effort : “ I want America to understand this week , it ’ s going to get bad , ” Adams said in an interview on the “ TODAY ” show .
The disease is spreading , he said , because many people — especially young people — are not abiding by guidance to stay at home and practice social distancing .
“ Right now , there are not enough people out there who are taking this seriously , ” he said .
Adams said that young people are flocking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are still heading to the National Mall in Washington , D.C. to view the cherry blossom trees that bloom each year .
He warned that young people need to understand that they can contract COVID-19 , the disease caused by the coronavirus , and they can be hospitalized and potentially die from it .
“ Everyone needs to act as if they have the virus right now .
So , test or no test .
We need you to understand you could be spreading it to someone else .
Or you could be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at home , ” he said .
“ I hear the urgency in your voice , ” Guthrie remarks , but then presses Adams on an overnight tweet from Donald Trump .
The president appeared to strongly hint that he would call for an end to shelter-in-place orders at the end of the 15-day period : Adams replies that the 15-day period was initially launched to prevent a massive spike as seen in Italy , in the hope that it would “ instill a sense of urgency across America.
” Unfortunately , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adopted , Adams explains , which is why next week will get bad , and likely the week after that even worse now .
“ Every single day counts , every single second counts , ” Adams says , which is why all people “ need to act as if they have the virus right now ” and stay in self-quarantine as much as possible .
Was Trump serious about the cure being worse than the disease ?
James Pethokoukis thinks so , and also thinks it ’ s a valid concern .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ has health implications of its own , which means that this requires a series of trade-offs .
If we can avoid outstripping hospital resources to deal with the worst cases , then we should think about reopening businesses : Fine and dandy , says radiologist ( and Hot Air reader ) Pradheep Shanker .
But let ’ s establish that we know the scope of the outbreak and whether we can contain the worst-case response : This is why the lack of testing development early on matters .
We are still flying blind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ How many people have coronavirus ?
Who develops the symptoms , and why ?
What is the overall mortality rate , and what is the expected hospitalization rate ?
More data on those questions is coming in now , but until we institute widespread testing — or at least large-sample random testing of populations around the US — we don ’ t know the amplitude on any of those questions for certain .
Until we know that , we can ’ t know whether the cure is worse than the disease .
At @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expect another 15-day period to be announced .
That will be easier to swallow if the bailout and stimulus packages get through Congress .
At the end of thirty days , however , pressure might get too high to reopen even with those bailouts in hand .
And by that time , in all likelihood , it may not matter in terms of spread any more , especially with idiots still piling onto beaches and into cherry-blossom parks .
Get serious , people .
Addendum : Lindsey Graham wants Trump to err on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s actually more up to the state governors than it is to Trump anyway , but tone and message matter .
It ’ s easier for governors to keep containment policies in place when Trump offers public support for them .

Get serious, people. That’s the message that Surgeon General Jerome Adams told NBC’s Savannah Guthrie on Today about the coronavirus and the need to slow its roll across America. “We don’t want Dallas, or New Orleans, or Chicago to turn into the next New York,” Adam said, pressing home the urgency of staying at home rather than congregating in public. “This week, it’s going to get bad,” Adams warned about the rate of contagion in the second half of the “15 Days to Slow the Spread” effort:
“I want America to understand this week, it’s going to get bad,” Adams said in an interview on the “TODAY” show. The disease is spreading, he said, because many people — especially young people — are not abiding by guidance to stay at home and practice social distancing. “Right now, there are not enough people out there who are taking this seriously,” he said. Adams said that young people are flocking to the beaches in California and people are still heading to the National Mall in Washington, D.C. to view the cherry blossom trees that bloom each year. He warned that young people need to understand that they can contract COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, and they can be hospitalized and potentially die from it. “Everyone needs to act as if they have the virus right now. So, test or no test. We need you to understand you could be spreading it to someone else. Or you could be getting it from someone else, stay at home,” he said.
“I hear the urgency in your voice,” Guthrie remarks, but then presses Adams on an overnight tweet from Donald Trump. The president appeared to strongly hint that he would call for an end to shelter-in-place orders at the end of the 15-day period:
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1241935285916782593
Adams replies that the 15-day period was initially launched to prevent a massive spike as seen in Italy, in the hope that it would “instill a sense of urgency across America.” Unfortunately, the mitigation measures haven’t been universally adopted, Adams explains, which is why next week will get bad, and likely the week after that even worse now. “Every single day counts, every single second counts,” Adams says, which is why all people “need to act as if they have the virus right now” and stay in self-quarantine as much as possible.
Was Trump serious about the cure being worse than the disease? James Pethokoukis thinks so, and also thinks it’s a valid concern. The rapid destruction of a national economy has health implications of its own, which means that this requires a series of trade-offs. If we can avoid outstripping hospital resources to deal with the worst cases, then we should think about reopening businesses:
I don't know what the right amount of quarantine time is. But a liquidation of the US economy also has health consequences, both long and short. We can't pretend there are no trade-offs. https://t.co/Tr4j0UHzqs — James Pethokoukis (@JimPethokoukis) March 23, 2020
Fine and dandy, says radiologist (and Hot Air reader) Pradheep Shanker. But let’s establish that we know the scope of the outbreak and whether we can contain the worst-case response:
True. That is why the rapid stimulus is necessary. My plan, in general? 1. Can stop 'shelter in place' when and if we can do rapid, widespread testing, AND monitor/quarantine positive patients.
2. Once that occurs, slowly let states decide to remove restrictions. — Pradheep J. Shanker (@Neoavatara) March 23, 2020
This is why the lack of testing development early on matters. We are still flying blind on the scope of the problem. How many people have coronavirus? Who develops the symptoms, and why? What is the overall mortality rate, and what is the expected hospitalization rate? More data on those questions is coming in now, but until we institute widespread testing — or at least large-sample random testing of populations around the US — we don’t know the amplitude on any of those questions for certain. Until we know that, we can’t know whether the cure is worse than the disease.
At the end of this fifteen-day period, expect another 15-day period to be announced. That will be easier to swallow if the bailout and stimulus packages get through Congress. At the end of thirty days, however, pressure might get too high to reopen even with those bailouts in hand. And by that time, in all likelihood, it may not matter in terms of spread any more, especially with idiots still piling onto beaches and into cherry-blossom parks. Get serious, people.
Addendum: Lindsey Graham wants Trump to err on the side of containment:
President Trump’s best decision was stopping travel from China early on. I hope we will not undercut that decision by suggesting we back off aggressive containment policies within the United States. — Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) March 23, 2020
It’s actually more up to the state governors than it is to Trump anyway, but tone and message matter. It’s easier for governors to keep containment policies in place when Trump offers public support for them.


hotair--2020-03-23--NYC is short of medical supplies because somebody forgot to order them

Every time New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio goes on cable news to give an update on the coronavirus situation in his city , he unfailingly makes sure to get in a few jabs blaming Donald Trump for all of our woes .
These performances stand in stark contrast to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo who has managed to work closely with the White House and get a lot done .
The current topic raising concerns in the city is the lack of medical supplies , including surgical masks , gloves and hand sanitizer .
There aren ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when the spread of the virus in Gotham finally peaks .
So that must be President Trump ’ s fault , right ?
It didn ’ t take long for the New York Post to poke a few holes in that trial balloon .
A bit of digging through city records revealed that , despite knowing about the spread of the virus back in January , City Hall in New York didn ’ t put in their first order for additional masks and hand sanitizer until two weeks ago .
As usual , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lack of planning .
Mayor Bill de Blasio has blamed President Trump for the city ’ s severe shortage of COVID-19 supplies even though City Hall didn ’ t put in its first order for emergency protective gear until March 6 , The Post has learned .
City officials waited for over two months after the coronavirus outbreak first hit China to start emergency procurements of masks and hand sanitizer , putting in orders on March 6 and March 10 , according to the city comptroller ’ s office .
“ Our city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States , and we are lacking supplies because the mayor didn ’ t notice until two weeks ago ?
” fumed City Councilman Chaim Deutsch .
Amazingly , Bill de Blasio has managed to bungle the response to the spread of the virus badly enough that the spirit of bipartisanship seems to be creeping back into Big Apple politics .
The person carping about the Mayor ’ s lack of foresight in the excerpt above , Councilman Chaim Deutsch , is a Democrat .
He went on to cite , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of this administration.
” Even after City Hall finally realized that maybe they needed to order more of these supplies , the process for placing the orders was bungled .
The City Comptroller approved the payment for the masks and sanitizer the same day it was received .
But it then took at least three days for the other approvals to be stamped .
By that time , the supplier New York City normally uses for such orders had already run out .
More delays ensued .
The Post goes on to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 25 million masks , 2 million bottles of sanitizer , 12,000 thermometers and 2,000 ventilators .
But with everyone in the country scrambling to find these specific products , “ turnaround times vary significantly.
” ( Gee… ya think ? )
When can we expect the logjam to ease ?
3M Corporation is a major manufacturer of the most sought-after masks and they just announced that they ’ ve ramped up production to a level of 1.1 billion per year globally , including 400 million in the United States .
Designers of fashion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ producing masks and hospital gowns .
People are really trying to help meet the need , but it ’ s going to take time .
And even then , it ’ s going to require municipal administrators to actually remember to place orders for the products .
This article was edited to reflect that 3M will be producing 400 million masks in the United States annually .
The original version incorrectly listed the figure as 400,000 .

Every time New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio goes on cable news to give an update on the coronavirus situation in his city, he unfailingly makes sure to get in a few jabs blaming Donald Trump for all of our woes. These performances stand in stark contrast to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo who has managed to work closely with the White House and get a lot done. The current topic raising concerns in the city is the lack of medical supplies, including surgical masks, gloves and hand sanitizer. There aren’t enough to cover the anticipated patient load when the spread of the virus in Gotham finally peaks. So that must be President Trump’s fault, right?
It didn’t take long for the New York Post to poke a few holes in that trial balloon. A bit of digging through city records revealed that, despite knowing about the spread of the virus back in January, City Hall in New York didn’t put in their first order for additional masks and hand sanitizer until two weeks ago. As usual, bureaucratic red tape was blamed for the lack of planning.
Mayor Bill de Blasio has blamed President Trump for the city’s severe shortage of COVID-19 supplies even though City Hall didn’t put in its first order for emergency protective gear until March 6, The Post has learned. City officials waited for over two months after the coronavirus outbreak first hit China to start emergency procurements of masks and hand sanitizer, putting in orders on March 6 and March 10, according to the city comptroller’s office. “Our city is the epicenter of this outbreak in the United States, and we are lacking supplies because the mayor didn’t notice until two weeks ago?” fumed City Councilman Chaim Deutsch.
Amazingly, Bill de Blasio has managed to bungle the response to the spread of the virus badly enough that the spirit of bipartisanship seems to be creeping back into Big Apple politics. The person carping about the Mayor’s lack of foresight in the excerpt above, Councilman Chaim Deutsch, is a Democrat. He went on to cite, “a distinct lack of management on the part of this administration.”
Even after City Hall finally realized that maybe they needed to order more of these supplies, the process for placing the orders was bungled. The City Comptroller approved the payment for the masks and sanitizer the same day it was received. But it then took at least three days for the other approvals to be stamped. By that time, the supplier New York City normally uses for such orders had already run out. More delays ensued.
The Post goes on to report that the city has now ordered 25 million masks, 2 million bottles of sanitizer, 12,000 thermometers and 2,000 ventilators. But with everyone in the country scrambling to find these specific products, “turnaround times vary significantly.” (Gee… ya think?)
When can we expect the logjam to ease? 3M Corporation is a major manufacturer of the most sought-after masks and they just announced that they’ve ramped up production to a level of 1.1 billion per year globally, including 400 million in the United States. Designers of fashion apparel in California have switched over to producing masks and hospital gowns. People are really trying to help meet the need, but it’s going to take time. And even then, it’s going to require municipal administrators to actually remember to place orders for the products.
This article was edited to reflect that 3M will be producing 400 million masks in the United States annually. The original version incorrectly listed the figure as 400,000.


hotair--2020-03-23--NBC's Today: You'd better believe it was Senate Dems who torpedoed coronavirus relief

Democrats ’ strategic debacle continued apace this morning as news organizations report on their last-minute renege on the coronavirus relief package late yesterday .
This is more of a headline than a substantive report , but nevertheless NBC ’ s Today show makes it clear that Democrats obstructed the bill .
If Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer expected the media to carry their water , thus far they have miscalculated : Despite some headline revisions yesterday on their initial reporting , the New York Times has opted this morning for clarity : Senate Democrats on Sunday blocked action on an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ devastated by the coronavirus pandemic , paralyzing the progress of a nearly $ 2 trillion government rescue package they said failed to adequately protect workers or impose strict enough restrictions on bailed-out businesses .
… In voting to block action , Democrats risked a political backlash if they are seen as obstructing progress on a measure that is widely regarded as crucial to aid desperate Americans and prop up a flagging economy .
But they argued the vote on Sunday was premature given their remaining reservations about the measure , while Republicans heaped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both the public and the markets .
“ This is irresponsible and unwise , ” said Senator Susan Collins , Republican of Maine .
“ They are playing with fire.
” The move enraged Republicans , whose numbers were dwindling after Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky announced on Sunday that he had contracted the coronavirus and prompted two other senators to self-isolate and miss the vote that evening .
The Democratic maneuver , they argued , contravened days of bipartisan negotiations and jeopardized faith that Congress was capable of mustering a legislative salve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slightly more favorable treatment in the Washington Post , where the headline focuses on the “ clash between Republicans and Democrats.
” The lead places the blame for obstruction squarely on Democrats , however : Senate Democrats blocked a massive coronavirus stimulus bill from moving forward Sunday as partisan disputes raged over the legislation aimed at arresting the economy ’ s precipitous decline .
Lawmakers had hoped to pass the enormous $ 1.8 trillion bill by Monday , but Sunday night they were scrambling to revive talks , with the stock market poised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ businesses fretting about an uncertain future .
The Los Angeles Times avoids the blame game , opting instead for a focus on the agreement that a bill is needed quickly : Although both parties said they agreed on the urgency of passing a measure quickly as unemployment rapidly mounts and jittery markets prepared to reopen Monday , the two sides remained at loggerheads on several key issues , including how much money to provide state and local governments faced with the crisis and how much authority to give administration officials to decide which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawmakers and their staffs prepared to meet into the wee hours , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) , warned of “ an ugly ” Monday in financial markets without a deal .
He planned to try again to bring to the floor a key procedural vote on Monday .
“ Our nation can not afford a game of chicken , ” McConnell said , adding that he hoped for a “ change of heart ” from Democrats .
But Senate Democratic leader Charles E. Schumer of New York said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ T. Mnuchin , representing the administration , and that there was a “ good chance we ’ ll have an agreement ” in the morning .
The hardball tactics from both parties came at the end of a weekend of negotiations among rank-and-file lawmakers and between congressional leaders and Mnuchin .
That might be more notable for the dog that didn ’ t bark .
Normally , the media frames disputes as GOP generated , with political machinations generally credited to Republicans .
The media ’ s “ Republicans pounce ” narrative has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become practically a drinking game .
The lack of pouncing in the LAT ’ s story — indeed , the lack of any hint of politics — is at least a failure of Democrats ’ attempts to blame Republicans for any impasse .
The two sides will do their best to patch things up before the next vote , which has been moved to noon ET after Schumer objected to McConnell ’ s 9:45 motion .
The markets are going to panic if Congress can ’ t take effective action quickly , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blamed for this mess .
Voters ’ retirement security is burning away while Schumer and Pelosi fiddle on Capitol Hill .
McConnell will likely propose a fig leaf of more oversight on Treasury ’ s management of the bailout fund and perhaps incorporate Donald Trump ’ s suggestion of a restriction on stock buy-backs , made in yesterday ’ s presser .
If that ’ s what it takes to get a deal done and restore confidence in leadership , both McConnell and Schumer had better do it .
And Schumer should fire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strategy in 2020 .

Democrats’ strategic debacle continued apace this morning as news organizations report on their last-minute renege on the coronavirus relief package late yesterday. This is more of a headline than a substantive report, but nevertheless NBC’s Today show makes it clear that Democrats obstructed the bill. If Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer expected the media to carry their water, thus far they have miscalculated:
The new $2.3 trillion-coronavirus aid package was blocked by Senate Democrats on Capitol Hill, where there has also been a new case of the virus, @tomcostellonbc reports. pic.twitter.com/zBCQP7WyN1 — TODAY (@TODAYshow) March 23, 2020
Despite some headline revisions yesterday on their initial reporting, the New York Times has opted this morning for clarity:
Senate Democrats on Sunday blocked action on an emerging deal to prop up an economy devastated by the coronavirus pandemic, paralyzing the progress of a nearly $2 trillion government rescue package they said failed to adequately protect workers or impose strict enough restrictions on bailed-out businesses. … In voting to block action, Democrats risked a political backlash if they are seen as obstructing progress on a measure that is widely regarded as crucial to aid desperate Americans and prop up a flagging economy. But they argued the vote on Sunday was premature given their remaining reservations about the measure, while Republicans heaped criticism on them for creating uncertainty for both the public and the markets. “This is irresponsible and unwise,” said Senator Susan Collins, Republican of Maine. “They are playing with fire.” The move enraged Republicans, whose numbers were dwindling after Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky announced on Sunday that he had contracted the coronavirus and prompted two other senators to self-isolate and miss the vote that evening. The Democratic maneuver, they argued, contravened days of bipartisan negotiations and jeopardized faith that Congress was capable of mustering a legislative salve for a shuddering economy.
Democrats got slightly more favorable treatment in the Washington Post, where the headline focuses on the “clash between Republicans and Democrats.” The lead places the blame for obstruction squarely on Democrats, however:
Senate Democrats blocked a massive coronavirus stimulus bill from moving forward Sunday as partisan disputes raged over the legislation aimed at arresting the economy’s precipitous decline. Lawmakers had hoped to pass the enormous $1.8 trillion bill by Monday, but Sunday night they were scrambling to revive talks, with the stock market poised for another sharp drop and households and businesses fretting about an uncertain future.
The Los Angeles Times avoids the blame game, opting instead for a focus on the agreement that a bill is needed quickly:
Although both parties said they agreed on the urgency of passing a measure quickly as unemployment rapidly mounts and jittery markets prepared to reopen Monday, the two sides remained at loggerheads on several key issues, including how much money to provide state and local governments faced with the crisis and how much authority to give administration officials to decide which major businesses to bail out. As lawmakers and their staffs prepared to meet into the wee hours, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), warned of “an ugly” Monday in financial markets without a deal. He planned to try again to bring to the floor a key procedural vote on Monday. “Our nation cannot afford a game of chicken,” McConnell said, adding that he hoped for a “change of heart” from Democrats. But Senate Democratic leader Charles E. Schumer of New York said he had been meeting with Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin, representing the administration, and that there was a “good chance we’ll have an agreement” in the morning. The hardball tactics from both parties came at the end of a weekend of negotiations among rank-and-file lawmakers and between congressional leaders and Mnuchin.
That might be more notable for the dog that didn’t bark. Normally, the media frames disputes as GOP generated, with political machinations generally credited to Republicans. The media’s “Republicans pounce” narrative has been used so much that it has become practically a drinking game. The lack of pouncing in the LAT’s story — indeed, the lack of any hint of politics — is at least a failure of Democrats’ attempts to blame Republicans for any impasse.
The two sides will do their best to patch things up before the next vote, which has been moved to noon ET after Schumer objected to McConnell’s 9:45 motion. The markets are going to panic if Congress can’t take effective action quickly, which matters a lot more than who gets blamed for this mess. Voters’ retirement security is burning away while Schumer and Pelosi fiddle on Capitol Hill. McConnell will likely propose a fig leaf of more oversight on Treasury’s management of the bailout fund and perhaps incorporate Donald Trump’s suggestion of a restriction on stock buy-backs, made in yesterday’s presser. If that’s what it takes to get a deal done and restore confidence in leadership, both McConnell and Schumer had better do it.
And Schumer should fire whoever’s handling Democrats’ political strategy in 2020.


hotair--2020-03-23--Why the biophysicist who correctly predicted China's virus spread says "we'll be fine"

Anyone else out there getting tired of all the gloom and doom in the news regarding the spread of the virus ?
I know I certainly am .
With that in mind , let ’ s take a look at one person who is countering the common narrative describing 2020 as the End Times by saying that he ’ s run the numbers multiple times and we ’ re going to be fine .
This may not be just pie in the sky to make us feel better , either .
Michael Levitt is a Nobel Prize-winning Stanford biophysicist and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of infections and deaths since the virus first started picking up steam in January .
The level of prescience he showed in predicting how this pandemic would roll out in both China and Italy is nothing short of amazing .
Now he ’ s been tracking the numbers here in the United States and he ’ s concluded that this thing may be over sooner than previous predictions indicated .
( LA Times ) Michael Levitt , a Nobel laureate and Stanford biophysicist , began analyzing the number of COVID-19 cases worldwide in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get through the worst of its coronavirus outbreak long before many health experts had predicted .
Now he foresees a similar outcome in the United States and the rest of the world .
While many epidemiologists are warning of months , or even years , of massive social disruption and millions of deaths , Levitt says the data simply don ’ t support such a dire scenario — especially in areas where reasonable social distancing measures are in place .
“ What we need is to control the panic , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ re going to be fine.
” Anyone can make predictions , but before we start paying too much attention to them we should look at their track record .
Here ’ s what Levitt predicted for China compared to what actually happened .
On February 1st , he predicted that the number of deaths in China would peak in three weeks and begin to decrease .
21 days later the published numbers peaked .
At that time , he published his prediction that China would end up with around 80,000 confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths .
By March 19 , China recorded a total of 80,298 cases and 3,245 deaths .
As the linked report goes on to remind us , that ’ s an unbelievable accuracy rate when you ’ re talking about a country with 1.4 billion people .
Levitt believes that the number of cases in the United States is still increasing , but the rate of increase has already begun to slow .
If that pattern continues and everyone gets on board with social distancing , we should hit a peak in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decline .
Of course , he also warns us that it might not be the last peak , particularly if everyone goes back to normal interactions immediately .
His predictions may be helped by another bit of potentially good news .
The CDC is still hopeful that the warmer weather of the summer will tamp down the coronavirus much the same way it does the flu .
Of course , the news out of Australia ( where it ’ s currently summer ) doesn ’ t seem to support that thus far .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ way , it could give us another solid six months or so to get an effective vaccine or antiviral treatment approved and deployed .
I ’ m definitely hoping that Dr. Levitt is as smart as we all hope he is .
We could certainly use some good news at this point .

Anyone else out there getting tired of all the gloom and doom in the news regarding the spread of the virus? I know I certainly am. With that in mind, let’s take a look at one person who is countering the common narrative describing 2020 as the End Times by saying that he’s run the numbers multiple times and we’re going to be fine. This may not be just pie in the sky to make us feel better, either.
Michael Levitt is a Nobel Prize-winning Stanford biophysicist and someone who has been analyzing the pattern of infections and deaths since the virus first started picking up steam in January. The level of prescience he showed in predicting how this pandemic would roll out in both China and Italy is nothing short of amazing. Now he’s been tracking the numbers here in the United States and he’s concluded that this thing may be over sooner than previous predictions indicated. (LA Times)
Michael Levitt, a Nobel laureate and Stanford biophysicist, began analyzing the number of COVID-19 cases worldwide in January and correctly calculated that China would get through the worst of its coronavirus outbreak long before many health experts had predicted. Now he foresees a similar outcome in the United States and the rest of the world. While many epidemiologists are warning of months, or even years, of massive social disruption and millions of deaths, Levitt says the data simply don’t support such a dire scenario — especially in areas where reasonable social distancing measures are in place. “What we need is to control the panic,” he said. In the grand scheme, “we’re going to be fine.”
Anyone can make predictions, but before we start paying too much attention to them we should look at their track record. Here’s what Levitt predicted for China compared to what actually happened.
On February 1st, he predicted that the number of deaths in China would peak in three weeks and begin to decrease. 21 days later the published numbers peaked. At that time, he published his prediction that China would end up with around 80,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with about 3,250 deaths. By March 19, China recorded a total of 80,298 cases and 3,245 deaths. As the linked report goes on to remind us, that’s an unbelievable accuracy rate when you’re talking about a country with 1.4 billion people.
Levitt believes that the number of cases in the United States is still increasing, but the rate of increase has already begun to slow. If that pattern continues and everyone gets on board with social distancing, we should hit a peak in a few weeks and then see a steady decline. Of course, he also warns us that it might not be the last peak, particularly if everyone goes back to normal interactions immediately.
His predictions may be helped by another bit of potentially good news. The CDC is still hopeful that the warmer weather of the summer will tamp down the coronavirus much the same way it does the flu. Of course, the news out of Australia (where it’s currently summer) doesn’t seem to support that thus far. But if it does work out that way, it could give us another solid six months or so to get an effective vaccine or antiviral treatment approved and deployed.
I’m definitely hoping that Dr. Levitt is as smart as we all hope he is. We could certainly use some good news at this point.


hotair--2020-03-23--Texas governor: No to statewide shelter in place, one county responds

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has resisted doing a statewide lockdown so far .
He keeps Texans updated on the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in the state daily and seems to be making decisions on a day by day basis .
His main message is that the urban areas of the state are under pressure to keep up with the pandemic as it spreads but most of the state is not affected , at least not yet .
Abbott is not burying his head in the sand .
334 novel coronavirus cases have been confirmed across Texas , as of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to the state health department .
About 200 more presumptive positive cases have been reported by Johns Hopkins University .
Given the numbers that other large states are dealing with , the number in Texas is still small .
The governor has warned that tens of thousands of cases are possible .
As testing becomes more available , the numbers will go up .
Governor Abbott has declared the state ’ s first public health disaster since 1901 .
The measures in that declaration include no gatherings of more than 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or take out service ( but liquor can be ordered and delivered with a meal ) , bars and clubs are closed , as are gyms .
You get the idea .
Everyone is encouraged to stay at home , if possible .
The Dallas Morning News ran a piece Sunday about concerns that the area will experience a shortage of hospital beds by late April .
Governor Abbott is being encouraged by a Dallas-area hospital association to order residents to stay home .
The chilling warning , based on one projection the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , illustrates how quickly Texas hospitals could be overrun by the spread of the new coronavirus and the disease it causes , COVID-19 .
“ We need your help , ” Steve Love , president and CEO of the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council wrote in an email Saturday urging his members to pressure the governor to impose a shelter in place order .
“ Thank you for your immediate action as we want the governor to take this urgent action statewide rather than individual counties or cities.
” Love ’ s email , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from mayors , health care executives , school leaders and business owners in the Dallas area , represents the latest effort to pressure the governor for stricter restrictions to combat the virus ’ s spread .
Texas has 254 counties and as of Sunday , the governor said he is unwilling to shutdown the entire state because 200 counties have not reported any cases of the coronavirus .
He did issue two new executive orders Sunday to help ease any upcoming stress on the hospital system .
“ He directed all licensed healthcare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ procedures not medically necessary to correct a medical condition or to save a patient ’ s life .
His second executive order includes trying to maximize hospital rooms , and he gave an example of possibly treating more than one patient in a room to increase the number of people who can get treated.
” When asked about Governor Abbott ’ s approach during Sunday ’ s coronavirus task force press briefing , President Trump praised the governor .
“ He ’ s a great governor , and he knows what he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ areas that he ’ s talking about , a lot of the counties he ’ s talking about are not very strongly affected , ” Trump said .
“ .
..I have total confidence in Gov .
Greg Abbott.
” Pressed as to whether the lack of uniform restrictions among states and within states is acceptable , Trump said it is .
“ Every state ’ s different .
Idaho , West Virginia , Iowa , Nebraska , are much different than New York , than California — Los Angeles as an example @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , noting that current hot spots for the outbreak are in Washington state , California and New York .
“ That ’ s the hot spot like no other hot spot.
” Trump ’ s right – individual states don ’ t benefit from a one size fits all approach .
Texas is not a hot spot , at least not now .
The uncertainty of how this pandemic will spread across the country is stressful but as long as Texans can go about their business while doing what is being asked of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 people , social distancing , hand washing , support local restaurants by ordering delivery or take-out food – perhaps the devastation to our way of life won ’ t be as severe as in other places .
Stay home when you can .
In response to the governor ’ s directions Sunday , County Judge Clay Jenkins ordered Dallas County to shelter-in-place starting Monday .
( County Judges are not necessarily actual judges in Texas .
They are the CEO , if you will , of the county .
They work with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis . )
Residents are prohibited from leaving their residence except for “ essential activity ” .
The order stands until April 3 .
In a news conference Sunday , Judge Jenkins ensured residents that this decision was not an easy one .
“ This order is our best chance to flatten the curve here in Dallas County and save as many lives as possible , ” he said .
“ I know there will be economic hardships with this .
It makes me sick that we are at this point.
” For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ include hotels , motels , shared rentals and similar facilities .
Anyone who leaves their residence is to provide or perform essential governmental functions , or to operate essential businesses .
All non-essential businesses operating within Dallas County are required to cease all activities at facilities located within the county .
However , businesses can continue operations consisting exclusively of employees or contractors working from home .
In contrast , Harris County Judge Hildalgo ( Houston and surrounding areas ) has chosen to not issue a shelter in place order , as of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left the option open , if needed , but for now she is going with the governor ’ s original orders .
Two major urban areas in the state , two different choices .
As testing increases in Harris County , she may find herself changing her mind sooner rather than later .

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has resisted doing a statewide lockdown so far. He keeps Texans updated on the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in the state daily and seems to be making decisions on a day by day basis. His main message is that the urban areas of the state are under pressure to keep up with the pandemic as it spreads but most of the state is not affected, at least not yet.
Abbott is not burying his head in the sand. 334 novel coronavirus cases have been confirmed across Texas, as of Sunday. That number includes six deaths, according to the state health department. About 200 more presumptive positive cases have been reported by Johns Hopkins University. Given the numbers that other large states are dealing with, the number in Texas is still small. The governor has warned that tens of thousands of cases are possible. As testing becomes more available, the numbers will go up.
Governor Abbott has declared the state’s first public health disaster since 1901. The measures in that declaration include no gatherings of more than 10 people, restaurants may only offer drive-through or take out service (but liquor can be ordered and delivered with a meal), bars and clubs are closed, as are gyms. You get the idea. Everyone is encouraged to stay at home, if possible.
The Dallas Morning News ran a piece Sunday about concerns that the area will experience a shortage of hospital beds by late April. Governor Abbott is being encouraged by a Dallas-area hospital association to order residents to stay home.
The chilling warning, based on one projection the association included in the email sent Saturday, illustrates how quickly Texas hospitals could be overrun by the spread of the new coronavirus and the disease it causes, COVID-19. “We need your help,” Steve Love, president and CEO of the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council wrote in an email Saturday urging his members to pressure the governor to impose a shelter in place order. “Thank you for your immediate action as we want the governor to take this urgent action statewide rather than individual counties or cities.” Love’s email, coupled with additional letters sent this weekend from mayors, health care executives, school leaders and business owners in the Dallas area, represents the latest effort to pressure the governor for stricter restrictions to combat the virus’s spread.
Texas has 254 counties and as of Sunday, the governor said he is unwilling to shutdown the entire state because 200 counties have not reported any cases of the coronavirus. He did issue two new executive orders Sunday to help ease any upcoming stress on the hospital system. “He directed all licensed healthcare professionals and facilities to postpone surgeries and procedures not medically necessary to correct a medical condition or to save a patient’s life. His second executive order includes trying to maximize hospital rooms, and he gave an example of possibly treating more than one patient in a room to increase the number of people who can get treated.”
When asked about Governor Abbott’s approach during Sunday’s coronavirus task force press briefing, President Trump praised the governor.
“He’s a great governor, and he knows what he’s doing. A lot of the areas that he’s talking about, a lot of the counties he’s talking about are not very strongly affected,” Trump said. “. ..I have total confidence in Gov. Greg Abbott.” Pressed as to whether the lack of uniform restrictions among states and within states is acceptable, Trump said it is. “Every state’s different. Idaho, West Virginia, Iowa, Nebraska, are much different than New York, than California — Los Angeles as an example or San Francisco,” he said, noting that current hot spots for the outbreak are in Washington state, California and New York. “That’s the hot spot like no other hot spot.”
Trump’s right – individual states don’t benefit from a one size fits all approach. Texas is not a hot spot, at least not now. The uncertainty of how this pandemic will spread across the country is stressful but as long as Texans can go about their business while doing what is being asked of them – gatherings of no more than 10 people, social distancing, hand washing, support local restaurants by ordering delivery or take-out food – perhaps the devastation to our way of life won’t be as severe as in other places. Stay home when you can.
In response to the governor’s directions Sunday, County Judge Clay Jenkins ordered Dallas County to shelter-in-place starting Monday. (County Judges are not necessarily actual judges in Texas. They are the CEO, if you will, of the county. They work with mayors in times of big decisions or crisis.) Residents are prohibited from leaving their residence except for “essential activity”. The order stands until April 3.
In a news conference Sunday, Judge Jenkins ensured residents that this decision was not an easy one. “This order is our best chance to flatten the curve here in Dallas County and save as many lives as possible,” he said. “I know there will be economic hardships with this. It makes me sick that we are at this point.” For the purposes of this order, residences include hotels, motels, shared rentals and similar facilities. Anyone who leaves their residence is to provide or perform essential governmental functions, or to operate essential businesses. All non-essential businesses operating within Dallas County are required to cease all activities at facilities located within the county. However, businesses can continue operations consisting exclusively of employees or contractors working from home.
In contrast, Harris County Judge Hildalgo (Houston and surrounding areas) has chosen to not issue a shelter in place order, as of her press briefing Monday morning. She left the option open, if needed, but for now she is going with the governor’s original orders. Two major urban areas in the state, two different choices. As testing increases in Harris County, she may find herself changing her mind sooner rather than later.
BREAKING: We've begun community-wide testing for #COVID-19 at 2 locations in Harris County. We have capacity to complete up to 250 per day per site and expect weekly restock from the feds to keep that volume. pic.twitter.com/PDGxeFoS0L — Office of Judge Lina Hidalgo (@HarrisCoJudge) March 23, 2020


hotair--2020-03-23--Birx: New York metro area has an "attack rate" close to one in 1,000 -- five times the number in oth

Birx: New York metro area has an "attack rate" close to one in 1,000 -- five times the number in other places

In most parts of the country , eight percent of COVID-19 tests come back positive .
In New York it ’ s … 28 percent .
I don ’ t know how to process that .
I wish I could tell you that New York has done far fewer tests than most states , saving the few it has for the sickest patients , which would drive up the share of positives .
But New York has done the most tests of any state , three times as many as California as of today .
There ’ s a gigantic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — six percent of the entire known global population of coronavirus patients , in fact .
If in fact Italy has finally begun to turn the corner , New York City could be the biggest coronavirus hot spot on Earth within a few weeks .
But it may not hold that distinction for long : No worries .
Ron DeSantis isn ’ t ordering Floridians to shelter in place yet because “ This is not a virus that ’ s impacting every corner of the state.
” We ’ ll check back with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how it ’ s going in those unimpacted corners .
Trump was asked at this same press conference whether he ’ s serious about easing lockdown restrictions as soon as a week from now .
He didn ’ t commit to it , as you ’ ll see below , but he also made a point of contrasting his view with the supposed view of doctors that the entire world should be shut down “ for a couple of years , ” which no actual doctor is recommending .
Doctors like Anthony Fauci @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social distancing for a few months , possibly into May .
Trump ’ s grossly overstating their position to make them seem unreasonable .
He also compared coronavirus deaths to deaths from car accidents , pointing out that we don ’ t stop people from driving just because tens of thousands die on the road .
Right , but we would drastically change highway policy if the number of people who died in accidents began rising exponentially .
We can guesstimate how many Americans will die each year on highways .
There ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worst-case scenario from coronavirus is but it ’ s many , many times the number of road deaths .
This entire debate today about reopening for business sooner than expected is fantasy , a sign of just how disconnected the White House is from the reality of what ’ s happening .
The idea that the economy would more or less soldier on amid a minimally controlled national COVID-19 outbreak is a fantasy .
The idea that Americans would approve of Trump ’ s decision to try to take us down that path @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death and ruin the epidemic would cause is a fantasy .
The idea that U.S. governors and mayors will heed his appeal to go back to work right away at the very moment their own country is becoming the global center of coronavirus is a fantasy .
It ’ s ironic that Trump is shifting to a “ back to business ” approach at the precise moment Boris Johnson is switching to “ shut it all down.
” A week ago they were in the opposite positions .
Then it was Trump who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and his team had concluded that isolating the vulnerable and letting everyone else go about their business would be the most effective containment strategy .
But Johnson sobered up when he saw the data projecting how many deaths that strategy would cause .
He understood that deaths on that scale would exact not just a terrible human toll but would inflict grievous economic consequences .
At a moment like this , leaders need patience , wisdom , and resolve .
That ’ s what Johnson ’ s giving the Brits today .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
By the way , I think this is exactly right .
And why Trump may end up heavily diluting any attempt to get people to go back to work : If Trump tries to recklessly undo lockdowns at a moment when it ’ ll cause the disease to spread out of control , I think Fauci will recalculate that he can do more good on the outside leveraging his credibility with the public by urging them to ignore Trump and stay home than he can do by remaining on the task force @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That ’ ll also have an effect on how Americans heed the “ back to work ” advice .
In the end , Trump may back off and save face by simply saying something like , “ I encourage governors to remove restrictions as expeditiously as possible in accordance with the advice of local health officials , ” which is what governors are going to do anyway .
But in the meantime we ’ re going to have a nasty national argument in which epidemiologists are accused of “ sabotaging ” Trump or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by telling them to stay home while governors are pressured for dopey partisan reasons to lift or maintain their lockdowns as needed in light of Trump ’ s position .
By the time it ’ s over , there might be internal travel bans between “ go back to work ” states and “ stay home ” states .
There ’ s no problem so terrible that it can ’ t needlessly be made worse .

In most parts of the country, eight percent of COVID-19 tests come back positive. In New York it’s … 28 percent. I don’t know how to process that.
Dr. Birx on the NYC area: “Clearly the virus had been circulating there for a numbers of weeks to have this level of [penetration] into the local community.” (So the coronavirus was spreading in NYC as Trump suggested it would go away on its own.) pic.twitter.com/fDBddpr5fp — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 23, 2020
I wish I could tell you that New York has done far fewer tests than most states, saving the few it has for the sickest patients, which would drive up the share of positives. But New York has done the most tests of any state, three times as many as California as of today. There’s a gigantic population of people sick with coronavirus there — six percent of the entire known global population of coronavirus patients, in fact.
If in fact Italy has finally begun to turn the corner, New York City could be the biggest coronavirus hot spot on Earth within a few weeks.
But it may not hold that distinction for long:
With 20,875 confirmed cases; New York about to overtake Iran (23,049 cases) in terms of reported #COVID19 burden. NY is likely few weeks ahead of some other U.S. cities. Most troubling: Cities with sizable spread that aren't yet taking good mitigation steps (New Orleans, Florida) pic.twitter.com/6ECXhdH44t — Scott Gottlieb, MD (@ScottGottliebMD) March 23, 2020
No worries. Ron DeSantis isn’t ordering Floridians to shelter in place yet because “This is not a virus that’s impacting every corner of the state.” We’ll check back with him in a few weeks, see how it’s going in those unimpacted corners.
Trump was asked at this same press conference whether he’s serious about easing lockdown restrictions as soon as a week from now. He didn’t commit to it, as you’ll see below, but he also made a point of contrasting his view with the supposed view of doctors that the entire world should be shut down “for a couple of years,” which no actual doctor is recommending.
In response to a question about whether a single public health expert said it’s okay to reopen the economy, Trump says, “the doctors, if it was up to the doctors, they’d say ‘let’s shut down the entire world'” (In other words, not one did) pic.twitter.com/ERFhIe7Kgu — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 23, 2020
Doctors like Anthony Fauci and Scott Gottlieb have talked about widespread social distancing for a few months, possibly into May. Trump’s grossly overstating their position to make them seem unreasonable. He also compared coronavirus deaths to deaths from car accidents, pointing out that we don’t stop people from driving just because tens of thousands die on the road. Right, but we would drastically change highway policy if the number of people who died in accidents began rising exponentially. We can guesstimate how many Americans will die each year on highways. There’s no realistic guesstimate of what the worst-case scenario from coronavirus is but it’s many, many times the number of road deaths.
This entire debate today about reopening for business sooner than expected is fantasy, a sign of just how disconnected the White House is from the reality of what’s happening. The idea that the economy would more or less soldier on amid a minimally controlled national COVID-19 outbreak is a fantasy. The idea that Americans would approve of Trump’s decision to try to take us down that path once they saw firsthand the kind of death and ruin the epidemic would cause is a fantasy. The idea that U.S. governors and mayors will heed his appeal to go back to work right away at the very moment their own country is becoming the global center of coronavirus is a fantasy.
10,000 people tested positive today. Try and convince a restaurant owner to open next week. https://t.co/UoewsHIgG9 — Lois Romano (@loisromano) March 23, 2020
It’s ironic that Trump is shifting to a “back to business” approach at the precise moment Boris Johnson is switching to “shut it all down.” A week ago they were in the opposite positions. Then it was Trump who was encouraging aggressive social distancing while Johnson and his team had concluded that isolating the vulnerable and letting everyone else go about their business would be the most effective containment strategy. But Johnson sobered up when he saw the data projecting how many deaths that strategy would cause. He understood that deaths on that scale would exact not just a terrible human toll but would inflict grievous economic consequences. At a moment like this, leaders need patience, wisdom, and resolve. That’s what Johnson’s giving the Brits today. We’re going in the opposite direction.
By the way, I think this is exactly right. And why Trump may end up heavily diluting any attempt to get people to go back to work:
Prediction: if Trump does in fact try to pull back hard on social distancing next week, Fauci will resign and go public with his concerns. Clearly he is staying on right now in order to do his best from the inside, but if Trump won’t listen I can’t see him staying on. — Bradley P. Moss (@BradMossEsq) March 23, 2020
If Trump tries to recklessly undo lockdowns at a moment when it’ll cause the disease to spread out of control, I think Fauci will recalculate that he can do more good on the outside leveraging his credibility with the public by urging them to ignore Trump and stay home than he can do by remaining on the task force and trying to influence the president. That’ll also have an effect on how Americans heed the “back to work” advice.
In the end, Trump may back off and save face by simply saying something like, “I encourage governors to remove restrictions as expeditiously as possible in accordance with the advice of local health officials,” which is what governors are going to do anyway. But in the meantime we’re going to have a nasty national argument in which epidemiologists are accused of “sabotaging” Trump or whatever by trying to keep people alive by telling them to stay home while governors are pressured for dopey partisan reasons to lift or maintain their lockdowns as needed in light of Trump’s position. By the time it’s over, there might be internal travel bans between “go back to work” states and “stay home” states. There’s no problem so terrible that it can’t needlessly be made worse.


hotair--2020-03-23--Cruz hammers Dems: What the hell do emissions standards on airplanes have to do with fiscal relief f

Cruz hammers Dems: What the hell do emissions standards on airplanes have to do with fiscal relief for coronavirus?

It ’ s obvious but bears stating anyway : The only reason Pelosi thinks she can get away with trying to get a Democratic policy wishlist passed at a moment of dire economic emergency is because she trusts that the media will run interference for her and her party .
As I write this at 6 p.m .
ET , this is the headline for today ’ s lead editorial at the New York Times : I don ’ t know what Pelosi ’ s endgame is here .
Obviously she ’ ll have to back off her demands ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Democratic agenda just because they need House votes to get money flowing to laid off people .
Dan Foster offers this grim possibility : Maybe .
But again , that strategy only works if you assume that the GOP will be blamed at least as much as Democrats will for the delay in getting checks out to people .
She ’ d behave differently right now , even if she thought economic devastation were inevitable , if she feared that the press would hold her party accountable for larding up negotiations with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they won ’ t , so she isn ’ t .
“ Hostage-taking ” is what they called this when the GOP tried to condition debt-ceiling hikes on Dems agreeing to certain Republican priorities back in the tea-party days .
We ’ ve never had a crisis in American history like the one we have now , yet here ’ s Pelosi ransoming checks that people need to pay their rent in return for concessions on stuff like emissions standards .
It ’ s unimaginable yet somehow real .
Like everything else these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she wanted to slow down the bill in order to scapegoat Republicans for the delay , she ’ d focus on Democratic complaints that the Senate bill sets up a $ 500 billion “ slush fund ” for Steve Mnuchin to reward favored interests .
That complaint is overstated — the House ’ s own bill sets up a similar $ 150 billion supposed “ slush fund ” — but at least it ’ s good populist political fodder .
Windmills are … not a good reason .
But when you don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you don ’ t need to have good reasons for what you do .
This deal , which is urgently needed , apparently will not get written up tonight even though millions of people are eight days away from having to pay rent and mortgages .
Here ’ s Cruz making his righteous contempt for Democratic tactics known on the Senate floor today .

It’s obvious but bears stating anyway: The only reason Pelosi thinks she can get away with trying to get a Democratic policy wishlist passed at a moment of dire economic emergency is because she trusts that the media will run interference for her and her party.
And she’s right.
As I write this at 6 p.m. ET, this is the headline for today’s lead editorial at the New York Times:
I don’t know what Pelosi’s endgame is here. Obviously she’ll have to back off her demands; Republicans aren’t going to enact the Democratic agenda just because they need House votes to get money flowing to laid off people. Dan Foster offers this grim possibility:
https://twitter.com/DanFosterType/status/1242153219029164032
Maybe. But again, that strategy only works if you assume that the GOP will be blamed at least as much as Democrats will for the delay in getting checks out to people. She’d behave differently right now, even if she thought economic devastation were inevitable, if she feared that the press would hold her party accountable for larding up negotiations with demands unrelated to the crisis. But they won’t, so she isn’t.
“Hostage-taking” is what they called this when the GOP tried to condition debt-ceiling hikes on Dems agreeing to certain Republican priorities back in the tea-party days. We’ve never had a crisis in American history like the one we have now, yet here’s Pelosi ransoming checks that people need to pay their rent in return for concessions on stuff like emissions standards. It’s unimaginable yet somehow real. Like everything else these days.
You would think that if she wanted to slow down the bill in order to scapegoat Republicans for the delay, she’d focus on Democratic complaints that the Senate bill sets up a $500 billion “slush fund” for Steve Mnuchin to reward favored interests. That complaint is overstated — the House’s own bill sets up a similar $150 billion supposed “slush fund” — but at least it’s good populist political fodder. Windmills are … not a good reason. But when you don’t need to worry about accountability, you don’t need to have good reasons for what you do.
This deal, which is urgently needed, apparently will not get written up tonight even though millions of people are eight days away from having to pay rent and mortgages. Here’s Cruz making his righteous contempt for Democratic tactics known on the Senate floor today.