hotair--2020-04-16--Baltimore announces that Black people can actually catch COVID-19

How does this keep happening ?
As you may recall , CNN host Van Jones recently felt compelled to pen an op-ed informing his fellow African-American citizens that they are not immune to the novel coronavirus .
He was moved to do so after one of his well-educated relatives assured him there was nothing to worry about because Black people “ have antibodies ” to prevent them from contracting COVID-19 .
Apparently a lot of people in Baltimore , Maryland don ’ t read CNN ’ s website on a regular basis .
The same false rumor has been running @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Black residents ignoring social distancing orders .
This situation forced the city ’ s Health Commissioner to come out and make a public announcement , letting everyone know that this rumor is totally false and people are dying because of it .
( CBS Baltimore ) Health commissioner Dr. Letita Dzirasa said Tuesday the city plans to increase its messaging and outreach efforts to make sure people understand that no one is immune from COVID-19 .
“ Unfortunately , there is a persistent rumor that African Americans are immune to coronavirus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ shows this is a very dangerous belief , ” she said .
Initial racial demographic data of coronavirus cases in the city and across the state also shows African Americans have a higher rate of fatality than whites , she said .
Thus far , Baltimore hasn ’ t been hit as hard as other large cities like New York .
They ’ ve recorded 1,060 confirmed cases and 25 deaths as of yesterday .
But somewhat ironically , at least in terms of this persistent , false rumor , Black residents are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it at higher rates than white residents .
I ’ ve seen quite a few reports of this rumor making the rounds and the origins of it are starting to become clear .
It ’ s not dissimilar to the early rumors we heard about COVID-19 only affecting Asian people , so everyone else didn ’ t have to be all that concerned .
( Of course it originally affected primarily Asians .
The virus came from China ! )
As with many other aspects of modern life , it all comes down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wealth .
As I pointed out in the previous article about Van Jones , the median annual household income for Black families in the United States is still roughly $ 30,000 less than for white families .
The margin of disparity in the city of Baltimore is even greater , and Black residents make up more than 60 % of the city ’ s population .
Poorer people are less likely to be traveling internationally on a regular basis or flying in general .
When the virus first reached the United States it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and forth to China or destinations in Europe that had already been infected .
That meant that the majority of early cases were indeed white and Asian travelers and those they quickly came in contact with .
But now that the disease has gotten loose in the Black community , it ’ s striking with a vengeance .
This too is a result of economics .
People with less money tend to not have access to better healthcare options , have poorer diets and generally worse health across the board .
This means @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effects of the virus .
And in Baltimore , as in many large cities , that translates to Black residents being the hardest hit .
Do what you can to squelch this rumor .
It ’ s not only completely “ junk science , ” but it ’ s dangerous .
Every group of people going out in the streets and ignoring social distancing rules is opening the door to infecting themselves and others .
As Alexander Pope said , a little learning is a dangerous thing .
A little fake news is @ @ @ @ @ @ @

How does this keep happening?
As you may recall, CNN host Van Jones recently felt compelled to pen an op-ed informing his fellow African-American citizens that they are not immune to the novel coronavirus. He was moved to do so after one of his well-educated relatives assured him there was nothing to worry about because Black people “have antibodies” to prevent them from contracting COVID-19.
Apparently a lot of people in Baltimore, Maryland don’t read CNN’s website on a regular basis. The same false rumor has been running around Charm City, leading to crowds of Black residents ignoring social distancing orders. This situation forced the city’s Health Commissioner to come out and make a public announcement, letting everyone know that this rumor is totally false and people are dying because of it. (CBS Baltimore)
Health commissioner Dr. Letita Dzirasa said Tuesday the city plans to increase its messaging and outreach efforts to make sure people understand that no one is immune from COVID-19. “Unfortunately, there is a persistent rumor that African Americans are immune to coronavirus. This is false, and the data shows this is a very dangerous belief,” she said. Initial racial demographic data of coronavirus cases in the city and across the state also shows African Americans have a higher rate of fatality than whites, she said.
Thus far, Baltimore hasn’t been hit as hard as other large cities like New York. They’ve recorded 1,060 confirmed cases and 25 deaths as of yesterday. But somewhat ironically, at least in terms of this persistent, false rumor, Black residents are both contracting the disease and dying from it at higher rates than white residents.
I’ve seen quite a few reports of this rumor making the rounds and the origins of it are starting to become clear. It’s not dissimilar to the early rumors we heard about COVID-19 only affecting Asian people, so everyone else didn’t have to be all that concerned. (Of course it originally affected primarily Asians. The virus came from China!)
As with many other aspects of modern life, it all comes down to economics and questions of poverty versus wealth. As I pointed out in the previous article about Van Jones, the median annual household income for Black families in the United States is still roughly $30,000 less than for white families. The margin of disparity in the city of Baltimore is even greater, and Black residents make up more than 60% of the city’s population.
Poorer people are less likely to be traveling internationally on a regular basis or flying in general. When the virus first reached the United States it was being carried by people traveling back and forth to China or destinations in Europe that had already been infected. That meant that the majority of early cases were indeed white and Asian travelers and those they quickly came in contact with.
But now that the disease has gotten loose in the Black community, it’s striking with a vengeance. This too is a result of economics. People with less money tend to not have access to better healthcare options, have poorer diets and generally worse health across the board. This means they are more vulnerable to the worst effects of the virus. And in Baltimore, as in many large cities, that translates to Black residents being the hardest hit.
Do what you can to squelch this rumor. It’s not only completely “junk science,” but it’s dangerous. Every group of people going out in the streets and ignoring social distancing rules is opening the door to infecting themselves and others. As Alexander Pope said, a little learning is a dangerous thing. A little fake news is even more deadly in this case.


hotair--2020-04-16--California to hand out cash to illegal aliens

The latest coronavirus relief funding in California is on the way , but it ’ s not going to be delivered to small businesses or recently furloughed citizens .
Roughly $ 125 million will be sent to 150,000 illegal aliens living in the Golden State .
The news was announced by Governor Gavin Newsom , who feels “ a deep sense of gratitude ” for all of the people living in his state illegally and he wants to make sure that everyone is okay .
Of course , most of them are already getting free health care , driver ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the taxpayer ’ s dime , but a little extra cash always helps , amirite ?
( Associated Press ) California will give cash payments to immigrants living in the country illegally , Gov .
Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday , using a mix of taxpayer money and charitable contributions to give 150,000 adults $ 500 each during the coronavirus outbreak .
California has an estimated 2 million immigrants living in the country illegally .
They are not eligible for the $ 2.2 trillion stimulus package approved by Congress last month , which gives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unemployment benefits by $ 600 per week .
“ We feel a deep sense of gratitude for people that are in fear of deportations that are still addressing essential needs of tens of millions of Californians , ” said Newsom , who noted 10 % of the state ’ s workforce are immigrants living in the country illegally who paid more than $ 2.5 billion in state and local taxes last year .
You ’ ll notice that Governor Newsom is proudly bragging about how 10 % of the state ’ s workforce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billions of dollars in taxes every year .
Here ’ s a fun fact for the governor .
It ’ s a felony to employ illegal aliens .
Under Title 8 , Section 1324a , you can be fined as much as $ 10,000 for each instance and sentenced to up to six months in prison .
There are plenty of other questions surrounding this decision .
For one thing , current estimates indicate that there are as many as two million illegal aliens in California .
These checks are expected to go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they decide which illegals get the money and who won ’ t ?
As Jason Hopkins points out at the Daily Caller , illegal aliens will be able to apply for payments from this relief fund beginning in May .
Will this just be a first-come , first-served type of system ?
Also , for Newsom to send checks to that many people , the application process would have to generate a list of all their names and addresses .
Will that list been shared with Immigration and Customs Enforcement ?
( Oh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Newsom would ever do anything to help ICE enforce the law . )
Newsom is the elected chief executive of California , which means that he ’ s supposed to represent all of the citizens of the state , not just the ones who agree with him .
While it ’ s easy to forget , there are still a significant number of conservatives living on the west coast , and many of them are undoubtedly not thrilled with the idea of their tax dollars being spent in this way .
There are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ native-born and naturalized , along with plenty of immigrants who are in the country legally , who are being severely impacted by the effects of the pandemic .
If the state has that much money just lying around with no purpose , don ’ t you suppose that they could use the help ?
A portion of the funding for this initiative came from charities .
That ’ s fine .
People are free to donate to whatever cause they wish .
( Well , technically that ’ s also a felony under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aforementioned law , but let ’ s not quibble over that . )
But when you ’ re spending taxpayer money in clear violation of the law , particularly when so many others who are in the country legally could use the help , you ’ re making a mockery of the high office you hold .

The latest coronavirus relief funding in California is on the way, but it’s not going to be delivered to small businesses or recently furloughed citizens. Roughly $125 million will be sent to 150,000 illegal aliens living in the Golden State. The news was announced by Governor Gavin Newsom, who feels “a deep sense of gratitude” for all of the people living in his state illegally and he wants to make sure that everyone is okay. Of course, most of them are already getting free health care, driver’s licenses and numerous other perks on the taxpayer’s dime, but a little extra cash always helps, amirite? (Associated Press)
California will give cash payments to immigrants living in the country illegally, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday, using a mix of taxpayer money and charitable contributions to give 150,000 adults $500 each during the coronavirus outbreak. California has an estimated 2 million immigrants living in the country illegally. They are not eligible for the $2.2 trillion stimulus package approved by Congress last month, which gives cash payments to most Americans plus boosts unemployment benefits by $600 per week. “We feel a deep sense of gratitude for people that are in fear of deportations that are still addressing essential needs of tens of millions of Californians,” said Newsom, who noted 10% of the state’s workforce are immigrants living in the country illegally who paid more than $2.5 billion in state and local taxes last year.
You’ll notice that Governor Newsom is proudly bragging about how 10% of the state’s workforce might be illegal aliens and they pay billions of dollars in taxes every year. Here’s a fun fact for the governor. It’s a felony to employ illegal aliens. Under Title 8, Section 1324a, you can be fined as much as $10,000 for each instance and sentenced to up to six months in prison.
There are plenty of other questions surrounding this decision. For one thing, current estimates indicate that there are as many as two million illegal aliens in California. These checks are expected to go out to 150,000 people. How will they decide which illegals get the money and who won’t? As Jason Hopkins points out at the Daily Caller, illegal aliens will be able to apply for payments from this relief fund beginning in May. Will this just be a first-come, first-served type of system?
Also, for Newsom to send checks to that many people, the application process would have to generate a list of all their names and addresses. Will that list been shared with Immigration and Customs Enforcement? (Oh, who am I kidding? Like Newsom would ever do anything to help ICE enforce the law.)
Newsom is the elected chief executive of California, which means that he’s supposed to represent all of the citizens of the state, not just the ones who agree with him. While it’s easy to forget, there are still a significant number of conservatives living on the west coast, and many of them are undoubtedly not thrilled with the idea of their tax dollars being spent in this way. There are millions of citizens in California, both native-born and naturalized, along with plenty of immigrants who are in the country legally, who are being severely impacted by the effects of the pandemic. If the state has that much money just lying around with no purpose, don’t you suppose that they could use the help?
A portion of the funding for this initiative came from charities. That’s fine. People are free to donate to whatever cause they wish. (Well, technically that’s also a felony under the “Encouraging/Inducing” clause of the aforementioned law, but let’s not quibble over that.) But when you’re spending taxpayer money in clear violation of the law, particularly when so many others who are in the country legally could use the help, you’re making a mockery of the high office you hold.


hotair--2020-04-16--Meltdown continues: Jobless claims "drop" to 5.2M, 22M jobs lost in a month; <span class='red'>Trump

Meltdown continues: Jobless claims "drop" to 5.2M, 22M jobs lost in a month; Trump to Pelosi: "Come back to Washington and do your job!"

We ’ re breaking records — in all the wrong directions .
At least this week ’ s jobless-claims level dropped from the record set two weeks ago , but the US still had more than five million workers file for unemployment in the week ending April 11 .
That might have some lag from massive system failures in previous weeks , but the meltdown of the US workforce clearly has not stopped : The Department of Labor now estimates we have nearly 12 million people drawing unemployment benefits , but we have had 22 million claims filed in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week ending April 11 , the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 5,245,000 , a decrease of 1,370,000 from the previous week ’ s revised level .
The previous week ’ s level was revised up by 9,000 from 6,606,000 to 6,615,000 .
The 4-week moving average was 5,508,500 , an increase of 1,240,750 from the previous week ’ s revised average .
The previous week ’ s average was revised up by 2,250 from 4,265,500 to 4,267,750 .
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 8.2 percent for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 3.1 percentage points from the previous week ’ s unrevised rate .
This marks the highest level of the seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate in the history of the seasonally adjusted series .
The previous high was 7.0 percent in May of 1975 .
The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending April 4 was 11,976,000 , an increase of 4,530,000 from the previous week ’ s revised level .
This marks the highest level of seasonally adjusted insured unemployment in the history of the seasonally adjusted series @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was revised down by 9,000 from 7,455,000 to 7,446,000 .
The 4-week moving average was 6,066,250 , an increase of 2,568,500 from the previous week ’ s revised average .
The previous week ’ s average was revised down by 2,250 from 3,500,000 to 3,497,750 .
To give a scale to this number , it missed economist projections by 200,000 .
That was the typical number of weekly jobless claims in total before the COVID-19 outbreak .
It ’ s a massive , massive write-down on the jobs market , so bad that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bounce back at all once we start to reopen the economy .
The problem this crisis poses is that we long ago shifted from manufacturing-based economics to a service- and consumer-oriented economy .
We rely on person-to-person economic activity and mass consumption more than mass production .
A shock to the consumer sector like a sudden and massive elimination of jobs means a vastly reduced capacity to generate that economic activity .
Add to that the rising levels of public and private debt that could end up defaulting as a result of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looking like something other than a V-shaped recession/recovery .
This is one reason why Congress and the White House pushed so hard for a rescue package aimed at keeping paychecks flowing for the interim .
The Trump administration has recognized this as well , which is why it has pushed to reopen the economy at the earliest possible time .
Those stopgap measures haven ’ t worked to stanch the bleeding yet , but these claims deal with unemployment from the week prior to first week they were offered .
Jobless claims have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ job loss , not the same week , in most cases .
Still , the money hasn ’ t reached employers yet , and there are apparently lots of problems in the bridge-loan program that was supposed to alleviate that : An emergency loan program intended to get money swiftly into the hands of small businesses has all but collapsed under an unprecedented crush of applications and a shortage of funds , overwhelming agency officials and prompting urgent calls for action on Capitol Hill .
The Economic Injury Disaster Loan program , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Small Business Administration ( SBA ) , is separate from the $ 349 billion Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses that is the subject of a political fight on Capitol Hill .
… The EIDL program received extra resources from Congress ’ s $ 2 trillion coronavirus rescue package at the end of March , including $ 10 billion to offer grants of up to $ 10,000 to small businesses within three days of applying for a loan .
The grants are intended to serve as a bridge for small businesses to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wait for the larger loans to be approved .
Demand for the EIDL loans and grants quickly overwhelmed the system , leaving many applicants without funds weeks later , Democratic lawmakers and industry groups said .
The SBA ― which accepts disaster loan applications itself rather than outsourcing that work to banks ― has received well over 3 million applications , a Democratic lawmaker and an SBA official said .
A shortage of funds threatens to limit the size of grants and loans small businesses receive .
If the money doesn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may not be much left to salvage .
Where ’ s Congress in this crisis to deal with the issues arising from their emergency legislation ?
Trump should have said this a week ago , and he should be asking , “ Where ’ s Congress ?
” in every briefing .

We’re breaking records — in all the wrong directions. At least this week’s jobless-claims level dropped from the record set two weeks ago, but the US still had more than five million workers file for unemployment in the week ending April 11. That might have some lag from massive system failures in previous weeks, but the meltdown of the US workforce clearly has not stopped:
The Department of Labor now estimates we have nearly 12 million people drawing unemployment benefits, but we have had 22 million claims filed in the last four weeks alone:
In the week ending April 11, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 5,245,000, a decrease of 1,370,000 from the previous week’s revised level. The previous week’s level was revised up by 9,000 from 6,606,000 to 6,615,000. The 4-week moving average was 5,508,500, an increase of 1,240,750 from the previous week’s revised average. The previous week’s average was revised up by 2,250 from 4,265,500 to 4,267,750. The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 8.2 percent for the week ending April 4, an increase of 3.1 percentage points from the previous week’s unrevised rate. This marks the highest level of the seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate in the history of the seasonally adjusted series. The previous high was 7.0 percent in May of 1975. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending April 4 was 11,976,000, an increase of 4,530,000 from the previous week’s revised level. This marks the highest level of seasonally adjusted insured unemployment in the history of the seasonally adjusted series. The previous week’s level was revised down by 9,000 from 7,455,000 to 7,446,000. The 4-week moving average was 6,066,250, an increase of 2,568,500 from the previous week’s revised average. The previous week’s average was revised down by 2,250 from 3,500,000 to 3,497,750.
To give a scale to this number, it missed economist projections by 200,000. That was the typical number of weekly jobless claims in total before the COVID-19 outbreak. It’s a massive, massive write-down on the jobs market, so bad that it calls into question whether it can bounce back at all once we start to reopen the economy.
The problem this crisis poses is that we long ago shifted from manufacturing-based economics to a service- and consumer-oriented economy. We rely on person-to-person economic activity and mass consumption more than mass production. A shock to the consumer sector like a sudden and massive elimination of jobs means a vastly reduced capacity to generate that economic activity. Add to that the rising levels of public and private debt that could end up defaulting as a result of this job-market collapse, and this suddenly starts looking like something other than a V-shaped recession/recovery.
This is one reason why Congress and the White House pushed so hard for a rescue package aimed at keeping paychecks flowing for the interim. The Trump administration has recognized this as well, which is why it has pushed to reopen the economy at the earliest possible time. Those stopgap measures haven’t worked to stanch the bleeding yet, but these claims deal with unemployment from the week prior to first week they were offered. Jobless claims have to be filed one week after a job loss, not the same week, in most cases.
Still, the money hasn’t reached employers yet, and there are apparently lots of problems in the bridge-loan program that was supposed to alleviate that:
An emergency loan program intended to get money swiftly into the hands of small businesses has all but collapsed under an unprecedented crush of applications and a shortage of funds, overwhelming agency officials and prompting urgent calls for action on Capitol Hill. The Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, or EIDL, a long-standing program run by the Small Business Administration (SBA), is separate from the $349 billion Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses that is the subject of a political fight on Capitol Hill. … The EIDL program received extra resources from Congress’s $2 trillion coronavirus rescue package at the end of March, including $10 billion to offer grants of up to $10,000 to small businesses within three days of applying for a loan. The grants are intended to serve as a bridge for small businesses to cover rent and other expenses while they wait for the larger loans to be approved. Demand for the EIDL loans and grants quickly overwhelmed the system, leaving many applicants without funds weeks later, Democratic lawmakers and industry groups said. The SBA ― which accepts disaster loan applications itself rather than outsourcing that work to banks ― has received well over 3 million applications, a Democratic lawmaker and an SBA official said. A shortage of funds threatens to limit the size of grants and loans small businesses receive.
If the money doesn’t get there soon, though, there may not be much left to salvage. Where’s Congress in this crisis to deal with the issues arising from their emergency legislation?
Update: FINALLY …
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1250779261595783168
Trump should have said this a week ago, and he should be asking, “Where’s Congress?” in every briefing.


hotair--2020-04-16--China McDonald's bans Africans, apology and diversity training ensues

Let ’ s just say that African customers craving a Big Mac from McDonald ’ s for lunch in Guangzhou were not lovin ’ it when they discovered that they had been banned from entering the restaurant .
A branch of the fast-food chain posted a notice stating , “ We ’ ve been informed that from now on black people are not allowed to enter the restaurant.
” Guangzhou is home to one of China ’ s largest African communities .
It is a hub for African traders to buy and sell goods .
Tensions are high between Chinese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Blame the coronavirus for this incident .
Online rumors that the virus is spreading among Africans in Guangzhou has resulted in hundreds of Africans being evicted from hotels and apartments .
A video was posted on social media that shows the notice .
You can see in that video that the McDonald ’ s employee is wearing a face mask but not gloves and is holding what looks to be a thermometer .
Needless to say , once the notice went up on social media , McDonald ’ s was quick to react @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sign at its China fast-food chain , McDonald ’ s Corporation issued a statement saying , “ this is not representative of our inclusive values.
” “ As a brand , as a company and as more than 2.2 million people serving nearly 120 countries around the world , this is not representative of our inclusive values .
Immediately upon learning of an unauthorized communication to our guests at a restaurant in Guangzhou , we immediately removed the communication and temporarily closed the restaurant , ” the statement read .
And you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Time for some re-education , so to speak .
Would you like fries with that sensitivity training ?
Concern for African Americans has resulted in the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou advising them “ to avoid the Guangzhou metropolitan area until further notice.
” The U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou has warned U.S. citizens of the escalated scrutiny and discrimination of foreign nationals in the region which include orders by the police for bars and restaurants to not serve people who appear to be of African descent .
The xenophobic reaction to COVID-19 also includes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business with African Americans , according to the Consulate .
For anyone with “ African contacts , ” regardless of whether you have been quarantined or whether you have traveled , local officials are conducting mandatory tests for the novel coronavirus .
Various African governments have weighed in on the subject .
China ’ s foreign minister tried to blame the United States for “ undermining ” the China-Africa relationship .
Africans in Guangzhou are complaining that they are facing increased discrimination .
It is being reported that health workers are going door @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they display symptoms , have traveled , or been in contact with anyone who has COVID-19 .
Visas have been restricted .
Some Africans are being forced into quarantine despite testing negative for the virus .
On March 28 China banned all foreigners from entering the country including those with visas and residence permits .
Foreigners are being blamed for a spike in new coronavirus infections .
On Sunday , China ’ s national health commission reported a five-week high of new infections – 108 .
All but 10 came from abroad .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ infections is blamed for abuses taking place against foreigners .
Some Africans now say they have never felt welcome in China and the coronavirus is being used as an excuse for the Chinese to act on their underlying fears .
Africans have short term visas due to frequent travel in and out of China for business .
This makes it difficult to calculate the size of the African population in Guangzhou .
In 2017 , approximately 320,000 Africans entered or left China through Guangzhou .

Let’s just say that African customers craving a Big Mac from McDonald’s for lunch in Guangzhou were not lovin’ it when they discovered that they had been banned from entering the restaurant. A branch of the fast-food chain posted a notice stating, “We’ve been informed that from now on black people are not allowed to enter the restaurant.”
Guangzhou is home to one of China’s largest African communities. It is a hub for African traders to buy and sell goods. Tensions are high between Chinese locals and Africans in the city. Blame the coronavirus for this incident. Online rumors that the virus is spreading among Africans in Guangzhou has resulted in hundreds of Africans being evicted from hotels and apartments. A video was posted on social media that shows the notice.
Again, for those who still doubt that Black people and particularly #AfricansinChina are being targeted we feel it is our duty to share this. A sign at a @McDonalds restaurant seems to make this perfectly clear pic.twitter.com/FaveKrdQHi — Black Livity China (@BlackLivityCN) April 11, 2020
You can see in that video that the McDonald’s employee is wearing a face mask but not gloves and is holding what looks to be a thermometer.
Needless to say, once the notice went up on social media, McDonald’s was quick to react to the blowback.
In response to the sign at its China fast-food chain, McDonald’s Corporation issued a statement saying, “this is not representative of our inclusive values.” “As a brand, as a company and as more than 2.2 million people serving nearly 120 countries around the world, this is not representative of our inclusive values. Immediately upon learning of an unauthorized communication to our guests at a restaurant in Guangzhou, we immediately removed the communication and temporarily closed the restaurant,” the statement read.
And you know what happened next, right? Time for some re-education, so to speak. Would you like fries with that sensitivity training?
The company said that during the temporary closure, they will use the time “to further educate managers and employees on our values, which includes serving all members of the communities in which we operate.”
Concern for African Americans has resulted in the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou advising them “to avoid the Guangzhou metropolitan area until further notice.”
The U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou has warned U.S. citizens of the escalated scrutiny and discrimination of foreign nationals in the region which include orders by the police for bars and restaurants to not serve people who appear to be of African descent. The xenophobic reaction to COVID-19 also includes some businesses and hotels refusing to do business with African Americans, according to the Consulate. For anyone with “African contacts,” regardless of whether you have been quarantined or whether you have traveled, local officials are conducting mandatory tests for the novel coronavirus.
Various African governments have weighed in on the subject.
The Speaker said there should be an official explanation for treating Nigerians in such a manner. "As a government, we will not allow Chinese or other nationals to be maltreated just as we will not allow Nigerians to be maltreated in other countries. pic.twitter.com/ZZgZv1Vv3s — Speaker of the House of Representatives (@SpeakerGbaja) April 10, 2020
China’s foreign minister tried to blame the United States for “undermining” the China-Africa relationship.
“As a response to U.S. attempt to undermine China-Africa relations, I would say our friendship with Africa is unbreakable,” Foreign Ministry Spokesman Zhao Lijian said. “The Chinese government has attached high importance to the health & safety of foreign nationals in China,” he continued. “We treat them equally and reject any discriminatory measures in our outbreak response.”
Africans in Guangzhou are complaining that they are facing increased discrimination. It is being reported that health workers are going door to door testing Africans for coronavirus whether they display symptoms, have traveled, or been in contact with anyone who has COVID-19. Visas have been restricted. Some Africans are being forced into quarantine despite testing negative for the virus.
On March 28 China banned all foreigners from entering the country including those with visas and residence permits. Foreigners are being blamed for a spike in new coronavirus infections. On Sunday, China’s national health commission reported a five-week high of new infections – 108. All but 10 came from abroad. The fear of the second wave of infections is blamed for abuses taking place against foreigners. Some Africans now say they have never felt welcome in China and the coronavirus is being used as an excuse for the Chinese to act on their underlying fears.
Africans have short term visas due to frequent travel in and out of China for business. This makes it difficult to calculate the size of the African population in Guangzhou. In 2017, approximately 320,000 Africans entered or left China through Guangzhou.


hotair--2020-04-16--Reese Witherspoon's giveaway to honor teachers is epic fail

Reese Witherspoon is an actress , producer , and entrepreneur .
One of her ventures is an online shopping site for her clothing line called Draper James .
She was looking for a way to honor the efforts of teachers during the coronavirus pandemic since schools are closed and teachers are working with students remotely .
Unfortunately , no good deed goes unpunished .
Generally speaking , I like Witherspoon ’ s work as an actress .
I ’ ve enjoyed lots of her movies and television projects .
She has a good reputation as far as Hollywood personalities go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so many others are .
She ’ s involved in politics , most recently in the Time ’ s Up movement in Hollywood .
She ’ s proven to be a savvy businesswoman .
All that said , I was a little surprised to read that a good gesture by her through her clothing line went so horribly wrong .
The idea was for Draper James to do a giveaway for teachers .
The prize was a free dress from the clothing line .
Sounds nice , right ?
The teachers were really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ excited .
About one million teachers responded .
At the time they filled out the form online and provided their email addresses , the teachers had no way of knowing that only 250 dresses were available to be awarded .
The entry form only said , “ while supplies last ” .
Oops .
The company made the announcement on April 2 on Instagram .
As I said , She ’ s a savvy businesswoman and knows how to market her company .
The dress giveaway received publicity the next day on NBC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Jenna Bush .
It was also featured on Good Morning America .
Witherspoon ’ s fans in the teaching profession were really excited .
“ In many parts of the country , a lot of teachers really don ’ t feel appreciated , and don ’ t get paid very well , and the idea of a free dress during a high-stress time was really exciting , ” said Natalie Ornell , a substitute middle-school teacher in the Boston public school system .
“ It was really like Cinderella.
” Tammy Meyer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public school system , felt the same way .
“ It was Reese Witherspoon !
” she said .
“ She ’ s always been one of my favorite actresses .
To have a dress associated with her at a time when everyone is so overwhelmed — I guess we were grasping at straws.
” Draper James is a newish , small company .
It has been in business for about five years and employs 30 people .
There are 3 million teachers in America , mostly female , and the giveaway was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The application form crashed almost immediately .
Just days after the original Instagram post appeared , it had been viewed more than 400,000 times .
Teachers were emailing one another and sharing it online .
By the close of the application period , Draper James had almost one million applications — which was approximately seven times the total number of dresses they had sold in 2019 .
“ We felt like we moved too quickly and didn ’ t anticipate the volume of the response , ” said Marissa Cooley , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ creative at Draper James .
“ We were really overwhelmed .
It was way more volume than the company had ever seen .
We expected the single-digit thousands.
” Frankly , even “ single-digit thousands ” of entries would have likely been too much for the staff to handle well .
That estimate could have gone up to 9,999 , still with only 250 dresses available to give away .
The entrants were rightly frustrated when they were told the giveaway was really a raffle .
Each person was contacted by the company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things over with the public .
Then the frustration turned into anger .
Suddenly it all looked like a marketing and publicity stunt to those who didn ’ t win a free dress .
As one man pointed out , the teachers had to submit a copy of their teacher id to enter , as well as email addresses .
The teachers ’ email inboxes were soon filled with promotional offers from Draper James and the teachers who didn ’ t win a free dress received a 30 % discount on a future @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offer , though , for many teachers , is that they couldn ’ t afford Witherspoon ’ s clothing line even with 30 % off .
Reese Witherspoon is trusted by her fans .
Many probably thought this giveaway was much like those that have been offered by other wealthy celebrities , like Oprah .
( Reese even has an Oprah-style book club . )
Teachers probably thought that she personally was footing the bill for all the teachers to get a dress .
The limit of 250 that was available to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ makes $ 2 million per episode for “ The Morning Show ” on Apple TV .
Her salary is reported to be $ 1.1 million per episode for her current television project , Little Fires Everywhere on Hulu .
Her net worth is reported to be $ 240 million .
It ’ s not Oprah money but she is doing very well .
Draper James is working to repair its image after the fiasco .
Some teachers are slow to warm to the outreach , though .
Over Easter weekend , Draper James @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stating that it was making a donation ( the company declined to say how much ) to a charity that supplies teachers with school necessities to send to their remote-learning students , as well as “ actively working on expanding our offerings , both internally and with outside retail partners who were also inspired by your stories and want to join in honoring your community , and we ask for your patience while we organize this effort.
” It added a gigantic “ unsubscribe ” button to the email .
Ms. Meyer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It was a pretty weak apology , ” she said .
“ They weren ’ t very clear with what they are specifically going to do with their ‘ partnering up ’ and trying to make up for their mistake and satisfy educators.
” Draper James has made good on its pledge to donate to a charity to provide teachers with supplies .
It sounds like Reese ’ s heart was in the right place but her company didn ’ t have the ability to follow through , plus it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disappointed teachers is no doubt a bitter pill to swallow .

Reese Witherspoon is an actress, producer, and entrepreneur. One of her ventures is an online shopping site for her clothing line called Draper James. She was looking for a way to honor the efforts of teachers during the coronavirus pandemic since schools are closed and teachers are working with students remotely. Unfortunately, no good deed goes unpunished.
Generally speaking, I like Witherspoon’s work as an actress. I’ve enjoyed lots of her movies and television projects. She has a good reputation as far as Hollywood personalities go, not known as a jerk like so many others are. She’s involved in politics, most recently in the Time’s Up movement in Hollywood. She’s proven to be a savvy businesswoman. All that said, I was a little surprised to read that a good gesture by her through her clothing line went so horribly wrong.
The idea was for Draper James to do a giveaway for teachers. The prize was a free dress from the clothing line. Sounds nice, right? The teachers were really excited to enter the giveaway, too excited. About one million teachers responded. At the time they filled out the form online and provided their email addresses, the teachers had no way of knowing that only 250 dresses were available to be awarded. The entry form only said, “while supplies last”. Oops.
The company made the announcement on April 2 on Instagram.
As I said, She’s a savvy businesswoman and knows how to market her company. The dress giveaway received publicity the next day on NBC’s TODAY show with Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush. It was also featured on Good Morning America. Witherspoon’s fans in the teaching profession were really excited.
“In many parts of the country, a lot of teachers really don’t feel appreciated, and don’t get paid very well, and the idea of a free dress during a high-stress time was really exciting,” said Natalie Ornell, a substitute middle-school teacher in the Boston public school system. “It was really like Cinderella.” Tammy Meyer, a kindergarten teacher in the Georgia public school system, felt the same way. “It was Reese Witherspoon!” she said. “She’s always been one of my favorite actresses. To have a dress associated with her at a time when everyone is so overwhelmed — I guess we were grasping at straws.”
Draper James is a newish, small company. It has been in business for about five years and employs 30 people. There are 3 million teachers in America, mostly female, and the giveaway was a project that quickly overwhelmed the company.
The application form crashed almost immediately. Just days after the original Instagram post appeared, it had been viewed more than 400,000 times. Teachers were emailing one another and sharing it online. By the close of the application period, Draper James had almost one million applications — which was approximately seven times the total number of dresses they had sold in 2019. “We felt like we moved too quickly and didn’t anticipate the volume of the response,” said Marissa Cooley, the senior vice president for brand marketing and creative at Draper James. “We were really overwhelmed. It was way more volume than the company had ever seen. We expected the single-digit thousands.”
Frankly, even “single-digit thousands” of entries would have likely been too much for the staff to handle well. That estimate could have gone up to 9,999, still with only 250 dresses available to give away. The entrants were rightly frustrated when they were told the giveaway was really a raffle. Each person was contacted by the company as Draper James staff tried to smooth things over with the public. Then the frustration turned into anger. Suddenly it all looked like a marketing and publicity stunt to those who didn’t win a free dress. As one man pointed out, the teachers had to submit a copy of their teacher id to enter, as well as email addresses.
Celebrity #Covidwashing: @ReeseW offers free dresses to teachers from her company but after it goes viral an untold number of teachers submitted their school IDs but turns out a lucky 250 teachers will get a dress for all that free press and personal data. https://t.co/IDY7qgA7d1 pic.twitter.com/jwpM23wHYN — David Carroll (@profcarroll) April 7, 2020
The teachers’ email inboxes were soon filled with promotional offers from Draper James and the teachers who didn’t win a free dress received a 30% discount on a future purchase. The problem with the discount offer, though, for many teachers, is that they couldn’t afford Witherspoon’s clothing line even with 30% off.
Wow. 😂 @draperjames clearly doesn't know how much teachers make. "We love teachers! Here's 30% off our ridiculously expensive dresses." If I'm spending over $100 on an "everyday dress," it better also grade essays. — Dina Ley (@dinachka82) April 7, 2020
I said the same thing! Even with the 30% off what public school teacher can afford it? 🤣🤷🏻♀ — SaraBlues (@sarablues624) April 7, 2020
Reese Witherspoon is trusted by her fans. Many probably thought this giveaway was much like those that have been offered by other wealthy celebrities, like Oprah. (Reese even has an Oprah-style book club.) Teachers probably thought that she personally was footing the bill for all the teachers to get a dress. The limit of 250 that was available to be given away was a shock. Witherspoon makes $2 million per episode for “The Morning Show” on Apple TV. Her salary is reported to be $1.1 million per episode for her current television project, Little Fires Everywhere on Hulu. Her net worth is reported to be $240 million. It’s not Oprah money but she is doing very well.
Draper James is working to repair its image after the fiasco. Some teachers are slow to warm to the outreach, though.
Over Easter weekend, Draper James sent another letter to its applicants, stating that it was making a donation (the company declined to say how much) to a charity that supplies teachers with school necessities to send to their remote-learning students, as well as “actively working on expanding our offerings, both internally and with outside retail partners who were also inspired by your stories and want to join in honoring your community, and we ask for your patience while we organize this effort.” It added a gigantic “unsubscribe” button to the email. Ms. Meyer, for one, was not particularly satisfied. “It was a pretty weak apology,” she said. “They weren’t very clear with what they are specifically going to do with their ‘partnering up’ and trying to make up for their mistake and satisfy educators.”
Draper James has made good on its pledge to donate to a charity to provide teachers with supplies.
The unspecified donation to DonorsChoose, an organization that allows individuals to donate directly to public school classroom projects, will support high-needs teachers in New Orleans, Atlanta, Nashville and other cities, a representative of the nonprofit told Page Six. DonorsChoose said the teachers will get grants to spend on supplies to be shipped directly to students’ homes as they learn remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns.
It sounds like Reese’s heart was in the right place but her company didn’t have the ability to follow through, plus it was poorly rolled out. The aftermath of disappointed teachers is no doubt a bitter pill to swallow.


hotair--2020-04-16--Hope: Severely ill patients at Chicago hospital showed rapid recovery after receiving Gilead's exper

Hope: Severely ill patients at Chicago hospital showed rapid recovery after receiving Gilead's experimental antiviral drug

The happiest I ’ ve been in six weeks was reading this story .
Investors read it too , with the Dow Futures market suddenly evincing joy as well .
My layman ’ s understanding is that remdesivir has always been the best hope among scientists for a “ miracle drug ” that might put a real dent in the death toll .
Hydroxychloroquine gets all the press because Trump has seized on it for whatever reason , but the evidence of its efficacy so far is mixed .
The French study that put the drug on the world ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bullet against coronavirus was later withdrawn by the journal that published it because of flawed methodology .
Some small studies from China indicated that it may have benefits against COVID-19 , but another Chinese study released this week pointed the other way : “ The pill didn ’ t help patients clear the virus better than standard care and was much more likely to cause side effects , according to a study of 150 hospitalized patients… ” A new French study also showed few benefits from the drug , with less than a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ admitted to the ICU who received the drug and those admitted to the ICU who didn ’ t .
Part of the hope for hydroxychloroquine was due to the fact that it ’ s already on the shelf , available for off-label use .
Remdesivir is still in the trial stage .
But the FDA is watching it closely , knowing its potential , and Gilead is moving it along as quickly as possible , knowing how much demand there ’ ll be if trials confirm its efficacy .
The company ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 patients who are severely ill at 150 different clinical sites .
Today ’ s big news comes from just one of those sites , a hospital at the University of Chicago .
That ’ s the catch — the new data doesn ’ t reflect the outcome from the whole study , just one hospital ’ s experience .
But that hospital is respected .
And its head researcher sounds very encouraged by what she ’ s seen .
The University of Chicago Medicine recruited 125 people with Covid-19 into Gilead ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Of those people , 113 had severe disease .
All the patients have been treated with daily infusions of remdesivir .
“ The best news is that most of our patients have already been discharged , which is great .
We ’ ve only had two patients perish , ” said Kathleen Mullane , the University of Chicago infectious disease specialist overseeing the remdesivir studies for the hospital… “ It ’ s always hard , ” she said , because the severe trial doesn ’ t include a placebo group for comparison .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ] drug , we see fever curves falling , ” she said .
“ Fever is now not a requirement for people to go on trial , we do see when patients do come in with high fevers , they do [ reduce ] quite quickly .
We have seen people come off ventilators a day after starting therapy .
So , in that realm , overall our patients have done very well.
” She added : “ Most of our patients are severe and most of them are leaving at six @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of therapy doesn ’ t have to be 10 days .
We have very few that went out to 10 days , maybe three , ” she said .
A 98 percent survival rate among “ severely ” ill patients sounds good to me .
One patient who received remdesivir in the Chicago hospital told Stat he was admitted with a fever of 104 degrees and was struggling to breathe .
They gave him oxygen and then started him on the drug on April 4 .
He claims his fever dropped almost immediately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off oxygen .
He was out of the hospital on April 7 .
Is this a gamechanger ?
We ’ ll have a better sense soon : Apparently Gilead has the results from the first 400 patients who received the drug as part of its study and could release them at any moment .
Unfortunately there was no control group , which will make it harder to say definitively that remdesivir is what ’ s leading patients to recover rather than standard treatment .
But 98 percent is hard to argue with : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ symptoms severe enough to require “ critical care ” found that only half survived .
A couple of days ago I wrote that the prospect of a pharmaceutical treatment coming along soon to change the trajectory of this epidemic is the single best reason not to follow Sweden ’ s “ herd immunity ” approach .
An uncontrolled outbreak ( or semi-controlled in their case ) will accelerate deaths in the name of getting past the disease sooner .
Flattening the curve and slowing it down buys time for scientists to come up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many of those deaths .
It ’ s still early in Sweden ’ s experiment , but … it ’ s not looking great right now : Might want to start locking down for a few months , at least until Gilead has the full data on remdesivir .
A lot of Scandinavian grandmas who might not need to die for the sake of the economy might end up being saved that way .

The happiest I’ve been in six weeks was reading this story.
Investors read it too, with the Dow Futures market suddenly evincing joy as well.
My layman’s understanding is that remdesivir has always been the best hope among scientists for a “miracle drug” that might put a real dent in the death toll. Hydroxychloroquine gets all the press because Trump has seized on it for whatever reason, but the evidence of its efficacy so far is mixed. The French study that put the drug on the world’s radar screen as a potential silver bullet against coronavirus was later withdrawn by the journal that published it because of flawed methodology. Some small studies from China indicated that it may have benefits against COVID-19, but another Chinese study released this week pointed the other way: “The pill didn’t help patients clear the virus better than standard care and was much more likely to cause side effects, according to a study of 150 hospitalized patients…” A new French study also showed few benefits from the drug, with less than a two-percent difference in mortality rates among patients admitted to the ICU who received the drug and those admitted to the ICU who didn’t.
Part of the hope for hydroxychloroquine was due to the fact that it’s already on the shelf, available for off-label use. Remdesivir is still in the trial stage. But the FDA is watching it closely, knowing its potential, and Gilead is moving it along as quickly as possible, knowing how much demand there’ll be if trials confirm its efficacy. The company’s running a study right now involving 2,400 COVID-19 patients who are severely ill at 150 different clinical sites. Today’s big news comes from just one of those sites, a hospital at the University of Chicago. That’s the catch — the new data doesn’t reflect the outcome from the whole study, just one hospital’s experience. But that hospital is respected. And its head researcher sounds very encouraged by what she’s seen.
The University of Chicago Medicine recruited 125 people with Covid-19 into Gilead’s two Phase 3 clinical trials. Of those people, 113 had severe disease. All the patients have been treated with daily infusions of remdesivir. “The best news is that most of our patients have already been discharged, which is great. We’ve only had two patients perish,” said Kathleen Mullane, the University of Chicago infectious disease specialist overseeing the remdesivir studies for the hospital… “It’s always hard,” she said, because the severe trial doesn’t include a placebo group for comparison. “But certainly when we start [the] drug, we see fever curves falling,” she said. “Fever is now not a requirement for people to go on trial, we do see when patients do come in with high fevers, they do [reduce] quite quickly. We have seen people come off ventilators a day after starting therapy. So, in that realm, overall our patients have done very well.” She added: “Most of our patients are severe and most of them are leaving at six days, so that tells us duration of therapy doesn’t have to be 10 days. We have very few that went out to 10 days, maybe three,” she said.
A 98 percent survival rate among “severely” ill patients sounds good to me. One patient who received remdesivir in the Chicago hospital told Stat he was admitted with a fever of 104 degrees and was struggling to breathe. They gave him oxygen and then started him on the drug on April 4. He claims his fever dropped almost immediately; after his second dose he was off oxygen. He was out of the hospital on April 7.
Is this a gamechanger? We’ll have a better sense soon: Apparently Gilead has the results from the first 400 patients who received the drug as part of its study and could release them at any moment. Unfortunately there was no control group, which will make it harder to say definitively that remdesivir is what’s leading patients to recover rather than standard treatment. But 98 percent is hard to argue with: A recent British study of patients with symptoms severe enough to require “critical care” found that only half survived.
A couple of days ago I wrote that the prospect of a pharmaceutical treatment coming along soon to change the trajectory of this epidemic is the single best reason not to follow Sweden’s “herd immunity” approach. An uncontrolled outbreak (or semi-controlled in their case) will accelerate deaths in the name of getting past the disease sooner. Flattening the curve and slowing it down buys time for scientists to come up with something that may end up averting many of those deaths. It’s still early in Sweden’s experiment, but … it’s not looking great right now:
There are sharp differences in COVD19 strategists between the Nordic countries. And also a distinct difference in results as measured in deaths. pic.twitter.com/Egw51K02Xk — Carl Bildt (@carlbildt) April 16, 2020
Might want to start locking down for a few months, at least until Gilead has the full data on remdesivir. A lot of Scandinavian grandmas who might not need to die for the sake of the economy might end up being saved that way.


hotair--2020-04-17--Looks like it's going to get nasty between Trump and Cuomo, and maybe other governors, from now on

The irony of yesterday ’ s announcement of federal guidelines for reopening is that it seemed like a moment when everyone was on the same page .
“ It ’ s your call , ” Trump said to U.S. governors about the timetable .
The guidelines he released were praised as judicious , even if they were light on specifics about how we ’ re going to ramp up testing in the near term .
There was finally a common script from which all would be working together going forward .
But after his “ liberation ” tweets this morning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states taking responsibility for testing , in hindsight it feels more like a divorce being finalized .
The phase where the feds and the states were working together on things like ventilators and field hospitals is over .
The new phase is the one where the states are supposed to take the lead in all key facets , with the feds doing something or other to help — keeping international supply chains moving , hopefully — but otherwise staying in the background .
That means Trump no longer has to play nice with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ play nice with him .
I ’ m writing this shortly before the evening press briefing is about to begin .
We ’ ll see if his comments there prove me right .
Jay Inslee has already stopped pulling punches , though : Trump , meanwhile , was focused this morning on Cuomo , the governor with the biggest TV audience for his daily briefings : The president was restrained under the circumstances .
Watch the clip at the end of this post from today ’ s briefing and you ’ ll find @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He doesn ’ t raise his voice , but I ’ m not sure I ’ ve ever seen a Democrat lay into Trump for that long outside a campaign setting .
What ’ s going to turn up the heat on the Trump/governor standoff is growing public awareness of the shortfall in testing and how it ’ s impeding reopening for business .
Trump will point at the governors , the governors will point at him .
Experts say we need to two to three times as many tests as we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ monitoring of new local outbreaks is adequate .
There ’ s no plan in sight , per the AP : “ There are places that have enough test swabs , but not enough workers to administer them .
There are places that are limiting tests because of the CDC criteria on who should get tested , ” said Dr. Megan Ranney an emergency doctor and associate professor at Brown University .
“ There ’ s just so many inefficiencies and problems with the way that testing currently happens across this country.
” … @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laboratory directors called on the Trump administration to address shortages of swabs , protective gear and highly specialized laboratory chemicals needed to analyze the virus ’ genetic material .
Hospitals and state health departments report scouring the globe to secure orders , competing against each other and their peers abroad in a system that Gov .
Andrew Cuomo , D-N.Y. , described as “ mayhem.
” “ The federal government can not wipe their hands of this and say , ‘ Oh , the states are responsible for testing , ’ ” Cuomo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shortage of chemicals manufactured in China .
“ I don ’ t do China relations .
I don ’ t do international supply chain.
” “ We are weeks if not months away from having a sufficient number of tests , ” said former CDC director Tom Frieden to the Hill .
Some officials want Trump to use military power to fill the gap : Ted Cruz is nudging him to use the Defense Production Act to produce testing supplies whereas Inslee wants him to deputize the Pentagon itself to put its supply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passing the buck to the states will be hard for Trump because of how Americans look to the federal government in a crisis .
Here ’ s Cuomo .
In lieu of an exit question , note that the Wall Street Journal is reporting no fewer than 4,591 Americans died from COVID-19 in the 24 hours between 8 p.m .
ET Wednesday and 8 p.m .
ET Thursday .
Why the daily death toll , which had been flat at around 2,500 daily , would nearly double overnight is unclear .
Presumably some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ re adding “ probable ” deaths to the toll .
Whatever the answer , 4,591 is far beyond the number killed on 9/11 and ever so slightly more than the entirety of American troops killed in action during eight years of the Iraq war .
That ’ s the cultural backdrop to the debate we ’ re about to have over whether it ’ s safe to reopen .

The irony of yesterday’s announcement of federal guidelines for reopening is that it seemed like a moment when everyone was on the same page. “It’s your call,” Trump said to U.S. governors about the timetable. The guidelines he released were praised as judicious, even if they were light on specifics about how we’re going to ramp up testing in the near term. There was finally a common script from which all would be working together going forward.
But after his “liberation” tweets this morning, followed by the one about the states taking responsibility for testing, in hindsight it feels more like a divorce being finalized. The phase where the feds and the states were working together on things like ventilators and field hospitals is over. The new phase is the one where the states are supposed to take the lead in all key facets, with the feds doing something or other to help — keeping international supply chains moving, hopefully — but otherwise staying in the background. That means Trump no longer has to play nice with governors and governors no longer have to play nice with him.
I’m writing this shortly before the evening press briefing is about to begin. We’ll see if his comments there prove me right. Jay Inslee has already stopped pulling punches, though:
The president is fomenting domestic rebellion and spreading lies – even while his own administration says the virus is real, it is deadly and we have a long way to go before restrictions can be lifted. 2/7 — Governor Jay Inslee (@GovInslee) April 17, 2020
The president’s actions threaten his own goal of recovery. His words will likely cause a spike in infections where distancing is working. That will further postpose the 14 days of decline his own guidance says is necessary to ease restrictions. 4/7 — Governor Jay Inslee (@GovInslee) April 17, 2020
I hope someday we can look at today’s meltdown as something to be pitied, rather than condemned. But we don’t have that luxury today. There is too much at stake. 6/7 — Governor Jay Inslee (@GovInslee) April 17, 2020
Trump, meanwhile, was focused this morning on Cuomo, the governor with the biggest TV audience for his daily briefings:
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1251181566740619265
Cuomo ridiculously wanted “40 thousand Ventilators”. We gave him a small fraction of that number, and it was plenty. State should have had them in stockpile! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 17, 2020
The president was restrained under the circumstances. Watch the clip at the end of this post from today’s briefing and you’ll find Cuomo brutalizing him for minutes on end. He doesn’t raise his voice, but I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a Democrat lay into Trump for that long outside a campaign setting.
What’s going to turn up the heat on the Trump/governor standoff is growing public awareness of the shortfall in testing and how it’s impeding reopening for business. Trump will point at the governors, the governors will point at him. Experts say we need to two to three times as many tests as we’re doing now to ensure that monitoring of new local outbreaks is adequate. There’s no plan in sight, per the AP:
“There are places that have enough test swabs, but not enough workers to administer them. There are places that are limiting tests because of the CDC criteria on who should get tested,” said Dr. Megan Ranney an emergency doctor and associate professor at Brown University. “There’s just so many inefficiencies and problems with the way that testing currently happens across this country.”… This week governors, physician groups and laboratory directors called on the Trump administration to address shortages of swabs, protective gear and highly specialized laboratory chemicals needed to analyze the virus’ genetic material. Hospitals and state health departments report scouring the globe to secure orders, competing against each other and their peers abroad in a system that Gov. Andrew Cuomo, D-N.Y., described as “mayhem.” “The federal government cannot wipe their hands of this and say, ‘Oh, the states are responsible for testing,’” Cuomo said Friday as he complained of a shortage of chemicals manufactured in China. “I don’t do China relations. I don’t do international supply chain.”
“We are weeks if not months away from having a sufficient number of tests,” said former CDC director Tom Frieden to the Hill. Some officials want Trump to use military power to fill the gap: Ted Cruz is nudging him to use the Defense Production Act to produce testing supplies whereas Inslee wants him to deputize the Pentagon itself to put its supply chain to use. The politics of passing the buck to the states will be hard for Trump because of how Americans look to the federal government in a crisis.
Here’s Cuomo. In lieu of an exit question, note that the Wall Street Journal is reporting no fewer than 4,591 Americans died from COVID-19 in the 24 hours between 8 p.m. ET Wednesday and 8 p.m. ET Thursday. Why the daily death toll, which had been flat at around 2,500 daily, would nearly double overnight is unclear. Presumably some jurisdictions are backlogged in their counting or they’re adding “probable” deaths to the toll. Whatever the answer, 4,591 is far beyond the number killed on 9/11 and ever so slightly more than the entirety of American troops killed in action during eight years of the Iraq war. That’s the cultural backdrop to the debate we’re about to have over whether it’s safe to reopen.


hotair--2020-04-17--NY Times: Coronavirus has created a wave of xenophobia...inside China

This hasn ’ t gotten much attention in the U.S. media before now , but one result of the coronavirus outbreak in China has been a wave of anti-foreigner sentiment .
It may seem ironic given that the virus first arose in China , but as the number of cases in China has dropped and the number of cases in Europe and the U.S. has increased , many people in China have started to see foreigners as a threat .
The Guardian reported on this trend three weeks ago : Over the past few weeks , as Chinese health officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ almost every day , foreigners living in the country have noticed a change .
They have been turned away from restaurants , shops , gyms and hotels , subjected to further screening , yelled at by locals and avoided in public spaces .
“ I ’ m walking past someone , then they see my blue eyes and jump a foot back , ” said Andrew Hoban , 33 , who is originally from Ireland and lives in Shanghai .
Yesterday the NY Times reported on more incidents that show this sentiment has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , foreigners have been barred from some shops and gyms , supposedly as part of a campaign to combat the virus .
“ We are temporarily not accepting foreign friends and people whose temperature is above 37.3 , ” read a sign in a hair salon near Beijing ’ s central business district .
A salon employee said she didn ’ t see it as discrimination .
“ It is an epidemic , after all , ” she said… Some expressions of antiforeigner sentiment have made no pretense about public health concerns .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the northeastern city of Shenyang displayed a banner that read : “ Celebrating the epidemic in the United States and wishing coronavirus a nice trip to Japan.
” In a separate story , a NY Times reporter ( who was recently kicked out of the country ) described his experience having lunch in a McDonald ’ s : Having a quick meal at a half-filled McDonald ’ s before heading for the train station , my colleague and I were quietly talking when a young man wearing a bright yellow hoodie approached .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ foreign trash , ” he said .
“ Foreign trash !
What are you doing in my country ?
And you , with him , you bitch.
” He hovered over us menacingly for a few minutes before moving on .
His tirade , and the fact that no one in the restaurant said a word , felt bleakly appropriate .
Yesterday , Karen wrote about another Chinese McDonald ’ s which put up signs saying Africans were not welcome .
That happened as Nigerians in the same area had been suddenly evicted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the street .
None of this is happening by accident .
State media in China has been reporting the number of “ imported cases ” of coronavirus every day .
What they haven ’ t been saying is almost all of these cases are Chinese people returning home .
Some of the uglier manifestations of nationalism have been fueled by government propaganda , which has touted China ’ s response to the virus as evidence of the ruling Communist Party ’ s superiority… China ’ s heightened us-against-them mentality is perhaps most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foreigners .
Though the Chinese government denounced racist attacks against Asians overseas when the outbreak was centered in China , it now casts people from other countries as public health risks .
But foreigners aren ’ t the only targets .
Even Chinese people who aren ’ t sufficiently pro-CCP are being attacked online .
A writer named Fang Fang whose daily diary of life under the lockdown is set to be published in English has compared the attacks she has received to the Cultural Revolution : Chinese people deemed insufficiently admiring of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ online attacks by China ’ s army of “ little pinks , ” a nickname for the generation of young digital warriors who pounce on any criticism of the Communist Party… Fang Fang has likened the harassment to her childhood during the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and ’ 70s , when anyone seen as even mildly critical of Mao Zedong risked torture or imprisonment .
It ’ s interesting that China has its own social justice warriors called “ little pinks.
” Maybe we should adopt that name for them here .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ be clear .
China ’ s internal propaganda has been creating paranoia about foreigners even as its external propaganda has decrying racism and issuing statements like the one , published this week by China ’ s ambassador to France : The virus knows no borders .
The New Coronary Pneumonia epidemic is a common enemy of all mankind .
It reminds us in an extremely tragic way : In the era of globalization , the destinies of all countries are closely connected and shared , and no one can be alone .
To @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cooperation and cooperation are needed to build a community of shared future for mankind .
The CCP cranks out stuff like this to fool gullible foreign media , e.g .
U.S. media outlets , some of whom have taken to publishing “ news stories ” based on obvious Chinese propaganda .
Meanwhile , what the CCP is promoting at home is national pride and open distrust of foreigners .

This hasn’t gotten much attention in the U.S. media before now, but one result of the coronavirus outbreak in China has been a wave of anti-foreigner sentiment. It may seem ironic given that the virus first arose in China, but as the number of cases in China has dropped and the number of cases in Europe and the U.S. has increased, many people in China have started to see foreigners as a threat. The Guardian reported on this trend three weeks ago:
Over the past few weeks, as Chinese health officials reported new “imported” coronavirus cases almost every day, foreigners living in the country have noticed a change. They have been turned away from restaurants, shops, gyms and hotels, subjected to further screening, yelled at by locals and avoided in public spaces. “I’m walking past someone, then they see my blue eyes and jump a foot back,” said Andrew Hoban, 33, who is originally from Ireland and lives in Shanghai.
Yesterday the NY Times reported on more incidents that show this sentiment has been building:
In Beijing and Shanghai, foreigners have been barred from some shops and gyms, supposedly as part of a campaign to combat the virus. “We are temporarily not accepting foreign friends and people whose temperature is above 37.3,” read a sign in a hair salon near Beijing’s central business district. A salon employee said she didn’t see it as discrimination. “It is an epidemic, after all,” she said… Some expressions of antiforeigner sentiment have made no pretense about public health concerns. Last month, a porridge restaurant in the northeastern city of Shenyang displayed a banner that read: “Celebrating the epidemic in the United States and wishing coronavirus a nice trip to Japan.”
In a separate story, a NY Times reporter (who was recently kicked out of the country) described his experience having lunch in a McDonald’s:
Having a quick meal at a half-filled McDonald’s before heading for the train station, my colleague and I were quietly talking when a young man wearing a bright yellow hoodie approached. He pointed at me. “You foreign trash,” he said. “Foreign trash! What are you doing in my country? And you, with him, you bitch.” He hovered over us menacingly for a few minutes before moving on. His tirade, and the fact that no one in the restaurant said a word, felt bleakly appropriate.
Yesterday, Karen wrote about another Chinese McDonald’s which put up signs saying Africans were not welcome. That happened as Nigerians in the same area had been suddenly evicted from their apartments and forced to sleep on the street.
None of this is happening by accident. State media in China has been reporting the number of “imported cases” of coronavirus every day. What they haven’t been saying is almost all of these cases are Chinese people returning home.
Some of the uglier manifestations of nationalism have been fueled by government propaganda, which has touted China’s response to the virus as evidence of the ruling Communist Party’s superiority… China’s heightened us-against-them mentality is perhaps most apparent in its recent strictures aimed at foreigners. Though the Chinese government denounced racist attacks against Asians overseas when the outbreak was centered in China, it now casts people from other countries as public health risks.
But foreigners aren’t the only targets. Even Chinese people who aren’t sufficiently pro-CCP are being attacked online. A writer named Fang Fang whose daily diary of life under the lockdown is set to be published in English has compared the attacks she has received to the Cultural Revolution:
Chinese people deemed insufficiently admiring of the government have been subjected to vitriolic online attacks by China’s army of “little pinks,” a nickname for the generation of young digital warriors who pounce on any criticism of the Communist Party… Fang Fang has likened the harassment to her childhood during the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and ’70s, when anyone seen as even mildly critical of Mao Zedong risked torture or imprisonment.
It’s interesting that China has its own social justice warriors called “little pinks.” Maybe we should adopt that name for them here. In any case, the hypocrisy should be clear. China’s internal propaganda has been creating paranoia about foreigners even as its external propaganda has decrying racism and issuing statements like the one, published this week by China’s ambassador to France:
The virus knows no borders. The New Coronary Pneumonia epidemic is a common enemy of all mankind. It reminds us in an extremely tragic way: In the era of globalization, the destinies of all countries are closely connected and shared, and no one can be alone. To overcome the epidemic, global action, cooperation and cooperation are needed to build a community of shared future for mankind.
The CCP cranks out stuff like this to fool gullible foreign media, e.g. U.S. media outlets, some of whom have taken to publishing “news stories” based on obvious Chinese propaganda. Meanwhile, what the CCP is promoting at home is national pride and open distrust of foreigners.


hotair--2020-04-17--The results are in on the Texas nursing home using hydroxychloroquine

Last week I wrote about a doctor who serves as the medical director of a nursing home in Texas City , Texas testing hydroxychloroquine on a group of elderly patients .
The test results are in .
It ’ s good news .
Dr. Robin Armstrong faced one of the largest outbreaks in the Houston area when 83 people tested positive for COVID-19 at the 135-bed facility in Galveston County .
At the time , I wrote that he was treating 30 patients with hydroxychloroquine .
Apparently those numbers have shifted .
Now it is being reported that 39 elderly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with hydroxychloroquine .
Fifty-six residents contracted the virus .
Armstrong wasn ’ t willing to watch 15 % of the nursing home die without doing something .
Using President Trump ’ s line of reasoning – what the hell do you have to lose ?
– he prescribed the drug .
“ I thought the risk of seeing 15 % of that nursing home die was just not acceptable , ” he said of the residents at The Resort at Texas City .
Now that the five-day trial is completed , Dr. Armstrong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
At first , he couched his answer by saying “ most ” of the patients have done well .
“ And , you know , and I think that that is suggestive that the medication is helpful , ” he said .
When the reporter pressed him on “ most ” patients , he explained .
“ We ’ ve got one patient now that kind of goes back and forth , ” said Dr. Armstrong , “ He ’ s an older gentleman , but we ’ re kind of nursing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s getting better.
” Two patients receiving hydroxychloroquine have had to go to the hospital for unrelated conditions , Armstrong disclosed ; a woman had a fall and a man got dehydrated in his room because he was not eating and drinking .
But for the first time since this treatment began , many of those who have recovered from the virus have been able to go outside and get some fresh air over the last 48 hours , Armstrong said .
So , except for the one elderly man who is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hydroxychloroquine certainly looks to have paid off .
The drug is routinely used to combat malaria and is used by lupus patients , too .
Regular users of the drug are facing concerns over shortages now .
It ’ s not an option for those with lupus , it ’ s a necessity .
“ I ’ ve been on this medication for about 20 years or so , ” said Sandy Dixon , who lives in Euless in Tarrant County .
Hydroxychloroquine helps her live with lupus , but she says the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ find since some doctors began using them for coronavirus patients .
“ I understand for them it ’ s an ‘ if ’ but for me it ’ s not an ‘ if ’ factor .
I need the medicine every day to be able to function.
” Kroger grocery stores have the drug in stock .
CVS and Walgreens is limiting it to ensure everyone with a prescription gets it .
When asked if he thought the use of hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 would be a politically-motivated question if President Trump had not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ admitted it probably wouldn ’ t even be a topic of conversation .
Opponents of Trump objected to his mentioning the drug as a possible treatment .
If Trump had not brought it up , it likely would not be a controversial topic .
Armstrong is a Republican activist , serves as a surrogate for the Trump campaign , serves on the advisory board of the Black Voices for Trump coalition and is one of Texas ’ two Republican National Committee members .
Dr. Armstrong reminded the reporter that hydroxychloroquine is not a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his experience , though , it does reduce the severity of the symptoms .

Last week I wrote about a doctor who serves as the medical director of a nursing home in Texas City, Texas testing hydroxychloroquine on a group of elderly patients. The test results are in. It’s good news.
Dr. Robin Armstrong faced one of the largest outbreaks in the Houston area when 83 people tested positive for COVID-19 at the 135-bed facility in Galveston County. At the time, I wrote that he was treating 30 patients with hydroxychloroquine. Apparently those numbers have shifted. Now it is being reported that 39 elderly people gave Armstrong permission to treat them with hydroxychloroquine. Fifty-six residents contracted the virus.
Armstrong wasn’t willing to watch 15% of the nursing home die without doing something. Using President Trump’s line of reasoning – what the hell do you have to lose? – he prescribed the drug. “I thought the risk of seeing 15% of that nursing home die was just not acceptable,” he said of the residents at The Resort at Texas City.
Now that the five-day trial is completed, Dr. Armstrong was interviewed this week about the results. At first, he couched his answer by saying “most” of the patients have done well. “And, you know, and I think that that is suggestive that the medication is helpful,” he said. When the reporter pressed him on “most” patients, he explained. “We’ve got one patient now that kind of goes back and forth,” said Dr. Armstrong, “He’s an older gentleman, but we’re kind of nursing him through the process, but he’s getting better.”
Two patients receiving hydroxychloroquine have had to go to the hospital for unrelated conditions, Armstrong disclosed; a woman had a fall and a man got dehydrated in his room because he was not eating and drinking. But for the first time since this treatment began, many of those who have recovered from the virus have been able to go outside and get some fresh air over the last 48 hours, Armstrong said.
So, except for the one elderly man who is being nursed along, the gamble on hydroxychloroquine certainly looks to have paid off. The drug is routinely used to combat malaria and is used by lupus patients, too. Regular users of the drug are facing concerns over shortages now. It’s not an option for those with lupus, it’s a necessity.
“I’ve been on this medication for about 20 years or so,” said Sandy Dixon, who lives in Euless in Tarrant County. Hydroxychloroquine helps her live with lupus, but she says the pills have become harder for her to find since some doctors began using them for coronavirus patients. “I understand for them it’s an ‘if’ but for me it’s not an ‘if’ factor. I need the medicine every day to be able to function.”
Kroger grocery stores have the drug in stock. CVS and Walgreens is limiting it to ensure everyone with a prescription gets it.
When asked if he thought the use of hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 would be a politically-motivated question if President Trump had not spoken in favor of it, Armstrong admitted it probably wouldn’t even be a topic of conversation. Opponents of Trump objected to his mentioning the drug as a possible treatment. If Trump had not brought it up, it likely would not be a controversial topic. Armstrong is a Republican activist, serves as a surrogate for the Trump campaign, serves on the advisory board of the Black Voices for Trump coalition and is one of Texas’ two Republican National Committee members.
“When this hydroxychloroquine came out, I was a bit skeptical,” he explained, “because I know the World Health Organization actually was not initially including it in their study, because they didn’t think that it was very effective.”
Dr. Armstrong reminded the reporter that hydroxychloroquine is not a cure for COVID-19. He said in his experience, though, it does reduce the severity of the symptoms.