hotair--2020-03-10--NY lawmakers trying to crack down on ‘grossly overpriced’ gouging during virus concerns

One of the many unpleasant side effects of the rapidly spreading coronavirus has been the tendency for people to hoard some common products that most of us normally don ’ t give much thought to .
These include Nitron gloves , surgical masks and hand sanitizer .
This has led to stores quickly running out of these products and some people selling them for vastly inflated prices .
Out in Long Island , New York , lawmakers are attempting to stop this trend by passing a measure that would impose a fine on individuals attempting to profit in this fashion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are working to stop price gougers who are cashing in on the coronavirus outbreak .
New legislation could stop sky-high prices for items that are currently flying off store shelves .
Long Island pharmacy owner Maisey Khodzhayev told CBS2 ’ s Dave Carlin on Sunday that customers are desperate to get their hands on masks and hand sanitizer .
He ’ s down to just a few masks and the hand sanitizer is all gone .
“ I sold out my last five pieces today .
I sold out last week , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one sell out it pushes some people to look elsewhere and pay more than they should .
Nassau County Executive Laura Curran is the one pushing the measure with the support of several county legislators .
But there are several concerns over how this will be implemented and if it ’ s even legal .
I think most of us would be annoyed ( at a minimum ) to find that the only locally available hand sanitizer was going for $ 100 per bottle .
( This is an actual price that was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) But can you truly throw the book at someone who is doing it ?
More than thirty states have laws on the books against price gouging and they ’ ve been upheld by state supreme courts , such as the one in Kentucky .
I can find no record of such a challenge being heard by SCOTUS .
But the scope of the laws is restricted .
They only pass constitutional muster if they are enforced during a declared state of emergency or disaster .
Further , they can only apply to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and the law must specify price ceilings for each class of product .
There is currently a state of emergency in New York State due to the coronavirus , so Nassau County should be able to get away with this if they structure the rule correctly .
But even if they can , should they ?
After all , while repugnant to most , price gouging is really just an example of the free market being pushed to extreme limits .
Supply and demand is the underlying principle of capitalist systems and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ society not directly regulated by the government .
If there is less of something available , the price goes up .
If there ’ s a glut of any given product or service , prices are supposed to drop .
( Unless you control a monopoly such as the airlines do . )
The other complicating factor here is the prevalence of online shopping .
These aren ’ t the old days when your only option if the local store was out of something was to buy it from a guy selling wares @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You can still find hand sanitizer , gloves and masks online , generally for fairly normal prices .
There are a few crazy prices on E-Bay , but if you spend some time on Amazon ( I just checked ) you can get all of those things , even if the expected shipping dates are running a bit longer than usual .
Most of you shouldn ’ t be particularly worried about this .
The CDC has already stated that the majority of publicly available surgical masks don ’ t protect against the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but you ’ re going to go through a lot of them quickly or they rapidly become useless .
Hand sanitizer is fine , but just washing your hands regularly throughout the day is what most doctors are advising .
But hey… if you want to pay $ 100 for a bottle of Purell , be my guest .
It ’ s a free market after all .

One of the many unpleasant side effects of the rapidly spreading coronavirus has been the tendency for people to hoard some common products that most of us normally don’t give much thought to. These include Nitron gloves, surgical masks and hand sanitizer. This has led to stores quickly running out of these products and some people selling them for vastly inflated prices. Out in Long Island, New York, lawmakers are attempting to stop this trend by passing a measure that would impose a fine on individuals attempting to profit in this fashion. (CBS New York)
Lawmakers are working to stop price gougers who are cashing in on the coronavirus outbreak. New legislation could stop sky-high prices for items that are currently flying off store shelves. Long Island pharmacy owner Maisey Khodzhayev told CBS2’s Dave Carlin on Sunday that customers are desperate to get their hands on masks and hand sanitizer. He’s down to just a few masks and the hand sanitizer is all gone. “I sold out my last five pieces today. I sold out last week,” Khodzhayev said. When stores like this one sell out it pushes some people to look elsewhere and pay more than they should.
Nassau County Executive Laura Curran is the one pushing the measure with the support of several county legislators. But there are several concerns over how this will be implemented and if it’s even legal.
I think most of us would be annoyed (at a minimum) to find that the only locally available hand sanitizer was going for $100 per bottle. (This is an actual price that was seen on Long Island this week.) But can you truly throw the book at someone who is doing it? More than thirty states have laws on the books against price gouging and they’ve been upheld by state supreme courts, such as the one in Kentucky. I can find no record of such a challenge being heard by SCOTUS.
But the scope of the laws is restricted. They only pass constitutional muster if they are enforced during a declared state of emergency or disaster. Further, they can only apply to products that are considered “essential goods” and the law must specify price ceilings for each class of product. There is currently a state of emergency in New York State due to the coronavirus, so Nassau County should be able to get away with this if they structure the rule correctly.
But even if they can, should they? After all, while repugnant to most, price gouging is really just an example of the free market being pushed to extreme limits. Supply and demand is the underlying principle of capitalist systems and it controls pricing in every aspect of society not directly regulated by the government. If there is less of something available, the price goes up. If there’s a glut of any given product or service, prices are supposed to drop. (Unless you control a monopoly such as the airlines do.)
The other complicating factor here is the prevalence of online shopping. These aren’t the old days when your only option if the local store was out of something was to buy it from a guy selling wares from the trunk of his car. You can still find hand sanitizer, gloves and masks online, generally for fairly normal prices. There are a few crazy prices on E-Bay, but if you spend some time on Amazon (I just checked) you can get all of those things, even if the expected shipping dates are running a bit longer than usual.
Most of you shouldn’t be particularly worried about this. The CDC has already stated that the majority of publicly available surgical masks don’t protect against the coronavirus anyway. Gloves can be effective, but you’re going to go through a lot of them quickly or they rapidly become useless. Hand sanitizer is fine, but just washing your hands regularly throughout the day is what most doctors are advising.
But hey… if you want to pay $100 for a bottle of Purell, be my guest. It’s a free market after all.


hotair--2020-03-10--The quirky aspect of tonight's delegate math could either sink or save Bernie

For the moment , Joe Biden is leading Bernie Sanders in the earned delegate race by 96 , and some observers are predicting that Uncle Joe will score some big wins tonight .
( We need to specify “ for the moment ” because votes are still being counted in California , Texas and several other Super Tuesday states . )
In tonight ’ s Not So Super Tuesday races there are 352 earned delegates available .
If any of the recent polling can be trusted – a big “ if ” these days – several of these races appear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Associated Press explains in an analysis this week , that ’ s going to be particularly good news for whoever comes out on top in the states where the margins are tight .
The “ quirk ” in the system comes from the way the delegates are allocated .
( The Hill ) The intricate arithmetic of how delegates are won under Democrats ’ rules makes it possible for a candidate to reap a bigger haul of delegates with a smaller margin of victory on this Tuesday than on any other night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s an opportunity to catch up to Joe Biden , who enters the day ahead by 96 delegates .
For Biden , it ’ s a chance to open up what could become an insurmountable lead .
How this happens may seem complicated , but it ’ s nothing more than some basic math and an “ odd ” quirk of how delegates are won under party rules .
Here ’ s how this “ quirk ” shakes out .
Each state is broken down into congressional districts , each having some delegates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups of delegates representing the Senators .
The congressional district delegates are awarded proportionally to anyone getting more than 15 % support in each district while the senate delegates are proportionally awarded based on the statewide results .
In every district and state where the two candidates are close ( with the “ winner ” getting less than roughly 58 % support ) , they split the delegates evenly .
But some districts have an odd number of delegates , so even if the winner only gets 51 % , they wind up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delegate .
As the AP points out , tonight ’ s races contain the largest number of districts and states with an odd number of delegates .
Roughly two-thirds of the 352 available this evening fall into that category , while the rest of the states yet to vote have a vastly larger proportion with even numbers of delegates .
The bottom line of all this is that the winner in each state , with a particular emphasis on Michigan , will do significantly better in a very tight race than they would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It could add up to as many as fifty extra delegates for whoever wins all the close races .
And for Bernie Sanders , that could spell the difference between catching up to Joe Biden and potentially regaining some momentum or falling even further behind .
It ’ s funny how primary delegate math works , eh ?
But those are the rules of the road and everybody has to play by them .

For the moment, Joe Biden is leading Bernie Sanders in the earned delegate race by 96, and some observers are predicting that Uncle Joe will score some big wins tonight. (We need to specify “for the moment” because votes are still being counted in California, Texas and several other Super Tuesday states.) In tonight’s Not So Super Tuesday races there are 352 earned delegates available. If any of the recent polling can be trusted – a big “if” these days – several of these races appear to be very close. But as the Associated Press explains in an analysis this week, that’s going to be particularly good news for whoever comes out on top in the states where the margins are tight. The “quirk” in the system comes from the way the delegates are allocated. (The Hill)
The intricate arithmetic of how delegates are won under Democrats’ rules makes it possible for a candidate to reap a bigger haul of delegates with a smaller margin of victory on this Tuesday than on any other night. For Bernie Sanders, it’s an opportunity to catch up to Joe Biden, who enters the day ahead by 96 delegates. For Biden, it’s a chance to open up what could become an insurmountable lead. How this happens may seem complicated, but it’s nothing more than some basic math and an “odd” quirk of how delegates are won under party rules.
Here’s how this “quirk” shakes out. Each state is broken down into congressional districts, each having some delegates to award. There are two additional groups of delegates representing the Senators. The congressional district delegates are awarded proportionally to anyone getting more than 15% support in each district while the senate delegates are proportionally awarded based on the statewide results.
In every district and state where the two candidates are close (with the “winner” getting less than roughly 58% support), they split the delegates evenly. But some districts have an odd number of delegates, so even if the winner only gets 51%, they wind up getting the extra, “odd” delegate. As the AP points out, tonight’s races contain the largest number of districts and states with an odd number of delegates. Roughly two-thirds of the 352 available this evening fall into that category, while the rest of the states yet to vote have a vastly larger proportion with even numbers of delegates.
The bottom line of all this is that the winner in each state, with a particular emphasis on Michigan, will do significantly better in a very tight race than they would if the delegates were divided evenly. It could add up to as many as fifty extra delegates for whoever wins all the close races. And for Bernie Sanders, that could spell the difference between catching up to Joe Biden and potentially regaining some momentum or falling even further behind.
It’s funny how primary delegate math works, eh? But those are the rules of the road and everybody has to play by them.


hotair--2020-03-12--How are brick and mortar stores coping with COVID-19 precautions?

Brick and mortar stores must be feeling the pinch already from the spreading of the coronavirus in the U.S. because large retailers are making a point of getting information out this week to quell any uneasiness felt by their customers .
Besides worrying about disruptions in supply chains , retailers are showing concern about foot traffic , too .
Major retailers like Target are “ monitoring the situation hour by hour ” as customers stockpile items like hand sanitizers and household disinfectants .
CEO Brian Cornell said the chain has seen “ aggressive shopping ” .
They are in touch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the shelves are emptied out .
I received an email from Target this week explaining the precautions and procedures being put in place by its stores to protect customers and employees .
I don ’ t remember ever getting such an email from a major retailer .
A concentration on store cleanliness is at the top of the list of actions being taken and additional hours are being given to employees tasked with that .
Cornell claims that check lanes and touchscreens are being cleaned every 30 minutes .
A temporary halt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A limit has been placed on the purchase of some products , including hand sanitizer .
And , they are staffing up for services like order pick-up and drive-up service .
Target is encouraging sick employees to stay home but doesn ’ t say anything in the letter about temporary compensation if that is needed .
Cosmetics and skincare retailer Sephora sent out an email explaining the measures being taken in their stores .
Besides increasing its weekly deep cleaning of stores and distribution centers , it is suspending in-store services like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offering sick pay to full-time employees and hourly employees .
They will pay those who are asked to self-quarantine or are quarantined .
Kroger , Publix , and Home Depot are all limiting purchases of how many cleaning products a customer can buy at once .
While hand sanitizer is flying off the shelves , hand soap isn ’ t .
I ’ ll take using hand soap over sanitizer any day , but maybe that ’ s just me .
I know there is a convenience to having a little bottle of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you are out and about but I ’ ve never liked the feel of it on my hands .
Walmart notes a worker in Kentucky tested positive for COVID-19 and is receiving medical care .
The chain ’ s emergency leave policy is being extended to all of it ’ s hourly workers in the U.S. Walmart is enacting an emergency leave policy for its 1.4 million hourly U.S. workers that allowing them to take time off without penalty if they fear the spread of a new virus .
The nation ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worker at its store in Cynthiana , Kentucky , tested positive for the COVID-19 , the disease caused by the new coronavirus .
The worker is receiving medical care and her condition is improving , according to an internal memo .
The retailer consulted with state and local health experts after learning of the case , reinforced its cleaning and sanitizing protocol , and the store remains open after Walmart conferred with the state government .
As part of the new emergency leave policy , Walmart said that hourly workers who work in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distribution center will receive up to two weeks pay if they ’ re required to quarantine by the government or by the retailer .
Workers who have a confirmed case of the virus will also receive two weeks of pay .
If they are not able to return to work after that time , additional pay may be provided for up to 26 weeks for both full- and part-time hourly workers .
CVS Pharmacy is offering free delivery of prescriptions to customers .
This allows those already sick to skip a visit to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well .
Aetna , a CVS company , is stepping up , too .
All of these measures taken by retailers is good for both the chains and for consumers .
Business is not , as usual , these days and frankly , some of these adjustments are just common sense measures that work year-round , whether there is an outbreak of a virus or not .
I ’ m not a germophobe but I do exercise diligence in public when it comes to protecting myself from unnecessary exposure to germs , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I don ’ t try samples of make-up in stores because it ’ s simply not sanitary .
I don ’ t try samples of food products in stores that are left in unattended displays .
The same goes for food samples being offered by a worker , too .
Who needs to court potential exposure to who-knows-what out there ?
Unfortunately for brick and mortar stores , online shopping is the way to go .
I do it at every opportunity .
I ’ ve never been an enthusiastic mall shopper anyway @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We regularly use a home delivery service for groceries , too .
Instacart , which is what we use , offers a variety of local stores from which to place orders .
They sent out an email Wednesday to customers .
They are introducing a new service option – “ Leave at My Door Delivery ” .
The driver will place your order at your door , take a photo of it and then notify you it is there .
You don ’ t even have to interact with the driver now if @ @ @ @

Brick and mortar stores must be feeling the pinch already from the spreading of the coronavirus in the U.S. because large retailers are making a point of getting information out this week to quell any uneasiness felt by their customers. Besides worrying about disruptions in supply chains, retailers are showing concern about foot traffic, too.
Major retailers like Target are “monitoring the situation hour by hour” as customers stockpile items like hand sanitizers and household disinfectants. CEO Brian Cornell said the chain has seen “aggressive shopping”. They are in touch with domestic vendors to place additional orders as the shelves are emptied out.
I received an email from Target this week explaining the precautions and procedures being put in place by its stores to protect customers and employees. I don’t remember ever getting such an email from a major retailer. A concentration on store cleanliness is at the top of the list of actions being taken and additional hours are being given to employees tasked with that. Cornell claims that check lanes and touchscreens are being cleaned every 30 minutes. A temporary halt to in-store food tasting is in effect. A limit has been placed on the purchase of some products, including hand sanitizer. And, they are staffing up for services like order pick-up and drive-up service. Target is encouraging sick employees to stay home but doesn’t say anything in the letter about temporary compensation if that is needed.
The health and safety of our guests and team is our first priority. Read more from CEO Brian Cornell about how Target is responding to the coronavirus: https://t.co/8Mav7yaMbG — Target News (@TargetNews) March 10, 2020
Cosmetics and skincare retailer Sephora sent out an email explaining the measures being taken in their stores. Besides increasing its weekly deep cleaning of stores and distribution centers, it is suspending in-store services like make-up applications and classes. Sephora is offering sick pay to full-time employees and hourly employees. They will pay those who are asked to self-quarantine or are quarantined.
Kroger, Publix, and Home Depot are all limiting purchases of how many cleaning products a customer can buy at once. While hand sanitizer is flying off the shelves, hand soap isn’t. I’ll take using hand soap over sanitizer any day, but maybe that’s just me. I know there is a convenience to having a little bottle of gel in your pocket or handbag while you are out and about but I’ve never liked the feel of it on my hands.
Walmart notes a worker in Kentucky tested positive for COVID-19 and is receiving medical care. The chain’s emergency leave policy is being extended to all of it’s hourly workers in the U.S.
Walmart is enacting an emergency leave policy for its 1.4 million hourly U.S. workers that allowing them to take time off without penalty if they fear the spread of a new virus. The nation’s largest private employer said Tuesday that a worker at its store in Cynthiana, Kentucky, tested positive for the COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. The worker is receiving medical care and her condition is improving, according to an internal memo. The retailer consulted with state and local health experts after learning of the case, reinforced its cleaning and sanitizing protocol, and the store remains open after Walmart conferred with the state government. As part of the new emergency leave policy, Walmart said that hourly workers who work in a store, club, office or distribution center will receive up to two weeks pay if they’re required to quarantine by the government or by the retailer. Workers who have a confirmed case of the virus will also receive two weeks of pay. If they are not able to return to work after that time, additional pay may be provided for up to 26 weeks for both full- and part-time hourly workers.
CVS Pharmacy is offering free delivery of prescriptions to customers. This allows those already sick to skip a visit to the pharmacy, which protects others as well. Aetna, a CVS company, is stepping up, too.
Aetna, a CVS company, will also waive early refill limits on 30-day prescriptions for medicines typically needed to address chronic conditions like hypertension and asthma. And customers who are on Medicare, or who have Aetna health policies will be able to get prescriptions for such medications that last three months.
All of these measures taken by retailers is good for both the chains and for consumers. Business is not, as usual, these days and frankly, some of these adjustments are just common sense measures that work year-round, whether there is an outbreak of a virus or not. I’m not a germophobe but I do exercise diligence in public when it comes to protecting myself from unnecessary exposure to germs, as a regular part of everyday life. I don’t try samples of make-up in stores because it’s simply not sanitary. I don’t try samples of food products in stores that are left in unattended displays. The same goes for food samples being offered by a worker, too. Who needs to court potential exposure to who-knows-what out there?
Unfortunately for brick and mortar stores, online shopping is the way to go. I do it at every opportunity. I’ve never been an enthusiastic mall shopper anyway so it makes sense for me. We regularly use a home delivery service for groceries, too. Instacart, which is what we use, offers a variety of local stores from which to place orders. They sent out an email Wednesday to customers. They are introducing a new service option – “Leave at My Door Delivery”. The driver will place your order at your door, take a photo of it and then notify you it is there. You don’t even have to interact with the driver now if you are quarantined.


hotair--2020-03-12--Disneyland is closing over coronavirus concerns

Disneyland and California Adventure will be closing Saturday over concerns about the possible spread of the coronavirus .
Variety reports the closure is expected to last at least two weeks : It ’ s only the fourth time in history that Disneyland in Anaheim , Calif. , has fully suspended operations .
The other instances were Sept. 11 attacks , the morning after JFK ’ s assassination and the Northridge earthquake… “ While there have been no reported cases of COVID-19 at Disneyland Resort , after carefully reviewing the guidelines of the Governor of California ’ s executive order and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and employees , we are proceeding with the closure of Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure , beginning the morning of March 14 through the end of the month , ” Disney said in a statement .
California Gov .
Gavin Newsom issued “ guidance ” just before midnight Wednesday night which recommended that all gatherings over 250 people be canceled or rescheduled through at least the end of the month .
That guidance was not binding , just a recommendation .
In addition , Newsom made clear theme parks like Disneyland were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it appears the park had decided not to take the risk .
The LA Times reports that other theme parks have not decided whether or not they will voluntarily shut down .
A spokesperson for Knott ’ s Berry Farm said Thursday morning that the Buena Park attraction “ is aware of the new guidance issued by the state of California last night regarding large events based on the COVID-19 outbreak .
Knott ’ s Berry Farm is open today as we understand and evaluate what this means for our park , our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Six Flags Magic Mountain , Universal Studios Hollywood and Legoland California were not immediately returned Thursday morning .
Mike Spanos , president and chief executive of the Six Flags Entertainment Corp. , previously wrote a public note emphasizing “ the top priority at Six Flags is the safety and the well-being of our guests and team members.
” He said Six Flags has “ significantly enhanced ” its cleaning and sanitation efforts and is asking employees who are sick to stay home .
It ’ s not clear at the moment whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also be shutting down .
Two Disney Parks in Tokyo have been shut down since the end of February .
Yesterday the company announced those parks would remain closed through until the end of April .
The Disney Park in Shanghai , China has been closed since January 23rd as has the park in Hong Kong .
Dineyland in Paris remains open as of today .
Finally , this isn ’ t theme park related but other entertainment venues are also shutting down including Broadway in New York :

Disneyland and California Adventure will be closing Saturday over concerns about the possible spread of the coronavirus. Variety reports the closure is expected to last at least two weeks:
It’s only the fourth time in history that Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., has fully suspended operations. The other instances were Sept. 11 attacks, the morning after JFK’s assassination and the Northridge earthquake… “While there have been no reported cases of COVID-19 at Disneyland Resort, after carefully reviewing the guidelines of the Governor of California’s executive order and in the best interest of our guests and employees, we are proceeding with the closure of Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure, beginning the morning of March 14 through the end of the month,” Disney said in a statement.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued “guidance” just before midnight Wednesday night which recommended that all gatherings over 250 people be canceled or rescheduled through at least the end of the month. That guidance was not binding, just a recommendation. In addition, Newsom made clear theme parks like Disneyland were exempt from those recommendations. Still, it appears the park had decided not to take the risk. The LA Times reports that other theme parks have not decided whether or not they will voluntarily shut down.
A spokesperson for Knott’s Berry Farm said Thursday morning that the Buena Park attraction “is aware of the new guidance issued by the state of California last night regarding large events based on the COVID-19 outbreak. Knott’s Berry Farm is open today as we understand and evaluate what this means for our park, our guests and our associates.”… Inquiries to Six Flags Magic Mountain, Universal Studios Hollywood and Legoland California were not immediately returned Thursday morning. Mike Spanos, president and chief executive of the Six Flags Entertainment Corp., previously wrote a public note emphasizing “the top priority at Six Flags is the safety and the well-being of our guests and team members.” He said Six Flags has “significantly enhanced” its cleaning and sanitation efforts and is asking employees who are sick to stay home.
It’s not clear at the moment whether or not Disney World in Florida will also be shutting down. Two Disney Parks in Tokyo have been shut down since the end of February. Yesterday the company announced those parks would remain closed through until the end of April. The Disney Park in Shanghai, China has been closed since January 23rd as has the park in Hong Kong. Dineyland in Paris remains open as of today.
Finally, this isn’t theme park related but other entertainment venues are also shutting down including Broadway in New York:


hotair--2020-03-12--Profile in <s>Courage</s> Discretion: Warren won't endorse Sanders -- or Biden

Smart move .
Not terribly courageous , but politically smart nonetheless .
Despite calls from progressives — and frantic contacts from Bernie Sanders ’ campaign — Elizabeth Warren won ’ t endorse the man whose ideological alignment comes closest to her own .
Nor will Warren throw her weight behind the man who has emerged as the frontrunner , the New York Times reported today : Senator Elizabeth Warren , whose endorsement became highly coveted in the Democratic presidential race after she dropped out last week , is unlikely to endorse her ideological ally Senator Bernie Sanders , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though Mr. Sanders is looking for political lifelines as he struggles against former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. Ms. Warren is expected to withhold her endorsement from Mr. Sanders as well as Mr. Biden at this point , choosing to let the primary play out rather than seek to change its course , according to several people familiar with Ms. Warren ’ s thinking who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss her considerations .
… Ms. Warren has spoken to Mr. Biden once since Super Tuesday but multiple times to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team have fielded overtures from Sanders supporters seeking to coax her to his aid .
Some of the Vermont senator ’ s prominent online supporters have clamored for Ms. Warren to get behind his campaign , given how closely the two politicians are aligned on policy matters .
They can “ clamor ” all they want , but there ’ s no point in joining a bandwagon whose wheels are presently coming off .
What would Warren gain from endorsing Sanders at this point ?
Her party ’ s establishment wants to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can focus on beating Donald Trump with Joe Biden , which a Bernie endorsement would only delay a little longer .
It wouldn ’ t expand her own contacts with voters , and could actively damage prospects for partnerships with other legislators and donors for her next Senate election .
On the other hand , Warren doesn ’ t stand to gain much from endorsing Biden either .
She might disappoint progressives for keeping Bernie at arms ’ length , but a Biden endorsement at this point would contradict almost everything she represented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not going to be Biden ’ s running mate — she ’ s proven too unlikeable to be of use in that role — so there ’ s no real reason to embrace him while Bernie ’ s still competing .
One has to wonder , though , whether Warren ’ s making this precise calculation , or just running on her gut disgust with the Bernie Bros : Warren claimed that so-called Bernie Bros , as Sanders ’ staunchest supporters have come to be known , posted the home addresses and phone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worked for or ran groups that had either endorsed her or not endorsed Sanders .
The move , she said , led to an “ onslaught of online threats.
” The Massachusetts progressive was adamant that the candidate himself bore some responsibility for his supporters , who were acting in an effort to support Sanders .
“ I wan na say this for all of the candidates , back when there were lots of us , we are responsible for the people who claim to be our supporters and do really threatening , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remarked .
Go figure that Warren doesn ’ t want to spend the next couple of weeks hanging out with that group .
This will likely change after Sunday ’ s debate , or Tuesday ’ s round of primaries .
If Sanders finds a way to do a lot of damage to Biden in the debate and start winning these contests , Warren might line up with Sanders in an attempt to keep the race open for progressives a while longer .
If , however , Sanders doesn ’ t move the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calls to close up the fight sooner rather than later .

Smart move. Not terribly courageous, but politically smart nonetheless. Despite calls from progressives — and frantic contacts from Bernie Sanders’ campaign — Elizabeth Warren won’t endorse the man whose ideological alignment comes closest to her own. Nor will Warren throw her weight behind the man who has emerged as the frontrunner, the New York Times reported today:
Senator Elizabeth Warren, whose endorsement became highly coveted in the Democratic presidential race after she dropped out last week, is unlikely to endorse her ideological ally Senator Bernie Sanders, according to several people close to her, even though Mr. Sanders is looking for political lifelines as he struggles against former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. Ms. Warren is expected to withhold her endorsement from Mr. Sanders as well as Mr. Biden at this point, choosing to let the primary play out rather than seek to change its course, according to several people familiar with Ms. Warren’s thinking who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss her considerations. … Ms. Warren has spoken to Mr. Biden once since Super Tuesday but multiple times to Mr. Sanders, as she and her team have fielded overtures from Sanders supporters seeking to coax her to his aid. Some of the Vermont senator’s prominent online supporters have clamored for Ms. Warren to get behind his campaign, given how closely the two politicians are aligned on policy matters.
They can “clamor” all they want, but there’s no point in joining a bandwagon whose wheels are presently coming off. What would Warren gain from endorsing Sanders at this point? Her party’s establishment wants to get this fight over with so that they can focus on beating Donald Trump with Joe Biden, which a Bernie endorsement would only delay a little longer. It wouldn’t expand her own contacts with voters, and could actively damage prospects for partnerships with other legislators and donors for her next Senate election.
On the other hand, Warren doesn’t stand to gain much from endorsing Biden either. She might disappoint progressives for keeping Bernie at arms’ length, but a Biden endorsement at this point would contradict almost everything she represented in this cycle. Warren’s not going to be Biden’s running mate — she’s proven too unlikeable to be of use in that role — so there’s no real reason to embrace him while Bernie’s still competing.
One has to wonder, though, whether Warren’s making this precise calculation, or just running on her gut disgust with the Bernie Bros:
Warren claimed that so-called Bernie Bros, as Sanders’ staunchest supporters have come to be known, posted the home addresses and phone numbers of numerous women of color who worked for or ran groups that had either endorsed her or not endorsed Sanders. The move, she said, led to an “onslaught of online threats.” The Massachusetts progressive was adamant that the candidate himself bore some responsibility for his supporters, who were acting in an effort to support Sanders. “I wanna say this for all of the candidates, back when there were lots of us, we are responsible for the people who claim to be our supporters and do really threatening, ugly, dangerous things,” she remarked.
Go figure that Warren doesn’t want to spend the next couple of weeks hanging out with that group.
This will likely change after Sunday’s debate, or Tuesday’s round of primaries. If Sanders finds a way to do a lot of damage to Biden in the debate and start winning these contests, Warren might line up with Sanders in an attempt to keep the race open for progressives a while longer. If, however, Sanders doesn’t move the needle, Warren will probably join the calls to close up the fight sooner rather than later.


hotair--2020-03-12--Biden: I have a plan to fight coronavirus

It ’ s a total no-brainer politically to give this speech the day after Trump ’ s , particularly given the exasperation felt even by some righties over the president flubbing key details like whether the ban on travel from Europe includes European goods .
Coronavirus is a waking nightmare but politically it ’ s a crisis tailor-made to enhance the appeal of Biden ’ s campaign theme of a “ return to normalcy.
” Two weeks ago political junkies were wondering how voters this fall would choose between the upheaval of Bernie Sanders ’ s economic revolution and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump show .
Two weeks later , presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden is running on a platform of “ It ’ d be nice if politics were boring again , wouldn ’ t it ?
” Once we ’ re done with coronavirus , if we ’ re done with coronavirus , boredom will seem like the world ’ s sweetest luxury .
There ’ s another benefit to Biden from doing the shadow-president routine here .
The contrast between the chaos engulfing the Trump administration ’ s response to COVID-19 and Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” mien makes it harder to sell people on the idea that he ’ s lost a step .
“ Biden ’ s senile !
” the GOP will say .
“ Your guy couldn ’ t read his own policy accurately off a teleprompter , ” Biden will say .
“ And he couldn ’ t get sick people tested.
” What ’ s the comeback ?
He ’ s offering voters a caretaker presidency , essentially , one in which he ’ ll hold office for only a single term ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he hasn ’ t announced it ) and likely defer heavily to a team of technocrats in day-to-day operations .
Under normal circumstances that ’ d be unappealing ; our last two presidents have surfed to victory on a current of dynamic messianism in which true believers trust them to remake the country according to their vision .
Biden has no vision .
He probably won ’ t be very engaged .
But his advisors might at least manage to get farking people tested , a matter of basic competence normally taken for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as we fight our intensely bitter ideological wars .
If the coronavirus crisis ends up being a quarter as bad as epidemiologists fear , that ’ s the only message Biden will need this fall : “ I ’ ll be napping most of the day but I assure you my team will be be on top of this.
” He ’ ll be a favorite to win .
Team Trump will fight back by insisting that Team Joe won ’ t be competent at all .
A statement from Trump communications director @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Joe Biden has shown terrible judgment and incompetence in the face of public health issues .
The Obama White House had to publicly apologize for and clean up after Biden when his irresponsible remarks caused panic during the swine flu outbreak in 2009 .
Just weeks ago , he was openly critical of President Trump ’ s early move to restrict travel from China to the United States in response to the coronavirus – a decision which medical experts agree helped impede the spread of the virus to this country .
Yesterday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ theory that the President purposely allowed the coronavirus to spread .
In times like this , America needs leadership and Biden has shown none .
President Trump acted early and decisively and has put the United States on stronger footing than other nations .
His every move has been aimed at keeping Americans safe , while Joe Biden has sought to capitalize politically and stoke citizens ’ fears.
” We ’ re going to spend an unexpectedly large amount of time this year relitigating whether the Obama administration ’ s response to swine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I hope we end up with a good enough outcome on coronavirus that that comparison isn ’ t ridiculous on its face .
Some 59 million Americans were infected with swine flu from 2009-10 and 12,000 died , a number far greater than the toll from COVID-19 — right now .
That ’ s a death rate of .02 percent , in line with traditional flu .
The death rate from coronavirus is expected to be at least 50 times greater and some dire projections imagine more than 59 million infected .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ booth thinking , “ Which disease seemed worse to me ?
” If many end up answering “ swine flu , ” we ’ ll have been very , very fortunate this year .
There ’ s some idiocy up front here too about how it ’ s xenophobic or whatever to call coronavirus a “ foreign virus.
” He ’ s the Democratic nominee .
He has to do some tapdancing for the woke brigades .

It’s a total no-brainer politically to give this speech the day after Trump’s, particularly given the exasperation felt even by some righties over the president flubbing key details like whether the ban on travel from Europe includes European goods. Coronavirus is a waking nightmare but politically it’s a crisis tailor-made to enhance the appeal of Biden’s campaign theme of a “return to normalcy.” Two weeks ago political junkies were wondering how voters this fall would choose between the upheaval of Bernie Sanders’s economic revolution and the upheaval of four more years of the Trump show. Two weeks later, presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden is running on a platform of “It’d be nice if politics were boring again, wouldn’t it?” Once we’re done with coronavirus, if we’re done with coronavirus, boredom will seem like the world’s sweetest luxury.
There’s another benefit to Biden from doing the shadow-president routine here. The contrast between the chaos engulfing the Trump administration’s response to COVID-19 and Biden’s familiar empathetic “serious adult” mien makes it harder to sell people on the idea that he’s lost a step. “Biden’s senile!” the GOP will say. “Your guy couldn’t read his own policy accurately off a teleprompter,” Biden will say. “And he couldn’t get sick people tested.” What’s the comeback?
He’s offering voters a caretaker presidency, essentially, one in which he’ll hold office for only a single term (which is the reality, even if he hasn’t announced it) and likely defer heavily to a team of technocrats in day-to-day operations. Under normal circumstances that’d be unappealing; our last two presidents have surfed to victory on a current of dynamic messianism in which true believers trust them to remake the country according to their vision. Biden has no vision. He probably won’t be very engaged. But his advisors might at least manage to get farking people tested, a matter of basic competence normally taken for granted by members of the political class as we fight our intensely bitter ideological wars. If the coronavirus crisis ends up being a quarter as bad as epidemiologists fear, that’s the only message Biden will need this fall: “I’ll be napping most of the day but I assure you my team will be be on top of this.” He’ll be a favorite to win.
Team Trump will fight back by insisting that Team Joe won’t be competent at all. A statement from Trump communications director Tim Murtaugh:
“In the past, Joe Biden has shown terrible judgment and incompetence in the face of public health issues. The Obama White House had to publicly apologize for and clean up after Biden when his irresponsible remarks caused panic during the swine flu outbreak in 2009. Just weeks ago, he was openly critical of President Trump’s early move to restrict travel from China to the United States in response to the coronavirus – a decision which medical experts agree helped impede the spread of the virus to this country. Yesterday his campaign actually raised the vile conspiracy theory that the President purposely allowed the coronavirus to spread. In times like this, America needs leadership and Biden has shown none. President Trump acted early and decisively and has put the United States on stronger footing than other nations. His every move has been aimed at keeping Americans safe, while Joe Biden has sought to capitalize politically and stoke citizens’ fears.”
We’re going to spend an unexpectedly large amount of time this year relitigating whether the Obama administration’s response to swine flu in 2009 was effective or not. I hope we end up with a good enough outcome on coronavirus that that comparison isn’t ridiculous on its face. Some 59 million Americans were infected with swine flu from 2009-10 and 12,000 died, a number far greater than the toll from COVID-19 — right now. That’s a death rate of .02 percent, in line with traditional flu. The death rate from coronavirus is expected to be at least 50 times greater and some dire projections imagine more than 59 million infected. I think voters will go into the booth thinking, “Which disease seemed worse to me?” If many end up answering “swine flu,” we’ll have been very, very fortunate this year.
There’s some idiocy up front here too about how it’s xenophobic or whatever to call coronavirus a “foreign virus.” He’s the Democratic nominee. He has to do some tapdancing for the woke brigades.


hotair--2020-03-12--Today's hot #TEMS topics: Coronavirus positioning, social distancing, campaign conditioning, academi

Today's hot #TEMS topics: Coronavirus positioning, social distancing, campaign conditioning, academic excellence petitioning, and more!

Today on The Ed Morrissey Show ( 4 pm ET ) , we have another great lineup for the news of the day !
The show will be streamed on Hot Air ’ s Facebook page and embedded here and on the show page for those who are not on Facebook .
Join us as we welcome : • Duane “ Generalissimo ” Patterson brings us up to date on the week ’ s top stories and gives us a preview of tomorrow ’ s Hugh Hewitt show .
Did Donald Trump ’ s first Oval Office address bring better @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congress pass a bipartisan emergency response bill or just Nancy Pelosi ’ s collection of hobby horses ?
We ’ ll also look ahead to Sunday ’ s debate between Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders , and wonder why Biden ’ s juggling his campaign leadership now .
• How do we get back to providing adequate education to our children , especially in low-income and minority-majority communities ?
Charles Love , author of We Want Equality : How the Fight for Equality Gave Way to Preference and senior director of Seeking Educational @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Big Education , and about SEE ’ s upcoming SEE 2020 Vision Summit on April 3-4 in Chandler , AZ .
Dennis Prager and Heather MacDonald will be the keynote speakers at the event !
The Ed Morrissey Show and its dynamic chatroom can be seen on the permanent TEMS page .
Be sure to join us , and don ’ t forget to keep up with the debate on my Facebook page , too !
How can Republicans and conservatives keep winning after 2016 ?
Find out in GOING RED , @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Today on The Ed Morrissey Show (4 pm ET), we have another great lineup for the news of the day! The show will be streamed on Hot Air’s Facebook page and embedded here and on the show page for those who are not on Facebook.
Join us as we welcome:
Duane “Generalissimo” Patterson brings us up to date on the week’s top stories and gives us a preview of tomorrow’s Hugh Hewitt show. Did Donald Trump’s first Oval Office address bring better focus to the coronavirus response? Will Congress pass a bipartisan emergency response bill or just Nancy Pelosi’s collection of hobby horses? We’ll also look ahead to Sunday’s debate between Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders, and wonder why Biden’s juggling his campaign leadership now.
How do we get back to providing adequate education to our children, especially in low-income and minority-majority communities? Charles Love, author of We Want Equality: How the Fight for Equality Gave Way to Preference and senior director of Seeking Educational Excellence, tells us about the crisis of Big Education, and about SEE’s upcoming SEE 2020 Vision Summit on April 3-4 in Chandler, AZ. Dennis Prager and Heather MacDonald will be the keynote speakers at the event!
The Ed Morrissey Show and its dynamic chatroom can be seen on the permanent TEMS page. Be sure to join us, and don’t forget to keep up with the debate on my Facebook page, too!
How can Republicans and conservatives keep winning after 2016? Find out in GOING RED, published in April from Crown Forum!


hotair--2020-03-12--Iran: Satellite images show massive burial pits for coronavirus victims

Monday I wrote about evidence that suggests the spread of the coronavirus in Iran has been much worse than government officials have admitted so far .
The official number of cases ( as of Monday ) was 6,566 but the actual number may have been 100 times higher .
Today the Washington Post published a story which further indicates Iran isn ’ t being truthful about the spread of the infection or the death toll .
The story is titled , “ Coronavirus burial pits so vast they ’ re visible from space.
” Here ’ s what the site @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see near the center of the photo is believed to be lime , used for controlling the smell .
The burial pits are just above that .
The size of the pits suggests the death toll in Qom is significant : Videos taken from the ground show burials of coronavirus victims at this cemetery and a worker at the cemetery said there had been 250 such burials so far : As for why Qom is one of the hardest hit areas , it was the place where the virus first spread in Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spiritual center , there appear to be a contingent of people who are intent on showing their piety by going to public shrines during the outbreak and even kissing and licking the shrines : Meanwhile the reality of what is happening in Qom is getting out a little at a time : This clip shows an Iranian nurse saying she had witnessed 100 deaths from the virus in a single day .
So what is the actual death toll in Iran right now ?
According to an Iranian opposition group it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worse than the official death toll of429 .
The situation is so dire that Iran is asking the International Monetary Fund ( IMF ) for help for the first time in 60 years : Iran has asked for a $ 5 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund to alleviate the devastating impact of coronavirus , which has killed at least 429 Iranians as it shakes fragile Middle East health systems and economies already burdened by war , sanctions and corruption .
Iran Central Bank governor Abdolnaser Hemmati disclosed on his Instagram account @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bailout from the Washington-based international lender last week , suggesting he had yet to receive a reply .
It would mark the first time in nearly 60 years that Iran has asked the IMF for help .
As I pointed out before , Iranians are probably furious at being lied to by their government just a few weeks after the government lied for several days about shooting down a passenger jet .
And as National Review argues here , the fact that the epicenter of the spread is one the country ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the regime ’ s legitimacy .
How much more will the people of Iran tolerate ?

Monday I wrote about evidence that suggests the spread of the coronavirus in Iran has been much worse than government officials have admitted so far. The official number of cases (as of Monday) was 6,566 but the actual number may have been 100 times higher. Today the Washington Post published a story which further indicates Iran isn’t being truthful about the spread of the infection or the death toll. The story is titled, “Coronavirus burial pits so vast they’re visible from space.”
At the Behesht-e Masoumeh complex in Qom, about 80 miles south of Tehran, the excavation of a new section of the graveyard began as early as Feb. 21, satellite images show, and then rapidly expanded as the virus spread. By the end of the month, two large trenches — their lengths totaling 100 yards — were visible at the site from space.
Here’s what the site looks like. That white pile you see near the center of the photo is believed to be lime, used for controlling the smell. The burial pits are just above that.
Coronavirus burial pits so vast they’re visible from space. Iranian authorities began digging a pair of trenches for victims just days after the government disclosed the initial outbreak. https://t.co/3S4dgLisbu pic.twitter.com/UJwEWEAdhi — The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) March 12, 2020
The size of the pits suggests the death toll in Qom is significant:
In Qom, the spiritual center of Iran’s ruling Shiite clerics, more than 846 people have contracted the virus, officials say. Iran’s government has not released an official death toll for Qom, however, where about 1.2 million people live. But videos, satellite images and other open-source data from the cemetery — a vast complex six miles north of the city center — suggest that the number of people struck down by the virus there is significantly higher than the official figure.
Videos taken from the ground show burials of coronavirus victims at this cemetery and a worker at the cemetery said there had been 250 such burials so far:
“A worker told me that they must have buried more than 250 coronavirus victims so far. These are all graves and they are fresh. These are all from the last few days. And as you can see, it goes on until the end.”pic.twitter.com/lOGItUNYsb — Heshmat Alavi (@HeshmatAlavi) March 12, 2020
As for why Qom is one of the hardest hit areas, it was the place where the virus first spread in Iran. Also, because it is a spiritual center, there appear to be a contingent of people who are intent on showing their piety by going to public shrines during the outbreak and even kissing and licking the shrines:
More videos are emerging of people licking the shrines in the city of Qom #CoronaVirus, the epicentre of the epidemic in Iran. Iran's authorities still adamantly refuse to close these religious sites. The virus is wreaking havoc all over the country pic.twitter.com/veCQd6ots6 — Masih Alinejad 🏳 (@AlinejadMasih) March 1, 2020
Meanwhile the reality of what is happening in Qom is getting out a little at a time:
Qom, #Iran
Sobbing man who lost his mother to #COVID19, curses Khamenei, the regime's Supreme Leader for lying about the outbreak.
"I could not even hug my mother one last time," he says in between sobs. #Iranians hold the regime responsible for the 2000+ deaths. pic.twitter.com/omelzGi47I — Iran News Wire (@IranNW) March 8, 2020
This clip shows an Iranian nurse saying she had witnessed 100 deaths from the virus in a single day.
https://twitter.com/HeshmatAlavi/status/1237143117402460161
So what is the actual death toll in Iran right now? According to an Iranian opposition group it’s over 3,600:
More than 3,650 people across 160 cities in Iran have died of coronavirus, according to Iranian opposition PMOI/MEK. A city governor in northeast Iran has ordered the preparation of dozens of 4-meter deep graves for mass burials of COVID-19 victims.#Iran#CoronavirusPandemic https://t.co/sdfQpthJku — People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) March 12, 2020
That’s far worse than the official death toll of429. The situation is so dire that Iran is asking the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for help for the first time in 60 years:
Iran has asked for a $5 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund to alleviate the devastating impact of coronavirus, which has killed at least 429 Iranians as it shakes fragile Middle East health systems and economies already burdened by war, sanctions and corruption. Iran Central Bank governor Abdolnaser Hemmati disclosed on his Instagram account Thursday that he had formally requested a bailout from the Washington-based international lender last week, suggesting he had yet to receive a reply. It would mark the first time in nearly 60 years that Iran has asked the IMF for help.
As I pointed out before, Iranians are probably furious at being lied to by their government just a few weeks after the government lied for several days about shooting down a passenger jet. And as National Review argues here, the fact that the epicenter of the spread is one the country’s spiritual centers is arguably another challenge to the regime’s legitimacy. How much more will the people of Iran tolerate?


hotair--2020-03-12--Brazilian president's press secretary, who met Trump on Saturday, tests positive for coronavirus; <s

Brazilian president's press secretary, who met Trump on Saturday, tests positive for coronavirus; Update: Video added

That ’ s him on the right , four days ago .
Shoulder to shoulder with the president of the United States .
Two days ago Brazil ’ s president , Jair Bolsonaro , grumbled that coronavirus “ is not all the mainstream media makes it out to be , ” which sounds familiar .
Today his press secretary is infected and Bolsonaro himself is being tested .
Between this and Rudy Gobert testing positive , it feels like some evil joke that the disease is suddenly befalling denialists who are in the public eye .
This is , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump has had with a coronavirus patient but he had indirect contact with the infected person at CPAC via no fewer than three people .
Some are wondering if his brush with infection has sobered him up about the threat from the disease , per his more urgent tone in last night ’ s speech .
Others are wondering whether Trump himself might have the disease and passed it on to Bolsonaro ’ s press secretary , as he didn ’ t look or sound very well last night .
Seems unlikely ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cameras this morning .
I doubt we ’ d ever be told if he were ill unless his case became so dire that the public had to be informed .
Hopefully he ’ s well and starts taking waaaaay more serious precautions against face-to-face contact with people unnecessarily .
As far as his speech last night , have a look at the Dow today to see if it reassured investors or not .
How mistakes this large end up in a scripted speech that the entire country is watching during a national emergency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sins of commission , feeding the general sense that Trump ’ s administration has no idea what it ’ s doing .
Most of that sense can be blamed on the CDC ’ s catastrophic testing f***-up but Trump has contributed amply to it too with many weeks of moronic , unrealistically optimistic statements about how soon the outbreak would be over and how little damage it would cause .
Read ’ em and weep .
Luke Thompson is a righty and very much not a Never Trumper , and he found the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unforgivable : Much of the cratering by markets recently has been driven by a recession that now seems all but inevitable as businesses shutter indefinitely .
But some of it is driven by an unusual form of uncertainty in the basic competence of the federal government to prevent an out-and-out calamity .
Trump doesn ’ t seem to fully grasp the threat even now .
Pence and people like Anthony Fauci grasp it , but they ’ re at the mercy of the diabolical slow-footedness in testing to do much of anything except @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each other .
That ’ s what I expected last night ’ s Trump address to be , a sustained argument for why widespread “ social distancing ” is absolutely urgent — immediately , as in yesterday — and has to be practiced by everyone as a community to slow down this fire .
Some Trump fans were expecting it too .
Read this open letter to the president from a supporter who hoped Trump would “ order ” ( or at least emphatically urge ) the immediate closing of schools , airports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
What we got instead was a gigantic sin of omission , with little attention paid to “ social distancing ” and much more paid to banning travel from Europe .
That ’ ll help reduce new infections here at the margins but it reeks of Trump succumbing to the adage that “ when all you have is a hammer , everything looks like a nail.
” His solution to problems is to close borders , but this is no longer fundamentally a border problem for America .
The COVID-19 army has already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both coasts and is about to occupy Seattle , L.A. , and New York before advancing inland .
The only way to protect people now is to hammer the message at them to away from each other .
There wasn ’ t much of that last night .
Tom Bossert was a top Trump Homeland Security advisor specializing in pandemic preparedness before super-genius John Bolton decided to liquidate his entire office after becoming NSA .
Bossert has been beating the drum lately for urgent “ social distancing ” before we ’ re enveloped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that might be a week away .
He watched last night ’ s speech and came away wondering where that message from Trump was .
There was conspicuously little in the speech as well about when exactly widespread testing might be available and what sort of emergency measures are being taken in hot spots , like preparing hospitals for surge capacity and , er , making sure public labs have the basic supplies they need to function .
Reportedly Trump is weighing a disaster declaration that would free up money for FEMA and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problem more aggressively , but so far he ’ s held off .
Why ?
According to Politico , it ’ s because he ’ d have to eat his words by admitting that this is in fact a disaster and not a little flu that ’ s destined to burn itself out , as he was claiming until recently .
Even now , within the last few hours , he ’ s touting the low death toll in the U.S. thus far when every health expert in the country is warning him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s trajectory with very little time to change it : I don ’ t get it .
It doesn ’ t benefit him to talk this way .
It actively hurts him , in fact , by further shaking public confidence that he ’ s on top of the situation and fully appreciates the risk .
Maybe it ’ s just a psychological tic , ingrained over 73 years , that he can ’ t resist promoting his own alleged accomplishments even in a situation when his audience is destined to soon see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Maybe it ’ s “ authoritarian blindness , ” in which , paradoxically , a strongman leader ends up less informed about his society than a leader who ’ s less authoritarian would be : A fascinating article by Zeynep Tufekci described how this phenomenon was a factor in the Chinese government ’ s initial response to the COVID-19 outbreak .
Because an authoritarian system is designed to suppress information , rather than absorb it , the doctors on the front lines who initially warned about the disease were ignored and sometimes punished @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to talk , and if punishing people for ‘ rumors ’ becomes the norm , a doctor punished for spreading news of a disease in one province becomes just another day , rather than an indication of impending crisis.
” … Note particularly the closed information loop created by the president ’ s symbiosis with friendly news sources such as Fox News Channel , from which Trump regularly draws information on crucial issues .
The president won ’ t believe COVID-19 is a crisis until he sees it described that way on Fox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won ’ t describe it that way if they think it will contradict the line coming from the White House .
Needless to say , Trump isn ’ t the only or even the primary federal actor whose incompetence has aggravated the crisis .
That distinction belongs to others .
But it ’ d be better for everyone if Pence and Fauci and maybe a figure like former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb , who ’ s been excellent in his public advice about this , became the face of the government response .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ nothing else .
Here ’ s Pence this morning criticizing “ irresponsible ” denialist rhetoric about COVID-19 by certain unnamed people .
Update : Here ’ s the video from Saturday .
Bolsonaro ’ s press secretary lingers right behind Trump the whole time .
Trump and Pence are refusing to get tested as of now .

That’s him on the right, four days ago. Shoulder to shoulder with the president of the United States.
BREAKING: Brazilian government spokesman who met with President Trump last weekend and was pictured standing next to him has tested positive for coronavirus – Folha pic.twitter.com/8k0vhxTIn6 — BNO Newsroom (@BNODesk) March 12, 2020
Two days ago Brazil’s president, Jair Bolsonaro, grumbled that coronavirus “is not all the mainstream media makes it out to be,” which sounds familiar. Today his press secretary is infected and Bolsonaro himself is being tested. Between this and Rudy Gobert testing positive, it feels like some evil joke that the disease is suddenly befalling denialists who are in the public eye.
This is, I believe, the first known *direct* contact Trump has had with a coronavirus patient but he had indirect contact with the infected person at CPAC via no fewer than three people. Some are wondering if his brush with infection has sobered him up about the threat from the disease, per his more urgent tone in last night’s speech. Others are wondering whether Trump himself might have the disease and passed it on to Bolsonaro’s press secretary, as he didn’t look or sound very well last night. Seems unlikely; he was out in front of the cameras this morning. I doubt we’d ever be told if he were ill unless his case became so dire that the public had to be informed. Hopefully he’s well and starts taking waaaaay more serious precautions against face-to-face contact with people unnecessarily.
As far as his speech last night, have a look at the Dow today to see if it reassured investors or not. How mistakes this large end up in a scripted speech that the entire country is watching during a national emergency is utterly beyond me.
Trump in his address suggested the new travel restrictions on Europe would also apply to cargo. The proclamation just issued by the White House applies only to people, not goods and cargo >> https://t.co/oG3wcxMZEt — Rebecca Ballhaus (@rebeccaballhaus) March 12, 2020
Trump's claim tonight that health insurers "have agreed to waive all copayments for coronavirus treatments" seems to be news to them. “For testing. Not for treatment.” a spokesperson for the major insurance lobby AHIP says. — Sarah Owermohle (@owermohle) March 12, 2020
Those were sins of commission, feeding the general sense that Trump’s administration has no idea what it’s doing. Most of that sense can be blamed on the CDC’s catastrophic testing f***-up but Trump has contributed amply to it too with many weeks of moronic, unrealistically optimistic statements about how soon the outbreak would be over and how little damage it would cause. Read ’em and weep. Luke Thompson is a righty and very much not a Never Trumper, and he found the screw-ups in last night’s speech unforgivable:
https://twitter.com/ltthompso/status/1238112352727379968
https://twitter.com/ltthompso/status/1238122886638063618
Much of the cratering by markets recently has been driven by a recession that now seems all but inevitable as businesses shutter indefinitely. But some of it is driven by an unusual form of uncertainty in the basic competence of the federal government to prevent an out-and-out calamity. Trump doesn’t seem to fully grasp the threat even now. Pence and people like Anthony Fauci grasp it, but they’re at the mercy of the diabolical slow-footedness in testing to do much of anything except warn people to keep their distance from each other. That’s what I expected last night’s Trump address to be, a sustained argument for why widespread “social distancing” is absolutely urgent — immediately, as in yesterday — and has to be practiced by everyone as a community to slow down this fire. Some Trump fans were expecting it too. Read this open letter to the president from a supporter who hoped Trump would “order” (or at least emphatically urge) the immediate closing of schools, airports, non-essential businesses, and so on.
What we got instead was a gigantic sin of omission, with little attention paid to “social distancing” and much more paid to banning travel from Europe. That’ll help reduce new infections here at the margins but it reeks of Trump succumbing to the adage that “when all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” His solution to problems is to close borders, but this is no longer fundamentally a border problem for America. The COVID-19 army has already invaded. It has a beachhead on both coasts and is about to occupy Seattle, L.A., and New York before advancing inland. The only way to protect people now is to hammer the message at them to
stay
the hell
away from each other.
There wasn’t much of that last night. Tom Bossert was a top Trump Homeland Security advisor specializing in pandemic preparedness before super-genius John Bolton decided to liquidate his entire office after becoming NSA. Bossert has been beating the drum lately for urgent “social distancing” before we’re enveloped in an Italy-style crisis, a scenario that might be a week away. He watched last night’s speech and came away wondering where that message from Trump was.
There’s little value to European travel restrictions. Poor use of time & energy. Earlier, yes. Now, travel restrictions/screening are less useful. We have nearly as much disease here in the US as the countries in Europe. We MUST focus on layered community mitigation measures-Now! — Thomas P. Bossert (@TomBossert) March 12, 2020
There was conspicuously little in the speech as well about when exactly widespread testing might be available and what sort of emergency measures are being taken in hot spots, like preparing hospitals for surge capacity and, er, making sure public labs have the basic supplies they need to function. Reportedly Trump is weighing a disaster declaration that would free up money for FEMA and state and local governments to address the problem more aggressively, but so far he’s held off. Why? According to Politico, it’s because he’d have to eat his words by admitting that this is in fact a disaster and not a little flu that’s destined to burn itself out, as he was claiming until recently.
Trump’s concern at this point is that going further could hamper his narrative that the coronavirus is similar to the seasonal flu and could further agitate Wall Street, said the three people familiar with the discussions. “The president isn’t persuaded because [an emergency declaration] contradicts his message that this is the flu,” said a Republican who speaks to Trump.
Even now, within the last few hours, he’s touting the low death toll in the U.S. thus far when every health expert in the country is warning him that we’re on Italy’s trajectory with very little time to change it:
Trump on coronavirus: "The United States, because of what I did and what the administration did with China, we have 32 deaths at this point … when you look at the kind of numbers that you’re seeing coming out of other countries, it’s pretty amazing" pic.twitter.com/TXSiiXc96q — The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) March 12, 2020
I don’t get it. It doesn’t benefit him to talk this way. It actively hurts him, in fact, by further shaking public confidence that he’s on top of the situation and fully appreciates the risk. Maybe it’s just a psychological tic, ingrained over 73 years, that he can’t resist promoting his own alleged accomplishments even in a situation when his audience is destined to soon see right through them. E.g.:
Trump on Coronavirus testing: "The testing has been going very smooth." — Jim Acosta (@Acosta) March 12, 2020
Maybe it’s “authoritarian blindness,” in which, paradoxically, a strongman leader ends up less informed about his society than a leader who’s less authoritarian would be:
A fascinating article by Zeynep Tufekci described how this phenomenon was a factor in the Chinese government’s initial response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Because an authoritarian system is designed to suppress information, rather than absorb it, the doctors on the front lines who initially warned about the disease were ignored and sometimes punished: “If people are too afraid to talk, and if punishing people for ‘rumors’ becomes the norm, a doctor punished for spreading news of a disease in one province becomes just another day, rather than an indication of impending crisis.”… Note particularly the closed information loop created by the president’s symbiosis with friendly news sources such as Fox News Channel, from which Trump regularly draws information on crucial issues. The president won’t believe COVID-19 is a crisis until he sees it described that way on Fox & Friends or by Sean Hannity—and they won’t describe it that way if they think it will contradict the line coming from the White House.
Needless to say, Trump isn’t the only or even the primary federal actor whose incompetence has aggravated the crisis. That distinction belongs to others. But it’d be better for everyone if Pence and Fauci and maybe a figure like former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb, who’s been excellent in his public advice about this, became the face of the government response. The markets would be calmer, if nothing else. Here’s Pence this morning criticizing “irresponsible” denialist rhetoric about COVID-19 by certain unnamed people.
"There's been some irresponsible rhetoric, but the American people should know President Trump has no higher priority than the health and safety and well-being of the people of this country." –@Mike_Pence in response to people who aren't afraid of the coronavirus pic.twitter.com/8sQPHMGhdW — TODAY (@TODAYshow) March 12, 2020
Update: Here’s the video from Saturday. Bolsonaro’s press secretary lingers right behind Trump the whole time. Trump and Pence are refusing to get tested as of now.


hotair--2020-03-12--Acosta: Calling coronavirus 'foreign' smacks of xenophobia

President Trump opened his speech last night by saying the following : “ My fellow Americans , tonight I want to speak with you about our nation ’ s unprecedented response to the coronavirus outbreak that started in China and is now spreading throughout the world.
” A few sentences later he added , “ This is the most aggressive and comprehensive effort to confront a foreign virus in modern history.
” After the speech , CNN ’ s Jim Acosta latched onto the phrase “ foreign virus ” on Chris Cuomo ’ s show .
“ One of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tonight , wanted to get across to Americans , is that this virus did not start here but that they ’ re dealing with it , ” Acosta said .
“ It ’ s going to come across to a lot of Americans as smacking of xenophobia , ” Acosta concluded .
Two points about this .
First , just a few weeks ago it was pretty common for people in the media to refer to this as the “ Wuhan ” coronavirus .
Coronavirus is a type of virus that includes many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where this novel virus originated .
In fact , Jim Acosta himself used this formula back in January .
The second point worth noting here is that China is actively engaged in an ongoing propaganda effort to suggest the real source of the virus is unknown .
Axios reported on this effort yesterday : We ’ re getting a glimpse of how China ’ s formidable propaganda apparatus can obscure the truth and change narratives abroad , just as it can at home…Chinese diplomats are taking to Twitter and email , pushing talking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instead praise its response… What they ’ re saying : “ Though the COVID-19 was first discovered in China , it does not mean that it originated from China , ” Zhong Nanshan , a scientist helping lead the government response , said in a Feb. 27 press conference .
In addition , China ’ s embassy in Australia sent an email to an Australian journalist which claimed , “ journalists are politicizing the coronavirus by suggesting it originated in China.
” The goal is obviously to fuzz up the origin of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more difficult .
But it ’ s actually worse than that .
As the Washington Post reported last week , China is encouraging the spread of online conspiracy theories that the virus actually originated in the US : In recent days , run-of-the-mill mockery of the White House has taken a darker turn as the Chinese Internet became inundated by the theory , subtly stoked by the Chinese government , that the coronavirus originated in the United States .
The U.S. government , one version of the theory goes , has been covering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of deaths , by classifying them as regular flu .
While conspiracy theories pervade the Internet in every country , the sudden surge and overwhelming prevalence of anti-U.S. rhetoric this week has been conspicuous and significant in the context of China , where censors typically scrub speech that strays out of bounds and police quickly detain those deemed to be spreading rumors .
“ Go on WeChat , go on Weibo , look on Baidu search , and it ’ s full of ‘ look at all the other countries getting sick , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States , ’ or all different levels of conspiracy theories , ” said Xiao Qiang , an adjunct professor at the University of California at Berkeley ’ s School of Information who studies China ’ s Internet .
Today the Guardian published a follow-up on these conspiracy theories which are still spreading on Chinese social media : One of the most popular topics on the Chinese microblog Weibo on Thursday was a one-minute clip of a US congressional hearing this week on how the country was dealing with the coronavirus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Daily , Robert Redfield , director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , is asked whether there may have been deaths attributed to influenza that could actually have been the result of Covid-19 .
Redfield responds in the affirmative : “ Some cases have been actually diagnosed that way in the United States today.
” … “ The US has finally acknowledged that among those who had died of the influenza previously were cases of the coronavirus .
The true source of the virus was the US !
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ US owes the world , especially China , an apology , ” another said .
“ American coronavirus , ” one wrote .
Here ’ s the clip in question which was published with Chinese subtitles .
And here ’ s a spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry sharing the clip : Getting back to Jim Acosta , I ’ m not suggesting that Acosta got an email from the Chinese government or that he is knowingly responding to Chinese propaganda .
For one thing , Acosta doesn ’ t seem to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in China .
That said , having figures in the US media suggests it ’ s “ xenophobic ” for the President of the United States to mention that the virus originated in China clearly helps the Chinese propaganda effort .
To the degree it gets people to think they shouldn ’ t discuss this fact ( lest they sound xenophobic ) that ’ s a plus for China which ultimately wants people to stop talking about where and how this originated .
If Acosta were a better reporter I think he would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CNN last night , i.e .
that the president appeared to be taking a firm stance against an ongoing Chinese propaganda effort to suggest the origin of the virus is either a ) unknown or b ) the United States .
Instead , he told CNN viewers the president ’ s statement of the facts was xenophobic .
At some point , CNN might want to clarify with Acosta whether his job is inform people about what ’ s going on in the world or simply to attack President Trump on camera .

President Trump opened his speech last night by saying the following: “My fellow Americans, tonight I want to speak with you about our nation’s unprecedented response to the coronavirus outbreak that started in China and is now spreading throughout the world.” A few sentences later he added, “This is the most aggressive and comprehensive effort to confront a foreign virus in modern history.”
After the speech, CNN’s Jim Acosta latched onto the phrase “foreign virus” on Chris Cuomo’s show. “One of the points that the president wanted to make tonight, wanted to get across to Americans, is that this virus did not start here but that they’re dealing with it,” Acosta said. “It’s going to come across to a lot of Americans as smacking of xenophobia,” Acosta concluded.
Two points about this. First, just a few weeks ago it was pretty common for people in the media to refer to this as the “Wuhan” coronavirus. Coronavirus is a type of virus that includes many specific strains and Wuhan is the place where this novel virus originated. In fact, Jim Acosta himself used this formula back in January.
CNN International: Authorities in Beijing have cancelled all large-scale Chinese New Year celebrations in an effort to contain the growing spread of Wuhan Coronavirus. — Jim Acosta (@Acosta) January 23, 2020
The second point worth noting here is that China is actively engaged in an ongoing propaganda effort to suggest the real source of the virus is unknown. Axios reported on this effort yesterday:
We’re getting a glimpse of how China’s formidable propaganda apparatus can obscure the truth and change narratives abroad, just as it can at home…Chinese diplomats are taking to Twitter and email, pushing talking points that deflect blame from Beijing and instead praise its response… What they’re saying: “Though the COVID-19 was first discovered in China, it does not mean that it originated from China,” Zhong Nanshan, a scientist helping lead the government response, said in a Feb. 27 press conference.
Here’s a Chinese ambassador pushing this talking point in public:
Although the epidemic first broke out in China, it did not necessarily mean that the virus is originated from China, let alone "made in China". pic.twitter.com/EVXLkQnyfF — AmbCHENXiaodong (@AmbCHENXiaodong) March 7, 2020
In addition, China’s embassy in Australia sent an email to an Australian journalist which claimed, “journalists are politicizing the coronavirus by suggesting it originated in China.” The goal is obviously to fuzz up the origin of the virus and make talking about the truth more difficult.
But it’s actually worse than that. As the Washington Post reported last week, China is encouraging the spread of online conspiracy theories that the virus actually originated in the US:
In recent days, run-of-the-mill mockery of the White House has taken a darker turn as the Chinese Internet became inundated by the theory, subtly stoked by the Chinese government, that the coronavirus originated in the United States. The U.S. government, one version of the theory goes, has been covering up mounting cases, and perhaps thousands of deaths, by classifying them as regular flu. While conspiracy theories pervade the Internet in every country, the sudden surge and overwhelming prevalence of anti-U.S. rhetoric this week has been conspicuous and significant in the context of China, where censors typically scrub speech that strays out of bounds and police quickly detain those deemed to be spreading rumors. “Go on WeChat, go on Weibo, look on Baidu search, and it’s full of ‘look at all the other countries getting sick,’ or ‘the virus came from the United States,’ or all different levels of conspiracy theories,” said Xiao Qiang, an adjunct professor at the University of California at Berkeley’s School of Information who studies China’s Internet.
Today the Guardian published a follow-up on these conspiracy theories which are still spreading on Chinese social media:
One of the most popular topics on the Chinese microblog Weibo on Thursday was a one-minute clip of a US congressional hearing this week on how the country was dealing with the coronavirus. In the video posted by the People’s Daily, Robert Redfield, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is asked whether there may have been deaths attributed to influenza that could actually have been the result of Covid-19. Redfield responds in the affirmative: “Some cases have been actually diagnosed that way in the United States today.”… “The US has finally acknowledged that among those who had died of the influenza previously were cases of the coronavirus. The true source of the virus was the US!” one commentator said. “The US owes the world, especially China, an apology,” another said. “American coronavirus,” one wrote.
Here’s the clip in question which was published with Chinese subtitles.
CDC director Robert Redfield admitted some Americans who seemingly died from influenza were tested positive for novel #coronavirus in the posthumous diagnosis, during the House Oversight Committee Wednesday. #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/kk7q0bKE6p — Global Times (@globaltimesnews) March 12, 2020
And here’s a spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry sharing the clip:
Some #influenza deaths were actually infected with #COVID-19, Robert Redfield from US #CDC admitted at the House of Representatives. US reported 34 million cases of influenza and 20,000 deaths. Please tell us how many are related to COVID-19? @CDCDirector pic.twitter.com/vYNZRFPWo3 — Lijian Zhao 赵立坚 (@zlj517) March 12, 2020
Getting back to Jim Acosta, I’m not suggesting that Acosta got an email from the Chinese government or that he is knowingly responding to Chinese propaganda. For one thing, Acosta doesn’t seem to be questioning the fact that the virus originated in China. That said, having figures in the US media suggests it’s “xenophobic” for the President of the United States to mention that the virus originated in China clearly helps the Chinese propaganda effort. To the degree it gets people to think they shouldn’t discuss this fact (lest they sound xenophobic) that’s a plus for China which ultimately wants people to stop talking about where and how this originated.
If Acosta were a better reporter I think he would have shared some of this context on CNN last night, i.e. that the president appeared to be taking a firm stance against an ongoing Chinese propaganda effort to suggest the origin of the virus is either a) unknown or b) the United States. Instead, he told CNN viewers the president’s statement of the facts was xenophobic.
At some point, CNN might want to clarify with Acosta whether his job is inform people about what’s going on in the world or simply to attack President Trump on camera.