Thursday, March 19, 2020

I am sorry to dwell on this, but it makes me so mad that Trumpism — an anti-science, anti-government ideology and a culture of toadyism and corruption — has caused this suffering. We must never forget. It is a virus itself, in our body politic


Analysis: The new sick leave law doesn’t help the workers that need it most


"Richard Burr sold off a significant percentage of his stocks, unloading between $582,029 and $1.56 million of his holdings on Feb. 13 in 29 separate transactions."


Let’s try this again, @realdonaldtrump: Hospitals are already running out of ventilators and beds. Nurses are using bandanas as masks. If you’ve already ordered more with the Defense Production Act, tell us now. If you haven’t, you’re failing to lead and failing Americans.


Senate Intel Chairman Richard Burr unloaded up to $1.5M in stocks in mid-February just before the market plunged. That includes investments in several hotel companies that lost much of their value due to the coronavirus outbreak.


Did anyone else notice how the VP kept emphasizing that "masks will be available for purchase by hospitals"?


Meanwhile, Eric Trump was encouraging the general public to invest (I’m sure someone has the tweet)...do we believe that he, too, wasn’t in the know of where this was going? Did he or others in the Trump family capitalize on this knowledge as well?


#BREAKING: A Glendora man who died just days ago after testing positive for COVID-19 recently visited Walt Disney World and Universal Studios in Florida, it was reported Thursday.


An association representing 290,000 US nurse practitioners says it, and other healthcare providers, “urgently need personal protective equipment” and are asking the Trump administration “to support this priority to the fullest extent of its authority”


So Trump and the GOP knew for sure Americans would die from slow response and made sure their rich donors could profit instead. Got it.


So, I know people can be savvy investors but Richard Burr sold lawn equipment before he became a senator in 2005. How does one go from that, to a public servant salary, and amass $1.5 million in assets to begin with? juuuuust asking


Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, the state hardest hit by the spreading coronavirus pandemic, has requested an investigation into the federal government's failure to deliver badly needed tests that detect the new coronavirus.


MSM cannot ignore all else that's going on .. Burr committed a crime. Will he be charged?


The Pandemic Is the End of Trumpism


"The 500 million N95 air-filtering respirator masks President Donald Trump said the federal government ordered could take up to 18 months to be delivered"


The FDA says: - It's working with govt/academic entities already studying chloroquine for coronavirus - It will continue to grant emergency compassionate use requests for another drug Trump mentioned, remdesivir, "but controlled clinical trials are needed" to test safety


Context: Florida, with about three million uninsured people, has not expanded Medicaid and ranks 48th in Medicaid spending for children, pregnant women, low-income families, and the elderly and disabled.


Good thing OANN didn't put a plant in the room, during an incredibly important press conference on a pandemic currently hitting the US, to throw Trump a softball to help him defend himself after his racist comments...Oh, wait.


Tapper: "'We're not a shipping clerk?' That's what he said about the need to get supplies to doctors and nurses? Unbelievable."


The House Oversight Committee is asking the Trump admin to demonstrate how it plans to produce and distribute coronavirus testing kits. "We are gravely concerned that, due to multiple missteps, people across the country have been unable to get tested."


He’s profoundly unfit.


Narrator: In fact, #SelfishSanders actually *skipped the first vote* on the Coronavirus bill.


Doctors and nurses are making their own makeshift face masks today as they risk their lives to care for others. What other finding do you need to see to convince you to use every power you have to expand our supply of essential equipment, Mr. President? — Joe Biden


Russia deploying coronavirus disinformation to sow panic in West Remember this the next time Putin whines that we should drop our sanctions on his regime during a crisis


MEMO TO POTUS: This isn’t the occasion for federal deference to the states. If there was ever a time for centralized control, this global pandemic is it. Wake up! Do your damn job!!


What the hell are we waiting for? Tests! Masks! Ventilators! Surge capacity! Federal guidelines! The truth!


Where is the get-tested website that the president promised last week? Where is the detailed info about drive-through locations in chain store parking lots?


It’s an underrated issue in this pandemic that anybody competent was fired from the Trump administration long ago and we’re left with policies being planned and executed by the absolute dregs who are still left in there


News networks need to stop airing those Trump coronavirus briefings live. The danger of misinformation and conveying repetitious nonsense is just too high. Producers should watch them and cut tape around his narcissism and bigotry to find the newsworthy bits. If there are any.


#SelfishSanders sounds just like @realDonaldTrump


Burr's warnings were made at an event for members of the Tar Heel Circle, a group with membership fees that range from $500 to $10,000 a year. Meanwhile, other Republicans urged Americans to go out to pubs and Fox News said it was the best time to fly


Trump said anti-malaria drug chloroquine had been approved and could be given to coronavirus patients by doctors with a prescription. An FDA spokesperson said the drug had not been approved for use in Covid-19 patients


The committee has narrowed its document request and is seeking materials it says should be readily accessible. Here’s the list


President Trump says the number of reporters at WH briefings should probably be reduced to “two or three that I like.”


Trump is trying to distract you from his incompetence with his racism, don’t let him.


Looks as though @OANN is out to make Fox News seem rational...


Nearly half of U.S. states and jurisdictions are running dangerously low on unemployment cash


And that’s why we still don’t have the tests, the masks, the respirators


"One Seattle-area hospital system has set up its own makeshift assembly line — using parts purchased from Home Depot and craft stores — to create protective face shields for workers. Boston nurses are gathering racquetball glasses to use in place of safety goggles."


“This time, we’ve got a bad leader whose luck finally ran out, and whose reservoir of trust outside his base is essentially zero.”


Everyone who knew and didn't warn the public has a duty to step up and act quickly to address the crisis that accelerates out of their silence.


This is so fucking dangerous. Donald Trump is talking about potential drugs and therapies. He’s misleading the American people. He’s trying to get people’s hopes up. All to make himself look good. This is so dangerous. And we can’t believe a single word he says. He’s lying.


Where is Tony Fauci???!!


“Thank you all for being here and we continue our relentless effort to defeat the Chinese virus,” Trump said at top of presser.


Trump’s latest is “I felt it was a pandemic long before it was called a pandemic.” Anyone who gives him any credit for anything at this point has not learned a friggin’ thing about this goon. My latest here:


"We need our technology friends to be making and testing prototypes to rig the ventilators that we do have to support more than one patient at a time."


Larry Kudlow said the administration may consider asking for an equity stake in corporations who want aid from taxpayers


Some great stories of big-hearted people coming up with new ways to come together—even while remaining apart—to help the vulnerable who face some very tough times ahead


Remember when Trump wanted to keep a ship with sick Americans stranded off the coast because he didn’t want the official C19 numbers to go higher? I do.


The Trump administration’s adamant denial of science has undeniably exacerbated the COVID-19 crisis. From slashing @CDCgov funds for pandemic disease to calling it a “Chinese hoax” to denying rapid access to testing, the @GOP has failed Americans repeatedly.


NEW: Kushner has set up his own team outside of the official coronavirus task force overseen by Pence made up of gov allies and private industry reps that some have dubbed a "shadow task force". He went on the record to explain.


A Russian campaign spread disinformation about the coronavirus to worsen the crisis in Western countries, according to an EU analysis


This, THIS is Trump’s legacy.


CHINA - WUHAN RECORDS FIRST DAY WITHOUT NEW CORONAVIRUS CASES - RFI


President Trump has signed the coronavirus aid bill into law.


New: The president has been comparing his administration’s handling of COVID-19 to the way President Barack Obama’s team dealt with the H1N1 outbreak. He is wrong.


Leaked McDonalds recording shows the company is fighting against parts of Trump's coronavirus bill that would give workers paid sick leave


Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has suspended her presidential campaign. She is endorsing Joe Biden.


So Burr’s wealthy constituents got a confidential briefing & a 3-week head start on taking precautions while the rest of us were told by Trump the virus is a “hoax”, that it will disappear “like a miracle”, that it will be gone by April - warm weather will killl it, etc.?


First, the coronavirus is “totally under control.” Next, “it’s like a miracle - it will disappear.” Then, the whole thing is a “hoax.” Now, America is “at war.” Dude, you’re all over the place. PIPE DOWN.


I want you to watch this video and see for yourself the difference between how Paris one of the most touristic cities in the world is taking the Coronavirus threat and how Clearwater Florida is dealing with it so that it doesn’t lose tourism revenue during spring break


Wow. Tulsi Gabbard announced Thursday that she will suspend her 2020 Democratic presidential campaign and endorsed Joe Biden.


And now Las Vegas tower is closed. “Attention all aircraft, as of 0445Z Las Vegas tower is closed until further notice. For further services contact Las Vegas approach and departure control on 125.9


This is really troubling. Delaware North owns the Bruins, and its the only organization in the NHL that hasn’t announced financial support to game day employees. These wages will make a huge difference to hourly workers at the Garden. I hope the Jacobs family will act soon.


I'm glad #PPEshortage is trending, because this is a HUGE problem in hospitals already, especially ERs and ICUs. This N95 mask is supposed to be disposed after each use to minimize infection risk. In hospitals across the US, we are now rationing these masks for multiple days.


I don’t know where the coronavirus get tested website is — but when it appears, Trump better NOT give our DNA data over to privateers in exchange for lifesaving info OR use any positive results as a “pre-existing condition” to deny future coverage or employment!


We have a second-rate Joe McCarthy as president in the midst of a genuine crisis.


I’ve been getting calls, emails, even Twitter DMs from Virginians who are stuck abroad amid the coronavirus outbreak. We need an aggressive response from the State Department to get these folks home safe. My letter to @SecPompeo


JUST NOW: "What are you thinking? Stop doing it! Now!" Florida @SenRickScott on the people still on FL beaches. He also implores local and state officials, "to do everything they can to stop people from being on the beach. "


This secret recording of @SenatorBurr suggests some in the GOP fully grasped how serious COVID 19 would be, but refused to say so publicly -- putting American lives at risk to maintain allegiance to the Trump WH:


Researchers Look To Old Drugs For A Possible Coronavirus Treatment


U.S. approves Abbott coronavirus test; company set to ship 150,000


A home #COVID19 swab test is being released next week, but it costs $135, takes 2 days to arrive, and another 3 days to get results


When AIDS first emerged, it was called gay-related immune deficiency (GRID), as well as "gay cancer" and "gay plague." Susan Sontag wrote: "Nothing is more punitive than to give a disease a meaning."


Hospitals are struggling to find enough doctors, nurses and other health care workers to care for mounting numbers of critically ill coronavirus patients


@realDonaldTrump “An army marches on its stomach” We don’t know how long this pandemic will https://t.co/HKSCrhhvaX let’s prepare for the worst and hope for the best.Make sure our food sources are secured, protected. @NSAGov has to have Food logistical experts! National Security!


Brutal


"The Chinese virus" is a test. Don't fail the test.


Opinion: The coronavirus shows how backward the United States has become


Holy shit, Boeing spent *$43 billion* on stock buybacks, helping more than double its stock price in 2017-2018, enriching shareholders, only to meltdown from its mass produced faulty planes and the current coronavirus crisis. Now they need a bailout?


In South Africa, spreading false information about the coronavirus is now a crime, punishable by up to six months in prison, a fine, or both


Fox is helping to build an authoritarian culture in the United States


Testing was the government's Plan A. That failed. Plan B is prepare for the hospital surge. That isn't happening, either.


This cause is close to my heart - please sign


Criminal negligence on the part of @realDonaldTrump for not dealing with shortages two months ago. Thank you, Trump voters.


The shortage of face masks is so severe that the CDC is now advising nurses and other health care providers that they can "use homemade masks" like a "bandana" or "scarf" "as a last resort" -- even though it admits the effectiveness "is unknown."


Dear @realDonaldTrump, 1. You're not a war time President. You're the enemy we're fighting against. 2. You said the #coronavirus was a hoax. 3. We are not going to allow you to rebrand yourself. People are dying because of your gross incompetence and lies. That's a fact.


Former President Obama thanked health care workers fighting the novel coronavirus pandemic, saying they're "giving everything" and deserve gratitude. "May we all model our own behavior on their selflessness and sacrifice as we help each other through this"


My God. A #NY hospital is *already* overwhelmed with #coronavirus patients and is “double-venting” patients = 2 patients sharing the *same* ventilator. And this is just the beginning of a massive surge of #COVID19 patients.


A distillery in DuLuth, Minnesota, seeing an opportunity, converted the distillery from making alcohol to making hand sanitizer. And you know what they’re selling it for? They’re giving it away free. There are going to be thousands of stories like this to lift up.


ANYONE who thought I was wishing COVID on Melania is fuckwit. You know full well it was a riff on "BeBest" and it's utter failure in the face of her husband's continued role as Global Troll in Chief and National Bully. That said, fap to your fake-ass outrage all you like.


Shame on donald. Shame. Hospital Workers Make Masks From Office Supplies Amid U.S. Shortage


The president is turning to racist rhetoric to distract from his failures to take the coronavirus seriously early on, make tests widely available, and adequately prepare the country for a period of crisis. Don't fall for it. Don't let your friends and family fall for it.


One of the reasons industries are so short on cash right now is that they have spent billions buying back their own stocks instead of investing in their workers and saving for a rainy day. That needs to be addressed NOW.


The eight senators who voted against the coronavirus relief package: Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) Jim Inhofe (R-OK) James Lankford (R-OK) Mike Lee (R-UT) Rand Paul (R-KY) Ben Sasse (R-NE) Tim Scott (R-SC) Ron Johnson (R-WI)


The first #coronavirus case in the US and South Korea was detected on the same day. By late January, Seoul had medical companies starting to work on a diagnostic test—one was approved a week later. Today, the US isn’t even close to meeting test demand.


and remember: South Korea is a democracy. Their strategy did not require drastic, authoritarian measures.


So @rushlimbaugh said “the Coronavirus is the common cold, folks.” Just a reminder that @realDonaldTrump gave him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. How many fatal infections did his fans pass on?


Stop calling Fox "news." Stop comparing it to any other network. There has never been a fraud of this magnitude in the history of TV or news. It endangers the lives of its viewers willfully for money & to please


I just want you to read Trump's answer and ask yourself whether we have this under control.


"We live in stupid, scary times. And nothing illustrates this more vividly than one bizarre development ... That a Fox News host managed to get the president of the US to take the coronavirus seriously when legions of public health experts ... could not."


NYSE to shift fully to e-trading from Monday after two coronavirus cases


Dude. You joked about giving Ruth Bader Ginsburg COVID. Won’t you just sit down?


Trump is frantically rewriting his epic failures. Don’t let him,


Remember when Trump was making fun of Democrats for sending him too much money for coronavirus and it was 8 billion?


NEW: Kushner has set up his own team outside of the official coronavirus task force overseen by Pence made up of gov allies and private industry reps that some have dubbed a "shadow task force". He went on the record to explain


The military arrives in Bergamo to take the coffins. There’s no more space for them in the hospitals. I’ve never seen anything similar. Poor my country. Show this pic to all the people that keep minimising the situation.


7 members of a single family in New Jersey contracted the coronavirus. 2 have died and the matriarch of the family, herself sick with the virus, “doesn’t realize her 2 oldest children have passed,” a family member said.


Fox News - Do their advertisers know that they’re underwriting a carefully crafted, intentional accelerant for mass death? Because they should know that. They should be reminded of it every second of every day (via this platform & others).


The first coronavirus case in the U.S. and South Korea was detected on the same day. By late January, Seoul had medical companies starting to work on a diagnostic test — one was approved a week later. Today, the U.S. isn’t even close to meeting test demand


"Trump's enablers know the truth and have tried to turn the battleship of bullshit toward it. They know Trump didn't just mishandle the Coronavirus crisis, and he did so with his political standing and benefit in mind."


It is a moral abomination that the United States is continuing to enforce sanctions on Iran while its people die because of a virus that threatens all humanity.


(1) President Harry S Truman signed the Defense Production Act into law in 1950; you’d just be issuing a declaration activating its authority; (2) The time to activate it is before we reach the worst-case scenario, not after; and (3) Stop calling it that.


JUST IN: Ghislaine Maxwell, citing death threats and extensive legal fees, sues Jeffrey Epstein's estate.


It's now clear that when Trump declared that "I don't take responsibility at all" for his coronavirus response, he meant this both seriously and literally. Trump is frantically rewriting the history of this catastrophe. Don't let him. New piece


This is really shocking. We live in a nation of such wealth. And we have effectively run out of such a basic protective device at a moment of such need. CDC is offering advice on how medical staff can survive during a contagious disease outbreak without proper facemasks. Wow.


When coronavirus was quietly spreading within the U.S., the CDC had told state and local officials its testing capacity was "more than adequate to meet current testing demands," per a Feb. 26 email reviewed by @WSJ. It wasn't


The hospital ship Comfort, promised to NYC, won’t be ready for another “two weeks plus,” SecDef Esper says. Why didn’t the administration give it the order to start getting ready 2 weeks ago? This is a foreseeable disaster.


COVID-19 suspected in *19* Florida care facilities


No change in tone, no daily pressers, no promises of tests coming soon can ever change this basic, simple, and painful truth: the Trump administration blew the testing issue.


Nearly two months since the first US coronavirus case, the federal government is now preparing for a pandemic that could last up to 18 months or longer and "include multiple waves of illness," a report obtained by CNN shows.


More than 80 career national security professionals have broken tradition and signed an open letter of support for Joe Biden, saying that Trump "has created an existential danger to the United States." Most signatories have served both GOP and Dem admins


Failure to identify, isolate coronavirus infections puts U.S. on dark path


Italian town's success suggests testing, containment key to COVID-19 fight


Grim future for beleaguered hospitals seen in lag time from infections to critical illness


China to report first day of no new coronavirus infections since crisis began


Seven states doing surprisingly little to curb spread of coronavirus


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