• Welcome to the new Internet Infidels Discussion Board, formerly Talk Freethought.

Trump VS COVID-19 Threat

Before Trump’s inauguration, a warning: ‘The worst influenza pandemic since 1918’

At least 30 representatives of Trump’s team — many of them soon-to-be Cabinet members — were present, each sitting next to their closest Obama administration counterpart. Incoming Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross appeared to keep dozing off. Incoming Energy Secretary Rick Perry was getting along famously with Ernest Moniz, the man he was replacing, several fellow participants said.

But it was clear some on the Trump team had barely, if ever, spoken with the people they were replacing. News had broken that same day about national security adviser Michael Flynn’s unusual contacts with Russia’s ambassador to the United States, so his presence in the meeting added to the surrealness. Some members of both groups kept going in and out of the room, but most paid quiet attention to the presentations, which were led by top Obama aides.

Obama aides, in op-eds and essays ripping the Trump administration’s handling of the coronavirus, officially called COVID-19, have pointed to the Jan. 13, 2017, session as a key example of their effort to press the importance of pandemic preparedness to their successors.

In a Friday op-ed, Susan Rice, Obama’s national security adviser, blasted Trump for comments such as “you can never really think” that a pandemic like the coronavirus “is going to happen.” She mentioned the 2017 session as one of many instances of the Obama administration’s efforts to help its successor be ready for such a challenge. She also slammed the Trump team for dismantling the National Security Council section that would play a lead role in organizing the U.S. response to a global pandemic.
Click to expand...
 
Hopefully Western governments will pay attention to the real risks of pandemic instead of the fantasy "climate crisis/emergency etc".
 
TSwizzle said:
Hopefully Western governments will pay attention to the real risks of pandemic instead of the fantasy "climate crisis/emergency etc".
Click to expand...
There is so much 'irony' in that statement that this thread has become a Hazmat site.
 
TSwizzle said:
Hopefully Western governments will pay attention to the real risks of pandemic instead of the fantasy "climate crisis/emergency etc".
Click to expand...
Both are problems, and we can address both of them.

Jay  on Twitter: "1,032 dead in the United States. 69,194 infected.
Congratulations, America. https://t.co/FsvEpRFgaU" / Twitter

Coronavirus has now killed more than 1,000 people in the US. But health officials say the peak is yet to come - CNN
New York Bellevue Hospital Center created a makeshift morgue using tents and refrigerated trucks. At Elmhurst Hospital Center in Queens, 13 patients died from coronavirus within 24 hours.

In California, the number of cases is doubling every three to four days. And in Louisiana, where health care workers are making masks out of office supplies, hospitals are expected to run out of beds within two weeks.
Click to expand...

Matthew Yglesias on Twitter: "Congress going out of town under these circumstances — can’t meet with constituents, may not be safe or logistically possible to reconvene swiftly, no provision for remote votes — is so irresponsible." / Twitter

Josefa Velásquez on Twitter: "How bad is COVID-19 in New York?
Hospitalizations have nearly doubled since Sunday. 1,974 vs 3,805 hospitalizations today.
The number of COVID-19 cases in the ICU statewide are up 82% since Sunday." / Twitter

Justin Amash on Twitter: "Just ten years after the Tea Party movement, Republicans in Congress are defending a $500 billion corporate welfare fund for a select group of large companies." / Twitter
 
CNBC's Rick Santelli apologizes for 'absurd' remark that it might be better if everyone got the coronavirus at once | TheHill
CNBC's Rick Santelli apologized Friday for his “absurd” suggestion the day before that infecting everyone in the U.S. at once with the coronavirus could ultimately be better for global and domestic markets because "in a month” the outbreak would be over.

“It was just a stupid thing to say. It is not appropriate in this instance, and we are resilient, both in the United States and in the globe, and that resilience will get us through," Santelli said on CNBC's "Squawk Box."

"The idea of something so absurd — I just apologize, and I apologize to everyone on this segment and all my peers at CNBC," he continued. "We will get through this. We are resilient. But even if one life is affected, I do apologize for my insensitivity.”
Click to expand...

Senate unanimously passes $2T coronavirus stimulus package | TheHill

US private health insurance companies clog system amid Covid-19 pandemic | US news | The Guardian - "Patients left waiting in beds until private insurance companies authorize next steps, which can take days"
As Augie Lindmark, a resident physician at Yale University prepared for an onslaught of Covid-19 patients last week, he noticed something at his hospital: there were still patients without the virus, completely stable, in the beds.

These patients, many of whom should have been moved to a rehab facility or released, were stuck waiting until their private health insurance company authorized the next steps, which can take days.
Click to expand...
Bureaucracy that right-wingers seem to love.
 
TSwizzle said:
Hopefully Western governments will pay attention to the real risks of pandemic instead of the fantasy "climate crisis/emergency etc".
Click to expand...

"Believe scientists unless they are saying something politically unpalatable to me, the protagonist of reality"

"P.S. arapturelikecult"
 
article said:
In a letter, Trump said new coronavirus testing capabilities would allow his administration to identify "high-risk, medium risk and low-risk" counties.

New guidelines will help governors and other state policymakers decide on "maintaining, increasing or relaxing social distancing and other mitigation measures they have put in place," Trump wrote.
Click to expand...
So it appears, Trump wants to help spread the virus a bit more. Of course, states can tell him to fuck off.
 
Jimmy Higgins said:
article said:
In a letter, Trump said new coronavirus testing capabilities would allow his administration to identify "high-risk, medium risk and low-risk" counties.

New guidelines will help governors and other state policymakers decide on "maintaining, increasing or relaxing social distancing and other mitigation measures they have put in place," Trump wrote.
Click to expand...
So it appears, Trump wants to help spread the virus a bit more. Of course, states can tell him to fuck off.
Click to expand...

Trump is clueless on the "have car, will travel" effect. Since he doesn't read I'm sure that he's clueless that people are crossing state borders to go to a restaurant or bar. Doing this county by county would be insane.
 
crazyfingers said:
Jimmy Higgins said:
article said:
In a letter, Trump said new coronavirus testing capabilities would allow his administration to identify "high-risk, medium risk and low-risk" counties.

New guidelines will help governors and other state policymakers decide on "maintaining, increasing or relaxing social distancing and other mitigation measures they have put in place," Trump wrote.
Click to expand...
So it appears, Trump wants to help spread the virus a bit more. Of course, states can tell him to fuck off.
Click to expand...

Trump is clueless on the "have car, will travel" effect. Since he doesn't read I'm sure that he's clueless that people are crossing state borders to go to a restaurant or bar. Doing this county by county would be insane.
Click to expand...
There appears to be this gross misunderstanding that if 'I stay at home, I don't have the coronavirus.'

The reality is we have no idea who does and doesn't have it and if people stay home, the people that don't have it likely won't get it, and those with it aren't infecting others (outside their home).
 
Jimmy Higgins said:
crazyfingers said:
Trump is clueless on the "have car, will travel" effect. Since he doesn't read I'm sure that he's clueless that people are crossing state borders to go to a restaurant or bar. Doing this county by county would be insane.
Click to expand...
There appears to be this gross misunderstanding that if 'I stay at home, I don't have the coronavirus.'

The reality is we have no idea who does and doesn't have it and if people stay home, the people that don't have it likely won't get it, and those with it aren't infecting others (outside their home).
Click to expand...

For the cost of this "bailout" (phase 3, $2 trillion, total > $4trillion), enough test kits could have been produced to test every man woman and child in the country many times. In fact, now "A group of scientists in Bangladesh has developed a $3 testing kit they claim can detect coronavirus in less than 15 minutes."
If such a thing only works half assedly - or even one quarter-assedly - it would be worth testing everyone on the planet. Retail on the test now in use is about $135. So for a trillion dollars, almost everyone on the planet could be tested.*
Just sayin' ...

* to be 100% effective, everyone would have to be tested twice at minimum, and the first test would have to be done all at once.
 
Su Mohan #WinBlue🗽#DemsWork4USA🇺🇸 on Twitter: "Rep. Seth Moulton sick with respiratory illness; Reps. Katie Porter and Ayanna Pressley await test results [url]https://t.co/tNjU0A6vWo
#116thCongress
#CoronaVirus #COVIDー19 #COVID19 #StayHome #ShelterInPlace" / Twitter[/url]

Rep. Katie Porter on Twitter: "I’ve taken #coronavirus seriously from Day 1. ..." / Twitter
I’ve taken #coronavirus seriously from Day 1. Today marks 8 weeks since I pushed the CDC to brief Congress on the threat posed by #COVID_19. Since then, I’ve been working around the clock to address this crisis. Here’s some of what I’ve been up to: (THREAD)

When Orange County had one of the first confirmed cases of coronavirus in the United States, I immediately sent a letter to the CDC. At the time, I was one of a few federal officials calling for us to prepare for this now-pandemic. (2/?)

During the district work period, I saw firsthand how the threat of coronavirus is hurting our community—for example, leading to the cancellation of Lunar New Year celebrations. I'm calling on @CDCgov to brief Members of Congress ASAP on our government's response to this threat.

One of my top responsibilities as a Congressmember is to keep #CA45 residents informed about the facts. That’s why I produced a FAQ on the coronavirus outbreak and have been updating it regularly since January. (3/?)

I promised to keep Orange County residents informed about developments on coronavirus, regardless of their primary language. The updated FAQ I released this week is available in both English and Chinese. For those who find it helpful, here it is >>

Along with my colleagues @RepUnderwood and @Rosa_DeLauro, I wrote a letter to call on the Trump Administration to use its existing authority to make #COVID_19 testing free for any American that needs it—regardless of insurance. (4/?)

When I didn’t hear back, I confronted the CDC Director in a hearing and asked him again to use his authority to make testing free for those who need it. It took 5 minutes, but I was able to get him to commit—under oath—to do this. (5/?)

The lack of urgency by the Trump Administration has been a consistent theme of their response. I led over 80 of my colleagues to call on federal health agencies to cut through red tape and get our academic medical centers off the sidelines. (6/?)

The Administration isn’t acting with the urgency this issue deserves. So, I’m leading over 80 of my colleagues in calling on @US_FDA and @HHSGov to issue guidance allowing academic medical centers to support the rest of the medical community in preventing the spread of #Covid_19.

To continue to keep our community up to date on public health guidance and what I’m doing for Orange County families, I hosted a telephone town hall with UCI Public Health Professor Andrew Noymer to answer questions directly from #CA45 residents. (7/?)

The backbone of our economy is working families—not corporate special interests. I stood up to @USChamber when they requested an exception to give companies access to their employee’s private medical records. (8/?)

Along with @RepMalinowski, I’m protecting consumers by demanding answers about a new COVID-19 triage website. Big Tech shouldn’t be profiting off people’s personal data, especially when Americans are busy staying safe during a pandemic. (9/?)

With many communities facing increased restrictions on public gatherings, I’ve shared tips for how we can protect public health and live our lives, especially for those of us with young kids. (10/?)

Congress needs to be able to do its job without endangering public health—there is no reason to make 400+ people fly into Washington to gather in the same room. I’ve been at the forefront of the movement to instate remote voting during this crisis. (11/?)

The federal government can use the Defense Production Act to get healthcare providers the supplies they need. I joined @RepAndyLevin and colleagues on both sides of the aisle to lead a resolution calling on the President to actually use the DPA. (12/?)

Taking this crisis seriously means mobilizing our industrial capacity to meet the needs of our healthcare workers. This Administration’s inaction has made Congressional action necessary, and I’m proud to join @RepAndyLevin & colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get this done.

Americans need to know that critical supplies are on the way and that these contracts aren’t lining the pockets of the President’s family members or cronies. I secured language in House legislation that would increase transparency of the DPA. (13/?)

The Defense Production Act allows the federal government to mobilize industry during a national security emergency. A provision I wrote, included in @FSCDems #COVID_19 legislation, would require all orders placed under the DPA to be made public

My proposal would give the American public access to information related to how the Defense Production Act is used, like:
📄 items ordered (quantity and type)
📄 delivery dates
📄 names of manufacturers

I won’t take the President’s word for it that he’s “invoked” the DPA. Our healthcare providers and the public need to know that masks, ventilators, and other critical supplies are on the way—and that the President isn’t passing out contracts to his family members and cronies.

When the President announced that he was going to “invoke” the DPA, I didn’t take him at his word—I dug in. I found out that the Administration doesn’t have policies in place to execute or coordinate orders placed under the DPA, so I called for answers. (14/?)

As a consumer protection attorney who fought big banks, I know to read the fine print—so that’s what I did when the President said he was invoking the Defense Production Act. Turns out the Administration never finalized the rules for ordering emergency medical supplies. (1/2)

The Administration says it's placing orders under the Defense Production Act, but it seems that @HHSGov doesn't have policies in place to execute those orders or coordinate them with agencies like @FEMA. @RepSpanberger, @RepAndyLevin, @RepSherrill, and I are want answers. (2/2)

We know that our seniors are facing additional challenges in dealing with this pandemic. I secured a provision in @FSCDems coronavirus relief legislation that would support service coordinators helping older adults. (15/?)

I’ve studied families struggling to make ends meet; I know that a lot of Americans need help quick. As Congress continues to work on providing coronavirus relief, I’ve pushed for every person to get $1000 a month, to put workers before corporations. (16/?)

I worked on the foreclosure crisis and saw firsthand the need for a stimulus that helps working Americans. We need immediate relief, and that starts with sending all Americans $1,000. @SenatorRomney, let’s come together, across the aisle, and get this done.

Paid leave will keep communities safe, as people feeling unwell can stay home. I’ve written about why it’s important that any subsequent legislation to address #COVID_19 mandates comprehensive paid leave for Americans working for large employers. (17/?)

I’m proud of my work on behalf of Orange County families and the American people, but there is still much, much more work to be done. My promise is to keep fighting hard, holding this Administration accountable, and delivering results. (18/18)
Click to expand...

 
Rep. Andy Levin on Twitter: "It's time for a WWII-style effort to get us through the #COVID19 pandemic. Proud to lead a bipartisan res'n calling on the President to use the Defense Production Act now & get Americans masks, ventilators & more. We stand ready to provide the support needed to make it happen. https://t.co/sTJirsgz9k" / Twitter

Senator Mitt Romney on Twitter: "Every American adult should immediately receive a one-time check for $1,000 to help ensure families and workers can meet their short-term obligations and increase spending in the economy." / Twitter
Every American adult should immediately receive a one-time check for $1,000 to help ensure families and workers can meet their short-term obligations and increase spending in the economy.

Provide bridge grants from @SBAgov to qualified small businesses, helping them cover payroll and rent without forcing them into future bankruptcies.

Ease the burden on students by allowing unexpected travel, housing, storage costs to factor in to Pell Grant award amounts.

Defer the payment of student loans for a period of time to ease the burden of those who are just graduating now.

Require insurance plans to temporarily cover telehealth for #COVID19 related services. This would help protect the health workforce and connect patients with providers.
Click to expand...
 
Elixir said:
For the cost of this "bailout" (phase 3, $2 trillion, total > $4trillion), enough test kits could have been produced to test every man woman and child in the country many times. In fact, now "A group of scientists in Bangladesh has developed a $3 testing kit they claim can detect coronavirus in less than 15 minutes."
If such a thing only works half assedly - or even one quarter-assedly - it would be worth testing everyone on the planet. Retail on the test now in use is about $135. So for a trillion dollars, almost everyone on the planet could be tested.*
Just sayin' ...

* to be 100% effective, everyone would have to be tested twice at minimum, and the first test would have to be done all at once.
Click to expand...

With enough testing and contact tracing, maybe we would be able to target where we can relax lockdowns, and likely cost much less.
 
lpetrich said:
Rep. Andy Levin on Twitter: "It's time for a WWII-style effort to get us through the #COVID19 pandemic. Proud to lead a bipartisan res'n calling on the President to use the Defense Production Act now & get Americans masks, ventilators & more. We stand ready to provide the support needed to make it happen. https://t.co/sTJirsgz9k" / Twitter

Senator Mitt Romney on Twitter: "Every American adult should immediately receive a one-time check for $1,000 to help ensure families and workers can meet their short-term obligations and increase spending in the economy." / Twitter
Every American adult should immediately receive a one-time check for $1,000 to help ensure families and workers can meet their short-term obligations and increase spending in the economy.

Provide bridge grants from @SBAgov to qualified small businesses, helping them cover payroll and rent without forcing them into future bankruptcies.

Ease the burden on students by allowing unexpected travel, housing, storage costs to factor in to Pell Grant award amounts.

Defer the payment of student loans for a period of time to ease the burden of those who are just graduating now.

Require insurance plans to temporarily cover telehealth for #COVID19 related services. This would help protect the health workforce and connect patients with providers.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

My kid tried having a telehealth call with his therapist yesterday. The telehealth system was jammed. It's already over burdened. They restored to Skype which does not comply with HIPPA on-line security.
 
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "To clarify, $1200 checks are ONLY going to some w/social sec numbers, NOT immigrants w/ tax IDs (ITINs).
Thanks to GOP, these checks will be cut off the backs of *taxpaying immigrants,* who get nothing. Many are essential workers who pay more taxes than Amazon.
Wall St gets $4T" / Twitter
then
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "What Trump + Senate GOP have done is hold hospitals, working people, and the vulnerable hostage so they could get in $500 billion (that will be leveraged into $4T) in corporate welfare.
Without the Wall St giveaway, GOP refuses to fund hospitals & unemployment. It’s inhumane." / Twitter

Opinion | A Cruel Motive for a Costly Delay - The New York Times - "Republican senators threatened to block trillions of dollars in aid amid the coronavirus pandemic to deprive low-wage workers of needed help."

Democrats delayed stimulus bill to insert tighter ban on Trump family profiting - POLITICO - "The strengthened language was accidentally omitted due to a clerical oversight, according to people familiar with the situation."

Pelosi promises 'strong bipartisan vote' for $2 trillion stimulus in the House - CNNPolitics
"I anticipate and feel certain that we will have a strong bipartisan vote," Pelosi said, touting the changes Democrats were able to secure in the final package.

The House is on track to vote on the package on Friday. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer announced on Wednesday evening that the House will convene at 9 a.m. ET on Friday to consider the relief package.

The legislation is expected to pass by voice vote, a move that would allow for the House to avoid compelling all of its members to return to Washington for a recorded roll call vote. But it is not yet clear if any House lawmakers will object to that plan and attempt to force a recorded vote, as several high-profile lawmakers have criticized the package.
Click to expand...

Senate OKs $2T coronavirus stimulus package in unanimous vote; House sets Friday vote | Fox News

Congress’s $2 trillion emergency bill happened fast. Here are 4 reasons why. - The Washington Post
  1. Responding to crisis and avoiding blame
  2. A bipartisan agreement in partisan times
  3. Learning, maybe, from the Wall Street bailouts
  4. Rocky roads ahead

Trumpworld unloads on GOP ally as coronavirus attacks mount - POLITICO
Donald Trump is getting hammered by millions of dollars in Democratic campaign ads depicting his response to the coronavirus as negligent and inept.

But the main super PAC backing his reelection has been silent in response — and Trump’s political advisers are not happy about it.

...
Kelly Sadler, an America First spokeswoman, declined to comment on the group’s plans. She said the pro-Biden groups, including Priorities USA, were squandering funds on misleading commercials while the president notched generally favorable approval ratings for his handling of the crisis.

“We are more than happy the clown car at Priorities USA continues to waste liberal donor money as they’ve done year after year. Rest assured, we have plenty of time to put Sleepy Joe to bed,” Sadler said, using Trump’s nickname for the former vice president.
Click to expand...

Trump campaign threatens legal action over liberal super PAC ad | TheHill
President Trump’s reelection campaign is threatening legal action against television stations in key battleground states if they continue airing an ad cut by the liberal super PAC Priorities USA alleging that the president called the coronavirus a “hoax.”
Click to expand...
 
Half-Life said:
ZiprHead said:
Half-Life said:
This quarantine will work. I guarantee it. April 12 we will be up and running. The cases are going to start declining in the U.S. starting around the next few days. By April 1, we will see a steady downstream and be on our way out.
Click to expand...

View attachment 26718
Click to expand...

This is blatant homophobia. You are using homosexuality as an insult.

You guys need to watch out for that before claiming you are the tolerant ones.
Click to expand...

It's not homophobia.

1) It's about the specific dick, not the act of sucking dick.

2) It's a very one-way thing. You're sucking his dick, he's screwing you, you're getting nothing out of it.
 
Kamala Harris on Twitter: "American lives are on the line and Trump just doesn’t get it. https://t.co/tNoAZgnno9" / Twitter - slamming Trump for his lack of leadership. Mayors and governors are doing MUCH better as leaders. Even some Congresspeople have shown more leadership than he has.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Items that *are* in the bill:
- $200b for hospitals
- $150b for state + local govs
- 4 mos expanded unemployment insurance, incl gig workers & others
- $377b for small biz loans w/ forgiveness eligibility
- $30b in emergency education funding" / Twitter

At least it's something.

But not pay raises for Congressmembers:
False Claim of Congressional Pay Raises in Stimulus Bill - FactCheck.org


Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Republicans put more strings and means-testing on single parents and struggling mom + pops than they do on multibillion dollar corporations that don’t pay taxes." / Twitter

Kayla Tausche on Twitter: "NEW: Cruise industry not confident it could borrow from any of the existing loan programs bc of offshore registration.
Sr. admin official says bipartisan Senate grp working to ensure they can access one of the facilities--or else will seek a legislative fix in the next package." / Twitter
then
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "The cruise industry registers as foreign companies to avoid paying US taxes. Now they want US bailout money.
Now the same Republicans who say immigrants who pay US taxes shouldn’t get help are bending over backwards to give 🤑 to foreign companies who DON’T pay taxes. Insane.
https://t.co/inpD0wYWNU" / Twitter
then
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "GOP really pulling for a hat trick of corruption, classism, and racism all in one policy move here." / Twitter

Elizabeth Warren on Twitter: "This is not the time for Congress to go on recess. Our work isn't done. We need to force Trump to use the Defense Production Act to ramp up the development of tests and necessary equipment for health care professionals. And we need to do more to help struggling families." / Twitter
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom