A record 3.3m Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week because of the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on the US economy - a fact dismissed as “not relevant” by treasury secretary Steve Mnuchin - as the country’s death toll passes the 1,000 mark, with more than 70,000 infections diagnosed.
In better news, the Senate has unanimously voted in favour of a $2.2trn (£1.85trn) rescue package to bailout those hardest hit by the global catastrophe. The House of Representatives will vote on it on Friday, where it is widely expected to pass and be signed off by the president.
At the White House, Donald Trump has rowed back on his plan to “reopen” the country for business by Easter and has otherwise been busy attacking the “LameStream Media” for its coverage of his response to the crisis, accusing the press of “fake news” and conspiring against him to tank the markets and sabotage his re-election hopes in November.
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Trump writes letter to state governors about altering social-distancing guidelines
The White House has sent governors the outlines of a process by which Donald Trump intends to reopen parts of the country by classifying individual counties into three risk categories, contending "enhanced testing" is allowing his government to "isolate" the virus and stop its spread.
The president sent the letter the same week he has been pushing hard to get all or part of the United States "open for business" by 12 April.
"Under these data-driven criteria, we will suggest guidelines categorising counties as high-risk, medium-risk, or low-risk," Mr Trump said.
John T Bennett with the breaking news:
The White House has sent governors the outlines of a process by which Donald Trump intends to reopen parts of the country by classifying individual counties into three risk categories, contending "enhanced testing" is allowing his government to "isolate" the virus and stop its spread.
The president sent the letter the same week he has been pushing hard to get all or part of the United States "open for business" by 12 April.
"Under these data-driven criteria, we will suggest guidelines categorising counties as high-risk, medium-risk, or low-risk," Mr Trump said.
John T Bennett with the breaking news:
Trump announces plan to rank US counties in bid to reopen economy
The IndependentPresident promises rules that will allow for the 'categorising counties as high-risk, medium-risk, or low-risk'
Trump campaign threatens TV stations for screening negative ad
The campaign to re-elect Donald Trump has threatened legal action against TV stations that continue to air an advert in which the president appears to refer to the coronavirus as a hoax.
In a letter to stations in key battleground states, Alex Cannon, legal counsel for the Trump campaign, demanded that they "cease and desist" showing the advert produced by liberal super PAC Priorities USA (PUSA).
Oliver O'Connell reports:
The campaign to re-elect Donald Trump has threatened legal action against TV stations that continue to air an advert in which the president appears to refer to the coronavirus as a hoax.
In a letter to stations in key battleground states, Alex Cannon, legal counsel for the Trump campaign, demanded that they "cease and desist" showing the advert produced by liberal super PAC Priorities USA (PUSA).
Oliver O'Connell reports:
Trump campaign threatens TV stations screening ad featuring his repeated coronavirus misinformation
The IndependentThe advert features audio of the president downplaying the coronavirus as a chart of the number of confirmed cases in the US ticks up in the background
Nurses are forced to wear trash bags at US hospitals
Gino Spocchia with the full story:
Gino Spocchia with the full story:
Nurses wear trash bags at hospital where worker died from coronavirus
The IndependentAfter the death of a colleague, nurses at Mount Sinai hospitals in New York say they are running out of equipmentCancer and Aids patients will be refused life-saving ventilators to cope with coronavirus demand under controversial state plan in Alabama
Hospitals throughout Alabama would only supply ventilators to patients with the “best chance” of survival under a controversial state plan that lays out the worst-case scenario for a “mass-casualty respiratory emergency” like the coronavirus pandemic.
The 18-page plan, created in 2009, advises doctors on which patients should receive access to the state’s reported 1,344 ventilators during an event in which a sudden influx of critically ill patients causes a severe shortage of life-saving medical supplies.
Patients suffering from end stage organ failure due to a wide range of underlying health conditions, from “severe burns” to metastasised cancer and Aids, would not be offered ventilator support under the plan.
Experts have warned the state’s supply of ventilators may not be enough to handle a potential surge of Covid-19 patients in the coming weeks, as the number of total confirmed cases nationwide soared to nearly 75,000 on Thursday.
Chris Riotta has this report.
Authoritarians like Trump are 'the worst type of leader to have in a crisis', warns historian
Ruth Ben-Ghiat, an expert on fascism, has given an illuminating interview to The Huffington Post, following up on this tweet of hers from Tuesday:
Here's a taste of what she had to say to Christopher Mathias about Donald Trump and his cult-like following and why they are the wrong people to have in charge right now more than ever:
"We have a leader who has an authoritarian mentality, and that kind of leader, they’re often narcissistic, they are amoral, totally immoral, only power and profit matters. It’s very much the end justifies the means. So they think in the aggregate, and they really don’t care about human life. So, this is the worst type of leader to have in a crisis because they’re incapable of acting for the public good. So that’s one part of it.
"Another part is, Trump is the foe of expertise and science and any kind of fact that gets in the way of what he wants reality to be, and we’ve seen this with abundance in the way he handled the growing crisis of coronavirus. So he would rather send misinformation to the public - which he did recently recommending [drugs] that I understand put some people in the hospital - than tell the truth. And so the broader thing is that authoritarians, they fear transparency and they fear accountability, and this is another reason why they are terrible leaders to have in crises."
Ruth Ben-Ghiat, an expert on fascism, has given an illuminating interview to The Huffington Post, following up on this tweet of hers from Tuesday:
Here's a taste of what she had to say to Christopher Mathias about Donald Trump and his cult-like following and why they are the wrong people to have in charge right now more than ever:
"We have a leader who has an authoritarian mentality, and that kind of leader, they’re often narcissistic, they are amoral, totally immoral, only power and profit matters. It’s very much the end justifies the means. So they think in the aggregate, and they really don’t care about human life. So, this is the worst type of leader to have in a crisis because they’re incapable of acting for the public good. So that’s one part of it.
"Another part is, Trump is the foe of expertise and science and any kind of fact that gets in the way of what he wants reality to be, and we’ve seen this with abundance in the way he handled the growing crisis of coronavirus. So he would rather send misinformation to the public - which he did recently recommending [drugs] that I understand put some people in the hospital - than tell the truth. And so the broader thing is that authoritarians, they fear transparency and they fear accountability, and this is another reason why they are terrible leaders to have in crises."
Joe Biden says no 'more debates' as Democratic primary consumed by coronavirus
Andrew Buncombe has this update on where the current crisis leaves the upended Democratic primary process, with Biden and Bernie the last men standing.
The front-runner now says the public have seen enough debates and it's time to get down to business.
Washington radio station to stop airing Trump coronavirus briefings due to disinformation
Bravo to the broadcasters at KUOW, who find themselves in the extraordinary position of potentially saving lives by NOT airing the president's thoughts on the national emergency.
Andrew Naughtie explains the station's stance.
Bravo to the broadcasters at KUOW, who find themselves in the extraordinary position of potentially saving lives by NOT airing the president's thoughts on the national emergency.
Andrew Naughtie explains the station's stance.
Nancy Pelosi likens cost of stimulus bill to 'tax scam the Republicans foisted on the nation to benefit the one per cent'
The redoubtable House speaker is still out there giving her weekly Thursday press conference in person and did not miss a chance to push a "science, science, science" message and bash the opposition.
Also, it's her 80th birthday today!!
The redoubtable House speaker is still out there giving her weekly Thursday press conference in person and did not miss a chance to push a "science, science, science" message and bash the opposition.
Also, it's her 80th birthday today!!
Doctor calls out dangerous Sean Hannity quackery on Fox as pundits smirk about epidemic striking blue states
What else has been on Fox lately?
Well, this doctor told Tucker Carlson the drug combination being advocated by his fellow mouthpiece Sean Hannity could cause serious heart trouble.
What else has been on Fox lately?
Well, this doctor told Tucker Carlson the drug combination being advocated by his fellow mouthpiece Sean Hannity could cause serious heart trouble.
Meanwhile, Dinesh D'Souza helpfully pointed out that the states worst hit by the coronavirus are Democratic strongholds, prompting smirks from MAGA apologists Laura Ingraham and Dan Bongino.
White House trade adviser insists massive unemployment numbers are 'totally expected'
Steve Mnuchin says those terrifying US unemployment numbers are "not relevant" and White House trade adviser Peter Navarro is striking an equally nonchalant note.
Navarro (who once made up fake citations in his economic writings and credited them to "Ron Vara", an anagram of his own surname) said the numbers were “totally expected” in an interview with Fox News on Thursday morning,
"The whole strategy of President Trump is to basically get social distancing so we can combat the virus,” he said, adding that the administration had “put public health above economics in the very short run.”
Steve Mnuchin says those terrifying US unemployment numbers are "not relevant" and White House trade adviser Peter Navarro is striking an equally nonchalant note.
Navarro (who once made up fake citations in his economic writings and credited them to "Ron Vara", an anagram of his own surname) said the numbers were “totally expected” in an interview with Fox News on Thursday morning,
"The whole strategy of President Trump is to basically get social distancing so we can combat the virus,” he said, adding that the administration had “put public health above economics in the very short run.”
“This is expected,” he insisted, “and we should accept the news because we’re doing what we need to do to combat the virus.”
The administration is doing “everything we possibly can to deal both with the public health emergency and the economic crisis,” he reiterated.
“We just have to be like the British, I guess, in World War II, a stiff upper lip and fight this virus.”
Comforted? Me neither.
New York hospitals under siege from coronavirus as prison infections surge
Here are couple of updates on the disturbing situation in the Big Apple, where at least 280 people have died and over 20,000 taken ill.
That death toll is twice as high as any other state in the union.
- Elmhurst Hospital Center in Queens saw 13 deaths in one day on Wednesday as patients were left waiting for beds
Here are couple of updates on the disturbing situation in the Big Apple, where at least 280 people have died and over 20,000 taken ill.
That death toll is twice as high as any other state in the union.
- Elmhurst Hospital Center in Queens saw 13 deaths in one day on Wednesday as patients were left waiting for beds
- Nurses at Mount Sinai West in Manhattan have been forced to wear trash bags as smocks at the same facility where a colleague has already been killed by Covid-19
- Infections are surging among inmates at Rikers Island and other city prisons, according to worrying new data released by the Legal Aid Society
On a more positive note, so far as there is one, Chris Riotta has this on the fearless and uncomprising leadership of state governor Andrew Cuomo throughout the crisis, a man whose calm, pragmatic presence has provided a comfort to many.
On a more positive note, so far as there is one, Chris Riotta has this on the fearless and uncomprising leadership of state governor Andrew Cuomo throughout the crisis, a man whose calm, pragmatic presence has provided a comfort to many.
How long do Americans see coronavirus disruption lasting?
The chart below from Statista indicates the majority of Americans are braced for the long haul here, a far more realistic assessment of the situation than they're hearing from their president right now.
(Statista)
The chart below from Statista indicates the majority of Americans are braced for the long haul here, a far more realistic assessment of the situation than they're hearing from their president right now.
(Statista)
Melania Trump warns parents to safeguard their children against toxic influences on social media during quarantine
The lack of self-awareness this tweet from the first lady betrays is just staggering.
You're married to the worst troll there is!
He was bullying Mitt Romney YESTERDAY!
Ah well, #BeBest.
The lack of self-awareness this tweet from the first lady betrays is just staggering.
You're married to the worst troll there is!
He was bullying Mitt Romney YESTERDAY!
Ah well, #BeBest.
Pennsylvania woman ‘coughs on $36,000 of goods’ at supermarket in ‘twisted prank’
"I am also absolutely sick to my stomach", says Gerrity's co-owner Joe Fasula of the incident - and it's hard to imagine any other response. Grotesque.
Team Trump trying to ban ad using president's own rhetoric on conronavirus against him
A new 2020 advert that tracks the president's inconsistent messaging on the outbreak has so angered his campaign team so much that they are trying to get it banned.
Wouldn't it be a shame for him if this sort of thing was widely seen?
Greg Evans has this for Indy100.
A new 2020 advert that tracks the president's inconsistent messaging on the outbreak has so angered his campaign team so much that they are trying to get it banned.
Wouldn't it be a shame for him if this sort of thing was widely seen?
Greg Evans has this for Indy100.
Kathy Griffin criticises Trump after being denied coronavirus test
The comedian - who once famously posed for a picture with a mock-up of Donald Trump's severed head - has hit out at the president after being refused a coronavirus test despite experiencing “unbearably painful symptoms”.
Despite experiencing symptoms consistent with the coronavirus, Griffin said her attempts to get tested had proved unsuccessful.
Sarah Young has the full story.
The comedian - who once famously posed for a picture with a mock-up of Donald Trump's severed head - has hit out at the president after being refused a coronavirus test despite experiencing “unbearably painful symptoms”.
On Wednesday, Griffin shared a photograph on her Twitter and Instagram accounts of herself lying in a hospital bed wearing a face mask. In the caption, the 59-year-old said she had been sent to an isolation ward after visiting an urgent care facility.
Despite experiencing symptoms consistent with the coronavirus, Griffin said her attempts to get tested had proved unsuccessful.
The star blamed Trump and vice president Mike Pence saying they had not made enough tests available in the US and shared yesterday's tweet from President Trump saying the country had more testing than any other nation.
Sarah Young has the full story.
NYPD: 'We're being thrown to the wolves'
Seven per cent of New York City’s police department (NYPD) is currently on sick leave with suspected coronavirus, as officers complain their health is being put at risk.
One cop told Vanity Fair they had been “thrown to the wolves,” and said: “We don’t even have the right protective gear. They gave us a box of gloves and surgical masks that don’t stop the virus. We’re exposed.”
Gino Spocchia has this report.
Seven per cent of New York City’s police department (NYPD) is currently on sick leave with suspected coronavirus, as officers complain their health is being put at risk.
Leaked internal reports reveal a shortage of personal protection equipment (PPE) available to officers and limited adherence to measures around exposure of the virus.
On Tuesday, reports suggested that 211 NYPD officers had been confirmed as carrying the virus, while 3,200 officers were off sick.
One cop told Vanity Fair they had been “thrown to the wolves,” and said: “We don’t even have the right protective gear. They gave us a box of gloves and surgical masks that don’t stop the virus. We’re exposed.”
Gino Spocchia has this report.
Trump cabinet’s pastor blames homosexuals for ‘wrath of God’ amid coronavirus pandemic
Andrew Naughtie has this on yet another appalling and irresponsible remark from an affiliate of the adminsitration.
Evangelist Ralph Drollinger, who chairs Cabinet Bible study sessions, has a history of making doom-laden remarks about LGBT+ people and has outdone himself in a blog post entitled "Is God Judging America Today?"
Record 3.3m US workers filed for unemployment benefits last week as coronavirus devastates economy
Woah.
Remember when Trump said this was all a "hoax"?
Treasury secretary Steve Mnuchin apparently does not think much of this shocking development:
Here's Chris Riotta with the very latest.
Woah.
Remember when Trump said this was all a "hoax"?
Treasury secretary Steve Mnuchin apparently does not think much of this shocking development:
Here's Chris Riotta with the very latest.
Schumer defends stimulus bill against Cuomo criticism as Sanders sticks it to Republicans
Back to the Senate rescue package, where New York's Chuck Schumer has refuted governor Andrew Cuomo's suggestion that the stimulus bill does not do enough to specificially help their home state, which has been worst-hit by the outbreak in the US.
“He’s disappointed that it only got $5bn (£4.2bn) for the state government, but there are small businesses in New York who need money, there are unemployed people who need money, there are hospitals who need money, there are nurses who need money,” the Senate minority leader said.
“We got $4bn (£3.3bn) for the [Metropolitan Transit Authority], just what they asked for. So this bill has been very, very good for New York."
Cuomo had called the deal "terrible for New York" earlier on Wednesday, asking: “What does it mean for New York state? It means $3.8bn (£2.3bn). [That] sounds like a lot of money, but we’re looking at a revenue shortfall of $15bn (£12.5bn).”
Vermont senator and presidential candidate Bernie Sanders was meanwhile again on rare form during last night's session, as he ripped into rival Republicans for voting for tax cuts but objecting to increased unemployment benefits.
The bill is now due to reach the House on Friday, where Democratic majority leader Steny Hoyer has expressed confidence it will pass with ease, with members in attendance or voting online as they see fit.
Here's John T Bennett on the cheques that will be winging their way to American taxpayers imminently.
Back to the Senate rescue package, where New York's Chuck Schumer has refuted governor Andrew Cuomo's suggestion that the stimulus bill does not do enough to specificially help their home state, which has been worst-hit by the outbreak in the US.
“He’s disappointed that it only got $5bn (£4.2bn) for the state government, but there are small businesses in New York who need money, there are unemployed people who need money, there are hospitals who need money, there are nurses who need money,” the Senate minority leader said.
“We got $4bn (£3.3bn) for the [Metropolitan Transit Authority], just what they asked for. So this bill has been very, very good for New York."
Cuomo had called the deal "terrible for New York" earlier on Wednesday, asking: “What does it mean for New York state? It means $3.8bn (£2.3bn). [That] sounds like a lot of money, but we’re looking at a revenue shortfall of $15bn (£12.5bn).”
Vermont senator and presidential candidate Bernie Sanders was meanwhile again on rare form during last night's session, as he ripped into rival Republicans for voting for tax cuts but objecting to increased unemployment benefits.
The bill is now due to reach the House on Friday, where Democratic majority leader Steny Hoyer has expressed confidence it will pass with ease, with members in attendance or voting online as they see fit.
Here's John T Bennett on the cheques that will be winging their way to American taxpayers imminently.
