Good morning! Here is your news briefing for Friday March 20, 2020.
THE DAILY SIGNAL
Mar 20, 2020
Good morning from Washington, where the Senate is poised to send checks to some Americans to help them get through the COVID-19 crisis. A new clampdown on international travel and relief for the travel industry are part of the mix, and we have commentary on that angle. Consequences for the urban homeless reveal the failure of progressive leaders. And in Ukraine, it’s like being back in the USSR. Fifty-five years ago today, President Lyndon Johnson warns Alabama Gov. George Wallace that he will call up the state’s National Guard to protect a third civil rights march from Selma to the state capital organized by Martin Luther King Jr. Be safe this weekend.
No one except the foolish or perhaps the suicidal would deny that the coronavirus has created a deadly crisis affecting every American. But it is in a time of crisis that Americans are at their very best.
In Seattle, political leaders have begun to acknowledge that the homeless present a frightening transmission vector. However, amid this crisis, the city’s political class has been careful to maintain its social justice doctrine.
Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, front-line states that seemingly battled the coronavirus successfully early on, are experiencing a resurgence of the outbreak. Why? Infected travelers returning from abroad, including vacationers.
Are rising sea levels a threat to our planet and is global warming to blame for wildfires and hurricanes? Geologist Gregory Wrightstone, author of “Inconvenient Facts,” has answers.
“If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid.”EPICTETUS
Good morning,
Beijing’s claim of no new infections from the CCP virus contradicts the reality on the ground.
Chinese citizens report seeing long lines outside hospitals and construction on new makeshift hospitals in Wuhan, as well as continued forced quarantines.
The Chinese regime is pushing a new narrative on the global pandemic, claiming over the past few days that there have been no new local infections of the CCP virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus, in an increasingly aggressive disinformation campaign. Read more
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) is in only his second year as a U.S. senator and, at 40, he is the youngest member of “the world’s greatest deliberative body,” but none of that keeps him from having a high profile in Washington—and in Beijing. Read more
The Chinese Communist Party covered up details about the new coronavirus, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, warning that a similar situation could unfold “if we don’t get to the bottom of this.” Read more
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) announced plans to introduce a bill to reduce U.S. dependence on China manufacturing of pharmaceuticals. Read more
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said on March 18 that Republicans were nearing an agreement on a third COVID-19 bill amid growing concerns about the CCP virus’s economic impact. Read more
A group of seven Republican senators is backing legislation that would require more transparency from Confucius Institutes, which are Beijing-funded and -controlled, in the latest effort to combat the Chinese Communist Party’s malicious activities in U.S. colleges and universities. Read more
Biden Is Absolutely the Wrong Person to Deal With China
By Roger L. SimonAmong the many depressing thoughts emanating from the coronavirus pandemic is the increasing knowledge that China—like it or not (and who does)—isn’t our friend on a number of levels. Read more
Youthland and America
By Mark BauerleinThe Millennials crowding the beaches in Florida, dance clubs in Nashville, and bars in Boston on St. Patrick’s Day at a time of medical crisis puzzle and infuriate those of us with children at home and with grandparents in facilities. Read more
Evaluating US Manufacturing Sector
By Heide B. Malhotra
(April 12, 2013)The U.S. manufacturing sector is of great importance to the U.S. economy, according to discussions by industry experts, and many of those experts are concerned about the state of that sector. Read more
If China’s latest pronouncements are any indication, the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus, pandemic is raising the tensions between the United States and China to dangerous levels.
California Governor Orders All 40 million Residents to Stay Home
From the story: The governor’s order comes at a critical time in California, where 19 people have died and an additional 958 have tested positive for the disease. It follows an order from Los Angeles County and city officials issued Thursday that requires all indoor malls, shopping centers, playgrounds and non-essential retail businesses to close and prohibits gathering in enclosed spaces of more than 10 people (LA Times). But Lila Rose notes “Planned Parenthoods across the state will remain open tomorrow, profiting off of the deaths of hundreds of children a week” (Twitter). The California decision makes this updated Pepperdine map of coronavirus cases and how to get food all the more valuable (Pepperdine). Pennsylvania closed all “non-life-sustaining” businesses (Washington Times). Maryland is cracking down as a five-year-old girl contracted the virus (Baltimore Sun).
2.
Reports from China Contradict Government
Several stories note China seems to be getting a temporary reprieve. A story warns “Two influenza pandemics in 1889 and 1918 saw three waves of infections, with the later ones being more deadly than the first cases” (NY Post). But another story tells us “In Wuhan, officials have tried to make it appear that recovery efforts are going smoothly. But when “central leaders” personally survey disinfecting regimens and food delivery, local officials “make a special effort” for them and them alone, one resident told Caixan. And in a video circulating on social media, residents can be seen shouting at visiting leaders from the apartments where they’re being quarantined — “Fake, it’s all fake” (Yahoo). From Erielle Davidson: While The Atlantic and CNN parroted CCP talking points, horrific things were transpiring in China (Twitter).
Advertisement
3.
Wall Street Journal: Reconsider This Shutdown
From their editorial board: Financial markets paused their slide Thursday, but no one should think this rolling economic calamity is over. If this government-ordered shutdown continues for much more than another week or two, the human cost of job losses and bankruptcies will exceed what most Americans imagine. This won’t be popular to read in some quarters, but federal and state officials need to start adjusting their anti-virus strategy now to avoid an economic recession that will dwarf the harm from 2008-2009 (WSJ). From Owen Strachan: I‘m not a doctor or a policy wonk. But we need a new policy. Social distancing is right for now, but will not likely work for 2-12 months. Global economy will tank (Twitter). From Jay Cost: We have some advantages. Unlike the 1929 and 2008 panics, the government has not acted slowly or counterproductively. Lots of gripes 10 days ago when the Fed slashed by 50bp. But that was prescient. Same deal here. Go BIG or go home (Twitter).
4.
Peggy Noonan Fears She May Have Coronavirus
At the end of this article, she details her effort to get tested. Two weeks in, she finally got tested and is awaiting the results (WSJ). NYPD and FDNY are getting hammered with coronavirus cases in their ranks (NY Post). A 34-year-old cancer survivor died days after testing positive, one of the younger ones to die (Daily Mail). A fourth member of that devastated New Jersey family has died (Daily News). A truly disturbing look at what the coronavirus does in your body (New York Magazine).
5.
Doctor Says He’s Weeks Away from COVID-19 Treatment
But then there’s this from the story: Glanville told MacCallum that once his colleagues are done engineering the antibodies they will send it to the U.S. military before eventually conducting a human study this summer (Fox News). Bayer has donated three million malaria tablets to the United States for potential use against the coronavirus (Reuters). Taiwan is assisting the United States by supplying 100,000 masks per week (Washington Examiner).
Advertisement
6.
Media Continue to Focus on Trumps Use of Word “Chinese”
To describe a virus that came from China and was lied about by the Chinese government (Red State). The media even harassed a senator about what Trump said (Twitter). A Washington Post photographer zoomed in on Trump’s notes to see where the president crossed out “corona” and wrote “Chinese.” It’s as if the president is doing this to make them go insane. And it is working (Twitter). Joe Biden and China have chimed in with the same nonsense (Red State). The New York Times has stepped up the insanity with this piece claiming “it is the West that now frightens Asia and the rest of the world” (NY Times). And in an overt effort to please the media, Wikipedia changed the name of the Spanish Flu to “1918 Influenza Pandemic” (Twitter).
7.
Senators Accused of Selling Stocks Prior to Coronavirus Announcement
Senators Kelly Loeffler and Richard Burr “sold millions in stock before the coronavirus outbreak sent the markets in freefall. Both senators attended briefings on the growing coronavirus outbreak for weeks leading up the national emergency that was declared by President Trump days ago” (Fox News). Loeffler responded, calling the accusations “ridiculous and baseless” (Twitter). From Erick Erickson: If Loeffler is telling the truth and it can be backed up credibly, she can defend it as trying to be ethical by not doing the usual Washington nonsense accompanied by affidavits. But that still leaves the Richard Burr matter (Twitter). From David French: The potential insider trading is dreadful and possibly criminal, but what could elevate this to a historic scandal is the idea that senators may have known enough to be alarmed for themselves yet still projected rosy scenarios to the public AND failed to make sure we were ready (Twitter). From Mark Hemingway: Just want to congratulate everyone on the immediate cross partisan consensus on that horrible Imagine video and Senator Burr. We may yet find a way to unite this country (Twitter). From Guy Benson: If Burr and Loeffler have compelling defenses of what they did, let’s hear them. Now. But their actions very much *look* like craven, selfish betrayals of the public trust — made worse by the crisis we are all living through (Twitter). From Andrew Yang: If you find out about a nation-threatening pandemic and your first move is to adjust your stock portfolio you should probably not be in a job that serves the public interest (Twitter).
8.
Nation’s Unemployment Jumping
Up 25 percent in a week (OC Register). It appears a record number of Americans filed unemployment claims this week (CNN). Service and sales workers, the very young and the very old are the most vulnerable (FiveThirtyEight). From another story: Time is of the essence. Layoffs are happening at an incredible pace across the service economy. Small-business failures will come just behind them, followed by mortgages going into arrears, evictions, and eventually the failure of financial instruments and institutions next. Congress doesn’t know how to estimate the number of Americans who are going to need assistance shortly (National Review). A shocking look at how restaurants are faring in this mess (FiveThirtyEight).
Advertisement
9.
McConnel Stimulus Would Pay $1200 Per Person
From the story: The draft legislation, obtained by Fox News, would provide minimum payments of $600, and aid would be phased down at adjusted gross income thresholds of $75,000 for individuals and $150,000 per couple. Additionally, there would be $500 payments for each child (Fox News). Meanwhile, Trump’s approval is up to 53 percent. Another interesting note in this poll: People trust “friends and family” more than the national media (Harris Poll).
10.
Hospitals Preparing for the Worst
From the story: A “hospital ship” run by the Navy is being deployed to help out New York City, which is expecting a surge of COVID-19 patients. Meanwhile, relatives from my hometown of Green Bay, Wis., relayed today that the area has had its first case — and that hospitals are already reportedly at 97 percent capacity from normal illnesses. Paramedics are being told to keep non-life-threatening cases out of the emergency room.
After getting berated by another guest. Careful, there is colorful language (Twitter). From Seth Mandel: I just can’t quite imagine the brain that goes on tv with the plan of brosplaining emergency management to the guy who ran FEMA for Obama’s entire time in the WH (Twitter).
This newsletter is never sent unsolicited. It is only sent to people who signed up from one of the Salem Media Group network of websites OR a friend might have forwarded it to you. We respect and value your time and privacy.