PUBLISHED TO
Donald Trump's delays in responding to the building wave of a
COVID-19 pandemic have now created a "best case" scenario of between
100,000—240,000 American deaths, according to government experts. The
result: A new push by Donald Trump to insist that he had never downplayed the virus, despite many weeks and videotaped speeches in which Trump did exactly that.
Already supported by Mike Pence and other fawning officials, it will be the greatest test yet of the administration's gaslighting strategies—a new claim that the virus killing family members, neighbors and friends was being taken seriously all along, despite weeks of Fox News coverage directly showing, and arguing for, the opposite.
In today's other pandemic news:
• Disparities in federal supplies being granted to different states, with some Republican-held states receiving all or more than all of their requested orders while other states receive only a fraction of their orders, continue amid strong suggestions that Trump's obsessive need for praise and hostility towards criticism is playing an undue role in those decisions.
Already supported by Mike Pence and other fawning officials, it will be the greatest test yet of the administration's gaslighting strategies—a new claim that the virus killing family members, neighbors and friends was being taken seriously all along, despite weeks of Fox News coverage directly showing, and arguing for, the opposite.
In today's other pandemic news:
• Disparities in federal supplies being granted to different states, with some Republican-held states receiving all or more than all of their requested orders while other states receive only a fraction of their orders, continue amid strong suggestions that Trump's obsessive need for praise and hostility towards criticism is playing an undue role in those decisions.
• New Trump administration guidelines tie the recently-passed $1200
pandemic relief checks to Americans to an IRS filing: If you don't file,
you won't get it. This sets up a barrier to Social Security beneficiaries, disabled Americans with Supplemental Security Income, and veterans with pensions, who do not normally file returns because they have no taxable income.
• Despite the still-surging pandemic and the advice of health officials, the White House is still refusing to open up a new Obamacare enrollment period to allow uninsured Americans to shop for health insurance plans.
• California's early, encompassing pandemic response measures have proven so far to have had dramatic success in slowing virus spread.
• Wisconsin's April 7 presidential primary and elections are still slated to take place on that date, despite demands that they be rescheduled—and the increasing likelihood of fiasco.
• Police are closing down Hobby Lobby stores in shelter-in-place states and cities after the chain, owned by now-notorious malevolent God-botherers, reopened the locations in defiance of local orders.
• In yet another disclosure of prior pandemic preparedness efforts ignored, a National Security Council study predicted the scope of economic damage from a pandemic similar to the one that would soon afterwards appear.
• Three weeks ago Trump stood with the CEOs of Walmart, Target, Walgreens and other companies to announce nationwide testing centers hosted by the huge retailers. The total number of testing centers opened three weeks later: 5. Of 30,000 locations. And of the five, most offer testing "only to first responders and health care workers," not the general public.
• Trump continues to lie about testing efforts and testing delays.
• House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff has indicated he is drafting plans for a new 9/11-styled independent commission to investigate government preparedness failures leading up to the pandemic.
• Recent Republican claims that Trump's incompetent pandemic response was caused by the distraction of impeachment were leveled flat by Trump himself, who says "I don't think I would have done any better had I not been impeached."
• New disclosures show Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler continued her previously known stock trading into late February and early March, selling off shares of retail stores and purchasing shares of a company that makes medical protective gear of the sort now being rationed in hospitals nationwide. (Loeffler was publicly dismissive at the onset of the pandemic, but as senator was receiving pandemic briefings not available to the general public.)
• House and Senate lawmakers are demanding Immigration and Customs Officials release detainees to reduce crowded conditions, and the possibility of a "severe health crisis", in immigration detention centers. "A decision to do nothing is a decision to do harm." Another federal judge on Tuesday ordered the release of ten detainees for whom the virus posed heightened risks.
• Journalists continue to reward Trump for his falsehoods and incompetent, exploitative behaviors.
• Google is now banning political ads on the COVID-19 pandemic. But it's still allowing Trump's own political messages to go through.
• Medical workers are being fired for speaking up about inadequate protective gear as hospital systems warn workers they are "not allowed to speak to the press."
• 28 University of Texas at Austin students who recently returned from spring break in Mexico have now tested positive for the virus. The students had returned to the United States on March 19.
• A Michigan man who purchased a gun to "protect himself" during the pandemic ended up in a Battle Creek hospital after shooting himself in the leg with his new weapon.
• Although New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo called the coronavirus "the great equalizer," unequal access to healthcare means that is likely not the case.
• Has China lied about their COVID-19 numbers? It's possible. But the "real" numbers are unlikely to be dramatically different from those reported.
• In new polling, 94% of American adults say they're practicing social distancing measures.
• Should we all be wearing masks in public, even if homemade versions? It still might be a good idea.
• Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden released a new video honoring the heroism of doctors, nurses and first responders during the pandemic.
• Coronavirus myths: No, you didn't "already have it in January."
• Despite the still-surging pandemic and the advice of health officials, the White House is still refusing to open up a new Obamacare enrollment period to allow uninsured Americans to shop for health insurance plans.
• California's early, encompassing pandemic response measures have proven so far to have had dramatic success in slowing virus spread.
• Wisconsin's April 7 presidential primary and elections are still slated to take place on that date, despite demands that they be rescheduled—and the increasing likelihood of fiasco.
• Police are closing down Hobby Lobby stores in shelter-in-place states and cities after the chain, owned by now-notorious malevolent God-botherers, reopened the locations in defiance of local orders.
• In yet another disclosure of prior pandemic preparedness efforts ignored, a National Security Council study predicted the scope of economic damage from a pandemic similar to the one that would soon afterwards appear.
• Three weeks ago Trump stood with the CEOs of Walmart, Target, Walgreens and other companies to announce nationwide testing centers hosted by the huge retailers. The total number of testing centers opened three weeks later: 5. Of 30,000 locations. And of the five, most offer testing "only to first responders and health care workers," not the general public.
• Trump continues to lie about testing efforts and testing delays.
• House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff has indicated he is drafting plans for a new 9/11-styled independent commission to investigate government preparedness failures leading up to the pandemic.
• Recent Republican claims that Trump's incompetent pandemic response was caused by the distraction of impeachment were leveled flat by Trump himself, who says "I don't think I would have done any better had I not been impeached."
• New disclosures show Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler continued her previously known stock trading into late February and early March, selling off shares of retail stores and purchasing shares of a company that makes medical protective gear of the sort now being rationed in hospitals nationwide. (Loeffler was publicly dismissive at the onset of the pandemic, but as senator was receiving pandemic briefings not available to the general public.)
• House and Senate lawmakers are demanding Immigration and Customs Officials release detainees to reduce crowded conditions, and the possibility of a "severe health crisis", in immigration detention centers. "A decision to do nothing is a decision to do harm." Another federal judge on Tuesday ordered the release of ten detainees for whom the virus posed heightened risks.
• Journalists continue to reward Trump for his falsehoods and incompetent, exploitative behaviors.
• Google is now banning political ads on the COVID-19 pandemic. But it's still allowing Trump's own political messages to go through.
• Medical workers are being fired for speaking up about inadequate protective gear as hospital systems warn workers they are "not allowed to speak to the press."
• 28 University of Texas at Austin students who recently returned from spring break in Mexico have now tested positive for the virus. The students had returned to the United States on March 19.
• A Michigan man who purchased a gun to "protect himself" during the pandemic ended up in a Battle Creek hospital after shooting himself in the leg with his new weapon.
• Although New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo called the coronavirus "the great equalizer," unequal access to healthcare means that is likely not the case.
• Has China lied about their COVID-19 numbers? It's possible. But the "real" numbers are unlikely to be dramatically different from those reported.
• In new polling, 94% of American adults say they're practicing social distancing measures.
• Should we all be wearing masks in public, even if homemade versions? It still might be a good idea.
• Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden released a new video honoring the heroism of doctors, nurses and first responders during the pandemic.
• Coronavirus myths: No, you didn't "already have it in January."
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