DL Open Thread: Thurs., March 19, 2020
Virus Expands Exponentially. Response Doesn’t. Yesterday, we were at 6496 cases and 114 deaths. We’re now at 9415 cases and 150 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins conavirus map. The government appears no closer to securing nearly enough ventilators nor making tests readily available. A willful failure that will go down in history.
Florida Governor Refuses To Close Beaches. Tourism $$’s more important than stopping a pandemic. Rethug Gov. Ron DeSantis sure has his priorities straight. Betcha he didn’t read this article. I mean, JEE-zus. You can bet that there is no program in place to test these scofflaws when they return home from spring break. Tell me again why our fate won’t be worse than Italy’s.
Trump Changes Subject To Xenophobic Rope-A-Dope. I saw right-wing echoes throughout the day. ‘It’s China’s fault’. Don’t take the bait. He just wants to change the subject b/c he’s failed so abjectly at addressing the crisis. Rethug ‘leader’ John Cornyn blames it on the ‘fact’ that the Chinese eat bats. These are not serious leaders. Trump also blames millennials for, I guess, buying the snake oil that Trump was selling.
Kushner’s Family Cashing In On Covid-19 Virus. Don’t pretend that you’re surprised.
Elizabeth Warren’s Eight Conditions On Prospective Corporate Bailouts. Will the Corporadems go along with her, or will they sell out to their corporate benefactors? Chris, Chris?
How South Korea Trounced US On Testing. Didja know that South Korea and the United States each discovered their first positive case of the coronavirus on the same day? Today’s absolute must-read details how one country succeeded and one country failed its citizens.
What do you want to talk about?
Here are Warren’s eight conditions:
Companies must maintain payrolls and use federal funds to keep people working.
Businesses must provide $15 an hour minimum wage quickly but no later than a year from the end
Companies would be permanently banned from engaging in stock buybacks.
Companies would be barred from paying out dividends or executive bonuses while they receive federal funds and the ban would be in place for three years.
Businesses would have to provide at least one seat to workers on their board of directors, though it could be more depending on size of the rescue package.
Collective bargaining agreements must remain in place.
Corporate boards must get shareholder approval for all political spending.
CEOs must certify their companies are complying with the rules and face criminal penalties for violating them.
Rethug and former Florida governor Rick Scott sez get the kids off the beaches:
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/scott-says-fl-officials-need-to-get-people-off-beaches-as-desantis-refuses-to-do-so
Sit down before you read this one or you might fall over from surprise.
Sen. Richard Burr (R-Up Trump’s Ass) told a private meeting of Richie Riches this three weeks ago.
No word on how many of those folks used the information to short-sell the market. The tape is embedded in the link below.
https://www.rawstory.com/2020/03/listen-secret-audio-reveals-rop-gop-senator-new-weeks-ago-just-how-devastating-covid-19-is-but-didnt-warn-the-public/
The real news is that he didn’t express this publicly. And, yep, short-sellers have made a bundle on this pandemic.
I am reminded of people on the ship returning to the East Coast from San Francisco during the gold rush. When it foundered, passengers stuffed their pockets with their gold before jumping overboard.
Turns out Burr dumped $1.6 mill in stock after he knew how bad it was, after he told his rich friends how bad it was, but before he admitted how bad it was:
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/pro-publica-burr-dumped-millions-stock-reassuring-public-coronavirus-preparedness
If that’s not insider trading, then what is? And can you imagine how many other people in a position to know did the exact same thing?
You mean like this lady?
https://www.thedailybeast.com/sen-kelly-loeffler-dumped-millions-in-stock-after-coronavirus-briefing
So, they have discovered that chloroquine which is similar to quinine, is effective on the CV. Should we be increasing our gin and tonic consumption? Will there be a run on Schweppes tonic water now?
It can’t hurt, now, can it?
It’s actually a drug that’s approved for other uses; this would be off-label, so some government action is going to be needed.
Until then, sante!
Large stock dumps should be disclosed