U.S. Coronavirus Death Toll Is Far Higher Than Reported, C.D.C. Data Suggests Total deaths in seven states that have been hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic are nearly 50 percent higher than normal for the five weeks from March 8 through April 11 ....... probably killing more people than the reported statistics capture. ....... In New York City, the home of the biggest outbreak, the number of deaths over this period is more than three times the normal number. (Recent data suggests it could have reached six times higher than normal.) ........ hospital admissions for a major type of heart attack fell by 38 percent in nine major U.S. hospitals in March. ......... Coronavirus is clearly killing more U.S. residents directly than any hurricane has, but it is also changing lives in ways that may also contribute indirectly to increased deaths — by overloading the health care system and discouraging people from seeking care. ........
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Donald Trump's not-so-secret plan for his life after leaving the White House "It seems much more likely -- maybe inevitable -- that once he leaves office, Trump will continue to tweet and call in to cable news shows. Perhaps he will even attend political rallies, which is the part of the job he seems to enjoy most..... "There is no reason to think -- none at all -- that he will discontinue his penchant for weighing in on American politics on an hourly basis. There is every reason to think that he will vigorously attack any Republican who was disloyal to him during his administration. Or retroactively criticizes his tenure. Or runs in opposition to one of his preferred candidates. Or jeopardizes any of his many and varied interests." .......... "OAN, based in San Diego, made its first splash in the opening weeks of the Trump campaign, when the channel became the first to carry Trump's campaign speeches live and in full -- a decision followed quickly by the owner's directive that other candidates' rallies not be given the same treatment, according to internal emails." ...... It's not much of a leap to imagine ex-President Trump becoming a co-owner in OANN after vacating the White House. And using his profile and legion of dedicated fans to boost its profile as a true Trumpian alternative to Fox News. Right? ..... One thing is for sure: Donald Trump isn't going to be gone from your TV screens anytime soon.
No Testing, No Treatment, No Herd Immunity, No Easy Way Out We need to start preparing for a darker reality. ............. The world economy entered free fall. And even for those who do not have a sick relative or a mortgage that can’t be paid, the isolation imposed by social distancing has begun to take a heavy psychological toll. ........ because some people who have COVID-19 don’t seem to show any symptoms, I wondered whether the disease might be far more widespread than the initial data suggested, raising the prospect of the United States’ reaching herd immunity without mass casualties. ............ About one in seven New Yorkers who were administered the test were found to have antibodies to the virus. ......... the true fatality rate could be a little less than 1 percent.
........... there’s no easy way out of social distancing. ......... Even if the virus has a fatality rate of a little less than 1 percent, this means that letting it spread through the population of the United States would cause about 2 million deaths.
........ so long as we can’t rule out that millions would die in the United States alone, plans to brave the virus by going back to normal remain in the realm of the stupid or the sociopathic. ............. patients who took hydroxychloroquine were actually more likely to die than those who did not.
........ the study concludes that remdesivir “was not associated with clinical or virological benefits.” .......... We won’t get to herd immunity in the near future. A miracle drug is not in sight. The only way to restart the economy, then, is to put a highly effective system in place to test millions of people, trace their movements, and quickly quarantine those who might have been infected. .......... It now seems less likely than ever that the United States will do what is necessary to reopen the economy without causing a second wave of deadly infections.
........ America is also behind on test and trace. ...... But implementing such a system requires two things the United States sorely lacks: widespread trust in the government and a coordinated response from the White House. ........... Viruses don’t respect state lines. ........ the president has doubled down on culture wars and quack cures.
............... Early last week, Trump fanned the flames of the irresponsible protests against stay-at-home orders that are now being staged in cities across the country. A few days later, he vowed to “suspend immigration” to the United States. Then he suggested that scientists look into the possibility of injecting patients with bleach............ And for all the ingenuity shown by individual governors, the absence of a coordinated federal strategy may prove impossible to overcome.
........... COVID-19 is too deadly to let it rip through the population. An effective cure is not in sight. And the federal government is incapable of formulating a coherent pandemic response.
Coronavirus may lurk deep in lungs after patients recover, study suggests Postmortem of woman finds she had undetected traces in lungs after testing negative three times and being discharged from hospital ...... As WHO investigates why some recovered patients test positive again, the medical community works to assess any lasting effect on the body
Shift in mindset needed so US can work with China to tackle coronavirus pandemic and other global issues Instead of containment and conflict, the US and China need to engage constructively, accept intractable differences, and move towards co-leadership on global issues from climate and hunger to nuclear proliferation ...... most countries – including the United States – were simply unprepared, even as the viral threat became well known. ........ Imagine how the world would celebrate if the US and China were to announce a coordinated and continuing leadership through a fully funded and staffed World Health Organisation. The WHO could then disseminate its research on the make-up and spread of the virus, profile of the most vulnerable, most effective mitigation techniques, medical supplies, hospital facilities and staff required, and work necessary to rapidly develop and distribute a vaccine. ......... Stockpiles could quickly be built up and accessed via global supply chains. If that model were in place when Covid-19 hit, the human and economic losses are likely to have been a fraction of what they will be.
........... Instead of working with China, we find ourselves doing the opposite ........ China’s economy, though slowed by the trade war, continues to grow significantly faster than America’s, fuelled by urbanisation, a rapidly growing middle class and a rising services industry. .......... The Belt and Road Initiative is generating substantial goodwill and economic opportunities, with China’s trade with Africa now nearly four times larger than the US’. China is positioned to succeed, given its advances in renewable energy, high-speed rail, 5G, advanced computing and artificial intelligence. ......... Every year, it adds a population of graduating scientists, technology specialists, engineers and mathematicians several times larger than the comparable US graduate pool. In nearly every way, containment has failed. ........ What we need is a return to constructive engagement that would lead to collective global leadership. For this, the US needs another fundamental mindset shift. There needs to be acceptance on both sides – particularly the US – that each country’s model is rooted in its unique history and culture. ............ .....Unlike the US, where citizens expect some sense of control while selecting leaders through elections, China selects its leaders through merit, ongoing performance reviews and examinations. China has no popular election above local-government level but popular support for the government is among the highest globally
............. China still has among the most peaceful records of any major country in terms of involvement in foreign wars. ..... China has proven it has no interest in exporting its governance model. ........ Such is the unchangeable nature at the core of the US and Chinese models. If the two powers can accept what cannot be changed – and cannot be expected to change – the doors would begin to open for cooperation, which we need desperately. ......... Dealing with the pandemic jointly would be a great start. Many other global issues stand to benefit enormously, such as climate change, clean air and water, hunger, refugee crises and nuclear proliferation.
Fact check: Hilton CEO shatters Trump's testing conspiracy theory while sitting beside him
Coronavirus was 'not manmade or genetically modified': U.S. spy agency contradicted conspiracy theories floated ........ all available evidence suggests the coronavirus originated in animals in China late last year and was not manipulated or made in a laboratory. ....... “The Intelligence Community (IC) also concurs with the wide scientific consensus that the COVID-19 virus was not manmade or genetically modified”
......... Trump, who has heaped blame on China for the global pandemic, on Thursday said he believes China’s handling of the disease is proof that Beijing “will do anything they can” to make him lose his re-election bid in November. ....... More than 3.21 million people have been infected by the novel coronavirus globally, and 227,864 have died ........ Trump talked tough on China and said he was looking at different options in terms of consequences for Beijing over the virus. “I can do a lot,” he said, without providing details.
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'Survival': Tenants, landlords brace for largest rent strike in decades "If banks are getting bailed out and corporations are getting bailed out, why aren't poor people getting bailed out?" one activist asked. ....... "Rent is the last thing I want to think about during this crisis, and being evicted is the last thing I want to worry about." ........ "The reason why our campaign is called 'Food Not Rent' is because we're actually telling folks to choose your survival, choose your life, over paying your rent at this point." ........ "We're in a moment where politically impossible things are possible, and a rent strike is not just about canceling rent for the crisis" .......... "It's about, like, opening up a whole new world of social housing."
........ "We don't go back to go back to a world with 92,000 homeless New Yorkers and half our state can't afford to pay their rent." ...... More than 43 million households are renters ....... Housing advocates fear mass evictions without government intervention. More than 30 states have moratoriums on evictions during the outbreak, but some will expire in the next month. Other states, like Colorado, have no such mandate, which has left evictions to courts and local governments ......... Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is also a Democrat, has signaled no willingness to cancel or freeze rents.
.......... In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, barred evictions through the end of May. Tenants must notify landlords within seven days of failing to pay and provide documentation proving that they were affected by the pandemic. ......... She said some of the members of her organization didn't get stimulus checks from the CARES Act because of their immigration status or have been unable to access unemployment benefits — and others are having to choose to potentially expose themselves to the virus by continuing to work. ......... The legislation calls for 90 days of rent forgiveness for residential and commercial tenants if they lost their work or businesses because of the pandemic, as well as a 90-day suspension of some mortgage payments.
Why the government makes it hard for Americans to get unemployment benefits The system is dysfunctional. It was designed that way. .......... In Florida, for example, the previous Republican governor, Rick Scott, created a congested unemployment system that was nearly impossible to use so that the unemployment numbers would remain artificially low. ........... the “gap between the promise of public programs and the reality of their design” has been uniquely exposed by this pandemic.
......... we need to completely rethink “how we administer the safety net in the United States.” ......... The guiding principle in most states is that people don’t need to be on unemployment and that there are plenty of jobs available. So they’ve built in processes to try to get people off it quickly. And most states designed their systems with something like 3 or 4 percent unemployment in mind, so they don’t have the capacity to deal with much more than that. ......... “For too long, administrative processes have been designed to prevent claimants from incorrectly receiving benefits, rather than ensuring that those in need get help.” That’s an assumption, or a value judgment, built into our model of social welfare that all but guarantees it won’t work well for the people who need it. .......... We’re fixated on fraud and abuse, which is extremely low in social welfare programs — something like 1 to 2 percent of cases. And even then, it’s not what people mean when they think of “fraud and abuse.” It’s mostly people making mistakes because they didn’t understand eligibility rules .......... 20 to 30 percent of people are unable to access these programs even when they’re clearly eligible for them .............. this is about trumping up these accusations in order to undermine programs they fundamentally don’t believe in, just as a lot of Republicans disingenuously complain about voting fraud as a cover for depressing voting numbers
. ............... We’re in a moment where a lot of people, all at once, are trying to seek help from the government and are actually seeing what it’s actually like when you try to do that. People paid into unemployment, they qualify for unemployment, and it’s completely not their fault that they lost their jobs. But we’ve built this system that makes it almost impossible to get help. ......... they should also be required to report how many people they’re failing to reach. ....... we need some quick, easy things the government can do, like increasing SNAP benefits. No one needs to do anything. It just gets loaded on your card and it’s super effective in terms of the return on investment and economic activity.
One $1,200 stimulus check won’t cut it. Give Americans $2,000 a month tax-free to fire up the economy Emergency Money for the People Act covers what the CARES Act missed ........ Every American age 16 and older who earns less $130,000 per year will receive this money. ........ will provide almost every American $2,000 per month until employment levels reach pre-coronavirus levels. ........ These payments will be guaranteed for a minimum of six months, continuing until the U.S. employment rate reaches pre-coronavirus levels. ......... Consumer spending makes up roughly 70% of U.S. gross domestic product, so how will our small businesses survive if their customers don’t have money in their pockets? The old strategies have failed us. This is an unprecedented crisis, and it is time for government to respond in an unprecedented way.
........ realizing that not everyone has a bank account or a permanent home address, the money will be made available in more ways, with payments coming through direct deposit, check, pre-paid debit card, or mobile money platforms such as Venmo, Zelle, and PayPal. ......... these payments will not count as income for any families that are eligible for income-based state or federal government assistance programs such as Medicaid or SNAP, and people who have no earnings, were or currently unemployed would also be eligible for assistance. .......... Members on both sides of the aisle in Congress and President Donald Trump must come together in the fourth COVID-19 relief package to expand direct support for our people. The Emergency Money for the People Act will provide more money for more Americans and should be signed into law immediately. ............ U.S. Representative Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) is a member of the House Appropriations Committee.
