Month: March 2020

Pentagon eyes Chicago, Michigan, Florida, Louisiana as coronavirus spreads

The U.S. military is watching coronavirus infection trends in Chicago, Michigan, Florida and Louisiana with concern as it weighs where else it may have deploy, after boosting aid to New York, California and Washington, a top general said on Friday.

Air Force General John Hyten, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the military was doing its own analysis as well as looking at data on infections compiled elsewhere in the government.

“There’s a certain number of places where we have concerns and they’re: Chicago, Michigan, Florida, Louisiana,” Hyten told a group of reporters, when asked where field hospitals could head next.

“Those are the areas that we’re looking at and trying to figure out where to go next.” via Reuters

Angry’s Thoughts: I’m glad the military is planning ahead. These are most of the places I’ve been watching too. I’m also concerned with parts of Texas, namely Houston and Dallas, as well as Ohio.

Trump signs $2 trillion coronavirus bill into law

“President Trump on Friday signed a massive $2 trillion emergency spending bill into law, promising to deliver a tidal wave of cash to individual Americans, businesses and health care facilities all reeling from the coronavirus pandemic.

His signature came just hours after the House of Representatives passed the massive package by an overwhelming voice vote, and less than 48 hours after it received unanimous approval from the Senate.

“This will deliver urgently needed relief to our nation’s families, workers and businesses. And that’s what this is all about,” Trump said at a signing ceremony in the Oval Office, with GOP congressional leaders and administration officials crowded behind him.

“I want to thank Republicans and Democrats for coming together, setting aside their differences and putting America first,” Trump said, although Democrats were not invited to the signing ceremony.” via The Washington Post

Angry’s Thoughts: I like how he thinks he insulted the Dems by not allowing them to come to the signing, when instead he probably kept them from getting COVID-19 with that hugfest that was going on.

Trish Regan Out at Fox Business After Coronavirus Comments

“Fox Business Network has parted ways with Trish Regan days after her comments that the coronavirus was “another attempt to impeach the president.”

“Fox Business has parted ways with Trish Regan – we thank her for her contributions to the network over the years and wish her continued success in her future endeavors. We will continue our reduced live primetime schedule for the foreseeable future in an effort to allocate staff resources to continuous breaking news coverage on the coronavirus crisis,” the network said in a statement.

Regan added in her own statement, “I have enjoyed my time at Fox and now intend to focus on my family during these troubled times. I am grateful to my incredible team at Fox Business and for the many opportunities the network has provided me. I’m looking forward to this next chapter in my career.” via MSN

Angry’s Thoughts: Womp womp.

Trudeau to Washington: Sending troops to border would be a mistake

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canadian officials have made it clear to the United States that it would be a mistake to position troops near the border.

“We certainly hope that they’re not going to go through with that,” he said this morning during his daily briefing outside his home at Rideau Cottage, speaking a day after news broke that the U.S. was considering the move.

Asked about reports that the Trump administration has dropped these plans, first disclosed on Thursday, Trudeau said he had no news to share on the subject.

The prime minister said senior officials have been back and forth with U.S. administration on “many, many issues” around the border.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said Friday Canadian officials continue to speak “energetically” with their U.S. counterparts. Asked for the latest developments during a noon-hour briefing, she said it is up to the Trump administration to update its position.

“Canada has continued to express clearly and forcefully that there is no logical reason to militarize our border with the United States,” she said. “And we have been very clear also that such an action would damage our relationship.” via Politico

Angry’s Thoughts: This is one of the most asinine things he’s ever suggested, and that’s saying something. There is literally no reason to even consider militarizing the border of our most dependable ally.

Trump authorizes DoD, DHS to call up reservists to fight virus

“President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday giving the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security the authority to activate the ready reserve components of the armed forces to support the nationwide response to the coronavirus.

The executive order provides DoD and DHS — which oversees the Coast Guard — emergency authority to order to active duty as many as 1 million members of the ready reserves. However, it is not an order to do so.

Trump said the order would allow the U.S. to mobilize medical, disaster and emergency response personnel to help fight the virus, which has sickened more than 100,000 people around the country. Already this week, the Army, Navy and Veterans Affairs Department have called on former service members to rejoin the force and help the military in the pandemic response.

The Army has since heard from 14,600 people who had expressed interest, according to a spokesperson” via Politico

Angry’s Thoughts: If you haven’t noticed, he’s scrambling. He’s now realizing – though he’ll never admit it – that he waited entirely too late to act, and now he’s trying to do anything possible to make it seem like he’s on top of things.

Spoiler alert: he’s not.

‘GM was wasting time’: Trump invokes DPA to force GM to make ventilators

President Donald Trump today invoked the Defense Production Act, directing General Motors to produce ventilators needed for the coronavirus outbreak, hours after lashing out at the automaker on Twitter and following weeks of increasingly loud pleas from governors and mayors to put the powerful statute into use.

Trump also appointed trade advisor Peter Navarro to coordinate the government’s efforts to purchase and distribute emergency medical supplies, including ventilators and protective equipment for health care workers.

“We will not hesitate to use the full authority of the federal government to combat this crisis,” Trump said at a White House briefing. “We thought we had a deal with, as an example General Motors, and I guess they thought otherwise. They didn’t agree, and now they do.”

The move to activate the Korean War-era emergency law came the same day that Trump slammed GM on Twitter after reports emerged that his administration had called off a deal to buy tens of thousands of ventilators that GM agreed to produce in partnership with a ventilator manufacturer. It marks a pivotal turn in Trump’s previous reluctance to put the DPA into use.” via Politico

Angry’s Thoughts: See above comment about scrambling. This could have been done months ago, and GM could have already produced literally thousands of ventilators, along with Ford and Tesla. It’s not an exaggeration to say that people will die because of his inaction.

Federal officials repeatedly warned that US hospitals lacked enough ventilators

“In at least 10 government reports from 2003 to 2015, federal officials predicted the United States would experience a critical lack of ventilators and other lifesaving medical supplies if it faced a viral outbreak like the one currently sweeping the country.

The drumbeat of warnings undermines President Donald Trump’s claim last week that “nobody in their wildest dreams” could have imagined the demand for ventilators that now exists. The demand is pushing hospitals to the brink in New York City and threatening to do so in parts of Washington state, California, Louisiana and beyond.

In addition, a 2017 study funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that “substantial concern exists that intensive care units (ICUs) might have insufficient resources to treat all persons requiring ventilator support” and that even the supplies held in the so-called Strategic National Stockpile “might not suffice to meet demand during a severe public health emergency.” via CNN

Angry’s Thoughts: HE DOESN’T READ HIS BRIEFING MATERIAL. THIS IS WHY YOU CAN’T ELECT A PRESIDENT THAT REFUSES TO READ. BAD THINGS HAPPEN.

As U.S. cases exceed 100,000, doctors decry scarcity of drugs and equipment

“Doctors and nurses on the front lines of the U.S. coronavirus crisis pleaded on Friday for more protective gear and equipment to treat waves of patients expected to overwhelm hospitals as the number of known U.S. infections surpassed 100,000, with more than 1,500 dead.

Physicians have called attention to a desperate need for additional ventilators, machines that help patients breathe and are widely needed for those suffering from COVID-19, the respiratory ailment caused by the highly contagious novel coronavirus.

Hospitals in New York City, New Orleans, Detroit and other virus hot spots also have sounded the alarm about scarcities of drugs, medical supplies and trained staff as the number of confirmed cases rose by 15,000 on Friday to just over 100,000.” via Reuters

Angry’s Thoughts: Coupled with the reports that we’ve known about these shortages for years and the fact that we shipped tons of equipment to China even after the IC and CDC said it was going to be bad here, this is criminally negligent behavior. There is NO reason that our Doctors and nurses should be on the frontlines with no PPE and without the medications needed to at least help alleviate symptoms.

A defiant Maduro threatens ‘cowboy’ Trump after drug charge

“Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro stood defiant in the face of a $15 million bounty by the U.S. to face drug trafficking charges, calling Donald Trump a “racist cowboy” and warning that he is ready to fight by whatever means necessary should the U.S. and neighboring Colombia dare to invade.

Maduro’s bellicose remarks Thursday night came hours after the U.S. announced sweeping indictments against the socialist leader and several members of his inner circle for allegedly converting Venezuela into a criminal enterprise at the service of drug traffickers and terrorist groups.

One indictment by prosecutors in New York accused Maduro and socialist party boss Diosdado Cabello, head of the rubber-stamp constitutional assembly, of conspiring with Colombian rebels and members of the military “to flood the United States with cocaine” and use the drug trade as a “weapon against America.” via AP

Angry’s Thoughts: Go home, Maduro, you’re drunk – and we’re kind of dealing with a pandemic in both of our countries right now.

As Trump invokes presidential powers to fight the coronavirus, he sows confusion along the way

“Eager to demonstrate that he is in control of a viral outbreak that is spreading rapidly across the country, President Trump has ramped up efforts to show he is using some of his broadest powers as commander in chief.

But the unprecedented push has been plagued by growing confusion about how far his authorities actually extend and how much he is willing to use them.

He blindsided New York’s governor Saturday by publicly announcing a potential quarantine order on the state’s residents, only to retreat from the idea hours later. This came a day after he authorized his government to use the Defense Production Act, a move on which he’d been taking an on-again, off-again stance, but it remains unclear whether that power will be used.

And he is due to issue new guidelines next week about whether the country should continue social distancing practices — but he’s vacillated between all but declaring victory against the coronavirus and acceding to experts who say the national slowdown may have to continue for several more weeks.” via The Washington Post

Angry’s Thoughts: Who could have imagined that having a third-rate reality show carnival barker for President could go so badly?

Liberty University Brings Back Its Students, and Coronavirus, Too

“As Liberty University’s spring break was drawing to a close this month, Jerry Falwell Jr., its president, spoke with the physician who runs Liberty’s student health service about the rampaging coronavirus.

“We’ve lost the ability to corral this thing,” Dr. Thomas W. Eppes Jr. said he told Mr. Falwell. But he did not urge him to close the school. “I just am not going to be so presumptuous as to say, ‘This is what you should do and this is what you shouldn’t do,’” Dr. Eppes said in an interview.

So Mr. Falwell — a staunch ally of President Trump and an influential voice in the evangelical world — reopened the university last week, igniting a firestorm. As of Friday, Dr. Eppes said, nearly a dozen Liberty students were sick with symptoms that suggested Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus. Three were referred to local hospital centers for testing. Another eight were told to self-isolate.” via NYT

Angry’s Thoughts: We call this Darwinism, but in this case, it’s not just dangerous for the morons participating in it.

Senator says White House turned down emergency coronavirus funding in early February

“Sen. Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat, says that Trump administration officials declined an offer of early congressional funding assistance that he and other senators made on Feb. 5 during a meeting to discuss the coronavirus.

The officials, including Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, said they “didn’t need emergency funding, that they would be able to handle it within existing appropriations,” Murphy recalled in an interview with Yahoo News’ “Skullduggery” podcast.

“What an awful, horrible catastrophic mistake that was,” Murphy said. 

On Feb. 5, Murphy tweeted: “Just left the Administration briefing on Coronavirus. Bottom line: they aren’t taking this seriously enough. Notably, no request for ANY emergency funding, which is a big mistake. Local health systems need supplies, training, screening staff etc. And they need it now.” via Yahoo

Angry’s Thoughts: Criminal. Negligence.

U.S. could face 200,000 coronavirus deaths, millions of cases, Fauci warns

Angry’s Thoughts: 🙁

This could have all been prevented.

White House Airlifts Medical Supplies From China in Coronavirus Fight

“A commercial aircraft carrying 80 tons of gloves, masks, gowns and other medical supplies from Shanghai touched down in New York on Sunday, the first of 22 scheduled flights that White House officials say will funnel much-needed goods to the United States by early April as it battles the world’s largest coronavirus outbreak.

The plane delivered 130,000 N95 masks, 1.8 million face masks and gowns, 10 million gloves and thousands of thermometers for distribution to New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, said Lizzie Litzow, a spokeswoman for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Ms. Litzow said that flights would be arriving in Chicago on Monday and in Ohio on Tuesday, and that supplies would be sent from there to other states using private-sector distribution networks.” via NYT

Angry’s Thoughts: Good news, but it’s just a drop in the bucket when looking at the numbers we are going to actually need.

Fauci: Social distancing guidelines likely to remain

“The nation’s top infectious disease expert expressed doubt on Sunday that the White House would lift its social distancing guidelines at the end of its 15-day time frame, projecting it “would be a matter of weeks” before the U.S. is ready to start pulling back restrictions.

“My own opinion, looking at the way things are, I doubt if that would be the case,” Anthony Fauci said Sunday morning on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “We’ll look at it. And if we need to push the date forward, we will push the date forward.” via Politico

Angry’s Thoughts: Well, Dr. Fauci was indeed correct – Trump announced that social distancing would continue through April. This is the right move. What has impressed me the most is that Fauci is able to consistently tell the truth – and contradict the President – and he still manage to keep his job.

I hope that continues. The country needs Fauci at the moment more than I think we’ve ever needed one individual.

Not His First Epidemic, Dr. Anthony Fauci Sticks to the Facts

“Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading expert on infectious diseases, is widely respected for his ability to explain science without talking down to his audience — and lately, for managing to correct the president’s pronouncements without saying he is wrong.

President Trump said that drug companies would make a coronavirus vaccine ready “soon.” Dr. Fauci has repeatedly stepped up after the president to the lectern during televised briefings or at White House round tables to amend that timetable, giving a more accurate estimate of at least a year or 18 months.

Mr. Trump said a “cure” might be possible. Dr. Fauci explained that antiviral drugs were being studied to see if they might make the illness less severe. The president also said the disease would go away in the spring. Dr. Fauci said maybe so, but because it was caused by a new virus, there was no way to tell.” via NYT

Angry’s Thoughts: So far, Fauci has done a relatively good job of walking the tightrope between telling the truth and avoiding Trump’s ire. That’s not going to be possible for much longer, because this is getting worse, and fast.

The markets are spooked, treasury yields are down, oil is tanking. Trump is going to be looking for good news, and unfortunately there’s not much right now.

Confusion spreads as Italy tries to lock down 16 million people

“Italy on Sunday launched a complicated and urgent plan to restrict the movement of roughly 16 million people, a measure that unleashed confusion about how it could be enforced and whether it would be enough to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

The plan to lock down large swaths of the north was the first major attempt by a democracy during the coronavirus crisis to radically halt the routines of daily life — an effort that will have significant impacts on civil liberties. But in the hours before and after the measure became law, people continued to stream out of the northern hubs of Milan and Venice on trains and planes for southern Italy or elsewhere in Europe.” via The Washington Post

Angry’s Thoughts: Watching the way other countries are handling this has made me realize how ill-equipped the United States really is for a pandemic. Yes, our medical care is top notch, but we’re so content with our way of life that it’s hard to change when you have to. Every other country that’s being hit hard is closing *everything* and we are still trying to figure out what to do with Coachella.

Ted Cruz self-quaratines after interaction with CPAC attendee who has coronavirus

“Sen. Ted Cruz said he would remain at home in Texas for the next week after he interacted with a person infected with coronavirus at the Conservative Political Action Conference.

The Texas Republican said he was informed Saturday night abut his brief interaction with the infected individual but noted he has not experienced any symptoms.

“The interaction consisted of a brief conversation and a handshake,” Cruz said in a statement Sunday.

“I am not experiencing any symptoms, and I feel fine and healthy,” he added. “Given that the interaction was 10 days ago, that the average incubation period is 5-6 days, that the interaction was for less than a minute, and that I have no current symptoms, the medical authorities have advised me that the odds of transmission from the other individual to me were extremely low.” via The Washington Examiner

Angry’s Thoughts: This is terrible news for Heidi – she has to spend a full week with Ted.

Update: Rep. Gosar is also self-quarantining, and I’m still having a hard time drawing up any sympathy.

Governments step up coronavirus response as U.S. cases top 500

“Governments intensified their efforts Sunday to combat the global spread of the novel coronavirus, as Saudi Arabia followed Italy in enacting new travel restrictions, Iran suspended flights to Europe, and the United States, where the number of cases topped 500, warned citizens against cruise travel.

Uncertainty continued to permeate the response effort, however, amid muddled directives from the Trump administration and reports of some patients unable to access testing. A virus-stricken cruise ship made its way to California to dock — only for Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson to decline to discuss the details of the federal response plan during a national television interview.

The Department of Health and Human Services said later Sunday that the Grand Princess cruise ship’s more than 3,500 passengers, at least 21 of whom have tested positive for the coronavirus, will be quarantined in California, Texas and Georgia.” via The Washington Post

Angry’s Thoughts: Obvious question: why the hell did it take 500 cases to make us step up our response? Our handling of this has been abysmal, at best.

After threatening ‘momentous’ action, North Korea fires weapons

“North Korea fired three unidentified projectiles off its east coast on Monday, South Korea’s military said, two days after the North threatened to take “momentous” action to protest outside condemnation over its earlier live-fire exercises.

Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement it detected the three launches made from an eastern coastal town in the North’s South Hamgyong province. It said South Korea’s military is monitoring North Korea for possible additional launches.

In the past 10 days, North Korea has said leader Kim Jong Un supervised two rounds of live-fire artillery exercises in its first weapons tests since late November. Kim had entered the new year with a vow to bolster his nuclear deterrent and not to be bound by a major weapons test moratorium amid a deadlock in a U.S.-led diplomacy aimed at convincing Kim to abandon his nuclear program in return for economic and political benefits.” via Politico

Angry’s Thoughts: Kim, we’re kind of in the middle of multiple crises right now, and we really don’t have time for your saber rattling.

‘Manipulated media’: Twitter applies new label to edited video of Biden

“Twitter applied its new “manipulated media“ label for the first time Sundayon an edited video of Joe Biden that a White House official posted and that President Donald Trump retweeted.

On Saturday, the White House social media director, Dan Scavino, tweeted a video of the 2020 Democratic candidate telling supporters in Missouri, “We cannot win this re-election, excuse me, we can only re-elect Donald Trump.”

By the end of the night, Trump had shared the video twice, writing, “I agree with Joe!” It also got a retweet from the Trump campaign manager, Brad Parscale.

However, the Scavino tweet — which was viewed almost 5 million times as of Sunday evening — had cut off the rest of the sentence.

“We can only re-elect Donald Trump if, in fact, we get engaged in this circular firing squad here,” the former vice president had said. “It’s got to be a positive campaign, so join us.” via Politico

Angry’s Thoughts: Personally, I’m shocked that the White House is putting out doctored videos to help spread their propaganda.

Narrator: Angry was not, in fact, at all shocked.

Trump’s intel power play spooks the spooks

“President Donald Trump’s nomination of Texas Rep. John Ratcliffe to serve as the nation’s intel chief has led to some apprehension within the intelligence community, which has only grudgingly come to accept the Office of the Director of National Intelligence as a force for good.

The office, established in 2004 to better coordinate the flow of information between agencies after the intelligence failures that led up to 9/11, has been most effective as a day-to-day manager focusing on bureaucratic and budgeting issues, intel veterans said — giving the agencies political top cover and more freedom to focus on their core missions.

But with a grip on the President’s Daily Brief, broad discretion over the agencies’ responsiveness to Congress, and responsibility for intelligence community whistleblowing and source protection, the DNI can easily veer into the political and revive the kind of friction that plagued its relationship with the intelligence community in its early days.

And Ratcliffe — an intel greenhorn with only one year of experience on the House Intelligence Committee and a résumé that now includes serving on Trump’s impeachment team — is the epitome of what intelligence officers “reflexively” reject, said David Priess, a former CIA officer and daily intelligence briefer.

“Anyone who does not come with extensive intelligence experience is automatically and quickly viewed as a threat because of the risk of the politicization of intelligence,” Priess said.” via Politico

Angry’s Thoughts: I’ve been telling you guys the IC was getting nervous for awhile, but this article is 100% accurate. Politics has *no* place in Intelligence; analysts have to be able to provide candid, unvarnished assessments of global threats without fear of reprisal. Trying to install a political figurehead at ODNI is a new low in an administration full of dubious choices.

I hope the Senate has the guts to push back on this again.

Global stocks tumble as oil crashes, compounding coronavirus fears

“Global stocks are falling and bond yields are sinking after the implosion of a critical oil alliance caused crude prices to crash to historic lows.

S&P 500 (SPX) futures plunged as much as 5% Sunday evening, triggering a limit that prevents futures from trading below that mark. Dow (INDU) futures fell more than 1,200 points, or about 4.9%. Nasdaq Composite (COMP) futures were down 4.8%.

The sell-off carried over into Asia Pacific, where Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 dropped 6.3% on Monday, putting the index on pace for its biggest plunge since October 2008. Japan’s Nikkei 225 (N225) sank 5.6%, heading for its lowest close in more than a year.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSI) lost 3.5% by noon, setting the index up for its biggest decline in more than a year. South Korea’s Kospi (KOSPI) also fell 4%. China’s Shanghai Composite (SHCOMP) was the best performer among major indexes in Asia — and even then was still down 2.5%.” via CNN

Angry’s Thoughts: This is about the worst time possible for Russia and Saudi Arabia to have an oil war, so naturally, Russia and Saudi Arabia are having an oil war.

Trump spurns Pelosi’s invite to St. Patrick’s Day lunch

“President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence have declined an invitation to attend the annual St. Patrick’s Day lunch on Capitol Hill on Thursday, marking the first time since the event’s founding more than three decades ago that neither the president nor vice president will attend.

The White House pinned Trump’s decision not to attend the lunch — a bipartisan tradition celebrating US-Ireland relations — on his strained relationship with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The lunch is hosted each year by the sitting speaker, and Pelosi invited the President last month.

“Since the Speaker has chosen to tear this Nation apart with her actions and her rhetoric, the President will not participate in moments where she so often chooses to drive discord and disunity, and will instead celebrate the rich history and strong ties between the United States and Ireland at the White House on March 12,” said White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere in a statement. “The relationship between our two countries has never been stronger, and the President looks forward to welcoming the Prime Minister of Ireland for the annual Shamrock Bowl presentation.” via CNN

Angry’s Thoughts: He’s destroyed just about all the rest of the bipartisan norms, what’s one more in the grand scheme of things?

US surgeon general says he thinks coronavirus is contained in certain areas of the country

The United States surgeon general said Sunday that he thinks the coronavirus outbreak is being contained in certain areas of the country as cases of the virus rise across the United States.

“If we had massive numbers of cases we would be seeing more deaths. And so we actually feel pretty good that some parts of the country have contained it just like when you look at the flu,” Surgeon General Jerome Adams told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union.” His comments come as the number of cases in the US has increased to more than 550 with at least 21 deaths.

Adams continued Sunday, saying: “And when we look at the flu tracker, some parts of the country are having much more severe flu seasons. Some are having very mild flu seasons. The same thing for coronavirus.”

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said on “Fox News Sunday” that the passengers aboard the Grand Princess cruise ship, currently quarantined off the coast of California, should “absolutely not” be left on the ship.” via CNN

Angry’s Thoughts: This is such a dangerous position for the Surgeon General to take. Coronavirus is “contained” in parts of the country because WE AREN’T FREAKING TESTING FOR IT. We’ve conducted less tests *total* than South Korea is doing per day.

They can’t manipulate numbers until this virus goes away – that’s a flat-out untenable position.

But they’re going to try.

Coronavirus updates: 11th death in the US

“Health officials in King County in Seattle has reported an eleventh death in the U.S. from the coronavirus, according to a statement.

The patient, who is in her 80s, died at her family home on Feb. 26, officials said.

County officials also confirmed an additional seven cases of the virus, bringing the total confirmed cases to 21, which includes the patients who died.

Eight of the patients who died are from King County, one is from neighboring Snohomish County, which is reporting six total confirmed cases.

Twelve of 30 firefighters and police officers in Kirkland, Washington, who were quarantined after potential or direct exposure to COVID-19 are showing flu-like symptoms, city officials confirmed.

One firefighter was released from being quarantined at a fire station after waiting for 14 days, officials said.

Among the remaining 29 first responders, 19 confirmed they had direct exposure to the virus while responding to calls at a care facility.” via ABC News

Angry’s Thoughts: “One firefighter was released from being quarantined at a fire station after waiting for 14 days”

Why the hell is the public just now hearing about this if we’ve been quarantining first responders for more than two weeks?

Dow closes nearly 800 points lower despite surprise Fed rate cut

“Stocks fell sharply in volatile trading on Tuesday as an emergency rate cut by the Federal Reserve failed to assuage concerns of slower economic growth due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The decision to cut rates by half a percentage point came two weeks before the Fed’s scheduled meeting as the central bank felt it was necessary to act quickly to combat the effect of the virus spreading worldwide. It’s the first such emergency action coming in between scheduled meetings since the financial crisis.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 785.91 points lower, or nearly 3%, to 25,917.41; it rose more than 300 points earlier in the day. The 30-stock average gyrated between sharp gains and solid losses after the decision was announced. The S&P 500 fell 2.8% to 3,003.37 while the Nasdaq Composite pulled back 3% to 8,684.09.

Investors, in turn, loaded up on U.S. Treasurys, pushing the benchmark 10-year yield below 1% for the first time ever. Gold, meanwhile, jumped 2.9% to settle at $1,644.40 per ounce.” via CNBC

Angry’s Thoughts: This is interesting; these ham-handed measures usually at least temporarily satiate the markets. Today, we saw the exact opposite effect.

Update: And then the Dow rose almost 1,200 today. Coincidence that it happened after Biden almost swept Super Tuesday? I think not!

Biden surges into lead nationally after Buttigieg, Klobuchar exits: poll

“Former Vice President Joe Biden surged to the top of the 2020 Democratic presidential field after former candidates Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) ended their campaigns, a poll released on Tuesday found.

The Morning Consult poll released on the day of Super Tuesday primaries in 14 states shows Biden leading with 36 percent support nationally.

The former vice president had 26 percent in Sunday’s poll, which was taken after he won the South Carolina primary but before Buttigieg and Klobuchar left the race.” via The Hill

Angry’s Thoughts: I’m sure you all watched the Super Tuesday results. I thought Biden would have a good day, but I’m actually pretty shocked at the momentum he gained.

No matter who wins the primary, I really hope we can all realize that this is the most important election of our lives and coalesce behind them in November.

Senators press Pence over coronavirus response in private briefing

“Senators on Tuesday pressed Vice President Pence in a closed-door meeting over the administration’s response to coronavirus, particularly expressing concerns with a lack of testing.

Democratic senators, in particular, asked sharp questions of Pence and administration health officials during a visit to their lunch meeting to discuss the spreading virus.

Some Republican senators, in addition, said they shared growing concerns among Democrats and experts that there are not enough tests being made available, hindering the ability of officials to know how widespread the virus is within the United States.

FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn told GOP senators, repeating his public comments, that up to a million tests will be available by the end of the week. But some senators, as well as some public health experts, have expressed skepticism of that total.

In the Democratic lunch, Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, who represent Washington state, which is at the center of the spread of the virus in the U.S., took a lead role in questioning Pence.

Cantwell asked the vice president, who President Trump tapped to lead the administration’s response, about the lack of tests available.” via The Hill

Angry’s Thoughts: I’m glad the administration is being pressed about this, because they’re flat-out lying to the American public. Saying things like a vaccine is on the way, or claiming that a million test kits will be available this week have exactly zero basis in reality; they’re burying their heads in the sand and hoping the problem will magically go away with warmer weather.

CDC blocked FDA official from premises

In a sign of growing tension among the Trump administration’s health agencies, officials are expressing frustration that a top scientist was initially rebuffed when attempting to visit the CDC in Atlanta last month to help coordinate the government’s stalled coronavirus testing, two individuals with knowledge of the episode told POLITICO.

Timothy Stenzel, who is the director of the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of In Vitro Diagnostics and Radiological Health, was made to wait overnight on the weekend of Feb. 22 — as senior health department officials negotiated his access in a series of calls — before Centers for Disease Control granted him permission to be on campus. Stenzel’s visit had been expected, the individuals said.

The FDA had dispatched Stenzel to the CDC in an effort to expedite the development of lab tests for the novel coronavirus outbreak. Problems with the CDC-developed test delayed the Trump administration’s plan to expand screening for weeks, POLITICO first reported on Feb. 20. A senior HHS official confirmed the episode.” via Politico

Angry’s Thoughts: Well-oiled machine.

Burr, Warner ask DNI to declassify Khashoggi info

“The bipartisan leaders of the Senate Intelligence Committee are demanding that the Trump administration disclose information about the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.

Sens. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.), the chairman and vice chairman of the panel, sent a letter to acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell on Monday asking him to declassify key details about Khashoggi’s brutal 2018 killing, according to a source familiar with the matter. Their letter follows a similar effort by House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), who wrote to Grenell separately last week.

The Trump administration was required under a provision in the National Defense Authorization Act to reveal its formal determination of who was responsible for Khashoggi’s murder and dismemberment — which was carried out inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul — by late January. The intelligence community has yet to make a public declaration as required by law, only sending a classified report to Capitol Hill.

Lawmakers have been briefed multiple times on Khashoggi’s murder, but the Trump administration has yet to publicly acknowledge what senators from both parties said was clear to them from the briefings: that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the killing and was kept apprised of the government-led operation to murder and dismember Khashoggi, a Saudi citizen and legal U.S. resident who was highly critical of the regime.” via Politico

Angry’s Thoughts: Personally, I’m shocked that the guy who communicates with Jared on – and hacked Jeff Bezos using – WhatsApp hasn’t been held accountable for killing a journalist by an administration who doesn’t believe in the First Amendment.

Warren, Sanders allies scramble to find her an exit ramp

“Top surrogates and allies of Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders are discussing ways for their two camps to unite and push a common liberal agenda, with the expectation that Warren is likely to leave the presidential campaign soon, according to two people familiar with the talks.

The conversations, which are in an early phase, largely involve members of Congress who back Sanders (I-Vt.) reaching out to those in Warren’s camp to explore the prospect that Warren (D-Mass.) might endorse him. They are also appealing to Warren’s supporters to switch their allegiance to Sanders, according two people with direct knowledge of the conversations who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss delicate discussions that are supposed to be confidential.

Warren associates and the camp of former vice president Joe Biden also had talks about a potential endorsement if she drops out, according to two people familiar with the conversations.” via The Washington Post

Angry’s Thoughts: Here’s to hoping she gives that endorsement to Biden.

Chief Justice John Roberts rebukes Chuck Schumer for comments about Kavanaugh and Gorsuch

Chief Justice John Roberts issued a rare statement rebuking Chuck Schumer for comments the Senate minority leader made about Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch outside the Supreme Court on Wednesday.

Schumer, speaking at a rally of abortion rights supporters, appeared to threaten Kavanaugh and Gorsuch, President Donald Trump’s two Supreme Court nominees who were confirmed after bruising nomination fights.

“I want to tell you Gorsuch. I want to tell you Kavanaugh. You have released the whirlwind and you will pay the price. You won’t know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions,” Schumer said, turning to look at the Supreme Court building.

Schumer went on to say, “The bottom line is very simple: we will stand with the American people. We will stand with American women. We will tell President Trump and Senate Republicans who have stacked the court with right-wing ideologues, that you’re gonna be gone in November and you will never be able to do what you’re trying to do now, ever, ever again. You hear that over there on the far-right? You’re gone in November.” via CNN

Angry’s Thoughts: This was a bad moment for Schumer, but Roberts can spare me his pearl-clutching after he stood by and said nothing while Trump repeatedly attacked two female Justices and Judge Jackson last week.

California declares coronavirus emergency amid worries about cruise ship passengers

“Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency over the novel coronavirus after a California man who had contracted it during a cruise died.

Officials were now trying to locate others who were on the ship to determine whether they might have also contracted the virus.

The virus has now been reported in 12 counties in the state and has sickened more than 50 people.

Newsom said he felt confident that the state could contain the spread of the virus by passengers of the cruise who had already returned to California.

“We have the resources,” Newsom said. “We have the capacity. By this evening, we will have contacted every county health official that has someone who came off this cruise. They will have their contact information and begin a process to contact those individuals.” via La Times

Angry’s Thoughts: This is getting out of control pretty quickly. If you didn’t see Pence’s presser on Coronavirus today, it was pretty reasonable – at least on its face.

Pence, in part, promised that everyone would have access to a coronavirus test as long as it was ordered by a medical professional. The problem is, this is a very basic part of crisis management and should have been standard operating practice from the beginning. It’s also hard to take them seriously after forcing an off-camera, no audio briefing yesterday. Coronavirus is the most important matter currently facing the nation, and it’s vital that the administration is able to be held accountable by the American people.

They’re also lauding a multi-screening process at airports for nations that aren’t affected by the travel ban. The obvious problem here is that people are shedding the virus before they’re symptomatic.

On the bright side, they did announce that all state and university laboratories are going to be able to test for COVID-19. That’s a big deal, because the prior approach was to wait for CDC approval to test anyone, which led to a lot of folks who should have been tested being skipped.

I still think the administration is wholly unqualified to address this potential pandemic, but this press conference wasn’t a total dumpster fire.

Federal court rejects Gabbard’s bias suit against Google

“A federal judge has rejected a lawsuit in which Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard accused Google of temporarily suspending her presidential campaign ads due to political bias — noting that the online search giant is not a government entity bound by the First Amendment.

District Judge Stephen Wilson said Gabbard failed to show that Google’s decisions are “in any way equivalent to a government regulation of an election.”

“Google does not hold primaries, it does not select candidates, and it does not prevent anyone from running for office or voting in elections,” Wilson wrote in his decision dated Tuesday. “To the extent Google ‘regulates’ anything, it regulates its own private speech and platform.” via Politico

Angry’s Thoughts: Terrible candidate doesn’t understand how search engines work.

Republicans lean into Biden probe as he surges in Democratic primary

“Just hours afterJoe Biden surged to the top of the Democratic presidential pack, Senate Republicans announced a new phase of their investigation targetingthe former vice presidentand his son Hunter.

Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) told reporters on Wednesday that he is likely to release an interim report within one to two months on his panel’s probe of Hunter Biden’s ties to a Ukrainian gas company, Burisma.

“These are questions that Joe Biden has not adequately answered,” Johnsonsaid.“And if I were a Democrat primary voter, I’d want these questions satisfactorily answered before I cast my final vote.”

Johnson insisted that the timing of his probe has nothing to do with the election calendar. But the renewed focus on Biden, coinciding with his surge to frontrunner status, has alarmed House Democrats as they brace for an all-out GOP assault on Biden and his son over an issue that was litigated at length during President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial.” via Politico

Angry’s Thoughts: Well, that didn’t take long. Reminder: Johnson already admitted that the Burisma investigation was a sham to begin with. I don’t think this is going to have the desired effect; the GOP played this card way too early and often. I suspect a lot of eye rolls from the American public, and that’s probably about it.

My only real concern is what fake info the Russians planted when the hacked Burisma’s servers.

Update:

Tonight was our most-recent Patron-Only Chat Session. If you’d like to help support my work and get in on the fun for the next one (Saturday – 3/7), you can do so right here!

US coronavirus: 6 people have died as cases nationwide surge

“Six people have died in Washington state as the United States grapples with more than 100 cases of the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

Five deaths are from Seattle and King County, county health official Jeffrey Duchin said Monday.

The sixth death happened in Snohomish County, said Heather Thomas, spokeswoman with the Snohomish Health District.

So far, every death from novel coronavirus in the United States has been in Washington state.

A recent surge of cases nationwide has prompted new travel restrictions, school closures and emergency declarations.

But now is not the time to panic, US Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams said.

“I want folks to understand that we knew this was coming, we told folks that this was going to happen and it is why we’ve been preaching preparedness from the very start,” Adams said Monday.” via CNN

Angry’s Thoughts: I agree that now is not the time to panic, but if we’re being fair to the people who are panicking, they only “told folks this was going to happen” about 4 days before we started getting reports of deaths in the United States.

The obvious question here is what else are they not being allowed to share about this?

FEMA prepping for possible coronavirus emergency declaration

“The Federal Emergency Management Agency is planning for the possibility that President Donald Trump could make an emergency declaration to bring in extra funds and personnel to assist the administration’s coronavirus response, according to internal documents obtained by NBC News.

FEMA officials are preparing for an “infectious disease emergency declaration” by the president that would allow the agency to provide disaster relief funding to state and local governments, as well as federal assistance to support the coronavirus response, according to agency planning documents reviewed by NBC News.

The Trump administration would have to use the 1988 Stafford Act to enable FEMA to provide such disaster assistance. Emergency declarations are most often used in the event of natural disasters but can be used to help manage disease outbreaks.” via NBC News

Angry’s Thoughts: Pence promised that “money was coming” today, but Pence also said the threat was still low – AFTER reports that it’s probably been spreading undetected in Washington State for 6 weeks.

It’s way too early to know the exact fatality-rate of COVID-19. Current stats are putting it somewhere around the Spanish Flu of 1918. To be fair, it’s probably much lower than that, because we’re probably looking at tens of thousands (or more) cases that have gone unreported. Here’s to hoping we can contain this long enough to at least ease the flu season burdens on everyone’s local hospitals.

White House withdraws nomination of Defense official who questioned Ukraine aid freeze

“The White House is withdrawing the nominee for a top Pentagon post, according to two Senate aides, following reports that she questioned the legality of the administration’s efforts to freeze military aid to Ukraine.

Elaine McCusker was nominated late last year to be the Pentagon’s comptroller. She has been the acting comptroller since the summer and was the public face of the Pentagon’s budget rollout last month, briefing reporters on the details of the Defense Department’s $741 billion military spending request.

One of the Senate aides told POLITICO the chamber received the withdrawal of McCusker’s nomination on Monday.” via Politico

Angry’s Thoughts: Periodic reminder that you shall not disagree with Mango Mussolini.

Federal judge orders Hillary Clinton deposition to address private emails: ‘Still more to learn’

A federal judge Monday granted a request from conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch to have former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sit for a sworn deposition to answer questions about her use of a private email server to conduct government business.

Clinton has argued that she has already answered questions about this and should not have to do so again — the matter did not result in any charges for the then-presidential candidate in 2016 after a high-profile investigation — but D.C. District Court Judge Royce C. Lamberth said in his ruling that her past responses left much to be desired.

“As extensive as the existing record is, it does not sufficiently explain Secretary Clinton’s state of mind when she decided it would be an acceptable practice to set up and use a private server to conduct State Department business,” Lamberth said.

The judge went on to recognize that while Clinton responded to written questions in a separate case, “those responses were either incomplete, unhelpful, or cursory at best. Simply put her responses left many more questions than answers.” Lamberth said that using written questions this time “will only muddle any understanding of Secretary Clinton’s state of mind and fail to capture the full picture, thus delaying the final disposition of this case even further.” via Fox News

Angry’s Thoughts: This is absolutely ridiculous. This has been litigated about a million times already, and another deposition is going to do exactly nothing to change the facts. There are also senior advisors in the White House using private email to conduct government business *right now*

Democrats embrace Biden as Sanders hopes for a big Super Tuesday delegate haul

“A parade of establishment Democrats began coalescing around Joe Biden on Monday, an attempt to bolster the former vice president and stall Sen. Bernie Sanders’s ascent as voters in 14 states prepared to cast ballots Tuesday, the most consequential day of the presidential nominating contest.

On a day with cascading developments that rapidly recast the presidential race, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (Minn.) dropped out and made plans to join Biden at his rally in Dallas on Monday night. In a visual symbol of Biden’s attempts to consolidate the moderates in the party, former South Bend, Ind., mayor Pete Buttigieg — who dropped out Sunday night, and who had an intensely frosty relationship with Klobuchar — also scrambled to get to Texas and endorse Biden.

“We need a politics that’s about decency, a politics that brings back dignity,” Buttigieg said at a restaurant in Dallas, ahead of the rally where Klobuchar was scheduled to endorse. “That’s what Joe Biden has been practicing his entire life.”

It was the second straight day that moderates, previously paralyzed over whom to endorse, rushed to join Biden’s campaign. Harry M. Reid, a former Senate majority leader from Nevada, endorsed Biden along with other Democrats including Susan E. Rice, a former national security adviser to President Barack Obama; political activist and actress Alyssa Milano; Victoria Reggie Kennedy, the widow of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.); and Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.).

Beto O’Rourke, the former Texas congressman who ended his presidential bid in November, was also scheduled to endorse Biden on Monday night in Dallas.” via The Washington Post

Angry’s Thoughts: Some people are legitimately upset that the Democrats are coalescing around a <checks notes>… Democrat. I’ve said repeatedly that I’ll vote for Bernie if he gets the nod, but the amount of people who seem to think he’s entitled to it before we’ve even made it to Super Tuesday is kind of disturbing.

Cuccinelli refuses to leave DHS after judge finds he was illegally appointed to his prior role there

“Ken Cuccinelli said he will not leave his post as acting deputy secretary at the Department of Homeland Security following a federal judge’s ruling that he was illegally appointed to lead a department agency, a position that helped qualify him for his current role.

“The succession for the deputy secretary of homeland security ties back to my official position as the principal deputy at USCIS [U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services], there’s not a problem with me at my current position,” Cuccinelli said on Fox and Friends Monday after initially laughing at the news. “The only issue in the case is related to being the acting director at USCIS. And this ruling is really something of an outlier. This is a methodology that has been used in the past. It’s been thought of as legal as — pretty broadly.”

A federal district court judge in Washington, D.C., ruled that Cuccinelli, who was acting director of the 19,000-person USCIS from last June until January, did not meet the requirements in the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998 to have the job. The judge’s decision deemed Cuccinelli’s policy changes invalid, teeing up new legal troubles for the Trump administration.” via The Washington Examiner

Angry’s Thoughts: I remember the outrage when Cuccinelli was declared acting director, partially because he’s a *terrible* person, and partially because it was an illegal appointment.

I can’t say that I’m surprised that he doesn’t give a damn about the judge’s order, though.

Supreme Court’s Obamacare review cheers Democrats with election year health-care focus

“The Supreme Court on Monday said it will review the latest Republican efforts to doom the Affordable Care Act, guaranteeing that partisan battles over health care will remain at the forefront of public debate in the closing weeks of the presidential campaign.

The justices will review a federal appeals court decision that found part of the law, also known as Obamacare, unconstitutional and raised questions about whether the law in its entirety must fall. The Trump administration agreed with the lower court’s decision but said it was premature for the court to join the legal fight now.

Democrats seemed delighted that the court had decided to ignore that advice. They said the focus on health care will help their candidates, as polls show it did in 2018 when Democrats won back the House majority, and increase the importance of the Supreme Court with their voters.

“Today’s Supreme Court announcement ensures health care will remain front and center throughout 2020 and that House Republicans won’t be able to hide from their long history of attacking Americans with preexisting conditions,” said Robyn Patterson of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.” via The Washington Post

Angry’s Thoughts: That’s going to make for some really interesting ads going into November.

“This administration is in court RIGHT NOW trying to take away your healthcare”

Yikes.

Ron Johnson threatens subpoena over Hunter Biden’s Ukraine work

“A key senator is threatening to issue a subpoena for records related to former Vice President Joe Biden’s son Hunter and his work for a Ukrainian energy firm — the most significant escalation yet in an investigation that has divided Senate Republicans.

In a letter obtained by POLITICO, Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) told members of the panel that he will soon schedule a business meeting to vote on a subpoena for the documents, which are purportedly related to Hunter Biden’s role on the board of the Ukrainian firm, Burisma.” via Politico

Angry’s Thoughts: In case you were wondering, there were *zero* mentions of Burisma when Bernie was the presumed front-runner. Now that Biden is racking up endorsements, it’s suddenly very important again.

Kinda like that phantom caravan that never made it to the United States, I guess.

Maybe Ron Johnson can just stay in Moscow the next time he goes.

MSNBC’s Chris Matthews quits

Chris Matthews, host of MSNBC’s “Hardball,” stepped down Monday night after facing growing criticism over inappropriate comments he made to women and some of his on-air remarks.

He opened his 7 p.m. broadcast seriously: “Let me start with my headline tonight: I’m retiring. This is the last “Hardball” on MSNBC, and obviously this isn’t for a lack of interest in politics.”

Matthews, 74, has hosted the cable news show for more than 20 years. But recently, he has come under fire for a series of statements, such as comparing the campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders — a Jewish candidate who has lost extended family members in the Holocaust — to the Nazi invasion of France.

Matthews was also criticized for having a condescending tone in an interview with Sen. Elizabeth Warren over 2020 rival Mike Bloomberg’s nondisclosure agreements. And the Hardball host confused his guest Jaime Harrison, an African American candidate for U.S. Senate, with Republican Sen. Tim Scott, a fellow South Carolina pol who is also black.” via Politico

Angry’s Thoughts: Trying to feel bad for Matthews. Give me a second.

Nope. I got nothing. Him not being on MSNBC will be good for MSNBC.