COVID-2019 in America, effect on politics and economy

[Albany Rifles]

Senators introduce bill to allow Americans to sue China over COVID-19 pandemic

Any guess what could be the amount, if this goes through.

Won't make it past the House. This is utter GOP election year bullshit.

[Double Edge]

This video tells me a few things

Huntington beach is in Orange county.

gunnut country

This is what you will face in a red state.

3 out of 30 asked accepted

Mask mandate is political suicide.

Every one is pro cup unless you're a shaolin monk

[Double Edge]

Just as i said that, this comes in...

Trump shifts rhetoric as he urges mask-wearing, warns of worsening pandemic | Reuters | Jul 22 2020

Trump said he was getting used to masks and would wear one himself in groups or when on an elevator.

“I will use it, gladly,” he said. “Anything that potentially can help ... is a good thing.”

“It will probably, unfortunately, get worse before it gets better - something I don’t like saying about things, but that’s the way it is,” Trump told reporters.

“We’re … asking Americans to use masks, socially distance and employ vigorous hygiene - wash your hands every chance you get while sheltering high-risk populations. We are imploring young Americans to avoid packed bars and other crowded indoor gatherings. Be safe, and be smart,” Trump said.

Chasing the Dems

As coronavirus cases skyrocket across the country, including in politically important states such as Florida, Texas and Arizona, Trump, who is trailing Democrat Joe Biden in opinion polls ahead of the Nov. 3 election, on Tuesday showcased a new position on the importance of covering mouths and noses.

“We’re asking everybody that when you are not able to socially distance, wear a mask, get a mask. Whether you like the mask or not, they have an impact. They’ll have an effect. And we need everything we can get,” he said.

So..he's trying a different tack

Trump conducted the briefing on his own, without doctors or other members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force. His subdued tone contrasted with his previous calls to reopen the economy along with praise for Republican governors who did so and criticism of Democratic governors who implemented tough restrictions in their states.

The strategy shifts come amid tension within his senior staff about the best way to discuss the virus with the American public and frustration among doctors on the task force that their advice is not being heeded.

The reopening has gone too quickly in some states, leading to spikes in cases and an ever-increasing number of deaths. Following Trump’s initial lead, some Republican governors have also resisted rules requiring that their populations wear masks.

[Albany Rifles]

Yet, he still couldn't stay on script and wandered off the reservation.

Maybe not the source you want but there is no denying the data points.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/21/polit...-21/index.html

[hboGYT]

Won't make it past the House. This is utter GOP election year bullshit.

Is this fundamentally from the terrorism carve out?

As an aside, great introduction to whom you can sue for COVID-19 currently: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAPrImrYp2M

Great channel. He probably makes a lot of money from his legal practice already, so it's good of him to provide free legal education suitable for short attention spans.

[Albany Rifles]

It's tied to the Terror Bill but there is too much daylight between that bill and COVID.

Any halfway decent attorney would just have to cite the US's lame early and continued lame national response to knock the legs out from any lawsuit.

And I can't watch YouTube videos because of bandwidth issues.

[Double Edge]

Yet, he still couldn't stay on script and wandered off the reservation.

Maybe not the source you want but there is no denying the data points.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/21/polit...-21/index.html

This we will know only after a few weeks have passed.

He's signalled a change. Will take time to work through the ranks.

[TopHatter]

Just as i said that, this comes in...

Trump shifts rhetoric as he urges mask-wearing, warns of worsening pandemic | Reuters | Jul 22 2020

And why do you suppose he did that?

Oh look, what a fucking surprise:

Trump only pivoted on coronavirus after reportedly being warned of spikes among 'our people' in red states

People close to President Trump told The Washington Post they think that, throughout most of the coronavirus pandemic, he struggled to wholly address the crisis because of an unwillingness to admit error, a positive feedback loop from advisers and Fox News, and a "penchant for magical thinking" that led him to believe the virus would soon disappear.

But Trump has seemingly come around a bit and is now acknowledging the pandemic isn't going to improve overnight. Per the Post, the pivot apparently came only after Trump realized his voting base was in danger. Over the last few weeks, his advisers have reportedly shown him maps and data that highlight spikes in coronavirus cases among "our people" in Republican states, a senior administration official told the Post.

The advisers have also reportedly shared projections predicting surges in Midwestern battleground states like Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan, all of which are key to Trump winning re-election.
_____________

Show of hands, who couldn't figure that out from the moment he pivoted?

[astralis]

https://thehill.com/homenews/state-w...-close-bars-at

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) shot down White House adviser Deborah Birx’s recommendation to close bars and limit indoor seating at restaurants during a joint press conference on Monday.

Birx, the coordinator of the White House coronavirus task force, made her recommendation to shut down bars and limit indoor dining during the press conference, warning that Tennessee was on the verge of rapid COVID-19 spread.

“It is at this very moment where we could change the trajectory of the epidemic before it goes into full of what we call logarithmic spread, as we’ve seen across the South,” Birx said.


Shortly after Birx spoke, Lee said he would not close bars, limit indoor dining or give county officials the authority to be able to do so. Only a few areas are able to close businesses without the governor's approval.

“Beyond the regions that currently have restrictions, that's not a plan for us now. I’ve said from the very beginning of this pandemic that there’s nothing off the table,” Lee said. “I’ve also said that we are not going to close the economy back down, and we are not going to. But I appreciate their recommendations and we take them seriously.”

Birx reportedly also privately made her recommendations to Tennessee officials, including Lee, the Tennessean reported. She warned the state could see new levels of cases as asymptomatic young people unknowingly spread the virus.

She cited that closing bars and limiting dining helped curb the spread of coronavirus in Arizona, a state that was seeing large increases along with Florida and Texas.

Birx did support Lee’s plan on masks, which allows county mayors to impose their own mandates. Lee has not issue a statewide mandate to wear a mask. Birx said she doesn’t think a statewide mandate was necessary but said she hoped all counties made wearing a mask a requirement.

The White House adviser said closing bars, limiting indoor dining and having all residents wear masks could have “as big an impact on decreasing new cases as what we had from shelter-in-place.”

Tennessee has confirmed a total of 96,489 cases, including 2,553 since Sunday, according to state data. The coronavirus has caused 978 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.

Other states have shut down bars, banned alcohol consumption at bars or instituted a rule forbidding alcohol sales after a certain time. Kentucky announced it would close bars after Birx recommended the state do so on Sunday.

[astralis]

meanwhile, next door:

Kentucky orders bars to close, restaurants to reduce indoor capacity
BY NATHANIEL WEIXEL - 07/27/20 05:37 PM EDT


All bars in Kentucky will be shut down for the next two weeks in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus, Gov. Andy Beshear (D) announced Monday.

The move, effective Tuesday, marks the second time that bars have been shut in the state and comes amid a major uptick in coronavirus cases.

Indoor dining at restaurants will be reduced to 25 percent capacity, Beshear said. Outdoor seating can remain at full capacity as long as physical distancing is enforced, and everyone needs to be seated.


Bars that serve food will be allowed to continue operating but will need to follow restaurant guidelines, Beshear said.

The state has recorded nearly 12,000 COVID-19 cases in July, almost double the number of positive cases in June.

"The line and the trend is undeniable," Beshear said in a press conference.

He announced 522 new positive cases of COVID-19, and raising the seven-day positivity rate to 5.58 percent.

Of the new cases, 21 were children younger than 5. One is 11 days old, Beshear said.

Beshear said he was taking action now to prevent Kentucky's situation from worsening. He has made face masks mandatory statewide and limited gatherings of people to 10 or fewer.


"I don't want to be a state that runs out of ICU beds and one of your loved ones doesn't have space," Beshear said. "By taking action right now, we can keep all of that from happening."

Beshear's moves are backed by the Trump administration.

His announcement comes after he and health leaders in Kentucky met on Sunday with Deborah Birx, the coordinator of the White House coronavirus task force, who recommended that the state close bars and curtail restaurant capacity.

Tennessee governor shoots down Birx recommendation to close bars at...
Birx recommends Kentucky officials close bars, limit restaurant...
Currently, both restaurants and bars can operate with an indoor capacity of 50 percent and unlimited outdoor seating

Aside from bars and restaurants, Beshear also recommended both public and private schools delay in-person classes until the third week of August, to give the state more time to bring the infection level under control.

"My commitment is, regardless of the pressures that are out there, are to make the decisions that save lives, protect our economy, and will ultimately give the best chance to get our kids back in school at some point," Beshear said.

[Bigfella]

Show of hands, who couldn't figure that out from the moment he pivoted?

It was about as obvious as an obvious thing gets. As with every other reaction he has had to this crisis, it is always about him first & foremost.

[Albany Rifles]

Eric,

Kemp, DeSantis, Lee....the GOP is a death cult.

Pete,

Spot on.

[DOR]

Kentucky gets a clue!
Film at 11 !

[astralis]

so, looks like the GOP Senate is in low-key civil war about the next round of COVID assistance.

which is absolutely awesome, because now Nancy Pelosi has an -even stronger- whip hand.

Mitch McConnell is forced between two fires: either kowtow to most of Pelosi's demands to get Democratic support to pass the bill, and watch the hardcore conservatives publicly melt down...

or stick it out with those hardcore conservatives, and watch as his vulnerable members, along with Trump, get voted out in a massive tsunami in November.

some people deserve to have "bad" and "worse" choices thrust upon them.

[Albany Rifles]

so, looks like the GOP Senate is in low-key civil war about the next round of COVID assistance.

which is absolutely awesome, because now Nancy Pelosi has an -even stronger- whip hand.

Mitch McConnell is forced between two fires: either kowtow to most of Pelosi's demands to get Democratic support to pass the bill, and watch the hardcore conservatives publicly melt down...

or stick it out with those hardcore conservatives, and watch as his vulnerable members, along with Trump, get voted out in a massive tsunami in November.

some people deserve to have "bad" and "worse" choices thrust upon them.

$8 billion for military aircraft and more money for the wall.


SMH