Occupy Banksters & Crony Capitalism & GREED

U.S. Coronavirus Deaths Top 60,000 -- Trump's Predicted Maximum
HP | Ryan Grenoble | 04/29/20

More than 60,000 people in the U.S. have now officially died from the coronavirus, data compiled by Johns Hopkins University shows.

The increasingly grim figure exceeds predictions President Donald Trump made just last week when he sought to frame a maximum of 50,000 to 60,000 total deaths as a win for America and a validation of his administration's highly criticized pandemic response.

"We did the right thing because if we didn't do it, you would have had a million people, a million and a half people, maybe 2 million people dead," Trump said. "Now, we're going toward 50, I'm hearing, or 60,000 people."

"One is too many. I always say it: One is too many," he continued. "But we're going toward 50- or 60,000 people. That's at the lower -- as you know, the low number was supposed to be 100,000 people. We -- we could end up at 50 to 60." ... Read more

President Trump Oval Office News Conference | 12pm Eastern | FOX 10 Phoenix | 04/29/20 | Yesterday

White House-favored model raises coronavirus death estimate to more than 74,000
Politico | Quint Forgey | 04/29/20

A prominent model used by the White House to predict the trajectory of the coronavirus outbreak on Monday revised its estimated death toll sharply upward, and is now projecting the disease could result in more than 74,000 fatalities across the United States by early August.

The model, produced by researchers at the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation and frequently referenced by top administration officials, modified its forecast to a projected 74,073 deaths in the U.S. by August 4 -- with an estimate range of 56,563 to 130,666. ... Read more

1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 8 a.m. ET: 3,130,191 -- Total deaths: 217,674 -- Total recoveries -- 937,571
2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 8 a.m. ET: 1,012,583 -- Total deaths: 58,355 -- Total recoveries -- 115,936 -- Total tested: 5,795,728
3. Public health: Fauci says everyone who needs a test should be able to get one by June.
4. Congress: McConnell privately rejects idea of adding major infrastructure investment to coronavirus stimulus -- House cancels plan to return from recess next week.
5. Trump administration: Trump plans to order meat processing plants to stay open under Defense Production Act -- Pence flouts face mask policy at Mayo Clinic.

President Donald Trump Speech | 3:00pm Eastern | FOX 10 Phoenix | 04/28/20 | 11:55:00

President Trump Oval Office News Conference | 12pm Eastern | FOX 10 Phoenix | 04/29/20 | Live

U.S. economy shrinks 4.8% in first quarter
Axios | Courtenay Brown | 04/29/20

The U.S. economy shrank by an annualized 4.8% in the first quarter, the government said on Wednesday. Why it matters: It's the biggest quarterly drop in over a decade and shows the beginning of an economic slowdown that's expected to get worse as the coronavirus roils the economy.

What they're saying: The coronavirus led to "rapid changes in demand, as businesses and schools switched to remote work or canceled operations, and consumers canceled, restricted or redirected their spending," the Commerce Department said in a release. By the numbers: The biggest drag was the sharp drop in consumer spending, which makes up about 70% of U.S. economic activity. ... Read more

Georgia, Florida, and Mississippi are veering toward a terrifyingly premature end to their COVID-19 lockdowns, according to a new pandemic analysis.
TheDailyBeast | William Bredderman Researcher Olivia Messer Reporter | 04/28/20

Gov. Brian Kemp's aggressive scheme to lift Georgia out of COVID-19 lockdown may cost many thousands of lives, according to models prepared by epidemiologists and computer scientists at Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in partnership with The Daily Beast.

The findings come as governors across the United States aim to restore economic activity following months of pandemic-related infections and over 50,000 deaths--a number widely understood to be an undercount. Meanwhile, over 26 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits in recent weeks, a number that is itself a likely undercount of the economic toll.

Georgia's Kemp has perhaps been the boldest of any governor about moving on, issuing a pair of executive orders allowing fitness centers, tattoo and massage parlors, bowling alleys, and hair salons to reopen last Friday with some mitigation measures. Other businesses, like restaurants and theaters, began opening Monday. The state's shelter-in-place decree, meanwhile, was slated to expire on Thursday. Those policies are placing Georgians at spectacular risk, the new models found. ... Read more

1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 11 a.m. ET: 3,061,521 -- Total deaths: 212,221 -- Total recoveries -- 906,022.
2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 11 a.m. ET: 989,357 -- Total deaths: 56,256 -- Total recoveries -- 111,587 -- Total tested: 5,593,495.
3. Small business: Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin promised an audit for all PPP loans over $2 million.
4. Economy: The federal government's response risks spiking inflation.
5. Federal government: The IRS called 10,000 workers back, but is requiring them to bring their own masks.

Coronavirus Deaths Likely 60% Higher Than Official Numbers Reflect, FT Finds
ZeroHedge | staff | 04/26/20

As experts try to model the true number of coronavirus deaths, and some random 'surveillance' studies have suggested that - at least in some badly hit areas - the number of confirmed coronavirus cases might be many multiples of the official count, the FT has published its latest attempt at trying to 'model' the true coronavirus death toll.

The FT used a fairly straightforward methodology: the paper took data on national death tolls over a certain stretch of time going back five years, calculated the mean for each country, then compared that figure to the number of deaths reported during the same time period in 2020.

To calculate excess deaths, the FT has compared deaths from all causes in the weeks of a location's outbreak in March and April 2020 to the average for the same period between 2015 and 2019. The total of 122,000 amounts to a 50 per cent rise in overall mortality relative to the historical average for the locations studied.

The difference between the average from the past five years and the 2020 number is, roughly, the number of deaths caused by the coronavirus (by far the biggest differentiating factor). Across countries in the developed world, the FT found 122,000 deaths 'in excess' of normal levels. That's compared with ~77k reported coronavirus deaths. If the FT's methodolgy checks out, that would mean coronavirus deaths have been 60% higher than official statics reflect - at least in the developed world. ... Read more

LIVE: President Donald Trump Speech | 3:00pm Eastern | Fox10 | 04/28/20 | Live

**Dr. Birx humiliates herself on air over Trump's "injecting disinfectant" claim | CNN | 04/26/20 | 6:34

Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Tuesday, April 28 [15:33]

**The Billionaires Behind Re-Open Protests Revealed! | Thom Hartmann | 04/22/20 | 7:07

North Korea dictator Kim Jong-un dead at 36 | KETKnbc | 04/26/20 | 0:30

Kim Jong Un's uncle emerges as possible successor in North Korea
NewYorkPost | Yaron Steinbuch | 04/28/20

Despite speculation that Kim Jong Un's sister and closest confidant, Kim Yo Jong, might be next in line to take over leadership of North Korea, the dictator's uncle Kim Pyong Il also has emerged as a possible successor, according to a report. ... Read more

1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 10:30 a.m. ET: 2,990,559-- Total deaths: 207,446 -- Total recoveries -- 875,497.
2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 10:30 a.m. ET: 965,951 -- Total deaths: 54,877 -- Total recoveries -- 107,045 -- Total tested: 5,441,079.
3. Congress: Pelosi says guaranteed income during coronavirus crisis is "worthy of attention."
4. Business update: Trump economic adviser says second-quarter GDP decline will be "worst since the Great Depression." -- 68% of small businesses say coronavirus will change their models forever.

Covid-19 Deaths by Country | current

Covid-19 Timeline of Outbreaks | current

Michael Moore Presents: Planet of the Humans | Full Documentary | Directed by Jeff Gibbs | current|

CDC adds 6 new possible coronavirus symptoms
Axios | Orion Rummler | 04/26/20

The CDC has updated its list of possible symptoms for the novel coronavirus to include chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headaches, sore throat, and a loss of taste or smell.

The big picture: Previously, the CDC only included fever, cough and shortness of breath as possible symptoms, which may appear 2--14 days after exposure to the virus. Clinicians are finding evidence that the coronavirus affects more than just the lungs, the Washington Post reported earlier this month. ... Read more

1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 10 a.m. ET: 2,732,445 -- Total deaths: 191,962 -- Total recoveries -- 751,501
2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 10 a.m. ET: 869,172 -- Total deaths: 49,963 -- Total recoveries -- 80,934 -- Total tested: 4,684,300
3. Trump latest: The maker of Lysol refuted the president's suggestion that disinfectant might be used as a treatment.

There were 4,639 Covid-19 Deaths in China

Covid-19 Deaths by Country | current

Bill Gates' brutal reality check on the coronavirus reopening
Axios | staff | 04/24/20

Bill Gates, who has warned about the impact of a global pandemic for years, has a brutal reality check on his GatesNotes blog -- an antidote to happy talk about "reopening America."

Why it matters: Gates shows that activity will remain severely constrained -- making you wonder how many businesses will be able to survive even after they "open up." ...

1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 11:30 a.m. ET: 2,658,387 -- Total deaths: 185,434 -- Total recoveries -- 722,373
2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 11:30 a.m. ET: 843,937 -- Total deaths: 46,851 -- Total recoveries -- 76,619 -- Total tested: 4,482,434
3. Business latest: Another 4.4 million filed for unemployment last week.

Chris Hayes On Trump Admin. Forcing Out Top Vaccine Doctor Amid Pandemic | All In | MSNBC | 04/22/20 | 8:15

Trump's Coronavirus Calendar | TheRecount | current | 1:22

Trump's Coronavirus Blame Game | The Recount | 04/16/20 | 1:37

**Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon rainforest spikes
Axios | Orion Rummler | 04/23/20

Brazil's Amazon rainforest lost over 2,000 square miles of forest from last August through March 2020, the Wall Street Journal reports, citing satellite data gathered by Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (INPE).

The big picture: The largest and most biodiverse rainforest on the planet, which plays an essential part in slowing global warming, has faced rapid deforestation under far-right President Jair Bolsonaro. ... Read more

Covid-19 Infections by Country | faily current

Covid-19 Deaths by Country | current

Global: Total confirmed cases as of 7:00 a.m. ET: 2,578,930 -- Total deaths: 178,371 -- Total recoveries -- 692,333. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 7:00 a.m. ET: 825,306 -- Total deaths: 45,075 -- Total recoveries -- 75,763 -- Total tested: 4,163,464.

Vertical farms see surge in demand for greens grown indoors
Axios | Kim Hart | 04/22/20

Indoor, urban vertical farms -- which grow produce in warehouses with tightly controlled climate and light conditions -- are seeing a surge in demand that could signal a lasting change in how we get our fruits and vegetables.

Why it matters: "People are more concerned about who is handling their food, where it's coming from, how many stops did it have before hitting the shelves," said Irving Fain, CEO of Bowery Farming. ... Read more

Microgreen Instructions.pdf

Microgreens supplies.pdf

Some Charts and Facts to Chew On | Still working on this |

Oil prices plunge into negative territory in historic collapse
Axios | Ben Geman | 04/20/20

U.S. oil prices plummeted into negative territory for the first time ever in trading Monday, a stunning sign of how the glut of unwanted crude is filling up storage infrastructure as the coronavirus pandemic crushes global demand.

The state of play: May futures prices for West Texas Intermediate settled at -$37.63 on NYMEX before recovering somewhat. But prices still remain deep in negative terrain, meaning that holders of oil delivery contracts need to pay to get rid of them. ... Read more

Yes, oil prices are negative. No, you won't get paid to fill up your tank
Axios | Amy Harder | 04/20/20

In an unprecedented move, U.S. oil prices went negative Monday -- meaning, companies paid to sell their oil -- but don't expect to get paid to fill up your tank at the gas station.

How it works: Several other layers of costs, including refinement, transportation and various state taxes suggest negative gasoline prices are extremely unlikely, per Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. ... Read more

Trump's Coronavirus Calendar | TheRecount | current | 1:22

Trump's Coronavirus Blame Game | The Recount | 04/16/20 | 1:37

1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 9 p.m. ET: 2,473,209 -- Total deaths: 170,042 -- Total recoveries -- 646,012.
2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 9 p.m. ET: 784,599 -- Total deaths: 42,138 -- Total recoveries-- 72,522 -- Total tested: 4,003,551.

U.S. coronavirus updates
Axios | staff | 04/20/20

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. surpassed 784,000 on Monday, while total deaths surged past 42,00.

The big picture: Protests have been ramping up around the country against stay-at-home orders, while a key nurses union, the National Nurses United, plans to demonstrate outside the White House Tuesday, demanding for the mass production of personal protective equipment.

The movements come days after controversial tweets from President Trump urging to "liberate" states. Both Republican and Democratic governors expressed confusion, frustration the remarks -- that come in defiance of stay-at-home orders. Some have said testing capacity is not where it needs to be to reopen states. ... Read more

Coronavirus V: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | John Oliver | 04/19/20 | 20:57

New York Gov. Cuomo holds briefing on coronavirus | 04/20/20 | Live

Opinion | Trump's pandemic press briefings have redefined "unhinged" | WP | 04/14/20 | 5:12

Opinion | Trump LOSES IT when asked why he's congratulating himself as people are dying | Brian Tyler Cohen | 04/20/20 | 10:20

1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 8 a.m. ET: 2,169,022 -- Total deaths: 146,071 -- Total recoveries -- 552,264.
2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 8 a.m. ET: 671,425 -- Total deaths: 33,286 -- Total recoveries -- 56,236 -- Total tested: 3,420,394.
3. Public health latest: Daily testing numbers have plateaued in the U.S.

Trump's Coronavirus Calendar | TheRecount | current | 1:22

Trump's Coronavirus Blame Game | The Recount | 04/16/20 | 1:37

My Wild, Totally Surreal Experience Covering a Trump Coronavirus Briefing
Politico | Ryan Lizza | 04/17/20

Your forehead, please," said the woman in a mask. She was a medical technician sitting in a tent outside the northwest gate of the White House in the otherwise deserted section of Pennsylvania Avenue that is usually crammed with tourists in April.

The entire country is sitting at home looking for expert guidance. On some days, we get it. Early on when Dr. Anthony Fauci first explained the idea behind social distancing or when Dr. Deborah Birx introduced us all to the concept of bending the curve.

But they quickly descended into Trumpian theater. Useful information from the doctors became mixed in with long rants from Trump on peripheral issues. The relationship between Trump and the task force members themselves, especially Fauci, who became a media hero, gradually started to dominate the sessions, as if Trump couldn't help but turn the crisis into a reality show about himself and his staff and his peculiar obsessions of the moment.... Read more

**Trump pretends to be furious, claims he was NEVER told about outbreak | Brian Tyler Cohen | 04/17/20 | 6:22

Poll: Warren tops VP appeal for Dem voters in Michigan and Wisconsin
Axios | Alexi McCammond | 04/17/20

A group commissioned a poll in two Midwestern swing states to test the viability of women of color to be Joe Biden's vice presidential pick and found Stacey Abrams as the top choice for black voters -- but Elizabeth Warren as the overall candidate to beat.

Why it matters: This is one of the only publicly disclosed polls surveying likely voters on specific VP candidates at the same time Biden's campaign is forming a committee to vet women on his shortlist. It offers some early insights into how voters in two battleground states are feeling about the 2020 ticket. ... Read more

1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 7 a.m. ET: 2,076,015 -- Total deaths: 137,666 -- Total recoveries -- 518,600.
2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 7 a.m. ET: 639,664 -- Total deaths: 30,985 -- Total recoveries -- 52,738 -- Total tested: 3,261,611.
3. States latest: California to provide $500 in relief to 150,000 unauthorized immigrants. -- Protests against Michigan's stay-at-home order.

Another 5.2 million jobless claims filed last week amid coronavirus crisis
Axion | Courtenay Brown | 04/16/20

Why it matters: With the more than 16 million jobless claims filed over the past three weeks, more jobs have now been lost in the last month than were gained since the Great Recession.

The big picture: The weekly unemployment filings report has become a must-watch for Wall Street and economists. It offers the timeliest glimpse into how efforts to contain the coronavirus outbreak are ravaging the job market. ... Read more

Fox host rips Trump over claim he has "total" power | Fox News | 04/14/20 | 7:23

1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 7 a.m. ET: 1,996,681 -- Total deaths: 127,590 -- Total recoveries -- 500,717
2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 7 a.m. ET: 609,516 -- Total deaths: 26,059 -- Total recoveries --49,966 -- Total tested: 3,120,381

**The IMF's coronavirus depression projection is a show of optimism
Axios | Dion Rabouin | 04/15/20

The coronavirus pandemic will bring about the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, the IMF predicted Tuesday in its latest World Economic Outlook -- and that is its optimistic outlook.

Why it matters: The organization's baseline expectation is for a recession "far worse" than the 2008 financial crisis, with global GDP contracting by 3% this year. That's a drastic downgrade from its forecast of 6.3% growth in January, and 30 times worse than the economic decline in 2008.

The big picture: Global GDP is expected to face a cumulative loss of about $9 trillion -- larger than the economies of Japan and Germany combined. That is what happens in the IMF's rosy scenario in which the coronavirus is contained quickly and the world swiftly resumes economic activity. ... Read more

What the president said he did on the virus -- and what he actually did
Politico | Tucker Doherty | 04/14/20

President Donald Trump, stung by accusations that he was slow to act on the coronavirus pandemic, has released a long list of key actions the administration took to save lives. But the list, released by his campaign, overstates some of his actions -- and leaves out the inactions.

The Centers for Disease Control did distribute tests, as the White House notes. But it omitted that the tests didn't work -- and even when they did get improved, testing capacity lagged way behind the need. It was during these crucial weeks, many public health experts say, that an initial scattering of infections snowballed into deadly hot spots. The president highlighted how he sought to get American CDC experts into China, while omitting that he had earlier cut back the U.S. engagement there. He did take action on vaccine development, which arguably helped.

Here's all the ways the president said he took action -- coupled with a reality check for what really happened: .. Read more

**Matt Taibbi: Why this bailout is worse than 2008 | Matt Taibbi | 04/10/20 | 11:11

Robert Reich: Trump's 30 Biggest Broken Promises | Robert Reich | older11/01/18 | 10:37

The System: Who Rigged It, How We Fix It by Robert Reich

Millions of Americans have lost confidence in our political and economic system. After years of stagnant wages, volatile job markets, and an unwillingness by those in power to deal with profound threats such as climate change, there is a mounting sense that the system is fixed, serving only those select few with enough money to secure a controlling stake. With the characteristic clarity and passion that has made him a central civil voice, Robert B. Reich shows how wealth and power have interacted to install an elite oligarchy, eviscerate the middle class, and undermine democracy. Using Jamie Dimon, the chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase as an example, Reich exposes how those at the top propagate myths about meritocracy, national competitiveness, corporate social responsibility, and the "free market" to distract most Americans from their accumulation of extraordinary wealth, and power over the system. Instead of answering the call to civic duty, they have chosen to uphold self-serving policies that line their own pockets and benefit their bottom line. Reich's objective is not to foster cynicism, but rather to demystify the system so that we might instill fundamental change and demand that democracy works for the majority once again.

1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 9 a.m. ET: 1,863,406 -- Total deaths: 115,225-- Total recoveries -- 440,699.
2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 9 a.m.. ET: 557,590 -- Total deaths: 22,109 -- Total recoveries -- 41,831 -- Total tested: 2,816,674.

US's global reputation hits rock-bottom over Trump's coronavirus response
TheGuardian | Simon Tisdall | 04/12/20

Donald Trump's response to the coronavirus pandemic, which he once dismissed as a hoax, has been fiercely criticised at home as woefully inadequate to the point of irresponsibility./p>

Yet also thanks largely to Trump, a parallel disaster is unfolding across the world: the ruination of America's reputation as a safe, trustworthy, competent international leader and partner.

"The Trump administration's self-centred, haphazard, and tone-deaf response [to Covid-19] will end up costing Americans trillions of dollars and thousands of otherwise preventable deaths," wrote Stephen Walt, professor of international relations at Harvard.

This adverse shift could be permanent, Walt warned. Since taking office in 2017, Trump has insulted America's friends, undermined multilateral alliances and chosen confrontation over cooperation. Sanctions, embargoes and boycotts aimed at China, Iran and Europe have been globally divisive. ... Read more

**Trump's Coronavirus Calendar | TheRecount | current | 1:22

**'Rejecting all oversight': is Trump purging government watchdogs?
TheGuardian | Peter Stone | 04/12/20

'Rejecting all oversight': is Trump purging government watchdogs? President recently ousted two inspectors general, including one tasked with leading oversight of coronavirus relief law

Donald Trump's abrupt ousting of two veteran watchdogs has prompted fears the scandal-prone US president is purging people from government who have oversight of fraud, waste and abuse.

Ex-watchdogs -- dubbed inspectors general -- plus top Democrats have voiced alarm at Trump's removal last week of an acting IG at the Pentagon slated to lead a new oversight panel for the $2.2tn coronavirus relief law. The move came just days after Trump axed the intelligence community IG who had alerted Congress to a whistleblower complaint precipitating Trump's impeachment. ... Read more

Coronavirus IV: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | John Oliver | 04/13/20 | 20:37

'The horrors I saw still wake me at night': the liberation of Belsen, 75 years on
TheGuardian | Harriet Sherwood | 04/12/20

It was a "lovely spring day" when Corporal Ian Forsyth arrived at a place of darkness and death. The 21-year-old wireless operator with the 15th/19th King's Royal Hussars was among the first British troops to reach the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in northern Germany 75 years ago this week.

"We weren't expecting to see anything -- we didn't know there was such a place. We had been going ahead without any idea there was anything there. I think that was the worst part," Forsyth, now 96, recalls.

What he and other British soldiers found on 15 April 1945 was beyond comprehension. "I couldn't believe what I was seeing -- I couldn't believe ... people could sink to that level, and treat people the way they treated these prisoners," he says. "When you see a person who is a living skeleton, as these people were, it's difficult. It's astonishing that any human being could survive the terrible torture ... ... Read more

Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University (JHU)

The Fed rescues Wall Street, but Main Street is another story
Axios | Dion Rabouin | 04/10/20

In less than a month, the Federal Reserve has unleashed a multi-trillion dollar tour de force to buoy the U.S. economy against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Why it matters: While it has steadied the markets, the Fed is poorly equipped to offset the hit being absorbed by small business owners and the close to 17 million Americans who have filed for unemployment in just the past three weeks.

Driving the news: The S&P 500 rose by nearly 1.5% on Thursday, capping its best holiday-shortened week since 1974 (the markets are closed today for Good Friday). Meanwhile, the Fed unfurled its latest rescue plan, designed to deliver $2.3 trillion to cash-strapped cities, states and mid-sized businesses. ... Read more

Trump gives coronavirus update alongside White House task force - April 10, 2020 | 04/10/20 | live

Exponential Threat | Priorities USA | new 03/24/20 | 0:30

Pandemic upends pot legalization
Politico | MONA ZHANG | 04/08/20

What was supposed to be a banner year for marijuana legalization is becoming a bust. Advocates are pushing ballot referendums in nearly a dozen states, from Idaho to New Jersey. Governors and state lawmakers who failed to pass legalization last year -- most notably in New York -- vowed that 2020 would be different. But social distancing has put ballot drives on pause and state lawmakers are overwhelmed with addressing the crisis at hand.

So even with marijuana sales spiking, the coronavirus pandemic is crippling marijuana legalization efforts on the state level -- and campaigns on all kinds of other issues, too. ... Read more

Alex Jones: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | older 07/31/17 | 22:21

Trump says he didn't know of, still hasn't seen Navarro memos on possible pandemic
Politico | Caitlin Oprysko | 04/07/20

President Donald Trump on Monday denied that he'd ever seen a handful of memos, written and circulated through the White House by his top trade adviser beginning in January, that warned the coronavirus could cost the country trillions of dollars and imperil the lives of millions of Americans.

At the White House during a coronavirus task force news briefing, the president said he'd learned of Peter Navarro's memos, the contents of which were first disclosed on Monday night, only a few days ago, but he asserted that the documents lined up with his travel restrictions for foreigners coming from China.

Navarro's memos laid out in stark terms the catastrophic toll the virus could have -- both on American lives and the U.S. economy -- and prescribed a number of containment measures that might have seemed drastic at the time but that ultimately came to fruition. ... Read more

Trump Says He Downplayed Coronavirus Because He's America's Cheerleader | The 11th Hour | MSNBC | 04/07/20 | 6:58

Exponential Threat | Priorities USA | new 03/24/20 | 0:30

Kushner's team seeks national coronavirus surveillance system
Politico | Adam Cancryn | 04/07/20

Critics worry about a Patriot Act for health care, raising concerns about patient privacy and civil liberties.

White House senior adviser Jared Kushner's task force has reached out to a range of health technology companies about creating a national coronavirus surveillance system to give the government a near real-time view of where patients are seeking treatment and for what, and whether hospitals can accommodate them, according to four people with knowledge of the discussions.

The proposed national network could help determine which areas of the country can safely relax social-distancing rules and which should remain vigilant. But it would also represent a significant expansion of government use of individual patient data, forcing a new reckoning over privacy limits amid a national crisis. ... Read more

Trump Says 'Nobody' Knew Pandemic Was Coming. His Adviser Warned Of It In January.
HP | Dominique Mosbergen | 04/07/20

President Donald Trump said repeatedly in March that "nobody" could've predicted a crisis at the scale of the coronavirus pandemic wreaking havoc across the globe.

"Nobody knew there'd be a pandemic or an epidemic of this proportion," Trump said March 19. A week later, he reiterated that "nobody would have ever thought a thing like this could have happened."

But according to reports in The New York Times and Axios on Monday, at least one top official in Trump's own administration sounded the alarm ? in late January and then again in February ? about the potentially catastrophic impacts of the virus that causes COVID-19 on the United States.

In a Jan. 29 memo about the coronavirus addressed to the National Security Council, Peter Navarro, President Trump's trade adviser, warned that the "risk of a worst-case pandemic scenario should not be overlooked," the Times reported. The disease could kill up to half a million Americans, Navarro warned in the document, and cost the U.S. trillions of dollars if no action was taken to contain the virus. ... Read more

Navarro memos warning of mass coronavirus death circulated in January
Axios | Jonathan Swan, Margaret Talev | 04/07/20

In late January, President Trump's economic adviser Peter Navarro warned his White House colleagues the novel coronavirus could take more than half a million American lives and cost close to $6 trillion, according to memos obtained by Axios.

The state of play: By late February, Navarro was even more alarmed, and he warned his colleagues, in another memo, that up to two million Americans could die of the virus. ... Read more

Hydroxychloroquine How an unproven drug became Trump's coronavirus 'miracle cure'
magazine | author | date

With help from Fox News and Elon Musk, a misleading French study prompted a wave of misinformation that made its way to the president

"What do you have to lose? Take it," the president said on Saturday as he boasted that the US had amassed 29m doses of the drug. On Sunday, facing questions from the press about his aggressive promotion of an unproven treatment, he argued against waiting for the completion of clinical trials. "In France, they had a very good test," he said. "But we don't have time to go and say, 'Gee, let's take a couple of years and test it out, and let's go and test with the test tubes and the laboratories.'"

The story of how hydroxychloroquine was anointed the Trump administration's miracle drug for the coronavirus pandemic is a distinctly modern tale of misinformation within a global information ecosystem beset by widespread uncertainty, fear, media fragmentation and hyper-partisanship. Belief in the drug's potential to cure patients infected with the virus followed an extraordinary trajectory from a small study conducted in France (Trump's "very good test") to Silicon Valley social media influencers, Fox News, and the largest bully pulpit: the White House. ... Read more

OAN: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | 04/06/20 | 18:05

Different Styles of Governing | Morning Joe | MSNBC | 04/06/20 | 8:15

Trump DEMANDS $45K For Golf Carts | TYT | 04/05/20 | 5:28

Dimon sees 'bad recession' after 'bad planning' for pandemic
Politico | ZacharyWarmbrodt | 04/06/20

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon in his annual letter to shareholders Monday warned of a coming deep recession with financial shocks similar to the 2008 Wall Street meltdown, after poor planning by the U.S. before the Covid-19 pandemic.

In the letter, Dimon told shareholders that the nation's largest bank by assets was prepared to keep lending billions to clients through the downturn though it was taking steps, including stopping stock buybacks, to protect itself as much of the economy shuts down.

Dimon, who just returned to work after emergency heart surgery, took a veiled swipe at the Trump administration and other U.S. leaders for failing to prepare for the outbreak. He said the pandemic "is only one example of the bad planning and management that have hurt our country." ... Read more

Michigan governor gives coronavirus update -- April 6, 2020 | PBS | 04/06/20 | Live

Do you need to wash your groceries? And other advice for shopping safely
TheGuardian | Emily Holden | 04/02/20

The coronavirus is thought to spread largely via person-to-person contact, but it can also live on surfaces-- including food packaging-- for several days. While some how-to videos and articles are encouraging people to disinfect grocery containers, mail and other packages entering the home, experts say that is probably overkill.

Exponential Threat | Priorities USA | new 03/24/20 | 0:30

A new American coronavirus consensus
Axios | Jim VandeHei | 04/02/20

Something surprising is unfolding amid the finger-pointing and war-gaming about the coronavirus threat to America: A general consensus is forming about the next 60 days of wait and pain.

Why it matters: America has a chance to return to some semblance of normal in late May or June, gradually and perhaps geographically, but anything extending beyond that would still be too catastrophic to consider.

Businesses will still be destroyed, more than most realize. But the days of either party caring about Fed actions, congressional spending or simply doing too much are over, for now. Another big rescue package will be needed as we sort through the wreckage -- and it could be bigger than the first. google.com. Businesses will still be destroyed, more than most realize. But the days of either party caring about Fed actions, congressional spending or simply doing too much are over, for now. Another big rescue package will be needed as we sort through the wreckage -- and it could be bigger than the first. ... Read more

**Coronavirus Live Updates: U.S. Unemployment Soars, Italy Extends Lockdown
HP | HuffPost Staff | 04/02/20

COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, was officially declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11.

The virus has killed more than 40,000 people worldwide and continues to spread at a rapid pace. Efforts to curb the outbreak have led to the global disruption of daily life and the economy, as schools and workplaces shutter in hopes of slowing transmission.

Read the latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic below. (To see the latest updates, you may need to refresh the page. All times are Eastern. For earlier updates on the pandemic, go here.) ... Read more

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo gives coronavirus update -- April 2, 2020 | 04/02/20 | Live

Trump's new dark, dire coronavirus outlook
Axios | Mike Allen | 04/01/20

Never has President Trump looked and sounded so somber and downbeat as he did at dinnertime yesterday as walked America through the "very, very painful" days of death ahead.

Why it matters ... It was a moment the history books won't forget: Trump, who a week ago was talking about an Easter-time return to work, warned in grim detail of the potential for 100,000 to 240,000 deaths. Gone was the wishful thinking and market-soothing spin. It was a raw, reality-based reminder the worst is soon to come. ... Read more

Trump's coronavirus task force holds briefing as COVID-19 cases surge -- 3/31/2020 | Live 2:13:17

Pence task force freezes coronavirus aid amid backlash
Politico | Natasha Bertrand | 03/31/20/span>

The review came after officials discovered that aid to foreign countries wasn't being coordinated with U.S. requests.

Last week, a Trump administration official working to secure much-needed protective gear for doctors and nurses in the United States had a startling encounter with counterparts in Thailand.

The official asked the Thais for help -- only to be informed by the puzzled voices on the other side of the line that a U.S. shipment of the same supplies, the second of two so far, was already on its way to Bangkok. ... Read more

Watch Full Coronavirus Coverage - April 1 | NBC News Now (Live Stream)

Exponential Threat | Priorities USA | new 03/24/20 | 0:30

Pandemic-Playbook.pdf