RIGHT NOW NEWS
Update: 3/22 Italy Goes Full "Wuhan", Orders Most Restrictive Lockdown Yet, As Global Case Total Passes 300k: Live Updates
Update (0940ET): After one of his aides tested positive, VP Pence was tested, and as it turns out, has tested negative, along with his wife, Karen Pence.
Update (1510ET): Across Europe on Saturday, deaths accorded to COVID-19 soared, with Italy reporting a record 793 deaths on Friday, and Spain reporting another 300 cases, bringing their totals to 4,825 and 1,326.
Update (1415ET): Just as Gov. Cuomo hinted earlier this week, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has signed an executive order mandating that all non-essential workers living in the state stay home.
Italian Students Flee Coronavirus Epicenter, Spread Virus to Parents
"Young Italians attending college in Italy’s heavily-infected northern regions have returned home to the nation’s south, putting its health system at risk of collapse. Southern regions are now seeing a steady increase of coronavirus patients — many of whom are the parents of students who come back from the north."
Corona Virus by the numbers, it is not as bad as the empty toilet paper shelf would seem to indicate
"After watching the outbreak of COVID-19 for the past two months, I’ve followed the pace of the infection, its severity, and how our world is tackling the virus. While we should be concerned and diligent, the situation has dramatically elevated to a mob-like fear spreading faster than COVID-19 itself. When 13% of Americans believe they are currently infected with COVID-19 (mathematically impossible), full-on panic is blocking our ability to think clearly and determine how to deploy our resources to stop this virus. Over three-fourths of Americans are scared of what we are doing to our society through law and hysteria, not of infection or spreading COVID-19 to those most vulnerable."
This is a long but nicely done article. Many informative graphs are included. This article was taken down by Medium, its publisher, because of too much traffic. Zero Hedge has it up now.
ABC News Poll Shows Significant Majority, 55% Approve of POTUS Management of Coronavirus, 43% Disapprove
At this point, we are 2-months away from the US's patient zero in the State of Washington. It is hard for us to imagine a more "can-do" President. We think the scope of what he has accomplished is remarkable. Scroll down and look at our Corona Virus stories and count the actions the President has taken.
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First, regardless of what the poll numbers reflect, based on a three-year track record of doing whatever it takes, it is safe to say President Trump would do whatever was the best approach while considering polling of those hard decisions irrelevant.
Second, even with the constant back-biting, snark and transparent attacks from the mainstream media, President Trump’s strength as a leader and manager of crisis is well identified by the majority of Americans.
Mutual Agreement – U.S. Closes Mexico and Canada Border Blocking Non-Essential Travel
"Earlier today President Trump announced the closing of the southern border (Mexico) and northern border (Canada) to non-essential travel. Entry/Exit for trade and business travel will continue to operate with additional screening."
The Economics Of Cruise Ships (& Why They Don't Deserve A Bailout)
"In the wake of coronavirus and tanking stocks, cruise companies have sought assistance from the US government. But for decades, the industry has done everything in its power to avoid paying into the system."
UPDATE Mar. 21 A "Major Disaster": Army Deploys In New York State As Confirmed Cases Top 11,000: Live Updates
"(1230ET): New cases are being reported out of New York State and NYC are being reported faster than we can keep up, as the state ramps up testing.
NYC officials just announced that the total number of confirmed cases in the city has climbed to 7,530. An hour ago, Gov. Cuomo put the number at 6,211.
By our count, this puts the new total cases in New York State at 11,675.
Last night, de Blasio described NYC as the "epicenter" of the US outbreak."
The Fed Reopens Its Landfill For Distressed Assets
"The Fed is reopening its most controversial and despised crisis-era bailout facility, the Primary Dealer Credit Facility. The Wall Street Journal describes the PDCF as “an overnight loan facility for primary dealers (that) provides round-the-clock backup source of funding to banks.”
The WSJ’s description grossly understates the facility’s real purpose which is to transfer the toxic bonds and securities from failing financial institutions and corporations (through an intermediary) onto the Fed’s balance sheet.
The objective of this sleight of hand is to recapitalize big investors who, through their own bad bets, are now either underwater or in deep trouble. Just like 2008, the Fed is now doing everything in its power to save its friends and mop up the ocean of red ink that was generated during the 10-year orgy of speculation that has ended in crashing markets and a wave of deflation."