Monthly Archives: March 2020

Cuomo: Trump’s Quarantine Threat “Panicked People”

“Last night we were fighting two things. You’re fighting the virus and you’re fighting the fear. I can’t tell you how many people called all night long about the mandatory quarantine comment that the president made as he was getting into a helicopter, which was inconclusive, by the way. But people are so on edge. I mean, it really panicked …

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Fox’s Pirro Rips “Haters” After Seemingly Drunk Show

The Guardian reports: Fox News issued a statement on Sunday blaming “technical difficulties” for the spectacle and seeking to excuse the mishaps by pointing out that it, like others in such challenging times, was operating “with a reduced staff working remotely to ensure the health and safety of our employees”. Pirro defended herself in a lunchtime tweet that claimed her …

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Trump Boasts About His TV Ratings As Virus Rampages: My Numbers Are Better Than The Bachelor And The NFL

From the conservative Washington Examiner: President Trump castigated the media for its coverage of the coronavirus crisis. The commander in chief also touted the ratings of his near-daily appearances at White House Coronavirus Task Force briefings. In a third tweet, the president, who is a businessman and former reality TV star, heralded the ratings for the coronavirus task force briefings, …

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Graham Rages At Pelosi: Blaming Trump For Deaths Is “The Most Disgusting Political Statement In History”

The Hill reports: Sen. Lindsey Graham on Sunday railed against Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) after she said President Trump’s response to the coronavirus outbreak was having deadly consequences. “She’s blaming the president of the United States for people dying because of the way he’s led the country,” Graham, a vocal Trump ally, said on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.” “That’s …

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Falwell Lied About Support For Reopening Liberty U

Politico reports: In the statement published by the university on Monday, March 23, Liberty said Falwell “has been consulting with medical professionals daily, including Dr. Jeffrey Hyman of Northwell Health, New York’s largest health care provider.” On Wednesday, when I reached Dr. Hyman’s office for comment, an employee consulted with the doctor before speaking on his behalf and distancing Hyman …

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The Virus Shutdown Is Crippling Voter Registrations

NBC News reports: Presidential elections are typically prime time for bringing new people into the political process, but the coronavirus pandemic is making voter registration more difficult than ever, prompting concerns that many young Americans and other nonvoters might miss their chance to get onto the rolls before November. “This is the moment when we historically see people take action …

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POLL: Majority Don’t Believe Trump’s Lies About Virus

The Daily Beast reports: A clear majority of the American public, including self-identified Republicans, do not believe the disinformation that President Donald Trump keeps pushing around the spread of coronavirus. A full 73 percent of respondents, including 75 percent of Republicans, said that it was not true that “anyone who wants to get tested can get tested.” Just 17 percent …

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Fauci: US Could See 100,000 To 200,000 Virus Deaths

ABC News reports: The U.S. government’s foremost infection disease expert says the United States could experience more than 100,000 deaths and millions of infections from the coronavirus pandemic. Dr. Anthony Fauci, speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday, offered his prognosis as the federal government weighs rolling back guidelines on social distancing in areas that have not been …

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Mnuchin: Reopening The US Will Be A Health Decision

The Associated Press reports: Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says a decision whether to reopen the nation back for business as early as Easter will be a health decision not an economic one. Mnunchin acknowledges surging unemployment numbers and declining GDP as 1 in 3 Americans remain under government orders to stay at home to slow the coronavirus that has killed …

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MAGA Media Escalates Attacks On Dr. Anthony Fauci

The New York Times reports: Dr. Fauci — the administration’s most outspoken advocate of emergency measures to fight the coronavirus outbreak — has become the target of an online conspiracy theory that he is mobilizing to undermine the president. That fanciful claim has spread across social media, fanned by a right-wing chorus of Mr. Trump’s supporters, even as Dr. Fauci …

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Pelosi: “As The President Fiddles, People Are Dying”

The Washington Post reports: Nancy Pelosi today sharply criticized Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, arguing that his actions have resulted in the loss of American lives and warning against the relaxing of social-distancing guidelines. “His denial at the beginning was deadly. His delay in getting equipment to where it’s needed is deadly. I think the best thing [to do …

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NJ Man Charged For Hosting 47-Person “Corona Party”

NBC News reports: New Jersey officials are bringing formal charges against a man for throwing a house party — an action in direct contradiction with the state’s order to practice social distancing. The Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office said a 54-year-old man hosted nearly 50 people inside his Ewing Township apartment. Prosecutors are charging the man with two disorderly persons citations. …

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Inside Trump’s “15 Days To Slow The Spread” Plan

Stunning reporting by Politico: It was the beginning of the 15-day period during which the White House hoped it could slow the advancing virus and stem the economic bleeding left in its wake. For the next two weeks, the president’s coronavirus task force encouraged Americans to essentially self-isolate, while aides worked with anxious governors across the country and quarreling lawmakers …

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Australian PM Limits Public Gatherings To Two People

Australia’s 7 News reports: Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced the strictest gathering recommendations to date. The official advice has tightened to advise that no more than two people gather in public spaces at any given time. Morrison said the two-person maximum would not yet be enforced with on-the-spot fines. “States and territories will decide whether they proceed to make …

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700 NYPD Cases, Three Deaths, 12% Of Force Out Sick

CNN reports: New York City police lost its first detective to Covid-19, marking the third NYPD death to the disease that has afflicted the department. Detective Cedric Dixon, a 23-year veteran, worked in the 32nd Precinct in Harlem, NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said. “May we never forget the sacrifice of those workers who put themselves in harm’s way to keep …

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DHS Adds Gunmakers To List Of “Critical” Industries

The New York Post reports: The Trump administration has added the firearms industry — gun shops included — to a federal list of critical infrastructure during the ongoing coronavirus emergency. The new language, added Saturday to the website of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, now deems as critical “Workers supporting the operation of firearm or ammunition product manufacturers, retailers, …

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Gilead Opens Access To Experimental Anti-Virus Drug

Axios reports: Gilead Sciences CEO Daniel O’Day said in an open letter Saturday the company is expanding access to its experimental anti-coronavirus drug remdesivir to include severely ill COVID-19 patients. President Trump has called the antiviral drug “promising,” but the results of six clinical trials on this investigational medicine are still being conducted, so its effectiveness the treatment of the …

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Russia To Close Borders Tomorrow To Curb Coronavirus

The Moscow Times reports: Russia will close all border crossings on March 30, the government said late on Saturday, tightening restrictions after the country reported its biggest one-day rise in new coronavirus cases. The authorities said they so far had recorded 1,264 confirmed cases, an increase of 228 in 24 hours, and ordered that all vehicle, rail and pedestrian checkpoints, …

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Fox Host Jeanine Pirro Seemed Shitfaced Last Night

The Wrap reports: Jeanine Pirro’s Fox News show got a late start on Saturday night due to “technical difficulties” — but when the former New York state judge did appear nearly 15 minutes into her show, her usually perfectly coifed hair appeared disheveled and she seemed to be tipsy in her verbal delivery. “We apologize for the technical difficulties,” Pirro …

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CHATTER AWAY: Overnight Open Thread

Deadline Hollywood reports: Back in November, UCP announced Joe Exotic, a limited series starring and executive produced by Kate McKinnon. Four and a half months later, interest in the project, based on Joe Exotic, the second season of Wondery’s Over My Dead Body podcast, is skyrocketing because of the massive popularity of the Netflix docuseries Tiger King, about the real-life …

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