The Walls Come Down: No Travel Betwen US and Europe for 30 Days

[ray245]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/ ... ump-latest

Wtf? This is just making people transfer via UK.

[Broomstick]

Among other things, Trump just announced that effective midnight on Friday 13 March all travel between Europe and the US, excluding the UK, will stop. That includes both people and cargo. Travel ban to last 30 days.

[ray245]

Great. All that does is divert the air traffic to London.

[The Romulan Republic]

Well, there goes the economy. I wonder what they had to tell Trump to get him to do it?

And its now officially a pandemic:

https://bbc.com/news/world-51839944

[aerius]

Say hello to industry shutdowns as all the supplies of German & Swedish bearings, seals, and machine tool parts go bye-bye. Which leaves Japan as the only major supplier left.

[Broomstick]

Great. All that does is divert the air traffic to London.

Don't worry - the way things are going the UK will be next on the list. If Trump doesn't simply ban all foreign travel entirely. You have to admit, it's sort of consistent with his approach to global problems - build a wall and keep 'em out.

The alternative would be to fly Europe to Canada I suppose.

[mr friendly guy]

I thought the virus died in under 24 hours if its on surfaces at room temperature based on what Shep posted in the now closed thread. Why ban cargo?

[The Romulan Republic]

Great. All that does is divert the air traffic to London.

Don't worry - the way things are going the UK will be next on the list. If Trump doesn't simply ban all foreign travel entirely. You have to admit, it's sort of consistent with his approach to global problems - build a wall and keep 'em out.

The alternative would be to fly Europe to Canada I suppose.

Trump basically has two moves: xenophobia, and tax cuts.

[Broomstick]

I thought the virus died in under 24 hours if its on surfaces at room temperature based on what Shep posted in the now closed thread. Why ban cargo?

Trump is a germphobe.

He's also a vindictive asshole, but I'm not sure if that's a factor here or not.

[Eulogy]

Well this will certainly help his precious stocks. /s

[LadyTevar]

Topics merged.

[Coop D'etat]

Say hello to industry shutdowns as all the supplies of German & Swedish bearings, seals, and machine tool parts go bye-bye. Which leaves Japan as the only major supplier left.

Even better. POTUS was supposed to specifically say good weren't going to be effected and flubbed the cue and said they were, which probably contributed a bunch to the market tanking.

[FaxModem1]

So, if this is the new Virus thread.....

Tom Hanks and his wife are infected

And here is the Democrat plan regarding the virus:

NPR

Democrats Unveil Economic Plans To Help Communities Impacted By Coronavirus
March 11, 20202:15 PM ET
Deirdre Walsh, 2018
DEIRDRE WALSH

Instagram
Twitter
Kelsey Snell in 2018.
KELSEY SNELL

Twitter
Ayesha Rascoe at NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C., May 22, 2018. (photo by Allison Shelley)
AYESHA RASCOE

Twitter

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and fellow Democrats hold a news conference to discuss emergency paid sick leave to assist people whose jobs are impacted by the coronavirus outbreak.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Updated at 5:17 p.m. ET

Congressional Democrats unveiled their proposals for a legislative stimulus package aimed at mitigating the economic damage stemming from the coronavirus.

Their efforts to quickly move targeted measures come as President Trump plans to address the nation at 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

Both House and Senate Democrats have rejected the president's proposal to cut payroll taxes, arguing it does not provide help to those hit hardest by the pandemic. They said that tax relief is geared too much toward wealthier Americans who aren't feeling the pain as acutely as restaurant, hotel and others in the retail sector.

"We need targeted assistance to those workers and families who are being directly affected by the coronoavirus," Virginia Sen. Mark Warner said.

Coronavirus: COVID-19 Is Now Officially A Pandemic, WHO Says
GOATS AND SODA
Coronavirus: COVID-19 Is Now Officially A Pandemic, WHO Says
Trump's advisers have recommended economic measures he can take using his executive powers — and some that he will need to work with Congress on to help small- and medium-sized business, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said, speaking at a White House meeting with CEOs from major banks.

"I think the financial system of the US is in great shape and is prepared to handle this problem" Mnuchin said.

House Democratic leaders outlined their legislation to rank and file members at a closed-door meeting Wednesday afternoon. The plan includes federally funded paid sick and family leave, an expansion of food security benefits for low-income families and other proposals to encourage people with symptoms to come forward and be tested, according to several Democrats in the meeting.

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal, D-Mass., told reporters he worked on a portion of the bill that would expand unemployment insurance to provide reimbursement to states.

"We are acting on a national health emergency," Neal said. "This will encourage people to go and get tested."

Neal said he has been in touch with Mnuchin throughout the drafting of the legislation and "he surely seemed supportive of the positions I had taken."

Mnuchin has also been in frequent contact with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., according to leadership aides. Drew Hammill, a spokesman for Pelosi, tweeted that the speaker conferred with Mnuchin shortly before she briefed Democrats on the legislation.


Drew Hammill
✔
@Drew_Hammill
A second call (this one at the Speaker’s request) occurred at 4:07 p.m. for approximately 10 minutes. https://twitter.com/drew_hammill/status ... 5190531072 …

Drew Hammill
✔
@Drew_Hammill
.@SpeakerPelosi spoke briefly by phone with Secretary Mnuchin this morning at approximately 9:25 a.m. to discuss proposals for next #coronavirus legislative response package.

214
3:24 PM - Mar 11, 2020
Twitter Ads info and privacy
81 people are talking about this
House Democrats plan to move quickly once the legislative text is released. House Rules Committee Chairman Jim McGovern, D-Mass., told reporters that he is on call to process the legislation with the goal of holding a vote on Thursday.

Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., began pushing over the weekend for many of the items in the new bill.

Schumer emphasized in a press conference on Capitol Hill on Wednesday that their framework for a legislative response must included items like paid family leave, nutrition assistance and other proposals he said would help give both short-and long-term relief.

Trump said in the meeting with banking industry leaders that he was looking at "various forms" of economic stimulus, but noted that Democrats were not in favor of a payroll tax holiday.

Earler on Wednesday Schumer sent a letter to the president along with more than 30 Senate Democrats appealing for quick action.

"While following social distancing guidelines may be important to mitigate the spread of the virus, it creates potentially grave economic challenges for American workers who are not easily able to telework or who do not have access to paid leave," the senators wrote. "Further limitations on travel, access to more common general services, and cancellation of major events will potentially hurt a large number of Americans who work or depend upon hospitality, travel, tourism, and retail businesses."

They also pressed for six months of loan forgiveness for federal student loans and mortgages, disaster grants for communities forced to shut down, direct assistance from the Small Business Administration for retail and other businesses failing due to drop off because of the outbreak.

"The virus doesn't say are you a Republican or a Democrat," Democratic Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy said Wednesday, adding, "It's affecting all Americans."

I'm not sure if this will be swift action or not, as Republicans in the Senate voted down the first one.

[aerius]

Even better. POTUS was supposed to specifically say good weren't going to be effected and flubbed the cue and said they were, which probably contributed a bunch to the market tanking.

Interesting. I just did more digging and it appears there is indeed an exemption for goods traded between the US and EU. So trade & industry won't get completely crashed and we'll have the parts to keep all the key machines running. Well, at least until the suppliers over in the EU get shut down from quarantines.

[The Romulan Republic]

Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, have tested positive in Australia.

https://variety.com/2020/film/news/tom- ... 1203531498

[FaxModem1]

Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, have tested positive in Australia.

https://variety.com/2020/film/news/tom- ... 1203531498

Beat you there.

Now, if this tweet is correct, boy is this going to be interesting discussions between the insurance industry and Trump.

Twitter

Trump's claim tonight that health insurers "have agreed to waive all copayments for coronavirus treatments" seems to be news to them.

“For testing. Not for treatment.” a spokesperson for the major insurance lobby AHIP says.

[The Romulan Republic]

If there's one good thing about this clusterfuck, its that it is showing every single structural flaw in the capitalist system in a way that is undeniable, impossible to paper over, and will directly affect most of the populace. Just wait until they try to fire half the population for missing work due to quarantine, then tell them its their fault for being poor and they don't qualify for welfare. Its simply not tennable. You can't put half the nation into bankruptcy or on the street for getting sick.

Speaking of, Democrats tried to pass an emergency paid sick leave bill. Republicans blocked it:

https://rawstory.com/2020/03/gop-senato ... k-worsens/

The House meanwhile is putting out a plan which includes expanding unenmployment reimbursements, more funding for food security, federally funded family and sick leave, 500 million for low-income women and mothers who lose their jobs because of coronavirus, and four hundred million for food banks and other programs, plus free coronavirus testing and increased Medicaid reimbursement.

https://npr.org/2020/03/11/814485481/de ... oronavirus

Updated at 11:32 p.m. ET

Congressional Democrats unveiled a measure for a legislative stimulus package aimed at mitigating the economic damage stemming from the coronavirus.

The House legislation, which was released shortly after 11 p.m. on Wednesday, provides short-term benefits including expanded unemployment reimbursement for states, additional funding for food security for low-income children and federally funded family and sick leave for people affected by the virus.

In addition to the paid leave programs, the legislation would provide $500 million for low-income women, mothers with young children and pregnant women who lose jobs due to the virus, $400 million for food banks and flexibility for state-run programs.

The bill also includes free coronavirus testing and a boost in Medicaid reimbursement to help states address testing and treatment needs. The White House position on the measure is unclear.

The Democratic measure came shortly after President Trump addressed the nation and unveiled his plan to stem coronavirus: a 30-day suspension of travel from Europe to the U.S. and a raft of economic measures.

Trump had previously proposed a payroll tax cut to boost the economy, but both House and Senate Democrats rejected that proposal, arguing it does not provide help to those hit hardest by the pandemic. They said that tax relief is geared too much toward wealthier Americans who aren't feeling the pain as acutely as restaurant, hotel and others in the retail sector.

"We need targeted assistance to those workers and families who are being directly affected by the coronoavirus," Virginia Sen. Mark Warner said.

Trump's advisers have recommended economic measures he can take using his executive powers — and some that he will need to work with Congress on to help small- and medium-sized business, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said, speaking at a White House meeting with CEOs from major banks.

"I think the financial system of the US is in great shape and is prepared to handle this problem" Mnuchin said.

House Democratic leaders outlined their legislation to rank and file members at a closed-door meeting Wednesday afternoon. The plan includes federally funded paid sick and family leave, an expansion of food security benefits for low-income families and other proposals to encourage people with symptoms to come forward and be tested, according to several Democrats in the meeting.

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal, D-Mass., told reporters he worked on a portion of the bill that would expand unemployment insurance to provide reimbursement to states.

"We are acting on a national health emergency," Neal said. "This will encourage people to go and get tested."

Neal said he has been in touch with Mnuchin throughout the drafting of the legislation and "he surely seemed supportive of the positions I had taken."

Mnuchin has also been in frequent contact with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., according to leadership aides. Drew Hammill, a spokesman for Pelosi, tweeted that the speaker conferred with Mnuchin shortly before she briefed Democrats on the legislation.

A second call (this one at the Speaker’s request) occurred at 4:07 p.m. for approximately 10 minutes. https://t.co/XiduPDV14V

— Drew Hammill (@Drew_Hammill) March 11, 2020
House Democrats plan to move quickly once the legislative text is released. House Rules Committee Chairman Jim McGovern, D-Mass., told reporters that he is on call to process the legislation with the goal of holding a vote on Thursday.

Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., began pushing over the weekend for many of the items in the new bill.

Schumer emphasized in a press conference on Capitol Hill on Wednesday that their framework for a legislative response must included items like paid family leave, nutrition assistance and other proposals he said would help give both short-and long-term relief.

Trump said in the meeting with banking industry leaders that he was looking at "various forms" of economic stimulus, but noted that Democrats were not in favor of a payroll tax holiday.

Earler on Wednesday Schumer sent a letter to the president along with more than 30 Senate Democrats appealing for quick action.

"While following social distancing guidelines may be important to mitigate the spread of the virus, it creates potentially grave economic challenges for American workers who are not easily able to telework or who do not have access to paid leave," the senators wrote. "Further limitations on travel, access to more common general services, and cancellation of major events will potentially hurt a large number of Americans who work or depend upon hospitality, travel, tourism, and retail businesses."

They also pressed for six months of loan forgiveness for federal student loans and mortgages, disaster grants for communities forced to shut down, direct assistance from the Small Business Administration for retail and other businesses failing due to drop off because of the outbreak.

"The virus doesn't say are you a Republican or a Democrat," Democratic Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy said Wednesday, adding, "It's affecting all Americans."

And blocked by Moscow Mitch in 3, 2, 1...

The Black Death helped end feudalism, and I suspect that the coronavirus will hasten the death of capitalism.

[FaxModem1]

The Black Death helped end feudalism, and I suspect that the coronavirus will hasten the death of capitalism.

I'm starting to think The Masque of the Red Death should be required reading for all of those in Congress and above a certain tax bracket.

[The Romulan Republic]

Trump has ordered meetings on coronavirus response classified, thus impeding the response:

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/p ... classified

The White House ordered meetings where officials discussed the coronavirus to be classified, which barred information and delayed the government’s response, four Trump administration officials told Reuters.

Federal health officials were directed to keep dozens of meetings that started in mid-January, including discussions on the scope of infections, quarantines and travel restrictions confidential, Reuters reported Wednesday.

According to the sources, those without security clearances were not permitted in the high-security room, typically used for military and intelligence operations, at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), where the meetings took place.

“We had some very critical people who did not have security clearances who could not go,” one official told Reuters. “These should not be classified meetings. It was unnecessary.”

The officials told the news outlet that the National Security Council (NSC) ordered the meetings be classified, with one official saying it “came directly from the White House.”

The classified meetings, the Trump officials claim, could have delayed the U.S. response to the rapidly spreading coronavirus that has killed at least 29 people and infected more than 1,000 in the country, according to the news outlet. HHS Secretary Alex Azar and chief of staff Brian Harrison reportedly attended the meetings.

The Trump administration has been accused of shutting experts out of coronavirus discussions. These officials said experts without security clearance could not enter the meetings, causing some advice to be delayed until an unclassified meeting.

Another source told Reuters that HHS staffers also were not in the loop because of their lack of security clearance. He said he heard the meetings were classified “because it had to do with China,” where the outbreak originated.

An NSC spokesman told Reuters that the administration has been transparent about the coronavirus and efforts to combat it.

“From day one of the response to the coronavirus, NSC has insisted on the principle of radical transparency,” spokesman John Ullyot said.

HHS spokeswoman Katherine McKeogh said in a statement obtained by The Hill that, “In order to achieve radical transparency and efficient collaboration, HHS and NSC senior leadership jointly agreed that coronavirus task force meetings should be held at the unclassified level.”

A former George W. Bush official who dealt with public health outbreaks called the classification of “public health crisis” meetings “not normal,” according to Reuters.

Vice President Pence, whom the president put in charge of the coronavirus response, promised last week to provide “real-time information in a steady pace and be fully transparent.

[bilateralrope]

Trump has ordered meetings on coronavirus response classified, thus impeding the response:

That's going to fuel conspiracy theorists for decades.

[Gandalf]

NBA season is "suspended."

I fear baseball isn't too far behind.

[FaxModem1]

It can survive in the air.

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/4 ... in-the-air

Tests indicate coronavirus can survive in the air
BY JOHN BOWDEN15,618
TWEET SHARE MORE
Federally funded tests conducted by scientists from several major institutions indicated that the novel form of coronavirus behind a worldwide outbreak can survive in the air for several hours.

A study awaiting peer review from scientists at Princeton University, the University of California-Los Angeles and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) posted online Wednesday indicated that the COVID-19 virus could remain viable in the air "up to 3 hours post aerosolization," while remaining alive on plastic and other surfaces for up to three days.

ADVERTISING

"Our results indicate that aerosol and fomite transmission of HCoV-19 is plausible, as the virus can remain viable in aerosols for 42 multiple hours and on surfaces up to days," reads the study's abstract.


The test results suggest that humans could be infected by the disease simply carried through the air or on a solid surface, even if direct contact with an infected person does not occur. That finding, if accepted, would come in stark contrast to previous media reports that suggested the virus was not easily transmittable outside of direct human contact.

Confirmed cases of coronavirus infection have crossed 121,000 worldwide, with more than 4,300 deaths. The majority of deaths have occurred in mainland China, where the virus is thought to have originated, and Italy, which is experiencing its own large-scale outbreak.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic on Wednesday, with officials warning that they were "deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity, and by the alarming levels of inaction" by world governments to prevent the disease from spreading.

[His Divine Shadow]

Well this certainly shows what an ass backwards and fragile system we've built up during hte last 40 years.

[Broomstick]

So, if this is the new Virus thread....

If it is, can we please try to avoid the bickering and needless bullshit that shut down the other one? I know it's completely at odds with tradition here, but perhaps we should avoid insults and occasionally agree to disagree, or at least disagree politely.

[MKSheppard]

From Twitter

Italy asked to activate EU mechanism for supply of medical equipment: “Unfortunately, not a single EU country responded to the Commission’s call. Only China responded bilaterally. Certainly, this is not a good sign of European solidarity.”

A staff member in Sen. Maria Cantwell’s Washington, D.C. office tested positive for coronavirus, the first positive test tied to Congress. The individual was symptomatic, Cantwell requested tests for other staffers

BREAKING: El Salvador declares national quarantine, bans the entry of foreigners and closes all schools[/ quote]