Progressives (Liberals)

Matt Viser
@mviser
·
2h
Joe Biden on President Trump’s rising approval rating numbers: "Well, I hope that he does -- he's so strong that he's up way above that, because we need the help now. We need help now."

We're fucked.

Joe Biden is fine and he'll make a wonderful president

It's hard to understand...the ongoing effort of Pelosi & company to "avoid wasting this crisis" and delay much needed emergency legislation to squeeze some irrelevant elements of their Green New Deal into a serious and urgently needed effort to address the most serious combined public health and economic dilemma we have faced in many decades

How...can the Democrat establishment believe that more of the same visceral hatred and opposition will do them any good?

Obama, Biden veterans slam Pelosi's coronavirus bill: 'Have we learned nothing?'

It’s not just Republicans who are mocking House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s massive stimulus bill that was proposed Monday evening.

Some former Obama administration officials have expressed incredulity about the bill and, in particular, over the non-pandemic related provisions that were included in the “Take Responsibility for Workers and Families Act.”

“Have we learned nothing?” Jared Bernstein, who worked on the Recovery Act as chief economist to former Vice President Joe Biden in the Obama White House, said during an interview with Politico. Bernstein’s comment refers to the drubbing Democrats took in 2009 after the passage of the stimulus bill in response to the recession.

The bill originally included a laundry list of items that Democrats wanted that had little to do with helping the country’s economy recover -- from putting sod on the National Mall to preventing sexually transmitted diseases -- and some former Obama staffers say that the House’s current bill looks surprisingly similar in terms of demands and spending.

“Skimming it, I was struck by: ‘What does all this s--- have to do with anything?’” an unnamed Obama White House veteran said.

I hate Trump and even I hope he does a good job handling this situation.

Author Max Brooks became an expert on disaster preparedness — from pandemics to nuclear war — through researching for his books, 'World War Z,' 'Germ Warfare' and the forthcoming 'Devolution.' He spoke with Terry Gross about how the federal government is designed to respond to crises like COVID-19 — and what is preventing the tasks forces from being deployed. He'll also explain why "panic is not preparation," and how to have good "fact-hygiene."

how the federal government is designed to respond to crises like COVID-19 —

Coronavirus bill hits hurdles as Sanders threatens to stall package

Bernie Sanders said Wednesday afternoon he might torpedo the Senate's compromise stimulus package unless Republican senators dropped their objections about what they called a "massive drafting error" related to unemployment benefits.

"Unless these Republican Senators drop their objections, I am prepared to put a hold on this bill."

An objection by a single senator would prevent the Senate from quickly passing the bill by unanimous consent

The concern from Sens. Lindsey Graham, Tim Scott, R-S.C., Ben Sasse, R-Neb., and Rick Scott, R-Fla., is that the current version of the bill could pay workers more in unemployment benefits than they're currently making, by sticking a $600 per week payment on top of ordinary benefits that are calculated as a percentage of income. This could disrupt the labor market further, the lawmakers warn.

Graham shot back at Sanders' latest warning in a series of posts on Twitter. "Only in Senator @BernieSanders world does it make sense to pay people more NOT to work than TO work," Graham wrote. "

"This proposal will make it hard for our employers to maintain their workforce, particularly in the area of healthcare, thus, significantly delaying the economic recovery and impairing our health and safety," Graham said. "Simple Fix: Cap unemployment benefits at full salary before the crisis."

"You want to destroy what's left of the economy? Pass it the way it’s written," Graham, R-S.C., said in a press conference. "If you want to help people, pay them their wages, but don’t pay them more not to work.

Hantavirus kills man in coronavirus-hit China

A man in China who died on Monday reportedly tested positive for hantavirus. The man, from Yunnan Province, was in transit to Shandong Province for work at the time of his death, according to the news out The rat-borne illness is typically passed to patients when they breathe in air contaminated with the virus through rodent droppings

Symptoms of the disease include fatigue, fever, and muscle aches, as well as headaches, dizziness, chills and abdominal pains. Late symptoms may include coughing and shortness of breath, and the disease has about a 38 percent fatality rate. Several of the symptoms mimic the signs for COVID-19, which has infected over 81,600 people in China, resulting in 3,285 deaths.

It’s also possible to contract the virus through a bite from an infected rodent, or if people touch something that has been contaminated with rodent urine, droppings or saliva and then touch their own nose or mouth. It may also be possible to contract the virus by eating food contaminated by an infected rodent’s droppings, urine or saliva, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

I'd love to see the Dems rally around him and maybe even tossing in the Illinois Governor Pritzker as running mate.