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The Trump administration simulated the ability of the United States to handle a flulike pandemic months before the coronavirus turned the scenario into a reality. The Health and Human Services Department led the exercise, known as the "Crimson Contagion," last year in conjunction with dozens of states and federal agencies, according to the New York Times. HHS also invited charitable groups, insurance companies, and major hospitals to take part in the effort. Former Air Force physician Robert Kadlec, who has studied biodefense issues for decades, led the exercise, which imagined a contagious disease that originated in China and spread globally...

NEW YORK — On the first Sunday after the coronavirus began upending American life, some religious institutions – including two churches whose pastors are close to President Donald Trump – held in-person services amid public health worries over the pandemic. That picture already looks different this week. Pastor Robert Jeffress, a stalwart evangelical ally of Trump, held services at his First Baptist megachurch this past Sunday in accordance with Dallas-area limits on gatherings of more than 500 people but said in an interview that this week, he would hold online-only worship. The Florida church where Paula White, Trump’s personal pastor...

(CNN)It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas -- again. To help ease your cabin fever, Hallmark Channel is bringing back its marathon of Christmas movies this weekend. That's right: You can relive both the holiday spirit and the seeming addiction to these types of gooey story lines (a few of which seem to star Candace Cameron Bure) as you stay at home to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.

Flubros! The definition of a flubro is someone who recognizes that this Coronavirus is about the same as a bad flu, and, therefore, realizes this hype is all a bunch of trash to feed the government, health care, and media industrial complexes. In this thread, which is open to flubros only, we can discuss Corona related topics without fear of being bombarded by hyperbolic speech from the prepper segment of the Freeper community. The “oh-noes” segment of the Freeper community is also, of course, not permitted to post here.

I just got back from trying to get some common items I need in my refrigerator: carrots, Lactaid milk, and Stok unsweetened coffee. Now I feel very depressed and apprehensive for what's gonna be coming up in the next few weeks. Went to BJs, as they have great prices on all of the above. I walked into a near-empty store--and immediately the theme music from "The Twilight Zone" started playing. Vegetables--pretty wiped out, and NO carrots. Milk--NO milk of any kind, except goat milk. Guys, you can have my portion of the goat milk! I bought some Silk Almond Milk...

New Jon McNaughton Painting: "The Impeachment Mob" Figures from left to right: AOC, Whistleblower, Adam Schiff, Peter Strzok, Jerry Nadler, Bernie Sanders, Chuck Schumer, Maxine Waters, Nancy Pelosi, Joe Biden, Al Green, Mitt Romney, Rashida Tlaib

Crisis Capacity Strategies... Implement limited re-use of facemasks... [familyop: No, just don't.] HCP use of homemade masks: In settings where facemasks are not available, HCP might use homemade masks (e.g., bandana, scarf) for care of patients with COVID-19 as a last resort. However, homemade masks are not considered PPE, since their capability to protect HCP is unknown. Caution should be exercised when considering this option. Homemade masks should ideally be used in combination with a face shield that covers the entire front (that extends to the chin or below) and sides of the face.

A widely shared claim that started circulating through text messages and social media said President Donald Trump would allegedly order a two-week mandatory nationwide quarantine through the Stafford Act within 48 to 72 hours. The claim also encourages people to “stock up” on supplies and invites users to resend the message with their community. Many of the texts say the information was shared by “military friends” in Washington D.C. Most of the posts on social media featured a screenshot of a text message or plain text that reads: “Please be advised, within 48 to 72 hours the president will evoke...

China has shut down permits for Mt. Everest amid the coronavirus epidemic, as the ruling Chinese Communist Party's propaganda message focuses on 'imported cases' of COVID-19. Beijing has canceled permits for the Chinese side of the mountain, although the Nepal side remains open for the time being, although the country has suspended arrivals from countries worst-hit by the coronavirus. The authorities are meanwhile focusing media coverage -- all of which is tightly controlled by Beijing -- on other countries that are struggling with outbreaks of COVID-19. Unconfirmed reports on social media said local and regional health authorities are being told...

Israel appeared to be barreling toward a constitutional crisis Thursday as opponents took to the streets and turned to the Supreme Court to fight a series of unprecedented steps taken by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while confronting the coronavirus pandemic. In recent days, Netanyahu and his surrogates have shut down the court system, approved the use of sophisticated phone-surveillance technology on the general public and temporarily suspended the activities of parliament. While Netanyahu has defended the moves as extraordinary steps in extraordinary times, his opponents accuse him of undermining Israel’s democratic foundations in a desperate bid to cement his grip...

There has been outrage across the political spectrum over a shocking report that Senate Intelligence chair Richard Burr (R-NC) dumped as much as $1.7 million in stock just before the market tanked, despite publicly maintaining that the government was on top of the coronavirus. Thursday night on Fox News, Tucker Carlson completely tore into the senator from the Tar Heel state. In a scathing end-of-show commentary, Carlson called on the senator to either justify his actions, or step down and be indicted. “Maybe there is an honest explanation for what he did,” Carlson said. “If there is, he should share...

New York City teachers streamed onto their campuses Tuesday through Thursday for training on moving instruction entirely online during a citywide school shutdown. In some cases, they walked in without any official word on whether they might have been exposed to someone with the new coronavirus. City health officials have stopped publicly confirming instances of COVID-19 among school communities, as cases have skyrocketed to more than 3,600 as of Thursday morning in New York City. But the principal of Brooklyn Technical let his teachers know on Monday afternoon that at least one person from the school community self-reported testing positive...

A group of Maine abortion and birth control clinics is extending contraception prescriptions for women by three months for fear more time at home due to the coronavirus will result in a “baby boom.” “It’s just human nature, if you’re home, there are more opportunities to have sexual relations,” said Evelyn Kieltyka, vice president of program services at Maine Family Planning, reported the Union Leader. “I haven’t looked at the data, but my memory says that in times when people have had to stay home for long periods of time, there could be a little baby boom,” she added.

Celebrities, politicians and professional athletes faced a backlash this week as many revealed that they had been tested for the coronavirus, even when they didn’t have a fever or other tell-tale symptoms. That’s fueling a perception that the wealthy and famous have been able to jump to the head of the line to get tested while others have been turned away or met with long delays. The concerns over preferential treatment underscore a fundamental truth about inequalities baked into the American health care system — those with the financial means can often receive a different level of service. Asked about...

Stating that the people of California need to do more in the face of the growing coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Gavin Newsom Thursday evening announced a statewide stay-at-home order to reduced the threat of COVID-19. “There’s a social contract here. People will self-regulate their behavior,” Newsom said during an address announcing the new order. Newsom noted that the Bay Area had already been under such an order for several days with much of the population abiding by the new restrictions.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) issued a statewide stay-at-home order starting Thursday evening. “This is a moment we need to make tough decisions," Newsom said at an online news conference. It is the strongest statewide restriction yet aimed at stemming the spread of the coronavirus. The announcement follows similar orders issued in the past few days across the San Francisco Bay area and Los Angeles.

The Boston Celtics said they learned Thursday that one their players has tested positive for the coronavirus COVID-19. The team said testing was initiated because of exposure to a known positive case. Marcus Smart identified himself as the player who tested positive in a video posted to social media. The team said Smart was not exhibiting symptoms and has been in isolation for several days and will continue to do so while being monitored by team medical staff. "I feel okay, I feel fine," Smart said in a video posted to Twitter. "COVID-19 must be taken with the highest of...

STORES THAT ARE TEMPORARILY CLOSED Old Navy is closing all stores in the U.S. temporarily starting March 19. More infoAll IKEA stores in the U.S. are temporarily closed. More infoAll TJX Company retail locations and website will close for two weeks starting March 19, including T.J. Maxx, HomeGoods, and Marshalls stores. More infoAll Kohl's stores will temporarily close nationwide starting March 19 at 7 p.m. More infoOrchards Mall in Benton Harbor will temporarily close from March 20 until at least March 30.Simon, who owns University Park Mall in Mishawaka and Lighthouse Premium Outlets in Michigan City, has temporarily closed all retail properties in the United States. All Disney stores in North America are temporarily closed.All U.S. Sephora locations will be closed through April...

With the Chinese coronavirus panic going on and all sorts of efforts being made to stop people from dying, the abortion lobby is worried about – what else – making sure they can keep killing preborn babies in a timely manner. The pro-abortion American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists put out a joint statement with other organizations on March 18 that said they “do not support COVID-19 responses that cancel or delay abortion procedures.” They recommended, “Community-based and hospital-based clinicians should consider collaboration to ensure abortion access is not compromised during this time.” Yes, that’s what time and effort should...