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Cuomo is on national television daily, giving his coronavirus briefings, presenting as a man of action and sympathy, fighting for his city and state that are being overwhelmed by the virus. He looks like a president. And old Joe? Biden, the expected Democratic presidential nominee, remains lost, hapless, eclipsed and marginalized by events. Biden has all but disappeared, like the time you were at the supermarket with your elderly uncle, and he wandered off, again. Frantic, you searched all the aisles until you finally found him asking the lady giving out samples for another taste of banana pudding. “Biden is...

In the face of the country's dire health crisis, our country's political leaders are recognizing the importance of instilling confidence in governmental leadership, putting aside partisan differences. But the mainstream media are viewing this crisis not as a reason to do likewise, but rather to ramp up vitriolic second-guessing of President Trump. While designed to harm him, the constant sowing of doubt in fact harms all of us. To be sure, astute historians recognize that in times of overwhelming danger, the instilling of confidence both by and in political leaders can be decisive. They correctly point out that newly inaugurated...

Nestled among the 12 titles and 880 pages of the $2.2 trillion “Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act of 2020,” approved unanimously by the Senate late March 25, is a paragraph sending $400 million to state governments “to help prepare for the 2020 election.” The provision’s senatorial proponents promise it will enable state election officials to increase the ability of citizens nationwide “to vote by mail, expand early voting and online registration, and increase the safety of voting in-person by providing additional voting facilities and more poll-workers,” according to a summary prepared by Democratic staff members of the Senate...

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the traditional ruling class was replaced with technocratic governments. The old elite were interested only in perpetuating their power and managing the general affairs of the state. In contrast, the new managerial class was much more ruthless and methodical. Their ambition went farther than any tyranny of the past; they believed they had a quasi-divine mandate to reshape society in their image. The main purpose of their political activities was to find the optimal governing model that maximized their power and the ideology that legitimized it. Religious myths were replaced with an ideological...

The United Nations warned the world is losing its battle to the coronavirus as the number of infections exponentially increases. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the leaders of the Group of 20 during a teleconference summit on Thursday that the world is at war with a virus and losing, urging them to come up with "a war-time plan to fight it." "It took the world three months to reach 100,000 confirmed cases of the infection. The next 100,000 happened in just 12 days. The third took four days. The fourth, just one and a half -- This is exponential...

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President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping discussed the global response to the novel coronavirus in a phone call in which the two reportedly discussed easing tensions and pledged cooperation in the fight against the pandemic.

If one assumes that the number of asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic cases is several times as high as the number of reported cases, the case fatality rate may be considerably less than 1%. This suggests that the overall clinical consequences of Covid-19 may ultimately be more akin to those of a severe seasonal influenza (which has a case fatality rate of approximately 0.1%) or a pandemic influenza (similar to those in 1957 and 1968) rather than a disease similar to SARS or MERS, which have had case fatality rates of 9 to 10% and 36%, respectively.

The COVID-19 pandemic can be used to illustrate two problems that are both more destructive than the virus. The problems relate to how Americans view the role of government in their lives and to the belief that government money can always fix problems. Let's look at the money issue first. The immediate reaction of our government to the virus threat was to spend massive amounts of money. The latest news is that politicians plan to "boost" the economy with nearly two trillion dollars in spending and loans. "The package is coming in at about 10% of GDP. It's very large,"...

Krispy Kreme is thanking the country's health care community, friends and neighbors the best way it knows how: with free doughnuts. Krispy Kreme is offering health care workers dozens of its original glazed doughnuts for free every Monday from March 30 – National Doctors’ Day – through National Nurses Week (May 6-12). Just go to a Krispy Kreme drive-thru, tell them what you need and show your employer badge to pick up some free doughnuts on the way to work for you and your colleagues, or maybe a free dozen on your way home to family after a long shift.

In the midst of this economic crisis caused by the coronavirus, there is broad bipartisan support in Congress to provide payments to American taxpayers to offset the economic impact of the coronavirus. Among other components of the nearly-$2 trillion relief package negotiated in the US Senate, the agreement announced Wednesday morning reportedly will include checks of $1,200 to most American adults. These funds are supposed to help those who are out of work to pay for food and lodging and to stimulate the contracting US economy, encouraging people to spend even while they are stuck at home. Unfortunately, the Senate...

We've been living in a dream. We climb into jet planes and fly across continents, never giving the accomplishment a second thought. We drive to grocery stores, assuming the shelves will be stocked with endless boxes of food. And every day we plug our devices into the wall, sure that electricity will flow from the outlet. It's time to wake up. The international COVID-19 pandemic is many things, but its deepest impact may be fostering a recognition that this machine of civilization that we built is a whole lot more fragile than we thought. And that is why, in the...

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suspended its enforcement of a variety of environmental laws on Thursday, saying that industries could have trouble complying with them due to the coronavirus pandemic. The agency added that it won't expect "to seek penalties for noncompliance with routine monitoring and reporting obligations." "EPA is committed to protecting human health and the environment, but recognizes challenges resulting from efforts to protect workers and the public from COVID-19 may directly impact the ability of regulated facilities to meet all federal regulatory requirements," said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. "This temporary policy is designed to provide enforcement discretion...

Who says there’s no free lunch? As the coronavirus crisis continues to inspire the best in Americans, a mystery “neighborhood mom” has started leaving out sack lunches on a table outside of a traffic circle in Severna Park, Md., every afternoon “for anyone who needs it," The Capital Gazette reported. “I will be leaving some healthy sack lunches on this table for you if you are hungry and need to eat. Made with love by a neighborhood mom in a clean and sanitized kitchen,” the sign, hanging from a modest table covered by a tarp, reads. A larger sign next...

MIAMI -- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro stood defiant in the face of a $15 million bounty by the U.S. to face drug trafficking charges, calling Donald Trump a "racist cowboy" and warning that he is ready to fight by whatever means necessary should the U.S. and neighboring Colombia dare to invade. Maduro's bellicose remarks Thursday night came hours after the U.S. announced sweeping indictments against the socialist leader and several members of his inner circle for allegedly converting Venezuela into a criminal enterprise at the service of drug traffickers and terrorist groups. One indictment by prosecutors in New York accused...

"...In a recent article, I accepted public health stats on ordinary flu and COV, and showed the insane contradictions in numbers and in government containment strategies. In this article, I take another angle. The CDC has been lying about ordinary flu for decades. So why wouldn’t they continue their fine tradition of lying about COV? Why should you believe ANYTHING they say about COV? Why should you accept their case numbers, their ominous warnings, their insistence on lockdowns which wreck economies? It’s simple. If a boy shows up at a grocery store the first six days of the week and...

Here is my latest attempt. Data is now from https://infection2020.com/ Hope some will find it useful. No claims of the use or accuracy of these maps is implied. Other parties may use these maps as there own.

-Smith charged in connection with alleged misuse of county forfeiture funds MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. – Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith has been hit with 10 criminal corruption charges -- including running a criminal enterprise, a 20-year felony -- in connection with the alleged misuse of county forfeiture funds. Smith faces considerable jail time if he’s found guilty, but the case reaches far beyond the prosecutor. He’s accused of turning the top law enforcement office in the state’s third-most populated county into a criminal enterprise. After the state raided Smith’s office last April, and then his home a month later, Smith...

**SNIP** Former Vice President Biden's campaigning is reaching out to voters as their lives are likely being turned upside down by the coronavirus outbreak. Biden, who is working out of his Delaware home these days, took part in a virtual press conference and a virtual happy hour. Additionally, Biden rolled out the inaugural edition of a newsletter, in which he announced an upcoming podcast. Biden is trying to present a more personalized view of himself as many voters deal with the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. The former vice president's newsletter engages readers with a question and answer section, as...

As part of an unprecedented $2 trillion stimulus bill expected to pass the Senate on Wednesday night, many Americans experiencing financial hardship due to COVID-19 will soon be eligible for a $1,200 check and expanded unemployment benefits. But despite promises from Democratic congressional leaders, the sweeping legislation will leave behind some of the country's most vulnerable residents: undocumented immigrants and mixed status families. According to a draft of the bill, the relief explicitly excludes those without Social Security numbers from obtaining the one-time cash assistance payments that will soon be sent to millions of Americans. Even more glaring, advocates said,...