Free Republic

the impact of mandated shutdowns ... In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, widespread lockdown restrictions were imposed, ostensibly to keep hospitals from being overwhelmed and medical resources from being consumed to exhaustion. Whether policymakers purposely or out of ignorance disregarded them, the tradeoffs of stay-at-home orders were immediate and severe: a massive spike in unemployment, rivaling the Great Depression ... Among Mideast states, New York’s GDP declined the most: 39.3%. .. long-lasting nature of lockdowns on New York City. Yet compared against all other U.S. states, Hawaii and Nevada’s GDP plummeted the most: both by 42.2%. ... artificial economic slowdown...

China says snow storms have killed 60, caused US$7.5 billion in damage By CHRISTOPHER BODEEN,Associated Press Writer AP - Saturday, February 2 BEIJING - Snow storms that have battered many parts of China over the last three weeks have killed at least 60 people and caused billions in damage, the Civil Affairs Ministry said Friday. ADVERTISEMENT The storms have already crippled transportation during China's biggest holiday travel season, leaving people stranded in cars on frozen highways, without heat and lights in homes and fighting each other for rare train seats. The freakish weather is China's worst in five decades and...

China Snow Crisis Shows Vulnerability Wednesday January 30, 5:03 am ET By Elaine Kurtenbach, AP Business Writer Impact of China's Snow Crisis Spreads, Highlighting Weaknesses of Booming Economy SHANGHAI, China (AP) -- China's financial capital saw fresh snowfall Wednesday as the impact of unusually wintry weather deepened, highlighting the vulnerabilities of the country's booming economy. Heavy snows in recent days have stalled shipments of food and fuel, complicating authorities' efforts to combat a spike in inflation. "The snowstorm came at the worst time," Jing Ulrich, chairman for China equities for JPMorgan Securities. "In the first quarter, we're going to see...

A sick China could cripple Asian growth William Pesek Jr. Bloomberg News Wednesday, April 16, 2003 TOKYO If you want to freak out people in subway cars around Asia, cough. Need to clear out an elevator? Sneeze. Care to have your own row in a movie theater? Start clearing your throat. Such is life in a region now synonymous with the SARS epidemic. As severe acute respiratory syndrome spreads in Asia - and many other parts of the globe - it is increasingly weighing on the region's economies and markets. Hong Kong is such a ghost town that Cathay Pacific...