Tag: COVID-19

Minnesota DFL Issues Update on the Coronavirus and Future Party Events

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Today, Minnesota DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin issued the following guidance to local DFL organizing units regarding future party events:

“The Minnesota DFL is monitoring the spread of the coronavirus here in Minnesota very closely and will continue to do so throughout this public health crisis. At this time, the Minnesota Department of Health and other public health agencies have not recommended that organizations cancel community gatherings and events. As such, the Minnesota DFL is recommending that party units proceed with conventions while taking the necessary precautions we outlined in earlier correspondence.

“The Minnesota DFL leadership and staff are working closely with the national party, as well as our Constitution, Rules, and Bylaws Committee to explore all contingencies in the event that the guidance from public health officials changes. The DFL will explore all options to allow our party units to conduct the important business of our party while also keeping our party members and the public safe.

“Rest assured that the Minnesota DFL’s decision-making process will be guided first and foremost by the well-being of the members of our party and the recommendations of medical experts and the scientific community. We will continue to keep you updated as we learn more.”

 

Unsettling day provides little coronavirus guidance for Congress

Leaders, officials disagree on who makes the call to change security and health protocols on the Hill

On Monday, as Congress returned to the Capitol with a rapidly growing roster of members exposed to the new coronavirus, leaders and high-ranking officials could not agree on who has the ultimate authority to change security and health protocols on the Hill, where thousands of lawmakers, staffers and visitors interact every day.

At the end of a remarkably unsettling day, Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Monday that despite several lawmakers being under self-quarantine after coming in contact with people infected with the coronavirus, there will not be changes to the House schedule and legislative work will continue as planned — at least for now.

“At the present time, there is no reason for us not to continue with our vital legislative work in the Capitol,” Pelosi wrote in a Monday evening “Dear Colleague” letter.  Continue reading.

Trump pitches tax cut to ease panic

The Hill logoPresident Trump on Monday took his biggest step to address the economic fallout of the coronavirus, saying he will ask Congress to approve a payroll tax cut and relief for hourly workers.

Trump called for the tax cut during an appearance at the White House briefing room, where Vice President Pence tried to reassure the public that the risk for the average person remains low.

Fears that coronavirus represents a major threat to both public health and the economy grew dramatically Monday amid school closures, lawmakers quarantining themselves and a growing number of U.S. cases.  Continue reading.

These members are self-quarantining after being exposed to coronavirus patients

Lawmakers interacted with people later diagnosed with coronavirus

At least six members of Congress have said they interacted with individuals who tested positive for coronavirus and many have vowed to stay away from Capitol Hill temporarily.

Republican Reps. Doug Collins of Georgia and Matt Gaetz of Florida, as well as California Democrat Julia Brownley, announced Monday they were self-quarantining. Republican Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas said in separate statements Sunday they would also self-quarantine after interacting with a person who later tested positive for COVID-19.

Gaetz, Collins, Gosar and Cruz said they were exposed to a coronavirus patient at the Conservative Political Action Conference, which typically attracts thousands of conservatives and was held Feb. 26-29 at National Harbor in Maryland. Continue reading.

Germaphobe Trump is ‘definitely melting down’ over coronavirus crisis. But he still isn’t ready to cancel MAGA rallies: report

AlterNet logoOne the great ironies of the coronavirus threat is that although President Donald Trump has downplayed its severity, he has a reputation for being a major germaphobe. Journalist Gabriel Sherman, this week in Vanity Fair, reports that Trump is still as much of a “germaphobe” as ever — while treating coronavirus like a battle with his political enemies and insisting that the situation is under control in the United States.

“As Trump pushes a nothing-to-see-here message in public, sources said he’s privately terrified about getting the virus,” Sherman reports. One of Vanity Fair’s sources, according to Sherman, said that Trump is so paranoid that he believes journalists will try to contract coronavirus on purpose in order to give it to him on Air Force One.

That source told Vanity Fair that Trump is “definitely melting down over this.” Continue reading.

Pence urged Israel not to target U.S. with coronavirus quarantine: “Go global”

Axios logoVice President Mike Pence personally asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to target Israel’s newly announced coronavirus quarantine at only visitors from the U.S., but to “go global,” senior Israeli officials tell me.

Why it matters: On Monday, Netanyahu announced a new policy of self-quarantine for a period of 14 days for anyone who enters Israel regardless of their country of origin — thus implementing Pence’s request, made during a call on Sunday. Israeli officials say Pence’s request significantly influenced Netanyahu’s decision.

Behind the scenes: Pence stressed to Netanyahu that he understands Israel’s concerns about a coronavirus outbreak, but said the Trump administration would not look favorably on a policy that only affected the U.S. and several European countries, like Italy. Continue reading.

Road ahead: Surveillance powers deadline approaches amid coronavirus concerns

Legislative agenda could be sidelined if virus fears prompt changes

Congress is staring down a deadline to reauthorize three surveillance powers before they expire on March 15, but members will be negotiating that as the Capitol begins grappling with rapidly evolving coronavirus concerns.

Congress already cleared emergency funding to fight the coronavirus, but the illness will still be front of mind at the Capitol this week as confirmed cases of COVID-19 have emerged in Washington, D.C., and the surrounding area and two lawmakers announced they’ll be staying home because they interacted with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.

Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas said in separate statements Sunday evening they will take precautionary measures because they interacted at the Conservative Political Action Conference, known as CPAC, with a person who later tested positive for the virus. Continue reading.

3rd case of coronavirus confirmed in Minnesota, this time in Anoka County

A person in their 30s contracted the virus, health officials say.

A third presumptive case of the novel coronavirus has been confirmed in Minnesota, with the Department of Health saying it involved an Anoka County resident.

“The case is an Anoka County resident in their 30s who was likely exposed through contact with international travelers,” a release from the department said. “The patient developed symptoms Feb. 28 and sought health care March 9.”

The patient is in critical condition and hospitalized. The first two cases involved persons in Ramsey and Carver counties, with both being quarantined in their homes.  Continue reading.

The markets are sending a message about coronavirus: The recession risk is real

Washington Post logoThe stock market drop is ugly. But one big threat to the economy is a slew of defaults — both personal and business.

Pick just about any market — stocks, bonds, oil — and it’s sending a signal that investors around the world think there’s a high probability of a recession.

J.P. Morgan sent around a note to clients late last week saying markets were indicating a 90 percent chance of a recession, a term that generally means six straight months of economic contraction. The picture looks worse now, especially in the bond market. Last week, Wall Street panicked when the yield on a marquee government bond — the U.S. 10-year Treasury — fell below 1 percent. That had never happened before. Now that yield is below 0.5 percent, a jaw-dropping situation that didn’t even occur during the Great Recession.

What the heck is going on? The world economy essentially just got a one-two punch to the face. The coronavirus is a serious health crisis that’s morphing into an economic crisis as people stay home, cancel trips and stop spending on about everything except hand sanitizer and toilet paper. On top of that, Saudi Arabia basically launched an oil price war on Sunday. The world has a glut of oil right now and the Saudis decided not to scale back production after Russia flooded the market with extra oil. So oil prices plunged 30 percent Sunday, the largest one-time drop since the 1991 Gulf War. Oil is now trading around $30 a barrel, a price most energy companies outside Saudi Arabia can’t survive on, including many in the United States.

Live updates: Israel requires two-week quarantine for international arrivals; N.Y.-N.J. Port Authority head tests positive

Washington Post logoA new oil price war sparked by the coronavirus sent shock waves through financial markets, with stocks tumbling around the world as more countries implemented measures to contain the outbreak and the United States’ tally of known infections passed 500.

In New York, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (D) said on Monday that the head of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Rick Cotton, tested positive for the virus and was being placed on quarantine.

In Israel, the government announced that anyone entering the country from abroad will be quarantined for 14 days. Continue reading.