Newsom executive order allows California to commandeer hotels, motels to house coronavirus patients

Another Government Power Grab?

Gov.  Gavin Newsom, the California Democrat, released an executive order on Thursday that includes the authority for Sacramento to take over hotels and motels for medical use for coronavirus patients, in a move he said will help the state of 40 million prepare for any widespread outbreak.
Some patients in the state have already been moved to hotels. The Desert Sun reported that a 120-room hotel in  San Carlos, which is near San Francisco, has been already tapped to house passengers from the Grand Princess cruise ship.
The first-term governor told reporters that besides hotels and motels, state officials are also scouting for potential lodging in "mothballed" facilities and state parks.
The executive order, according to the report, has been designed to allow the state’s Health and Human Services Agency and the Office of Emergency Services to commandeer private property for coronavirus treatment. It also offers economic relief for residents.
“This is where we need to go next, and to make sure we fully implement those procedures and protocols to slow down the spread to get through a peak and to get through the next few months, so we don’t overwhelm our healthcare delivery system,” Newsom said, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The report pointed out that there are 198 known cases of COVID -19 in the state of about 40 million.
State and local leaders were weighing short-term help for small businesses and individuals, with Newsom’s executive order eliminating a one-week waiting period for unemployment benefits. In Sacramento, the City Council planned to vote Friday on a $1 million economic relief package that could provide loans to restaurants and other businesses hurting due to coronavirus precautions.
In Los Angeles, Mayor Eric Garcetti closed City Hall to the public and banned all events or conferences on city-owned properties for more than 50 people. City board and commission meetings will be transitioned to publicly accessible phone or video conference sessions.
“We are entering a critical period,” Garcetti warned, urging residents to take steps to protect themselves, loved ones and neighbors. “These are common-sense measures.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report

House bill that would provide coronavirus sick leave, free tests in flux

Lawmakers were huddling Thursday evening to hash out the details of coronavirus legislation, in the hope of passing the relief package for families and workers later in the night, but House Speak  Nancy Pelosi said the vote was more likely to occur on Friday.
“It’s fair to say we are close to an agreement subject to an exchange of paper and hope to have an agreement tomorrow,” Pelosi said late Thursday, adding that the vote will occur on Friday “one way or another.”
She added that the passage of a bill would be a "confidence builder" and urged Americans to get "tested, tested, tested."
Sources told Fox News that the House will introduce the coronavirus bill as a suspension bill -- allowing the bill to move directly to the floor without having the Rules Committee meet prior to debate it.
The bill will require a two-thirds vote to pass, with significant Republican buy-ins on the package.
Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin were in talks throughout the day to update the bill to address the White House’s concerns. Pelosi expressed a sense of urgency to pass legislation to help families in need before the House leaves town for a one-week recess.
Meantime, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell bashed the House's plan as an "ideological wish list" and said the Senate will return to work next week in Washington to deal with whatever the House sends over -- negating any chance for immediate action from Washington.
“The speaker is still negotiating with [Secretary] Mnuchin," fumed Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. "The House hasn’t even sent a bill over and Leader McConnell sends everybody home during a crisis. That is so wrong.”
Pelosi unveiled the House Democrats' plan late Wednesday to provide free coronavirus testing, paid sick leave, expanded food assistance and more unemployment funding.
But the White House raised serious concerns and President Trump panned the legislation of being too chalked with "goodies" that Democrats have wanted for the last 25 years.
Trump had wanted a payroll tax cut that Pelosi didn't include. Republicans also raised concerns about the expansiveness of new paid sick leave programs and not including language to ban federal funds for abortion.
Determined to get something over the finish line to help workers deal with the economic hardships of the spreading pandemic, Pelosi continued to negotiate with Mnuchin to find some solutions.
Their first phone call took place at 8:24 a.m. and the two spoke for 16 minutes on language recommendations from the Trump administration, Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill tweeted. Pelosi and Mnuchin spoke at least seven times Thursday, with follow-up calls at 9:12 a.m, 11:26 a.m.,  2:30 pm., 3:50 pm, 5:39 pm and 6:07 pm, Hammill said.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer advised House members to stay close as negotiations with the Trump Administration on the worker relief package was still ongoing.
"Votes are expected in the House today," Hoyer's office said in an email blast. "Further information regarding the exact timing of votes will be announced as soon as it becomes available."
The plan House Democrats introduced late Wednesday night would:

• Ensure free coronavirus testing for everyone, including the uninsured. Requires private insurers, Medicaid, Medicare to pick up all the testing costs for their patients. 
• Requires all employers to give workers up to 7 days of paid sick leave and provide an additional 14 days during a public health emergency. The legislation would reimburse small businesses – under 50 employees – for the costs of providing the 14-day leave for coronavirus emergencies.
• Create a new federal emergency paid leave program through the Social Security Administration for workers absent for 14 days or more because they are infected or quarantined with the coronavirus. The monthly benefit is worth up to two-thirds of their monthly earnings up to $4,000 and would last for up to three months. Caregivers and parents home with children out of school/daycare could also qualify.
• Provides $1 billion for emergency grants to states to administer unemployment compensation and authorizes full federal funding for extended unemployment benefits in states with unemployment that spikes past 10 percent.
• Boosts food assistance funds to food banks, senior meal delivery programs and low-income pregnant women or mothers who are laid off due to the COVID-19 emergency.
• Authorize emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to households with children who qualify for free or reduced-price school meals who are now home for coronavirus closures.
• Loosen qualifications for SNAP food stamp benefits, including suspending the work and work training requirements, so more food is available during the public health emergency.
• Calls for the development of occupational standards to protect frontline health workers from contracting the virus.

Fox News' Chad Pergram contributed to this report.

Karl Rove blasts Biden for 'crass' coronavirus fundraising email: 'Does he have no shame?'

Former George W. Bush adviser Karl Rove slammed Joe Biden on "Hannity" Thursday for sending out an email warning Americans about coronavirus and soliciting donations for his presidential campaign.
Hannity noted that Biden had joined fellow Democrats in criticizing President Trump during the early onset of the virus outbreak after the incumbent ordered strict border security measures, which Biden's primary opponent Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., called "xenophobic."
Hannity called Biden "sick" and asked Rove to react.
Rove, who had written the key parts of the email on his signature whiteboard, reacted in amazement to what he was reading aloud.
"Here's the front page of the e-mailer, sent out about 7:40 p.m. tonight," Rove began. "'Here's a speech I gave this afternoon. This is a long email, but I hope you read it all the way through and forward it to family and friends',"
"The final page has a "Donate to Joe Biden" button on it," Rove continued -- "He's raising money off of it. Here's what it says at the end: 'This is not the time to be complacent -- If you are ready to fight for the soul of the nation, you can start by donating to elect Joe Biden by clicking the button below, donate to Joe Biden.'
"The man is raising money off of the coronavirus challenge facing our country," Rove said, "Does he have no shame?
"Is there no decency that says, you know what? There are some moments when we shouldn't be taking things and use them for crass political purposes. He's using it for prospecting!"
Rove added that shortly after Biden sent his email soliciting donations, Rove had obtained an email from the DSCC -- the Senate Democrats' fundraising arm -- that blasted Republicans for allegedly stalling the caucus' bill providing emergency paid sick leave.
Rove said the Republicans only recently received the text of the bill, but within hours, the Democrats grew impatient enough to send a fundraising email asking voters what they thought of the perceived delay.
"Have these people no sense of decency? Can we not step away from this for a minute and politicize everything coming down the line, or is everything being used for fundraising?"

Don Lemon Lemon Cartoons

Most coronavirus patients recover, still anxiety, fear loom

SEATTLE (AP) — Amid all the fears, quarantines and stockpiling of food, it has been easy to ignore the fact that more than 60,000 people have recovered from the coronavirus spreading around the globe.

The disease can cause varying degrees of illness and is especially troublesome for older adults and people with existing health problems, who are at risk of severe effects, including pneumonia. But for most of those affected, coronavirus creates only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, with the vast majority recovering from the virus.

According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe ailments may take three to six weeks to rebound. In mainland China, where the virus first exploded, more than 80,000 people have been diagnosed, but more than 58,000 already have recovered.

Because the difference in impact can be so great, global health authorities have the difficult task of alerting the public to the virus’ dangers without creating panic.

Already, the widespread consequences of the virus have been staggering, sending shock waves through the world’s financial markets. Global oil prices sustained their worst percentage losses since the the Gulf War in 1991, and new restrictions were imposed in Italy and in Israel as the Holy Week approached.

But even some of the most vulnerable patients can fight their way through the disease.

Charlie Campbell’s father, 89-year-old Eugene Campbell, has been diagnosed with the coronavirus and is hospitalized in Edmonds, Washington. Charlie Campbell said his father’s doctor is cautiously optimistic, adding, “Under normal circumstances, he would discharge my dad, but these aren’t normal circumstances.”

Eugene Campbell came to the hospital from Life Care Center, a nursing home in Kirkland that has been linked to nineteen of Washington state’s 23 coronavirus deaths.

“We went and saw him yesterday and he looked pretty good,” Campbell said, noting that his father is breathing normally and his vital signs and heart rate are good. “He may be the oldest person to recover from coronavirus.”

For some who’ve been quarantined, anxiety and dread that they will become stigmatized by friends, neighbors and co-workers have made them reluctant to acknowledge even the most modest health impact. A few patients with the virus who were interviewed by The Associated Press — all of them passengers on the Diamond Princess cruise ship that ended up quarantined off Japan — described symptoms that were no stronger than a regular cold or flu.

“It’s been a 2 on a scale of 10,” said Carl Goldman, hospitalized in Omaha, Nebraska, since Feb. 17, after developing a 103-degree fever on a chartered flight from Japan to the U.S.

Goldman is staying hydrated with Gatorade. He said he continued coughing more than two weeks after he first got sick, but would probably only have missed one day of work if he had been diagnosed with the cold or flu. He stays active by pacing in his room, trying to match his pre-sickness routine of 10,000 daily steps on the pedometer.

“I totally get this is where I need to be and I need to be cleared of this before I’m released,” he said.

Greg Yerex, who was diagnosed along with his wife, Rose Yerex, on the Diamond Princess, said he had no symptoms and felt as healthy as he did on any other normal day.

“If I was home, I would be out doing everything I normally do,” he said in an interview conducted via Facebook calls when the couple were still hospitalized in Nagoya, Japan. Rose Yerex tested negative when she got to the hospital.

For Greg Yerex, it was the couple’s mental health that faced the biggest threat as they they spent days in quarantine, isolated from friends and family and deprived of any direct human contact.

“It’s like being a prisoner,” he said. “You pace, you worry, you fret, you imagine all sorts of things. You have no control.”

Greg Yerez said that he and hsi wife, who have since been released from the hospital, plan to go to counseling to work through the mental stress they experienced.

Fellow cruise passenger Rebecca Frasure knows how they feel.

“I don’t get to speak with anyone,” she said in a Facebook call while still hospitalized in Nagoya. “I have a little window in my room, but cannot leave. The only contact I have is through Facebook messenger. I would never wish this on anyone.”

Frasure said one of the things she found most frustrating was waiting for her test results to come back. Patients who have been diagnosed with the virus must have two consecutive negative tests before they can be released.

Frasure is now out of the hospital, but is worried about being stigmatized by her home community.

“Are they going to be afraid?” she wondered. ”Are they going to criticize me for being home, thinking I brought virus back with me?”

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This story corrects that the Gulf War was in 1991, not 1999.

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Milko reported from Jakarta, Indonesia.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

CNN's Don Lemon, Kasich have heated exchange over Trump's coronavirus address

CNN anchor Don Lemon had a "total meltdown" according to critics on Wednesday night after a guest on his show told him that President Trump's coronavirus address from the Oval Office was "fine."
Lemon, who has repeatedly insisted that he is 'not a partisan,' had on former 2016 presidential candidate-turned-CNN contributor John Kasich to discuss the latest developments in the Trump administration's handling of the coronavirus outbreak. The anchor accused Trump of "misrepresenting" the travel ban that was set on Europe after the White House offered clarification on what was affected.
"Look, I watched the address tonight and I thought it was fine. He did fine," Kasich said. "I'm glad he did the address tonight and I think that was important."
Kasich urged the president to "stick to the script" and said governors will have a major role in combatting the virus.
However, none of that apparently sat well with the CNN anchor.
"I don't know if he stuck to the script or not, but whatever script he read was wrong because they had to clarify it several times," Lemon complained. "And I've just got to say if the president came out to calm people's fears, he didn't do a good job of it because he had to come back and clarify it several times! And this has been going on long enough for them to get it straight! We need straight, accurate information from this president and this administration and we're not getting it!"
His tirade continued, "And I don't understand why you're tip-toeing around it. He came out, gave an address that's usually- that happens very rarely he doesn't get it right?!"
"First of all, he read it," Kasich responded. "And somebody- I don't want to get into that."
"Why not?! That's why you're here!" Lemon exclaimed. "To talk about the president's address!"
"Can I finish?" the former Ohio governor attempted to complete his thought.
"No, no you can't, John!" the anchor shouted. "Because we're here to talk about the president- I don't want you to go on and deflect and talk about something else because we're here to talk about the president's address. And you said that someone else wrote it- he's the president! Even if someone else wrote it, it should be right!"
Kasich, a longtime critic of the president, defended the Trump administration, telling Lemon they were attempting to address the "confusion out there."
"Now there's more confusion, John!" Lemon shot back.
After engaging in another fiery exchange, Kasich reiterated his belief that Trump's address was "fine."
"I thought it was fine. You can disagree with me. I thought it was fine," Kasich told his colleague. "I thought he had the right tone and he no longer played with 'We're going to blame Democrats'... I hope he's trying to move forward because he understands the seriousness of this situation. Now the fact that they clarified- it isn't unusual in a speech for somebody to clarify something, OK? But I don't think that the tone he showed tonight takes away from some clarification. I think he set a serious tone. That's what I wanted out of him for a long time. And I think we got it."
After Lemon claimed he tried "cutting Trump a break" at the top of his show, Kasich then pressed Lemon on what he thought was so "terrible" about the clarification."
"I never said I thought it was terrible. I'm telling you we're in the middle of a pandemic right now," Lemon said. "We're in the middle of a pandemic and everytime this president comes out, he gives inaccurate information. So I don't understand why he would even come out and do it at all if he is going to confuse the American people even more! You don't understand that? You're a governor! I'm surprised you don't understand that!"
Lemon shook his head after Kasich insisted that "98 percent" of Trump's address "was good."
"I think I made my case here. If the president is going to come out and confuse people more, then don't say anything," Lemon concluded.
The CNN anchor was widely panned on social media.
"I'm surprised actually shocked. Don Lemon has lost his mind," game show icon Chuck Woolery declared.

Andy Puzder: Trump coronavirus response will protect America’s economy, workers and businesses

Showing strong and effective leadership when we need it most, President Trump addressed the nation Wednesday night and unveiled a two-pronged program of health and economic actions to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.
The president’s action plan should win bipartisan support to respond to the most serious health and humanitarian crisis our nation has faced in my nearly seven decades.
“We are all in this together,” the president correctly said. “We must put politics aside, stop the partisanship.” He called on America to fight the pandemic “together as one nation and one family.”
We can only hope that those on both sides of the political aisle will heed his call to respond as one nation and one people, as our leaders have done so often in our past when facing a crisis.
While the coronavirus pandemic is a medical crisis, President Trump pointed out that it “is not a financial crisis.”
That’s a crucial point we should all remember. This pandemic is unlike the savings and loan crisis of the late 1970s, the tech bubble in the late 1990s, or the real estate bubble of 2007. Our nation’s economic fundamentals are strong.
There is no underlying economic fault that must be corrected before our economy can recover. As the president noted, “our banks and financial institutions are fully capitalized and incredibly strong.”
Unemployment is consistently at 50-year lows and we have 1 million more job openings than people unemployed. The Atlanta Federal Reserve’s GDPNow forecasting model is projecting 3.1 percent gross domestic product growth for the first quarter of this year, with only three weeks left in the quarter.
When the coronavirus pandemic subsides – and it will – our economy and the financial markets will come roaring back.

More from Opinion

Nonetheless, whether a reaction or an overreaction, the stock market’s recent decline has dramatically demonstrated that there will be economic pain in the interim. Protecting American workers has always been the president’s top priority and he made clear Wednesday night that it remains so.
To ease that pain for American workers, the president promised to take “unprecedented” action to financially protect the workers who must stay home and miss work because they are ill, quarantined or caring for others infected with the coronavirus. And he called on Congress to take legislative action to extend that relief.
In addition, President Trump said he has instructed the Small Business Administration to provide capital to communities impacted by the virus by extending low-interest loans to help small businesses overcome the disruptions that are occurring and will occur as we address this virus.
The president asked Congress to expand the funds available for this program for small businesses by an additional $50 billion. This is a major expansion and its benefits should reverberate across the economy.
The $50 billion will be instrumental in helping small businesses stay in business and retain their employees as they deal with the temporary disruptions the coronavirus is causing. This is a good investment in the businesses and jobs that drive our economy.
Using his emergency authority, President Trump said he is also instructing the Treasury Department to defer income tax payments currently due April 15 without interest or penalties for individuals and businesses negatively impacted by the coronavirus. This will provide our economy with an additional $200 billion in liquidity.
Finally, the president called on Congress to grant Americans immediate payroll tax relief that he hopes Congress will consider “very strongly.”
In 2009, under President Barack Obama, Congress authorized a 2 percent payroll tax cut. It sounded like President Trump wanted a larger cut. This would put additional money in the pockets of American workers while we deal with this crisis.
In a broader economic context, the President is suspending all travel from Europe (with the exception of the United Kingdom) to the U.S. While necessary to limit the spread of the disease caused by the coronavirus, there will be some negative economic implications (cargo from Europe will be allowed into the U.S., although people transporting cargo will not).
On the positive side, the coronavirus appears to be on the decline in China and South Korea. The Trump administration is reevaluating the restrictions and warnings currently in place with respect to those nations and will consider the possibility of an “early opening.”
That could reopen essential supply chains and help China fulfill its obligation to purchase $200 billion in U.S. goods under the Phase One trade deal with China.
Americans should take heart. As President Trump stated, “no nation is more prepared or more resilient than the United States.” We have a highly qualified team headed by Vice President Mike Pence that is organizing our fight against the coronavirus and we have a president who is “marshaling the full power of the federal government and the private sector to protect the American people.”
The coronavirus knows no party lines. It is indiscriminate. As a unified nation, we can address this virus effectively and aggressively. The president is doing everything within his powers and has issued a call to action to Congress.
It is up to our congressional leaders to respond. Honestly, I hope – and, in my heart of hearts, I believe – that they will.

Coronavirus news appears to increase as outbreak spreads

The night of March 11, 2020, may be remembered as the point where the coronavirus outbreak reached a new level of seriousness in the U.S.
In a span of just two hours, Americans heard a stunning series of announcements as the spread of the virus – also known as COVID-19 -- continued.
Around 9 p.m. ET, President Trump told the nation from the Oval Office that he was calling for a temporary halt on air travel to the U.S. from Europe, excluding flights from Britain and those carrying cargo, in a bid to contain the spread of the virus.
"The virus will not have a chance against us. No nation is more prepared, or more resilient," Trump said.

"The virus will not have a chance against us. No nation is more prepared, or more resilient."
— President Trump

Around 10 p.m. actor Tom Hanks revealed he and wife Rita Wilson had tested positive for the virus while in Australia.
Around the same time, the NBA announced it was suspending its basketball season until further notice, after a Utah Jazz player tested positive.
Then around 11 p.m., New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the postponement of New York City’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade – a tradition older than America itself.
The four announcements came on the same day the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a pandemic and as confirmed U.S. cases topped the 1,200 mark – and as the nation grappled with a problem for which no clear end was immediately in sight.
All around the U.S., public gatherings such as conventions, conferences and concerts -- even TV shows with live audiences – were being called off or scaled back.
March Madness? The college basketball games will be played with only “essential staff and limited family attendance,” NCAA President Mark Emmert said Wednesday, according to the Indianapolis Star.
Public tours of the White House and U.S. Capitol? Those were temporarily halted as well -- “in an abundance of caution,” the White House said on its phone line for visitor information, the Washington Examiner reported.
As of early Thursday, more than 110 nations had reported at least one case of the novel coronavirus, Time magazine reported.
More than 126,000 cases have been reported worldwide, including more than 68,000 recoveries, according to reports. The global death toll stood early Thursday at more than 4,600.

Biden Townhall Cartoons

Coronavirus cases in US exceed 1,000, as Michigan sees its first cases

The total amount of coronavirus cases in the U.S. surpassed 1,000 on Tuesday night, with the virus officially being reported in all but 12 states.
Various events have been canceled throughout the country as health officials warn about attending large-scale gatherings. At least 28 deaths have been reported.
"We would like the country to realize that as a nation, we can't be doing the kinds of things we were doing a few months ago," Dr. Anthony Fauci, a top official at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said during a White House press briefing.

Kirkland Fire and Rescue ambulance workers walk back to a vehicle after a patient was loaded into an ambulance, Tuesday, March 10, 2020, at the Life Care Center in Kirkland, Wash., near Seattle.  (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

He referenced guidelines by the White House advising people to clean their hands regularly and avoid handshakes. You should also start making habits like covering coughs and sneezes and refraining from touching your face. The CDC is advising those over 60 with underlying health conditions to avoid crowded places, unnecessary travel, and to stock up on supplies.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, D-Mich., announced the state's first cases on Tuesday night and declared a state of emergency "to harness our resources across state government to slow the spread of the virus."
One case is an adult female from Oakland County with recent international travel and the other is an adult male from Wayne County with recent domestic travel.
"It's crucial that all Michiganders continue to take preventative measures to lower their risk, and to share this information with their friends, family, and co-workers," she added.

This photo provided by Laurie Miller shows passengers as they get ready to disembark the Grand Princess in Oakland, Calif., Tuesday, March 10, 2020. California Gov. Gavin Newsom urged the state's nearly 40 million residents to avoid sporting events, concerts and large gatherings to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and adamantly warned the elderly to stay away from cruise ships as he pondered measures to restrict cruise travel off the California coast. (Laurie Miller via AP)

The patient from Wayne county is currently under isolation and officials recommend residents continue to practice prevention measures to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Local health departments are working to identify anyone who had come into close contact with those cases.
The spread of COVID-19 has quickened in the U.S. in recent days. Over 100 new cases have been announced on average per day since Saturday. More than 100 people have tested positive New York, California and Washington State
“Although we keep coming in and saying -- appropriately -- that as a nation the risk is relatively low, there are parts of the country right now that are having community spread in which the risk there is clearly a bit more than that,” Fauci added, referring to those three states.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo, D-N.Y., sent the National Guard and announced a one-mile "containment zone" for the city of New Rochelle on Tuesday in an effort to contain the spread of the virus.
“New Rochelle at this point is probably the largest cluster in the U.S. of these cases,” he said. “It’s a significant issue for us.”
Symptoms of the coronavirus -- fever, cough, and shortness of breath -- may appear between two to 14 days due to its reported incubation period.