OT: Coronavirus

Most churches are being responsible. 

Also, the Easter bunny hiding eggs isn’t in the bible.  As far as I know, he didn’t hide them back when Jesus was walking the earth. 

@"Vikergirl" said:

@"Skodin" said:

@"Vikergirl" said: https://www.yahoo.com/news/african-americans-may-dying-covid-132500749.html

Here comes a hot take, I know, but I will say with my own ancedotal evidence driving around or viewing social media, African Americans are hanging out with each other.   Just look at Hilton Hill’s instagram stories, he and 5 other athletes working out with each other. Side by side.  

I drove by a funeral two days ago, 30 people just hanging out next to each other.  Drive down town, groups sticking together, no masks, no distance. 

On the flip side my GF’s lesbian Vermont aunts, they are socially distancing within their own house. 

Some people get it and some people don’t, but that won’t be addressed in this upcoming conversation how black/poor/urban people are decimated by this virus.  Just waiting for the . .  This virus is racist . . . Or this virus is a tool of class warfare . . .

No this virus is a war on stupidity and preparation

There is plenty of stupid in all colors. There is also research that shows bias in regard to health care for minorities.

Acting secretary of the Navy resigns after calling ousted aircraft carrier captain 'stupid'

The Navy and Department of Defense did not respond to a request for comment. Undersecretary of the Army James McPherson has been tapped to succeed Modly, a US official and a defense official tells CNN. McPherson is a retired rear admiral and was the former judge advocate general of the Navy. 
On Monday, Modly told the crew of the Roosevelt that their former commander, Capt. Brett Crozier, was either "too naive or too stupid" to be in command or that he intentionally leaked a memo to the media, in which Crozier warned about coronavirus spreading aboard the aircraft carrier and urged action to save his sailors, according to remarks obtained by CNN.
Late Monday night, Modly apologized in a statement for calling Crozier "stupid" in his earlier remarks. 

New York City stockpiled ventilators for a pandemic, only to later auction them off: reportIn 2006, then-New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's administration began purchasing ventilators to allow the city to be prepared for a pandemic like the current coronavirus crisis -- only for the city to later auction them off, according to a report.
ProPublica reported Monday that the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene issued a report in 2006 on the city's preparedness for pandemic influenza -- similar to the 1918 Spanish Flu or the 2019 novel coronavirus -- that projected the city would need thousands of extra ventilators in order to properly treat all of its residents who got sick. The plan was then put into action, with the city initially buying 500 ventilators before it ran out of money to buy more and to maintain the ones it had already stockpiled, according to ProPublica.
Those ventilators were then auctioned off some time before 2016 because the city could not afford to maintain them in working order, partially because the model of ventilator the city had purchased was no longer in production after 2009, the report said.

@"A1Janitor" said: New York City stockpiled ventilators for a pandemic, only to later auction them off: report

In 2006, then-New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's administration began purchasing ventilators to allow the city to be prepared for a pandemic like the current coronavirus crisis -- only for the city to later auction them off, according to a report. ProPublica reported Monday that the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene issued a report in 2006 on the city's preparedness for pandemic influenza -- similar to the 1918 Spanish Flu or the 2019 novel coronavirus -- that projected the city would need thousands of extra ventilators in order to properly treat all of its residents who got sick. The plan was then put into action, with the city initially buying 500 ventilators before it ran out of money to buy more and to maintain the ones it had already stockpiled, according to ProPublica. Those ventilators were then auctioned off some time before 2016 because the city could not afford to maintain them in working order, partially because the model of ventilator the city had purchased was no longer in production after 2009, the report said.

When I said our country didn't have it's shit together, stuff like this is what I meant. I'm sure if ProPublica dug deeper they would find rampant stories like this nationwide. Not just for ventilators but pretty much any number of things our hospitals have a shortage of like gowns, scrubs, face shields, surgical masks, N95 masks etc. 

@"bigbone62" said:

@"A1Janitor" said: New York City stockpiled ventilators for a pandemic, only to later auction them off: report

In 2006, then-New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's administration began purchasing ventilators to allow the city to be prepared for a pandemic like the current coronavirus crisis -- only for the city to later auction them off, according to a report. ProPublica reported Monday that the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene issued a report in 2006 on the city's preparedness for pandemic influenza -- similar to the 1918 Spanish Flu or the 2019 novel coronavirus -- that projected the city would need thousands of extra ventilators in order to properly treat all of its residents who got sick. The plan was then put into action, with the city initially buying 500 ventilators before it ran out of money to buy more and to maintain the ones it had already stockpiled, according to ProPublica. Those ventilators were then auctioned off some time before 2016 because the city could not afford to maintain them in working order, partially because the model of ventilator the city had purchased was no longer in production after 2009, the report said.

When I said our country didn't have it's shit together, stuff like this is what I meant. I'm sure if ProPublica dug deeper they would find rampant stories like this nationwide. Not just for ventilators but pretty much any number of things our hospitals have a shortage of like gowns, scrubs, face shields, surgical masks, N95 masks etc. 

@"bigbone62" said:

@"A1Janitor" said: New York City stockpiled ventilators for a pandemic, only to later auction them off: report

In 2006, then-New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's administration began purchasing ventilators to allow the city to be prepared for a pandemic like the current coronavirus crisis -- only for the city to later auction them off, according to a report. ProPublica reported Monday that the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene issued a report in 2006 on the city's preparedness for pandemic influenza -- similar to the 1918 Spanish Flu or the 2019 novel coronavirus -- that projected the city would need thousands of extra ventilators in order to properly treat all of its residents who got sick. The plan was then put into action, with the city initially buying 500 ventilators before it ran out of money to buy more and to maintain the ones it had already stockpiled, according to ProPublica. Those ventilators were then auctioned off some time before 2016 because the city could not afford to maintain them in working order, partially because the model of ventilator the city had purchased was no longer in production after 2009, the report said.

When I said our country didn't have it's shit together, stuff like this is what I meant. I'm sure if ProPublica dug deeper they would find rampant stories like this nationwide. Not just for ventilators but pretty much any number of things our hospitals have a shortage of like gowns, scrubs, face shields, surgical masks, N95 masks etc. 

https://www.businessinsider.com/us-paid-royal-philips-nv-millions-ventilators-unavailable-national-stockpile-2020-3

• Millions of taxpayer dollars were spent on developing portable, easy-to-use ventilators to prepare for a national health crisis like the coronavirus pandemic — but not a single one is in the federal stockpile.
• The US Department of Health and Human Services signed a $13.8 million contract with health technology giant Royal Philips N.V. to produce portable, easy-to-use ventilators to add to the federal stockpile.
• Although HHS ordered 10,000 units of the ventilator in September 2019, the company began selling two higher-priced commercial versions of the same ventilator around the world.
• The bombshell investigation from ProPublica comes as the nation faces a severe shortage of ventilators and other medical supplies that are critical to treating COVID-19 patients.

A Pennsylvania company that received $13.8 million in tax dollars to produce cheap, portable ventilators is now selling them overseas as the U.S. scrambles to find enough of the devices to sustain hospital patients affected by the coronavirus, according to an investigation by ProPublica.   In 2015 the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) contracted the company to produce the ventilators, which were approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in September 2019. Not a single version of the model, Trilogy Evo Universal, in the U.S. stockpile. HHS ordered 10,000 of the ventilators for the Strategic National Stockpile at a cost of $3,280 each. Instead, the company, which is a subsidiary of Dutch appliance and technology giant Royal Philips N.V., began selling more expensive versions of the ventilators across the world. HHS told ProPublica that the company agreed to produce them “as soon as possible,” but a Philips spokesman said the company has no plan to even begin production anytime this year. Instead, the company is reportedly negotiating with a White House team led by Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to build 43,000 more ventilators for Americans infected with COVID-19. The lack of ventilators in the U.S. hospital system has emerged as one of the biggest obstacles the administration faces as the pandemic makes its way across the country. On Monday, Ford announced that it will be able to start producing ventilators by the end of April as governors make clear they desperately need the life-saving machines amid the coronavirus pandemic. The automobile giant said it would be able to produce 1,500 ventilators by the end of next month, 12,000 by the end of May and 50,000 by July 4.

P

House 6.

Unless I can murder Skip Bayless in his sleep

On Monday, Ford announced that it will be able to start producing ventilators by the end of April as governors make clear they desperately need the life-saving machines amid the coronavirus pandemic. The automobile giant said it would be able to produce 1,500 ventilators by the end of next month, 12,000 by the end of May and 50,000 by July 4. 

Nice that we still have the American auto industry to help now!

Ford's Bailout

Although Ford did not receive TARP funds, it did receive government loans.4 These were critical because banks were not lending during the financial crisis. It requested a $9 billion line-of-credit from the government. In return, it pledged to spend $14 billion on new technologies.

On June 23, 2009, Ford received a $5.9 billion loan from the Energy Department's Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing program. In return, it pledged to accelerate the development of both hybrid and battery-powered vehicles, close dealerships, and sell Volvo. It upgraded factories in Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, and Ohio to produce hybrid vehicles.28

Ford used the funds to switch its focus to commercial electric vehicles. In 2016, CEO Mark Fields said, "We want to become a top player in electrified solutions. The company wants to lead…we can win such as with our commercial vehicles."

Eighty-one percent of the funds went to create new efficiency technologies for gas-powered vehicles. For example, they helped fund Ford's aluminum bodies in the F-series pickups. The Congressional Research Service estimated the loans saved 33,000 jobs.29

And the offshore movement of pharmaceutical capacity started in the 80's, tax incentives, the trickle down stuff.  I spent a lot of time and received a lot of pay designing, integrating and supporting those endeavors.  Knew it was gonna bite us in the ass, but my employer was my client, too bad Neutron Jack didn't live to see it. 

@"BigAl99" said: And the offshore movement of pharmaceutical capacity started in the 80's, tax incentives, the trickle down stuff.  I spent a lot of time and received a lot of pay designing, integrating and supporting those endeavors.  Knew it was gonna bite us in the ass, but my employer was my client, too bad Neutron Jack didn't live to see it. 

Yep all about avoiding taxes by incorporating in another country.  I laugh when a lot of old timers say I don't want that drug from India/China/Australia/etc when all the pills (both brand and generic) are being manufactured at the same sites.  Pharma does a good job of scaring people about low cost meds from over seas all the while that is where the branded drugs are from :)   Sad but true.  

Yeah, my son works in the grey area of science and business, he's a molecular biologist.  He worked on CRISPR initially, then as a liaison for patient genomic data and disclosure to whomever.  Now he's on a team for qualifying cancer treatments and clinical testing.  Love to party with him, he's a packer fan too, lot of shit talking.  But he has a pretty fatalistic view of the direction we are heading, like father like son, compartmentalize and let the tech/science keep you sane, people always disappoint.

Bring the manufacturing back to our country.  Fix the uneven tariffs.  Fix the tax breaks.

I have heard one president pushing for this.  And it isn’t the ones pushing for globalism. 

@"A1Janitor" said: Bring the manufacturing back to our country.  Fix the uneven tariffs.  Fix the tax breaks.

I have heard one president pushing for this.  And it isn’t the ones pushing for globalism. 

But no solutions.

How do you bring back manufacturing whike embracing capitalism?

Corporations are going to seek out the cheapest costs to make goods.  American labor vs Chinese labor isn’t even close.  So either you ask American workers to take huge pay cuts, or you raise the prices of the goods companies are going to sell.

What do you suggest?

That “manufacturing economy” ship sailed decades ago and isn’t coming back.  Technology, service and experience industries are now our strengths.

Actions speak louder then words

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/martin-shkreli-requests-prison-release-so-he-can-research-coronavirus-drugs/ar-BB12gycb?ocid=spartanntp

Scumbag Martin Shkreli trying to use the Covid situation to his advantage.  His sentence should be extended with this ploy.  He is a hedge fund manager and CEO not a scientists/physician/medical professional.

@"minny65" said: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/martin-shkreli-requests-prison-release-so-he-can-research-coronavirus-drugs/ar-BB12gycb?ocid=spartanntp

Scumbag Martin Shkreli trying to use the Covid situation to his advantage.  His sentence should be extended with this ploy.  He is a hedge fund manager and CEO not a scientists/physician/medical professional.

Weinstein and Avenetti tried this too.