Muckraker Farm

Passages in bold in the body of the texts below are usually my emphasis, though not always. This is an ongoing project, and I update the site frequently during the day. Because I try to stay focused on what has actually happened, I usually let the news ‘settle’ for a day or so before posting. I hope readers will peruse the articles in full for a better understanding of the issues and their context; our democracy and our future depend on citizens who can distinguish between facts and falsehoods and who are engaged in the political process.

For independent global news, visit Democracy Now!

Friday, 22 May 2020, Day 1,218:

Some Global Coronavirus Updates for Friday, 22 May 2020: U.K. to Quarantine All Incoming Air Travelers; a Chinese Coronavirus Vaccine Shows Promise, The New York Times, Friday, 22 May 2020:

• U.K. announces a quarantine of all international air travelers.
• A vaccine developed in China shows promise.
• Listen to how the pandemic has hushed great cities.
• Falling immunizations raise fears that preventable diseases could claim more lives than Covid-19.
• Separated by Plexiglas. A correspondent tells us of the new normal of nursing home visits in France.
• A teenage girl crossed India on a $20 bike to get her father safely home amid the crisis.
• As virus spreads in Russia’s Caucasus, rumors swirl over a strongman’s health.

Many other significant developments are included in this article.

Some U.S. Coronavirus Updates for Friday, 22 May 2020: As Death Toll Nears 100,000, Some in the Trump Administration Question the Math; Experts Disagree. President Trump ordered states to reopen places of worship, but several governors said that decision would be their call. Persistently high case levels in Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington have medical experts concerned. The New York Times, Friday, 22 May 2020:

• Some White House officials suggest deaths are overcounted. Experts disagree.
• Trump demands that governors let houses of worship reopen.
• States differ on their approaches to religious services during the pandemic.
• Birx expresses concerns about case levels in Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington.
• Ahead of a holiday weekend, beach towns are telling N.Y.C. residents to stay away.
• The Justice Dept. backs a lawsuit to block Illinois’s stay-at-home order.
• Airlines are permitted to stop flying to dozens of U.S. cities.

Many other significant developments are included in this article.

Some New York Region Coronavirus Updates for Friday, 22 May 2020: New York Relaxes Rules, Approving All Gatherings of Up to 10 People, The New York Times, Friday, 22 May 2020:

• Groups of 10 people can now gather anywhere in New York for any reason.
• N.J. allows outdoor gatherings of 25 people and lets campgrounds open.
• A man drowns at Rockaway Beach as N.Y.C. considers when to open its beaches.
• Prayers resume at a Brooklyn synagogue.
• New York City’s suburbs could start to reopen next week, Cuomo said.

Many other significant developments are included in this article.

Continue reading Week 175, Friday, 22 May – Thursday, 28 May 2020 (Days 1,218-1,224)

Passages in bold in the body of the texts below are usually my emphasis, though not always. This is an ongoing project, and I update the site frequently during the day. Because I try to stay focused on what has actually happened, I usually let the news ‘settle’ for a day or so before posting. I hope readers will peruse the articles in full for a better understanding of the issues and their context; our democracy and our future depend on citizens who can distinguish between facts and falsehoods and who are engaged in the political process.

For independent global news, visit Democracy Now!

Friday, 8 May 2020, Day 1,204:

Some Global Coronavirus Updates for Friday, 8 May 2020: Mexican Government Is Hiding Huge Coronavirus Toll, Especially in the Capital, The New York Times, Friday, 8 May 2020:

• Mexico’s true coronavirus toll is hidden as the government ignores a wave of deaths in the capital.
• Lockdown is tough. In South Africa, it’s even tougher if you want a beer or a smoke.
• Our Moscow correspondent takes us to a stricken city cheated of a chance to unite over a past glory.
• A three-drug cocktail proves effective in speeding recovery for mild to moderate cases, a small trial shows.
• Argentina again teeters on default as the pandemic guts its economy.
• Celebrations commemorating the end of World War II in Europe, including a speech from Queen Elizabeth, were subdued.
• By air and sea, India begins major operation to bring home thousands of stranded citizens.

Many other significant developments are included in this article.

Some U.S. Coronavirus Updates for Friday, 8 May 2020: The Food and Drug Administration (F.D.A.) Clears First Home Saliva Test; Pence’s Press Secretary Has Coronavirus, The New York Times, Friday, 8 May 2020:

• The F.D.A. approved the first home saliva test for the coronavirus.
• The U.S. lost 20.5 million jobs in April as unemployment rose to 14.7 percent.
• Pence’s press secretary has tested positive for the virus.
• California warns that counties flouting governor’s rules could lose funding.
• The distribution of remdesivir has become mired in controversy.
• Government watchdogs criticized a federal loan program for small businesses.
• California voters will get mail-in ballots for the November election.

Many other significant developments are included in this article.

Some New York Region Coronavirus Updates for Friday, 8 May 2020: 5-Year-Old Dies in New York City of Rare Illness Linked to Coronavirus, The New York Times, Friday, 8 May 2020:

• A 5-year-old has died of a mysterious illness linked to the coronavirus.
• N.Y.C. will limit crowds at two parks amid concerns over unequal social-distance policing.
• Here’s how the beginning of Connecticut’s reopening will look.
• The M.T.A. will provide buses to protect the homeless from bad weather this weekend.
• Neighborhood celebrities, lost to the virus.

Many other significant developments are included in this article.

Continue reading Week 173, Friday, 8 May – Thursday, 14 May 2020 (Days 1,204-1,210)

Passages in bold in the body of the texts below are usually my emphasis, though not always. This is an ongoing project, and I update the site frequently during the day. Because I try to stay focused on what has actually happened, I usually let the news ‘settle’ for a day or so before posting. I hope readers will peruse the articles in full for a better understanding of the issues and their context; our democracy and our future depend on citizens who can distinguish between facts and falsehoods and who are engaged in the political process.

For independent global news, visit Democracy Now!

Friday, 24 April 2020, Day 1,190:

Some Global Coronavirus Updates for Friday, 24 April 2020: European Union (E.U.) Waters Down Report on China’s Coronavirus Propaganda, The New York Times, Friday, 24 April 2020:

• The E.U., pressured by Beijing, watered down a report on China’s disinformation.
• In the time of ‘les microbes,’ our Paris bureau chief sees an older Paris emerging.
• Ramadan, normally a time for Muslims to congregate, begins under lockdowns.
• Pakistani doctors warn that the country is loosening its lockdown too soon.
• Belgium to begin lifting restrictions in May.
• U.S. roundup: Trump’s remarks on disinfectants are rebuked, and the Navy wants a captain reinstated.
• A World War II veteran has the top single in Britain.

Many other significant developments are included in this article.

Some U.S. Coronavirus Updates for Friday, 24 April 2020: Trump’s Suggestion on Thursday That an ‘Injection Inside’ the Human Body With a Disinfectant Could Help Combat the Coronavirus Prompts Warnings About the Dangers of Ingesting Disinfectants, The New York Times, Friday, 24 April 2020:

• Warnings of the dangers of ingesting disinfectants follow Trump’s remarks.
• Three states move ahead with reopenings despite misgivings.
• The pandemic upends how Muslim Americans celebrate Ramadan.
• Scientists are concerned about false positives in virus tests.
• Navy leaders recommend reinstating Capt. Crozier.
• Federal workers sent to a quarantine site lacked proper gear or training.
• The California National Guard has been deployed at nursing homes.

Many other significant developments are included in this article.

Some New York Coronavirus Updates for Friday, 24 April 2020: Virus Deaths in New York Hit Lowest Level Since 1 April, The New York Times, Friday, 24 April 2020:

• Deaths in N.Y. fell to 422, the lowest one-day figure since April 1.
• ‘I dare you’: Cuomo stepped up his attacks on McConnell’s bankruptcy suggestion.
• Governor Murphy expresses concern over New Jersey counties that have ‘slid backward.’
• New Yorkers want cheap wine, and lots of it.
• As domestic violence reports rise, New York offers new resources.

Other significant developments are included in this article.

Continue reading Week 171, Friday, 24 April – Thursday, 30 April 2020 (Days 1,190-1,196)

Passages in bold in the body of the texts below are usually my emphasis, though not always. This is an ongoing project, and I update the site frequently during the day. Because I try to stay focused on what has actually happened, I usually let the news ‘settle’ for a day or so before posting. I hope readers will peruse the articles in full for a better understanding of the issues and their context; our democracy and our future depend on citizens who can distinguish between facts and falsehoods and who are engaged in the political process.

For independent global news, visit Democracy Now!

Friday, 10 April 2020, Day 1,176:

Some Global Coronavirus Updates for Friday, 10 April 2020: Coronavirus Caseload Tops 1.6 Million, as Countries Greet Easter Weekend with Lockdowns. The United States, citing the virus, vowed to issue visa penalties for countries that refuse to accept people it wants to deport. Moscow’s hospitals have been pushed to their limits. The New York Times, Friday, 10 April 2020:

• Global deaths cross 101,000, a devastating toll, as cases surge past 1.6 million.
• Russia’s outbreak is growing fast, straining medical resources.
• The Turkish government orders millions to stay home in sudden lockdown. 
• Violence erupts over the distribution of food in Kenya.
• See how the coronavirus has upended Good Friday around the world.
• Pakistani Muslims defied the government’s order not to congregate for prayers.
• The latest in science: Antibody tests may work, but not perfectly. 

Many other significant developments are covered in this article.

Some U.S. Coronavirus Updates for Friday, 10 April 2020: Trump Says Countries Must Accept Deportees or Lose Visas. The U.S. says that lifting stay-at-home rules too soon could result in a spike in infections. Apple and Google are working on a cellphone feature to help with contact tracing. The New York Times, Friday, 10 April 2020:

• Trump says he’s ‘looking at a date’ to begin easing restrictions.
• Seventy test positive at a San Francisco homeless shelter.
• Citing virus, Trump moves to punish countries that won’t accept deported citizens.
• Burning Man will not take place in the Nevada desert.
• Disruptions of global supply chains are leading to shortages.
• New York’s projected hospital-bed shortfall has not materialized.
• Apple and Google plan a cellphone feature to help track the virus’s spread.

Many other significant developments are included in this article.

Some New York Coronavirus Updates on Friday, 10 April 2020: Number of Virus Patients in I.C.U.s Starts to Fall in New York. The figure decreased for the first time since the outbreak began, providing more evidence that the curve of infection is flattening, but deaths remain high. The New York Times, Friday, 10 April 2020:

• The number of virus patients in I.C.U.s in New York fell for the first time.
• The virus has completely changed funerals and mourning.
• A moment to cheer amid the sorrow.
• Deaths in New Jersey near 2,000.
• Five more homeless people have died in shelters.

Many other significant developments are included in this article.

Continue reading Week 169, Friday, 10 April – Thursday, 16 April 2020 (Days 1,176-1,182)

Passages in bold in the body of the texts below are usually my emphasis, though not always. This is an ongoing project, and I update the site frequently during the day. Because I try to stay focused on what has actually happened, I usually let the news ‘settle’ for a day or so before posting. I hope readers will peruse the articles in full for a better understanding of the issues and their context; our democracy and our future depend on citizens who can distinguish between facts and falsehoods and who are engaged in the political process.

For independent global news, visit Democracy Now!

Friday, 27 March 2020, Day 1,162:

Trump Signs $2 Trillion Coronavirus Stimulus Bill, The New York Times, Emily Cochrane and Sheryl Gay Stolberg, Friday 27 March 2020: “President Trump on Friday signed a sweeping $2 trillion measure to respond to the coronavirus pandemic, but not before a late objection from a lone rank-and-file Republican forced hundreds of lawmakers to rush back to the capital even as the virus continued to spread through their ranks. The move by Representative Thomas Massie, Republican of Kentucky, accomplished an extraordinary feat, uniting President Trump and John Kerry, the former Democratic secretary of state and presidential candidate, in a bipartisan moment of outrage against a lawmaker who wanted to force the whole House to take a formal roll-call vote. House Democrats and Republicans teamed up to bring just enough lawmakers back to the Capitol to thwart Mr. Massie’s tactic, and the measure passed on a voice vote. It was a resounding show of support for a bill that lawmakers in both parties said was imperfect, but essential to address a national public health and economic crisis…. While the legislation was the product of a compromise among Republicans, Democrats and the administration, Mr. Trump did not invite any Democrats to the White House to celebrate its enactment, as is typical…. In weeks, it will send direct payments of $1,200 to individuals earning up to $75,000, with smaller payments to those with incomes of up to $99,000 and an additional $500 per child. It will substantially expand jobless aid, providing an additional 13 weeks and a four-month enhancement of benefits — including an extra $600 per week — and extend it to freelancers and gig workers. The package also suspends all federal student loan payments for six months through September, and the loans will not accrue interest during that period…. The law creates disclosure requirements, an inspector general and a congressionally mandated board to monitor a $425 billion bailout fund to be administered by the Federal Reserve. It also bars companies that receive government infusions from doing stock buybacks for as long as they are benefiting from federal aid, in addition to a year afterward. Companies owned by Mr. Trump and members of his family are barred from receiving any of the bailout money, although the president’s real estate company could potentially benefit from other aspects of the stimulus law…. About two hours after Mr. Trump signed the legislation, however, the White House issued a signing statement undermining a crucial safeguard Democrats had demanded as a condition of agreeing to the corporate bailout fund. The law empowers the inspector general to request information from executive branch agencies and requires the official to report any unreasonable refusal to Congress ‘without delay.’ But Mr. Trump suggested his constitutional powers permit him to decide what information to share with lawmakers.” See also, Trump signs $2 trillion coronavirus bill into law as companies and households brace for more economic pain, The Washington Post, Erica Werner, Paul Kane, and Mike DeBonis, Friday, 27 March 2020: “President Trump on Friday signed a massive $2 trillion emergency spending bill into law, promising to deliver a tidal wave of cash to individual Americans, businesses and health care facilities all reeling from the coronavirus pandemic. His signature came just hours after the House of Representatives passed the massive package by an overwhelming voice vote, and less than 48 hours after it received unanimous approval from the Senate…. But tensions between the White House and Congress over how the law will be implemented became immediately apparent. In a signing statement, Trump wrote that he would not permit a new inspector general to issue certain reports to Congress ‘without presidential supervision.’ Democrats insisted on the creation of the new inspector general in order to make sure the White House didn’t improperly disburse taxpayer money.” See also, Trump Suggests He Can Gag the Inspector General for Stimulus Bailout Program, The New York Times, Charlie Savage, Friday, 27 March 2020: “When President Trump signed the $2 trillion economic stabilization package on Friday to respond to the coronavirus pandemic, he undercut a crucial safeguard that Democrats insisted upon as a condition of agreeing to include a $500 billion corporate bailout fund. In a signing statement released hours after Mr. Trump signed the bill in a televised ceremony in the Oval Office, the president suggested he had the power to decide what information a newly created inspector general intended to monitor the fund could share with Congress. Under the law, the inspector general, when auditing loans and investments made through the fund, has the power to demand information from the Treasury Department and other executive branch agencies. The law requires reporting to Congress ‘without delay’ if any agency balks and its refusal is unreasonable ‘in the judgment of the special inspector general.’ Democrats blocked a final agreement on the package this week as they insisted on stronger oversight provisions to ensure that the president and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin could not abuse the bailout fund. They feared that Mr. Trump, who has previously stonewalled congressional oversight, would do the same when it came to the corporate aid program. But in his statement, which the White House made public about two hours after the president signed the bill, Mr. Trump suggested that under his own understanding of his constitutional powers as president, he can gag the special inspector general for pandemic recovery, known by the acronym S.I.G.P.R., and keep information from Congress.” See also, John Kerry says Republican Representative Thomas Massie ‘tested positive for being an asshole,’ New York Daily News, Brian Niemietz, Friday, 27 March 2020: “Former Secretary of State John Kerry and President Trump finally agree on something —Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie has to go. The Republican representative was the sole vote against a $2.2 trillion coronavirus stimulus bill that would help people in need during a deadly and rapidly spreading pandemic. Many of Massie’s fellow congressmen and women were forced to return to Washington, D.C., for a vote, despite travel and congregating in groups being very dangerous right now. ‘Breaking news: Congressman Masse has tested positive for for being an asshole,’ Kerry tweeted. ‘He must be quarantined to prevent the spread of his massive stupidity.'” See also, House passes $2 trillion coronavirus package, but not without last-minute drama, Politico, Heather Caygle and Sarah Ferris, Friday, 27 March 2020. See also, Trump signs historic $2 trillion stimulus after Congress passes it Friday, CNN Politics, Clare Foran, Manu Raju, Haley Byrd, and Ted Barrett, Friday, 27 March 2020. See also, Trump signs $2.2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package into law, The Guardian, Lauren Gambino, Friday, 27 March 2020. See also, Inside the talks on the largest U.S. bailout: frantic negotiations, partisan tensions and a Trump tweet, The Washington Post, Seung Min Kim, Mike DeBonis, Erica Werner, and Paul Kane, Friday, 27 March 2020. See also, The Mega-Bailout Leaves 4 Mega-Questions. Democrats decided to play ball to get what they wanted on policy. But how are all those ideas going to work? Politico, Michael Grunwald, published on Saturday, 28 March 2020.

Some significant developments in the coronavirus pandemic on Friday, 27 March 2020: U.S. becomes first country to report 100,000 confirmed coronavirus cases; Trump invokes Defense Production Act, The Washington Post, Marisa Iati, Katie Mettler, Siobhán O’Grady, Hannah Knowles, Samantha Pell, Meryl Kornfield, and Colby Itkowitz, Friday, 27 March 2020: “The United States, which recorded its first confirmed case two months ago, now has more than 100,000 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, as reported by states’ health departments. The nation passed 10,000 cases on March 19 and on Thursday became the country with the most confirmed cases. Shortly after signing a sweeping $2 trillion coronavirus spending package into law, President Trump moved to curb oversight provisions in the legislation and assert presidential authority over a new inspector general’s office created to monitor the disbursement of loans. The decision could set up a momentous battle between the White House and Congress as the administration implements the new law.”

Coronavirus Updates: Trump Signs #2 Trillion Bill as U.S. Virus Cases Pass 100,000, The New York Times, Friday, 27 March 2020: “President Trump, who had questioned the need for additional ventilators, pushed industry to make more. A new survey of mayors found dire shortages of urgently needed supplies.

• There are now 100,000 known coronavirus cases in the United States.
• Trump attacks Democratic governors. Biden says: ‘Stop personalizing everything.’
• Trump signs $2 trillion stimulus plan, clearing way for checks for Americans.
• Coronavirus cases now threaten America’s middle.
• U.S. cities face shortages of masks, ventilators and emergency gear.
• Millions of Americans are feeling the shock of unemployment.
• After expressing doubts about the need for more ventilators, Trump pushes industry to make more.

Many other significant developments are covered in this article.

Continue reading Week 167, Friday, 27 March – Thursday, 2 April 2020 (Days 1,162-1,168)