Friday, March 20, 2020

No more lies! No more idiotic statements! I have had it!




No more lies! No more idiotic statements! I have had it!




Image may contain: 1 person, sitting, possible text that says 'I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE THE TRUMP FAMILY'S RECENT STOCK TRADING HISTORY RIGHT ABOUT NOW....'









Former federal prosecutor among those asking whether Republican lawmakers misled the public on coronavirus as they sold stocks

Four senators sold stocks before coronavirus threat crashed market






Four senators sold stocks before coronavirus threat crashed market



Four senators sold stocks shortly after a January briefing in the Senate on the novel coronavirus outbreak, unloading shares that plummeted in value a month later as the stock market crashed in the face of a global pandemic.

The sales raise questions about whether the senators violated the STOCK Act, a law that bans members of Congress from making financial trades based on nonpublic information.

Loeffler and her husband, who is the chairman of the New York Stock Exchange, sold at least $355,000 in stocks from Jan. 24-31, according to Senate records, after the coronavirus briefing hosted by the Senate Health and Foreign Relations committees. 

The senator and her husband also sold $890,000 in stocks from Feb. 5-14, just days after the first confirmed coronavirus cases emerged in the U.S. but nearly two weeks before community spread of the disease was confirmed within the country.

The sales, worth at least $1.2 million together, saved Loeffler and her husband from steep losses they would have incurred after the stock market’s crash began Feb. 24.

…..in a pair
 tweets Friday that she doesn’t control her and her husband’s financial assets and was informed of the sales on Feb. 16.

“This is a ridiculous and baseless attack. I do not make investment decisions for my portfolio. Investment decisions are made by multiple third-party advisors without my or my husband's knowledge or involvement,” Loeffler tweeted.

.....tamped down concerns about the administration’s response to the coronavirus outbreak while selling stocks that soon plunged within weeks of the disease spreading within the U.S. Loeffler is facing a tough election race this year, which includes a challenge from Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.).

Inhofe sold at least $180,000 in stocks on Jan. 27, days after the Senate’s coronavirus briefing, according to Senate records. Inhofe also sold at least $50,000 in stock in an asset management company on Feb. 20, four days before the stock market crashed.

Inhofe said in a statement Friday that he did not attend the Senate coronavirus briefing on Jan. 24, and instead met with children from Oklahoma who were in Washington, D.C., for the annual March for Life and with the nominee to be U.S. ambassador to Tanzania.

Inhofe added that he does not "have any involvement in my investment decisions" and instructed his financial adviser in December 2018 to begin selling all of his stock holdings two months after he was elected chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

"I instructed my financial advisor to move me out of all stocks and into mutual funds to avoid any appearance of controversy. My advisor has been doing so faithfully since that time and I am not aware of or consulted about any transactions," Inhofe said.

Inhofe's financial disclosures show a steady stream of stock sales throughout 2019 and into early 2020. The senator also said he asked his financial adviser in December 2018 to reverse a purchase of stock in Raytheon, a U.S. defense contractor, that would have raised questions about conflicts of interest.

Inhofe wrote in a letter to the Senate Ethics Committee that his adviser made stock purchases "without my consultation or awareness."

Inhofe’s sale came roughly a week after Burr on Feb. 13 sold between $628,000 and $1.72 million in stock while receiving classified briefings on coronavirus as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

“Senator Burr filed a financial disclosure form for personal transactions made several weeks before the U.S. and financial markets showed signs of volatility due to the growing coronavirus outbreak,” a spokesperson for Burr told ProPublica regarding the stock sales.

“As the situation continues to evolve daily, he has been deeply concerned by the steep and sudden toll this pandemic is taking on our economy.”

Selling stocks before markets show signs of falling typically save an investor from financial losses.

On Friday, Burr asked the Senate Ethics Committee to investigate his stock sales, which he said were based on CNBC coverage of the coronavirus in Asia in mid-February.

Burr has come under further scrutiny after NPR reported this week that the senator compared the coronavirus outbreak to the 1918 influenza pandemic during a private Feb. 27 luncheon in Washington, D.C. Burr is scheduled to retire in early 2023 after his term ends, though he is under increasing pressure to resign now.

Trump and some Republicans lawmakers have faced intense criticism for playing down the threat of the novel coronavirus, which has infected more than 14,000 Americans and claimed at least 205 lives as of Friday morning, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

At least one Democratic senator also unloaded stock before the scale of the crisis became clear to the general public.

Feinstein, one the longest-tenured Senate Democrats, sold at least $500,000 in shares of Allogene Therapeutics, a California biotechnology company, on Jan. 31 and at least $1 million in Allogene stock on Feb. 18, according to Senate records.

A spokesman for Feinstein told The New York Times that she had nothing to do with the decisions to sell her stocks.

“All of Senator Feinstein’s assets are in a blind trust,” Tom Mentzer said in a statement. “She has no involvement in her husband’s financial decisions.”


LINK


Two GOP senators face questions over stock sales ahead of the market’s coronavirus slide

LINK 



Coronavirus in N.Y.: ‘Deluge’ of Cases Begins Hitting Hospitals





The healthcare system in New York is already being overwhelmed.
—Erika
For weeks, as the coronavirus has spread across the world, New York officials have warned that a surge of cases could overwhelm the state’s health care system, jeopardizing thousands of patients.
Now, that surge has begun.
In a startlingly quick ascent, New York reported on Friday that the state was closing in on 8,000 positive tests, about half the cases in the country. The number was 10 times higher than what was reported earlier in the week.
The sharp increase is thrusting the medical system toward a crisis point, officials said.
In the Bronx, doctors at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center say they have only a few remaining ventilators for patients who need them to breathe. In Brooklyn, doctors at Kings County Hospital Center say they are so low on supplies that they are reusing masks for up to a week, slathering them with hand sanitizer between shifts.
Some of the jump in New York’s cases can be traced to significantly increased testing, which the state began this week. But the escalation, and the response, could offer other states a glimpse of what might be in store if the virus continues to spread. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Friday urged residents to stay indoors and ordered nonessential businesses to keep workers home.


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SNAKE OIL SALESMAN



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Politico Massachusetts Playbook: What BAKER told TRUMP — State mobilizes NATIONAL GUARD — BARNEY FRANK’S take — Yarmouth closes down BEACHES




What BAKER told TRUMP — State mobilizes NATIONAL GUARD — BARNEY FRANK’S take — Yarmouth closes down BEACHES


 
Massachusetts Playbook logo
GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. TGIF.
BARNEY FRANK: YOU ARE UNINFORMED AND SHOULD JUST SHUT UP IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THE ISSUES SURROUNDING CORONAVIRUS!  AS A CONGRESSMAN, I MISTAKENLY BELIEVED YOU WERE DOING A GOOD JOB WHILE YOU WERE GENUFLECTING TO BIG BANKS AND THE CORRUPT CORPORATE DNC AND YOU CONTINUE TO DO SO. 
FRANKLY, FRANK, YOU GOT IT WRONG!
FRANK TALKS CORONAVIRUS ECONOMY — The coronavirus pandemic is already reshaping the U.S. economy. In Massachusetts alone, 20,000 people filed for unemployment in a single day this week, and the state's newly-established $10 million small business recovery loan fund closed to applicants after only a few days, according to a MassLive report.
As Congress scrambles to address the unfolding financial crisis, I called former Rep. Barney Frank, who was chair of the House Financial Services Committee during the 2008 financial crash and an architect of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act that reformed the financial industry.
In Frank's view, lawmakers are doing the "best possible job" to pass an economic stimulus package in the face of a sharp partisan divide in Washington, and that cutting checks to ordinary Americans is a good idea as an "interim measure." He cautioned against allowing share buybacks. But looking back at the last financial crash, Frank said there are key differences between what happened in 2008 and what's going on now.
"Last time there was resentment, because last time, the crisis was caused by some people doing bad things. Nobody's done anything bad here. There are criticisms that some people haven't done enough good things, but there's no blame here. No human act caused this or caused it to spread, and that makes it easier," Frank said. "You don't run into the question of 'Are you rewarding people who misbehaved?' This is not a case of misbehavior. Everybody's an innocent victim in this situation."
One lesson lawmakers should take from 2008, the ex-congressman said, is how they communicate with the public about corporate bailouts, especially as the economy grinds to a halt and the airline industry and others ask for help. Frank said he's been in touch with a couple of his former colleagues who serve now on the Financial Services Committee.
"We didn't do enough to make it clear that there were some restrictions and there were paybacks from the [Troubled Asset Relief Program], the public didn't understand. So the one lesson I get is that it is very, very important that you make clear what limitations and paybacks you're putting on aid to corporations, not to individuals, but to the corporations," Frank said.
We're still at the very beginning of what could be a lengthy, unprecedented disruption of ordinary life to battle the coronavirus. I asked Frank how dire the economic situation in the United States could become over the next several months.
"What's the point of answering that? This isn't a game. It's not like Jeopardy or the Price is Right. I don't know. Nobody really knows. But the point is this," Frank said. "It's bad enough now, it could be bad enough, so we have to do everything we can to fix it. How that will end, nobody knows."
Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com.
TODAY — Boston Mayor Marty Walsh is a guest on WGBH's "Boston Public Radio." Rep. Lori Trahan holds a tele-town hall with health experts Jody White, Dr. Dan Berlowitz, and Dr. Ashish Jha.
 
GO GLOBAL ... FROM HOME: Global Translations, presented by Morgan Stanley, serves as your guide to understanding the global issues that impact us all without having to travel further than your inbox! You'll learn more about the power players and trends shaping our planet in ways you can apply to your own work and life. In the latest edition, author Ryan Heath ties together the global response to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak and the ways it's affecting 2020 election season in the United States, the health and financial crisis in Italy, and more. SUBSCRIBE TODAY.
 
 
DATELINE BEACON HILL
- "Trump Told Governors to Buy Own Virus Supplies, Then Outbid Them," by Jordan Fabian, Bloomberg: "President Donald Trump's directive for governors to buy their own medical supplies to fight the coronavirus has run into a big problem -- the federal government. Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker told Trump during a video conference on Thursday that his state three times lost out to the federal government on purchases of critical supplies, creating an awkward moment during the made-for-TV event at Federal Emergency Management Agency headquarters in Washington."
- "Baker says 'enormous increase' in coronavirus testing is coming; confirmed case tally rises to 328," by Martin Finucane, Travis Andersen and Andrew Ryan, Boston Globe: "Governor Charlie Baker pledged Thursday morning that Massachusetts would soon see an "enormous increase" in testing for coronavirus as he acknowledged that the state's capacity to screen people remained far below what was needed to blunt the local impact of the pandemic. Hours later, the state Department of Public Health announced that the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the state had risen to 328 from 256 the day before."
- "Coronavirus response: National Guard activated in Massachusetts to add manpower for growing crisis," by Steph Solis, MassLive.com: "The Massachusetts National Guard is activating up to 2,000 members to assist the state in its response to the coronavirus, an official confirmed Thursday. The activation takes effect Thursday, said Don Veitch, public information officer of the Massachusetts National Guard. Veitch said he didn't know exactly what the guardsmen will assist the state with, where their efforts will be concentrated or how many of the 2,000 will be called upon at first."
- "Nurses: Baker should deploy National Guard to hospitals," by Christian M. Wade, The Salem News: "The state's largest nurses union is calling on Gov. Charlie Baker to deploy the National Guard at hospitals and take other aggressive steps to support front-line medical workers as they battle the new coronavirus. In a letter, the Massachusetts Nurses Association praises the Baker administration for moving quickly to contain the spread of the virus but spells out a litany of requests aimed at protecting nurses and other medical staff as they brace for an expected surge of infected patients."
- "Legislature Plans to Postpone March Special Elections," by Matt Murphy, State House News Service: "House and Senate leaders plan to postpone four special elections scheduled for the end of the month, and will pass legislation on Monday to give cities and towns increased flexibility to delay local elections planned for the spring and allow voting by mail. Senate President Karen Spilka and House Speaker Robert DeLeo both announced Thursday afternoon that they would take up an elections bill on Monday."
- "Dental precautions gain endorsements, but hygienists want mandate," by Elaine Thompson, Telegram & Gazette: "The state Department of Public Health has endorsed recommendations from the Massachusetts Dental Society calling for nonemergency procedures to be postponed, to lessen the spread of the coronavirus. But the president of the Massachusetts Dental Hygienists Association said a mandate is needed to stop some dentists who are still putting hygienists and patients at risk."
- "Mass. Among 17 State Legislatures Meeting Through Pandemic," by Colin A. Young, State House News Service: "Of the 35 state Legislatures that were in session when the global coronavirus pandemic became the focus of most government activity and daily life, just less than half continue to conduct business in some capacity through the outbreak. Massachusetts is among the 17 states to press on in the face of the rapid spread of COVID-19, according to the Council of State Governments, and the legislative agenda has shifted nearly exclusively to prioritize coronavirus response efforts."
- "What does a shelter-in-place order actually look like?" by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: "Officials say there are no plans for a 'shelter-in-place' order in Boston or Massachusetts in response to the coronavirus outbreak. The concept evokes perhaps-alarming images of the type of lockdown enforced in parts of China to deal with the coronavirus outbreak. But as it has been carried out in the United States, how much different would a shelter-in-place order be compared to the rules already in effect in the Boston area?"
FROM THE HUB
- "China investigating ex-Biogen employee who fled there while sick with coronavirus," by Mark Arsenault and Hanna Krueger, Boston Globe: "A statistician who was working in Massachusetts for Biogen Inc.,the sponsor of the now infamous Boston meeting at the epicenter of the state's COVID-19 outbreak, is being investigated in Beijing for allegedly flying to her native China while sick, not disclosing her exposure to coronavirus to the airline, and covering up her fever with drugs, according to reports in Chinese-based media."
- "Citywide 'lit-drop'— a campaign season staple— planned for Saturday," by Katie Trojano, Dorchester Reporter: "It's long been a staple of political campaigns in the city of Boston: Volunteers going door-to-door with literature promoting candidates and seeking votes. On Saturday, the Walsh administration will re-boot the old-school 'lit-drop' to get out vital COVID-19 information across the city. The Mayor's Office is assembling an army of volunteers to bring an informational pamphlet, accessible in seven languages, to every property in Boston in a single day."
- "Local activist provides free meals," by Yawu Miller, Bay State Banner: "Next to the Grove Hall post office, a queue stretches back 20 yards as families wait in line for backs of takeout food supplied by the nonprofit group Violence in Boston. On the menu Wednesday: American chop suey lunches and spaghetti dinners. Violence in Boston Executive Director Monica Cannon Grant says she was inspired to start the free meals program when she realized Boston Public Schools were about to shut down."
- "Boston Sports Clubs Laid Off All Its Employees on Monday Night," by Tessa Yannone, Boston Magazine: "Boston area gyms began closing last week to keep their patrons and the city safe from the coronavirus—leaving personal trainers, among the city's many other service employees, without work for the time being. Now, it looks like fitness chain Boston Sports Club has officially laid off all their employees."
- "Coronavirus: Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins to release inmates vulnerable to COVID-19 and who pose no 'meaningful risk' to public safety," by Tanner Stening, MassLive.com: "Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins plans to release inmates who may be vulnerable to coronavirus in an effort to protect the incarcerated and the public, her office said on Thursday. Rollins says her office is working to release those in custody who pose 'no meaningful risk to public safety.'"
DAY IN COURT
- "Lawyers in Columbia Gas settlement seek early payout," by Christian M. Wade, Gloucester Daiy Times: "Lawyers who handled the $143 million settlement of a class-action lawsuit against Columbia Gas of Massachusetts are trying to get that money out more quickly to people who've now been affected by both the September 2018 gas disaster and coronavirus shutdowns. The settlement, which includes thousands of dollars of lump-sum and itemized payments for gas disaster victims, was approved Friday by Superior Court Judge James Lang."
- "Concern About COVID-19 Spikes Among Immigration Attorneys As A Boston Courtroom Is Closed," by Shannon Dooling, WBUR: "Concerns over exposure to COVID-19 are increasing among Boston's immigration attorneys after one of the courtrooms in Boston abruptly closed earlier this week. Susan Roses, an immigration attorney based in Lynn, was in Boston's immigration court Wednesday when she says immigration Judge Jennifer Mulcahy took it upon herself to close her courtroom."
- "Only 6 guards affected by 'unauthorized memo,'" by Jack Sullivan and Sarah Betancourt, CommonWealth Magazine: "An unauthorized and now rescinded memo initiating a moratorium on suspensions and disciplinary hearings for correction officers to ease staffing concerns during the current coronavirus crisis would have only affected six guards in the state's prisons, according to the Department of Correction. The low number - the state has a total of 3,500 correction officers — raises questions why Michael G. Grant Sr., a deputy commissioner at the Department of Correction, wrote the memo in the first place."
DATELINE D.C.
- "Colleges plead for bailout amid coronavirus losses," by Deirdre Fernandes, Boston Globe: "Empty dormitories, canceled recruiting tours, cratering endowment investments — the coronavirus has turned college campuses into ghost towns and sent a financial tremor throughout the industry. On Thursday, colleges and their lobbying groups urged Congress to include an estimated $50 billion in any federal coronavirus stimulus package for higher education institutions and their students."
- "Coronavirus: Senators Ed Markey, Elizabeth Warren urge Massachusetts banks, credit unions to waive fees amid COVID-19 emergency," by Benjamin Kail, MassLive.com: "As Massachusetts residents contend with the COVID-19 outbreak and its economic impacts, Sens. Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren have asked the largest banks and credit unions in the state to waive a host of fees to provide relief for customers. The senators sent letters to 19 financial institutions."
- "Sen. Warren, Mass. Delegation Urge Federal Government To Restock Hospitals With Protective Gear," by Gabrielle Emanuel, WGBH News: "Members of Massachusetts' congressional delegation sent a letter to the federal government Wednesday evening urging action in remedying the shortage of protective health care gear, like masks, many local hospitals are facing. The senators and representatives, led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, want more information about when a shipment of more protective equipment from the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) can be expected at Massachusetts hospitals."
IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN
- "Residents call for halt to compressor station construction," by Jessica Trufant, The Patriot Ledger: "Residents opposed to a natural gas compressor station being built on the banks of the Fore River want construction stopped amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which has brought much of the country to a halt. Fore River Residents Against the Compressor Station called on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration to suspend construction of the Weymouth compressor station, to help slow the spread of the virus."
ABOVE THE FOLD
Herald: "WAR FOOTING," Globe: "Ex-Biogen worker accused of flying to China while ill"; "Baker activates National Guard."
FROM THE 413
- "Social distancing guts Berkshire hospitality industry," by Clarence Fanto, Berkshire Eagle: "The county's hospitality industry is taking a severe hit from the coronavirus pandemic, with a sharp decline in reservations and hundreds of layoffs, with many more anticipated. 'The impact is enormous, it's unprecedented, there's no playbook for this,' said Sarah Eustis, CEO of Main Street Hospitality, partly owned by the Fitzpatrick family, which operates the iconic Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge."
THE LOCAL ANGLE
- "Inside the state's first large-scale drive-through coronavirus testing facility," by Kay Lazar and Andrew Ryan, Boston Globe: "Dozens of CVS nurses, pharmacists, and technicians, and specialists from the US Public Health Service had been scurrying around a massive CVS parking lot since 5 a.m. Wednesday, erecting a series of blue tents and one circus-sized white one. They unpacked boxes of face shields, swabs, and hazardous waste bins. They practiced safely donning and removing gowns and face masks, and collecting nasal swabs from patients."
- "Virus causing election anxiety in Attleboro area and beyond; legislative fixes being discussed," by Jim Hand, Sun Chronicle: "Plainville Town Clerk Ellen Robertson said she was up until 1 a.m. Thursday worrying about the coming town election, and not because she is up for re-election. Instead, Robertson is anxious about the impact the coronavirus pandemic will have on the election and whether the town should try to have it postponed."
- "Medical facilities struggle to follow social distancing," by Jon Winkler, The Lowell Sun: "Of the many guidelines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding the coronavirus, one that's frequently mentioned is social distancing through isolation or staying about 6 feet away from others in public. Two local medical facilities didn't seem to follow that practice on Thursday."
- "Residents object as Yarmouth adds beaches to list of closures," by Christine Legere, Cape Cod Times: "Yarmouth, so far, is alone in barring the public from the beaches. The restriction was posted Monday on the town website. By Wednesday, notices saying "closed to the public until further notice" were being posted at beaches. The closure has prompted emails and calls to town officials, as well as a massive outcry from the public on social media sites."
- "Dirty dollars? SouthCoast restaurants cleaning, sanitizing, handling cash with gloves, encouraging online orders," by Curt Brown, SouthCoast Today: "Restaurants are having employees wear latex gloves when handling currency and encouraging customers to order meals online to avoid touching cash as their challenge with the COVID-19 health crisis continues. The sanitation and cleanliness safeguards are meant to protect everyone's health after Gov. Baker's decision to restrict restaurant business to take-out service only and ban sit-down dining to promote social distancing."
MEDIA MATTERS
- "Berkshire Eagle Publisher Discusses Staff Furloughs During Pandemic," by Josh Landes, WAMC: "On Tuesday, the Berkshire Eagle announced that each member of its staff would take a week-long furlough as the daily Pittsfield, Massachusetts-based paper takes a financial hit during the COVID-19 outbreak. On Thursday, New England Newspapers, Inc. President and Publisher Fred Rutberg spoke with WAMC Berkshire Bureau Chief Josh Landes about the move, which is accompanied by a reduction in the size of the physical publication and the expansion of the Eagle's online content."
TRANSITIONS - Neal Litvack, a Red Cross exec, will be the next president and CEO of the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Link.
WELCOME TO THE WORLD - Patrick Bench, president of Benchmark Strategies, and Natalia Bench welcomed their daughter Alessandra Monica Bench on Thursday. Pic.
HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY - to Wilnelia Rivera of Rivera Consulting, Inc., who celebrated yesterday.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to Karlee Fain.
HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND - to Saturday birthday-ers Ryanne Olsen of Emerge America, and Shane Dunn, senior director of development and alumni relations at Brandeis International Business School. And to Sunday birthday-ers former state Rep. Tom Sannicandro, Daniel Sullivan, RIPTA Capital Planner Zachary Agush, and the one and only Larry Farmer.
DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? The home teams are not playing.
NEW EPISODE: HOME ALONE - On this week's Horse Race podcast, hosts Jennifer Smith and Stephanie Murray speak with state Rep. Jon Santiago and Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu about the coronavirus pandemic. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud.
Want to make an impact? POLITICO Massachusetts has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Bay State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you're promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness among this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com.
 
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