Donald Trump Just Adopted One of Progressives’ Biggest Demands for the Bailouts
Gripas Yuri/ZUMA During a Wednesday press conference, Donald Trump made a surprising admission: He didn’t want to see companies that receive any federal bailout money spend it on stock buybacks—a potential restriction that, so far, has mainly be advocated by the most liberal members of Congress. A reporter asked the president if he would guarantee…
The Coronavirus and the Economy
A few days ago I suggested that the economic impact from the coronavirus pandemic might not be that bad. After all, the Spanish flu was worse, and its impact in the US was surprisingly moderate. That suggestion has aged badly. I still believe that government action can ameliorate the downturn in ways that weren’t feasible…
Chart of the Day: 1 Million New Unemployment Claims This Week?
Unemployment claims last week were about a quarter higher than the week before. This week they’ve already doubled and may double again when every state is counted. Justin Wolfers has the chart: This is just the start, and it’s the reason that a $1,000 check is so inadequate. We’re facing a crisis that will last…
Minnesota and Vermont Just Classified Grocery Clerks as Emergency Workers
Shawn Lynch, assistant manager of a grocery store in Brattleboro, Vermont, restocks cases of water during an overnight shift. His team worked through the night to make sure the shelves were full for the next day’s shoppers to buy supplies during the coronavirus outbreak.Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer via AP As the rapidly spreading coronavirus pandemic…
Trump’s Spiritual Adviser Paula White Is Using the Coronavirus Crisis to Bankroll Her Church
President Donald Trump embraces Paula White, chair of the White House evangelical advisory board.Chip Somodevilla/Getty On Tuesday, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin warned senators that the outbreak of Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, and the massive recession that likely will take place might cause the unemployment rate to balloon to 20 percent. (He later…
The Coronavirus Is Making the Case for Abortion Via Telemedicine
Telemedicine—in which doctors administer medication via webcam and a remotely-controlled drawer—has become an easy target for anti-abortion legislators who try to claim it is dangerous and limits physician oversight. But the coronavirus pandemic highlights precisely why access to medication abortion through telemedicine is so crucial. And now, abortion providers and advocates are calling for states to…