Trump working on his comedy routine during a global pandemic 
COVID-19 Pandemic (Coronavirus)
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/opin...859476-8569-11ea-ae26-989cfce1c7c7_story.html
Mitt Romney: America is awakening to China. This is a clarion call to seize the moment.
A woman passes a portrait of Chinese President Xi Jinping in Shanghai on March 12. (Aly Song/Reuters)
By Mitt Romney
April 23, 2020 at 3:25 p.m. EDT
Mitt Romney, a Republican, represents Utah in the U.S. Senate.
America is awakening to China. The covid-19 pandemic has revealed that, to a great degree, our very health is in Chinese hands; from medicines to masks, we are at Beijing’s mercy. Embarrassed by the revelation of this vulnerability, politicians in Washington will certainly act to remedy our medical dependence — with the usual fanfare and self-congratulation. But China’s stranglehold on pharmaceuticals is only a small sliver of its grand strategy for economic, military and geopolitical domination. The West’s response must extend much further — it will require a unified strategy among free nations to counter China’s trade predation and its corruption of our mutual security.
In recent years, China has succeeded in disproportionately positioning its citizens and proxies with loyalties to the Chinese Communist Party in key international governing bodies, allowing it to expand its geopolitical influence. China relentlessly badgers and bribes nations to avert their leaders’ eyes from its egregious abuses of Tibetans, Uighurs and other minorities — as well as its targeting of pro-democracy leaders in Hong Kong. The same methods result in the geopolitical isolation of Taiwan. All the while, China spreads pacifying propaganda throughout the world; even right under our noses, so-called Confucius Institutes peddle pro-China messages in America’s colleges and high schools.
China’s alarming military build-up is not widely discussed outside classified settings, but Americans should not take comfort in our disproportionately large military budget. The government of President Xi Jinping doesn’t report its actual defense spending. An apples-to-apples analysis demonstrates that China’s annual procurement of military hardware is nearly identical to ours; but because our military has missions around the world, this means that in the Pacific, where China concentrates its firepower, it will have military superiority. No wonder the Philippines and other Pacific nations have cozied up to their powerful neighbor.
Today, however, Beijing’s weapon of choice is economic: The tip of its spear is global industrial predation. China not only steals technology from other nations, it massively subsidizes industries it determines to have strategic importance. Further, it employs competitive practices that have long been forbidden by developed nations, including bribery, monopoly, currency manipulation and predatory pricing.
As China ascended in the global marketplace, the West indulged its aberrant industrial policies, hoping it would move toward freedom and adherence to the international rules of commerce. That indulgence exacted a heavy toll. For example, China achieved a breathtaking capture of the global steel market through means that are illegal or impossible elsewhere: pricing far below cost, artificially depressing currency, massive government subsidies and, to be sure, a measure of bribes. Between 2000 and 2009, China more than tripled its global share of steel production, and now it controls more than half of the world’s output — resulting in steel plants shuttered around the globe and the sacrifice of hundreds of thousands of jobs.
China employs its predatory tools across the economy, from high-tech and national security sectors of nanotechnology, telecommunications and artificial intelligence to basic mining and manufacturing. A Chinese conglomerate recently acquired a dominant Indonesian stainless steel company. Indonesia just happens to be the largest producer of the world’s nickel, an essential ingredient in the production of stainless steel. Suddenly, Indonesia has agreed to shut off nickel exports to any of China’s foreign competitors. Another near-monopoly is born, thanks to anti-competitive tactics.
When a predator, unbound by the rules followed by its competitors, is allowed to operate in a free market, that market is no longer truly free.
As a first step, President Trump was right to blow the whistle on Xi and apply tariffs. But we must go a good deal further. We must align our negotiating strategy and policies with other nations that adhere to the global rules of trade. This means narrowing trade disputes with our friends and uniting against China’s untethered abuse. China must understand that it will not have free, unfettered access to any of our economies unless it ceases to employ anti-competitive and predatory practices. It will face a simple choice: Play by the global rules, or face steep economic penalties.
Further action should be applied in national security sectors such as artificial intelligence, telecommunication and, as we now know, pharmaceuticals. The free nations must collectively agree that we will buy these products only from other free nations. In addition to protecting our security, such an agreement would incentivize our research and industrial institutions to invest in these areas, knowing that they will not be undercut by Chinese predatory practices.
China has done what we have allowed it to do; to save a few dollars, we have looked the other way. Covid-19 has exposed China’s dishonesty for all to see. And it is a clarion call for America to seize the moment. When the immediate health crisis has passed, the United States should convene like-minded nations to develop a common strategy aimed at dissuading China from pursuing its predatory path.
Prolific_1011
All Star
Anyone with two functioning ears and common sense knows that wasn't intended as "sarcasm". That's always been the go-to excuse from the White House when this clown is ridiculed and his mental fitness is called into question.
Camoflauge
6ix
Breh Obama should’ve been allowed to rerun for another 8 years once orange peel announced his run for president
desjardins
Veteran
This is basically his go to move now
Allude or borderline agree with something but leave just enough room for him to deny involvement when shyt hits the fan
Facui and Birx are starting to increasingly walk the same tight rope but I understand it more in that case since getting fired for outright disagreeing with Trump could be more harmful in the long run
Counter Racist Male
Retired poster and occasional lurker
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/coronavirus/article242258906.html
Florida death toll passes 1,000 as coronavirus cases exceed 30,000
BY MICHELLE MARCHANTE
APRIL 24, 2020 11:18 AM, UPDATED 1 HOUR 8 MINUTES AGO
Florida death toll passes 1,000 as coronavirus cases exceed 30,000
BY MICHELLE MARCHANTE
APRIL 24, 2020 11:18 AM, UPDATED 1 HOUR 8 MINUTES AGO
- MATIAS J. OCNER
This article has Unlimited Access. For more coverage, sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter. To support our commitment to public service journalism: Subscribe Now.
The Florida Department of Health on Friday morning confirmed 526 additional cases of COVID-19, bringing the state total of confirmed cases to 30,174. The statewide death toll has jumped past 1,000, with 25 new deaths announced. The toll is now 1,012.
Fifteen of the new deaths were in South Florida.
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A 75-year-old man, an 83-year-old woman, a 90-year-old man and two 89-year-old women also died in Palm Beach County, bringing the county’s death toll up to 149.
The other deaths were in Charlotte, Duval, Escambia, Jefferson, Lee, Manatee, St. Lucie, Suwannee and Volusia counties.
Of the new cases, 513 are Florida residents and 13 are non-residents who were diagnosed or isolated in the state. Of the total statewide cases, 29,356 are Florida residents and 818 non-residents.
Health officials say the state has had 4,699 hospitalizations relating to COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
The statewide and county-level data for COVID-19 hospitalizations includes anyone who was hospitalized during their illness and “does not reflect the number of people currently hospitalized,” according to the Department of Health.
The state says it does not “have a figure” to reflect current hospitalization data.
Despite the daily reports of additional confirmed cases and deaths, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced earlier this week that the state’s coronavirus curve had flattened.
But health experts are concerned the statewide total of confirmed cases is significantly undercounted because Florida reports only the number of Floridians waiting to hear test results from state labs, not private ones — and private labs are completing more than 90% of state tests.
The results of thousands of pending tests from private labs have taken as long as two weeks to be added to the state’s official count. The state’s website does not say its figures exclude the vast majority of pending tests for the novel coronavirus.
The Re-Open Florida Task Force, which had it its first meeting Monday on how the state can reopen, was also originally expected to have a list of re-opening recommendations ready for DeSantis by Friday. But then on Thursday, DeSantis’ chief of staff Shane Strum told task force members they would be finishing the recommendations “early next week.”
It was the same day the state reported over 1,000 new confirmed cases, going back to the trend lines of early April.
The apparent deadline extension was also announced a day after the task force — mainly composed of lawmakers and executives from large corporations — said it needed advice from doctors on what safety measures reopened businesses would have to follow.
Counties and cities across the state have already begun to reopen beaches with limited access in an attempt to return life to normalcy. In Miami-Dade, the plan so far is to allow parks, marinas and golf courses to reopen in the near future but not beaches.
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COVID-19 CONFIRMED CASES IN SOUTH FLORIDA
As of Friday morning, here’s what Florida’s Department of Health data showed:
Miami-Dade County had 113 additional confirmed cases of COVID-19, raising the county total to 10,701 confirmed cases. Of those cases, 10,567 are residents, 133 are non-residents and one is a resident who is not in Florida. Those who have fallen ill range from 0 to 105. (A person who is listed as age zero means they are less than 1.) The county has had 1,209 hospitalizations and 279 deaths.
Broward County reported 139 additional confirmed cases, raising the county total of confirmed cases to 4,570. Health officials say 4,444 are residents and 126 are non-residents. Those who have fallen ill range from 0 to 102. The county has had 855 hospitalizations and 158 deaths.
Palm Beach County had 32 additional confirmed cases of COVID-19, raising the county total to 2,586. Health officials say 2,526 are residents, 58 are non-residents and two are residents who are not in Florida. Those who have fallen ill range from 0 to 104. The county has had 397 hospitalizations and 149 deaths.
Monroe County reported two additional confirmed cases of the disease. The county has 76 known cases of COVID-19. Only eight of them are non-residents. Those who have fallen ill range from age 6 to 80.
AquaCityBoy
Veteran
And didn't Georgia get almost 800 new cases yesterday? The day before they're supposed to open up? 
Stay safe, down south brehs.
Stay safe, down south brehs.
NYChase718
Veteran
Oldest state in the nation
protestor
Man of the year
Two of his go to moves. Plausible deniabilty, mixed with gas lighting.
And are yall blaming Trudeau like we're blaming Trump?
I have. I think trudeau is a retard. He has too many fans up here so he can do no wrong but he has done some things trump has not. $2k/ month for anyone that lost their job. No restrictions. If you made $500 all year you would qualify. Also giving companies a subsidy of up to 75% of salaries to companies to retain workers. Also giving students $1300/month over the summer. Trudeau has done more but he has fukked up and a lot of it is being scared of trump.
Hiesenberg
Pro
What if I told you Trump has been giving $2,400 a month since this started?
$600/week = $2,400 a month but these dudes gloss over that.
