PBC News & Comment: In Virus Response, Trump Only Cares About Low Numbers

Trump’s denial of the pandemic risk and unfocused response reveal his top concern: keeping the numbers of infected and killed as low as possible….--cut to payroll tax would increase paychecks a little, but it’s more like a loan to be paid back with income tax payments next year; how ‘bout Andrew Yang’s “Freedom Dividend”?
--the mostly non-American crew of Grand Princess cruise ship will be quarantined on the ship, not permitted to enter US
--Italy imposes national lockdown, and NY Gov. Cuomo locks down New Rochelle
--The Guardian posts first MSM report on prospects of drug remdisivir for Covid-19
--recovering Economic Hit Man John Perkins says Mother Earth is sending a message
--Trump, Biden and Sanders continue to hold big rallies
--with primaries in 6 states today, polls show Biden in the lead
--Biden told a Detroit autoworker who argued about guns “you’re full of shit”
--Biden told MSNBC viewers he’d veto Medicare for All
--in video report, Mehdi Hasan looks at Joe Biden’s lies
--in new, in-depth interview, Joe Lauria of ConsortiumNews recaps the preliminary hearing on extradition for Julian Assange
--Sen, Ron Wyden and Rep Ro Khanna introduce Espionage Act Reform Act
--Virginia lawmakers end gerrymandering in new legislation
--in Sunday report, NY Times says Erik Prince recruited spies to train James O’Keefe’s team to infiltrate liberal groups and Dem campaigns
--DC Appeals Court rules that House committees can see redacted grand jury evidence from Mueller report
--Trump blasts House for holding briefings with his intelligence people on alleged Russian meddling in 2020 election, his acting DNI avoids appearing on the Hill
--in WashPost opinion column, Katrina vanden Heuvel blasts NY Times for Commie smear of Bernie Sanders
--in Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince MBS snuffs out possible palace coup
--Turkey’s Erdogan cruelly uses refugees to extort EU
--as Trump declares mostly-phony Afghan peace plan, Whitney Webb exposes how hollow it s, as violence continues and 2 men claim presidency
--in Israel, Netanyahu struggles to form government as opponents align
--Led Zeppelin wins appeal of copyright suit over Stairway to Heaven