Trump Administration Considering Sending Checks Directly to Americans, Treasury and IRS to Delay Tax Season Deadline by 90 Days
March 17th, 2020Via: CNBC:
Taxpayers will get a three-month reprieve to file their 2019 income tax returns, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Tuesday at a press conference.
As part of its coronavirus response, the federal government will also give filers 90 days to pay income taxes due on up to $1 million in tax owed, Mnuchin said in Washington. The reprieve on that amount would cover many pass-through entities and small businesses, he said.
More: Trump Administration Mulls Checks for Americans to Support Economy
Ron Paul: The Coronavirus Hoax
March 16th, 2020Via: Ron Paul:
People should ask themselves whether this coronavirus “pandemic” could be a big hoax, with the actual danger of the disease massively exaggerated by those who seek to profit – financially or politically – from the ensuing panic.
That is not to say the disease is harmless. Without question people will die from coronavirus. Those in vulnerable categories should take precautions to limit their risk of exposure. But we have seen this movie before. Government over-hypes a threat as an excuse to grab more of our freedoms. When the “threat” is over, however, they never give us our freedoms back.
Related:
Coronavirus: Italy Locked Down
Israel: Shin Bet Uses Secret Mobile Phone Social Graph System to Track Coronavirus Exposure
March 16th, 2020Well, well, well…
Lunatic fringe, hair on fire conspiracy theorists: Right again.
Via: New York Times:
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has authorized the country’s internal security agency to tap into a vast and previously undisclosed trove of cellphone data to retrace the movements of people who have contracted the coronavirus and identify others who should be quarantined because their paths crossed.
The unprecedented move to use data secretly gathered to combat terrorism for public health efforts was debated for hours on Sunday by Mr. Netanyahu’s holdover cabinet.
…
The existence of the data trove and the legislative framework under which it is amassed and used have not previously been reported. The plan to apply it to fighting the virus, alluded to only vaguely by Mr. Netanyahu, has not yet been debated by lawmakers or revealed to the public.
The idea is to sift through geolocation data routinely collected from Israeli cellphone providers about millions of their customers in Israel and the West Bank, find people who came into close contact with known virus carriers, and send them text messages directing them to isolate themselves immediately.
U.S. Stock Markets Halted Again
March 16th, 2020Via: CNBC:
Stocks fell sharply Monday even after the Federal Reserve embarked on a massive monetary stimulus campaign to curb slower economic growth amid the coronavirus outbreak.
The S&P 500 dropped 8.14% shortly after the open, triggering a “circuit breaker” trading halt that will last for 15 minutes. The Dow was down about 2,300 points, or nearly 10%. The Nasdaq Composite sank 9%.
Coronavirus and the Sun: A Lesson from the 1918 Influenza Pandemic
March 16th, 2020Via: Medium:
Put simply, medics found that severely ill flu patients nursed outdoors recovered better than those treated indoors. A combination of fresh air and sunlight seems to have prevented deaths among patients; and infections among medical staff. There is scientific support for this. Research shows that outdoor air is a natural disinfectant. Fresh air can kill the flu virus and other harmful germs. Equally, sunlight is germicidal and there is now evidence it can kill the flu virus.
Saudi Flood of Crude About to Crash Into Demand Destroyed by Coronavirus Containment Measures
March 16th, 2020Oil just broke down under $30.
Via: Reuters:
Saudi Arabia’s move to flood the crude oil market is on a collision course with global demand that is about to be pummelled by the coronavirus pandemic, especially in North America and Europe.
As the outbreak intensifies and spreads across Europe and the United States, governments are trying to contain it by effectively shutting down many transport links and encouraging social distancing.
While it’s still too early to come up with a definitive number for how much global oil demand will be lost, and over what time period, it’s virtually certain it will be significant.
Perspective: History of Pandemics
March 15th, 2020This is a good one.
Via: VisualCapitalist:
As humans have spread across the world, so have infectious diseases. Even in this modern era, outbreaks are nearly constant, though not every outbreak reaches pandemic level as the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) has.
Today’s visualization outlines some of history’s most deadly pandemics, from the Antonine Plague to the current COVID-19 event.
NYC & LA Mayors Order Bars, Nightlife, Gyms, & Restaurants To Shut Except For Delivery
March 15th, 2020Via: ZeroHedge:
Shortly after New York’s mayor de Blasio pulled the plug, Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti has ordered the closing of all bars, nightclubs, gyms and entertainment venues from midnight March 16 until March 31.\
Restaurants will be limited to take-out and delivery
Grocery stores will remain open
Fed Lowers Interest Rate to Near-Zero, Stock Futures Go Limit Down Again
March 15th, 2020— I N T ? L W ? V ? ? (@inteldotwav) March 13, 2020
Via: Yahoo News:
Stock futures opened sharply lower Sunday evening, even after the Federal Reserve launched a massive monetary stimulus program — including cutting rates to effectively zero and unveiling plans for large-scale asset purchases.
Specifically, the Fed slashed benchmark interest rates rates by 75 basis points to a band of between 0% and 0.25%. Underscoring the growing fears of a worldwide recession, the surprise announcement came just days ahead of the Fed’s scheduled March monetary policy meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday — and less than two weeks after the Fed had also unexpectedly cut rates by 50 basis points to a range of 1.00-1.25%.
Many market participants had expected the Fed would vote to cut rates to a zero lower bound for the first time since the financial crisis, but anticipated it would happen at this week’s meeting. The Fed will no longer hold its previously scheduled meeting, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said during a press conference Sunday evening.
Hoboken: First U.S. City to Implement a Widespread Curfew Due to Coronavirus Fears, Will Also Limit Restaurants to Takeout and Delivery
March 15th, 2020Via: Insider:
The New Jersey city of Hoboken has become the first in the United States to implement a curfew amid the coronavirus outbreak sweeping the country.
Mayor Ravinder Bhalla announced the measure Saturday evening, and said the Office of Emergency Management will enforce a daily curfew from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m., where residents must remain in their homes unless there’s an emergency or they’re required to work at night.
Hoboken officials later clarified that dog-walking would also be allowed, and that the goal of the curfew was instead to prevent activities like house parties.
Bhalla also announced severe restrictions on restaurants and bars, with none being allowed to serve food within their premises.
In a series of tweets Saturday evening, Bhalla explained his rationale, saying “the time is now” to try to protect residents.
