The Trump administration has decided not to reopen enrollment in the Affordable Care Act’s federal exchanges amid the rising coronavirus pandemic, a senior administration official said Tuesday evening. Pressure had been building on the White House to launch a special enrollment period to allow the uninsured to purchase Obamacare policies. The decision came the same…… MORE
Category Archives: CNN – Politics
Trump’s alarming message portends tragic days ahead
President Donald Trump finally leveled with America about the desperate reality of the coronavirus pandemic, warning of cruel weeks to come in one of the most chilling White House moments in modern history. Even with blanket nationwide adoption of stringent mitigation efforts, between 100,000 and 240,000 Americans could face death in the coming weeks in…… MORE
Fact-checking Trump’s marathon coronavirus briefing
President Donald Trump tried Tuesday to cast himself as the wise leader who rejected the advice of a “group” of people who had portrayed the coronavirus as a mere flu and had argued that life should go on as normal. He did not mention that he had been the most powerful member of that group.…… MORE
Major retailers have opened only 5 drive-thru testing locations, none available to the general public
As he was facing intense criticism for a lack of adequate testing, President Donald Trump announced in the Rose Garden in mid-March that the federal government would partner with private companies to set up drive-thru coronavirus testing sites. He invited chief executives from Target, Walgreens, Walmart and CVS to the microphone and showered them with…… MORE
Federal prisons will confine inmates to cells for 2 weeks due to coronavirus
The US federal prison system will move to a heightened state of lockdown as it fights the spread of coronavirus behind bars, the Bureau of Prisons announced. Beginning Wednesday, inmates will be confined to their cells for a two-week period, with exceptions for certain programs and services like mental health treatment and education. Limited group…… MORE
Democrats float potential infrastructure package as part of Congress’ next response to coronavirus
When President Donald Trump tweeted Tuesday that he could support a $2 trillion infrastructure package to jumpstart the economy, it was welcome news for House Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal, a Massachusetts Democrat who has been waiting for months to craft such an effort. Lawmakers may be away from Capitol Hill, but negotiations have…… MORE
Coronavirus is just getting started. And your bills are due
Twin forces are colliding in American households with vicious results. First, the Covid-19 outbreak is not going anywhere. Monday saw a new record number of reported deaths (more than 500). New projections suggest that more than 84,000 Americans will die in the coming months. Second, the hard reality that we are still nowhere near the…… MORE
US Army issuing volunteer call up of Individual Ready Reserve members to fight coronavirus
The US Army has begun calling up members of the Individual Ready Reserve on a voluntary basis in order to help combat the spread of the novel coronavirus, another sign that the US military is seeking to bolster its medical capability as the pandemic continues to spread. “On March 29, Human Resources Command sent messages…… MORE
This is exactly how narrow Bernie Sanders’ path is
In an interview with late-night host Seth Meyers, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders argued that while his chances of beating former Vice President Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination aren’t great that chance still does exist. “There is a path,” Sanders said. “It is admittedly a narrow path.” Which got me to thinking: Just how narrow…… MORE
Inmates sue for soap and paper towels as coronavirus spreads in jails
Prisoners are running out of soap and cleaning solution, then wiping their hands on their uniforms because paper towels aren’t available. Detainees are using the same towels they use to clean jail cells to bathe and dry their hands. And there’s no hand sanitizer allowed for prisoners. That’s the grim situation described in a lawsuit…… MORE
ENTERTAINMENT
Let’s cast the inevitable ‘Tiger King’ screen adaptation
Cool cats and kittens everywhere are hungry for more “Tiger King.” Luckily, before the docuseries found a ravenous fanbase on Netflix, “SNL” star Kate McKinnon was already set to adapt the story for screen, having secured rights to the Wondery podcast “Joe Exotic.” McKinnon is set to star as animal advocate Carole Baskin and executive…
Celebrities who tested positive for coronavirus
A growing number of actors, musicians, comedians and others in entertainment are opening up about their personal experiences after a COVID-19 diagnosis, citing their desire to encourage people to heed social distancing guidelines. Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson were among the first to take to social media to talk about their diagnosis and…
Jennifer Lopez and other stars give away money in new show ‘Thanks a Million’
Jennifer Lopez greets a special little girl in a just released trailer for “Thanks a Million.” Tracy Morgan hugs a man at a boxing gym. Both stars had chosen a deserving person to hand deliver $100,000 cash to in the new Quibi series. The inspiring show, which debuts on the new service on April 6,…
Andy Cohen shares how he stayed out of the hospital
Andy Cohen returned to work Monday and shared with his audience what it was like to have the coronavirus. Appearing on his SiriusXM radio show, “Andy Cohen Live,” the Bravo executive and talk show host talked about his symptoms, which he said included fever, a cough, tightness in his chest, some chills, loss of smell…