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Not This Grandma

My, these aging men with their bright ideas. First, it was the president, who has been openly contradicting medical experts with his pining for an early end to social distancing. This would threaten the lives of millions of Americans during the pandemic. Oh, well. As he said, via tweet and at the microphone, “We cannot let the cure be worse than the problem itself.” Every time he says that, I can’t help feeling that women like me — over 60 and eternally over him — are on his checklist of things that can go. It’s not sitting well, I have to tell you. Texas Lt. Gov. ...

Managing A Disaster… If It Is One

I’m not sure whether COVID-19, first identified in Wuhan, China, in the U.S. qualifies as a true disaster. Putting the disease in perspective, we might look at current influenza illnesses. According to Centers for Disease Control estimates, between Oct. 1, 2019, and March 14, 2020, there have been 390,000 to 710,000 hospitalizations as a result of the flu, 38,000,000 to 54,000,000 flu illnesses and 23,000 to 59,000 flu deaths. That’s compared with, as of March 27, a total of 85,356 cases of COVID-19 resulting in the deaths of 1,246 people. But let’s agree that COVID-19 is a ...

COVID-19 Can Be A Catalyst For Change In New York State

The COVID-19 pandemic has forever changed our lives. I know this is an obvious statement. But it has also dramatically changed the public finances of government in New York State. In addition to the unprecedented amount of money and resources that are being expended to combat this virus and manage the impact, it also means that revenues that the state receives, through taxes and fees, will also be negatively impacted in a very dramatic way. The governor has stated that we will have to revisit the budget and make adjustments as the fiscal year progresses, depending on how revenues are ...

Virus Escapees’ Dilemma: Borders Without Doctors

In “The Decameron,” seven women and three men leave plague-tormented Florence for a villa in the hills, where they tell one another bawdy stories. Written nearly 700 years ago, the tale remains fresh, as affluent New Yorkers try to escape the coronavirus outbreak by moving into their second homes at the beach or in the woods. But there are two big differences. In Renaissance Italy, people living outside the city didn’t patrol their borders. By contrast, Florida and Rhode Island have tried to deter visitors from New York by demanding that they undergo two weeks of self-isolation. ...

Can Pandemic Usher In New Era?

To fight the coronavirus at home, France is removing all military forces from Iraq. When NATO scaled back its war games in Europe because of the pandemic, Russia reciprocated. Moscow announced it would cancel its war games along NATO’s border. Nations seem to be recognizing and responding to the grim new geostrategic reality of March 2020: The pandemic is the real enemy of us all, and while we fight it, each in his own national corner, we are in this together. Never allow a serious crisis to go to waste, said Barack Obama’s chief of staff Rahm Emanuel during the financial ...

China’s Lies And Our Lies

This is a tale of two governments. Both were faced with a potential disaster — a new and deadly epidemic. Both made choices that the world will judge. China. The virus made its first appearance in a Wuhan “wet market,” an emporium (apparently common in China) that featured live and newly slaughtered animals in close proximity. SARS and Avian flu are also thought to have originated in these markets, which amount to an ongoing threat to global health. From the first reported case, on Dec. 1, 2019, until Jan. 5, 2020, the Chinese government engaged in a cover-up. As National ...