Join Jim and Greg as they slam AOC’s economic lunacy and callously partisan response to Monday’s plummeting oil futures. They also shake their heads as CNN says Kim Jong Un is in grave condition and NBC has him brain dead, while Reuters has him fine just hours later. And they gag as Gayle King of CBS gushes that “everyone know” Stacey Abrams is “extremely qualified” to be Joe Biden’s running mate.
Economy
Oil Market Free Fall, Vaccine Doubts, De Blasio’s Disturbing Order
Listen to “Oil Market Free Fall, Vaccine Doubts, De Blasio’s Disturbing Order” on Spreaker.
Join Jim and Greg for three crazy martinis that could easily be all bad. First, they comment on oil prices plummeting faster than we can keep up with them and discuss why our economy suffers if prices are too low for too long. They also recoil as one vaccine expert says the public should brace for the possibility that it may be very difficult or impossible to develop a coronavirus vaccine – although he is from the WHO. And they hammer New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio for urging New Yorkers to rat on their neighbors for not properly social distancing.
Trump vs. WHO & the Beauty of Federalism
Listen to “Trump vs. WHO & the Beauty of Federalism” on Spreaker.
This week, President Trump temporarily defunding the World Health Organization over its failure to confront China over its deceptions or even do any work to confirm the information China was trying to spoon feed to the rest of the world.
On Thursday, President Trump laid out his three-phase plan to restart the U.S. economy. It provides criteria for starting the three phases all the way up to a fully re-engaged society. It also leaves the opening and closing power with governors.
Galen Institute President Grace-Marie Turner weighs in eloquently on both subjects. Turner explains why the WHO must be confronted now and why we cannot wait until after the crisis has largely subsided. She also details what the WHO could do right now to prove it’s more than an apologist for China.
Turner also hails the plan to restart the economy, with special praise for the federalist approach of giving states the flexibility to make their own decisions on reopening.
Although she isn’t expecting any changes in the traditional health policy debates, Turner says this newfound respect for states rights ought to be applied to our health care system as a whole.
“All the things that Washington loves to control by rules and regulations, we’ve seen the health sector actually functions better if we get those out of the way,” said Turner, who says other aspects of the coronavirus response prove her point as well.
“When we have seen good responses to needs, we have seen the private sector stepping up: coming up with tests, producing supplies, turning automobile factories over to be able to produce ventilators. Where we have seen failures, it’s been in central controlled government programs,” added Turner.
Listen to the full podcast to hear where Turner believes the government dropped the ball and more of her analysis on both of these key issues.
A Plan to Re-Open, More Promising Treatments, Oprah’s Iffy Doctors
Listen to “A Plan to Re-Open, More Promising Treatments, Oprah’s Iffy Doctors” on Spreaker.
Join Jim and Greg for an upbeat Friday edition! Today, after assessing Joe Biden’s latest live television mess, they welcome the three-phase plan to bring the U.S. economy back to life. They also marvel at the medicinal and practical ways our hospitals are treating COVID-19. And they break down the curious arguments of Dr. Phil and Dr. Oz, both of whom became household names courtesy of Oprah.
Birx Slams WHO, 22 Million Lost Jobs, Governors Ignore Constitution
Listen to “Birx Slams WHO, 22 Million Lost Jobs, Governors Ignore Constitution” on Spreaker.
Jim starts this edition by blasting the World Health Organization for suggesting that alcohol consumption makes the coronavirus worse. Then he and Greg applaud Dr. Birx for calling out the WHO and China for a deadly lack of transparency that cost the rest of the world valuable time in preparing for the virus. They also lament the 22 million lost in the past four weeks and the lack of urgency in Congress to replenish funds for the Paycheck Protection Program – and discuss how to reopen the economy most responsibly. And they unload on New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy for admitting he never considered the Bill of Rights in having 15 people arrested for gathering at a synagogue in his state and Michigan’s Gretchen Whitmer for saying her severe restrictions are fine because it snowed in Michigan this week.
Hospitals Holding Up, Public Not Ready to Re-Engage, Warren’s Late Endorsement
Join Jim and Greg as they welcome news that hospitals in most parts of the country have decent capacity for more patients – a big improvement from earlier in the month. They also recoil as more than 80 percent of Americans want to keep social distancing even if it means more economic damage. And they get a kick out of Elizabeth Warren offering a ridiculously late endorsement of Joe Biden, now that he’s the last one standing for the Democrats.
Fauci Sets Media Straight, Trump’s Power Trip, China’s Lax Lab Security
Listen to “Fauci Sets Media Straight, Trump’s Power Trip, China’s Lax Lab Security” on Spreaker.
Join Jim and Greg as they enjoy watching Dr. Anthony Fauci blow up a litany of media conspiracy theories about how he and President Trump are at odds and Jim slams the press for covering the coronavirus like a political debate. They also strongly correct Trump’s contention that he has absolute authority but also get dizzy watching the media call him authoritarian one day and demand he shut down the country the next. And they shake their heads at more evidence China was sloppy at their labs long before the outbreak.
Boris Is Back, Whitmer’s Extreme Edicts, NYT’s Dreadful Double Standard
Listen to “Boris Is Back, Whitmer’s Extreme Edicts, NYT’s Dreadful Double Standard” on Spreaker.
Join Jim and Greg as they cheer the recovery of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his heartfelt thanks to those who saved his life. They also slam Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for implementing insane restrictions like not being able to visit someone else’s home and not being able to buy plants, flowers, seeds, or even child car seats. And they unload on the New York Times for dismissing a woman’s sexual assault claim against Joe Biden by saying it could not find any other pattern of abuse except for the women who already accused him of hugs, kisses, and touching that made them uncomfortable.
Carr’s China Smackdown, Emanuel’s Dire Demand, The Politics of Hydroxychloroquine
National Review Online Contributing Editor Rob Long is in for Jim today. Rob and Greg relish FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr’s Twitter demolishing a Chinese officials boast of a free Chinese society by listing numerous regime critics and whistleblowers he would like to see “undisappeared.” They also unload on Obamacare figure Ezekiel Emanuel for suggesting that we can’t go back to normal until we have a vaccine 12-18 months from now, with Rob pointing out Emanuel is now making the exact opposite argument he made a decade ago. And they discuss the bizarre politicizing of hydroxychloroquine, with some media seeming eager for the drug not to work just so they can say President Trump was wrong.
How Long Can We Afford to Keep the Economy Shuttered?
Listen to “How Long Can We Afford to Keep the Economy Shuttered?” on Spreaker.
On Thursday, the Labor Department announced 6.6 million people filed for first-time unemployment last week. In the past three weeks, more than 16 million Americans lost their jobs.
How much longer can our economy afford to be locked down? How fast can it get up and running once it is restarted? And what policies will be most helpful?
Dr. Gary Wolfram teaches political economy at Hillsdale College. He addresses these questions, explains why strong government action is needed in a crisis like this, and why suggestions by Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel and others that we need to ban large gatherings for 12-18 months is simply unrealistic.