covi

When a government official can determine how essential someone’s livelihood is, everyone is vulnerable. A few months ago it may have been difficult to imagine a world where going to work, operating a sit-down restaurant, or engaging in business with consenting individuals was punishable by law. Where going to the gym or getting a haircut …

Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) said Monday that Congress needs to make changes to a program that provides aid to small businesses, arguing that larger companies and those that have not been hurt by the coronavirus are receiving assistance. Scott pointed to reports that large chain stores and restaurants had qualified for loans under the Small …

Technology to track and monitor individuals aims to slow pandemic, but raises concerns about government overreach. In South Korea, investigators scan smartphone data to find within 10 minutes people who might have caught the coronavirus from someone they met. Israel has tapped its Shin Bet intelligence unit, usually focused on terrorism, to track down potential …

Nancy Pelosi, after nearly two months of the media ignoring it, was finally asked this morning about her promotion of tourism in late February, even as the Wuhan virus had clearly escalated into a serious situation for the country. This came during a trip to Chinatown in which she told people everything was safe and …

The U.S. stock market has rebounded swiftly despite a raft of terrible economic news, driven by a massive boost from the Federal Reserve, hopes of a successful reopening of the economy and possible coronavirus treatments, as well as investors’ fear-of-missing-out. But not everyone is buying the bounce. The S&P 500 .SPX closed on Friday at …

With the COVID-19 lockdown upon us, anxiety and depression are on the rise. It would be irresponsible to downplay the risks that coronavirus poses to America’s health and economy. But excessive pessimism is also in no one’s interest. Problems and their purported solutions must be evaluated coolly and dispassionately. Facts, logic, reason and science, not …

George Soros is directing more than $130 million in funds from his Open Society Foundations toward helping vulnerable communities globally amid the coronavirus pandemic.  The funding package includes $37 million to support workers and their families across New York City, the U.S. epicenter of the outbreak and home to Open Society’s largest office, according to …

National crises often illuminate bad government policy. The COVID-19 outbreak has done so for all sorts of policies, from strict regulations on new medical tests, to restrictive medical licensing, to trade barriers, to limits on freight transport. But crises also demonstrate good policy, and such is the case for the 2017 Federal Communications Commission decision …

The Times feels more loyalty to failing global institutions than to the Americans who buy its newspapers. Donald Trump announced this week he intends to halt funding for the World Health Organization over the group’s suspicious relationship with China. Doubtless you’ll be shocked to hear that the establishment media quickly fell in line to defend …

On Wednesday, Fox News’ Brett Baier reported the stunning news that officials have “increasingly high confidence” the COVID-19 pandemic originated from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, a Level 4 biological testing lab located in Wuhan, China. My colleague, Bonchie, posted about this last night here. Baier appeared on “Hannity” last night to discuss the information …