INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER. WE HAVE A SPECIAL THURSDAY
EDITION OF "SEEN AND UNSEEN,"
ALL COMING UP.
BUT FIRST, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE
WHO CONTRACTED THE CORONAVIRUS
CONTINUES TO GROW.
MORE THAN 1600 AMERICANS NOW ARE
INFECTED, AT LEAST 40 HAVE DIED.
IN OTHER COUNTRIES TO NUMBERS
ARE FAR HIGHER, 8,000 HAVE NOW
PERISHED IN ITALY.
THE NUMBERS ARE GOING TO
CONTINUE TO CLIMB HERE, AS MORE
PEOPLE DO GET TESTED.
IT IS HARD TO MEET AN AMERICAN
WHOSE LIFE HASN’T ALREADY BEEN
EFFECTED IN SUCH A SHORT PERIOD
OF TIME BY THIS VIRUS.
THE RESPONSE FROM THE
GOVERNMENT, BUSINESSES, AND
WALL STREET HAVE WALKED OUR
WORLD.
WORLD. THERE IS NO SUGARCOATING THAT.
SCHOOLS IN AMERICA ARE CLOSING,
MY KIDS HAVE BEEN OUT FOR A
WEEK, THEY WILL BE OUT FOR THE
FORESEEABLE FUTURE.
FORESEEABLE FUTURE. K-12 IN OHIO AND MARYLAND, THE
FIRST STATES TO SHUT IT DOWN.
COLLEGES LIKE GEORGETOWN,
DARTMOUTH, NOTRE DAME, UCLA ARE
ALL EXTENDING SPRING BREAK OR
SIMPLY CANCELING CLASS FOR THE
REST OF THE SEMESTER.
750,000 AMAZON EMPLOYEES ARE
TOLD THEY CAN WORK FROM HOME IF
THEY CAN.
THEY CAN. CONGRESS AND THE WHITE HOUSE ARE
ALSO CONSIDERING, AND SOME
CASES, TELECOMMUTING.
CASES, TELECOMMUTING. THE BIDEN AND SANDERS CAMPAIGNS
HAVE CLOSED SOME OFFICES AND
TOLD STAFF THAT CAN WORK FROM
HOME.
HOME. THE OUTBREAK HAS ALSO RUINED
AMERICANS PLANS FOR VACATION AND
OTHER FUN WITH FAMILY AND
FRIENDS.
FRIENDS. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 250 YEARS,
INCLUDING DURING WORLD WAR II,
WORLD WAR I, NEW YORK’S BELOVED
ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE
POSTPONE.
POSTPONE. THIS MORNING, I WENT TO THE
GIANT TO GET DINNER STUFF FOR
THE KIDS.
THE KIDS. AND NOT ONLY WERE THERE NO
GROCERY CARTS COME UP THERE EVEN
ANY CATCH UP.
PEOPLE WHO WERE FILLING THEIR
CART WITH CASES OF WATER, DOG
FOOD, AND FROZEN PIZZA.
IS THERE A SHORTAGE ON PEPPERONI
AND DOWN?
AND DOWN? IS THERE A RUN ON FLOUR AND
WATER?
WATER? AT LEAST YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE
SPORTS TO WATCH WHILE YOU ARE
COOPED WITH THE KIDS.
WRONG.
WRONG. >> THE REMAINDER OF THE NBA AND
NOW NHL SEASONS HAVE BEEN
SUSPENDED.
SUSPENDED. MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL HAS
DELAYED OPENING DAY AND CANCELED
SPRING TRAINING.
SPRING TRAINING. >> Laura: GHOST STORIES
CONTINUE TO RACK UP.
THERE ARE SOME BIZARRE STORIES
YOU MAY HAVE MISSED, AND ASPEN,
COLORADO, THEY HAVE TEN
CORONAVIRUS CASES.
CORONAVIRUS CASES. THE MOST CONCENTRATED CLUSTER IN
THE ENTIRE VERY LARGE STATE OF
COLORADO.
COLORADO. AND SOME AUSSIE TOURISTS THERE
WHO CAME INTO CONTACT WITH THIS
INFECTED PERSON ARE THEY ARE,
AND THEY ARE REFUSING TO BE
TESTED.
TESTED. YOU CAN’T FORCE THEM TO BE
TESTED, BY THE WAY.
THAT GIVES THEM TIME TO PULL
THEIR LIFT TICKETS, MAYBE
FAMILIES ARE FEELING PRESSURED
TO CANCEL DANCE RECITALS,
BAPTISMS.
BAPTISMS. A FRIEND OF MINE HAD TO POSTPONE
THEIR WEDDING, I WAS GOING TO IT
NEXT WEEK IN NEW ORLEANS, THAT
IS POSTPONE.
IS POSTPONE. THEY DRAG ON THE ECONOMY, THE
MARKET, IT’S A NIGHTMARE.
THE STOCK MARKET DROPPED THE
MOST SINCE THE CRASH OF ’87.
SPEAK OF THE DOW PLUNGING ALMOST
10%.
10%. AND SUFFERING ITS WORST LOSS
SINCE 1987, AND TOTALED THE
MARKET HAVE LOST ALMOST
$3 TRILLION ON THE DAY.
>> IT WAS A BLOOD BATH IN THE
MARKET, NOT JUST TODAY BUT IN
THE LAST COUPLE WEEKS.
>> Laura: WHILE THERE HAVE
BEEN SOME LAYOFFS ALREADY,
JOBLESS CLAIMS HAVE DROPPED IN
MARCH.
MARCH. THAT WILL LIKELY CHANGE.
SO ARE THE DEMANDS FOR MORE
FEDERAL MONEY.
FEDERAL MONEY. DON’T FORGET, THIS IS ELECTION
SEASON.
SEASON. WE ARE STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF A
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. THE DEMOCRATIC DEBATE ON SUNDAY
IS STILL GOING ON BETWEEN
SANDERS AND BIDEN.
AND THE DEMOCRAT MACHINE JUST
SPENT A LOT OF EFFORT TRYING TO
KILL OFF SANDERS, THE WHOLE
CAMPAIGN OF BERNIE SANDERS
BECAUSE THEY SAID THEY DIDN’T
THINK A SELF-DESCRIBED SOCIALIST
WAS ELECTABLE.
WAS ELECTABLE. MODERATES LIKE JOE BIDEN SAID HE
WAS TOO EXTREME FOR THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. BUT IT TURNS OUT THE PARTY
ESTABLISHMENT AS WE SEE THIS
CORONAVIRUS, AID PACKAGE, AND
ALL THE DETAILS OF SERVICE, THEY
ARE MORE COMFORTABLE WITH
SOCIALISM THAN THEY ARE LETTING
ON.
ON. JUST LOOK AT WHAT THEY ARE
TRYING TO CRAM DOWN OUR THROATS
FROM THE GUYS RESPONDING TO THE
VIRAL OUTBREAK.
VIRAL OUTBREAK. PELOSI’S CORONAVIRUS BILL IS
FULL OF SOCIALIST GOODIES.
LIKE ENDING WORK REQUIREMENTS
FOR FOOD STAMPS FOR EVERYONE.
MANDATING EMPLOYERS PROVIDE PAID
LEAVE BENEFITS EVEN BEYOND
NATIONAL CRISES.
NATIONAL CRISES. TAXPAYERS FOOTING THE BILL FOR
CORONAVIRUS TESTS FOR THE
UNINSURED, AND IN SOME
DELIBERATIONS, FOR THE REST OF
THE WORLD.
THE WORLD. IT IS SO BAD THAT REPUBLICANS
ARE REFUSING TO VOTE FOR IT
TONIGHT.
TONIGHT. >> HERE IS ONE GLARING PROBLEM,
UNDER PELOSI’S BILL THE SOCIAL
SECURITY ADMINISTRATION WOULD BE
SET UP TO ADMINISTER THE PAID
SICK LEAVE PROGRAM.
THIS WOULD TAKE MORE THAN SIX
MONTHS, SO IT WON’T WORK AND
TIME.
TIME. IT ALSO WILL HAMPER THE
ADMINISTRATION.
ADMINISTRATION. FROM PUTTING OUT
SOCIAL SECURITY FOR THOSE WHO
NEED IT RIGHT NOW WHO ARE IN
HARM’S WAY.
HARM’S WAY. THIS WILL HURT THE VERY
POPULATION THAT WE ARE SUPPOSED
TO BE HELPING.
>> Laura: THE DEMOCRATS
DELAYED THE VOTE ON THE AID
PACKAGE AS THEY CONTINUE TO
NEGOTIATE WITH THE WHITE HOUSE.
PELOSI THIS MORNING SOUNDED VERY
OPTIMISTIC ABOUT WORKING WITH
STEVE MNUCHIN, TREASURY
SECRETARY SAYING HE HAD
REASONABLE POINTS TO MAYBANK.
THAT SEEMS TO ALL COME TO A HALT
AT SOME POINT DURING THE DAY.
MUCH OF WHAT THE DEMOCRATS ARE
PUSHING DOESN’T DEAL WITH THE
CRISIS AT HAND, AND ONLY SEEMS
TO IN SOME CASES SET A FLOOR FOR
FUTURE GOVERNMENT CONTROL AND
SPENDING.
SPENDING. IN THE END, THIS WILL BE DEALT
WITH.
WITH. AT SOME POINT, THIS WILL BE A
MEMORY, THANK GOODNESS, WE HOPE
IT IS SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.
BUT IN THE END, THE AVERAGE
PERSON IS ALWAYS ASKED TO COUGH
UP MORE MONEY IN RETURN THEY GET
LESS FREEDOM.
LESS FREEDOM. IT IS SOCIALISM BY CRISIS.