COVID-19 Coronavirus UPDATES, BANS, CLOSURES, ADVISORY, etc.

[Wheels]

To that I would add that any airline that comes asking for public money better be prepared to treat the public like owners going forward, instead of like sheep.

When airlines make big profits (as they have recently), they pay out dividends, or buy back stock. In the last 6 years, American Airlines alone has spent $15 billion buying back its own stock (NY Times, March 16). That's on top of dividends they have paid to shareholders. Don't get me wrong - I believe in capitalism, and companies can do what they want with their profits. (American's CEO had this to say in 2017: “I don’t think we’re ever going to lose money again." Famous last words.) But when a company comes begging for help from us (and make no mistake - it's our money they want), that's not capitalism, and they need to explain why they are so needy, what they propose to do with it, and what they propose to give us for it. There is no question I have no desire to bail out the owners of airlines, nor should those to whom we entrust our tax dollars, without some real, tangible payback.

Business is business. You want a loan, go to a bank. Otherwise, better be prepared to offer something compelling.

Agree completely. My post regarding the airline industry from yesterday.

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US Airline industry wants $50B and have just spent $44B on stock buybacks. The Airline industry has always been cyclical with significant drawdowns. Cash has always been important. Think TWA, Pan-Am, Branif......... Unfortunately the US government will not let any of these companies fail. Since we will bail them out anyway, why don't we require that in exchange for the money, the top 10 executives at each company leave and forfeit their golden parachutes. For this equity infusion, the US government becomes 50% owner of the companies and the government will have to divest their equity to the market within ten years with the money being returned to the US treasury.

Instead, the top executives of these companies that have led them to this precipice will probably make hundreds of millions of dollars in bonuses over the next ten years.

US airline industry seeks about $50 billion in federal help

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/16/business/us-airlines-federal-bailout/index.html


US Airlines have spent $44B on buybacks in last ten years.

 

[Brent in Az]

Things are getting pretty stressful here inTucson. Our idiot County board of supervisors, is voting to close a whole slew of businesses. Misdemeanor charges will be filed against anyone who violates the order.

Tens of thousands, without work, or a paycheck, including myself.

I'm really hating China right now. My disgust of politicians, and community leaders, is a close second.

 

[Brent in Az]

Until you have worked in the commercial pork industry and seen a virus move through a 500 sow pig barn over night and kill 397 head of sows full of baby pigs the next two day its hard to realy understand their reasons for no large assemblys of people.We tend to error on the side of caution more now day than we ever used to is that because we learned something from past experience????

I originally come from farm country. Have seen many pigs die from disease, although not on the commercial scale. The hard part is the desposing of them. A cousin of mine has a pig farm in Minnesota. I took a tour when I was up there some years ago. It was disgusting.

 

[crudeoildude]

At this point im not sure anyone including the chineese and Italy have any real idea how deadly it may be,it may be gestating into a real monster,sure as hell hope not

 

[gizmo]

 

[crudeoildude]

I seen online today that here in wyo we have 15 positive cases and 7 of them are the same nursing home what ya gonna do come on vacine

 

[lwaters]

Agree completely. My post regarding the airline industry from yesterday.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

US Airline industry wants $50B and have just spent $44B on stock buybacks. The Airline industry has always been cyclical with significant drawdowns. Cash has always been important. Think TWA, Pan-Am, Branif......... Unfortunately the US government will not let any of these companies fail. Since we will bail them out anyway, why don't we require that in exchange for the money, the top 10 executives at each company leave and forfeit their golden parachutes. For this equity infusion, the US government becomes 50% owner of the companies and the government will have to divest their equity to the market within ten years with the money being returned to the US treasury.

Instead, the top executives of these companies that have led them to this precipice will probably make hundreds of millions of dollars in bonuses over the next ten years.

US airline industry seeks about $50 billion in federal help

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/16/business/us-airlines-federal-bailout/index.html


US Airlines have spent $44B on buybacks in last ten years.

Let them go broke. We have the technology for tele conferences. Why are the business people flying all over for meetings? Like the interstate by my house completely full of all hours of the day. Doesn't anybody work? It's pretty nice out there now. Use to go with my wife TDY when she worked for the government. It was pretty nice vacation on the taxpayers.

 

[EricB]

Things are getting pretty stressful here inTucson. Our idiot County board of supervisors, is voting to close a whole slew of businesses. Misdemeanor charges will be filed against anyone who violates the order.

Tens of thousands, without work, or a paycheck, including myself.

I'm really hating China right now. My disgust of politicians, and community leaders, is a close second.

I'm with you on that. Just found out today that I'll be taking a month off of work on the government's dime, which only pays half of what I was making before all this crap.

 

[stug]

New Zealand just announced our borders are closing as of 11:59pm tonight to everyone except NZ citizens and permanent residents.

 

[Pondoro]

Capitalism without bankrupsies is like religion without sin...its not working..

 

[Adrian]

Being widely reported that China has has no new locally transmitted infections in the last 24 hours.
34 new cases reported but from people who had arrived from elsewhere.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/18/world/asia/china-coronavirus-zero-infections.html

 

[jeanes]

Looks like tonic water is in everyone future.

Perhaps with a little gin or vodka added?

 

[spike.t]

Looks like tonic water is in everyone future.

What did I miss?...... Got a few tins to go with the gin......

 

[spike.t]

With the WHO now telling countries to prepare for a possible pandemic I would say that is what is going to come.... With lockdowns now in Italy and it most likely out of control in Iran and cases occurring with no known links to China not looking good.... The problem is that when people stop traveling which is what will happen.... There will be massive economic problems.... No tourists visiting places ...means no spending in shops ....restaurants.... Hotels....airlines with no passengers...... Cruise companies with no passengers..... This is only one business i.e. tourism.... But world wide it's a massive industry and a lot of places and their businesses are heavily or totally dependent on it....even business travelers would dry up.....so devastation to a lot of places .....and this is only one business around the world.... Start adding in the others that will be affected as is already happening in manufacturing etc.....then things look potentially catastrophic..... Gold is at its highest level for a long time.... Just hope it doesn't reach this scenario

Unfortunately It would seem I wasn't wrong.... In fact didn't go far enough compared to what is/has happened/happening.....

 

[Albert GRANT]

New CDC research shows people between 20 and 54 years old make up almost 40% of hospitalized coronavirus patients in the U.S., underscoring health officials’ warnings that everyone should take precautions. THE NEW YORK TIMES

 

[BRICKBURN]

It looks like our distribution of cases is not following the "Wet Market" Stats from China.
Apparently the younger travellers (mostly) are bringing it home.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Apparently we have tested nearly 15,000 people in Alberta alone, while I am hearing reports that the entire USA has only tested around 30,000.
March 18, 2020

Aberrant reporting or what?

Anyone know who's in control of those stats in the US?

 

[Scott CWO]

New CDC research shows people between 20 and 54 years old make up almost 40% of hospitalized coronavirus patients in the U.S., underscoring health officials’ warnings that everyone should take precautions. THE NEW YORK TIMES

Maybe but they don"t die. They are just covering their asses now that they have caused a depression. Why are you trying to help make this worse than it is? Look at the DATA.

 

[lwaters]

New Zealand just announced our borders are closing as of 11:59pm tonight to everyone except NZ citizens and permanent residents.

Was in New Zealand a few years ago. There was a ton of Chinese tourist. Surprised this wasn't done earlier.

 

[Scott CWO]

New CDC research shows people between 20 and 54 years old make up almost 40% of hospitalized coronavirus patients in the U.S., underscoring health officials’ warnings that everyone should take precautions. THE NEW YORK TIMES

Actually, the Chinese data shows that same age group accounting for the most cases so of course they will also make up a lot of the hospitalizations. However, they don't have the mortality rate that would correspond.