IT SHOULD BE SHORT-TERM. A few thoughts on economic assistance and bailouts in the Covid-19 era. “So what do people need? Housing, basic utilities, and food for the next two or at most three months.”

2008 was a financial system liquidity crisis. That’s not an issue today, but in a couple of months we don’t want to face a consumer liquidity crisis as we try to get things going again.

Plus: “Finally, here is what we should absolutely not do, but your Editor fears that we will do: Concede major changes in the American system of capitalism to the left in order to save the equity of the current stockholders of public companies.”

Concede nothing to the left. They bring nothing to the table.

THIS SEEMS RIGHT: Sorry, America, the Full Lockdown Is Coming: Politicians won’t admit it yet, but it’s time to prepare—physically and psychologically—for a sudden stop to all life outside your home. We’ve devoted this week to taking care of business that can’t wait, and doing some more stocking-up. You should be doing the same, if you haven’t already.

MORNING CONSULT: Coronavirus or not: Voter approval of Trump’s economic performance persists.

OPEN THREAD: Atomic batteries to power. Turbines to speed. Roger, ready to thread out!

TRUMP SPARS WITH REPORTER OVER ACCUSATION THAT STAFFER CALLED CORONAVIRUS ‘KUNG FLU:’

“I wonder who said that,” the president replied evenly. “Do you know who said that?”

“I’m not sure the person’s name,” Ms. Alcindor answered.

* * * * * * * *

White House counselor Kellyanne Conway chided reporters who asked her about an anonymous official allegedly using the term “Kung flu.”

“Excuse me!” Mrs. Conway said. “Of course it’s wrong. But you can’t just make an accusation and not tell us who it is.” 

More here: At press briefing, Trump and aides asked four times whether ‘Chinese virus’ is racist. “America is in the grip of a viral pandemic that originated in China. The virus is in more than 120 countries and has killed more than 8,000 people precisely because of China’s incompetence and malicious arrogance. And two White House correspondents used their access to the leader of the free world Wednesday to waste his and everyone else’s time with inane, vapid, useless questions based on Chinese communist propaganda. Way to go.”

UNEXPECTEDLY: Economic Meltdown? Mass Unemployment? Solution: More Immigration!

WELL, LET’S HOPE SO: Beijing Fears COVID-19 Is Turning Point for China, Globalization.

21ST CENTURY HEADLINES: Vega rocket’s new 3D-printed thrust chamber passes critical hot-fire test.

ECONOMICS: Qantas, Jetstar to stand down thousands of workers due to coronavirus.

LOSSES: House Cleaners Are Out Of Work And Unprotected During The Coronavirus Outbreak.

Related: Met Museum Prepares for $100 Million Loss and Closure Till July.

WHY, IT’S LIKE THEY’RE ACTUALLY DEMOCRATIC PARTY OPERATIVES WITH BYLINES, OR SOMETHING: CNN Commentator Admits On CNN, Press ‘Wants Trump to Be Defeated.’

ALL THIS AND WORLD WAR II:

But I thought the au courant term for those years of mild unpleasantness was “the European Civil War.”

UPDATE: Germany has succumbed to panic — the government has rejected rationalism in favour of ‘doing something.’

(Updated and bumped.)

FIRST CONGRESSMAN TESTS POSITIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS: Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) “said he developed a fever and headache on Saturday and has now been notified he has contracted the coronavirus. ‘I want everyone to know that I am feeling much better. However, it is important that everyone take this extremely seriously and follow CDC guidelines in order to avoid getting sick and mitigate the spread of this virus,’ he said in a statement.”

Related: Democrat Senator Michael Bennett Won’t Self-Quarantine After Possible Contact With Person Infected With Coronavirus.

WELL, LET’S HOPE: Part of the Coronavirus Conventional Wisdom Has Become Too Pessimistic.

DISPATCHES FROM THE MANCHURIAN MEDIA: My latest post, over at Ed Driscoll.com.

(Bumped.)

GRUMPY OLD MAN: Sanders snaps at reporter for asking about campaign status: ‘I’m dealing with a f—ing global crisis.’

IMPORTANT QUESTIONS: Wine Is for Sharing. What Does That Mean in Self-Quarantine?

ROGER SIMON: Joe Biden is Absolutely the Wrong Person to Deal with China.

SPLC RELEASES FEAR-MONGERING ‘HATE MAP’ AMID CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK.

HITTING TOO CLOSE TO HOME: Welcome to Your Hastily Prepared Online College Course. A professor friend posts on Facebook: “I just took a year and a half to learn Blackboard and 6 months to meticulously design and prepare a single online class. And now I’ve had a week to get all four of my classes online. So this strikes close to home.”

SMART: Trump Orders Military Hospital Ships ‘Mercy’ and ‘Comfort’ to New York.

CHINA’S TERRORISTS HAVE WON: Deerfield Testicle Festival on hold.

The Testicle Festival is nearing close to its 20th anniversary. This year will be the festival’s 19th anniversary. Even though it is the 19th-annual festival, the celebration of eating deep-fried testicles began in Deerfield nearly 50 years ago.

“It started in the slaughterhouses, with farmers and that,” Pulver said.

The Deerfield Tavern began serving the deep-fried testicles and gizzards dinner to the public. When the tavern eventually closed its doors, the Deerfield Legion picked up the hot-ticket menu item and began hosting the festival. The rest as you could say, is history.

“We wanted to see if we could make it happen,” Pulver said. “We just picked up the menu and ran with it.”

During the legion’s first-ever Testicle Festival anywhere from 600 to 800 people visited Deerfield. The following year more than 1,400 people attended the festival. At times, the festival has reached an attendance of more than 2,500 individuals.

No word yet how this annual Michigan event compares to the Texas Testicle Festival.

CHINA LIED AND PEOPLE DIED: Chinese Scientists Destroyed Wuhan Coronavirus Evidence in December.

Related: China Did This, and Saying So Isn’t Racist.

WHICH HORSEMAN OF THE APOCALYPSE IS THIS? MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough Praises Trump for Wuhan Response.

BOTTOM STORY OF THE DAY: Bill Weld ends long-shot Republican presidential campaign against Trump.