Healthcare & Policy News
Reporting on health care policy, insurance coverage, and federal health programs. Includes news updates and conservative commentary from The Daily Signal.
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- Opinion
How Coronavirus Will Affect China’s Future
Fred Fleitz, president and CEO of the Center for Security Policy, joins the podcast to discuss national security challenges facing the United States today, including China and the coronavirus outbreak. We also cover these stories: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announces that the National Guard is headed to New Rochelle, a town outside New York…Virginia Allen -
- News
4 Things to Know About Chinese Origins of Coronavirus
Before MSNBC personalities were calling it “racist” and “astoundingly gross” to note the origin of the new coronavirus, NBC News reported in January on what it called the “Wuhan coronavirus.” In recent days, the Chinese government has sought to cast doubt on whether the virus in fact originated in the city of Wuhan after initially…Fred Lucas -
- News
Trump Administration Addresses ‘Community Spread’ of Coronavirus
Vice President Mike Pence said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will release new guidance soon for how different regions of the country should respond to the spread of coronavirus. “We are working very closely with California, Washington state, New York, [and] Florida to develop community-specific recommendations for those areas where we’ve had what…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
US Government and Politicians Must Unite to Fight the Coronavirus
The scope of the coronavirus outbreak is expanding, but it’s vital for U.S. policymakers and citizens to act rationally, work together, and keep what’s happening in proper context. People have many legitimate concerns about the coronavirus, including mitigating the spread, manufacturing enough test kits to detect the virus in sick people, finding an effective treatment,…Kay C. James -
- Opinion
Coronavirus Fears Fed by Soviet-Style Agitprop From Russia, China, and Iran
Never letting a crisis go to waste, propagandists are using the coronavirus to spread disinformation and conspiracy theories about the United States. In China, Russia, and Iran, conspiracy theories about the origins of the coronavirus are swirling through government-run media outlets, pointing fingers at the U.S. military’s biological-warfare labs or the CIA. Not only do…Helle Dale -
- News
Twin Cities Politicians Celebrate Abortion Providers
The City Council in St. Paul, Minnesota, has voted unanimously to designate March 10 as “Abortion Providers Appreciation Day.” The mayor of adjoining Minneapolis proclaimed the same. The City Council’s resolution commemorates the death of Dr. David Gunn, who was shot and killed by a protester outside his Florida abortion clinic on March 10, 1993. …Virginia Aabram -
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Coronavirus Outbreak Is Bad News for Ukraine’s Economy
KYIV, Ukraine—Ukraine has so far been spared from a major coronavirus outbreak. The country’s economy, however, is far less quarantined from the disease’s global impact. Responsible for the disease now known as COVID-19, the new coronavirus originated in Wuhan, China. According to the World Health Organization, the global number of infected people is now over…Nolan Peterson -
- News
Trump Administration Aims to Calm Coronavirus Fears on Economic, Health Fronts
President Donald Trump announced Monday evening that he will push Congress for a payroll tax cut to stem concerns about the coronavirus that sent the stock market into a spiral earlier in the day. Trump also pledged he would push for hourly wage earners to be able to take off work without fear of losing…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
Coronavirus Shows Government Paid Leave a Bad Fit for Employees’ Needs
Democrats have used the coronavirus to point to why the U.S. needs a government-paid family leave program (such as the FAMILY Act), so that employees can take time off from their jobs without losing much-needed paychecks. Well, in Washington state (which has the most reported coronavirus cases in the U.S. thus far), “It’s Here. It’s…Rachel Greszler -
- Opinion
The President’s Dangerous Coronavirus Position
It’s rare that President Donald Trump ever seems to misread a communications matter. From the earliest 2016 debates, it became clear that he is a lot better at communicating with the American people than your standard-issue Republican politician. He’s also a master at the media game. The liberal press would never admit it, but he’s…Neil Patel -
- Opinion
Economy Adds 273,000 Jobs as Coronavirus Brings New Uncertainty
In the face of uncertainty because of the coronavirus, the Bureau of Labor Statistics shattered expert predictions Friday, reporting that the economy added 273,000 jobs in February. The unemployment rate is back to the lowest rate since 1969, and Americans continue to see more money in their paychecks. This jobs report helps demonstrate that the…Timothy Doescher -
- Opinion
Why We’ve Got to Get the Coronavirus Response Right
The Trump administration’s response to the coronavirus outbreak thus far has been robust as the disease that originated in Wuhan, China, spreads across the world. Through a combination of travel restrictions, quarantines, and keeping the public informed on the best public hygiene practices, the administration has focused on slowing the entry of the disease into…Peter Brookes -
- Opinion
What We Don’t Know About the Coronavirus Is What Scares Us
The recent spread of the coronavirus is causing a global panic. Our shared terror arises not so much from the death toll of the new flu-like disease—more than 3,000 people have died worldwide—but from what we don’t know about it. Experts at least agree that the virus originated in China. But Beijing’s authoritarian government hid…Victor Davis Hanson -
- Opinion
Trump Sees Coronavirus as a Catalyst, Not a Threat
True to form, President Donald Trump signaled confidence in his remarks addressing the threat of the coronavirus. He was correct when he mentioned that the average American is not at risk of imminent harm from the virus. And he correctly pointed out that far more people die annually from the common flu than have been…Armstrong Williams -
- Opinion
Coronavirus Doesn’t Change Good Economic Policy
The fundamentals of the U.S. economy are still strong, and the coronavirus won’t change that. Good policy also doesn’t change in a crisis, and Congress and the president can pursue worthwhile economic reforms to strengthen the economy today, and if necessary, hasten an economic recovery. The disruptions from a widespread pandemic are not fixable with…Adam Michel -
- News
8 Developments in the Trump Administration’s Response to Coronavirus
President Donald Trump on Tuesday visited the National Institutes of Health’s Vaccine Research Center to learn more about the fight against the coronavirus. “You have to confront it,” Trump said of the disease. “You have to do a lot of good work.” About 2% of those known to be infected with the coronavirus have died,…Fred Lucas -
- News
What It’s Like to Travel Internationally During the Coronavirus Outbreak
KYIV, Ukraine—After the Lufthansa airliner landed at Kyiv’s Boryspil International Airport, the Airbus A320 jet taxied to the jet bridge and parked. Then flight attendants told the passengers on board to keep their seats. A few minutes later, a pair of officials with the Ukrainian Ministry of Health, wearing protective clothing and face masks, boarded…Nolan Peterson -
- Opinion
Coronavirus Becomes Latest Excuse for Mass Hysteria
We go from hysteria to hysteria. And even that’s not quite accurate. We now endure multiple hysterias at once. The latest, of course, is COVID-19, better known as the coronavirus. In addition to China, where the virus originated, major cities in Italy and Japan are in lockdown mode, and Japan has closed all its schools….Dennis Prager -
- Opinion
Abortion, Separation-of-Powers Cases Go Before Supreme Court
The Supreme Court will hear cases this week involving hospital admitting privileges for abortion doctors and a separation-of-powers question at the nation’s consumer protection agency. The high court returned from its winter break in late February after a monthlong hiatus. Earlier this term, the nine justices heard arguments in cases involving the Second Amendment, school…Elizabeth Slattery -
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Coronavirus Update: 6 US Deaths, Over 3,000 Deaths Worldwide
The coronavirus has claimed the lives of over 3,000 persons worldwide, including two Americans, as of Monday morning. [Washington state officials announced four more deaths there later in the day.] Despite government-issued travel warnings and restrictions, the coronavirus continues to spread throughout the world. Two people in Washington died from the virus, according to the Washington State Department…Mary Margaret Olohan