bmags

I mean the problem isn't shake shack got $10 million, it's that so little was earmarked people feel like it's a zero sum amount. Shake shack is closed now. It can't make money. Sure, give it money. But every small business should also get money. There is so little risk in making the appropriate amount of money available and some getting more than they should compared to making little available and many getting less than they need just in hopes that those that have enough don't get any.

I was optimistic for a time last week, but really disappointing weekend data. Tests have gone up while the percentage positive has gone down, but we haven't bent the curve anywhere. With streets empty and nothing happening, we are still seeing each new sick person infect another at least 1 other person. Now 4/19 illinois said they expected their peak to be, so maybe now we see the change. But this week, by friday, I'd really like to see consistently under 1k new cases per day.

I've been fairly optimistic but yes, the mlb being a regional game kinda kills it here. While you'd think the exclusivity of being the only sport playing would help...you then remember NBA will now be playing over mlb now, and then football. MLB.tv could try to recoup some of that. But anyway, I'd suggest that any owner that doesn't want to play this season because of financials of their hobby purchase they will still certainly make money on in a sale to please just go ahead and sell it off now. Hell the league should buy them on leverage, guide them through this then sell it at a profit and distribute to the rest of the teams and players. That will never happen because it is too anti-owner, but it should.

I'm sure it was probably a bit more that the bulls made clear they weren't going to reward him with a rich extension then ripping up the contract. It is funny to me the owners discussing how bad some players got it with the long term deals right before revenues exploded, then the owners pushing the league into lockdown to end longterm deals a bit over a decade later (deals they were handing out). Now it's that the short term deals give players too much power to form their own teams.

Man Reinsdorf comes off awful in this. Like he had zero understanding of how special having a team like the MJ bulls was. If Krause was such a hinderance and he’s admitting it, fire him! It’s his damn job!

Right. NBA shut down at a time where testing was at like 3k total a day. It’s closer to 160 now but needs to be north of 300k a day so that the sports teams won’t feel like they are stealing. A lot needs to happen to get there, but if someone tests positive, you have a contained group of contacts. Test them, and move on and five days later retest.

Rinse repeat. 1200 new cases. Slightly down day of testing to 6k. Feels like we’ve been in same spot for 1.5 weeks

CARES Act had 500 billion for states and public health. It’s just not enough.

Which was my original point(!) that the government should guarantee a big purchase now and offer large rewards for treatments and vaccines. I was told that no pharmaceutical would dare allow that. But the business of covid isn’t good for anyone. Even Amazon, who will do probably better than anyone, is feeling tons of pressure from customers on AWS for support (it’s most profitable line). The government should be helping anyone it can right now. Hospitals shouldn’t be very busy with employees on the line for their health - and fighting for their financial lives.

hopefully they don’t negotiate higher prices lest they make more profit on the individual coronavirus services.

Yes absolutely! Feds should subsidize the shit out of it! Massively build up our own testing capabilities so we don’t rely as much on quest! But while you need them...pay them what they need to scale for it.

I’m not sure what you think is damning about this. I know your galaxy brain sees The word profit and thinks it’s a rich white man sitting on a bed of money, but the rest of these diagnostic companies are losing lots of money and they are furloughing those employees. So they need to hire up techs specifically for this testing but the current cost per test, and hiring costs money. They need to be trained and aren’t as productive as current staff. They could get a loan to hire for something that isn’t profitable long term for them and lay off more staff from other parts of their business, or ... the government could increase the costs they pay for each test. Or maybe the government should force them into bankruptcy after this is over along with the many hospitals losing money right now so that balta can sleep comfortably knowing the technicians that worked around the clock during this crisis got laid off immediately after.

Michael Finley interviewed for Bulls GM position per Tim Mcmahon

So Illinois had it's most cases ever today. At least it tested 8k. That puts it at around the 22% mark still.

so BA now has CJ Van Eyck and Masyn Wynn around sox 2nd round pick.

Yeah unfortunately the business of a flu-esque sickness isn't big business. Hospitals doing layoffs too.

Mmm hmm because we are in a perpetual state of pandemic and all of our normal incentives apply. Let's say our wishes are granted and Remdesivir is actually an effective drug. It can be applied at regular doctors offices and keeps people from dying and lessens need to stay at hospitals. Do you think Gilead is going to be able to say "wellp, we are the only providers, we get to charge whatever we want because we have a patent, and this is how things normally go" Because I think it's pretty clear there will be enormous pressure by ...the entire world to provide this at as accessible a cost as possible. I don't know gilead's entire portfolio, but it is very likely to be in Gilead's best interest to do so. 1) As long as this pandemic is as is, elective surgeries and visits to doctors have decreased. With less visits, less opportunity for uncovering and prescribing a host of options. 2) As long as this pandemic is as is, insurance is going to have huge negative pressure with all of the additional ICU and hospital stays causing massive strain on their payouts. This will fall back on drug manufacturers on prices paid or larger copays charged and then... 3) As long as is this pandemic is as is, there will be huge economic fallout causing job loss, (in US) lack of insurance and a host of externalities that reduce purchasing power specifically to a gilead And then on top of that, there will be a huge push for governments globally to get access to the drug. With economies shut down and people dying by the thousands, there will be huge pressure to gilead to provide the govt close to cost as any number of governments may decide not to respect IP law and take the risks - because it's extraordinary circumstances right now. Kind of a once in a century pandemic type thing. Or maybe they would decide to take a huge prize, play the hero, and then lobby the shit out of changing any laws that restrict them. Or maybe they burn down a hospital!

This stuff is not where they make their money. There will be too much pressure to provide it low cost.

Yeah there’s plenty of history of prizes in medicine, it to my knowledge none of the drug industry lighting hospitals on fire.

I was definitely a young sports fan when this was happening so I'm excited to get a deeper look. I knew very superficial stuff around this time. Players didn't trust Krause, krause with his "orgs win championships" line, but for the most part just enjoyed the ride and had zero clue how special it is to have a team like that in any sport at any time.

That's true, it could be placebo effect. I'd add though that doctors are doing everything they an to avoid respirators because they do damage in its own right and is basically the last stop to pull. So avoiding the point of needing respiration is a pretty big deal, but yes, it could be the body turning it around for all of them. I had hopes for remdesivir after reading about New Jersey's first coronavirus patient. He was at oxygen levels to the point he had written a letter to his daughter in case of death. He was accepted as a trial for remdesivir and recovered. It may turn out to be nothing but it's nice to have some hope.

I know we can't expect the federal government to actually be proactive just do whataboutism but this is one of those things where I really wish the feds would make a large guarantee of remdesivir now so that if we do find out good news we don't have to deal with production delays. OR like offer a large prize for treatment and buy the patent and produce it generically. And if it fails it's just cost of trying to end a pandemic.

I’ll admit I mostly just focus on IL, and it’s probably a defense mechanism that I started feeling optimistic yesterday even though numbers were bleh. But yesterday did seem to be good news from Pritzker on testing. They had machines two weeks ago that were supposed to hugely impact testing but due to machine issues and lack of expertise they weren’t close to capacity, they are now ready. And he said IL procured what they needed for swabs/reagents. in addition to that, some friends in hospitals around here have expressed some optimism in strategies to avoid ventilators, which to them are essentially a death sentence. And their PPE has been much less scarce. And the U of C with remdesivir. Im just hoping this time next week we will finally feel like we have a better handle on the state of IL, and maybe more good news on treatment.

Hopeful thread