Trump: We’ll Probably Open Up the Economy Pretty Soon

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I’m taking my own advice and not watching Donald Trump’s coronavirus briefing right now, but apparently our president is bored with all the shutdowns and lockdowns he’s had to endure for the past [checks notes] seven whole days. So how much longer will this stuff last? “I’m not looking at months,” he says, even though nearly every expert says that months are indeed what we have to look forward to. “This is going away,” he says, despite abundant evidence that it’s not going away anytime soon.

If there’s any silver lining here at all, it’s the fact that it’s mostly governors who have the authority to shut down businesses and enforce quarantines. This is faint comfort for anyone living in a red state, who probably has a governor that slavishly follows Trump’s direction, but at least some of us will still be doing the right thing.

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4 DAYS LEFT—AND EVERYTHING RIDING ON IT

A full one-third of our annual fundraising comes in this month alone. That’s risky, because a strong December means our newsroom is on the beat and reporting at full strength—but a weak one means budget cuts and hard choices ahead.

With just 4 days left, we need a huge surge in reader support to get to our $400,000 year-end goal. Whether you've given before or this is your first time, your contribution right now matters. All gifts are 3X matched and tax-deductible.

Managing an independent, nonprofit newsroom is staggeringly hard. There’s no cushion in our budget—no backup revenue, no corporate safety net. We can’t afford to fall short, and we can’t rely on corporations or deep-pocketed interests to fund the fierce, investigative journalism Mother Jones exists to do. That’s why we need you right now. Please chip in to help close the gap.

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