Highlights from the Governor's Briefing

In his daily COVID-19 briefing this morning, Governor Andrew Cuomo reported that the curve is down. "Our actions determine our destiny," declared Cuomo. "We have changed the curve." 

Among the charts and maps that accompanied his briefing was this one, which shows the regional distribution of corona virus patients hospitalized in New York State. Sixty-four percent are in New York City; 22 percent on Long Island; 8 percent in Westchester and Rockland counties; and 6 percent in all of the rest of the state.

Cuomo responded to Donald Trump's claim that he has "total authority" to reopen the country at a time of his choosing by sharing a quote from Alexander Hamilton: "The State governments possess inherent advantages, which will ever give them an influence and ascendancy over the National Government, and will for ever preclude the possibility of federal encroachments. That their liberties, indeed, can be subverted by the federal head, is repugnant to every rule of political calculation."

Cuomo reminded everyone that the states formed the federal government, the federal government did not form the states. This reminded me of a bit of satire that appeared yesterday in the Borowitz Report: "Nation's Governors Consider Forming Country."

Commenting on Trump's accusation that Democratic governors were staging a mutiny, Cuomo observed, "The President is spoiling for a fight on this issue," and then said, "Sometimes it's better to walk away from a fight than engage in it. If the President wants a fight, I won't engage."
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