Popular Posts

Friday, March 20, 2020

Pence staffer tests positive for coronavirus, spokeswoman says

A member of Vice President Mike Pence’s office has tested positive for coronavirus, a spokesperson for Pence announced Friday evening, becoming the first publicly-known positive case of a White House staffer.

“‪This evening we were notified that a member of the Office of the Vice President tested positive for the Coronavirus,” Katie Miller, Pence’s press secretary, said in a statement. “Neither President Trump nor Vice President Pence had close contact with the individual.”

Pence’s office did not identify the individual or provide other information about the person or the job they hold. But the Pence spokeswoman said steps are being made to trace others the person has come in contact with.

More


https://www.foxnews.com/politics/a-person-in-pences-office-tests-positive-for-coronavirus-vps-office-announces 

Did the World Health Organization Lie About the Spread of Wuhan Coronavirus to Protect China?

The World Health Organization, an entity people everywhere can supposedly rely on for accuracy, gave provably false information to countries around the globe about human-to-human spread of Wuhan coronavirus in January.

To recap, at the end of December the WHO was warned by Taiwan officials that the Wuhan coronavirus was spreading through human-to-human contact. The WHO, an ally first to China -- whose communist party is hostile toward Taiwan -- said two weeks later there was "no evidence" this was the case. They did this by citing unreliable, dishonest, official Chinese government sources. Nearly two weeks after that, the WHO argued against restrictions on international air travel. This of course ultimately led to the devastating pandemic we are in now.

In the time in-between the warning from Taiwan and the statement from WHO everything was fine, China destroyed samples of the virus, shut down labs, arrested doctors and welded shut buildings where victims of the disease lived.

More

Trump Closes Southern, Northern Borders to Non-Essential Travel to Fight Coronavirus

President Trump’s administration is halting all non-essential travel at the United States’ southern border with Mexico and northern border with Canada beginning Saturday, March 21.

During a press conference on Friday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Acting Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Chad Wolf announced that the U.S. would be closing off its southern and northern borders for all non-essential travel to stop the spread of the Chinese coronavirus.

Non-essential travel at the southern and northern border includes tourism and recreational travel.

“We’ve reached an agreement with both Canada and Mexico to limit non-essential travel across our land borders,” Wolf said. “Let me be clear that neither of these agreements with Canada or Mexico applies to lawful trade or commerce. Essential commercial activities will not be impacted.”

More

MIT biologist says fear mongering on coronavirus will go down as biggest fraud to manipulate economies

On March 12, we first published a story about Dr. Shiva after he responded to a tweet from President Trump on Twitter after he expressed his concerns about the coronovirus and how the media has exaggerated the coronavirus outbreak to scare millions of Americans. The story quickly went viral with over two million views in just four days.

As the world grapples with the coronavirus, Dr. Shiva has come out with a follow-up video that goes into a great detail to explain the real truth about coronavirus. He said it’s time to start tell the truth about the deadly coronavirus and start educating people on the importance of immune health. He thinks the “Deep State” are doing the world a disservice by exaggerating the impact of the virus.

Many of you are asking about his expertise and authority to talk on the topic of virus and immune health. Before we dive in, here is a little intro about him. Dr. Shiva has four degrees from MIT. He graduated from MIT in 1986 with a degree in electrical engineering and computer science. His PhD thesis is on Systems Biology titled: “Interferon (IFN) Response to VIRAL INFECTION.” As he explained,”Immune System is a complex engineering system and few doctors learn it given their medieval training. Your future demands “doctors” think SYSTEMS.” You can find his thesis here at MIT.edu website. He also made his MIT PHD thesis available to the public. You can download a copy here.

More

Another Mystery Chinese Disease: Ethiopian Nomads Bleeding to Death

A mystery illness has killed more than 2,000 nomads in Ethiopia’s Somali region since 2014, according to a report published Tuesday by Voice of America (VOA).

Those who have treated the ill say symptoms of the mysterious illness include bleeding from the nose and mouth, swollen limbs, and a green or yellow tint to eyes. Victims of this mystery ailment comprise a nomadic tribe of cattle herders, who roam the Ogaden Basin region, rich in oil and natural gas reserves.

Another group drawn to the Ogaden Basin region is the Chinese oil and gas firm Poly-GCL, which has surveyed the area since 2014, when the nomads began to exhibit symptoms of the illness.

The imminent construction of a pipeline by Poly-GCL in the region near Calub, Ethiopia, has riled residents, who argue the project will destroy the local environment and compromise grazing area for their cattle; they also add that they have not been consulted regarding the enterprise.

The joint oil and gas venture between the two nations illustrates a strategic alliance between Ahmed and Chinese dictator Xi Jinping, whose 'Belt and Road Initiative' aims to consolidate power for China across Asia, Africa, and Europe.

More

Governor Hogan Announces Coronavirus Death in Baltimore County


ANNAPOLIS, MD—Governor Larry Hogan has issued the following statement regarding Maryland’s second COVID-19 death, a Baltimore County resident in his 60s who suffered from underlying medical conditions:

“A second Marylander has lost his life as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. On behalf of our entire state, we send our heartfelt condolences to his family and to all those who loved him.

“As the number of positive cases in Maryland continues to dramatically rise, we need everyone to take this seriously. This is a public health crisis like nothing we have ever faced before—we are all in this together, and we will get through this together.”

VA ‘Ready to Surge Capabilities’ if Coronavirus Overwhelms Civilian Health Care Systems

The Department of Veterans Affairs stands “ready to surge” capabilities to supplement civilian health care systems in case they get overwhelmed, the department’s spokeswoman said in a statement to Breitbart News on Wednesday.

“VA stands ready to surge capabilities into civilian health care systems in the event those systems encounter capacity issues, but at this time they are not encountering such issues,” VA Press Secretary Christina Mandreucci said in an email.

“VA facilities are equipped with essential items and supplies to handle an influx of coronavirus cases,” she said.

She said as of Friday, the VA had 13,000 acute care beds, including 1,800 intensive care unit beds.

Any requests for VA assistance would come through the Department of Health and Human Services, which is leading the federal response to coronavirus.

More

Hayward: It’s Time to Quarantine the Chinese Communist Party

As nations across the world struggle to contain the Wuhan coronavirus, they should realize it is also long past time to quarantine the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

The people of China must understand that their future under the Communist Party is as outcasts, lepers, pariahs – isolated and quarantined by the civilized world. If that is not the future they want, the time to rise up and overthrow the Communists is now.

The future of China is warehouses stuffed full of rotting and decaying goods no one will buy, accounts filled with money they can’t spend, travel instantly blocked at the first sign of pandemic because that’s the only responsible way for the world to handle the Communist Party.

The early days of the Wuhan outbreak provide a deadly and unforgettable lesson that the Communists cannot be trusted to do anything except protect their own political and financial interests.

More here

Deputies find 18,000 pounds of toilet paper in stolen tractor-trailer truck in North Carolina

WHITSETT, N.C. —Deputies with the Guilford County Sheriff's Office discovered 18,000 pounds of toilet paper in a stolen tractor-trailer truck during a traffic stop Wednesday.

Sheriff Danny Rogers said deputies initiated a traffic investigation involving the 18-wheeler along Interstate 40 in Whitsett after a motor vehicle law violation.

Investigators said they followed the vehicle to a warehouse/dock facility a short distance off of the interstate and encountered the

More

Trump targets China for coronavirus outbreak

President Trump on Thursday sought to refocus blame on China for its failure to contain coronavirus before it morphed into a global pandemic -- pushing back on propaganda efforts by the totalitarian Chinese government to blame the U.S.

"It could have been contained to that one area in China where it started," Trump said. "And certainly the world is paying a big price for what they did."

Trump has ramped up his targeting of the Chinese government since it began an effort to try and pass the blame onto the U.S. by propagating conspiracy theories online. Foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian wrote on Twitter last week: “When did patient zero begin in US? How many people are infected? What are the names of the hospitals?”

Zhao went on to suggest that it “might be [the] US army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan."

More


https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-targets-china-for-coronavirus-outbreak-says-the-world-is-paying-a-big-price

Report: Adults Under 45 Years Old Make Up 20% of U.S. Coronavirus Hospitalizations

People aged 20 to 44 make up a significant portion of those hospitalized for the Chinese coronavirus in the United States, according to data released Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“Among 508 (12%) patients known to have been hospitalized, 9% were aged 85 years, 26% were aged 65–84 years, 17% were aged 55–64 years, 18% were 45–54 years, and 20% were aged 20–44 years,” the report by the CDC said.

The article continued:
Since February 12, 4,226 COVID-19 cases were reported in the United States; 31% of cases, 45% of hospitalizations, 53% of ICU admissions, and 80% of deaths occurred among adults aged ≥65 years with the highest percentage of severe outcomes among persons aged ≥85 years.
More

Poll: Majority Approve of Trump’s Handling of Coronavirus Response

The majority of Americans approve of President Trump’s job performance overall, and even more have a positive view of his administration’s response to the Chinese coronavirus pandemic — a phenomenon that appears to be growing day by day — according to a Harris poll released Thursday.

Pollsters conducted the survey on 2,050 U.S. adults in two waves — one last week, March 14-15, 2020, and the second March 17-18, 2020. The separate polls demonstrate that Americans across the board are increasingly approving of the way the president is handling the coronavirus pandemic.

Trump’s general approval jumped four points, 49 percent to 53 percent, in less than a week. However, the jump is even greater when narrowed to his “handling” of the coronavirus, specifically. His approval jumped five points, from 51 percent to 56 percent, in a matter of days.

More

Hogan skeptical of Marilyn Mosby's order to dismiss non-violent charges

BALTIMORE (WBFF) - Baltimore State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby has ordered her staff to dismiss any pending criminal charges against anyone arrested for a list of crimes she says pose no risk to public safety to help reduce the threat of a coronavirus outbreak behind bars.

They include drug possession, prostitution, trespassing, and minor traffic offenses, among other crimes.

Governor Larry Hogan is skeptical of her order.

He says those in jail are safer where they are.

More

USM: Students to finish classes online; no in-person commencements ceremonies

BALTIMORE —Over 100,000 students who attend schools in the University System of Maryland will be finishing the spring semester online.

After Gov. Larry Hogan strongly urged higher education leaders to make the call, USM Chancellor Jay A. Perman announced Thursday night that all undergraduate face-to-face instruction will move to remote instruction for the rest of the semester.

"It will be up to presidents, provosts, deans and department heads to work out detailed plans that allow students to complete their work and to fulfill all of their requirements. I believe this is important not only for our institutions but for our students themselves, who should be assured that they did the work—and successfully demonstrated the knowledge and skills—that their courses required," Perman said.

Perman also addressed commencement ceremonies among USM schools.

More

MVA to close all branches indefinitely effective 4:30 p.m. Friday

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WMAR) — Beginning at 4:30 p.m. Friday, all Maryland MVA branches will close until further notice amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

All appointments have been canceled. Customers will be notified when branches re-open.

“We appreciate our customer's patience and understanding as we take appropriate steps to limit the impact of this unprecedented health crisis,” said MDOT MVA Administrator Chrissy Nizer. “Safety is always our top priority at MDOT MVA. Right now, the key to promoting safety is encouraging our customers and employees to stay home.”

More

Watch This Epic Video Montage of Media Repeatedly Saying “Wuhan Coronavirus” – Before it was Considered Racist… Because Orange Man Bad

The fraudstream media is now badgering President Trump for using the phrase “Chinese Coronavirus” or “Wuhan Coronavirus” when referring to a virus that originated in… China.

But just a couple months ago, everyone in the media was referring to the outbreak, which originated in Wuhan, as the “Wuhan Coronavirus.”

But now it’s racist to say “Chinese Coronavirus” because it’s the phrase being used by President Trump…and…you know, orange man bad.

Media Research Center put together an epic video montage of the same media, who now claims it’s racist to say “Wuhan Coronavirus,” using that exact same phrase.

More/Video

Drive-Thru Only Open | COVID-19 Update

As we continue to navigate the impact and spread of COVID-19, our highest priority is protecting the health and safety of our guests and employees.

Our drive-thru remains open, and delivery options are available in select markets viaDoorDash or UberEats. Takeout may be available in select locations. We are temporarily suspending dine-in service in the majority of our restaurants.

We are all in this together. Arby’s will continue to provide a clean and safe environment that delivers delicious, high quality food. Above all, we hope you stay safe and healthy. For more information on how Arby’s is addressing COVID-19, visitArbys.com.

Report: 34-Year-Old Dies of Chinese Coronavirus — Recently Visited Disney World

A 34-year-old man who died Thursday from the Chinese coronavirus recently visited both Walt Disney World and Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, according to TMZ.

Jeffrey Ghazarian passed away at a Pasadena hospital, where he was hooked up to a ventilator over last five days, his family said.

Ghazarian reportedly traveled from Los Angeles to Orlando on March 2 for a business trip and opted to spend a couple of days visiting the high-traffic theme parks with his friends. On March 8, Ghazarian began coughing up blood. He flew back to Los Angeles the next day, where he checked himself into a hospital with a high-fever. A chest x-ray revealed Ghazarian had pneumonia and he was administered a coronavirus test.

More

Harris Announces Disaster Declaration for Seven Eastern Shore Counties


WASHINGTON, DC: Rep. Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01) announced that the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has declared seven counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore a disaster area, thereby making available financial resources for small businesses negatively affected by the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic. The seven counties are: Cecil, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Caroline, Dorchester, Wicomico, and Worcester.

Specifically, under an SBA disaster declaration, businesses can apply for low-interest federal disaster loans for working capital if they are suffering substantial economic injury as a result of the Coronavirus outbreak. SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loans offer up to $2 million in assistance per small business and can provide vital economic support to help overcome temporary loss of revenue. These loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that can’t be paid because of the disaster’s impact. Additionally, SBA offers these loans with long-term repayments in order to keep payments affordable, up to a maximum of 30 years.

Congressman Harris made the following statement:

“I thank the Administration for providing emergency assistance to small employers on most of the Eastern Shore. These resources are critical to our small businesses, employees, and local communities on the Eastern Shore, and I also hope to soon see the entire state of Maryland declared a disaster area as a result of the Coronavirus outbreak and receive the same assistance. This program will help small employers pay their employees and sustain businesses until the virus subsides and our local economy rebounds.”

Further information for businesses interested in applying for SBA loans can be found here. Additionally, Congressman Harris has joined a Maryland Congressional Delegation letter to the Small Business Administration urging them to declare the entire state a disaster area, which has been requested by Governor Hogan.

Rep. Michael Cloud: China's coronavirus blunder the last straw

Through a series of lies, blunders and cover-ups, the communist government of China has intensified the spread of the novel coronavirus. Tragically, the United States and over 130 other countries are now dealing with the serious health and economic impacts of this global emergency. 

After decades of unethical trade practices and human rights violations, the coronavirus crisis should be the final straw against China’s case for global leadership. The Chinese government has used the benefits of participation in world markets to further strengthen its control over the Chinese people, to strongarm other nations and to finance its aspirations for world dominance. 

The case against China begins with unethical, government-sponsored trade practices. One in three large North American-based companies surveyed by CNBC reports that China has stolen their intellectual property in the past decade. Chinese companies then use this information to develop competitors to American technology products.

Chinese cyberattacks have also targeted American companies, critical infrastructure and even the personal information of 100,000 members of the U.S. Navy. 

Chinese telecom firm Huawei poses a special risk to global security. The Justice Department announced criminal fraud charges last year against Huawei, which has already secured a significant role in developing Great Britain’s 5G network and is seeking to expand its influence across the West.

More
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/rep-michael-cloud-chinas-coronavirus-blunder-the-last-straw-move-past-reliance-on-them

How Germany is beating the coronavirus survival odds: Country has 10,999 infections but just TWENTY deaths and a 0.18% mortality rate compared to Britain's 137 deaths and 3.9% death rate

Germany is currently beating the coronavirus survival odds despite being one of the nations hardest hit by the pandemic.

The country has so far recorded nearly 11,000 cases of coronavirus but has only seen 20 deaths, putting the mortality rate at 0.18 per cent.

This is significantly lower than that of Italy (8.3 percent), China (4 per cent), Britain (3.9 per cent) and France (2.9 per cent).

The official figures were published by the disease control agency Robert Koch Institute (RKI) on Thursday.

More

Sources: Lindsey Graham Uses China’s Disease Crisis to Deliver Green Cards to Wealthy Chinese

Sen. Lindsey Graham is using the coronavirus recovery bills to dramatically expand the award of EB-5 green cards to wealthy Chinese if they lend money to U.S. real estate investors and other companies, according to several activists and Politico magazine.

“How can people pushing this not see how politically explosive this is?” said Mark Krikorian, director of the Center for Immigration Studies. “An EB-5 increase would almost exclusively benefit Chinese: It is hard to imagine what they are thinking.”

The plan by Graham, (R-S.C.) was provided to Politico, which said it would “boost the number of [EB-5] visas offered to wealthy immigrants who invest money in the United States as it tries to boost a faltering economy amid the escalating coronavirus outbreak, according to four people familiar with the situation.”

More here

Farage: Communist China Regime Responsible for Virus ‘Nightmare’

Nigel Farage has taken aim at journalists accusing President Trump of bigotry for laying the blame for the “Chinese virus” at Beijing’s door, saying they are indeed to responsible for it.

The People’s Republic of China and its one-party, communist regime, Farage noted, “seems to be above criticism” as the pandemic rips through the West.

“When President Trump has talked about the ‘Chinese virus’ (others have called it the ‘Wuhan Virus’) he has been met with waves of criticism and accusations of racism,” the Brexit Party leader observed in a Newsweek article.

“In the House of Commons, shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry even said of Trump: ‘Now he’s calling it the foreign virus, blaming it on Europe for its spread and today blaming China.’

“I hate to break it to Ms Thornberry, but Trump is right,” he said bluntly.

More

WALSH: Democrats And The Media Are Covering For A Communist Country To Blame For A Global Pandemic

During this time of crisis, it is fortunate that Democrats and the media have remained focused on the most crucial issues. That is why, even now, as the number of infected rises and mass closures and shut downs threaten to send the economy into a tailspin, they are still enormously concerned with the words we use to describe the virus that precipitated all of this.

These valiant defenders of truth and virtue insist that we mustn’t call it the China Virus or the Chinese Virus or any variant, because this is not China’s fault. It’s very important, they say, that we absolve the totalitarian communist Chinese government of any and all blame in the small matter of the global pandemic that began in their country, under their watch.

At a press conference yesterday, a reporter asked President Trump about his use of the “Chinese Virus” label, and claimed that the term is linked to “incidents of bias” against the Chinese. Trump gave an appropriately stern and dismissive response, but let’s really stop to think about this for a moment. There is a pandemic. Over 20 percent of Americans have had their hours cut or lost their jobs. We may be facing another Great Depression. This reporter has a chance to ask the President of the United States a question in the midst of all of this, and that’s what she wants to talk about?

She’s certainly not alone...

Hawley: Before Bailouts, Corporations Should Commit to Move Jobs Back to America

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) said in a statement on Wednesday that multinational corporations should explain how they plan to move jobs back to America before asking for bailouts from the federal government.

“To any multinational corporations that come to Congress asking for taxpayer $$$, you better come prepared to explain how you will move supply chains and jobs back to America if you want my vote,” Hawley wrote on Wednesday.

The Missouri senator’s comment follows as Congress is considering legislation that would bail out the airline and other industries affected by the coronavirus outbreak.

Hawley introduced legislation late February that would combat potential drug shortages and help the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gather information regarding potential shortfalls in pharmaceutical companies’ manufacturing capacity.

More

Nolte: God Bless the Grocery Store Workers

Health care workers and truck drivers have already gotten their due here, and I would just like to add our grocery store workers to that list.

Whether it is your local IGA, your local Ralph’s, or your local mega-Walmart, while Americans prepare to self-quarantine, prepare to binge Netflix from a Charmin throne, the people who unload the trucks and stock those increasingly empty shelves are putting themselves in harm’s way, are going above and beyond in an already tough job that just got a whole lot tougher … and dangerous.

Heavy cartons. Cold refrigeration units. Endless numbers of boxes that need to be opened, unpacked, broken down, and tossed away. Endless shelves that must be restocked. Punishing hours of drudge work for low pay, and all while at risk of getting sick…

We would be lost without these marvelous people, many of whom are seniors, i.e., those most at risk of the Wuhan coronavirus, who were looking for a few extra hours to supplement their social security, or to just get out of the house.

More

Maryland COVID-19 3-20-2020


Affected Counties

3-19-2020...107 cases

A Viewer Writes......Pay It Forward

 Morning Joe,

Went to Food Lion out on 50 east near MVA earlier.
I had a list of items I wanted and found that half of that was gone /empty shelves.
So I went to check out.
There was a young lady came behind me with just one item.
I told her to please go ahead of me.
She paid with a credit card and stood there.
Not paying attention I had my items totaled for check out.
$25.90!! Had cash in hand when that young lady said to cashier “I got it”.
NO!! NO! I begged her No, let me pay her. NO!! I got it!!I’
I’ m 80 yo USN RET and totally in awe of her kindness.
I will Pay It Forward each time with her in mind.

Blood donors urgently needed to avert shortage amid outbreak

The U.S. surgeon general on Thursday urged healthy Americans, especially younger ones, to donate blood as supplies dwindle amid the coronavirus outbreak.

“Social distancing does not have to mean social disengagement,” Dr. Jerome Adams said, noting that blood centers are taking extra precautions so people can safely donate.

Supplies already are tight in parts of the country. The bigger concern is that blood has a short shelf life and the regular donations needed to replenish expiring stocks are drying up. Retirees, among the most reliable blood donors, are heeding calls to stay home. With college campuses closed and corporate blood drives called off as employees work from home, younger people aren’t filling the void.

More

In a Time of Crisis, Let's Stand Together

For quite some time, aided and abetted by a rapacious media and take-no-prisoners howlers-at-the-moon on social media, "partisanship porn" has been America's most enduring frame of reference. You're either with me or you're the enemy, the idiot, or simply beneath contempt. Thus one must be ridiculed, de-friended, socially ostracized, and/or ignored. All of our differences are irreconcilable and civil war inevitable.

Except that it's not.

This writer is a conservative who finds much of the progressive agenda wrongheaded at best and detestable at worst. But an agenda is not a person and hatred, simply for hatred's sake, might be the most contemptible default position one can have — in the best of times.

In a time of national emergency, it may prove deadlier than the coronavirus that has precipitated that emergency.

One wants to point out that the Trump administration has done a lousy job reacting to the virus, while someone else wants to counter that there's a double standard regarding how well the Obama administration handled swine flu and Ebola? Point and counterpoint. Tit for tat. Nah, nah, nah, nah nah.

Toward what end, other than to stoke division in a time when unity is desperately needed?

Columnist Micheal Goodwin reminds us that even during a world war, soldiers on both sides took a respite from the baser aspects of the human condition. "Starting earlier in December and culminating on Christmas Day in 1914, many allied British and French troops on one side and Germans on the other left their trenches and greeted each other on No-Man's Land," he writes. "The sudden fraternization happened on many spots along the Western Front, with soldiers swapping souvenirs, raising toasts, singing Christmas songs and playing soccer."

He believes the same mindset should prevail in Washington, DC. "If warring European soldiers could do it a century ago, surely warring American political leaders can do it today," he asserts. "God knows our nation needs a truce."

More here

Chinese Propagandists Used ‘Wuhan Virus’ Before Condemning It as Racist

China has accused U.S. leaders of racism for referring to the new coronavirus as the "Wuhan virus." But an examination of Chinese state-media reporters shows the term was used frequently in their coverage during the initial stages of the outbreak.

A March 8 report from the government-backed Global Times, for example, condemned Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's use of the term, arguing that it was a "rude and vicious comment" and "a new low in his personal conduct." But Chinese state-media outlets routinely referred to the pathogen as the "Wuhan virus" or "Wuhan pneumonia" through mid-February.

"Wuhan pneumonia a wakeup call for basic Chinese research," read the headline for a Jan. 22 piece published by Global Times, the same outlet that criticized Pompeo.

More