Harvard doctor warns as Dr Fauci says the US is 'actively considering' telling all Americans to cover their faces in public
Just breathing and talking can spread coronavirus, a renowned medical group warned the White House Wednesday night.
A leading member of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and former Harvard School of Public Health dean, Dr Harvey Fineberg, told CNN that while surgical masks should be reserved for health care workers, he himself is going to be wearing a bandanna or other face covering.
Dr Anthony Fauci, a White House coronavirus task force member and leading infectious disease expert said that the subject of having Americans cover their faces in public is a 'very active discussion' among the committee.
Research remains mixed on whether surgical masks work as well as N95 respirators and whether cloth face coverings do much at all to prevent infection, but Dr Fauci noted that they might be protective, and certainly wont do harm - as long as medical workers have enough.
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DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Friday, April 03, 2020
What's the TRUE risk of dying from coronavirus if you are in hospital?
NHS data shows 66% of patients hooked up to ventilators will succumb to the killer infection
Two-thirds of coronavirus patients in the UK who need to be hooked up to a ventilator will die from the illness, official NHS data suggests.
A report from the Intensive Care National Audit and Research Center (ICNARC) found ventilated patients succumb to the virus 66.3 per cent of the time.
That is double the mortality rate of non-virus patients who were put on breathing support between 2017 and 2019, before the outbreak.
The NHS is still 22,000 ventilators short of the estimated 30,000 it will need during the peak of this crisis, which has infected almost 34,000 Britons
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Two-thirds of coronavirus patients in the UK who need to be hooked up to a ventilator will die from the illness, official NHS data suggests.
A report from the Intensive Care National Audit and Research Center (ICNARC) found ventilated patients succumb to the virus 66.3 per cent of the time.
That is double the mortality rate of non-virus patients who were put on breathing support between 2017 and 2019, before the outbreak.
The NHS is still 22,000 ventilators short of the estimated 30,000 it will need during the peak of this crisis, which has infected almost 34,000 Britons
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Dr. Stephen Smith on effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine: 'I think this is the beginning of the end of the pandemic'
Dr. Stephen Smith, founder of The Smith Center for Infectious Diseases and Urban Health, said on “The Ingraham Angle” on Wednesday night that he is optimistic about the use of antimalarial medications and antibiotics to treat COVID-19 patients, calling it “a game-changer.”
“I think this is the beginning of the end of the pandemic. I’m very serious,” Smith, an infectious disease specialist, told host Laura Ingraham.
Currently there is no known cure for the coronavirus pandemic ravaging the globe.
Smith, who is treating 72 COVID-19 patients, said that he has been treating "everybody with hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin [an antibiotic]. We’ve been doing so for a while.”
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“I think this is the beginning of the end of the pandemic. I’m very serious,” Smith, an infectious disease specialist, told host Laura Ingraham.
Currently there is no known cure for the coronavirus pandemic ravaging the globe.
Smith, who is treating 72 COVID-19 patients, said that he has been treating "everybody with hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin [an antibiotic]. We’ve been doing so for a while.”
More
https://www.foxnews.com/media/dr-stephen-smith-on-effectiveness-of-hydroxychloroquine-with-coronavirus-symptoms-beginning-of-the-end-of-the-pandemic
FISA reauthorizations in doubt after findings that FBI surveillance was riddled with major errors
New findings by the Justice Department inspector general that the FBI has repeatedly violated surveillance rules could impact Congress' pending reauthorization of key powers related to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC), with top Republican lawmakers already saying the DOJ report will have major consequences for surveillance law.
Several surveillance provisions under the 2015 USA Freedom Act have lapsed in recent weeks, at least temporarily, because the House has not yet passed the Senate's 77-day temporary extension. The House had amended portions of the law in its own proposed three-year reauthorization, but the Senate couldn't reach an agreement on the matter and decided to try to punt the matter so that lawmakers could focus on the coronavirus pandemic.
The three lapsed provisions include the "roving wiretap" power, which enables authorities to obtain a warrant from the FISC without identifying the target, and while following a target from one device to another. Also included is the "lone wolf" power, which allows authorities to obtain a FISA court warrant without demonstrating that the target is working for a foreign entity. A records provision that allows authorities to seize telephone metadata and banking records, among other documents, is also suspended.
The DOJ has called on Congress to renew the surveillance provisions, even as it acknowledged they were not perfect.
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Several surveillance provisions under the 2015 USA Freedom Act have lapsed in recent weeks, at least temporarily, because the House has not yet passed the Senate's 77-day temporary extension. The House had amended portions of the law in its own proposed three-year reauthorization, but the Senate couldn't reach an agreement on the matter and decided to try to punt the matter so that lawmakers could focus on the coronavirus pandemic.
The three lapsed provisions include the "roving wiretap" power, which enables authorities to obtain a warrant from the FISC without identifying the target, and while following a target from one device to another. Also included is the "lone wolf" power, which allows authorities to obtain a FISA court warrant without demonstrating that the target is working for a foreign entity. A records provision that allows authorities to seize telephone metadata and banking records, among other documents, is also suspended.
The DOJ has called on Congress to renew the surveillance provisions, even as it acknowledged they were not perfect.
More
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fisa-reauthorization-may-be-derailed-by-new-doj-inspector-general-findings-of-widespread-errors
Fauci Says Lockdown Will Continue Until There Are No "New Cases" Of COVID-19
Dr. Anthony S. Fauci says that the United States will not come out of lockdown until there are no “new cases” of coronavirus, prompting some to question precisely how long that will be
During yesterday’s White House briefing, Fauci, who has become the face of America’s response to the coronavirus, was asked by a reporter whether social distancing measures will be imposed until there is a drug or vaccine to treat COVID-19.
“I think if we get to the part of the curve that Dr. Birx showed yesterday when it goes down to essentially no new cases, no new deaths at a period of time. I think it makes sense that you will have to relax social distancing
“The one thing we hopefully would have in place, and I believe we will have in place, is a much more robust system to be able to identify someone who was infected, isolate them and then do contact tracing,” he added.
The prospect of there ever being zero new coronavirus cases appears to be a very long way off, leading some to question if Fauci was asking Americans to adopt social distancing indefinitely, or at least until a vaccine is available.
“Fauci said that we can start to “relax” social distancing once there are “no new cases, no deaths.” Is it just me or is that completely batshit insane?” asked Matt Walsh. “That would keep us in a lockdown for many months or years. And if the virus becomes endemic, forever. How can that be the plan?”
More/Video
During yesterday’s White House briefing, Fauci, who has become the face of America’s response to the coronavirus, was asked by a reporter whether social distancing measures will be imposed until there is a drug or vaccine to treat COVID-19.
“I think if we get to the part of the curve that Dr. Birx showed yesterday when it goes down to essentially no new cases, no new deaths at a period of time. I think it makes sense that you will have to relax social distancing
“The one thing we hopefully would have in place, and I believe we will have in place, is a much more robust system to be able to identify someone who was infected, isolate them and then do contact tracing,” he added.
The prospect of there ever being zero new coronavirus cases appears to be a very long way off, leading some to question if Fauci was asking Americans to adopt social distancing indefinitely, or at least until a vaccine is available.
“Fauci said that we can start to “relax” social distancing once there are “no new cases, no deaths.” Is it just me or is that completely batshit insane?” asked Matt Walsh. “That would keep us in a lockdown for many months or years. And if the virus becomes endemic, forever. How can that be the plan?”
More/Video
Send the marines - The US Marine Corps sheds its tanks and returns to its naval roots
After decades as dirt sailors, the marines are getting back to salt water
The official hymn of the United States Marine Corps, a jaunty tune written by Jacques Offenbach in 1867, proudly declares that “From the Halls of Montezuma/ To the shores of Tripoli/ We fight our country’s battles/ In the air, on land, and sea”. But despite their naval origins and ethos, America’s marines have spent most of the past two decades waging war in the deserts, mountains and cities of Iraq and Afghanistan. On March 26th General David Berger, the corps’s commandant, proposed a radical transformation of the force into America’s first line of defence in the Pacific.
The Marine Corps emerged out of the Continental Marines, the naval infantry force raised in 1775 by the American colonies during the revolutionary war against Britain. As soldiers who were deployed at sea, they served as raiding parties and an insurance policy against mutiny by press-ganged sailors. Over the next century they acquired a legendary reputation for far-flung campaigns.
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The official hymn of the United States Marine Corps, a jaunty tune written by Jacques Offenbach in 1867, proudly declares that “From the Halls of Montezuma/ To the shores of Tripoli/ We fight our country’s battles/ In the air, on land, and sea”. But despite their naval origins and ethos, America’s marines have spent most of the past two decades waging war in the deserts, mountains and cities of Iraq and Afghanistan. On March 26th General David Berger, the corps’s commandant, proposed a radical transformation of the force into America’s first line of defence in the Pacific.
The Marine Corps emerged out of the Continental Marines, the naval infantry force raised in 1775 by the American colonies during the revolutionary war against Britain. As soldiers who were deployed at sea, they served as raiding parties and an insurance policy against mutiny by press-ganged sailors. Over the next century they acquired a legendary reputation for far-flung campaigns.
More
Trump Asks Putin for Help in Oil War, Here Are Putin's Conditions
Donald Trump called Russian president Vladimir Putin on Monday to discuss plunging oil prices that are wreaking havoc on America’s shale oil industry. The two leaders talked briefly about the coronavirus pandemic but quickly switched to Trump’s real concern which is oil production.
For the last month, Saudi Arabia has been flooding the market with crude oil to force Russia to agree to deep production cuts. To his credit, Putin has stubbornly resisted Saudi coercion and maintained current output levels. As a result, prices have plummeted to an 18-year low of $20.09 per barrel which is well below the break-even rate that American frackers need to survive. In less than a month, the capital-intensive US shale oil industry has gone into a steep nosedive that has set off alarms on Wall Street where analysts expect that a wave of defaults will deliver a knockout blow to the big investment banks. That’s why Trump decided to call Putin. He wants to see if he can persuade the Russian president into slashing production.
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For the last month, Saudi Arabia has been flooding the market with crude oil to force Russia to agree to deep production cuts. To his credit, Putin has stubbornly resisted Saudi coercion and maintained current output levels. As a result, prices have plummeted to an 18-year low of $20.09 per barrel which is well below the break-even rate that American frackers need to survive. In less than a month, the capital-intensive US shale oil industry has gone into a steep nosedive that has set off alarms on Wall Street where analysts expect that a wave of defaults will deliver a knockout blow to the big investment banks. That’s why Trump decided to call Putin. He wants to see if he can persuade the Russian president into slashing production.
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Why The U.S. Will Drown In Covid-19 Cases
Here are examples for some of the reasons why the U.S. will now experience a gigantic epidemic wave.
The reasons include ill discipline, ignorance and incompetence, nutty religiousness and racism.
March 20 2020 - BBC
Crowds of US university students flocked to Florida for their spring break, defying recommendations from the federal government and Center for Disease Control (CDC) over the coronavirus outbreak.National health officials are advising against gatherings of 10 or more people.
April 1 2020 - NYT
Two weeks ago, amid the coronavirus pandemic, about 70 students from the University of Texas at Austin partied in Mexico on spring break. The students, all in their 20s, flew on a chartered plane to Cabo San Lucas, and some returned on separate commercial flights to Texas.Now, 44 of them have tested positive for the virus and are self-isolating. More students were monitored and tested on Wednesday, university officials said, after 28 initial positive tests.More
...
Students at the University of Tampa, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and other colleges have tested positive after returning from spring break trips to Florida, Alabama, Tennessee and elsewhere.
MARXIST UN WHO BOSS MUST BE PUT ON TRIAL, CRITICS SAY
Critics say ‘Marxist revolutionary’ should be on trial for crimes against humanity — not sitting atop the WHO
With United Nations World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus of Ethiopia serving as a mouthpiece for the Communist Party of China on the global stage, questions and concerns about his shadowy communist past are growing louder. Considering his scandal-plagued background, critics have gone so far as to say that “Marxist revolutionary” Tedros should be on trial for crimes against humanity — not sitting atop the WHO barking orders at national governments and peddling Beijing’s propaganda to humanity. So far, though, the establishment media has largely remained silent about the emerging firestorm.
As The New American reported shortly after his tenure began, Tedros, who has no medical degree but got the top UN job with fervent backing from Communist China, is an actual communist with a long pedigree in the movement. Before taking up his perch at the WHO, Tedros was most prominent for his government posts in a tyrannical regime, and for his key role in leading the murderous communist organization known as the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). This ethno-Marxist terror group has declared war on freedom and other ethnic groups within Ethiopia. And Tedros played a major role, serving as a top member of the TPLF’s Politburo Central Committee, according to multiple news reports.
The U.S. government previously designated the Marxist group as a terrorist organization for its murders, kidnappings, terror attacks, and more. Citing at least a dozen terror attacks on private citizens, religious figures, private property, non-governmental organizations, journalists, and other targets spanning more than three decades, the Global Terror Database continues to list it as such. TPLF also joined forces with other mass-murdering Marxist-Leninist parties and formed the “Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front” (EPRDF), an alliance that today rules the nation despite having been formally disbanded last year.
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With United Nations World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus of Ethiopia serving as a mouthpiece for the Communist Party of China on the global stage, questions and concerns about his shadowy communist past are growing louder. Considering his scandal-plagued background, critics have gone so far as to say that “Marxist revolutionary” Tedros should be on trial for crimes against humanity — not sitting atop the WHO barking orders at national governments and peddling Beijing’s propaganda to humanity. So far, though, the establishment media has largely remained silent about the emerging firestorm.
As The New American reported shortly after his tenure began, Tedros, who has no medical degree but got the top UN job with fervent backing from Communist China, is an actual communist with a long pedigree in the movement. Before taking up his perch at the WHO, Tedros was most prominent for his government posts in a tyrannical regime, and for his key role in leading the murderous communist organization known as the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). This ethno-Marxist terror group has declared war on freedom and other ethnic groups within Ethiopia. And Tedros played a major role, serving as a top member of the TPLF’s Politburo Central Committee, according to multiple news reports.
The U.S. government previously designated the Marxist group as a terrorist organization for its murders, kidnappings, terror attacks, and more. Citing at least a dozen terror attacks on private citizens, religious figures, private property, non-governmental organizations, journalists, and other targets spanning more than three decades, the Global Terror Database continues to list it as such. TPLF also joined forces with other mass-murdering Marxist-Leninist parties and formed the “Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front” (EPRDF), an alliance that today rules the nation despite having been formally disbanded last year.
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"50-Cent" Shifts Away From VIX 'Catastrophe Insurance': "Gold Is Now The Right Place To Be For Battles Ahead"
Having 'come out' as the infamous VIX-whale "50-Cent," London-based fund manager Jonathan Ruffer has called it quits on his VIX-call-buying strategy:
"In sum, the catastrophe insurance did absolutely everything that might be expected of it. And it is now spent.It is likely to be some time before this insurance again prices at levels that makes it attractive as a defensive investment."
So what is he looking at now, and what does the future hold?
The next defence was – and still is – a position in credit spreads. These spreads reflect the difference in yield between, say, a government bond, and a high-quality corporate bond. For years the spreads had been falling – a phenomenon which occurred in the UK in 1936 – and for exactly the same reason. As interest rates came down, the reality of the diminishing income was more eloquent than the shadow of the fear that a less-sound borrower might default. Victorian grandees wanted to know what their future daughters-in-law were worth – worth was expressed as an income figure, not as capital – and her Ladyship would want a second question answered: was this income from government Consols, or something flakier?
Our investments in credit spreads have protected the overall values of the portfolios, as conventional asset prices have tumbled. As I write, there still seems a good deal more mileage in this idea – we had positioned ourselves just outside the ‘safest’ corporates, as these could be the beneficiaries of Federal Reserve intervention. The Fed has intervened, and it will be interesting to know whether this does in fact stabilise the corporate bond market.
Our equities have borne the brunt of the grief, as they did in Q4 2018, falling by every bit as much as the overall indices. We were caught out then because action by the Fed meant that the markets recovered sufficiently to neutralise the effectiveness of our protective investments. This time round, our equity positions would have saved us a fair bit of money if they had performed better. It is worth peering into this part of the portfolios. Commentators divide the market into ‘momentum’ – stocks whose share price pattern is favourable – and value. Generally speaking, the best companies will be in the momentum bucket, and Fred Karno’s army relegated to value.
For the last decade, the gulf between momentum and value stocks has grown wider, and unprecedently so. Some of this may well be justified, as the techie carnivores eat up the Laura Ashleys of this world. But much of it is due to the fact that, recently, more money has come into equity markets through ETFs (exchange traded funds, a passive move to ‘buy the index’) than by specific analysis of each company’s prospects. Many have laughed bitterly at the fund management industry for being sent to the cleaners by index performers. It’s true that we are pretty hopeless, but one would expect a cheap ETF to be in the middle of the fifth decile (about 45th out of a hundred) – its performance median, but, being cheaper, better than an active fund manager who is trying to do the same thing. It feels to us as if the ETF phenomenon is beginning to unravel: they do not always trade at asset value any more, and there could be widespread liquidations. As this happens, momentum stocks will lead the markets lower, since that is where the indices are most heavily weighted.
There was more to our emphasis on ‘value’ stocks, than the ‘less bad’ aspect. The unprecedented monetary looseness in the period since the 2008 crisis has always meant that the economy might find traction – and if it had done, then these companies would have prospered, some of them mightily. Ironically, we believed that 2020 itself was going to be a year when world economies coordinated into a pattern of significant growth. Just as the fat lady reached for the high C, the platform collapsed.
Elsewhere, gold has been somewhat disappointing, with its performance weighed down by forced sellers.
But we think gold is the right place to be for the battles ahead.
More
"In sum, the catastrophe insurance did absolutely everything that might be expected of it. And it is now spent.It is likely to be some time before this insurance again prices at levels that makes it attractive as a defensive investment."
So what is he looking at now, and what does the future hold?
The next defence was – and still is – a position in credit spreads. These spreads reflect the difference in yield between, say, a government bond, and a high-quality corporate bond. For years the spreads had been falling – a phenomenon which occurred in the UK in 1936 – and for exactly the same reason. As interest rates came down, the reality of the diminishing income was more eloquent than the shadow of the fear that a less-sound borrower might default. Victorian grandees wanted to know what their future daughters-in-law were worth – worth was expressed as an income figure, not as capital – and her Ladyship would want a second question answered: was this income from government Consols, or something flakier?
Our investments in credit spreads have protected the overall values of the portfolios, as conventional asset prices have tumbled. As I write, there still seems a good deal more mileage in this idea – we had positioned ourselves just outside the ‘safest’ corporates, as these could be the beneficiaries of Federal Reserve intervention. The Fed has intervened, and it will be interesting to know whether this does in fact stabilise the corporate bond market.
Our equities have borne the brunt of the grief, as they did in Q4 2018, falling by every bit as much as the overall indices. We were caught out then because action by the Fed meant that the markets recovered sufficiently to neutralise the effectiveness of our protective investments. This time round, our equity positions would have saved us a fair bit of money if they had performed better. It is worth peering into this part of the portfolios. Commentators divide the market into ‘momentum’ – stocks whose share price pattern is favourable – and value. Generally speaking, the best companies will be in the momentum bucket, and Fred Karno’s army relegated to value.
For the last decade, the gulf between momentum and value stocks has grown wider, and unprecedently so. Some of this may well be justified, as the techie carnivores eat up the Laura Ashleys of this world. But much of it is due to the fact that, recently, more money has come into equity markets through ETFs (exchange traded funds, a passive move to ‘buy the index’) than by specific analysis of each company’s prospects. Many have laughed bitterly at the fund management industry for being sent to the cleaners by index performers. It’s true that we are pretty hopeless, but one would expect a cheap ETF to be in the middle of the fifth decile (about 45th out of a hundred) – its performance median, but, being cheaper, better than an active fund manager who is trying to do the same thing. It feels to us as if the ETF phenomenon is beginning to unravel: they do not always trade at asset value any more, and there could be widespread liquidations. As this happens, momentum stocks will lead the markets lower, since that is where the indices are most heavily weighted.
There was more to our emphasis on ‘value’ stocks, than the ‘less bad’ aspect. The unprecedented monetary looseness in the period since the 2008 crisis has always meant that the economy might find traction – and if it had done, then these companies would have prospered, some of them mightily. Ironically, we believed that 2020 itself was going to be a year when world economies coordinated into a pattern of significant growth. Just as the fat lady reached for the high C, the platform collapsed.
Elsewhere, gold has been somewhat disappointing, with its performance weighed down by forced sellers.
But we think gold is the right place to be for the battles ahead.
More
Death by Individualism: Why USA Can't Do What China Did to 'Kill' COVID-19 Pandemic
USA Today reports that China “stopped” the COVID-19 pandemic with harsh, collectivist tactics that liberty-loving Americans would never accept. Do we run the risk of death by individualism? Or is China still lying on a massive scale about the success of its totalitarian efforts to kill the pandemic?
Bill Whittle Now with Scott Ott is a production of our Members, who foster civil dialogue by engaging the ideas that support the Progressive narrative. Join their common sense rebellion now, and find your people.
More/Video
Bill Whittle Now with Scott Ott is a production of our Members, who foster civil dialogue by engaging the ideas that support the Progressive narrative. Join their common sense rebellion now, and find your people.
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3.4 million travelers poured into US as coronavirus pandemic erupted
An ABC News investigation offers sobering insight into how COVID-19 has spread and penetrated so broadly, so deeply and so quickly in the United States. It also helps explain why Americans, no matter where they live, must continue to heed the warnings of health officials to self distance and why the virus likely was here far earlier than first realized.
With the advent of COVID-19, the world has officially entered a dangerous new phase where a surge in international travel in recent decades served as the springboard -- jet fuel, really -- for an infectious disease potentially to kill hundreds of thousands in the U.S. and infect the global economy at breathtaking speed.
Travel data of passengers arriving in the United States from China during the critical period in December, January and February, when the disease took hold in that country, shows a stunning 759,493 people entered the U.S.
Those travelers from China included more than 228,000 Americans returning home and hundreds of thousands of Chinese nationals arriving for business, academics, tourism or to visit family.
"The numbers are clearly alarming," Dr. Simone Wildes, an infectious disease specialist at South Shore Health, told ABC News.
"It is difficult to estimate the portion of travelers coming from China to the U.S. with COVID-19, but fair to speculate that a large number might have been infected at the time of travel."
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With the advent of COVID-19, the world has officially entered a dangerous new phase where a surge in international travel in recent decades served as the springboard -- jet fuel, really -- for an infectious disease potentially to kill hundreds of thousands in the U.S. and infect the global economy at breathtaking speed.
Travel data of passengers arriving in the United States from China during the critical period in December, January and February, when the disease took hold in that country, shows a stunning 759,493 people entered the U.S.
Those travelers from China included more than 228,000 Americans returning home and hundreds of thousands of Chinese nationals arriving for business, academics, tourism or to visit family.
"The numbers are clearly alarming," Dr. Simone Wildes, an infectious disease specialist at South Shore Health, told ABC News.
"It is difficult to estimate the portion of travelers coming from China to the U.S. with COVID-19, but fair to speculate that a large number might have been infected at the time of travel."
More
DHS Halts Bringing More H-2B Foreign Workers to U.S. amid Opposition
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is halting efforts to bring more H-2B foreign visa workers to the United States to take nonagricultural jobs after mounting public opposition.
In March, Acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf announced his plan to bring an additional 35,000 H-2B foreign visa workers to the U.S. to take nonagricultural jobs in landscaping, construction, seafood processing, hotels and restaurants, and amusement parks.
On Thursday, DHS officials said they were halting the plan to bring in those additional 35,000 H-2B foreign visa workers “due to present economic circumstances” wherein 6.6 million Americans have now filed jobless claims in the midst of the Chinese coronavirus crisis.
A DHS spokesperson wrote in a statement:
To clear up various misreporting — DHS’s rule on the H-2B cap is on hold pending review due to present economic circumstances. No additional H-2B visas will be released until further notice. Per the statute, H-2B allocations are set in consultation with [the Labor Department].
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In March, Acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf announced his plan to bring an additional 35,000 H-2B foreign visa workers to the U.S. to take nonagricultural jobs in landscaping, construction, seafood processing, hotels and restaurants, and amusement parks.
On Thursday, DHS officials said they were halting the plan to bring in those additional 35,000 H-2B foreign visa workers “due to present economic circumstances” wherein 6.6 million Americans have now filed jobless claims in the midst of the Chinese coronavirus crisis.
A DHS spokesperson wrote in a statement:
To clear up various misreporting — DHS’s rule on the H-2B cap is on hold pending review due to present economic circumstances. No additional H-2B visas will be released until further notice. Per the statute, H-2B allocations are set in consultation with [the Labor Department].
More
Maryland COVID-19 Statistics for 4-3-2020
Number of Confirmed Cases: 2758
Number of negative test results: 20,932
Number of Deaths: 42
Hospitalizations: 664 ever hospitalized
Released From Isolation: 159
Cases and Deaths by County (deaths):
Allegany 2
Anne Arundel 249, (4)
Baltimore City 313, (4)
Baltimore County 427, (3)
Calvert 30, (1)
Caroline 4
Carroll 129, (5)
Cecil 25, (1)
Charles 90, (1)
Dorchester 1
Frederick 54, (2)
Garrett 3
Harford 41
Howard 166, (2)
Kent 5
Montgomery 566, (9)
Prince George's 563, (9)
Queen Anne's 12
St. Mary's 30
Somerset 4
Talbot 5
Washington 27
Wicomico 7, (1)
Worcester 5
Cases by Age Range and Gender:
0-9 9
10-19 55
20-29 335
30-39 485
40-49 509
50-59 552
60-69 423
70-79 266
80+ 124
Female: 1,435 Male: 1,323
Robert F. Kennedy's granddaughter and her young son missing on Chesapeake Bay, family says
A Kennedy family spokesperson confirmed Friday that two missing people last seen in a canoe off Chesapeake Bay Thursday evening are Maeve Kennedy McKean, 41, and her eight-year-old son, Gideon. Kennedy McKean is the granddaughter of Robert F. Kennedy and daughter of Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, the former Maryland lieutenant governor.
"At this time our family asks for privacy and that everyone keep Maeve and Gideon in their prayers," said a statement from a family spokesman. Maryland Governor Larry Hogan also confirmed their identities at the start of his coronavirus press conference Friday, and said an "intensive search" was underway.
"I reached out to, and spoke with Lieutenant Governor Townsend this morning," Hogan said. "And, on behalf of the people of Maryland, I expressed our most heartfelt sympathies and prayers to her and to her entire family during this difficult time."
More
Click 'READ MORE' below to read the official press release from the Coast Guard
"At this time our family asks for privacy and that everyone keep Maeve and Gideon in their prayers," said a statement from a family spokesman. Maryland Governor Larry Hogan also confirmed their identities at the start of his coronavirus press conference Friday, and said an "intensive search" was underway.
"I reached out to, and spoke with Lieutenant Governor Townsend this morning," Hogan said. "And, on behalf of the people of Maryland, I expressed our most heartfelt sympathies and prayers to her and to her entire family during this difficult time."
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Click 'READ MORE' below to read the official press release from the Coast Guard
GOP Senator: Yes, China Killed Americans With Their Gross Incompetence Containing the Wuhan Coronavirus
For some, blaming China for unleashing the Wuhan coronavirus upon the world doesn’t go far enough. China has cooked the bookson its Wuhan coronavirus victims. The number of deaths is not to be believed. The number of infected is not to be believed. It’s much worse than what they’ve been doling out. With the World Health Organization in its pocket, they offered the international community a false sense of security when they told them that there was no evidence of human-to-human transmission. That was a lie, but China has the WHO’s director-general in its pocket, so it gave them some breathing room before this virus spread all over and body bags began to mount. China lied and people died.
They discovered evidence of a pneumonia-like virus in December, but government officials ordered the samples to be destroyed. They strong-armed doctors trying to inform and warn the public, they kept medical crews in the dark and prevented doctors from reporting that they had new patients infected with this virus. And now, doctors who fired red flares are disappearing, as are the vloggers who had been documenting what was going on at local hospitals.
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They discovered evidence of a pneumonia-like virus in December, but government officials ordered the samples to be destroyed. They strong-armed doctors trying to inform and warn the public, they kept medical crews in the dark and prevented doctors from reporting that they had new patients infected with this virus. And now, doctors who fired red flares are disappearing, as are the vloggers who had been documenting what was going on at local hospitals.
More
Coronavirus Delaware: Police Authorized To Pull Over Out-Of-State Drivers During Pandemic
DOVER, Del. (CBS) — Police in Delaware have been given the authority to pull over out-of-state drivers during the coronavirus pandemic. Delaware State Police say Gov. John Carney’s state of emergency declaration “authorizes any Delaware law enforcement officer to stop a vehicle driving within the state simply because it is displaying out-of-state tags.”
Once pulled over, state police say the officer will ask questions about the driver’s travel, who will then be told that “they are required by law to self-quarantine for 14 days while in Delaware, or immediately return to their home state.”
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Once pulled over, state police say the officer will ask questions about the driver’s travel, who will then be told that “they are required by law to self-quarantine for 14 days while in Delaware, or immediately return to their home state.”
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Inmates Released to Protect Against COVID-19 Already Committing Murder
Inmates across the country who were released to protect prison populations from COVID-19 are already committing crimes in their local communities, including at least one former inmate who admitted to stabbing a man to death just four days after his release.
Jacob Burnett was released in Louisville, KY, two days into his two-year sentence for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Four days after being released, he admitted to stabbing and killing a 60-year-old man in a subdivision just east of the city, according to local media.
Another Louisville inmate, Kenneth Walker, was released to “home incarceration” even though he was accused of shooting local officer John Mattingly on March 13th. Corrections FOP Spokesperson Tracy Dotson told the media that his lodge has denounced Walker’s release.
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Jacob Burnett was released in Louisville, KY, two days into his two-year sentence for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Four days after being released, he admitted to stabbing and killing a 60-year-old man in a subdivision just east of the city, according to local media.
Another Louisville inmate, Kenneth Walker, was released to “home incarceration” even though he was accused of shooting local officer John Mattingly on March 13th. Corrections FOP Spokesperson Tracy Dotson told the media that his lodge has denounced Walker’s release.
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The Story About 3M Masks Being Sold Overseas By The Mainstream Media Is Just Plain Misleading
Once my product is sold to my Master Distributor, I have NO SAY as to who and where they are allowed to sell that product.
The Mainstream Media is not telling Americans the truth, or they simply do not understand how business works because not many of you understood this process to start with. Instead they are blaming 3M as if they are purposely hurting Americans. I'm confident 3M is working diligently with their Master Distributors to encourage them to only sell into the United States at this time but let me assure you, this may not be possible according to their contractual agreements with them currently.
I just wanted to clear the air and let the rest of America know this is not 3M's fault. Oh sure, some Liberal will come back in comments and claim 3M should've known better or whatever. NO ONE ever saw this coming. It is the mainstream media who is deceiving the public on this mater because they are too young and too stupid to completely understand ANYTHING about how a real business is run.
Rhode Island Using National Guard To Monitor State Borders
The Rhode Island National Guard is ready to track who is coming into the Ocean State.
According to The Hartford Courant, the soldiers began appearing at checkpoints near the Connecticut border on Wednesday, April 1 to track the information of those with out-of-state license plates.
That information will then be relayed to the state’s health department. From there, the health department will contact those visitors to check on their well-being and assess the risk that they are carrying coronavirus. Currently, anyone entering Rhode Island for non-work purposes is required to self-quarantine for 14 days. Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo issued that executive order on Saturday, March 28.
The American Civil Liberties Union is not happy about these measures.
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According to The Hartford Courant, the soldiers began appearing at checkpoints near the Connecticut border on Wednesday, April 1 to track the information of those with out-of-state license plates.
That information will then be relayed to the state’s health department. From there, the health department will contact those visitors to check on their well-being and assess the risk that they are carrying coronavirus. Currently, anyone entering Rhode Island for non-work purposes is required to self-quarantine for 14 days. Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo issued that executive order on Saturday, March 28.
The American Civil Liberties Union is not happy about these measures.
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Easy De-contamination of Used Masks
He is also an Eagle Scout.
I thought this was an exceptional idea, using materials at hand to solve a pretty critical need. Though his plan uses their blanket warmers, it would also be theoretically possible to do this with a crockpot, which could be placed in the nursing areas.
If you know a healthcare/first responder in similar circumstances, maybe you can share this with them to help them get through this temporary crisis till they can get re-supplied with more masks.
In desperation, New York State pays up to 15 times the normal prices for medical equipment
State data shows that New York is paying enormous markups for vital supplies, including almost $250,000 for an X-ray machine. Laws against price gouging usually don’t apply.
With the coronavirus outbreak creating an unprecedented demand for medical supplies and equipment, New York state has paid 20 cents for gloves that normally cost less than a nickel and as much as $7.50 each for masks, about 15 times the usual price. It’s paid up to $2,795 for infusion pumps, more than twice the regular rate. And $248,841 for a portable X-ray machine that typically sells for $30,000 to $80,000.
This payment data, provided by state officials, shows just how much the shortage of key medical equipment is driving up prices. Forced to venture outside their usual vendors and contracts, states and cities are paying exorbitant sums on a spot market ruled by supply and demand. Although New York’s attorney general has denounced excessive prices, and ordered merchants to stop overcharging people for hand sanitizers and disinfectant sprays, state laws against price gouging generally don’t apply to government purchases.
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With the coronavirus outbreak creating an unprecedented demand for medical supplies and equipment, New York state has paid 20 cents for gloves that normally cost less than a nickel and as much as $7.50 each for masks, about 15 times the usual price. It’s paid up to $2,795 for infusion pumps, more than twice the regular rate. And $248,841 for a portable X-ray machine that typically sells for $30,000 to $80,000.
This payment data, provided by state officials, shows just how much the shortage of key medical equipment is driving up prices. Forced to venture outside their usual vendors and contracts, states and cities are paying exorbitant sums on a spot market ruled by supply and demand. Although New York’s attorney general has denounced excessive prices, and ordered merchants to stop overcharging people for hand sanitizers and disinfectant sprays, state laws against price gouging generally don’t apply to government purchases.
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Today's Update From Governor Hogan 4-3-20
The world just hit 1 million confirmed coronavirus infections
The new coronavirus has now infected more than 1 million people across the world, a milestone reached just four months after it first surfaced in the Chinese city of Wuhan. More than 53,000 have died and 211,000 recovered in what has become the biggest global public health crisis of our time.
When the virus was first discovered, doctors likened it to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS, the illness that sickened 8,000 people mostly in Asia in 2003. Highly contagious, and appearing with little or no symptoms in some cases, Covid-19 has rapidly eclipsed all recent outbreaks in scale and size. Fewer than 20 countries in the world appear to be free of infection.
With some virus carriers presenting few outward signs of illness, and many countries unable or unwilling to conduct wider testing, the true number of global infections is likely higher -- some say far higher -- than 1 million.
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When the virus was first discovered, doctors likened it to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS, the illness that sickened 8,000 people mostly in Asia in 2003. Highly contagious, and appearing with little or no symptoms in some cases, Covid-19 has rapidly eclipsed all recent outbreaks in scale and size. Fewer than 20 countries in the world appear to be free of infection.
With some virus carriers presenting few outward signs of illness, and many countries unable or unwilling to conduct wider testing, the true number of global infections is likely higher -- some say far higher -- than 1 million.
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Patriots plane brings N95 masks from China to Massachusetts
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft sent the team plane to China to collect personal protective equipment and bring it back to Massachusetts to use in the fight against the coronavirus.
Gov. Charlie Baker said in a tweet early Thursday that the plane is carrying more than a million N95 masks for the state's frontline workers. Personal protective equipment has been in short supply as the number of coronavirus patients overwhelms hospitals.
The Patriots said Robert Kraft and Jonathan Kraft partnered with Baker to buy 1.4 million masks for Massachusetts. Robert Kraft bought another 300,000 masks for New York.
Gov. Charlie Baker said in a tweet early Thursday that the plane is carrying more than a million N95 masks for the state's frontline workers. Personal protective equipment has been in short supply as the number of coronavirus patients overwhelms hospitals.
The Patriots said Robert Kraft and Jonathan Kraft partnered with Baker to buy 1.4 million masks for Massachusetts. Robert Kraft bought another 300,000 masks for New York.
Candace Owens tells Glenn Beck she will run for office: 'I'll win, and they won't know what hit them'
Owens, 30, did not disclose exactly which office she was looking at, but declared that when she decides to run, she will win.
"I'll tell you something else, Glenn, I'll win," she said. "They won't know what hit them ... they're being dishonest, and they lie, and I've had enough of it."
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Police investigate fatal double shooting in Mount Airy
MOUNT AIRY, Md. — The Carroll County Sheriff's Office said it is investigating after a man killed his wife and an 18-year-old in Mount Airy.
According to police, just before 3 p.m. on Thursday, Carroll County Sheriff’s Office deputies, Maryland State Police troopers and Mount Airy Police officers responded to the area of 7900 Bennett Branch Road for a report of shots fired.
When officers arrived, they found an 18-year-old, identified as Noah Homayouni, in the yard of the home suffering from gunshot wounds.
First responders provided life-saving efforts until medics arrived, police said. Homayouni was transported by ambulance to the Mount Airy carnival grounds where he died before he was air lifted, police said.
Police said deputies arrived at the original address on Bennett Branch Road and found Heather Zujkowski, 36, who was also shot. She was pronounced deceased at the scene, police said.
Police said the initial investigation revealed that the suspect, identified as Joseph Zujkowski, 35, with a Gaithersburg, Montgomery County address, was at the Bennett Branch Road address, where his wife Heather and their children lived.
For reasons unknown, police said Joseph Zujkowski opened fire with a rifle, striking his wife.
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According to police, just before 3 p.m. on Thursday, Carroll County Sheriff’s Office deputies, Maryland State Police troopers and Mount Airy Police officers responded to the area of 7900 Bennett Branch Road for a report of shots fired.
When officers arrived, they found an 18-year-old, identified as Noah Homayouni, in the yard of the home suffering from gunshot wounds.
First responders provided life-saving efforts until medics arrived, police said. Homayouni was transported by ambulance to the Mount Airy carnival grounds where he died before he was air lifted, police said.
Police said deputies arrived at the original address on Bennett Branch Road and found Heather Zujkowski, 36, who was also shot. She was pronounced deceased at the scene, police said.
Police said the initial investigation revealed that the suspect, identified as Joseph Zujkowski, 35, with a Gaithersburg, Montgomery County address, was at the Bennett Branch Road address, where his wife Heather and their children lived.
For reasons unknown, police said Joseph Zujkowski opened fire with a rifle, striking his wife.
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Ventilator shortage during coronavirus crisis forcing doctors to decide who lives or dies
It's the most heartwrenching decision any medical professional on the front lines could make: deciding who to save and who to let die.
As coronavirus, officially called COVID-19, attacks across the globe – amid a vast shortage of life-saving devices – it's a decision more and more doctors every day are being forced to wrestle with, and that could increase if the rationing of ventilators becomes unavoidable.
"Doctors have always exercised some sort of deliberation upon whether medical resources can be beneficial for patients, (and) whether patients can become better through the use of a ventilator," Dr. Holly Wilson, a professor at Louisiana State University Online who specializes in bioethics and medical ethics, told Fox News. "Sometimes, doctors have to consider a medical intervention to be medically futile. It is at that point that the hospital ethics committee steps in and helps make the decision because often the family or surrogate does not agree."
But amid this pandemic, the surrogate and family are often not able to stand by during their loved one's dying days.
"And for that reason, even more, a triage committee or an ethics committee should be involved," Wilson observed. "Doctors should not be overly stressed by having to make a decision that could mean the death of a patient."
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As coronavirus, officially called COVID-19, attacks across the globe – amid a vast shortage of life-saving devices – it's a decision more and more doctors every day are being forced to wrestle with, and that could increase if the rationing of ventilators becomes unavoidable.
"Doctors have always exercised some sort of deliberation upon whether medical resources can be beneficial for patients, (and) whether patients can become better through the use of a ventilator," Dr. Holly Wilson, a professor at Louisiana State University Online who specializes in bioethics and medical ethics, told Fox News. "Sometimes, doctors have to consider a medical intervention to be medically futile. It is at that point that the hospital ethics committee steps in and helps make the decision because often the family or surrogate does not agree."
But amid this pandemic, the surrogate and family are often not able to stand by during their loved one's dying days.
"And for that reason, even more, a triage committee or an ethics committee should be involved," Wilson observed. "Doctors should not be overly stressed by having to make a decision that could mean the death of a patient."
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https://www.foxnews.com/health/ventilator-shortage-coronavirus-crisis-doctors-decide-who-lives-dies
A Viewer Writes: PRMC and SALISBURY NURSING HOME/GENESIS
The largest nursing home (from what I understand) in the State of Maryland is Salisbury Rehabilitation and Nursing
Center/Salisbury Genesis Eldercare at the corner of Route 50 and Civic Center — they have 305 beds (PRMC is licensed for 260+ beds). That facility has been sending NUMEROUS possible Covid19 patients to the ER at PRMC daily. I’m talking, at least 10 patients are being sent out daily. This nursing home has long been seen as a place where you really, really didn’t want to end up. It has been seen as a place with piss poor nursing care. It’s quite sad. Every resident has the same experience. Now, the 1 thing you should know is that if a resident from that nursing came back positive for Covid19, you would never find out. The public would never hear about it. Why wouldn’t you find out?
PRMC is the place where the resident’s results would come back to, but why would the public never find out? Well... PRMC doesn’t want to tarnish the nursing home’s image — that particular nursing home is OWNED BY PRMC. That is completely true, but they never show off their red headed step child. The state’s biggest nursing home, Salisbury Rehab and Nusing Home is a large asset in the Peninsula Regional Medical Group portfolio. Interesting, isn’t it?
What results are being hidden by PRMC? They CANNOT be trusted, that’s been proven. They are NOT transparent, and only they only think of themselves, and figure out how to legally line their pockets while trying to keep their nonprofit status.
Thanks Joe. The public must know!
Center/Salisbury Genesis Eldercare at the corner of Route 50 and Civic Center — they have 305 beds (PRMC is licensed for 260+ beds). That facility has been sending NUMEROUS possible Covid19 patients to the ER at PRMC daily. I’m talking, at least 10 patients are being sent out daily. This nursing home has long been seen as a place where you really, really didn’t want to end up. It has been seen as a place with piss poor nursing care. It’s quite sad. Every resident has the same experience. Now, the 1 thing you should know is that if a resident from that nursing came back positive for Covid19, you would never find out. The public would never hear about it. Why wouldn’t you find out?
PRMC is the place where the resident’s results would come back to, but why would the public never find out? Well... PRMC doesn’t want to tarnish the nursing home’s image — that particular nursing home is OWNED BY PRMC. That is completely true, but they never show off their red headed step child. The state’s biggest nursing home, Salisbury Rehab and Nusing Home is a large asset in the Peninsula Regional Medical Group portfolio. Interesting, isn’t it?
What results are being hidden by PRMC? They CANNOT be trusted, that’s been proven. They are NOT transparent, and only they only think of themselves, and figure out how to legally line their pockets while trying to keep their nonprofit status.
Thanks Joe. The public must know!
BYE BYE 2ND AMENDMENT: VIRGINIA MAN CHARGED FOR SHOOTING MASKED INTRUDERS
‘This is very sad for America’
Police in Virginia are charging a smoke shop employee for shooting at masked intruders who were breaking into the store early Sunday.
33-year-old Hamzeh Abushariah was asleep in the back office of Arlington Smoke Shop when he heard loud noises at 4:30 in the morning.
With the clamor waking him, Abushariah grabbed a firearm and encountered three masked individuals inside the shop, robbing the place.
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Police in Virginia are charging a smoke shop employee for shooting at masked intruders who were breaking into the store early Sunday.
33-year-old Hamzeh Abushariah was asleep in the back office of Arlington Smoke Shop when he heard loud noises at 4:30 in the morning.
With the clamor waking him, Abushariah grabbed a firearm and encountered three masked individuals inside the shop, robbing the place.
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Ford to build respirators for medical workers
The device will be made at Ford’s Flat Rock assembly plant in Michigan. Production is expected to start next week.
More here
China Must Be Obeyed: Huawei Warns U.S. Against New Trade Restrictions
Chinese tech giant Huawei forecast Tuesday that 2020 will be its toughest year ever due to American trade restrictions and warned the U.S. not to instigate any trade restrictions lest they invoke the wrath of the Communist Chinese government.
It said Beijing could hit back against U.S. measures to restrict chip sales to Huawei, by restricting sales of American products in China and by shifting to alternative suppliers in China and South Korea.
“The Chinese government will not just stand by and watch Huawei be slaughtered on the chopping board,” chairman Eric Xu told reporters at the launch of Huawei’s annual report, according to Reuters.
“Why wouldn’t the Chinese government ban the use of 5G chips or 5G chip-powered base stations, smartphones and other smart devices provided by American companies, for cybersecurity reasons?”
The United States alleges the Chinese government could use Huawei’s equipment to spy, an accusation rejected by the company.
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It said Beijing could hit back against U.S. measures to restrict chip sales to Huawei, by restricting sales of American products in China and by shifting to alternative suppliers in China and South Korea.
“The Chinese government will not just stand by and watch Huawei be slaughtered on the chopping board,” chairman Eric Xu told reporters at the launch of Huawei’s annual report, according to Reuters.
“Why wouldn’t the Chinese government ban the use of 5G chips or 5G chip-powered base stations, smartphones and other smart devices provided by American companies, for cybersecurity reasons?”
The United States alleges the Chinese government could use Huawei’s equipment to spy, an accusation rejected by the company.
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CV19 Made in China — Send Xi the Bill
There is a clear and indisputable liability case to be made against China, which should include remuneration of the economic costs to our nation.
“I want every American to be prepared for the hard days that lie ahead. … This could be a hell of a bad two weeks.” —President Donald Trump in reference to the coming surge in testing and deaths resulting from COVID-19 disease
In 2016, then-candidate Donald Trump based his campaign on taking care of Americans first, and particularly on being less dependent on China and bringing our businesses home. As president, his actions to achieve those objectives with China have been much bolder than any president in history.
Given the current CV19 assault on our nation and the world, Trump’s efforts to unhitch America’s economy from China’s corrupt regime seem more prophetic by the minute.
People, we are in a “war,” as Trump has declared, and the first salvos were fired by our primary global adversary, communist China. That war is not only dangerous to the health of America and the world, but it is also having a significant impact on our national-security readiness — and I can assure you our adversaries, including China, are taking note.
As I’ve written previously, extricating ourselves and the economy that sustains us from the massive shutdown necessitated by the spread of this disease is going to be incredibly difficult and expensive, both in terms of human life and national treasure. Formulating and implementing an exit strategy will be the most difficult and complex policy decision by any president in decades, and I’m grateful that this unprecedented shutdown began during a record strong economy. Were it not, we’d be in a much worse place — as hard as that is to imagine.
But on the other side of the immediate crisis looms this fact:
“I want every American to be prepared for the hard days that lie ahead. … This could be a hell of a bad two weeks.” —President Donald Trump in reference to the coming surge in testing and deaths resulting from COVID-19 disease
In 2016, then-candidate Donald Trump based his campaign on taking care of Americans first, and particularly on being less dependent on China and bringing our businesses home. As president, his actions to achieve those objectives with China have been much bolder than any president in history.
Given the current CV19 assault on our nation and the world, Trump’s efforts to unhitch America’s economy from China’s corrupt regime seem more prophetic by the minute.
People, we are in a “war,” as Trump has declared, and the first salvos were fired by our primary global adversary, communist China. That war is not only dangerous to the health of America and the world, but it is also having a significant impact on our national-security readiness — and I can assure you our adversaries, including China, are taking note.
As I’ve written previously, extricating ourselves and the economy that sustains us from the massive shutdown necessitated by the spread of this disease is going to be incredibly difficult and expensive, both in terms of human life and national treasure. Formulating and implementing an exit strategy will be the most difficult and complex policy decision by any president in decades, and I’m grateful that this unprecedented shutdown began during a record strong economy. Were it not, we’d be in a much worse place — as hard as that is to imagine.
But on the other side of the immediate crisis looms this fact:
MD has only received a fraction of medical equipment it requested
BALTIMORE (WBFF) - Maryland could face a blow in its fight against the coronavirus, as it received only a fraction of the critical equipment requested from the federal government.
The state’s request to the Federal Emergency Management Agency included more than 778,000 face and surgical masks, but received just over 260,000. The state asked for just over 330,000 gloves, but received less than half that amount.
“This is a very disturbing report. Unfortunately, it’s not a surprise,“ said Senator Chris Van Hollen. “We got to get this done. If we don’t do this, then we’re going to obviously be losing people on the front lines if they get sick with coronavirus. [People like] those healthcare workers can’t be there to help others, the first responders won’t be there to help others.
The state’s request to the Federal Emergency Management Agency included more than 778,000 face and surgical masks, but received just over 260,000. The state asked for just over 330,000 gloves, but received less than half that amount.
“This is a very disturbing report. Unfortunately, it’s not a surprise,“ said Senator Chris Van Hollen. “We got to get this done. If we don’t do this, then we’re going to obviously be losing people on the front lines if they get sick with coronavirus. [People like] those healthcare workers can’t be there to help others, the first responders won’t be there to help others.
https://foxbaltimore.com/news/coronavirus/md-has-only-received-a-fraction-of-medical-equipment-it-requested?
Editor's Note: The last sentence speaks volume "According to FEMA, the state also requested 15,000 body bags, but hasn’t received any."
Editor's Note: The last sentence speaks volume "According to FEMA, the state also requested 15,000 body bags, but hasn’t received any."
Walmart Bans Sale of Vegetable Seeds as “Non-Essential,” As Stores Seal Aisles to Prevent “Unnecessary Roaming”
Walmart stores in New England are sealing off entire aisles with products deemed “unnecessary” in attempts to combat the scourge of shoppers wandering around to relieve coronavirus quarantine fatigue.
According to CBS Boston, Walmart in addition to Home Depot and BJ’s Wholesale stores in the town of Chicopee, Massachusetts, worked with the city health department to “reduce unnecessary roaming around aisles and putting others at risk.”
A photo taken by Chicopee Police shows a Walmart aisle sealed off with yellow rope and signs informing customers of the closure.
In Vermont, Walmart, Target and Costco stores statewide also agreed to block off items from customers, including everything “from clothing, toys, electronics and jewelry to paint, gardening and sports equipment,” according to Today.com.
A photo circulating on social media showed vegetable seeds intended for planting were also off-limits to customers in Vermont stores.
According to CBS Boston, Walmart in addition to Home Depot and BJ’s Wholesale stores in the town of Chicopee, Massachusetts, worked with the city health department to “reduce unnecessary roaming around aisles and putting others at risk.”
A photo taken by Chicopee Police shows a Walmart aisle sealed off with yellow rope and signs informing customers of the closure.
In Vermont, Walmart, Target and Costco stores statewide also agreed to block off items from customers, including everything “from clothing, toys, electronics and jewelry to paint, gardening and sports equipment,” according to Today.com.
A photo circulating on social media showed vegetable seeds intended for planting were also off-limits to customers in Vermont stores.
Dairy Farmers Dumping Milk as Demand Vanishes
The economic dislocation caused by the coronavirus has caused shortages of some consumer staples and crashing demand for others.
Many Americans have seen the bare aisles in grocery stores where toilet paper and paper towels were once sold. Less visible is the over-supply of gasoline, oil, and now milk.
In Texas, oil storage is in short supply as demand for oil has crashed while supply has continued in climb. And in dairy country, milk is now being dumped because demand has dried up.
Many dairy processing plants across Wisconsin have more product than they can handle and that’s forced farmers to begin dumping their milk down the drain.
That’s the case at Golden E Dairy near West Bend. Farmer Ryan Elbe told WISN-TV they are dumping about 30,000 gallons (113,562 litres) a day.
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Many Americans have seen the bare aisles in grocery stores where toilet paper and paper towels were once sold. Less visible is the over-supply of gasoline, oil, and now milk.
In Texas, oil storage is in short supply as demand for oil has crashed while supply has continued in climb. And in dairy country, milk is now being dumped because demand has dried up.
Many dairy processing plants across Wisconsin have more product than they can handle and that’s forced farmers to begin dumping their milk down the drain.
That’s the case at Golden E Dairy near West Bend. Farmer Ryan Elbe told WISN-TV they are dumping about 30,000 gallons (113,562 litres) a day.
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U.S. Intelligence: China ‘Intentionally’ Lied About Coronavirus Outbreak
The U.S. Intelligence Community reportedly presented President Donald Trump with a highly classified report last week that confirmed that communist China lied to the world about the number of cases and deaths it’s suffered from the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, which originated in China.
“China’s public reporting on cases and deaths is intentionally incomplete,” Bloomberg News reported, according to three U.S. officials that it spoke to. “Two of the officials said the report concludes that China’s numbers are fake.”
“The reality is that we could have been better off if China had been more forthcoming,” Vice President Mike Pence told CNN in an interview on Wednesday. “What appears evident now is that long before the world learned in December that China was dealing with this, and maybe as much as a month earlier than that, that the outbreak was real in China.”
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“China’s public reporting on cases and deaths is intentionally incomplete,” Bloomberg News reported, according to three U.S. officials that it spoke to. “Two of the officials said the report concludes that China’s numbers are fake.”
“The reality is that we could have been better off if China had been more forthcoming,” Vice President Mike Pence told CNN in an interview on Wednesday. “What appears evident now is that long before the world learned in December that China was dealing with this, and maybe as much as a month earlier than that, that the outbreak was real in China.”
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Tax Advice
Q: What is an Economic Stimulus payment?
A: It is money that the federal government will send to taxpayers.
Q: Where will the government get this money?
A: From taxpayers.
Q: So the government is giving me back my own money?
A: Only a smidgen of it.
Q: What is the purpose of this payment?
A: The plan is for you to use the money to purchase a high definition television set, a new iPad, or a new SUV, thus stimulating the economy.
Q: Isn’t that stimulating the economy of China?
A: Shut up.
Below is some helpful advice on how to best help the U. S. Economy with and your stimulus check wisely:
* If you spend the stimulus money at Walmart the money will go to China or Sri Lanka.
* if you spend it on gasoline, your money goes to the Arabs.
* if you purchase a computer, it goes to India,Taiwan or China.
* if you purchase fruits and vegetables, it will go to Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala.
* if you buy an efficient car, it will go to Japan or Korea.
* if you purchase useless stuff, it goes to Taiwan.
* if you pay your credit card off, or buy stock, it will go to the management bonuses and they will hide it offshore.
Instead keep the money in America by:
(1) Spending it at a yard sale, or
(2) Go to a ballgame, or
(3) Spend it on prostitutes, or
(4) Beer, or
(5) Tattoos
(These are the only American businesses still operating in the U.S.)
CONCLUSION: Go to a ballgame with a tattooed prostitute that you met at a yard sale and drink beer all day. No need to thank me, I’m just glad I could be of help.
Your friendly tax accountant
Cancellation of Delaware Distribution of Potassium Iodide (KI) Tablets for April
(Smyrna) – The Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) and Delaware Division of Public Health have cancelled the Potassium Iodide (KI) Distribution event previously scheduled for April 2, 2020 due to the on-going response to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). DEMA maintains a stockpile of KI for distribution in the unlikely event that they are required. The next distribution event is scheduled for October 1, 2020.
KI is distributed to people living within the 10-mile Emergency Planning Zone (EPZ) of Salem-Hope Creek Nuclear Generating Stations. Delaware residents living within the EPZ received notification of the distribution via U.S. Mail. In the event of a radiation emergency, state and local officials will inform the public through an Emergency Alert System (EAS) message via local radio stations with instructions on how affected residents should react, directions to evacuation routes and emergency reception centers, when to take the KI tablets, and how they can be obtained if required.
For additional information regarding the potassium iodide distribution program in Delaware, call the Delaware Emergency Management Agency Radiological Emergency Planning section at (302)659-3362.
KI is distributed to people living within the 10-mile Emergency Planning Zone (EPZ) of Salem-Hope Creek Nuclear Generating Stations. Delaware residents living within the EPZ received notification of the distribution via U.S. Mail. In the event of a radiation emergency, state and local officials will inform the public through an Emergency Alert System (EAS) message via local radio stations with instructions on how affected residents should react, directions to evacuation routes and emergency reception centers, when to take the KI tablets, and how they can be obtained if required.
For additional information regarding the potassium iodide distribution program in Delaware, call the Delaware Emergency Management Agency Radiological Emergency Planning section at (302)659-3362.
Some Are Going To Have A Huge Tax Bill Next Year
Recovery rebates: The bill provides for payments to taxpayers — “recovery rebates” — which are being treated as advance refunds of a 2020 tax credit. Under this provision, individuals will receive a tax credit of $1,200 ($2,400 for joint filers) plus $500 for each qualifying child. The credit is phased out for taxpayers with adjusted gross income (AGI) above $150,000 (for joint filers), $112,500 (for heads of household), and $75,000 for other individuals. The credit is not available to nonresident aliens, individuals who can be claimed as a dependent by another taxpayer, and estates and trusts. Taxpayers will reduce the amount of the credit available on their 2020 tax return by the amount of the advance refund payment they receive.
WOW! Anti-Trump PBS Hack Yamiche Alcindor Says Covering Trump Is a “Team Sport” for Media “We Have Each Other’s Back”
She is as biased as she is stupid.
Far left PBS hack Yamiche Alcindor told MSNBC that covering President Trump in the White House is a “team sport” and they have each other’s back in their hatred of the president.
This comes to a surprise to no one.
The liberal White House media has been against this president and any outsider who threatens their leftist clique.
More
Far left PBS hack Yamiche Alcindor told MSNBC that covering President Trump in the White House is a “team sport” and they have each other’s back in their hatred of the president.
This comes to a surprise to no one.
The liberal White House media has been against this president and any outsider who threatens their leftist clique.
More