WASHINGTON (ABC7) — A dozen state-run liquor stores in Northern Virginia are temporarily closing their doors amidst the ongoing health crisis in the area.
The Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority (ABC) is consolidating operations in the region, citing a shortage in staffing as many workers are in self-quarantine.
The following stores will close beginning Monday, April 13:
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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 10, 2020
Ilhan Omar touts radical Plan to Cancel Rent amid Coronavirus
On Thursday, the New York Post reported on the Hamptons's most-expensive rental ever after a textile tycoon ponied up $2 million to rent a sprawling 11-bedroom mansion to hide out in through Labor Day. Yet, supposed champion of the working class Rep. Ilhan Omar apparently thinks the CEO and his family should get to quarantine in luxury for free.
The Minnesota congresswoman and self-avowed “democratic socialist” has put forward a radical proposal intended to address the economic fallout from the coronavirus: cancel rents. Yes, seriously. Just cancel them! What could go wrong?
Suffice it to say, this is an awful idea. While Omar has a point that we need to do something to help homeowners and renters who have lost their incomes or are struggling to pay their rent due to the coronavirus, canceling all rents would have massive negative economic ripple effects, bail out hundreds of millions who don’t need it, and hurt landlords, many of whom are average folks or senior citizens, not members of the ever-reviled 1%.
First, a very basic rule of economics is that everyone’s expenditure is another’s income. By eliminating rent payments, assuming the federal government has the authority to do so, which is by no means a safe assumption, Congress would also be eliminating massive income streams for many people. This would, in turn, reduce their spending and only worsen the ongoing economic downturn.
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The Minnesota congresswoman and self-avowed “democratic socialist” has put forward a radical proposal intended to address the economic fallout from the coronavirus: cancel rents. Yes, seriously. Just cancel them! What could go wrong?
Suffice it to say, this is an awful idea. While Omar has a point that we need to do something to help homeowners and renters who have lost their incomes or are struggling to pay their rent due to the coronavirus, canceling all rents would have massive negative economic ripple effects, bail out hundreds of millions who don’t need it, and hurt landlords, many of whom are average folks or senior citizens, not members of the ever-reviled 1%.
First, a very basic rule of economics is that everyone’s expenditure is another’s income. By eliminating rent payments, assuming the federal government has the authority to do so, which is by no means a safe assumption, Congress would also be eliminating massive income streams for many people. This would, in turn, reduce their spending and only worsen the ongoing economic downturn.
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There are THREE distinct strains of the novel coronavirus in the world and while China's epidemic was driven by an early mutation that quickly spread in the UK, the US is suffering from an original variation
Three types of the deadly coronavirus are spreading around the world - and the US is being rocked by the original strain from China.
Cambridge University researchers mapped the genetic history of the infection from December to March and found three distinct, but closely related, variants.
Analysis of the strains showed type A - the original virus that jumped to humans from bats via pangolins - was not China's most common. Instead, the pandemic's ground-zero was mainly hit by type B, which was in circulation as far back as Christmas Eve.
Results showed type A was the most prevalent in Australia and the US, which has recorded more than 400,000 COVID-19 cases. Two-thirds of American samples were type A - but infected patients mostly came from the West Coast, and not New York.
Dr Peter Forster and team found the UK was mostly being bombarded with type B cases, with three quarters of samples testing as that strain. Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium and the Netherlands were also dominated by type B.
Another distinct variation, type C, descended from type B and spread to Europe via Singapore.
Scientists believe the virus - officially called SARS-CoV-2 - is constantly mutating to overcome immune system resistance in different populations.
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Cambridge University researchers mapped the genetic history of the infection from December to March and found three distinct, but closely related, variants.
Analysis of the strains showed type A - the original virus that jumped to humans from bats via pangolins - was not China's most common. Instead, the pandemic's ground-zero was mainly hit by type B, which was in circulation as far back as Christmas Eve.
Results showed type A was the most prevalent in Australia and the US, which has recorded more than 400,000 COVID-19 cases. Two-thirds of American samples were type A - but infected patients mostly came from the West Coast, and not New York.
Dr Peter Forster and team found the UK was mostly being bombarded with type B cases, with three quarters of samples testing as that strain. Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium and the Netherlands were also dominated by type B.
Another distinct variation, type C, descended from type B and spread to Europe via Singapore.
Scientists believe the virus - officially called SARS-CoV-2 - is constantly mutating to overcome immune system resistance in different populations.
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Fauci speculates Americans could take summer vacations, but there are caveats
The number of coronavirus patients in New York and Connecticut is starting to rise at a slower rate and the nation's top infectious disease official says it's a sign that social distancing is working.
"At the same time as we're seeing the increase in deaths, we're seeing a rather dramatic decrease in the need for hospitalizations," Dr. Anthony Fauci told reporters at a White House briefing Thursday.
"That means that what we are doing is working and therefore we need to continue to do it," Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, added.
"At the same time as we're seeing the increase in deaths, we're seeing a rather dramatic decrease in the need for hospitalizations," Dr. Anthony Fauci told reporters at a White House briefing Thursday.
"That means that what we are doing is working and therefore we need to continue to do it," Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, added.
BARR: "No Basis" For FBI's Crossfire Hurricane Investigation... More Concerning is a 'Whole Pattern of Events to Sabotage the Presidency'
US Attorney General Bill Barr told Fox News host Laura Ingraham there was ‘no basis’ for the FBI’s ‘Crossfire Hurricane’ investigation into then-candidate Donald Trump.
Recall, FBI counter-intel chief Peter Strzok opened a CI investigation into Trump’s campaign in July of 2016 dubbed ‘Crossfire Hurricane,’ based on bogus claims his camp was working with the Russians.
Barr said what happened to Trump was one of the greatest travesties in American history.
Even more alarming was the pattern of events after the campaign to sabotage Trump’s presidency.
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Recall, FBI counter-intel chief Peter Strzok opened a CI investigation into Trump’s campaign in July of 2016 dubbed ‘Crossfire Hurricane,’ based on bogus claims his camp was working with the Russians.
Barr said what happened to Trump was one of the greatest travesties in American history.
Even more alarming was the pattern of events after the campaign to sabotage Trump’s presidency.
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Judicial Watch Sues North Carolina For Failing to Clean up Voter Rolls - Nearly 1 Million Inactive Voters on Its Rolls
The Democrats sure love their dead voters, but Judicial Watch is working around the clock to clean up dirty voter rolls before the 2020 election.
Conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch on Thursday announced it filed a lawsuit against North Carolina and two of its counties for failing to clean up voter rolls.
Many of North Carolina’s 100 counties have ineligible voters on their rolls, according to Judicial Watch’s analysis.
Judicial Watch said there are nearly 1 million inactive voters on its voter rolls.
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Conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch on Thursday announced it filed a lawsuit against North Carolina and two of its counties for failing to clean up voter rolls.
Many of North Carolina’s 100 counties have ineligible voters on their rolls, according to Judicial Watch’s analysis.
Judicial Watch said there are nearly 1 million inactive voters on its voter rolls.
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‘WE DON’T WANT A DRUG PUSHER FOR PRESIDENT’: KAMALA HARRIS BLASTS TRUMP FOR BRINGING ATTENTION TO HYDROXYCHOLOROQUINE
Harris promotes marijuana while president lives sober life
Failed presidential Democrat candidate Kamala Harris accused President Trump of being a “drug pusher” for promoting hydroxycholoroquine as a possible treatment for coronavirus.
“The president keeps taking the stage and as opposed to what Dr. [Anthony] Fauci and medical health professionals are telling us, pushing this drug,” Harris said Wednesday onThe View. “He’s got to stop — he’s not — we don’t want a drug pusher for president.”
“We want somebody who takes that stage and speaks to the crisis in a way that is about bringing relief,” she added, seemingly unaware that hydroxycholoroquine has beenprescribed by doctors across the country.
Additionally, Democrat state lawmaker Karen Whitsett credited Trump with bringing more attention to hydroxycholoroquine, which she claims saved her life.
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Failed presidential Democrat candidate Kamala Harris accused President Trump of being a “drug pusher” for promoting hydroxycholoroquine as a possible treatment for coronavirus.
“The president keeps taking the stage and as opposed to what Dr. [Anthony] Fauci and medical health professionals are telling us, pushing this drug,” Harris said Wednesday onThe View. “He’s got to stop — he’s not — we don’t want a drug pusher for president.”
“We want somebody who takes that stage and speaks to the crisis in a way that is about bringing relief,” she added, seemingly unaware that hydroxycholoroquine has beenprescribed by doctors across the country.
Additionally, Democrat state lawmaker Karen Whitsett credited Trump with bringing more attention to hydroxycholoroquine, which she claims saved her life.
More/Video
Up to 150 members of the Saudi royal family reportedly have coronavirus
Up to 150 members of the Saudi Arabian royal family have been infected with the coronavirus — striking fear into the hearts of the authoritarian kingdom’s powerful rulers, according to a report Thursday.
Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman — the 34-year-old heir widely considered the real power behind the throne — and his ministers have been placed in quarantine for safety near the Red Sea, while his father, King Salman, 84, is in precautionary isolation near the city of Jeddah, the New York Times reported.
King Salman’s nephew Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz Al Saud is confirmed to be in intensive care after contracting the deadly illness, according to the paper, which cited doctors and people close to the family. The 70-year-old is the governor of Riyadh.
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Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman — the 34-year-old heir widely considered the real power behind the throne — and his ministers have been placed in quarantine for safety near the Red Sea, while his father, King Salman, 84, is in precautionary isolation near the city of Jeddah, the New York Times reported.
King Salman’s nephew Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz Al Saud is confirmed to be in intensive care after contracting the deadly illness, according to the paper, which cited doctors and people close to the family. The 70-year-old is the governor of Riyadh.
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JOE ROGAN SAYS BIDEN “CLEARLY IN THE THROES OF DEMENTIA”
‘I just don’t think it’s a good idea to take someone who’s struggling with dementia and put em in one of the most stressful positions the world has ever known
Prolific podcaster Joe Rogan is disappointed Democrats appear to have settled with Joe Biden as the party’s 2020 presidential frontrunner.
In a recent episode of the “Joe Rogan Experience,” Rogan clarified his political stance after recent reports suggested he supports President Donald Trump, explaining he’d vote for anyone besides Biden because he believes the former Vice President exhibits symptoms of dementia.
More/Video
Prolific podcaster Joe Rogan is disappointed Democrats appear to have settled with Joe Biden as the party’s 2020 presidential frontrunner.
In a recent episode of the “Joe Rogan Experience,” Rogan clarified his political stance after recent reports suggested he supports President Donald Trump, explaining he’d vote for anyone besides Biden because he believes the former Vice President exhibits symptoms of dementia.
More/Video
CIA told White House China's coronavirus totals are based on lies
The CIA has warned the White House since early February that China has vastly understated its coronavirus numbers and those figures should not be relied upon.
American officials were looking at the Chinese figures as they worked on predictive models to fight the coronavirus in the United States.
As the intelligence agency was issuing its warnings, President Donald Trump was praising Chinese President Xi Jinping's handling of the outbreak.
'Just had a long and very good conversation by phone with President Xi of China,' the president wrote on Twitter on February 7th. 'He is strong, sharp and powerfully focused on leading the counterattack on the Coronavirus.'
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American officials were looking at the Chinese figures as they worked on predictive models to fight the coronavirus in the United States.
As the intelligence agency was issuing its warnings, President Donald Trump was praising Chinese President Xi Jinping's handling of the outbreak.
'Just had a long and very good conversation by phone with President Xi of China,' the president wrote on Twitter on February 7th. 'He is strong, sharp and powerfully focused on leading the counterattack on the Coronavirus.'
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Mayor Bill de Blasio warns New Yorkers lockdown could last throughout May as he says 'now is the time to double down, not relax' on coronavirus social distancing measures
Mayor Bill de Blasio warned on Thursday that the current state of lockdown could last beyond April and into May as he said now was the time to increase social distancing efforts and not relax them in light of slowing coronavirus hospitalization rates.
The mayor spoke at a press conference where he said the data proved New York City was bending its curve by staying indoors and practicing social distancing.
He commended the city's residents for their 'noble' efforts but said they had to continue in order to avoid a resurgence of the virus.
COVID-19 has already claimed more than 4,000 lives in New York City and more than 80,000 people are infected.
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The mayor spoke at a press conference where he said the data proved New York City was bending its curve by staying indoors and practicing social distancing.
He commended the city's residents for their 'noble' efforts but said they had to continue in order to avoid a resurgence of the virus.
COVID-19 has already claimed more than 4,000 lives in New York City and more than 80,000 people are infected.
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House GOP Demand Answers From WHO Over Relationship With China
Republican members of the House Oversight Committee have demanded answers from the World Health Organization (WHO) over their relationship with China.
In a Thursday letter addressed to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, lawmakers expressed concerns over recent intelligence and media reports that the WHO has served China's interests by helping the regime spread dangerous propaganda as the coronavirus pandemic unfolded.
The letter to Ghebreyesus reads in part:
Throughout the crisis, the WHO has shied away from placing any blame on the Chinese government, which is in essence the Communist Party of China. You, as leader of the WHO, even went so far as to praise the Chinese government’s “transparency” during the crisis, when, in fact, the regime has consistently lied to the world by underreporting their actual infection and death statistics.
The letter continues: "On January 14, 2020, the WHO tweeted that “[p]reliminary investigations conducted by Chinese authorities have found no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission of the novel coronavirus.” These preliminary investigations included China jailing any doctor that disseminated any information about COVID-19 not first cleared through state-run media."
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In a Thursday letter addressed to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, lawmakers expressed concerns over recent intelligence and media reports that the WHO has served China's interests by helping the regime spread dangerous propaganda as the coronavirus pandemic unfolded.
The letter to Ghebreyesus reads in part:
Throughout the crisis, the WHO has shied away from placing any blame on the Chinese government, which is in essence the Communist Party of China. You, as leader of the WHO, even went so far as to praise the Chinese government’s “transparency” during the crisis, when, in fact, the regime has consistently lied to the world by underreporting their actual infection and death statistics.
The letter continues: "On January 14, 2020, the WHO tweeted that “[p]reliminary investigations conducted by Chinese authorities have found no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission of the novel coronavirus.” These preliminary investigations included China jailing any doctor that disseminated any information about COVID-19 not first cleared through state-run media."
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Shocking moment huge brawl erupts between Popeyes staff and customers in store closed because of the coronavirus pandemic
Chaos ensued at a Virginia-area Popeyes after at least two employees got into a heated brawl with customers that left one man's shirt torn at the seams during the coronavirus shutdown.
Cell phone footage shared with World Star Hip Hop on Tuesday, an argument between customers and employees at a Popeyes in Richmond turned physical.
As mandated by several states, non-essential businesses have closed during the pandemic.
Restaurants like Popeye's have stopped in person orders and shifted take out deliveries and pick up orders.
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Cell phone footage shared with World Star Hip Hop on Tuesday, an argument between customers and employees at a Popeyes in Richmond turned physical.
As mandated by several states, non-essential businesses have closed during the pandemic.
Restaurants like Popeye's have stopped in person orders and shifted take out deliveries and pick up orders.
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Bob Dylan, 78, earns his first-ever number one hit with the 17-minute long Murder Most Foul about the 1963 assassination of John F Kennedy
Bob Dylan has earned his first-ever number one on a Billboard Chart with 17-minute long Murder Most Foul.
The music legend's first original piece of music in eight years - which is about the 1963 assassination of late former US President John F. Kennedy - has topped Billboard's Rock Digital Song Sales chart after being downloaded 10,000 times.
The 78-year-old singer/songwriter has only ever reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 with Like a Rolling Stone in 1965 and Rainy Day Women #12 and #35 in 1966.
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The music legend's first original piece of music in eight years - which is about the 1963 assassination of late former US President John F. Kennedy - has topped Billboard's Rock Digital Song Sales chart after being downloaded 10,000 times.
The 78-year-old singer/songwriter has only ever reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 with Like a Rolling Stone in 1965 and Rainy Day Women #12 and #35 in 1966.
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85 COVID Patients at The Center for Holistic Medicine: Zero Hospitalizations and No Deaths
At my office [David Brownstein, M.D.], the Center for Holistic Medicine (CHM), we have had 85 COVID patients. At this time, no one has been hospitalized, no one has been diagnosed with pneumonia, and there have been no deaths.
There are five practitioners at CHM: Drs. Brownstein, Ng, Nusbaum, Jenny Drummond, PA, and Taylor Easson, NP. Since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, I have been asking my partners how their COVID patients are doing. As of this week, we have had 85 patients either diagnosed with COVID or suspected COVID. I am pleased to report that our patients are doing well with this illness. (Note, since new guidelines have come out stating that any suspected COVID patient can be diagnosed with COVID, I am lumping COVID and suspected COIVD patients together for this post.)
I first reported to you about COVID on January 26, 2020. That was the first time I presented our protocol of using vitamins A, C, D, and iodine not only to support the immune system but also to treat viral infections. In that post, I also pointed out how important eating a healthy diet is. The importance of using intravenous nutrient therapy, especially vitamin C, was mentioned. Finally, I suggested that, with coronavirus, it would be wise not to get a flu vaccine since the flu vaccine has been shown to significantly increase the risk of coronavirus and other flu-like viral infections.
That post seems like a lifetime ago even though it was only 10 weeks ago. During that time period, my message has not changed. In fact, after witnessing the results our patients have experienced, I am more convinced than ever that a holistic approach like I presented above should be the first-line treatment provided to any COVID patient.
The human body is a true wonder. Given the proper support, it can do wonders. And, when the body is healthy, it can withstand and overcome an infectious illness like COVID.
The initial conventional approach to COVID was to encourage people to wash their hands (a good thing). As things worsened, the only other conventional idea was to quarantine. When the disease spun out of control our Government and conventional medicine panicked. They had no real therapies to help COVID-suffering patients except for supportive care. Thankfully, a few conventional therapies, like hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin, have been promoted—though many in conventional medicine were downplaying it for far too long.
At my office, we were ready. The first 24 years of practicing holistic medicine was our time to figure out what worked and what did not work for people suffering from viral infections. That set us up to be ready for this pandemic.
In my blogs, I encouraged people to take high doses of vitamins A, C, D, and iodine at the first sign of an illness. In our practice, this was sufficient for the majority of our COVID patients. I (and my partners) have no doubt that the vast majority of COVID patients would avoid a deterioration of their symptoms if they started this protocol at the onset of symptoms.
The rest of this blog post is here..
There are five practitioners at CHM: Drs. Brownstein, Ng, Nusbaum, Jenny Drummond, PA, and Taylor Easson, NP. Since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, I have been asking my partners how their COVID patients are doing. As of this week, we have had 85 patients either diagnosed with COVID or suspected COVID. I am pleased to report that our patients are doing well with this illness. (Note, since new guidelines have come out stating that any suspected COVID patient can be diagnosed with COVID, I am lumping COVID and suspected COIVD patients together for this post.)
I first reported to you about COVID on January 26, 2020. That was the first time I presented our protocol of using vitamins A, C, D, and iodine not only to support the immune system but also to treat viral infections. In that post, I also pointed out how important eating a healthy diet is. The importance of using intravenous nutrient therapy, especially vitamin C, was mentioned. Finally, I suggested that, with coronavirus, it would be wise not to get a flu vaccine since the flu vaccine has been shown to significantly increase the risk of coronavirus and other flu-like viral infections.
That post seems like a lifetime ago even though it was only 10 weeks ago. During that time period, my message has not changed. In fact, after witnessing the results our patients have experienced, I am more convinced than ever that a holistic approach like I presented above should be the first-line treatment provided to any COVID patient.
The human body is a true wonder. Given the proper support, it can do wonders. And, when the body is healthy, it can withstand and overcome an infectious illness like COVID.
The initial conventional approach to COVID was to encourage people to wash their hands (a good thing). As things worsened, the only other conventional idea was to quarantine. When the disease spun out of control our Government and conventional medicine panicked. They had no real therapies to help COVID-suffering patients except for supportive care. Thankfully, a few conventional therapies, like hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin, have been promoted—though many in conventional medicine were downplaying it for far too long.
At my office, we were ready. The first 24 years of practicing holistic medicine was our time to figure out what worked and what did not work for people suffering from viral infections. That set us up to be ready for this pandemic.
In my blogs, I encouraged people to take high doses of vitamins A, C, D, and iodine at the first sign of an illness. In our practice, this was sufficient for the majority of our COVID patients. I (and my partners) have no doubt that the vast majority of COVID patients would avoid a deterioration of their symptoms if they started this protocol at the onset of symptoms.
The rest of this blog post is here..
FPD K9 Unit
*The views presented here are those of the grantee organization and not necessarily those of the OOCC, its Executive Director, or its staff.
Pence Blocks Fauci, Birx from Appearing on CNN after Network Stops Airing Full White House Coronavirus Briefings
Vice President Mike Pence has blocked Drs. Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx, as well as other top U.S. health officials, from appearing on CNN following the network’s decision to not air the White House coronavirus press briefings in full.
“When you guys cover the briefings with the health officials then you can expect them back on your air,” a spokesman for the vice president told CNN.
Trump and the White House Coronavirus Task Force, led by Pence, have been giving daily briefings to the press for several weeks after rising numbers of Americans have been infected. A CNN executive said that the network has sometimes cut away from the briefings after Trump speaks, and turns to a panel to fact-check the president. However, the network usually broadcasts only the president’s question-and-answer session.
Fauci and Birx regularly appear at the briefings to give updates on the status of the coronavirus epidemic within the U.S. Fauci has also appeared on CNN virtual townhalls on the coronavirus for the past five weeks, but will not be present this Thursday.
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“When you guys cover the briefings with the health officials then you can expect them back on your air,” a spokesman for the vice president told CNN.
Trump and the White House Coronavirus Task Force, led by Pence, have been giving daily briefings to the press for several weeks after rising numbers of Americans have been infected. A CNN executive said that the network has sometimes cut away from the briefings after Trump speaks, and turns to a panel to fact-check the president. However, the network usually broadcasts only the president’s question-and-answer session.
Fauci and Birx regularly appear at the briefings to give updates on the status of the coronavirus epidemic within the U.S. Fauci has also appeared on CNN virtual townhalls on the coronavirus for the past five weeks, but will not be present this Thursday.
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Bill Barr Calls For End To ‘Draconian’ Coronavirus Restrictions On May 1
Attorney General Bill Barr called for “draconian” coronavirus restrictions to be lifted at the end of the month, saying Americans need to be allowed to adapt to their new reality.
“We have to be very careful to make sure this, that the draconian measures that are being adopted are fully justified, and there are not alternative ways of protecting people,” Barr told Fox News’ Laura Ingraham on Thursday.
The attorney general added that he’s not comfortable with telling Americans to “hide under their bed,” and trusts them to adhere to social distancing guidelines on their own.
“When this period of time at the end of April expires, I think we have to allow people to adapt more than we have, and not just tell people to go home and hide under the bed,” Barr said.
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“We have to be very careful to make sure this, that the draconian measures that are being adopted are fully justified, and there are not alternative ways of protecting people,” Barr told Fox News’ Laura Ingraham on Thursday.
The attorney general added that he’s not comfortable with telling Americans to “hide under their bed,” and trusts them to adhere to social distancing guidelines on their own.
“When this period of time at the end of April expires, I think we have to allow people to adapt more than we have, and not just tell people to go home and hide under the bed,” Barr said.
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Consider The Possibility That Trump Is Right About China
Critics are letting their disdain for the president blind them to geopolitical realities...
When a new coronavirus emerged in China and began spreading around the world, including in the United States, President Donald Trump’s many critics in the American foreign-policy establishment were quick to identify him as part of the problem.Trump had campaigned on an “America first” foreign policy, which after his victory was enshrined in the official National Security Strategy that his administration published in 2017. At the time, I served in the administration and orchestrated the writing of that document. In the years since, Trump has been criticized for supposedly overturning the post–World War II order and rejecting the role the United States has long played in the world. Amid a global pandemic, he’s being accused—on this site and elsewhere—of alienating allies, undercutting multinational cooperation, and causing America to fight the coronavirus alone.
And yet even as the current emergency has proved him right in fundamental ways—about China specifically and foreign policy more generally—many respectable people in the United States are letting their disdain for the president blind them to what is really going on in the world.
Far from discrediting Trump’s point of view, the COVID-19 crisis reveals what his strategy asserted: that the world is a competitive arena in which great power rivals like China seek advantage, that the state remains the irreplaceable agent of international power and effective action, that international institutions have limited capacity to transform the behavior and preferences of states.
China, America’s most powerful rival, has played a particularly harmful role in the current crisis, which began on its soil. Initially, that country’s lack of transparency prevented prompt action that might have contained the virus. In Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, Chinese officials initially punished citizens for “spreading rumors” about the disease. The lab in Shanghai that first published the genome of the virus on open platforms was shut down the next day for “rectification,” as the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported in February.
Apparently at the behest of officials at the Wuhan health commission, news reports indicate, visiting teams of experts from elsewhere in China were prevented from speaking freely to doctors in the infectious-disease wards.
When a new coronavirus emerged in China and began spreading around the world, including in the United States, President Donald Trump’s many critics in the American foreign-policy establishment were quick to identify him as part of the problem.Trump had campaigned on an “America first” foreign policy, which after his victory was enshrined in the official National Security Strategy that his administration published in 2017. At the time, I served in the administration and orchestrated the writing of that document. In the years since, Trump has been criticized for supposedly overturning the post–World War II order and rejecting the role the United States has long played in the world. Amid a global pandemic, he’s being accused—on this site and elsewhere—of alienating allies, undercutting multinational cooperation, and causing America to fight the coronavirus alone.
And yet even as the current emergency has proved him right in fundamental ways—about China specifically and foreign policy more generally—many respectable people in the United States are letting their disdain for the president blind them to what is really going on in the world.
Far from discrediting Trump’s point of view, the COVID-19 crisis reveals what his strategy asserted: that the world is a competitive arena in which great power rivals like China seek advantage, that the state remains the irreplaceable agent of international power and effective action, that international institutions have limited capacity to transform the behavior and preferences of states.
China, America’s most powerful rival, has played a particularly harmful role in the current crisis, which began on its soil. Initially, that country’s lack of transparency prevented prompt action that might have contained the virus. In Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, Chinese officials initially punished citizens for “spreading rumors” about the disease. The lab in Shanghai that first published the genome of the virus on open platforms was shut down the next day for “rectification,” as the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported in February.
Apparently at the behest of officials at the Wuhan health commission, news reports indicate, visiting teams of experts from elsewhere in China were prevented from speaking freely to doctors in the infectious-disease wards.
Some experts had suspected human-to-human transmission, but their inquiries were rebuffed.
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NY County Finds Trump Delivered Not Only 200k Masks He Promised but 50k Extra in Just 2 Days
The delivery comes after GOP New York Rep. Lee Zeldin and Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone looked for “urgent” assistance from the federal government in what’s quickly becoming one of the New York City-area hotspots for coronavirus infections, Patch.com reported.
The county’s stockpile was out of a lot of quite a bit of personal protective equipment, including surgical masks, N95 masks, face shields, gowns and body bags.
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Wicomico Elected, Business Officials Discuss Virus Impact
SALISBURY – A discussion on the impacts of the pandemic on county operations and small businesses highlighted a meeting of the Wicomico County Council this week.
On Tuesday, Wicomico County Director of Administration Wayne Strausburg and Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Bill Chambers presented the Wicomico County Council with an update on county and local business operations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Needless to say, we are in the midst of a historic crisis for businesses,” Chambers said. “This is impacting every business on the Eastern Shore.”
During his presentation to the council this week, Chambers said the Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce has worked closely with the Greater Salisbury Committee and Salisbury-Wicomico Economic Development in recent weeks to field questions and direct businesses to the appropriate resources during the pandemic, which has altered or shut down many business operations.
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On Tuesday, Wicomico County Director of Administration Wayne Strausburg and Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Bill Chambers presented the Wicomico County Council with an update on county and local business operations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Needless to say, we are in the midst of a historic crisis for businesses,” Chambers said. “This is impacting every business on the Eastern Shore.”
During his presentation to the council this week, Chambers said the Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce has worked closely with the Greater Salisbury Committee and Salisbury-Wicomico Economic Development in recent weeks to field questions and direct businesses to the appropriate resources during the pandemic, which has altered or shut down many business operations.
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WHO: Criticism Of Our Coronavirus Response Is Probably Racist
The World Health Organization, unable to refute complaints about its response to the global coronavirus pandemic, built largely on its willingness to take Chinese government information at face value, is now calling its critics, particularly its Taiwanese critics, racists.
Taiwan, which has struggled with gaining international recognition and was all but cut out of the World Health Organization’s coronavirus response, has been particularly critical of the WHO, claiming that it tried repeatedly to warn the global health group that China was withholding, hiding, and even actively quashing vital information about the spread of COVID-19. Taiwan also says that its response to the coronavirus was better than China’s and that its data on the disease could help other countries — but that the data must be separate from China’s in order to visualize Taiwan’s results.
The WHO responded by locking Taiwan out completely, lumping its coronavirus-related data in with China’s, and, in one telling interview, WHO leadership even refused to acknowledge Taiwan’s independence — a clear sign that the WHO defers to Chinese officials.
After the United States joined in the campaign to question the WHO’s allegiance to the Chinese government, the group’s director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, resorted to claims that Taiwan is behind an international, decidedly racist campaign against the global health body and that the island nation is biased against Africans.
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Taiwan, which has struggled with gaining international recognition and was all but cut out of the World Health Organization’s coronavirus response, has been particularly critical of the WHO, claiming that it tried repeatedly to warn the global health group that China was withholding, hiding, and even actively quashing vital information about the spread of COVID-19. Taiwan also says that its response to the coronavirus was better than China’s and that its data on the disease could help other countries — but that the data must be separate from China’s in order to visualize Taiwan’s results.
The WHO responded by locking Taiwan out completely, lumping its coronavirus-related data in with China’s, and, in one telling interview, WHO leadership even refused to acknowledge Taiwan’s independence — a clear sign that the WHO defers to Chinese officials.
After the United States joined in the campaign to question the WHO’s allegiance to the Chinese government, the group’s director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, resorted to claims that Taiwan is behind an international, decidedly racist campaign against the global health body and that the island nation is biased against Africans.
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Lawmakers ask Gov. Hogan to close gun stores
While gun stores are considered an essential business, one Maryland lawmaker is asking Republican Governor Larry Hogan to close them.
“We have to do whatever we can to get this crisis underway and to flatten the curve and having a run on gun sales is not going to do that,” said Howard County Delegate Vanessa Atterbeary (D).
Del. Atterbeary wrote a letter, signed by over 50 other lawmakers, asking Hogan to close gun stores. In the letter, Atterbeary states that a gun store in Silver Spring had a long line that extended around the corner.
The letter states, “It is alarming to see Marylanders stockpiling weapons in such a state of emergency. Maryland has seen a surge in the purchase of guns and ammunition during this time of crisis.”
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“We have to do whatever we can to get this crisis underway and to flatten the curve and having a run on gun sales is not going to do that,” said Howard County Delegate Vanessa Atterbeary (D).
Del. Atterbeary wrote a letter, signed by over 50 other lawmakers, asking Hogan to close gun stores. In the letter, Atterbeary states that a gun store in Silver Spring had a long line that extended around the corner.
The letter states, “It is alarming to see Marylanders stockpiling weapons in such a state of emergency. Maryland has seen a surge in the purchase of guns and ammunition during this time of crisis.”
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Farage Warns Chinese Interests Lining up for ‘Fire Sale’ of UK Businesses
Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage has warned that Chinese interests are lining up to take advantage of the coronavirus crisis by buying “vast swathes of our strategic and manufacturing industries”.
“What is happening right now is that Chinese companies and Chinese money are lining up for what they expect to be a ‘fire sale’ of British businesses,” Mr Farage said during a Facebook live stream on Wednesday.
Mentioning that Germany has put into law protections for German companies against foreign takeover during the coronavirus crisis, he continued: “I fear, we’re going to allow China in to buy up vast swathes of our strategic and manufacturing industries and it just can’t be allowed.
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“What is happening right now is that Chinese companies and Chinese money are lining up for what they expect to be a ‘fire sale’ of British businesses,” Mr Farage said during a Facebook live stream on Wednesday.
Mentioning that Germany has put into law protections for German companies against foreign takeover during the coronavirus crisis, he continued: “I fear, we’re going to allow China in to buy up vast swathes of our strategic and manufacturing industries and it just can’t be allowed.
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Three More Prosecutors Needed For Wicomico Probes
SALISBURY – Officials in Wicomico County added three new positions within the Wicomico County State’s Attorney’s Office this week to provide additional resources for two separate investigations.
On Tuesday, the Wicomico County Council voted 6-1, with Councilman Bill McCain opposed, to amend the county’s classification and pay plan by adding two new prosecutor positions and one new special investigator position within the state’s attorney’s office as two separate investigations move forward that could impact pending and closed criminal cases.
“This office, under my tenure, has had minimal increases,” State’s Attorney Jamie Dykes said. “I do not make this ask lightly. I am a citizen of this county, and I understand the cost. Our times now are different than ever before.”
In February, the state’s attorney’s office began the process of providing disclosures in every criminal case that was charged by the Salisbury Police Department or that contained evidence that is or was being held in the custody of the police department from April 22, 1997 to Feb. 7, 2020 after determining evidence stored in the department’s property storage facilities may have been compromised.
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On Tuesday, the Wicomico County Council voted 6-1, with Councilman Bill McCain opposed, to amend the county’s classification and pay plan by adding two new prosecutor positions and one new special investigator position within the state’s attorney’s office as two separate investigations move forward that could impact pending and closed criminal cases.
“This office, under my tenure, has had minimal increases,” State’s Attorney Jamie Dykes said. “I do not make this ask lightly. I am a citizen of this county, and I understand the cost. Our times now are different than ever before.”
In February, the state’s attorney’s office began the process of providing disclosures in every criminal case that was charged by the Salisbury Police Department or that contained evidence that is or was being held in the custody of the police department from April 22, 1997 to Feb. 7, 2020 after determining evidence stored in the department’s property storage facilities may have been compromised.
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Democrats Likely to Dump Biden
As Democrat power brokers survey the constantly shifting ground in the lead-up to the national election, it is not hard to guess the candidate strategy discussions going on in their super-secret supervillain lairs.
Plan A: Hide a Biden
The first strategy is to run nobody at all, which is another way of saying they stick with Joe Biden. The idea here is to use the current COVID-19 environment to keep Joe Biden safely tucked away and quiet while the media and surrogates do the heavy reinvention.
This is not an altogether bad strategy and probably the best one they have if Biden remains the candidate since it is becoming obvious to everyone not named Joe Biden that Biden's sharpest days are long behind him. Let's be honest: he was never that sharp even in his glory days, but he was certainly a lot more lucid when he helped spearhead the despicable character assassination of Robert Bork.
What commends this strategy is that national presidential elections tend to be referenda on the incumbent. With that in mind, there are worse ideas than sticking a muzzle on ole Joe and hiding him under a rock, or in a bunker full of rubber toys.
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Plan A: Hide a Biden
The first strategy is to run nobody at all, which is another way of saying they stick with Joe Biden. The idea here is to use the current COVID-19 environment to keep Joe Biden safely tucked away and quiet while the media and surrogates do the heavy reinvention.
This is not an altogether bad strategy and probably the best one they have if Biden remains the candidate since it is becoming obvious to everyone not named Joe Biden that Biden's sharpest days are long behind him. Let's be honest: he was never that sharp even in his glory days, but he was certainly a lot more lucid when he helped spearhead the despicable character assassination of Robert Bork.
What commends this strategy is that national presidential elections tend to be referenda on the incumbent. With that in mind, there are worse ideas than sticking a muzzle on ole Joe and hiding him under a rock, or in a bunker full of rubber toys.
More
Berlin Cancels All Planned Events Through June; Bathtub Races Could Be Rescheduled
BERLIN – In an effort to err on the side of caution during the ongoing health crisis, the Berlin Chamber of Commerce has canceled all events through June.
The announcement means that the Berlin Jazz and Blues, Wine and Brews Festival, the Spring Cruisers Classic Car Show and the Berlin Bathtub Races will not take place as scheduled. Steve Frene, president of the chamber, stressed that the bathtub races and possibly the car show could be rescheduled.
“Obviously this was an extremely hard decision,” Frene said. “We had lengthy discussions.”
Frene said the chamber worked closely with the Town of Berlin in making the decision to cancel events. Berlin Mayor Gee Williams said in a statement Monday that all public events in town set for April, May and June have been canceled.
While Frene believes the current health situation could improve by May, he said chamber officials didn’t want to take a chance on having an event too soon. He added that most events involved a fair amount of planning, preparation and even ticket sales.
“We didn’t feel it would be enough time,” he said.
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The announcement means that the Berlin Jazz and Blues, Wine and Brews Festival, the Spring Cruisers Classic Car Show and the Berlin Bathtub Races will not take place as scheduled. Steve Frene, president of the chamber, stressed that the bathtub races and possibly the car show could be rescheduled.
“Obviously this was an extremely hard decision,” Frene said. “We had lengthy discussions.”
Frene said the chamber worked closely with the Town of Berlin in making the decision to cancel events. Berlin Mayor Gee Williams said in a statement Monday that all public events in town set for April, May and June have been canceled.
While Frene believes the current health situation could improve by May, he said chamber officials didn’t want to take a chance on having an event too soon. He added that most events involved a fair amount of planning, preparation and even ticket sales.
“We didn’t feel it would be enough time,” he said.
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Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS)
https://coronavirus.delaware.gov/latest-data/
Severe Storms Will Impact New York Today, as a Nor’easter Develops Off the New England Coast
An intensifying storm system is moving across the Northeast Thursday, bringing significant snowfall, gusty winds, cooler temperatures and severe storms.
As the storm moves off the coast, it will develop into a late-season nor’easter bringing feet of snow to interior New England through Friday.
Some localized spots of northern Maine and New Hampshire may even see up to two feet of snow, the Weather Prediction Center (WPC) says.
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As the storm moves off the coast, it will develop into a late-season nor’easter bringing feet of snow to interior New England through Friday.
Some localized spots of northern Maine and New Hampshire may even see up to two feet of snow, the Weather Prediction Center (WPC) says.
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Trump administration plans to open 2.3 million acres of wildlife refuges to hunting and fishing
The Trump administration announced plans on Wednesday to open up 2.3 million acres of land to hunting and fishing on more than 100 national wildlife refuges and fish hatcheries across the country – earning praise from hunting groups but derision from wildlife conservation organizations who called the move “tone deaf” as the country reels from the coronavirus pandemic.
The proposal would allow hunting and fishing for the first time at several national wildlife refuges from coast to coast, including San Diego Bay in California, Alamosa in Colorado, Bombay Hook in Delaware and Umbagog in Maine and New Hampshire and Everglades Headwaters in Florida.
It would also allow alligator hunting at three national wildlife refuges: Banks Lake in Georgia, Laguna Atascosa in Texas and Savannah in Georgia and South Carolina.
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The proposal would allow hunting and fishing for the first time at several national wildlife refuges from coast to coast, including San Diego Bay in California, Alamosa in Colorado, Bombay Hook in Delaware and Umbagog in Maine and New Hampshire and Everglades Headwaters in Florida.
It would also allow alligator hunting at three national wildlife refuges: Banks Lake in Georgia, Laguna Atascosa in Texas and Savannah in Georgia and South Carolina.
More
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-administration-plans-to-open-2-3-million-acres-of-wildlife-refuges-to-hunting-and-fishing
Maryland COVID-19 Data 4-10-2020
COVID-19 Statistics in Maryland
Number of Confirmed Cases: 6,968
Number of negative test results: 37,480
Number of Deaths: 171
Hospitalizations: 1,413 ever hospitalized
Released From Isolation: 397
Cases and Deaths by County (deaths):
Allegany 10
Anne Arundel 554 (16)
Baltimore City 689 (17)
Baltimore County 1,072 (21)
Calvert 76 (1)
Caroline 12
Carroll 214 (19)
Cecil 64 (1)
Charles 220 (4)
Dorchester 7
Frederick 289 (9)
Garrett 4
Harford 110
Howard 319 (5)
Kent 9
Montgomery 1,388 (34)
Prince George's 1,716 (42)
Queen Anne's 17
St. Mary's 71
Somerset 4
Talbot 13 (1)
Washington 66
Wicomico 28 (1)
Worcester 16
Cases and Deaths by Age Range and Gender (deaths):
0-9 36
10-19 146
20-29 772
30-39 1,205 (5)
40-49 1,281 (5)
50-59 1,421 (20)
60-69 1,051(32)
70-79 685 (51)
80+ 371 (58)
Female: 3,753 (69)
Male: 3,215 (102)
Cases and Deaths by Race (deaths):
African-American 2,304 (61)
Asian 136 (6)
White 1,694 (45)
Other 544 (5)
Data not available 1,507 (21)
Lowe’s stores to be closed on Easter Sunday
In such uncertain times, extraordinary efforts continue to boost our spirits. Today, we applaud our 300,000 associates who have worked tirelessly to support our communities. To show our gratitude and recognize their hard work, we are closing all Lowe’s stores in the United States and Canada on Easter Sunday, April 12.
This day off will give our store associates a chance to spend time with family and recharge. Of course, we are always available to serve you on Lowes.com.
If you visit us in-store, know that we have continued to make updates to our operations in response to COVID-19. Operational changes include more third-party cleaning shifts as well as updates to support social distancing guidelines, such as: enhanced curbside pick-up, customized Plexiglass shields at all registers, in-store social distancing markers, dedicated social distance ambassadors to monitor customer flow and adherence to guidelines, regular overhead announcements and adjusted store layouts.
This day off will give our store associates a chance to spend time with family and recharge. Of course, we are always available to serve you on Lowes.com.
If you visit us in-store, know that we have continued to make updates to our operations in response to COVID-19. Operational changes include more third-party cleaning shifts as well as updates to support social distancing guidelines, such as: enhanced curbside pick-up, customized Plexiglass shields at all registers, in-store social distancing markers, dedicated social distance ambassadors to monitor customer flow and adherence to guidelines, regular overhead announcements and adjusted store layouts.
On Mask Shortage, CBS IGNORES That Obama Depleted Supply and Never Restocked
In reporting on America facing a critical shortage of N95 masks during this global pandemic, wouldn’t it make sense to look at how that happened and why America is in this position? Not according to CBS. On Wednesday,CBS This Morning’s Dr. Jon LaPook somehow ignored the fact that Barack Obama depleted the supply of masks and never restocked. You’ll never guess who does get mentioned for blame. (Well, you probably will: Donald Trump.)
Co-host Tony Dokoupil introduced, “A Department of Health and Human Services report this week echoes urgent calls from hospitals for more supplies. One administrator cited a three to six-month delay for essential items, including those critical N95 face masks.” LaPook passively explained that the supply “is almost depleted” without going into how that happened:
A Department of Homeland Security official told CBS News the strategic national stockpile of protective gear is almost depleted. Last week, President Trump invoked the Defense Production Act ordering private companies to help manufacture ventilators and N95 face masks.
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Co-host Tony Dokoupil introduced, “A Department of Health and Human Services report this week echoes urgent calls from hospitals for more supplies. One administrator cited a three to six-month delay for essential items, including those critical N95 face masks.” LaPook passively explained that the supply “is almost depleted” without going into how that happened:
A Department of Homeland Security official told CBS News the strategic national stockpile of protective gear is almost depleted. Last week, President Trump invoked the Defense Production Act ordering private companies to help manufacture ventilators and N95 face masks.
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Democrats Are Full Of Sh!t And Need To Be Stopped, Share This Information
Democrats and Mainstream Media claims “everybody saw this coming in early January. Why didn’t Trump act?”...
Oh Really? Roll the tape!
Senate Democrats block additional $250 billion for small business loans
Senate Democrats on Thursday blocked a move by the Trump administration and Senate Republicans to add $250 billion to an emergency fund that is helping small businesses keep employees on the payroll during the coronavirus pandemic, even as another 6.6 million people applied for unemployment benefits.
Democrats objected to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s bid to approve the extra money by unanimous consent, which would have allowed passage without requiring a majority of senators to travel back to Washington to vote in person.
Sen. Ben Cardin, Maryland Democrat, said the move was a “political stunt.”
Senate Small Business Chairman Marco Rubio, Florida Republican, said funds for other programs from the $2.2 trillion CARES Act have not yet been disbursed, but “demand for the Paycheck Protection Program remains incredibly high.”
“We are seeing a rate of $3.5 billion an hour on a nearly $350 billion program,” Mr. Rubio said in a statement after Democrats objected. “We have days, not weeks, until PPP runs out of money."
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Democrats objected to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s bid to approve the extra money by unanimous consent, which would have allowed passage without requiring a majority of senators to travel back to Washington to vote in person.
Sen. Ben Cardin, Maryland Democrat, said the move was a “political stunt.”
Senate Small Business Chairman Marco Rubio, Florida Republican, said funds for other programs from the $2.2 trillion CARES Act have not yet been disbursed, but “demand for the Paycheck Protection Program remains incredibly high.”
“We are seeing a rate of $3.5 billion an hour on a nearly $350 billion program,” Mr. Rubio said in a statement after Democrats objected. “We have days, not weeks, until PPP runs out of money."
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Marine who Served in Afghanistan Is Murdered in Chicago after Gang Pushes Him in Front of Train
Retired Marine Mamadou Balde who served in Afghanistan was murdered in Chicago on Tuesday night after a gang pushed him in front of a train.
Mamadou reportedly walked away from the men before they pushed him in front of the train.
Police are looking for the killers.
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Mamadou reportedly walked away from the men before they pushed him in front of the train.
Police are looking for the killers.
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Biden Cuts Hole In Mask So He Can Still Sniff People's Hair
Staffers usually don't let Biden play with sharp objects, but he managed to find some safety scissors stashed behind the Metamucil in his campaign bus. Using the purple plastic scissors, he cut a large hole and then fitted the mask to his face, confident that he was protecting himself and others from the virus.
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The CDC Confesses to Lying About COVID-19 Death Numbers
Can any government statistics on COVID-19 deaths be trusted?
It is an open question now that we are learning that the highly respected, world-class Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been lying to us.
This revelation comes a few days after I wrote here at American Thinker that New York City was lying about COVID-19 deaths. The normal rules about reporting deaths have been violated by that city in the rush to inflate the body count, presumably to steer more taxpayer money to the Big Apple.
That the CDC isn’t telling the truth to Americans is no conspiracy theory: it’s right out there in the open for everyone to see. The CDC openly admits that it is fudging the COVID-19 death figures.
We know this because, among other truth-tellers, a plainspoken small-town physician from Kalispell, Montana, has pulled back the curtain.
Dr. Annie Bukacek, MD, explained in a presentation how death certificates are made. (See “Montana physician Dr. Annie Bukacek discusses how COVID-19 death certificates are being manipulated,” YouTube, April 6)
Why should anyone care how a certificate of death is made?
Everyone should care “today when governments are making massive changes that affect our constitutional rights and those changes are based on inaccurate statistics,” Bukacek says.
The system is deeply flawed, she argues.
It is an open question now that we are learning that the highly respected, world-class Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been lying to us.
This revelation comes a few days after I wrote here at American Thinker that New York City was lying about COVID-19 deaths. The normal rules about reporting deaths have been violated by that city in the rush to inflate the body count, presumably to steer more taxpayer money to the Big Apple.
That the CDC isn’t telling the truth to Americans is no conspiracy theory: it’s right out there in the open for everyone to see. The CDC openly admits that it is fudging the COVID-19 death figures.
We know this because, among other truth-tellers, a plainspoken small-town physician from Kalispell, Montana, has pulled back the curtain.
Dr. Annie Bukacek, MD, explained in a presentation how death certificates are made. (See “Montana physician Dr. Annie Bukacek discusses how COVID-19 death certificates are being manipulated,” YouTube, April 6)
Why should anyone care how a certificate of death is made?
Everyone should care “today when governments are making massive changes that affect our constitutional rights and those changes are based on inaccurate statistics,” Bukacek says.
The system is deeply flawed, she argues.
Suspect in Dundalk teen's death granted home detention amid COVID-19 pandemic
BALTIMORE CO., MD (WBFF) — A family in Baltimore County is devastated to learn the woman charged in connection to their child’s death will be let out of jail until her trial date.
It’s a request the Baltimore County State’s Attorney said many inmates are making, as concern grows over the Coronavirus and the spread of it.
Jennifer Jones, 30, is facing 16 charges related to the December 2019 death of Trinity Brooks, 15, including negligent manslaughter, and negligent auto homicide- under the influence.
It’s a request the Baltimore County State’s Attorney said many inmates are making, as concern grows over the Coronavirus and the spread of it.
Jennifer Jones, 30, is facing 16 charges related to the December 2019 death of Trinity Brooks, 15, including negligent manslaughter, and negligent auto homicide- under the influence.
HOW ABOUT NO? Democrat Senators Propose Coronavirus Stimulus Bill For The Media
Never let a crisis go to waste, right?
Democrats sense that people are open to stimulus spending, so they are taking advantage and proposing things they would never suggest under normal circumstances.
The latest laughable proposal from Senator Amy Klobuchar and other Democrats, is a stimulus bill for their friends in the media.
The Hill reports:
More than a dozen senators are calling for any future stimulus package addressing the economic fallout from the novel coronavirus to include funding for local journalism, saying that communities across the U.S. are at risk of losing their source of news because of the pandemic.
“Local news is in a state of crisis that has only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic,” the senators wrote in a letter sent to the upper chamber’s leadership on Wednesday.
The letter was signed by 18 Democratic senators, including Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), Sherrod Brown (Ohio) and Joe Manchin (W.Va.), as well as Independent Sen. Angus King (Maine).
The letter notes many of the struggles the news industry has felt over the last two decades as big tech platforms swallow up a majority of the ad revenue that was a key source of profit during the print age. Newsroom employment has significantly decreased and about 1,800 local newspapers have ceased their operations since 2004, according to a University of North Carolina report.
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Democrats sense that people are open to stimulus spending, so they are taking advantage and proposing things they would never suggest under normal circumstances.
The latest laughable proposal from Senator Amy Klobuchar and other Democrats, is a stimulus bill for their friends in the media.
The Hill reports:
More than a dozen senators are calling for any future stimulus package addressing the economic fallout from the novel coronavirus to include funding for local journalism, saying that communities across the U.S. are at risk of losing their source of news because of the pandemic.
“Local news is in a state of crisis that has only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic,” the senators wrote in a letter sent to the upper chamber’s leadership on Wednesday.
The letter was signed by 18 Democratic senators, including Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), Sherrod Brown (Ohio) and Joe Manchin (W.Va.), as well as Independent Sen. Angus King (Maine).
The letter notes many of the struggles the news industry has felt over the last two decades as big tech platforms swallow up a majority of the ad revenue that was a key source of profit during the print age. Newsroom employment has significantly decreased and about 1,800 local newspapers have ceased their operations since 2004, according to a University of North Carolina report.
More
Fauci on US after coronavirus: No shaking hands ‘ever again’
Americans would be smart to carry some lessons with them into the future after the nation’s coronavirus crisis is over, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci.
“One of them is absolute compulsive hand-washing,” Fauci, a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, said Wednesday during a Wall Street Journal podcast.
“The other,” he added, “is you don't ever shake anybody's hands. I don't think we should ever shake hands ever again, to be honest with you.”
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“One of them is absolute compulsive hand-washing,” Fauci, a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, said Wednesday during a Wall Street Journal podcast.
“The other,” he added, “is you don't ever shake anybody's hands. I don't think we should ever shake hands ever again, to be honest with you.”
More
https://www.foxnews.com/health/fauci-on-us-after-coronavirus-no-shaking-hands-ever-again
Defense official says media reports about November coronavirus intel assessment are false
A defense official on Wednesday issued a rare denial of reports by ABC News and others that claimed a November intelligence assessment warned about a rapidly spreading coronavirus in China that posed a threat to American forces in the region.
The official said no such assessment existed.
ABC News cited unnamed officials with knowledge of the assessment by the military's National Center for Medical Intelligence (NCMI) that raised concerns of the coronavirusand highlighted how it was disputing daily life and business in the area.
Col. R. Shane Day, the director of the NCMI, a component of the Defense Intelligence Agency, refuted the ABC News report in a statement.
"As a matter of practice the National Center for Medical Intelligence does not comment publicly on specific intelligence matters," he said. "However, in the interest of transparency during this current public health crisis, we can confirm that media reporting about the existence/release of a National Center for Medical Intelligence Coronavirus-related product/assessment in November of 2019 is not correct. No such NCMI product exists."
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The official said no such assessment existed.
ABC News cited unnamed officials with knowledge of the assessment by the military's National Center for Medical Intelligence (NCMI) that raised concerns of the coronavirusand highlighted how it was disputing daily life and business in the area.
Col. R. Shane Day, the director of the NCMI, a component of the Defense Intelligence Agency, refuted the ABC News report in a statement.
"As a matter of practice the National Center for Medical Intelligence does not comment publicly on specific intelligence matters," he said. "However, in the interest of transparency during this current public health crisis, we can confirm that media reporting about the existence/release of a National Center for Medical Intelligence Coronavirus-related product/assessment in November of 2019 is not correct. No such NCMI product exists."
More
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/defense-november-coronavirus-intelligence-assessment-reports-false
Reminder: Processing of Paper Income Tax Returns to Temporarily Stop on April 15 Due to COVID-19
Taxpayers seeking refunds urged to postmark mailed returns by April 10
ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Comptroller Peter Franchot urges Maryland taxpayers seeking refunds to file electronically as soon as possible and reminds those who file paper income tax returns to make sure those returns are postmarked by April 10th to ensure processing. The agency will temporarily stop processing paper tax returns on April 15 in an effort to keep essential employees safe amid the spread of COVID-19.
“We want to make sure every Marylander due a refund gets it as soon as possible, especially during this economic crisis," Comptroller Franchot said. "We are taking this step to balance that goal with our commitment to protecting the health of our dedicated team processing those paper returns. Mailing your paper income tax return by April 10th will help ensure timely processing."
Most taxpayers receiving refunds have already filed and the number of those anticipating refunds who have yet to do so and plan to file via paper returns is very low. The deadline for individuals and businesses to file and pay their state income tax was previously extended until July 15.
Since taking office in 2007, Comptroller Franchot has encouraged taxpayers to file electronically. Nearly 86 percent of the more than three million returns processed annually by the agency are filed electronically, while approximately 450,000 returns are manually submitted, costing the state about $5 each to process. It takes an average of 2.2 business days to process an electronically filed return compared to the average of 22 business days to process a paper return.
The decision to temporarily stop processing paper returns after April 15 will further reduce the staff required to work on site. The electronic filing process requires minimal human intervention, and is a cost-effective and more secure way to submit taxes at a time when tax fraud and identity theft schemes are on the rise across the nation.
The agency will continue to monitor the situation closely and could alter the schedule if necessary.
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