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Thursday, May 14, 2020

Controversial Decisions by Governors in NY, NJ, and PA Criticized as Factors in High Level of COVID-19 Nursing Home Deaths

The governors of New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania are under fire for controversial nursing home policy decisions that critics say fueled coronavirus deaths in those facilities.

On March 25, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) ordered nursing homes to accept patients who tested positive for COVID-19, as the New York Postreported:

An executive at the unnamed Queens nursing home says that the facility was coronavirus-free until Gov. Andrew Cuomo forced facilities in the state to accept coronavirus patients on March 25.

In Pennsylvania, the Bucks County Courier Times reported:

On March 29, as Pennsylvania, New York and other states began ordering nursing homes to admit medically stable residents infected with the coronavirus, national trade groups warned it could unnecessarily cost more lives.

The health directives put “frail and older adults who reside in nursing homes at risk” and would “result in more people going to the hospital and more deaths,” the American Health Care Association and affiliates said at the time.

A month later, it appears government officials should have heeded the dire call to pursue different pandemic emergency plans.

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Former Emory U. Prof Pleads Guilty to Tax Charges over Hidden China Money

A former professor at Emory University and participant in communist China’s “Thousand Talents” has pled guilty to filing a false tax return after the DOJ alleged he hid more than $500,000 in payments from China.

Former Emory University professor Xiao-Jiang Li, who is also involved in China’s “Thousand Talents” program, pled guilty to the charge of filing a false tax return last week and was sentenced by a U.S. District Judge to probation and paying restitution, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

The “Thousand Talents” program is an initiative created by the Chinese government to provide grants to scientists outside of China in exchange for access to research performed in their country, often funded by the American government.

The DOJ said that Li joined Thousand Talents in 2011 while working at Emory University and that between 2012 and 2018 — while still employed at Emory — Li also worked at two Chinese universities where he conducted similar research.

Over those six years, Li earned at least $500,000 in income from Chinese sources, which he failed to report on his federal income tax returns, according to the DOJ.

“The Department of Justice remains vigilant over programs such as the Thousand Talents Program that recruits professors and researchers to work for China,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers. “In this case Li was caught in his lack of transparency.”

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In Stunning Move, Flynn Judge Appoints Gotti Prosecutor To Argue Against DOJ Dismissal

The judge in the Michael Flynn case has gone full activist - refusing to dismiss the case after the Department of Justice requested to drop charges so that an outside party could file an opposition briefing known as a "friend-of-the-court", or "amicus" briefing.

Today, Judge Emmet Sullivan took things one step further, appointing former Gotti prosecutor and judge, John Gleeson, to argue against the dismissal and to determine whether Flynn should be held in contempt for perjury.

As we noted earlier, What makes it bizarre is that the Judge, Emmet Sullivan, denied this type of third party intervention 24 timesduring the case - yet has suddenly changed his mind after an activist group which calls itself the "Watergate Prosecutors" moved to file an amicus brief, according to the Washington Examiner.

And as Trump ally and attorney Victoria Toensing noted, the Supreme Court ruled last week that entertaining outside interventions such as these was a "drastic departure" and an "abuse of discretion."

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LEFTIST WEBSITE USES IMAGE OF WHITE PROTESTERS TO DEPICT STORY ABOUT BLACK TERROR SUSPECT

Caught red handed.

Far-left website Raw Story was caught using an image of white stay-at-home protesters to illustrate an article about a black terror suspect who allegedly planned to kill police officers.

The controversy surrounded an article by Raw Story writer and former ShareBlue pundit Matthew Chapman entitled Ohio man arrested for plot to kidnap police and stockpile their weapons for an ‘uprising’.

The article was originally posted on both Raw Story and Twitter with an image showing three white men wearing tactical gear. The clear implication in using the image suggested that one of the men in the photograph was the terror suspect.

However, according to Shutterstock’s original description of the image, it shows members of the Yellowstone Militia of Billings “protesting Montana’s stay at home orders.”

The actual suspect, 20-year-old Christian Stanley Ferguson, who was arrested “on charges that he concocted an elaborate plan to kidnap law enforcement officers, stockpile their weapons, and build up an arsenal to ‘start an uprising,'” looks like this.

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Coronavirus could take FIVE YEARS to bring under control warns WHO's chief scientist

It could be four to five years before the Covid-19 pandemic is under control, a senior global health official has said.

But with hopes of an end to the pandemic dependent on containing the virus and development of an effective vaccine, other experts have dampened expectations of putting a date on curbing the virus.

There are globally more than 4.3 million confirmed coronavirus cases, with the death toll now approaching 300,000.

Soumya Swaminathan, the World Health Organisation's (WHO) chief scientist, told the FT's Global Boardroom digital conference: 'I would say in a four to five-year timeframe, we could be looking at controlling this.'

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Triple-drug combo of anti-malaria pill hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin and ZINC improved coronavirus patients' chances of being discharged and cut death risk by almost 50%, study finds

Combining the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine with the dietary supplement zinc could create a more effective treatment for coronavirus patients, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that taking the drugs together, along with the antibiotic azithromycin, increased patient's chances of being discharged and decreased their risk of dying.

It did not, however, change the average time patients spent in hospital, how long they spent on a ventilator or the total amount of oxygen required.

President Donald Trump has often touted the drug as a 'game-changer' during his press conferences and on Twitter, and the US Food and Drug Administration authorized emergency use of hydroxychloroquine.

The team, from New York University Grossman School of Medicine, says the findings are encouraging but that more studies, including a randomized clinical trial, are needed.

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Rand Paul: Biden Should ‘Come Out of Hibernation,’ Explain Why He Unmasked Flynn

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) on Wednesday called on former Vice President Joe Biden to “come out of hibernation” and explain why he unmasked then-incoming National Security Advisor Army Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Michael Flynn.

He needs to come out of hibernation and [reporters] need to ask Vice President Biden, ‘What kind of a person eavesdrops, is that something that we think is a legitimate function of government, to eavesdrop on your opponents without a warrant? To illegally unmask them and listen to their private conversation?’

Paul added:

From the very beginning, General Flynn’s been treated very poorly by his country. A guy who’s served 33 years has been treated very poorly, but this is an abuse of power that should not rest, and it should make every American worry that if Vice President Biden were elevated to the top office, would he again use this kind of power on political opponents?

And the other side needs to realize, this is the exactly what they’re accusing President Trump of, but he was actually acquitted on that charge, they have now found that Vice President Biden is guilty of using government to go after a political opponent.

He also called on the Senate to “immediately” hold hearings on the unmasking of Flynn’s name:

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Michigan Gov. Whitmer: I Believe Biden Despite ‘Vast Majority’ of Sexual Assault Allegations Being True

Appearing Wednesday on ABC’s The View, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D), a potential vice presidential candidate, said she accepts former Vice President Joe Biden’s denial of alleged sexual assault on former Senate staffer Tara Reade, despite believing that a “vast majority” of sexual misconduct allegations are true.

A transcript is as follows:

SARA HAINES: You are a vocal supporter of sexual assault survivors as you are one yourself. Former Senate Biden staffer Tara Reade has come forward claiming Joe Biden sexually harassed and assaulted her — a claim Biden vehemently denies. What do you make of these allegations and how should his campaign handle them moving forward?

GOV. GRETCHEN WHITMER: I take this very seriously. As a survivor myself, I want you to know that women are able to come forward and tell their stories and we listen to them. For a long time, women were dismissed. Now we are being listened to and it’s really important. As a lawyer, I recognize it’s important that we vet and understand and ask questions and determine the credibility of all parties in any allegation. In looking at this, I think that the inconsistencies that I’ve seen give me the judgment that I believe Joe, and I think that it’s important to note that the vast majority of women who come forward, statistics show that they are telling the story that is true. In this instance, I do believe Joe Biden, and everyone needs to make that judgment, weigh the facts, and make the determination for themselves.

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Donald Trump Scolds Dr. Anthony Fauci: We ‘Absolutely’ Have to Open Our Schools

President Donald Trump at the White House pushed back on Wednesday against warnings from Dr. Anthony Fauci about reopening schools in the fall, after the peak of the coronavirus pandemic.

“I think they should open the schools, absolutely,” Trump said. “It’s had very little effect on young people.”

During a Senate committee hearing on Wednesday, Fauci said that it was “a bit of a bridge too far” to expect that therapeutic treatments or vaccines would be widely available to treat students in August. He also warned about being “cavalier” about the risk of bringing children back to school.

“To me, it’s not an acceptable answer,” Trump said when asked about Fauci’s testimony.

While some universities have announced plans to reopen in the fall, California announced Tuesday their state university system would not welcome students back to campus in the fall.

Trump said that reopening schools was essential to get America back open for business again.

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Trump Campaign Blasts Biden’s ‘Limp Claim’ of Ignorance on the Railroading of Flynn

The Trump campaign on Wednesday reacted to Joe Biden’s (D) name appearing in a declassified list of Obama administration officials who had requested names to be “unmasked” from November 8, 2016 to Jan 31, 2017, declaring that his claim to ignorance on the “railroading of Gen. Michael Flynn just got even more unbelievable.”

“Joe Biden’s limp claim that he doesn’t know anything about the railroading of Gen. Michael Flynn just got even more unbelievable,” Trump 2020 Campaign Manager Brad Parscale said in a statement following Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell’s response to a congressional request.

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Democrat County Exec Blasts Gretchen Whitmer, ‘Unimpressed’ with Continued Michigan Lockdown

A top Democrat from the important swing county of Macomb in Michigan is criticizing Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) and her handling of the coronavirus shutdown.

Mark Hackel, the elected county executive, told WDIV that Whitmer needs to “ease up” on her executive orders keeping much of the state shuttered and many Michiganders out of work.

WDIV reporter Rod Meloni noted the state’s goal was to “flatten the curve,” which has been done.

“And now the goal post has been moved to something he doesn’t even recognize,” Meloni said of Hackel.

“Why are we still pushing forward with this nonessential opening in a slow, progressive sort of way?” Hackel said.

According to Local 4, Hackel was “unimpressed” with Whitmer’s six-stage reopening plan.

“Let’s be honest, once it came out, nobody paid attention to it or is looking at it anymore,” he said.

Hackel said he gets many calls from business owners who are confused by the multi-step chart and just want to know when they can reopen.

He wondered exactly what data Whitmer is using to make her decisions.

“What is it we’re looking for?” he said. “What is the number? Is there a percentage? Is there a percentage less of people getting sick?”

He wondered what Whitmer is looking for.

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NYC health head rejected NYPD mask plea: ‘I don’t give two rats’ asses about your cops’

New York City’s health commissioner blew off an urgent NYPD request for 500,000 surgical masks as the coronavirus crisis mounted — telling a high-ranking police official that “I don’t give two rats’ asses about your cops,” The Post has learned.

Dr. Oxiris Barbot made the heartless remark during a brief phone conversation in late March with NYPD Chief of Department Terence Monahan, sources familiar with the matter said Wednesday.

Monahan asked Barbot for 500,000 masks but she said she could only provide 50,000, the sources said.

“I don’t give two rats’ asses about your cops,” Barbot said, according to sources.

“I need them for others.”

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Deliver Us from Evil Democrats

Despite 30 million Americans losing their jobs, domestic violence and suicides on the rise, Democrats and fake news media are terrifying Americans into believing the lockdown must continue. These evil people are fully committed to using the coronavirus to stop Trump's reelection.

I scratch my head thinking, “Don't these wacko leftists realize that if they destroy America, their livelihood is destroyed as well?” Democrats and fake news media's hatred for Trump and his voters and their desire to block him from making America great again, again, overrules logic. Their behavior is like the wicked queen in the Disney Snow White movie. Her hatred for Snow White was so great that she sacrificed her beauty, transforming herself into an ugly old witch to deceive and destroy Snow White.

Democrats and fake news media will sacrifice America if it means destroying Trump. These people must be defeated.

Sadly, half the country still does not realize that Democrats and fake news media are tag-team partners in transforming America into a socialist/communist nation.

Before my lifelong Democrat dad, Dr. Rev. Lloyd E. Marcus passed away at age 90, I tried to inform Dad that his workingman party had been hijacked by 1960s hippies. Hippies (Democrats) also took over Hollywood, mainstream media and public education decades ago. Consequently, they created a generation of young adults who hate America, hate the God of Christianity and believe their parents are stupid, racist, sexist, and homophobic.

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Petty tyrants abound. In a crisis, the left turns to authoritarianism; the right fights for liberty

"The welfare of the people in particular has always been the alibi of tyrants." Camus

The COVID-19 pandemic has served one particular purpose: it has demonstrated for all to see how much the left bends toward authoritarianism while the right is left to fight for freedom.

From the moment Drs. Fauci and Birx presented the president with Neil Ferguson's grossly overly alarmist computer model predicting mass death, leading them to advocate for a total shutdown of the economy, the left's natural inclination to ruthless subjugation reared its ugly head. Very quickly, those with a heretofore modicum of power puffed themselves up like howler monkeys and started barking orders at their perceived subjects.

The Napoleonic Dr. Fauci is the first person that comes to mind when considering all those who have assumed power far beyond their realm. Yes, he has long been a government apparatchik, the go-to immunologist since 1984 during the AIDS epidemic. He got a lot wrong then, as he has gotten a lot wrong throughout the COVID-19 event. A long-time leftist and fawning fan of Hillary Clinton, he has leapt to the top of the heap of those the media worship as the fount of all COVID-19 knowledge.

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UPDATE: Crooked Judge Sullivan Appoints Anti-Trump Judge John Gleeson to Decide Flynn Case After He Pens Anti-Flynn WaPo OpEd — 2 Days Ago!

The Barr Justice Department dropped its case against General Mike Flynn last Thursday after bombshell documents were released that proved he was framed by Comey’s FBI.

This was a major win for justice in America after General Flynn was targeted and destroyed by the Obama deep state for daring to speak out against the former failed president.

But on Tuesday the Clinton-appointed Judge Emmet Sullivan made a dirty, political move to delay justice for General Mike Flynn.

Judge Sullivan extended the case by soliciting amicus briefs to allow for public comment on Flynn’s criminal case.

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Honda and Toyota reopen their Alabama plants with COVID-19 protection measures

Honda Manufacturing of Alabama reopened its auto plant in Lincoln Monday, the same day Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama started back its engine plant in Huntsville.

Both plants had been closed since late March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Workers are returning to sanitized workspaces and learning new ways to operate with social distancing and additional personal protective equipment.

The reopening of the Honda and Toyota Alabama plants is part of a resuming of all North America operations for the two automakers.

They follow reopenings in Alabama of Mercedes-Benz U.S International, which resumed production in Tuscaloosa last week, and Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama, which has been running one shift since May 4. Plans are for Hyundai to run one of its three shifts for the first three weeks under its new COVID-19 guidelines with an eye on running three shifts beginning May 26.

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LAPD cops chased off the block trying to enforce social distancing

A cellphone video has emerged showing Los Angeles police officers purportedly trying to enforce social distancing rules and being chased off by unimpressed residents.

The brief recording first surfaced on the Instagram page LAHoodMedia last week. As of Wednesday evening, the video has been viewed more than 39,000 times.

According to information posted on the page, the recording was made by residents of the Pueblo Del Rio public housing project located in the Central-Alameda section of Los Angeles.

In the video, young men brandishing water guns surround a pair of LAPD officers standing next to their patrol vehicle.

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China Calls for Global Media Takeover by ‘Belt and Road News Network’

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) newsletter People’s Daily on Monday demanded a controlling role for China’s Belt and Road News Network (BRNN) over all global media, ostensibly to counteract “racially discriminatory messages” from certain Western nations that refuse to stop asking questions about where the Wuhan coronavirus came from.

People’s Daily pushed CCP propaganda about its supposedly magnificent leadership in fighting the coronavirus to its logical extreme, demanding China be allowed to take charge of media coverage in other countries so that Beijing’s uplifting narrative becomes the standard everywhere.

The world’s worst censors invoked the importance of “truth” as the reason they should be allowed to censor everyone else’s news:

"The media should faithfully record history and respect facts in news reporting. Truth is basic for news. At this crucial moment, media practitioners must work in a down-to-earth way, learn the real situations, and report the truth in the most accurate, objective and comprehensive manner.

"Unfortunately, some irresponsible Western media outlets spread and even fabricated rumors, which undermined international cooperation to fight the virus.

"China’s incredible sacrifice in fighting COVID-19 has made a huge contribution to the world, winning high recognition from the international community.

"The Belt and Road News Network (BRNN) issued an open letter to its alliance members of 205 media outlets from 98 countries around the world, calling on them to give the message of unity and support to the public, tell stories of how countries fight together by looking over for and helping each other, and give the warm message of unity and strength."

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Atlanta Mayor says Trump rhetoric gave 'permission' for Ahmaud Arbery killing

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms on Sunday claimed President Trump’s rhetoric had given “permission” to the two white men charged in the fatal shooting of Ahmaud Arbery, an unarmed 25-year-old black man whose death reignited racial tensions in the country.

Ms. Bottoms, who has been floated as a possible running mate for presumptive Democrat presidential candidate Joseph R. Biden, told CNN’s Jake Tapper that she believed the men were only charged because a video of the Feb. 23 shooting had only recently been made public.

“I think that’s absolutely the reason that they were charged,” Ms. Bottoms said. “I think, had we not seen that video, I don’t believe that they would be charged, and it is heartbreaking. It’s 2020 and this was a lynching of an African-American man.

“With the rhetoric that we hear coming out of the White House in so many ways, I think that many who are prone to being racist are given permission to do it in an overt way that we otherwise would not see in 2020."

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Congress Weighs Coronavirus Aid for Local Newspapers, Broadcasters

Democrats in Congress are looking to help struggling local newspapers, TV and radio stations qualify for federal coronavirus aid, according to people familiar with the matter.

The coming coronavirus legislation expected to be introduced in the House as soon as this week will include a provision to expand newspapers’ and broadcasters’ eligibility for forgivable small business loans, the people said.

Meanwhile, Sens. Maria Cantwell (D., Wash.) and Amy Klobuchar (D., Minn.) are working to find ways to move the proposal forward in the Republican-controlled Senate.

“The Covid-19 crisis has shown us how essential local news and information is to us,” Ms. Cantwell said. “Now is not the time to cut newsroom jobs critical to giving the public regional data and news on Covid-19 outbreaks.”

Many local news outlets haven’t been able to apply for the Small Business Administration’s forgivable Paycheck Protection Program loans because of “affiliation rules” that force them to be measured by the size of their parent companies. The new provision to be considered by Congress would waive such rules when it comes to local news outlets.

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Grenell declassifies names of Obama officials who ‘unmasked’ Flynn

Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell has decided to declassify information about Obama administration officials who were behind the “unmasking” of Michael Flynn -- whose calls with the former Russian ambassador during the presidential transition were picked up in surveillance and later leaked -- and their names could soon be made public, a source confirmed.

Fox News confirmed that a new round of documents is expected, in the wake of a document dump last week that renewed focus on the Russia investigation and specifically the treatment of Flynn. The unmasking concerns events between the November 2016 election and Inauguration Day 2017, Fox News is told.

Another source familiar with the intelligence told Fox News that Grenell is moving to declassify several pieces of intelligence in stages, with this being one part of it. Asked if former President Barack Obama's name is on the list of officials involving in unmasking Flynn, the source would not say but stressed the list would make waves.

The Wall Street Journal, which reported on the looming release overnight, cited a senior government official who called Grenell's move unprecedented, as it came just days after the Justice Department dropped its case against Flynn, President Trump’s first national security adviser. It is now up to Attorney General William Barr to release the names publicly.

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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/grenell-declassifies-names-of-obama-officials-who-unmasked-flynn-report-says

Trump Rejects Renegotiating China Trade Deal: ‘Not Interested’

President Donald Trump on Monday ruled out renegotiating the United States’ trade agreement with China during a Rose Garden press conference amid reports that Beijing seeks more favorable terms during the coronavirus pandemic that it stands accused of attempting to cover up.

REPORTER STEVE HOLLAND: The South China Morning Post, the Beijing newspaper, says China would like to reopen negotiations on the trade deal to make the terms more favorable to them. Is this something you’d be interested in doing?

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: No, not at all. Not even a little bit. I’m not interested. We signed a deal.

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Caving to Chinese Pressure, WHO Will Not Invite Taiwan to Global Health Meeting

The World Health Organization has denied an appeal for Taiwan to join an upcoming meeting on the global health situation amid protests from China, which has sought to exclude the nation from pressing deliberations.

Steven Solomon, the WHO's top legal official, was quoted as saying on Monday that "divergent views" among United Nations member states had stopped the organization from extending an invitation to Taiwan to attend its annual confab. These views have largely emanated from China, which has long rebuffed international calls for Taiwan to have a seat at the World Health Assembly, the WHO's decision-making body. Taiwan has attended past meetings as an observer.

"To put it crisply, director-generals only extend invitations when it's clear that member states support doing so, that director-generals have a mandate, a basis to do so," Solomon said.

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More Than 80 Ballots Mailed to San Pedro Apartment

The Los Angeles County Registrar is investigating how 83 ballots were sent to a single address at a San Pedro apartment.

The unused ballots were found on Saturday by tenant Jerry Mosna, sitting on top of the mailbox center at his apartment building in San Pedro.

The ballots were all addressed to a two bedroom apartment upstairs from Mosna's, belonging to an 89-year-old woman.

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Biden Calls for Resumption of Palestinian Aid as New Payments to Terrorists Revealed

Just days after Democrat presidential candidate Joe Biden called for a full resumption of U.S. aid to the Palestinian government, new disclosures revealed the Palestinians are still using international contributions to pay salaries to terrorists who have killed Israeli citizens.

Congress first froze aid to the Palestinian Authority in 2017 after it became clear the government was spending a large portion of the money on a "pay to slay" program, which sends funds to imprisoned terrorists and their families. While a bipartisan majority of Congress passed the bill, far-left factions of the Democrat Party have been pushing for the aid to resume without conditions that payments to terrorists cease.

Biden vowed to resume U.S. aid just days before a watchdog group discovered the Palestinian government has continued using international aid to make these payments.

More here

Governor Hogan's Current Language On Bars/Restaurants

Restaurants and Bars. 

i. This Order controls the occupancy and use of restaurants, bars, and other similar establishments that sell food or beverages for consumption on premises in Maryland (“Restaurants and Bars”). This Order does not apply to food or beverage services in health care facilities, which are expressly excluded from the definition of “Restaurants and Bars.” 

ii. All Restaurants and Bars shall remain closed to the general public, except that, to the extent permitted by applicable law, and in accordance with any social-distancing recommendations of MDH, food and beverages may be: 1. sold if such food or beverages are promptly taken from the premises, i.e., on a carry-out or drive-through basis; or 2. delivered to customers off the premises.

Rush: Democrats Will Try to Keep Economy Shut Down to Ensure Trump Loses

Tuesday on his nationally syndicated radio show, conservative talker Rush Limbaugh said Democrat Party lawmakers will attempt to squash plans to reopen the economy while the Chinese coronavirus pandemic subsides as part of an effort to sabotage President Donald Trump’s prospects of winning re-election in November.

A partial transcript is as follows:

RUSH LIMBAUGH: I’ll tell you something else that’s starting to send red flags up. You probably have already noticed this. All these blue state governors that want to keep their states locked down, it’s purely political. But what are they depending on? They’re depending on the red states — the red states that are opening up! The red states are gonna get the economy kickstarted. The red states are gonna create capital and money to transfer to pay these people their stupid welfare costs (and whatever else they’re using to bleed this country dry), while their population sits home, doesn’t work, waits for the federal check to show up — and they sit around and they trash the supposedly reckless red states. I cannot tell you how this irritates me. The red-state governors — like Kemp in Georgia and any number of these people — are doing the right thing. They’re trying to get their people back to work, for all the right common-sensical human and humane reasons — to protect lives — to protect livelihoods, the United States economy, the state economy. And then you go to a blue state, and it’s the exact opposite.

They shut down and lock down, and they want to remain locked down until July or August or whatever — and nothing’s gonna open and nothing is gonna happen. And they fully expect the red states to sit there and essentially pay for it. Folks, I’m gonna tell you, these next four months are gonna be a veritable war like we have not seen. The American left and the Democrat Party is going to do its best to keep this economy shut down, to extend and expand that shutdown — and blow up their own country’s jobs — just to ensure that Trump loses.

'DOA': That's what Trump says about House Democrats' coronavirus relief package

The proposed $3 trillion package includes a second round of direct cash payments to Americans.

WASHINGTON —
President Donald Trump shot down the massive new Democratic coronavirus relief package ahead of a planned House vote Friday.

"DOA. Dead on arrival. Of course, Nancy Pelosi knows that," he told reporters Wednesday at the White House.

About one-third of the $3 trillion legislation is relief for state, local and tribal governments, which many Republicans are resisting. The measure also includes assistance to essential workers, an extension of unemployment insurance beyond July, another round of $1,200 direct cash payments and various other measures that are unlikely to gain bipartisan support but serve as an opening bid for Democrats.

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Former AG Matt Whitaker: Flynn Revelations 'Tip of Iceberg'

The revelations about abuses in the FBI’s investigation into Michael Flynn are “just the tip of the iceberg,” former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker told Newsmax TV on Tuesday.

“I think it’s becoming very clear as to what happened,” Whitaker said during a Tuesday interview.

He said members of the Obama administration were interviewed under oath and said they had no evidence of a connection between the Trump campaign and the Russian government, despite going on national television and telling the American people that “there was all sorts of evidence that linked the two things.”

Whitaker said it was also clear that a plan was hatched to set up Flynn, who served as Trump’s national security adviser.

“It smells really bad,” he said. “It is really bad. And it’s just the tip of the iceberg is what I believe.”

Meanwhile, U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan on Tuesday said he won’t immediately grant a U.S. request to dismiss the case against Flynn.

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“It Is Absolutely Foreign for any Judge to Consider Bringing in another Judge to Co-Pilot a Case!” – Judge Jeanine GOES OFF after Judge Sullivan Goes Rogue with US Law (VIDEO)

The Barr Justice Department dropped its case against General Mike Flynn last Thursday after bombshell documents were released that proved he was framed by Comey’s FBI.

This was a major win for justice in America after General Flynn was targeted and destroyed by the Obama deep state for daring to speak out against the former failed president.

But on Tuesday the Clinton-appointed Judge Emmet Sullivan made a dirty, political move to delay justice for General Mike Flynn.

Judge Sullivan extended the case by soliciting amicus briefs to allow for public comment on Flynn’s criminal case.
Judge Sullivan today appointed retired Clinton appointee judge John Gleeson to argue against the government’s motion to dismiss the charge against Flynn!
This is unheard of!

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“Get Ready for a Ride with Evidence Coming Out on CIA!” – George Papadopoulos Points to Downer and Mifsud as “Next Clowns to be Exposed”

Acting DNI Richard Grenell declassified the list of Obama officials involved in the unmasking of General Mike Flynn in his conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.

CBS reporter Catherine Herridge obtained the list of Obama operatives who unmasked General Flynn.

Names include former CIA Director John Brennan, Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power and former DNI chief James Clapper.

Via Catherine Herridge:

Grenell was seen delivering a satchel of documents to the DOJ last week and according to ABC, he also discussed the list of Obama officials involved in unmasking Flynn.

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Maryland COVID-19 Data 5-14-2020

COVID-19 Statistics in Maryland
Number of confirmed cases : 35,903
Number of negative test results : 142,551
Number of confirmed deaths : 1,748
Number of probable deaths : 118
Currently hospitalized : 1,538
Acute care : 969
Intensive care : 569
Ever hospitalized : 6,553
Released from isolation : 2,569
Cases and Deaths Data Breakdown:
Parenthesis = Confirmed death, laboratory-confirmed positive COVID-19 test result
Asterisk = Probable death, death certificate lists COVID-19 as the cause of death but not yet confirmed by a laboratory test
NH = Non-Hispanic

By County
County    Cases    Deaths
Allegany    150    (13)   
Anne Arundel    2,661    (126)    9*
Baltimore City    3,505    (183)    9*
Baltimore County    4,290    (207)    16*
Calvert    225    (12)    1*
Caroline    183       
Carroll    619    (62)   
Cecil    291    (17)   
Charles    796    (57)    2*
Dorchester    104    (2)   
Frederick    1,325    (78)    6*
Garrett    6       
Harford    663    (28)    4*
Howard    1,285    (38)    2*
Kent    125    (14)   
Montgomery    7,548    (397)    40*
Prince George's    10,449    (379)    19*
Queen Anne's    106    (9)   
St. Mary's    271    (9)   
Somerset    51       
Talbot    64    (1)   
Washington    305    (9)   
Wicomico    754    (17)   
Worcester    127    (4)    1*
Data not available        (86)    9*

By Age Range and GenderAge/Gender    Cases    Deaths
0-9    671       
10-19    1,299       
20-29    4,685    (10)    1*
30-39    6,475    (20)    3*
40-49    6,440    (48)    4*
50-59    6,033    (116)    9*
60-69    4,487    (271)    12*
70-79    3,004    (428)    14*
80+    2,809    (771)    66*
Data not available        (84)    9*
Female    18,780    (871)    63*
Male    17,123    (877)    55*

By Race and Ethnicity
Race/Ethnicity    Cases    Deaths
African-American (NH)    11,328    (708)    40*
Asian (NH)    703    (60)    5*
White (NH)    7,479    (731)    57*
Hispanic    7,864    (137)    6*
Other (NH)    1,708    (22)    1*
Data not available    6,821    (90)    9*

Dershowitz: Judge should dismiss Flynn case or be impeached

Liberal legal scholar blasts delay after DOJ dropped prosecution
Judge Emmet G. Sullivan should dismiss the case against former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn or face impeachment, contends Harvard Law emeritus professor Alan Dershowitz.

The Justice Department filed a motion last week to dismiss the case, but Sullivan has refused to sign off on the order. Instead, he has invited third parties to submit friend-of-the-court briefs in the case.

The DOJ moved to dismiss at the recommendation of a U.S. attorney assigned to review the case and after the unsealing of documents that confirmed Flynn's claim that he was framed by the FBI.

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AOC removed from union-backed progressive party ballot line in New York

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., was booted from the progressive union-backed Working Families Party (WFP) ballot line by a Queens judge, a blow to her potentially competitive Democratic primary fight.

The freshman lawmaker was removed from the primary ballot after receiving only 13 signatures from members of the progressive group that has dubbed itself the "Tea Party of the left" -- two short of what she needed to get on the ballot.

Now, she won’t be on the WFP ballot line in the November general election, either, said Martin O'Connor, attorney for AOC's Democrat opponent Michelle Caruso-Cabrera.

“AOC has hurt working people of the Bronx and Queens with her votes and creates disunity within our party," Caruso-Cabrera told the New York Daily News. "No wonder why pro-union forces don’t want her, and neither do our neighborhoods.”

Caruso-Cabrera said the leftist firebrand is out of touch with the needs of her blue-collar district.

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NASCAR Returns This Sunday

Caribbean Joe's plans on having the NASCAR race this Sunday on our 80" outdoor TV for your viewing pleasure. We'll crank the outdoor surround sound system and get fans as close to the real thing as possible. 

CNN puts teen climate activist Greta Thunberg on coronavirus panel with health experts — and observers are in mockery mode

CNN said Wednesday it's featuring teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg on a coronavirus panel alongside health experts.

In addition to Thunberg, the network's "Coronavirus — Facts and Fears" live town hall Thursday night will include former acting Centers for Disease Control Director Richard Besser and former Health and Human Services secretary Kathleen Sebelius, as well as Anderson Cooper and Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

Thunberg is among a number of environmental activists who arecelebrating significantly reduced carbon dioxide emissions as a result of worldwide lockdowns amid the coronavirus. She also claimed on social media to have recovered from mild symptoms of COVID-19.

However, it's unclear if those are the reasons the Swedish 17-year-old is on the coronavirus panel with health experts. CNN on Wednesday didn't immediately reply to TheBlaze's request for comment regarding why she's appearing alongside Besser and Sebelius.

A controversial figure who's drawn praise from leftists and scorn and skepticism from just about everywhere else, Thunberg is known for her passionate speeches about climate change. She was infamously mocked for a tirade last year in which she angrily asked detractors and nonbelievers, "How dare you?" She also was named Time's 2019 Person of the Year and nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize

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Here’s how your Uber ride will change, starting May 18

Uber is rolling out a series of changes to its ride-hailing and on-demand food delivery apps, beginning Monday, as cities and states lift stay-at-home orders prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The changes, which includes an online checklist for all users, limits on the number of passengers in vehicles and a face mask verification feature for drivers, aims to stop the spread of COVID-19, the company said Wednesday.

“This is not a problem that can only be solved by the drivers or only can be solved by the riders, it is everyone’s responsibility,” said Sachin Kansal, senior director of product management at Uber, during a webinar Wednesday announcing the changes.

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Stage One: Governor Hogan Announces Gradual Reopenings With Flexible, Community-Based Approach

Maryland Will Move From Stay At Home Order to Safer At Home Public Health Advisory

County Leaders Empowered to Make Decisions on Timing of Stage One Reopenings

Retail Stores May Reopen at 50 Percent Capacity, All Manufacturing May Resume Operations
in a Safe Manner
Religious Services May Resume with Appropriate Safety Protocols, Outdoor Services
Strongly Encouraged

ANNAPOLIS, MD—Governor Larry Hogan today announced the beginning of Stage One of the ‘Maryland Strong: Roadmap to Recovery,’ which includes moving from a Stay at Home order to a Safer at Home public health advisory and the gradual reopenings of retail, manufacturing, houses of worship, and some personal services.

Stage One will be implemented with a flexible, community-based approach that empowers individual jurisdictions to make decisions regarding the timing of reopenings.

“As we begin Stage One of our recovery, I want to assure every Marylander who may feel uneasy, and anyone who is concerned that we are moving either too quickly or too slowly, that each and every decision we make is both fact-based and science-based and made only after extensive consultation with our expert Coronavirus Recovery Team,” said Governor Hogan. “We are continually monitoring this crisis, we remain focused on the clusters, outbreaks, and hotspots, and I can assure you that we remain ready to quickly and decisively respond to any changes in the facts on the ground, and that we will continue to attack this virus with every single tool at our disposal.”

SAFER AT HOME. Effective Friday, May 15, at 5:00 pm, Maryland will move from a Stay at Home order to a Safer at Home public health advisory.

US Supreme Court Rules with President Trump – Reinstates Law Making It a Felony to Encourage or Help People to Come or Stay in US Illegally

The US Supreme Court reinstated a law making it a felony to allow people to come or stay in the US illegally. The decision was unanimous, 9:0.

The Supreme Court unanimously resurrected a federal law struck down by an appeals court that made it a felony to encourage people to come to or stay illegally in the United States.

The May 7 ruling was a dramatic victory for the Trump administration, which had urged the high court to reverse a 2018 ruling by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. President Donald Trump, who has made immigration his signature issue, also favors reducing both illegal and legal immigration, along with cracking down on illegal aliens.

The problem, according to the Supreme Court, was that the lower court selected activist groups to dominate arguments against the law and then accepted their reasons for why it should be invalidated, even though the defendant herself did not raise those same concerns in her defense.

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What's Open, What's Not


Yeah, We Can Trust Our Mail In Vote Carriers, NOT!

While MOST carriers are honest, THINK! They are either democrat, republican or independent and when they see these special envelopes in particular districts, whoops! Into the dumpster it goes.

There's a reason we have had a system for decades and even that system is challenging at times. However, there's no way I'm going to trust voting by mail, will you?

Restaurants told to keep log of customer contact info after reopening in Phase 2

OLYMPIA, Wash. -- The state has given a glimpse into what eating at restaurants and taverns is going to look like once coronavirus restrictions are eased in your region.

Restaurants now have the set of requirements they will need to comply with the Gov. Inslee's 4-phase plan to reopen the state.

While most of the state is in Phase 1, which still prohibits in-seating dining, eight rural counties have been granted variances to advance to Phase 2 -- and test out the new restaurant model.

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Atlanta Man Holds Attempted Carjacking Suspect At Gunpoint Until Police Arrive!

This event was canceled


Delaware Young Republicans on Quarantine Measures:

Delaware Young Republicans stand with government officials and law enforcement officers who uphold our Constitution and decline to enforce Governor Carney’s unconstitutional coronavirus restrictions.

These policies exceed the powers that we the people have granted to our government. They violate the very rights that our government was instituted in order to secure.

The state administration has made little dictators out of our government servants. People, businesses, and churches have been threatened with fines and arrest by police. Farmers have been threatened by the Department of Agriculture. The Department of Health has been declared the supreme judge of what our rights are and how we are permitted to exercise them. The people’s right to elected representation has been replaced with government by unelected bureaucrats and executive decree.

This mass violation of rights was born in fear and carried out with political calculation. The curve has been flattened. Our health system has been given time to prepare. The elderly and vulnerable can be protected without defiling the foundations of freedom. The danger is real, but dire projections and media panic have been proven greatly exaggerated by science and experience.

The people are the ultimate authority in our free republic. No government instituted in our names has ever been or could lawfully be delegated the power to abolish our freedom, shutter our economy, and imprison us in our own homes. Liberty is not contingent on the existence of a perfect and safe world: People have inviolable rights to make their own decisions and manage their own lives even in difficult times.

Ours is a government of checks and balances, and every person employed within our government is endowed with the individual power to act as a check against governmental overreach. Resistance to tyranny is fidelity to the Constitution. We support and encourage state and local officials who decline to enforce these unconstitutional restrictions, and offer aid and support to any officer who is retaliated against by the establishment for their loyalty to American principles.

DNI chief gets urged to declassify FBI documents in Seth Rich murder

Death of former DNC worker suspected of involvement in hacking scandal still unsolved

A lawyer for one of the individuals caught up in the controversy over the unsolved murder of Democratic National Committee worker Seth Rich in Washington, D.C., in 2016 is asking acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell to declassify federal records in the case.
Ty Clevenger made the request in a letter on behalf of client Ed Butowsky after Grenell pushed the House Intelligence Committee to release 57 transcripts of testimony in the panel's Russia-collusion investigation.

Butowsky, according to WND columnist Jack Cashill, "dared to ask questions no one in Washington wanted asked, let alone answered." Butowsky is a high-profile author and financial adviser involved in several legal actions claiming it was Rich, not Russian hackers, who purloined data from the DNC during the 2016 presidential campaign and turned it over to Wikileaks.

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Judge in Mike Flynn case REFUSES to dismiss it 'immediately'

The judge overseeing the case of fired national security advisor Mike Flynn revealed Tuesday that the case is not dead yet – and issued an invitation for 'friend of the court' briefs in the explosive matter.

U.S. District Judge Judge Emmet Sullivan in a minute order issued Tuesday wrote that 'given the current posture of this case, the court anticipates that individuals and organizations will seek leave of the court to file amicus curiae briefs ...'

He made the statement after the Justice Department made the stunning decision to reverse its position and said last week would no longer prosecute Flynn.

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Limbaugh predicts: Cuomo will try to hijack nomination from 'dementia-stricken' Biden

'I guarantee you the Democrats cannot permit this to go on, and they won't'

As the coronavirus pandemic drags on and questions surrounding the health and political viability of presumed Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden intensify, radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh is making a bold prediction: that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo will attempt to "hijack" the nomination away from Biden.

"I guarantee you the Democrats cannot permit this to go on, and they won't, and I think it's gonna be the Cuomo brothers. I think Andrew Cuomo is gonna hijack, or try to, the Democrat convention," Limbaugh said on his national broadcast Wednesday.

"You mark my words."

Limbaugh explained Biden's frequent media appearances from his basement at his Delaware home are revealing Biden's mental-health issues to the public.

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Coronavirus Cases in Georgia, Florida Continue to Decline Despite Business Openings

In particular, Georgia and Florida, which were projected to see a sharp rise in new cases, have not experienced major new outbreaks in the past week. The average number of new daily cases in Florida declined by 14 percent over the past week, and Georgia’s average new daily cases dropped by 12 percent during the same time period, according to an analysis by Axios.

The data on new cases is imperfect because of variations between states in the amount and frequency of coronavirus testing. As of Wednesday, Florida has confirmed almost 42,000 coronavirus cases, while Georgia has confirmed 35,000 cases.

“Cases [in the U.S.] still continue to expand, and some of that is [due to] the fact that we’re testing more,” former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb said Wednesday on NBC’s The Today Show. Gottlieb cautioned that “this is an epidemic that hasn’t run its course nationally, and hasn’t really started to show sustained declines outside of the New York region.”

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Maryland Fishing Report

With the allowance of additional outdoor recreation under the governor’s stay at home order, we can enjoy fishing as long as we follow social distancing guidelines.

White perch are done with spawning and are moving toward their summer locations.

Starting on May 16, the size and bag limit for striped bass in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries (excluding the Susquehanna Flats) will be one fish per person, per day, with a minimum size of 19 inches. On the Susquehanna Flats, the limit will be one fish between 19-26 inches.

Read more.

DR. FAUCET: SHUT HIM OFF!!


Fox News: John Brennan Suppressed Intel Saying Russia Wanted Hillary Clinton to Win

Fox News’ Ed Henry reported Tuesday evening that Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell has declassified information calling into question the conclusion that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to help Donald Trump.

Henry told Tucker Carlson on Tucker Carlson Tonight that the new information would suggest that John Brennan, who headed the Central Intelligence Agency under President Barack Obama, “also had intel saying, actually, Russia wanted Hillary Clinton to win because she was a known quantity, she had been secretary of state, and Vladimir Putin’s team thought she was more malleable, while candidate Donald Trump was unpredictable.”

Former National Security Council chief of staff Fred Fleitz made a similar claim in an article on FoxNews.com April 22:

House Intelligence Committee staff told me that after an exhaustive investigation reviewing intelligence and interviewing intelligence officers, they found that Brennan suppressed high-quality intelligence suggesting that Putin actually wanted the more predictable and malleable Clinton to win the 2016 election.

Instead, the Brennan team included low-quality intelligence that failed to meet intelligence community standards to support the political claim that Russian officials wanted Trump to win, House Intelligence Committee staff revealed. They said that CIA analysts also objected to including that flawed, substandard information in the assessment.

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