crooksandliars--2020-04-27--Devin Nunes Peddles Michael Flynn Conspiracy Theory: 'He Was Framed!'

Rep Devin Nunes is one of Trump 's most devoted stooges , and the biggest embarrassment in the United States Congress ( now that Duncan Hunter is in prison ) .
Nunes joined Maria Bartiromo on Sunday to promote his usual deep state conspiracies concerning the prosecution of Trump 's disgraced former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn .
Nunez claimed every other investigation , including Mueller 's special investigations , were a joke that was used against Trump .
Nunes said , `` And what was likely , we 're going to find out , he was framed , imagine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government and by political operatives who do n't like you . ''
Imagine that !
Donald Trump 's own government framed his own National Security Advisor .
Who pleaded guilty .
Only a fevered brain can come up with that one .
The song remains the same for this jackass and as usual Trump 's personal attorney , William Barr is appointing another independent prosecutor , U.S. attorney Jeff Jensen of St. Louis , MO , to conduct the review and help give Donald a cushion to pardon the general .
After his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we forget , Flynn pleaded guilty to the FBI and a person does n't plead guilty to get their sentence reduced , unless they are guilty of something worse .
A federal judge suggested during a sentencing hearing Tuesday that Michael Flynn , President Trump 's former national security adviser and a retired three-star general , sold out his country .
Flynn , who requested his sentencing be delayed until his cooperation with special counsel Robert Mueller is complete , pleaded guilty last year to lying to the FBI in January 2017 about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak .
When he pleaded guilty , he also admitted that some of his lobbying work was done on behalf of the Turkish government , which he had long denied .

Rep Devin Nunes is one of Trump's most devoted stooges, and the biggest embarrassment in the United States Congress (now that Duncan Hunter is in prison).
Nunes joined Maria Bartiromo on Sunday to promote his usual deep state conspiracies concerning the prosecution of Trump's disgraced former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.
Nunez claimed every other investigation, including Mueller's special investigations, were a joke that was used against Trump.
Nunes said, "And what was likely, we're going to find out, he was framed, imagine that? Being framed by our own government and by political operatives who don't like you."
Imagine that! Donald Trump's own government framed his own National Security Advisor. Who pleaded guilty.
Only a fevered brain can come up with that one.
The song remains the same for this jackass and as usual Trump's personal attorney, William Barr is appointing another independent prosecutor, U.S. attorney Jeff Jensen of St. Louis, MO, to conduct the review and help give Donald a cushion to pardon the general.
After his interview, Maria tweeted this:
Breaking News: sources tell me @GenFlynn will be completely exonerated this week. It was a total fraud. A Set up. More tomorrow @MorningsMaria @FoxBusiness @FoxNews @SundayFutures — Maria Bartiromo (@MariaBartiromo) April 26, 2020
Lest we forget, Flynn pleaded guilty to the FBI and a person doesn't plead guilty to get their sentence reduced, unless they are guilty of something worse.
A federal judge suggested during a sentencing hearing Tuesday that Michael Flynn, President Trump's former national security adviser and a retired three-star general, sold out his country. Flynn, who requested his sentencing be delayed until his cooperation with special counsel Robert Mueller is complete, pleaded guilty last year to lying to the FBI in January 2017 about the nature of his conversations with then-Russian ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak. When he pleaded guilty, he also admitted that some of his lobbying work was done on behalf of the Turkish government, which he had long denied.


crooksandliars--2020-04-27--Millions Face Stimulus Check Delay Because They're Poor

ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom .
Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox .
Last week , a group of angry and desperate Citi Tax Financial customers gathered outside the company ’ s storefront in Augusta , Georgia .
Millions of Americans had received a big deposit from the IRS in their bank accounts , but they had not .
The IRS website told them their coronavirus stimulus checks were deposited in an account they didn ’ t recognize .
With an officer from the Richmond County Sheriff ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shouting for people to be quiet , the tax preparation company ’ s owner told the crowd of about 60 , only a few of whom wore masks , that he didn ’ t have their money .
Because of the baroque machinery that runs the tax preparation industry , the IRS had sent the money to a bank Citi Tax works with but the customers had not heard of .
That bank sent the payments back to the IRS .
Citi Tax ’ s clients — just like some clients of big @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Block , Jackson Hewitt and TurboTax — didn ’ t get their money for the very reason Congress wanted to get money to them quickly in the first place : They are poor .
The Georgia customers , almost all black women , are among the likely millions of Americans who are having trouble getting the stimulus funds they are owed .
The IRS ’ difficulty in swiftly getting payments to Americans has a basic , root cause : There are multiple private actors sitting between the IRS and tax filers .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ survives on — and is a huge force in maintaining — this system in which they are third-party intermediaries , you end up with these delays and complications , ” said Chi Chi Wu , an attorney at the National Consumer Law Center .
The stimulus problems are part of a constellation of pain faced by the poor in accessing CARES Act money , from the possibility that banks could seize the money to pay off debts to advocates ’ fear that , when paper checks arrive , the check-cashing industry will snatch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business is built on a complex infrastructure designed to extract fees that many customers can not afford .
When the government tried to navigate that system to speedily get cash to its citizens , it ran into big problems .
The IRS estimates that it will send the $ 292 billion in CARES Act money to 171 million Americans .
The first wave of payments sent out last week was targeted to less than half of those eligible : 80 million Americans whose 2018 or 2019 tax refunds had been directly deposited .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the agency is planning to mail 81 million paper checks bearing the president ’ s name , according to an IRS budget document .
But for a large portion of the 80 million people the IRS tried to reach last week , “ direct deposit ” is a bit of a misnomer .
Each year , the tax refunds of more than 20 million Americans , including many of Citi Tax ’ s customers , take a detour .
These customers don ’ t pay their tax preparation fees upfront , instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of their refund .
Because regulations prohibit tax prep companies from receiving refunds directly , a special , temporary account is created at a bank that plays the middleman .
The bank takes out whatever fees are owed and then passes the remainder on to the customer .
Now some of these waystation banks are sending the checks back to the IRS , saying in public statements they received them by mistake , causing significant confusion and delays .
And it ’ s possible that some of these banks will extract fees before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those the government was trying to help .
Citi Tax customers aren ’ t the only ones facing problems .
After ProPublica posted a questionnaire about stimulus payment problems last Friday evening , around 1,400 responses flooded in .
People told us about madly refreshing the Get My Payment page from the IRS and calling their banks and tax preparers .
Some said they needed the money for food .
Some said they had been notified that payments went to accounts they didn ’ t recognize .
Others said they ’ d been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the money hadn ’ t arrived .
“ My daughter and I are starving here , and we don ’ t have much of a shelter .
I don ’ t know what we ’ re going to do if we don ’ t get this now , ” said Aaron Buckels , a cashier in Crawfordsville , Indiana .
Like many others who wrote in , Buckels depends on his tax refund every year .
He was eligible to file his taxes for free .
Not knowing that , he did his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 80 , according to his receipt .
He was unable to afford that upfront .
So , he paid another fee , $ 40 more , for TurboTax to use his refund to pay what he owed the company for preparing his return .
When it came to receiving what remained of his refund , Buckels chose to have it deposited on a debit card , an option heavily promoted by TurboTax .
The company pitches the Turbo Card option as a way to get refunds “ fast ” — but the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only faster than a paper check .
It also comes with additional charges , including a $ 4.95 monthly fee .
That ’ s where the IRS was going to send Buckels ’ stimulus money , according to the agency ’ s Get My Payment page .
But the funds haven ’ t arrived .
Buckels was one of more than 50 TurboTax users who got both a refund transfer and a Turbo Card who told ProPublica they ’ d yet to receive their payments .
It ’ s still not clear where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bank that handled the refund transfer and the debit card .
Despite numerous customercomplaints about delays , a spokesman for TurboTax-maker Intuit , Rick Heineman , said , “ These are TurboTax customers and needed stimulus payments , so our actions reflect our efforts to deliver the funds to accounts as quickly as possible with no delay and no fees.
” He added that , “ The IRS is ultimately responsible for determining how and when the stimulus payments will be delivered to Americans.
” Refund transfers are a cornerstone of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Because low-income filers often do not have enough money on hand to pay high preparation fees , the companies need a way to effectively front them money .
A low-income , single mother with two children pays about $ 360 to have her taxes prepared at H & R Block , according to a company pricing chart .
With a refund transfer ( $ 40 ) , the toll rises to $ 400 .
The equivalent cost at Jackson Hewitt , the second largest chain , would be $ 610 , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employee .
Such a customer can probably expect a tax refund in the thousands of dollars because of antipoverty tax credits , which helps dull the pain of giving up several hundred dollars for tax prep help .
Refund transfers are very common across the industry .
For example , almost half the customers at Liberty Tax , the third-largest chain , get a refund transfer .
They are most common among taxpayers with income between $ 10,000 and $ 25,000 , according to IRS statistics .
Refund transfers are also often sold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cards that come with fees of their own .
H & R Block ’ s Emerald Card promises “ easy access to your tax refund.
” But it charges users $ 1.50 to check their balance ; $ 3 for an ATM withdrawal ; a $ 4.95 “ inactivity ” fee ; and $ 35 to cash out the card at a bank .
Last year H & R Block reported $ 268 million in revenue from refund transfer and prepaid debit fees .
Consumer advocates argue transfers are predatory because they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over 200 % : $ 40 to $ 60 in finance charges just for deferring the tax prep cost by the few weeks it takes for a refund to arrive .
And although the fees are generally disclosed to taxpayers , ProPublica has heard from dozens of taxpayers who didn ’ t understand why they were being charged or what the transfer meant .
Over the past week , the transfers emerged as a major problem for a different reason .
For most taxpayers who got a refund transfer , the IRS seems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had information for two accounts , the middleman ’ s and the final destination , instead of one .
That complication has apparently been a challenge for the IRS , which Congress has gutted with budget cuts over the past 10 years .
In a statement to ProPublica , an H & R Block spokesperson pointed the finger at the government .
The IRS has “ created confusion by not always using clients ’ final destination bank account information for stimulus payments , ” the spokesperson said .
“ We share our clients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not yet received these much-needed payments due to IRS decisions , and we are actively working with the IRS to get stimulus payments sent directly to client accounts.
” In a new FAQ on the IRS website , the agency confirmed that , “ In some cases , your Economic Impact Payment may have been directed to the bank account associated with the refund settlement product or prepaid debit card.
” Confusing matters even more , the agency said that there was an error on its Get My Payment website , which “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back to the same taxpayer account a second time.
” In fact , those payments would be mailed to tax filers , the agency said .
Among the filers affected by this additional glitch were customers of MetaBank .
The publicly traded South Dakota-based firm provides refund transfers for independent tax prep storefronts like Citi Tax in Augusta .
The IRS wrongly sent about 300,000 payments to MetaBank ’ s temporary accounts , according to one of the bank ’ s tax prep partners .
Many customers say they are still waiting for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a statement it is “ deeply concerned ” by the delays and referred users to the IRS .
Citi Tax is typical of the industry in many ways .
Refund transfers are most common in the South and particularly in counties with large black populations .
Richmond County , where Citi Tax is located , is majority black and about a third of taxpayers there with income under $ 25,000 get a refund transfer , according to IRS data .
The transfers tend to accompany returns involving the earned income tax credit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ largest antipoverty programs and one primarily targeted at low-income workers with children .
This helps explain why the crowd outside Citi Tax was largely women .
Citi Tax is also a prime example of an industry that is largely unregulated .
The store used to be part of the Instant Tax chain — once the fourth-largest tax prep chain in the U.S. until it was shut down in 2013 for what a Justice Department attorney called “ an astonishing array of repeated fraudulent and deceptive conduct.
” Under the same owner , Yonathan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changed names and continued on .
Michael himself has been hit with over $ 90,000 in penalties by the IRS , according to liens filed against him over the last three years .
But the IRS lacks the authority to prevent Michael from continuing to prepare hundreds of returns each year simply because of such violations .
Michael did not respond to questions from ProPublica .
Even after more than a week of confusion , many tax filers still do not have their checks and it ’ s unclear precisely which part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On Reddit and Facebook , frustrated tax filers looking for answers have created groups like “ justice for Metabank Customers ” and “ H & R Block stimulus group ” that have ballooned in recent days .
Some people who wrote to ProPublica have been told to expect paper checks , despite their wish to get direct deposit .
Others continue to get a payment status unknown message from the IRS website .
And adding to the mess , the banks that process refund transfers are handling the problems differently .
Some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the IRS , some say they will mail taxpayers checks themselves , and still others say they will send payments electronically .
Additionally , Santa Barbara Tax Products Group , a subsidiary of the publicly traded Green Dot Corporation , suggests on its website that fees may be taken out of stimulus payments in some cases .
“ In the rare event that payments are inadvertently sent to [ Santa Barbara ] , a plan is in place to help identify and expedite the return of these payments immediately to the IRS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ directly to affected taxpayers as soon as possible , ” the statement says .
“ If we are unable to identify the payment as an Economic Impact Payment , the deposit will be processed as a federal refund , with all associated fees withheld from the deposit amount.
” Santa Barbara is the largest processor of refund transfers , handling them for several tax prep brands , including TurboTax .
An Intuit spokesman said its customers would not be charged fees .

ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.
Last week, a group of angry and desperate Citi Tax Financial customers gathered outside the company’s storefront in Augusta, Georgia. Millions of Americans had received a big deposit from the IRS in their bank accounts, but they had not. The IRS website told them their coronavirus stimulus checks were deposited in an account they didn’t recognize.
With an officer from the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office beside him and another officer shouting for people to be quiet, the tax preparation company’s owner told the crowd of about 60, only a few of whom wore masks, that he didn’t have their money.
Because of the baroque machinery that runs the tax preparation industry, the IRS had sent the money to a bank Citi Tax works with but the customers had not heard of. That bank sent the payments back to the IRS.
Citi Tax’s clients — just like some clients of big tax brands such as H&R Block, Jackson Hewitt and TurboTax — didn’t get their money for the very reason Congress wanted to get money to them quickly in the first place: They are poor. The Georgia customers, almost all black women, are among the likely millions of Americans who are having trouble getting the stimulus funds they are owed. The IRS’ difficulty in swiftly getting payments to Americans has a basic, root cause: There are multiple private actors sitting between the IRS and tax filers.
“Because we have an entire industry that survives on — and is a huge force in maintaining — this system in which they are third-party intermediaries, you end up with these delays and complications,” said Chi Chi Wu, an attorney at the National Consumer Law Center.
The stimulus problems are part of a constellation of pain faced by the poor in accessing CARES Act money, from the possibility that banks could seize the money to pay off debts to advocates’ fear that, when paper checks arrive, the check-cashing industry will snatch a hefty chunk.
The tax prep business is built on a complex infrastructure designed to extract fees that many customers cannot afford. When the government tried to navigate that system to speedily get cash to its citizens, it ran into big problems.
The IRS estimates that it will send the $292 billion in CARES Act money to 171 million Americans. The first wave of payments sent out last week was targeted to less than half of those eligible: 80 million Americans whose 2018 or 2019 tax refunds had been directly deposited. To disburse most of the remaining payments, the agency is planning to mail 81 million paper checks bearing the president’s name, according to an IRS budget document.
But for a large portion of the 80 million people the IRS tried to reach last week, “direct deposit” is a bit of a misnomer. Each year, the tax refunds of more than 20 million Americans, including many of Citi Tax’s customers, take a detour. These customers don’t pay their tax preparation fees upfront, instead opting to have the fee taken out of their refund. Because regulations prohibit tax prep companies from receiving refunds directly, a special, temporary account is created at a bank that plays the middleman. The bank takes out whatever fees are owed and then passes the remainder on to the customer.
Now some of these waystation banks are sending the checks back to the IRS, saying in public statements they received them by mistake, causing significant confusion and delays. And it’s possible that some of these banks will extract fees before the stimulus money makes its way to those the government was trying to help.
Citi Tax customers aren’t the only ones facing problems. After ProPublica posted a questionnaire about stimulus payment problems last Friday evening, around 1,400 responses flooded in. People told us about madly refreshing the Get My Payment page from the IRS and calling their banks and tax preparers. Some said they needed the money for food. Some said they had been notified that payments went to accounts they didn’t recognize. Others said they’d been told they had been paid, but the money hadn’t arrived.
“My daughter and I are starving here, and we don’t have much of a shelter. I don’t know what we’re going to do if we don’t get this now,” said Aaron Buckels, a cashier in Crawfordsville, Indiana.
Like many others who wrote in, Buckels depends on his tax refund every year. He was eligible to file his taxes for free. Not knowing that, he did his taxes through TurboTax, which charged him $80, according to his receipt.
He was unable to afford that upfront. So, he paid another fee, $40 more, for TurboTax to use his refund to pay what he owed the company for preparing his return. When it came to receiving what remained of his refund, Buckels chose to have it deposited on a debit card, an option heavily promoted by TurboTax. The company pitches the Turbo Card option as a way to get refunds “fast” — but the fine print reveals that it’s only faster than a paper check. It also comes with additional charges, including a $4.95 monthly fee.
That’s where the IRS was going to send Buckels’ stimulus money, according to the agency’s Get My Payment page. But the funds haven’t arrived. Buckels was one of more than 50 TurboTax users who got both a refund transfer and a Turbo Card who told ProPublica they’d yet to receive their payments. It’s still not clear where the breakdown occurred between the IRS, the bank that handled the refund transfer and the debit card.
Despite numerous customercomplaints about delays, a spokesman for TurboTax-maker Intuit, Rick Heineman, said, “These are TurboTax customers and needed stimulus payments, so our actions reflect our efforts to deliver the funds to accounts as quickly as possible with no delay and no fees.” He added that, “The IRS is ultimately responsible for determining how and when the stimulus payments will be delivered to Americans.”
Refund transfers are a cornerstone of the tax prep industry’s business model. Because low-income filers often do not have enough money on hand to pay high preparation fees, the companies need a way to effectively front them money.
A low-income, single mother with two children pays about $360 to have her taxes prepared at H&R Block, according to a company pricing chart. With a refund transfer ($40), the toll rises to $400. The equivalent cost at Jackson Hewitt, the second largest chain, would be $610, according to an estimate provided by a company employee.
Such a customer can probably expect a tax refund in the thousands of dollars because of antipoverty tax credits, which helps dull the pain of giving up several hundred dollars for tax prep help. Refund transfers are very common across the industry. For example, almost half the customers at Liberty Tax, the third-largest chain, get a refund transfer. They are most common among taxpayers with income between $10,000 and $25,000, according to IRS statistics.
Refund transfers are also often sold with other products. Those include promotional cards that come with fees of their own. H&R Block’s Emerald Card promises “easy access to your tax refund.” But it charges users $1.50 to check their balance; $3 for an ATM withdrawal; a $4.95 “inactivity” fee; and $35 to cash out the card at a bank. Last year H&R Block reported $268 million in revenue from refund transfer and prepaid debit fees.
Consumer advocates argue transfers are predatory because they are essentially loans with effective annual interest rates over 200%: $40 to $60 in finance charges just for deferring the tax prep cost by the few weeks it takes for a refund to arrive. And although the fees are generally disclosed to taxpayers, ProPublica has heard from dozens of taxpayers who didn’t understand why they were being charged or what the transfer meant.
Over the past week, the transfers emerged as a major problem for a different reason. For most taxpayers who got a refund transfer, the IRS seems to have been tripped up because it had information for two accounts, the middleman’s and the final destination, instead of one. That complication has apparently been a challenge for the IRS, which Congress has gutted with budget cuts over the past 10 years.
The IRS didn’t respond to questions.
In a statement to ProPublica, an H&R Block spokesperson pointed the finger at the government. The IRS has “created confusion by not always using clients’ final destination bank account information for stimulus payments,” the spokesperson said. “We share our clients’ frustration that many of them have not yet received these much-needed payments due to IRS decisions, and we are actively working with the IRS to get stimulus payments sent directly to client accounts.”
In a new FAQ on the IRS website, the agency confirmed that, “In some cases, your Economic Impact Payment may have been directed to the bank account associated with the refund settlement product or prepaid debit card.”
Confusing matters even more, the agency said that there was an error on its Get My Payment website, which “inaccurately indicated rejected payments were being sent back to the same taxpayer account a second time.” In fact, those payments would be mailed to tax filers, the agency said.
Among the filers affected by this additional glitch were customers of MetaBank. The publicly traded South Dakota-based firm provides refund transfers for independent tax prep storefronts like Citi Tax in Augusta. The IRS wrongly sent about 300,000 payments to MetaBank’s temporary accounts, according to one of the bank’s tax prep partners. Many customers say they are still waiting for their stimulus money. The bank said in a statement it is “deeply concerned” by the delays and referred users to the IRS.
Citi Tax is typical of the industry in many ways. Refund transfers are most common in the South and particularly in counties with large black populations. Richmond County, where Citi Tax is located, is majority black and about a third of taxpayers there with income under $25,000 get a refund transfer, according to IRS data. The transfers tend to accompany returns involving the earned income tax credit, one of the country’s largest antipoverty programs and one primarily targeted at low-income workers with children. This helps explain why the crowd outside Citi Tax was largely women.
Citi Tax is also a prime example of an industry that is largely unregulated. The store used to be part of the Instant Tax chain — once the fourth-largest tax prep chain in the U.S. until it was shut down in 2013 for what a Justice Department attorney called “an astonishing array of repeated fraudulent and deceptive conduct.”
Under the same owner, Yonathan Michael, the Instant Tax location simply changed names and continued on. Michael himself has been hit with over $90,000 in penalties by the IRS, according to liens filed against him over the last three years. But the IRS lacks the authority to prevent Michael from continuing to prepare hundreds of returns each year simply because of such violations. Michael did not respond to questions from ProPublica.
Even after more than a week of confusion, many tax filers still do not have their checks and it’s unclear precisely which part of the system’s machinery broke down. On Reddit and Facebook, frustrated tax filers looking for answers have created groups like “justice for Metabank Customers” and “H&R Block stimulus group” that have ballooned in recent days.
Some people who wrote to ProPublica have been told to expect paper checks, despite their wish to get direct deposit. Others continue to get a payment status unknown message from the IRS website. And adding to the mess, the banks that process refund transfers are handling the problems differently. Some say they’ve sent payments back to the IRS, some say they will mail taxpayers checks themselves, and still others say they will send payments electronically.
Additionally, Santa Barbara Tax Products Group, a subsidiary of the publicly traded Green Dot Corporation, suggests on its website that fees may be taken out of stimulus payments in some cases.
“In the rare event that payments are inadvertently sent to [Santa Barbara], a plan is in place to help identify and expedite the return of these payments immediately to the IRS so that the IRS can reissue payments directly to affected taxpayers as soon as possible,” the statement says. “If we are unable to identify the payment as an Economic Impact Payment, the deposit will be processed as a federal refund, with all associated fees withheld from the deposit amount.”
Santa Barbara is the largest processor of refund transfers, handling them for several tax prep brands, including TurboTax. An Intuit spokesman said its customers would not be charged fees.


crooksandliars--2020-04-27--Tyson Foods Warns 'The Food Supply Chain Is Breaking' In COVID-19 Crisis

Oh no !
Someone made all our workers get sick and now we wo n't be able to keep up the supply of meat , Tyson Foods says !
They 're not wrong .
But they had a lot to do with creating the situation , because they did not provide protection to employees , and told them to come to work when they were sick .
Via the Washington Post : In a full-page newspaper ad published in The Washington Post , the New York Times and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on Sunday , Tyson Foods — which sells products @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of raw pork — said the coronavirus pandemic may disrupt the U.S. food supply chain and raise the price of meat .
The company defended itself from criticism that it has not adequately protected its workers and pleaded for more government assistance in doing so .
“ The food supply chain is breaking , ” wrote John H. Tyson , chairman of the company ’ s executive board .
“ We have a responsibility to feed our country .
It is as essential as healthcare .
This is a challenge that should not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operational so that we can supply food to our families in America .
This is a delicate balance because Tyson Foods places team member safety as our top priority.
” The Washington Post reported Sunday that many of the now-closed meat-processing plants , including Tyson ’ s Iowa pork facility , had failed to provide masks to workers in March and early April , even though the novel coronavirus was already spreading among employees at a shocking clip .
Some workers told The Post they were given confusing instructions about when to return @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while sick .
Tyson Foods previously told The Post the company has required employees to wear masks since April 15 .
In the full-page ad , the company also said it had encouraged workers to stay home if they felt ill and implemented social distancing practices inside their plants after forming a coronavirus task force in January .

Oh no! Someone made all our workers get sick and now we won't be able to keep up the supply of meat, Tyson Foods says!
They're not wrong. But they had a lot to do with creating the situation, because they did not provide protection to employees, and told them to come to work when they were sick. Via the Washington Post:
In a full-page newspaper ad published in The Washington Post, the New York Times and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on Sunday, Tyson Foods — which sells products ranging from frozen chicken nuggets to cuts of raw pork — said the coronavirus pandemic may disrupt the U.S. food supply chain and raise the price of meat. The company defended itself from criticism that it has not adequately protected its workers and pleaded for more government assistance in doing so. “The food supply chain is breaking,” wrote John H. Tyson, chairman of the company’s executive board. “We have a responsibility to feed our country. It is as essential as healthcare. This is a challenge that should not be ignored. Our plants must remain operational so that we can supply food to our families in America. This is a delicate balance because Tyson Foods places team member safety as our top priority.”
Top priority, huh?


crooksandliars--2020-04-27--West Point Calls Back 1,000 Cadets So Trump Can Give Mid-Pandemic Speech

Donald Trump is bored .
As usual , he 's going to make that everybody else 's problem .
As reported by multiple outlets , Donald Trump has announced his intention to deliver the commencement address at West Point , an especially savored prize because it combines Trump 's love of all things military ( except serving ) with hearing himself talk ( at length ) in front of an audience that is explicitly barred from booing him .
There is a problem with this , however : Because of pandemic dangers , the graduating cadets were already sent home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , right ?
Yep .
West Point is now ordering their graduating class to return , during the pandemic , despite the risks of travel , because President Tide Pods demands a military audience .
As reported by The New York Times , the new orders by their `` commander in chief '' caught academy officers by surprise .
They had been working to determine just what ought to be done about graduation—for example , delaying it—when Dear Leader burped out on April 17 , in response to a question about Mike Pence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Air Force Academy commencement , that well he would be speaking at West Point .
And he did n't want any of the social distancing nonsense that had graduates spread out to avoid cross-contamination , he wanted the audience `` nice and tight . ''
Rather than writing it off as yet another rambling aside from the Embalmer in Chief , another little something that they could all pretend not to hear and later scold reporters for even mentioning , West Point and White House officials took Trump seriously .
Tear up the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ held live , with the pretzeldent himself speaking , on June 13 .
This turns out to be a very big deal , because despite Trump ’ s ego we are indeed still in the midst of a worldwide pandemic , shelter-in-place orders are still commonplace , and New York is currently among the hardest hit areas of the country .
For the cadets involved , it 's going to be a full-fledged Trumpian bullshit nightmare .
The Times reports that the 1,000 re-summoned graduates will be given off-campus COVID-19 tests .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 14 days in their dorms , in relative isolation , to further ensure they do not infect each other or Dear Leader .
The Defense Department will have to grant waivers to the current travel ban for military personnel to allow the graduates to return in the first place .
It 's likely that the cadets will need to self-quarantine upon their arrival back home , as well ; whether or not they had been exposed to COVID-19 before this , flying to and back from New York , a current pandemic hotspot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ themselves but for their communities .
Does n't matter .
Trump wants an audience .
Trump wants a `` tight '' audience that looks good on camera , and not one that reminds viewers of his ongoing deadly-drug-boosting bleach-injection-promoting no-plan no-test megafailure , and that means assembling one from among the only people in the country who can be ordered to attend .
Thanks for joining our military , kids .
Let this be your initiation into the world of Republican leaders not giving a flying damn about your actual welfare , so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carry out your duties as background prop .

Donald Trump is bored. As usual, he's going to make that everybody else's problem.
As reported by multiple outlets, Donald Trump has announced his intention to deliver the commencement address at West Point, an especially savored prize because it combines Trump's love of all things military (except serving) with hearing himself talk (at length) in front of an audience that is explicitly barred from booing him. There is a problem with this, however: Because of pandemic dangers, the graduating cadets were already sent home.
You know what's coming next, right? Yep. West Point is now ordering their graduating class to return, during the pandemic, despite the risks of travel, because President Tide Pods demands a military audience.
As reported by The New York Times, the new orders by their "commander in chief" caught academy officers by surprise. They had been working to determine just what ought to be done about graduation—for example, delaying it—when Dear Leader burped out on April 17, in response to a question about Mike Pence's upcoming trip to speak at the Air Force Academy commencement, that well he would be speaking at West Point. And he didn't want any of the social distancing nonsense that had graduates spread out to avoid cross-contamination, he wanted the audience "nice and tight."
Rather than writing it off as yet another rambling aside from the Embalmer in Chief, another little something that they could all pretend not to hear and later scold reporters for even mentioning, West Point and White House officials took Trump seriously. Tear up the old plans: Now graduation will be held live, with the pretzeldent himself speaking, on June 13.
This turns out to be a very big deal, because despite Trump’s ego we are indeed still in the midst of a worldwide pandemic, shelter-in-place orders are still commonplace, and New York is currently among the hardest hit areas of the country. For the cadets involved, it's going to be a full-fledged Trumpian bullshit nightmare.
The Times reports that the 1,000 re-summoned graduates will be given off-campus COVID-19 tests. The ones that pass will be quarantined for 14 days in their dorms, in relative isolation, to further ensure they do not infect each other or Dear Leader. The Defense Department will have to grant waivers to the current travel ban for military personnel to allow the graduates to return in the first place. It's likely that the cadets will need to self-quarantine upon their arrival back home, as well; whether or not they had been exposed to COVID-19 before this, flying to and back from New York, a current pandemic hotspot, will be risky for not just themselves but for their communities.
Doesn't matter. Trump wants an audience. Trump wants a "tight" audience that looks good on camera, and not one that reminds viewers of his ongoing deadly-drug-boosting bleach-injection-promoting no-plan no-test megafailure, and that means assembling one from among the only people in the country who can be ordered to attend.
Thanks for joining our military, kids. Let this be your initiation into the world of Republican leaders not giving a flying damn about your actual welfare, so long as you are properly able to carry out your duties as background prop.
Posted with permission from Daily Kos.


crooksandliars--2020-04-27--Here's A MAGA Dance Of Love For Trump At Wisconsin Quarantine Protest

Imagine , after everything our country 's been through in the past three months , that you 're still so @ @ @ @ @ Trump that you want to go out in the streets of Madison and dance to @ @ @ @ @ the tune of an anthem about gay sex at the Y .
( Notice how @ @ @ @ @ there 's a Y in MAGA . )
You ca n't make this stuff up @

Imagine, after everything our country's been through in the past three months, that you're still so much in love with Donald Trump that you want to go out in the streets of Madison and dance to show your support -- to the tune of an anthem about gay sex at the Y. (Notice how confused they are about whether there's a Y in MAGA.)
You can't make this stuff up.
It really is all just rally-withdrawal. JFC, Trump is like the Grateful Dead for conservative boomers. — Paul Wu-Tang Clan (@PaulWuster) April 25, 2020
I LOVE this! Looks like they are all having a great time and enjoying being together. 🇺🇸 Thank you for sharing, man! — BadgerGOPLady (@BadgerGop) April 24, 2020
This is like some perverse MAGA version of a Disney World parade. — David A. Love (@davidalove) April 27, 2020


crooksandliars--2020-04-27--Conspiracy Theorist Makes Up Fake Story Naming U.S. Army Sgt. As Patient Zero

The people who spread these manufactured conspiracy theories deserve a special place in hell -- and so does Google , which makes a lot of money off these parasites .
The random victims of these nut jobs are going through torture .
Via CNN 's New Day , a story about Maatje Benassi , a U.S. Army Sergeant who took place in the Military World Games , held in Wuhan last year : Maatje Benassi competed in the cycling competition there , suffering an accident on the final lap that left her with a fractured rib and a concussion .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the race , but it turned out to be the start of something worse .
While hundreds of athletes from the US military took part in the games , Maatje Benassi was plucked out of the group and given a starring role in the conspiracy theory .
Perhaps the most prominent cheerleader of the idea that Benassi had a role in the imaginary plot to infect the world is George Webb , a prolific 59-year-old American misinformation peddler .
Webb has for years regularly streamed hours of diatribe live on YouTube , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ views and almost 100,000 followers .
In 2017 , CNN revealed how Webb was part of a trio of conspiracy theorists that pushed a false rumor about a cargo ship with a `` dirty bomb '' that was set to arrive at the Port of Charleston in South Carolina .
The bomb never materialized , but the claims did lead to parts of the port -- one of the biggest in America -- being shut down for a time as a safety precaution .
Until recently , Webb said , his YouTube videos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which is owned by Google , was making money from Webb 's misinformation , as was Webb himself .

The people who spread these manufactured conspiracy theories deserve a special place in hell -- and so does Google, which makes a lot of money off these parasites. The random victims of these nut jobs are going through torture. Via CNN's New Day, a story about Maatje Benassi, a U.S. Army Sergeant who took place in the Military World Games, held in Wuhan last year:
Maatje Benassi competed in the cycling competition there, suffering an accident on the final lap that left her with a fractured rib and a concussion. Despite the crash, Benassi still finished the race, but it turned out to be the start of something worse. While hundreds of athletes from the US military took part in the games, Maatje Benassi was plucked out of the group and given a starring role in the conspiracy theory.
Perhaps the most prominent cheerleader of the idea that Benassi had a role in the imaginary plot to infect the world is George Webb, a prolific 59-year-old American misinformation peddler. Webb has for years regularly streamed hours of diatribe live on YouTube, where he has amassed more than 27 million views and almost 100,000 followers.
In 2017, CNN revealed how Webb was part of a trio of conspiracy theorists that pushed a false rumor about a cargo ship with a "dirty bomb" that was set to arrive at the Port of Charleston in South Carolina. The bomb never materialized, but the claims did lead to parts of the port -- one of the biggest in America -- being shut down for a time as a safety precaution.
Until recently, Webb said, his YouTube videos included advertisements -- meaning the platform, which is owned by Google, was making money from Webb's misinformation, as was Webb himself.


crooksandliars--2020-04-28--Kentucky's Governor Apologizes To Tupac Shakur

Andy Beshear thought he was calling out some `` bad apples '' during his daily news conference .
Unfortunately , @ @ @ @ @ for unemployment in Lexington in March and is still waiting for his first check .
@ @ @ @ @ went full Dad-mode during his Monday night news conference , calling out the “ bad @ @ @ @ @ unemployment under fake names during the coronavirus pandemic .
“ We had somebody apply for @ @ @ @ @ in Kentucky , ” Beshear said , likely thinking of the rapper who died in @ @ @ @ @ that person may have thought they were being funny , they probably did .
Except @ @ @ @ @ of them , we had to go through so many other claims.
” One problem @ @ @ @ @ in Kentucky .
And he ’ s waiting on his unemployment benefits .
Tupac Malik @ @ @ @ @ by Malik .
He lives in Lexington and worked as a cook at Alfalfa ’ @ @ @ @ @ in Lexington before they closed to help stop the spread of COVID-19 .

Andy Beshear thought he was calling out some "bad apples" during his daily news conference. Unfortunately, Tupac Malik Shakur did file for unemployment in Lexington in March and is still waiting for his first check.
Oops.
Source: Kentucky.com
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear went full Dad-mode during his Monday night news conference, calling out the “bad apples” who filed for unemployment under fake names during the coronavirus pandemic.
“We had somebody apply for unemployment for Tupac Shakur here in Kentucky,” Beshear said, likely thinking of the rapper who died in the 90s. “And that person may have thought they were being funny, they probably did. Except for the fact that because of them, we had to go through so many other claims.”
One problem: Tupac Shakur does live in Kentucky. And he’s waiting on his unemployment benefits.
Tupac Malik Shakur, 46, goes by Malik. He lives in Lexington and worked as a cook at Alfalfa’s and Lynagh’s in Lexington before they closed to help stop the spread of COVID-19.


crooksandliars--2020-04-28--Pence Visited Mayo Clinic Without Mask, Violating Policy

Mike Pence refused to wear a mask during a visit to the Mayo Clinic today , violating its policy as he visited a facility with severely ill patients highly vulnerable to coronavirus .
Vice President Mike Pence went on a tour of the Mayo Clinic 's coronavirus testing labs Tuesday — and ignored the prestigious Minnesota hospital 's rules that all occupants wear a mask .
`` Mayo Clinic had informed @ VP of the masking policy prior to his arrival today , '' the clinic tweeted while Pence was still inside meeting with doctors and patients .
The tweet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ … A reporter who accompanied Pence on the tour said he was the only person seen inside the facility without a face covering .
Photos and video of his tour posted on social media showed Pence meeting with several doctors and at least one patient .
Pence is mirroring Dear Leader Donald Trump who has also refused to wear a mask , Politico notes , yet “ many local officials view the use of masks as crucial to reopening the economy . ''
Pence gave this excuse for not wearing a mask : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out , he could contract COVID-19 between tests .
Also , public experts say the tests are not infallible .
Mayo Clinic treats some of the sickest patients in the world and they are just the people our own federal government says need to take extra precautions .
So for all that talk about “ safely reopening the economy , ” Pence would rather look good for his boss and the camera than to model good behavior and do everything he can to keep Americans safe .

Mike Pence refused to wear a mask during a visit to the Mayo Clinic today, violating its policy as he visited a facility with severely ill patients highly vulnerable to coronavirus.
From NBC News:
Vice President Mike Pence went on a tour of the Mayo Clinic's coronavirus testing labs Tuesday — and ignored the prestigious Minnesota hospital's rules that all occupants wear a mask. "Mayo Clinic had informed @VP of the masking policy prior to his arrival today," the clinic tweeted while Pence was still inside meeting with doctors and patients. The tweet was later deleted.
(screenshot)
…
A reporter who accompanied Pence on the tour said he was the only person seen inside the facility without a face covering. Photos and video of his tour posted on social media showed Pence meeting with several doctors and at least one patient.
Pence is mirroring Dear Leader Donald Trump who has also refused to wear a mask, Politico notes, yet “many local officials view the use of masks as crucial to reopening the economy."
Pence gave this excuse for not wearing a mask:
Pence, via pooler @glubold, on why he didn’t wear a mask at the Mayo Clinic pic.twitter.com/c8B31NebzU — Seung Min Kim (@seungminkim) April 28, 2020
But as The New York Times points out, he could contract COVID-19 between tests. Also, public experts say the tests are not infallible.
Mayo Clinic treats some of the sickest patients in the world and they are just the people our own federal government says need to take extra precautions.
So for all that talk about “safely reopening the economy,” Pence would rather look good for his boss and the camera than to model good behavior and do everything he can to keep Americans safe.


crooksandliars--2020-04-28--Texas Doctor Wants COVID-19 To 'Go Through' Population — 'Kids First'

An emergency room doctor from Odessa , Texas told MSNBC on Tuesday that he believed the state ’ s economy should open back up to allow the virus to “ go through all of us.
” “ Is Odessa ready for more people in public and a spike that could come with it ?
” MSNBC host Chuck Todd asked Dr. Sudip Bose .
“ It ’ s tough decisions , like , which direction would you rather be wrong ?
” Bose replied .
“ For us , a tiered opening does make sense at this time and from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brutally honest , I think that this virus , in my opinion , is going to go through all of us throughout the United States.
” The doctor predicted that vaccines would not be of much help against COVID-19 .
“ The flu vaccine was 50 % effective and you really have to get things right , ” he explained .
“ If you don ’ t bind that properly , actually antibodies bind to it and it increases advancement into the cell .
So long story short , I don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us or a med , looking at the trials currently.
” Bose continued : “ I think the best case scenario is you open things up in a calculated manor based on numbers and facts , not feelings .
And let it go through .
And the best case scenario , it may go through our kids first.
” The doctor claimed “ kids are almost 100 % protected.
” “ And then it goes to their young parents , ” he added .
“ And what we did in Italy that was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to grandma and grandpa and they got sick .
So , we ’ ve got to do this in a calculated manner.
” “ And I think it is time to open our economy now , ” Bose said .

An emergency room doctor from Odessa, Texas told MSNBC on Tuesday that he believed the state’s economy should open back up to allow the virus to “go through all of us.”
“Is Odessa ready for more people in public and a spike that could come with it?” MSNBC host Chuck Todd asked Dr. Sudip Bose.
“It’s tough decisions, like, which direction would you rather be wrong?” Bose replied. “For us, a tiered opening does make sense at this time and from the emergency room here, to be brutally honest, I think that this virus, in my opinion, is going to go through all of us throughout the United States.”
The doctor predicted that vaccines would not be of much help against COVID-19.
“The flu vaccine was 50% effective and you really have to get things right,” he explained. “If you don’t bind that properly, actually antibodies bind to it and it increases advancement into the cell. So long story short, I don’t think a vaccine is going to rescue us or a med, looking at the trials currently.”
Bose continued: “I think the best case scenario is you open things up in a calculated manor based on numbers and facts, not feelings. And let it go through. And the best case scenario, it may go through our kids first.”
The doctor claimed “kids are almost 100% protected.”
“And then it goes to their young parents,” he added. “And what we did in Italy that was good, was culturally those kids went to grandma and grandpa and they got sick. So, we’ve got to do this in a calculated manner.”
“And I think it is time to open our economy now,” Bose said.


crooksandliars--2020-04-28--Tucker Carlson Touts Dubious, Flawed Coronavirus 'Study' From CA Urgent Care Owners

Fox has been carrying water for Dear Leader Trump from day one on the coronavirus , parroting his talking points downplaying the dangers and health risks from the virus , calling it a Democratic hoax until it finally became untenable to do so , pushing the same dangerous , untested drugs as Trump , and attacking blue state governors for their response to the emergency .
Despite the fact that the Murdochs have expressed serious concerns over their liability for putting their viewers lives at risk , Fox is continuing to do just that day in and day out .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ primetime host Tucker Carlson started off his show with an attack on blue state governors for the lockdowns , dismissed the evidence that they 've `` flattened the curve '' during the pandemic , and pushed a dubious `` study '' from a pair or ER doctors turned urgent care owners that 's gone viral in right-wing circles this week : Cue the debunking : Two Bakersfield doctors go viral with dubious COVID test conclusions : They dressed in scrubs .
They sounded scientific .
And last week ’ s message from two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans wanted to hear : COVID-19 is no worse than influenza , its death rates are low and we should all go back to work and school .
Drs .
Dan Erickson and Artin Massihi , who own urgent care centers in the region , had called a press conference to release their conclusions about the results of 5,213 COVID-19 tests they had conducted at their centers and testing site .
They claimed the results showed that the virus had spread further in the area , undetected , and thus wasn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experts were quick to debunk the doctors ’ findings as misguided and riddled with statistical errors — and an example of the kind of misleading information they are forced to waste precious time disputing .
[ ... ] In a rare statement late today , the American College of Emergency Physicians and the American Academy of Emergency Medicine declared they “ emphatically condemn the recent opinions released by Dr. Daniel Erickson and Dr. Artin Messihi .
These reckless and untested musings do not speak for medical societies and are inconsistent with current science @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of local urgent care clinics , it appears these two individuals are releasing biased , non-peer reviewed data to advance their personal financial interests without regard for the public ’ s health.
” As the article explained , these two have a financial stake in ending the lockdowns : But already the Bakersfield doctors — who tout their support of President Donald Trump and refuse to wear masks in public — had become heroes on social platforms and conservative media outlets , with some commenters calling them “ brave.
” Others who support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ self-promoters whose chain of urgent care centers would benefit from reopening .
Non-COVID medical visits have plummeted during the pandemic , endangering the practices of many doctors .
Somehow Carlson failed to mention any of that during his rant above .
Here 's more from Media Matters where he lies about the benefit from the lockdowns and downplays just how lethal this virus is : TUCKER CARLSON ( HOST ) : Six weeks later we are happy to say that curve has been flattened , but it 's likely not because of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly as deadly as we thought it was , all of us , including on this show .
Everybody thought it was , but it turned out not to be .
Hospitals never collapsed .
Outside of a tiny number of places , they never came close to collapsing , at least not from an influx of infected patients .
Instead , something remarkable happened , something amazing , really without parallel in American history .
The opposite happened .
Thanks to the lockdowns , hospitals have begun to collapse .
Why ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ who could n't pass ninth grade biology decided that practicing physicians should not be allowed to calculate the risk of transmitting the virus .
They 're just not qualified -- unlike us .
So , these politicians banned so-called `` nonessential '' procedures , many of which are , in fact , essential .
The results of this policy ?
In many hospitals , entire floors have been mothballed .
Doctors and nurses are being furloughed in the middle of a pandemic .
This is insanity .
It weakens our healthcare system .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That 's all from the lockdown .

Fox has been carrying water for Dear Leader Trump from day one on the coronavirus, parroting his talking points downplaying the dangers and health risks from the virus, calling it a Democratic hoax until it finally became untenable to do so, pushing the same dangerous, untested drugs as Trump, and attacking blue state governors for their response to the emergency.
Despite the fact that the Murdochs have expressed serious concerns over their liability for putting their viewers lives at risk, Fox is continuing to do just that day in and day out.
Case in point, this Monday, primetime host Tucker Carlson started off his show with an attack on blue state governors for the lockdowns, dismissed the evidence that they've "flattened the curve" during the pandemic, and pushed a dubious "study" from a pair or ER doctors turned urgent care owners that's gone viral in right-wing circles this week: Cue the debunking: Two Bakersfield doctors go viral with dubious COVID test conclusions:
They dressed in scrubs. They sounded scientific. And last week’s message from two Bakersfield doctors was exactly what many stuck-at-home Americans wanted to hear: COVID-19 is no worse than influenza, its death rates are low and we should all go back to work and school. Drs. Dan Erickson and Artin Massihi, who own urgent care centers in the region, had called a press conference to release their conclusions about the results of 5,213 COVID-19 tests they had conducted at their centers and testing site. They claimed the results showed that the virus had spread further in the area, undetected, and thus wasn’t all that dangerous. But public health experts were quick to debunk the doctors’ findings as misguided and riddled with statistical errors — and an example of the kind of misleading information they are forced to waste precious time disputing. [...] In a rare statement late today, the American College of Emergency Physicians and the American Academy of Emergency Medicine declared they “emphatically condemn the recent opinions released by Dr. Daniel Erickson and Dr. Artin Messihi. These reckless and untested musings do not speak for medical societies and are inconsistent with current science and epidemiology regarding COVID-19. As owners of local urgent care clinics, it appears these two individuals are releasing biased, non-peer reviewed data to advance their personal financial interests without regard for the public’s health.”
As the article explained, these two have a financial stake in ending the lockdowns:
But already the Bakersfield doctors — who tout their support of President Donald Trump and refuse to wear masks in public — had become heroes on social platforms and conservative media outlets, with some commenters calling them “brave.” Others who support continuing to shelter-in-place described the doctors as self-promoters whose chain of urgent care centers would benefit from reopening. Non-COVID medical visits have plummeted during the pandemic, endangering the practices of many doctors.
Somehow Carlson failed to mention any of that during his rant above. Here's more from Media Matters where he lies about the benefit from the lockdowns and downplays just how lethal this virus is:


crooksandliars--2020-04-28--Hillary Clinton Endorses Joe Biden At Virtual Town Hall

UPDATE : The live stream is over now , but you can watch the entire video above .
After Hillary @ @ @ @ @ topics of concern , with Michelle Kwan moderating the questions from the public .
Healthcare @ @ @ @ @ pay for women and hazard pay for essential workers were discussed .
Join us live @ @ @ @ @ with Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton to discuss the issues women face with regard to @ @ @ @ @ expected to endorse Biden at the event , long expected but still important .
Leave @ @ @ @ @ .

UPDATE: The live stream is over now, but you can watch the entire video above. After Hillary endorsed Biden, they discussed topics of concern, with Michelle Kwan moderating the questions from the public. Healthcare, Social Security, equal pay for women and hazard pay for essential workers were discussed.
----
Join us live for a town hall event with Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton to discuss the issues women face with regard to COVID-19.
Clinton is also expected to endorse Biden at the event, long expected but still important.
Leave your thoughts in the comments.
(Note: This event is expected to go live at 3 PM EDT/12 PM PDT but it may not start right on time. Be patient, get your lunch, and chat with us in the comments until it starts)


crooksandliars--2020-04-28--Irish Daily Mirror To Trump: 'Imbleach Him'

Trump has turned the United States into a worldwide laughingstock .
This headline tells it all from the Irish Daily @ @ @ @ @ Irish are now calling the U.S. so-called president , a moron .
We 've already @ @ @ @ @ it 's up to him to take Howard Stern 's advice .
Trump would get @ @ @ @ @ injected bleach on live TV .
And we know how much he loves his television @ @ @ @ @ more than the US population he 's sworn to protect .

Trump has turned the United States into a worldwide laughingstock.
This headline tells it all from the Irish Daily Press from Saturday:
The Irish are now calling the U.S. so-called president, a moron.
'Imbleach Him"
We've already impeached Donald Trump, but it's up to him to take Howard Stern's advice.
Trump would get huge television ratings if he injected bleach on live TV. And we know how much he loves his television ratings.
He loves ratings more than the US population he's sworn to protect.


crooksandliars--2020-04-28--SCOTUS Ruling Could Mean Rebates For Affected ACA Enrollees

There are a whole lot of ifs , ands , and buts involved , but there is at least a possibility that some ACA enrollees will eventually see a rebate as a result of the recent Supreme Court ruling on ACA risk corridors .
ACA blogger Charles Gaba explains : ... As I explained last November , it 's possible that a big chunk of that $ 12 billion windfall will end up being rebated to several million ACA exchange enrollees in the end anyway thanks to the ACA 's Medical Loss Ratio provision .
There 's a lot of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knowing how the revenue will be recorded ( will it be on a `` cash basis '' , in which case it 'll be a one-time revenue spike for 2021 ?
Or will it be recorded via accrual accounting , in which case the carriers would have to go back and adjust their financial records from 2015 , 2016 & 2017 ?
If it 's the former , then millions of people enrolled in an ACA exchange plan in 2021 could see massive MLR rebate checks showing up in 2022 , 2023 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ noted a week or so ago , the 2021 MLR payments are already expected to be huge to begin with , and I assume they 'll be pretty robust in 2022 as well .
If it 's the latter , then it 'll get extremely messy and convoluted .
Someone who was enrolled in , say , a Blue Cross Blue Shield policy back in 2015 might receive a small MLR rebate payment in 2022 even if they dropped their BCBS policy and moved to other coverage in 2016 .
It could get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's not gon na be the entire $ 12 billion which gets rebated to enrollees either way .
Not every carrier was owed money in the first place , and even those which were wo n't necessarily have to pay all/any of it back .
Remember , the MLR rule says that a carrier has to pay back revenue if it pulls it below the 80 % MLR threshold -- that is , they have to spend at least 80 % of their revenue on actual medical claims and pay back the difference @

There are a whole lot of ifs, ands, and buts involved, but there is at least a possibility that some ACA enrollees will eventually see a rebate as a result of the recent Supreme Court ruling on ACA risk corridors. ACA blogger Charles Gaba explains:
... As I explained last November, it's possible that a big chunk of that $12 billion windfall will end up being rebated to several million ACA exchange enrollees in the end anyway thanks to the ACA's Medical Loss Ratio provision. There's a lot of variables and caveats involved, including not knowing how the revenue will be recorded (will it be on a "cash basis", in which case it'll be a one-time revenue spike for 2021? Or will it be recorded via accrual accounting, in which case the carriers would have to go back and adjust their financial records from 2015, 2016 & 2017?
If it's the former, then millions of people enrolled in an ACA exchange plan in 2021 could see massive MLR rebate checks showing up in 2022, 2023 and 2024. After all, as I noted a week or so ago, the 2021 MLR payments are already expected to be huge to begin with, and I assume they'll be pretty robust in 2022 as well.
If it's the latter, then it'll get extremely messy and convoluted. Someone who was enrolled in, say, a Blue Cross Blue Shield policy back in 2015 might receive a small MLR rebate payment in 2022 even if they dropped their BCBS policy and moved to other coverage in 2016. It could get very weird.
Even then, it's not gonna be the entire $12 billion which gets rebated to enrollees either way. Not every carrier was owed money in the first place, and even those which were won't necessarily have to pay all/any of it back. Remember, the MLR rule says that a carrier has to pay back revenue if it pulls it below the 80% MLR threshold--that is, they have to spend at least 80% of their revenue on actual medical claims and pay back the difference.


crooksandliars--2020-04-28--Scarborough Calls Out Pence Statement On Tests As 'Blithering Idiocy'

Just listen to this stunning horse hockey : JON KARL : Mr. Vice President , in early March , you said we 'd be at 4 million tests the following week .
We just got there in the last few days .
What have you learned about what went wrong , you know , a month and a half , over the last month and a half or two months , and what 's going to go right now ?
What lessons have you learned from the mistakes over the last month and a half or so ?
PENCE : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ represents a misunderstanding on your part .
And , frankly , a lot of people in the public 's part , about the difference between having a test versus the ability to actually process the test .
KARL : When you said 4 million tests seven weeks ago , you were talking about tests being sent out , not actually being completed ?
I 'm a little confused .
PENCE : John , I think that 's precisely correct .
In my first week on this job , we were informed that HHS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ -- had distributed a million and was distributing another 4 million .
We believe they did .
Again , those were tests that , frankly , but for the president 's leadership , we 'd still be waiting on those tests to be done , in many cases .
`` Okay .
For all you students out there , kids doing class on Zoom , tell your teachers you can take the test but you just ca n't complete the test .
The vice president says so .
But you still want full @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Scarborough said history will record that Donald Trump `` failed miserably on testing .
His administration failed miserably on testing .
It left us lurching through the dark . ''
`` Willie , you know what 's so interesting about just the blithering idiocy of what Mike Pence said yesterday , was that probably a month ago , I was speaking to a governor of a very large state .
Not New York , a very large state , who told me that , when it came to testing , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the White House 's ineptitude of chemicals that were required to make the tests work , he said it 'd be like the White House bragging about sending out copying machines without ink , '' Scarborough said .
`` He said , 'what good is ' -- again , I had this conversation in early to mid-March .
Said , 'What good is a copying machine if I ca n't put ink in the copying machine ? '
You know , I never said anything on the air .
I thought that was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the White House would ever posit such a stupid argument .
But if you wait long enough , it happens .
It happened yesterday with Mike Pence saying , 'Oh , we gave them the tests .
they did n't have the material to complete the tests . '
That 's like saying , we sent them a copying machine .
There 's just no ink , so they ca n't use them . ''
`` Vice President Pence is learning from Donald Trump that when you 're caught dead on something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blame the media for misunderstanding it , '' Willie Geist said .
`` What he said effectively was , 'We shipped them out .
We do n't know what happened after that . '
We got the 4 million tests out .
Does n't mean they were conducted , which I hate to point out to the audience , the point of testing is to conduct it so we know who has it and who does n't have it .
As Vice President Pence tries to revise history about the president 's leadership @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been saying about testing .
Remember , he said , 'Wwhat is the federal government supposed to do , stand on the street corner and conduct tests ? '
It 's been his gut belief this is on the states , just like PPE is on the states , he says , just like ventilators were on the states , he says .
This is a state by state problem . ''
He said he did n't know how Pence could look himself in the mirror .

Just listen to this stunning horse hockey:
JON KARL: Mr. Vice President, in early March, you said we'd be at 4 million tests the following week. We just got there in the last few days. What have you learned about what went wrong, you know, a month and a half, over the last month and a half or two months, and what's going to go right now? What lessons have you learned from the mistakes over the last month and a half or so? PENCE: I appreciate the question. but it represents a misunderstanding on your part. And, frankly, a lot of people in the public's part, about the difference between having a test versus the ability to actually process the test. KARL: When you said 4 million tests seven weeks ago, you were talking about tests being sent out, not actually being completed? I'm a little confused. PENCE: John, I think that's precisely correct. In my first week on this job, we were informed that HHS -- I believe IDT was the vendor -- had distributed a million and was distributing another 4 million. We believe they did. Again, those were tests that, frankly, but for the president's leadership, we'd still be waiting on those tests to be done, in many cases.
Scarborough and company proceeded to eviscerate Trump's Renfield.
"Okay. For all you students out there, kids doing class on Zoom, tell your teachers you can take the test but you just can't complete the test. The vice president says so. But you still want full credit for it," Mika Brzezinski said.
Scarborough said history will record that Donald Trump "failed miserably on testing. His administration failed miserably on testing. It left us lurching through the dark."
"Willie, you know what's so interesting about just the blithering idiocy of what Mike Pence said yesterday, was that probably a month ago, I was speaking to a governor of a very large state. Not New York, a very large state, who told me that, when it came to testing, that there was such a shortage because of the White House's ineptitude of chemicals that were required to make the tests work, he said it'd be like the White House bragging about sending out copying machines without ink," Scarborough said.
"He said, 'what good is' -- again, I had this conversation in early to mid-March. Said, 'What good is a copying machine if I can't put ink in the copying machine?' You know, I never said anything on the air. I thought that was ridiculous. I didn't really believe that the White House would ever posit such a stupid argument. But if you wait long enough, it happens. It happened yesterday with Mike Pence saying, 'Oh, we gave them the tests. they didn't have the material to complete the tests.' That's like saying, we sent them a copying machine. There's just no ink, so they can't use them."
"Vice President Pence is learning from Donald Trump that when you're caught dead on something, point back at the reporter and blame the media for misunderstanding it," Willie Geist said.
"What he said effectively was, 'We shipped them out. We don't know what happened after that.' We got the 4 million tests out. Doesn't mean they were conducted, which I hate to point out to the audience, the point of testing is to conduct it so we know who has it and who doesn't have it. As Vice President Pence tries to revise history about the president's leadership, let's remember what the president has been saying about testing. Remember, he said, 'Wwhat is the federal government supposed to do, stand on the street corner and conduct tests?' It's been his gut belief this is on the states, just like PPE is on the states, he says, just like ventilators were on the states, he says. This is a state by state problem."
He said he didn't know how Pence could look himself in the mirror.


crooksandliars--2020-04-28--It's 'America First' In Covid-19 Cases - Brutal New Ad

Donald Trump has succeeded in one respect in his presidency at putting 'America First ' .
The United States now has the most cases and the most deaths from COVID-19 in the world , by far .
A new ad campaign from a pro-Joe Biden super PAC says President Trump 's mantra of `` America First '' has come to fruition in one arena — COVID-19 illnesses and deaths in the United States .
The ad , dubbed `` First , '' is set to run in Michigan , Pennsylvania and Wisconsin , three battleground states that were key to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hillary Clinton .
Priorities USA , an unaffiliated super PAC that supports Biden , said it is spending more than $ 2 million on the television and online ads for the next two weeks .
`` Donald Trump said he would put America first and now he has , '' the ominous ad booms as images of stretchers flash across the screen , `` The United States leads the world in Coronavirus cases . ''
The U.S. death toll from COVID-19 surpassed more than 50,000 people this weekend , and on Monday night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one million , according to John Hopkins University .

Donald Trump has succeeded in one respect in his presidency at putting 'America First'. The United States now has the most cases and the most deaths from COVID-19 in the world, by far.
Source: CBS News
A new ad campaign from a pro-Joe Biden super PAC says President Trump's mantra of "America First" has come to fruition in one arena — COVID-19 illnesses and deaths in the United States.
The ad, dubbed "First," is set to run in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, three battleground states that were key to Mr. Trump's 2016 electoral win over Hillary Clinton. Priorities USA, an unaffiliated super PAC that supports Biden, said it is spending more than $2 million on the television and online ads for the next two weeks.
"Donald Trump said he would put America first and now he has," the ominous ad booms as images of stretchers flash across the screen, "The United States leads the world in Coronavirus cases."
The U.S. death toll from COVID-19 surpassed more than 50,000 people this weekend, and on Monday night the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases neared one million, according to John Hopkins University.


crooksandliars--2020-04-28--FINALLY: Pentagon Admits They Can't Identify Previously-Leaked UFO Videos

Here 's a little change of pace from Trump and coronavirus stories .
You probably missed this in the firehose of yesterday 's news .
These videos , previously leaked by the New York Times and To the Stars Academy of Arts and Science , have now been declassified -- which means , if I 'm reading this correctly , this is an extraordinary story about the Pentagon confirming the existence of UFOs -- or would be , in ordinary times .
Via ABC News : The Pentagon has declassified three previously leaked top secret U.S. Navy videos that show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some believe could show Unidentified Flying Objects ( UFOs ) in an effort `` to clear up any misconceptions by the public on whether or not the footage that has been circulating was real or whether or not there is more to the videos , '' said a Pentagon spokesperson .
`` The aerial phenomena observed in the videos remain characterized as 'unidentified ' '' , the spokesperson added .
The videos , previously acknowledged by the Navy as being real , captured what Navy fighter pilots saw on their video sensors during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They were published by the New York Times in 2017 .
`` The Department of Defense has authorized the release of three unclassified Navy videos , one taken in November 2004 and the other two in January 2015 , which have been circulating in the public domain after unauthorized releases in 2007 and 2017 , '' said Susan Gough , a Defense Department spokesperson in a statement released Monday .

Here's a little change of pace from Trump and coronavirus stories. You probably missed this in the firehose of yesterday's news.
These videos, previously leaked by the New York Times and To the Stars Academy of Arts and Science, have now been declassified -- which means, if I'm reading this correctly, this is an extraordinary story about the Pentagon confirming the existence of UFOs -- or would be, in ordinary times. Via ABC News:
The Pentagon has declassified three previously leaked top secret U.S. Navy videos that show "unexplained aerial phenomena" and that some believe could show Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) in an effort "to clear up any misconceptions by the public on whether or not the footage that has been circulating was real or whether or not there is more to the videos," said a Pentagon spokesperson. "The aerial phenomena observed in the videos remain characterized as 'unidentified'", the spokesperson added. The videos, previously acknowledged by the Navy as being real, captured what Navy fighter pilots saw on their video sensors during training flights in 2004 and 2015. They were published by the New York Times in 2017. "The Department of Defense has authorized the release of three unclassified Navy videos, one taken in November 2004 and the other two in January 2015, which have been circulating in the public domain after unauthorized releases in 2007 and 2017," said Susan Gough, a Defense Department spokesperson in a statement released Monday.


crooksandliars--2020-04-29--Trump To Order Meat Plants To Stay Open Without Requirements To Protect Workers

The coronavirus toll on meat plants is staggering .
From Politico : Meatpacking plants have become incubators for the virus as employees work side-by-side in dangerous conditions .
Twenty meatpacking and processing workers have died from coronavirus , and at least 6,500 have been affected , according to the United Food and Commercial Workers Union .
At least 22 plants processing meat from pork to chicken have closed at some point after clusters of employees tested positive for Covid-19 , according to UFCW .
Trump insists there ’ s plenty of supply , even as farmers have been euthanizing hogs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Politico also reported .
On Sunday , Tyson foods warned the food supply chain is breaking .
But their own lack of worker protection had something to do with the crisis , C & L noted .
Now , President Death is trying to look like he 's protecting workers while making them more vulnerable .
The government will also provide additional protective gear for employees as well as guidance , according to [ a person familiar with the matter ] .
OSHA has chosen not to impose mandatory safety rules and instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the agency released new guidance to intended to shield workers from infection .
In other words , Trump wants the government to tell meat plants what they should do to protect workers but can ’ t be bothered to make sure the workers are actually protected .
If they ’ re not protected , it should n't be the employers ’ problem , either .
Maybe even worse , The Washington Post said Trump 's order would actually `` undercut newly issued federal health guidelines designed to put space between plant workers .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Trump may not have the authority either to force plants to reopen or to protect them from immunity , according to The Post .

The coronavirus toll on meat plants is staggering. From Politico:
Meatpacking plants have become incubators for the virus as employees work side-by-side in dangerous conditions. Twenty meatpacking and processing workers have died from coronavirus, and at least 6,500 have been affected, according to the United Food and Commercial Workers Union. At least 22 plants processing meat from pork to chicken have closed at some point after clusters of employees tested positive for Covid-19, according to UFCW.
Trump insists there’s plenty of supply, even as farmers have been euthanizing hogs because of the backup at slaughterhouses, Politico also reported. On Sunday, Tyson foods warned the food supply chain is breaking. But their own lack of worker protection had something to do with the crisis, C&L noted.
Now, President Death is trying to look like he's protecting workers while making them more vulnerable.
The government will also provide additional protective gear for employees as well as guidance, according to [a person familiar with the matter]. … OSHA has chosen not to impose mandatory safety rules and instead only issued recommendations. On Sunday, the agency released new guidance to intended to shield workers from infection.
In other words, Trump wants the government to tell meat plants what they should do to protect workers but can’t be bothered to make sure the workers are actually protected. If they’re not protected, it shouldn't be the employers’ problem, either.
Maybe even worse, The Washington Post said Trump's order would actually "undercut newly issued federal health guidelines designed to put space between plant workers." The only potential bright spot is that Trump may not have the authority either to force plants to reopen or to protect them from immunity, according to The Post.


crooksandliars--2020-04-29--There's A New Groundswell In Town — 'Save Our Country' Coalition

That bearer of terrifying news , Right Wing Watch , dropped the little nugget that a bunch of right-wing organizations have pooled their resources and evil intentions to repackage themselves as a shiny new coalition , `` Save Our Country . ''
What 's their goal ?
Why , to `` re '' open the economy , of course .
According to its press release , the coalition `` aims to educate and inform elected officials and policymakers at all levels of government in an effort to bring about a quick , safe and responsible reopening of US society .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear that the US economy has once again stabilized . ''
Define `` stabilized . ''
Actually , come to think of it , define `` society . ''
I ask because let 's go down the list of illustrious steering committee members : Art Laffer — the guy who wants the government to have ZERO role in getting the economy back on track , except to give huge tax breaks to the rich — is honorary chairman .
Ginni Thomas — wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas , creator of Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immigration soul mate of Stephen Miller .
Stephen Moore — Trump 's economic guru , and assh*le who compared the `` re '' open protesters to Rosa Parks .
Matt Schlapp — Fox News mainstay guest who wants Trump to sue governors and mayors for enforcing stay-at-home orders ... because it keeps churches closed and forced-birthers from harassing women at clinics and real men from buying gunz .
This illustrious group of right-wing-nut-jobs includes some scraped from the dregs of humanity , most of whom we have n't heard from in a long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's who of comic book villians ' convention : [ F ] ormer Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich ; Reagan-era Attorney General Ed Meese ; anti-media activist Brent Bozell ; former Ohio Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell ; pundit and former Education Secretary Bill Bennett ; Floyd Brown , the man behind Citizens United and the infamous “ Willie Horton ” ad ; right-wing strategist and direct-mail guru Richard Viguerie ; former senator and former Heritage Foundation President Jim DeMint ; [ ... ] William Walton , vice president of the secretive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Heritage Foundation trustee ; Gary Marx , former executive director of Ralph Reed ’ s Faith and Freedom Coalition ; Kelly Shackelford of the religious-right legal group First Liberty ; Frank Gaffney and Clare Lopez , promoters of anti-Muslim sentiments and conspiracy theories ; and Sandy Rios , American Family Association radio host .
The late Phyllis Schlafly ’ s Eagle Forum is represented , as is the State Policy Network , a collection of mini-Heritage Foundations pushing right-wing policies at the state level .
I mean , Google Frank Gaffney and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the Southern Poverty Law Center .
And , hey , the late Phyllis Schlafly 's Eagle Forum !
What could be better ?
!
?
What do they want ?
Government to deregulate everything , stay out of the states ' way completely , huge tax cuts for the wealthy , and individual rights unfettered .
This is Groundswell redux .
All the same people .
All the same goals .
All the same corruption , abuse of power , and influence peddling to position themselves at the top ( at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make damn sure they stay there .
And all of them in service of Donald Trump 's re-election .

That bearer of terrifying news, Right Wing Watch, dropped the little nugget that a bunch of right-wing organizations have pooled their resources and evil intentions to repackage themselves as a shiny new coalition, "Save Our Country." What's their goal? Why, to "re"open the economy, of course. According to its press release, the coalition "aims to educate and inform elected officials and policymakers at all levels of government in an effort to bring about a quick, safe and responsible reopening of US society. This coalition will exist until it is clear that the US economy has once again stabilized."
Define "stabilized." Actually, come to think of it, define "society." I ask because let's go down the list of illustrious steering committee members:
Art Laffer — the guy who wants the government to have ZERO role in getting the economy back on track, except to give huge tax breaks to the rich — is honorary chairman.
Ginni Thomas — wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, creator of Trump's "Enemies" list, and immigration soul mate of Stephen Miller.
Stephen Moore — Trump's economic guru, and assh*le who compared the "re"open protesters to Rosa Parks.
Matt Schlapp — Fox News mainstay guest who wants Trump to sue governors and mayors for enforcing stay-at-home orders...because it keeps churches closed and forced-birthers from harassing women at clinics and real men from buying gunz.
This illustrious group of nazis right-wing-nut-jobs includes some scraped from the dregs of humanity, most of whom we haven't heard from in a long while, and reads like a who's who of comic book villians' convention:
[F]ormer Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich; Reagan-era Attorney General Ed Meese; anti-media activist Brent Bozell; former Ohio Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell; pundit and former Education Secretary Bill Bennett; Floyd Brown, the man behind Citizens United and the infamous “Willie Horton” ad; right-wing strategist and direct-mail guru Richard Viguerie; former senator and former Heritage Foundation President Jim DeMint;
[...]
William Walton, vice president of the secretive right-wing Council for National Policy and a Heritage Foundation trustee; Gary Marx, former executive director of Ralph Reed’s Faith and Freedom Coalition; Kelly Shackelford of the religious-right legal group First Liberty; Frank Gaffney and Clare Lopez, promoters of anti-Muslim sentiments and conspiracy theories; and Sandy Rios, American Family Association radio host. The late Phyllis Schlafly’s Eagle Forum is represented, as is the State Policy Network, a collection of mini-Heritage Foundations pushing right-wing policies at the state level.
I mean, Google Frank Gaffney and the first thing that appears is a link from the Southern Poverty Law Center. And, hey, the late Phyllis Schlafly's Eagle Forum! What could be better?!?
What do they want? Government to deregulate everything, stay out of the states' way completely, huge tax cuts for the wealthy, and individual rights unfettered. This is Groundswell redux. All the same people. All the same goals. All the same corruption, abuse of power, and influence peddling to position themselves at the top (at the expense of everyone else) and to make damn sure they stay there.
And all of them in service of Donald Trump's re-election.


crooksandliars--2020-04-29--Trump  May Lose A Portion Of His Elderly Base If He Continues To Ignore Their Pandemic Fears

This seems like another misstep .
White House aiming for Trump pivot from virus to economy After two months of frantic response to the coronavirus , the White House is planning to shift President Donald Trump ’ s public focus to the burgeoning efforts aimed at easing the economic devastation caused by the pandemic .
... Trump is expected to begin to highlight his administration ’ s work in helping businesses and employees .
Aides said the president would hold more frequent roundtables with CEOs , business owners and beneficiaries of the trillions of dollars in federal aid already approved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what he hopes to see in a future recovery package .
We all know that Trump 's poll numbers have been slipping , and he was not impressing voters even before Disinfectantgate .
But why this , when polls continue to show that voters are more afraid of the coronavirus 's health effects than they are of the virus 's economic impact ?
I know that having meet-and-greets with CEOs is easy , while overseeing a nationwide crash program to increase testing and tracking would be hard .
I know that Trump would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a difficult task .
But I keep thinking about the big blue number in the lower right-hand corner of this chart : In polls , Joe Biden is running 15 points better against Trump than Hillary Clinton did among voters 65 and older .
Why would that be ?
I 'm 61 .
I 'm in good health -- but I have no idea what would happen to me if I contracted the virus .
Maybe Donald Trump assumes he 'll never die , but I do n't .
Until now , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while .
I do n't know if that 's a reasonable assumption anymore .
Of course older people are worried .
But Trump , the Power of Positive Thinking guy , does n't want people to worry .
He wants them to go back to work and shopping , because that 's what his rich donors want .
He wants a roaring economy again , because it never occurs to him that presidents can get reelected in tough times , if they 're seen as doing all they can to minimize the pain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ -- especially the worried elderly -- to ignore the pain .
Ignore the danger .
Ignore their own completely understandable fear of death .
Trump really might lose a portion of his elderly base in November if he continues to pretend this fear is n't real .
Posted with permission from No More Mr. Nice Blog

This seems like another misstep.
White House aiming for Trump pivot from virus to economy After two months of frantic response to the coronavirus, the White House is planning to shift President Donald Trump’s public focus to the burgeoning efforts aimed at easing the economic devastation caused by the pandemic. ... Trump is expected to begin to highlight his administration’s work in helping businesses and employees. Aides said the president would hold more frequent roundtables with CEOs, business owners and beneficiaries of the trillions of dollars in federal aid already approved by Congress, and begin to outline what he hopes to see in a future recovery package.
We all know that Trump's poll numbers have been slipping, and he was not impressing voters even before Disinfectantgate. But why this, when polls continue to show that voters are more afraid of the coronavirus's health effects than they are of the virus's economic impact?
I know that having meet-and-greets with CEOs is easy, while overseeing a nationwide crash program to increase testing and tracking would be hard. I know that Trump would rather project a positive image than perform a difficult task.
But I keep thinking about the big blue number in the lower right-hand corner of this chart:
In polls, Joe Biden is running 15 points better against Trump than Hillary Clinton did among voters 65 and older. Why would that be?
I'm 61. I'm in good health -- but I have no idea what would happen to me if I contracted the virus. Maybe Donald Trump assumes he'll never die, but I don't. Until now, I assumed it wouldn't happen for a while. I don't know if that's a reasonable assumption anymore.
Of course older people are worried. But Trump, the Power of Positive Thinking guy, doesn't want people to worry. He wants them to go back to work and shopping, because that's what his rich donors want. He wants a roaring economy again, because it never occurs to him that presidents can get reelected in tough times, if they're seen as doing all they can to minimize the pain. Instead, Trump is telling Americans -- especially the worried elderly -- to ignore the pain. Ignore the danger. Ignore their own completely understandable fear of death.
Trump really might lose a portion of his elderly base in November if he continues to pretend this fear isn't real.
Posted with permission from No More Mr. Nice Blog


crooksandliars--2020-04-29--Fox News Doctor Downplays Virus Testing: 'Not The Silver Bullet'

One of the biggest failures of the Trump administration after the coronavirus was discovered and started to spread was in regards to using the DPA so we could produce enough testing kits for the American public .
On Fox News ' Outnumbered this morning , host Harris Faulkner interviewed Dr. Makary , a professor of public health at Johns Hopkins university and asked him about the rising death numbers and the amount of cases that are growing in the United States .
Harris Faulkner asked him about testing and what role it plays in the rising death toll and number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 21 % of New Yorkers have been exposed based on antibody tests , '' Makary said .
`` So I do n't want people to be alarmed when they see the cases surge . ''
Really ?
What that tells us is that more people have been exposed to the virus than originally thought which is not comforting , jackass .
And that explains the rising death toll too .
It also means fewer people have been tested than should have been .
He continued , `` CVS is launching a thousand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nationwide.We heard that from the White House .
You know , I 'm just of the opinion , Harris , that testing is not the silver bullet .
I know it 's a minority opinion . ''
' Fox News found a Johns Hopkins University professor to give an unpopular minority opinion that stays in line with many of the Fox News pundits , Trump and Republican politicians screaming that Americans should go back to work regardless if they get infected or not .
But wait , there 's more !
Dr. Makary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But the notion that somehow if you test every American five times a week we are going to somehow conquer this , I just do n't think that is one of the tools in the toolbox , '' Dr. Makary opined .
Who the F**K is saying test every American five times a week ?
Having available testing helps curtail the spread of the virus .
It 's not a cure , but it treats the problem of how easily the virus spreads throughout the country .
He continued , `` If you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our recommendation or medical advice most of the time .
if you 're not changing our advice , why are we testing so frequently ? ''
He calls testing a little over 1 % of the US population over-testing ?
This is a doctor ?
If you test positive you can hopefully stop the spread of the virus to your family and friend and not die you motherf**king asshole .

One of the biggest failures of the Trump administration after the coronavirus was discovered and started to spread was in regards to using the DPA so we could produce enough testing kits for the American public.
On Fox News' Outnumbered this morning, host Harris Faulkner interviewed Dr. Makary, a professor of public health at Johns Hopkins university and asked him about the rising death numbers and the amount of cases that are growing in the United States.
Harris Faulkner asked him about testing and what role it plays in the rising death toll and number of confirmed cases.
"We know about 21% of New Yorkers have been exposed based on antibody tests," Makary said. "So I don't want people to be alarmed when they see the cases surge."
Really? What that tells us is that more people have been exposed to the virus than originally thought which is not comforting, jackass. And that explains the rising death toll too. It also means fewer people have been tested than should have been.
He continued, "CVS is launching a thousand different sites where people can get tested nationwide.We heard that from the White House. You know, I'm just of the opinion, Harris, that testing is not the silver bullet. I know it's a minority opinion." '
Fox News found a Johns Hopkins University professor to give an unpopular minority opinion that stays in line with many of the Fox News pundits, Trump and Republican politicians screaming that Americans should go back to work regardless if they get infected or not. But wait, there's more!
Dr. Makary went off the deep end.
"But the notion that somehow if you test every American five times a week we are going to somehow conquer this, I just don't think that is one of the tools in the toolbox," Dr. Makary opined.
Who the F**K is saying test every American five times a week? Having available testing helps curtail the spread of the virus. It's not a cure, but it treats the problem of how easily the virus spreads throughout the country.
He continued, "If you test positive, it doesn't change our recommendation or medical advice most of the time. if you're not changing our advice, why are we testing so frequently?"
Repeat after me: ASYMPTOMATIC CARRIERS
He calls testing a little over 1% of the US population over-testing?
This is a doctor? If you test positive you can hopefully stop the spread of the virus to your family and friend and not die you motherf**king asshole.