crooksandliars--2020-04-03--Frenzied Surge In Gun Sales Fueled By Pandemic Fears Outpaces All Previous Spikes

Toilet paper and hand sanitizer may have been on most panicked shoppers ’ minds in March when the novel coronavirus pandemic first hit the United States .
But as bare as those shelves might be , they have nothing on guns .
Doubtless inspired by the apocalyptic view of vacant streets across the nation , Americans rushed out to buy guns at an astonishing rate : Some 1.9 million guns were sold in March , trailing only the mad rush after the Sandy Hook shooting in January 2013 for sales in a single month .
While most previous spikes were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( which never materialized ) , the March sales were apparently fueled primarily by fears of social breakdown related to the COVID-19 virus ’ lethal effects .
The sales were matched by a 41 % spike in background checks , according to the FBI .
Buzzfeed reports that the surge is unprecedented , with retailers reporting rates that appear likely to continue for the foreseeable future .
Gun shops saw a surge in sales not only of guns but also body armor and other tactical gear , reportedly driven by a desire by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and families .
“ I think with the way things have escalated quite quickly around the world and in the US in just the last couple of weeks , it 's very hard to tell what 's going to happen next , ” Kevin Lim , owner of the tactical gear retailer Bulletproof Zone , told Buzzfeed .
However , some of the surge is also a result of nontraditional gun buyers—particularly Asian Americans—seeking more security .
According to KUOW-FM , gun sales in King County , Wash. , have been driven by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members of the LGBTQ community , seeking to protect themselves with weapons .
Most of that fear is related to reactionary violence around the novel coronavirus pandemic , particularly in the Asian American community .
Hate crimes against Asians—inspired by political rhetoric blaming China as the source of the pandemic—have also significantly spiked in the past month .
However , traditional gun-nut paranoia is the primary driver in the spike in gun sales .
Alan Gottlieb of the far-right Second Amendment Foundation—which has filed multiple lawsuits against state-ordered closures of gun shops across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was not surprised by the surge .
`` This is no surprise , '' Gottlieb told the Beacon in an email .
`` With a major uncharted health crisis that could result in a collapse of social order .
With criminal inmates being let out of prison .
With attempts to shut down gun stores and close down the ability of people to obtain firearms and ammunition for self-defense , [ this is ] what you would expect . ''

Toilet paper and hand sanitizer may have been on most panicked shoppers’ minds in March when the novel coronavirus pandemic first hit the United States. But as bare as those shelves might be, they have nothing on guns.
Doubtless inspired by the apocalyptic view of vacant streets across the nation, Americans rushed out to buy guns at an astonishing rate: Some 1.9 million guns were sold in March, trailing only the mad rush after the Sandy Hook shooting in January 2013 for sales in a single month.
While most previous spikes were driven by fears of imminent gun restrictions (which never materialized), the March sales were apparently fueled primarily by fears of social breakdown related to the COVID-19 virus’ lethal effects. The sales were matched by a 41% spike in background checks, according to the FBI.
Buzzfeed reports that the surge is unprecedented, with retailers reporting rates that appear likely to continue for the foreseeable future. Gun shops saw a surge in sales not only of guns but also body armor and other tactical gear, reportedly driven by a desire by “preppers” to secure their homes and families.
“I think with the way things have escalated quite quickly around the world and in the US in just the last couple of weeks, it's very hard to tell what's going to happen next,” Kevin Lim, owner of the tactical gear retailer Bulletproof Zone, told Buzzfeed.
However, some of the surge is also a result of nontraditional gun buyers—particularly Asian Americans—seeking more security. According to KUOW-FM, gun sales in King County, Wash., have been driven by large numbers of new owners, including members of the LGBTQ community, seeking to protect themselves with weapons.
Most of that fear is related to reactionary violence around the novel coronavirus pandemic, particularly in the Asian American community. Hate crimes against Asians—inspired by political rhetoric blaming China as the source of the pandemic—have also significantly spiked in the past month.
However, traditional gun-nut paranoia is the primary driver in the spike in gun sales. Alan Gottlieb of the far-right Second Amendment Foundation—which has filed multiple lawsuits against state-ordered closures of gun shops across the country—told the Washington Free Beacon that he was not surprised by the surge.
"This is no surprise," Gottlieb told the Beacon in an email. "With a major uncharted health crisis that could result in a collapse of social order. With criminal inmates being let out of prison. With attempts to shut down gun stores and close down the ability of people to obtain firearms and ammunition for self-defense, [this is] what you would expect."
Posted with permission from Daily Kos


crooksandliars--2020-04-03--If Navy Capt. Brett Crozier Had Only Committed War Crimes, He Would Have Gotten A Medal

A cheering and applauding crowd of sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt wished farewell to their captain , @ @ @ @ @ command after he raised concerns about the spreading coronavirus on his ship in a letter @ @ @ @ @ media .
Hundreds were pictured in the gathering in the ship ’ s hangar deck @ @ @ @ @ Brett Crozier ’ s name in multiple videos posted to social media .

Via Stars and Stripes:
A cheering and applauding crowd of sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt wished farewell to their captain, who the Navy relieved of command after he raised concerns about the spreading coronavirus on his ship in a letter that was leaked to the media.
Hundreds were pictured in the gathering in the ship’s hangar deck and many chanted Capt. Brett Crozier’s name in multiple videos posted to social media.


crooksandliars--2020-04-02--Andrew And Chris Cuomo's Brother Act Debuted On CNN And It's Hilarious

Sometimes you just need a moment of levity to break away from the fear and horror that we are currently facing as we fight the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus .
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has been having daily press conferences and today he had a special guest - his brother , Chris Cuomo , CNN host .
For those are not aware , Chris was diagnosed with coronavirus earlier this week and has been hosting his show from the basement of his home while quarantining from his family .
Andrew and Chris spoke via live stream and although serious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back and forth moments .
Chris told his brother : `` I 'm doing pretty well , all things considered .
This is very tough .
I get it now .
I 've now become part of this group of people who have this virus , and they 're reaching out . ''
Without giving too much away , there was talk about ballet dancing , home hair cuts and fishing outfits .
It was a great interview and could we all use a good laugh .
Feel better , Chris !
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !

Sometimes you just need a moment of levity to break away from the fear and horror that we are currently facing as we fight the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has been having daily press conferences and today he had a special guest - his brother, Chris Cuomo, CNN host. For those are not aware, Chris was diagnosed with coronavirus earlier this week and has been hosting his show from the basement of his home while quarantining from his family.
Andrew and Chris spoke via live stream and although serious at times, they had some hilarious back and forth moments.
Chris told his brother: "I'm doing pretty well, all things considered. This is very tough. I get it now. I've now become part of this group of people who have this virus, and they're reaching out."
Without giving too much away, there was talk about ballet dancing, home hair cuts and fishing outfits. It was a great interview and could we all use a good laugh.
Feel better, Chris! And keep up the great work, Governor!


crooksandliars--2020-04-02--Dr. Sanjay Gupta Outraged About Gov. Kemp's 'Inexcusable' Ignorance About COVID-19

Usually calm and mild-mannered , Dr. Sanjay Gupta seemed about ready to jump out of his skin in anger about Georgia 's governor , Brian Kemp , claiming that he was not aware COVID-19 could be spread asymptomatically until two days ago .
TWO .
DAYS .
AGO .
More than two months after the first case was recorded in the United States , and nearly two months after the CDC discussed that fact in public .
Anderson Cooper played the governor 's press conference , wherein he ( finally ! )
issued the state 's stay-at-home order .
KEMP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transmitting before people see signs , so what we 've been telling people , from directives from the cdc for weeks now , that if you start feeling bad , stay home .
Those individuals could have been infecting people before they ever felt bad .
Well , we did n't know that until the last 24 hours and as Dr. Toomey told me , she goes , `` This is a game changer for us . ''
Cooper and Gupta each took turns strangling for words to describe this criminal incompetence .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ stunned by what he said because we 've known that for quite some time , have n't we ?
GUPTA : Anderson , this is inexcusable .
I mean , it 's just inexcusable .
EVERYONE has been talking about that .
COOPER : I mean , he ca n't be being honest there .
GUPTA : My kids who go to school in Georgia knew that a month ago , I mean , I ca n't even believe that .
Look , this is serious .
There was a paper written back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was significant evidence of this even earlier than that in China that scientists were paying attention to .
The scientific community , the CDC who he just referenced , which is IN Georgia , talked about this on a public call on February 4th .
We 've known this for a long time .
To say that we just found out in the last 24 hours , and that 's why we 're doing this this is just not right .
That 's an excuse .
Maybe he really did n't know that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him , although I find that very hard to believe .
Everybody in the country -- for well over a month .
Ouch .
Dr. Gupta said , `` My KIDS even knew this a month ago . ''
That list of ways the information was available to him is devastating , never mind the fact that you have to almost ACTIVELY HIDE from any news source whatsoever to not absorb this knowledge .
The CDC is IN GEORGIA , MAN !
Cooper rightly called it political malpractice , as it were , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They both lamented how long this information has bene available to the public ; how many interviews they 've given , how much evidence exists on the benefits of staying home .
Tell that to Republican governors who eschew science and education at the expense of their constituents ' lives , though .
Then Cooper points out that the stay-at-home order does not apply to churches .
Of course it does n't .
Gupta was sympathetic to the need for gathering and faith , but they both pled for reason and science to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Good luck .
But then they both went back to tap-dancing on Kemp 's thick , impenetrable skull .
GUPTA : I think most people have gotten it , thankfully , but there 's too many who still have n't and some of those people who have n't are people in power who can really do a lot of good by really just paying attention to the science .
Not saying two months after we 've known this , oh , I 've heard this can spread asymptomatically , I 've just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You ca n't do that .
It 's just not right .
It 's not right .
COOPER : I mean , if that 's true that he just heard that , he just learned that , then he has not been paying attention and he is not doing his job .
I mean , that 's completely irresponsible .
GUPTA : To the most important issue that 's affected us , probably certainly in my lifetime .
So he 's not been paying attention to the most important issue that he 'll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and certainly as a governor .
He said , I just found out about this ?
Dr. Gupta looks so distressed , he can barely contain his contempt for this utterly unprincipled , heartless jackass of a governor .
Let 's remember , though : Kemp is the man who stole his election , and whose idea of an awesome campaign ad involved pointing a gun at a teenaged boy .
So , really , who is surprised ?

Usually calm and mild-mannered, Dr. Sanjay Gupta seemed about ready to jump out of his skin in anger about Georgia's governor, Brian Kemp, claiming that he was not aware COVID-19 could be spread asymptomatically until two days ago. TWO. DAYS. AGO. More than two months after the first case was recorded in the United States, and nearly two months after the CDC discussed that fact in public.
Anderson Cooper played the governor's press conference, wherein he (finally!) issued the state's stay-at-home order.
KEMP: Finding out this virus is now transmitting before people see signs, so what we've been telling people, from directives from the cdc for weeks now, that if you start feeling bad, stay home. Those individuals could have been infecting people before they ever felt bad. Well, we didn't know that until the last 24 hours and as Dr. Toomey told me, she goes, "This is a game changer for us."
Cooper and Gupta each took turns strangling for words to describe this criminal incompetence.
COOPER: I'm really kind of stunned by what he said because we've known that for quite some time, haven't we? GUPTA: Anderson, this is inexcusable. I mean, it's just inexcusable. EVERYONE has been talking about that. COOPER: I mean, he can't be being honest there. GUPTA: My kids who go to school in Georgia knew that a month ago, I mean, I can't even believe that. Look, this is serious. There was a paper written back in early February about this. There was significant evidence of this even earlier than that in China that scientists were paying attention to. The scientific community, the CDC who he just referenced, which is IN Georgia, talked about this on a public call on February 4th. We've known this for a long time. To say that we just found out in the last 24 hours, and that's why we're doing this this is just not right. That's an excuse. Maybe he really didn't know that, which means someone didn't tell him, although I find that very hard to believe. Everybody in the country -- for well over a month.
Ouch. Dr. Gupta said, "My KIDS even knew this a month ago." That list of ways the information was available to him is devastating, never mind the fact that you have to almost ACTIVELY HIDE from any news source whatsoever to not absorb this knowledge. The CDC is IN GEORGIA, MAN!
Cooper rightly called it political malpractice, as it were, and wondered if it was criminal. They both lamented how long this information has bene available to the public; how many interviews they've given, how much evidence exists on the benefits of staying home. Tell that to Republican governors who eschew science and education at the expense of their constituents' lives, though.
Then Cooper points out that the stay-at-home order does not apply to churches. Of course it doesn't. Gupta was sympathetic to the need for gathering and faith, but they both pled for reason and science to overrule that need and win the day. Good luck. But then they both went back to tap-dancing on Kemp's thick, impenetrable skull.
GUPTA: I think most people have gotten it, thankfully, but there's too many who still haven't and some of those people who haven't are people in power who can really do a lot of good by really just paying attention to the science. Not saying two months after we've known this, oh, I've heard this can spread asymptomatically, I've just heard over the last 24 hours. You can't do that. It's just not right. It's not right. COOPER: I mean, if that's true that he just heard that, he just learned that, then he has not been paying attention and he is not doing his job. I mean, that's completely irresponsible. GUPTA: To the most important issue that's affected us, probably certainly in my lifetime. So he's not been paying attention to the most important issue that he'll probably ever run into in his lifetime and certainly as a governor. He said, I just found out about this?
Dr. Gupta looks so distressed, he can barely contain his contempt for this utterly unprincipled, heartless jackass of a governor. Let's remember, though: Kemp is the man who stole his election, and whose idea of an awesome campaign ad involved pointing a gun at a teenaged boy. So, really, who is surprised?


crooksandliars--2020-04-03--Tucker Carlson Can't Believe We're Letting Actual Health Experts Make Decisions

There are so many things to say about Tucker Carlson , none of them good .
Because even during the rare times when he says something that appears thoughtful on the surface , there 's always a deep vein of anti-intellectualism and an embrace of populist , authoritarian code words .
Like this conversation , where he blames the coronavirus epidemic not on Trump 's criminal negligence , but on ... .
public health experts ?
`` What would 've happened for example if we would ’ ve adopted a more conventional response to this epidemic ?
What if we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anyone else facing statistically higher rates of risk to stay inside , cloistered away , '' Carlson said .
`` And then at the same time allowed the rest of the population to use informed common sense and continue to work ?
What if we ’ d done that a month ago ?
Would the death rate today be much higher than it is now ?
Maybe , maybe not .
We do n't know .
But it ’ s clearly a conversation we should ’ ve had before we locked the entire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of work .
`` But we didn ’ t have that conversation .
Instead we outsourced the decision to public health officials .
And that 's a strange irony of the moment we ’ re living through .
One of the main lessons of this crisis is that the public health establishment failed us badly . ''
Sure , Tucker .
That 's the lesson .
Not putting a narcissistic , pathologically indifferent reality TV star in a position where the problems were so far over his swollen , self-interested head .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ trust these same people without hesitation and for the most part we are doing that .
In other words , the experts failed -- yet the experts now have more power than ever before .
It ’ s bewildering .
In fact , it ’ s reminiscent of 2008 when reckless behavior by the banks crippled the economy and crushed the middle class .
But when it came time to fix it we put bankers in charge of the clean up . ''
Wait , what ?
Public health experts who warned that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we 'd have to lock down the country , ARE JUST LIKE THE BANKERS WHO DELIBERATELY SOLD BAD MORTGAGES SO THEY COULD MAKE MONEY BETTING AGAINST THEM ?
Not to mention that they 're NOT in charge , the Orange Cheeto is .
`` Now , this is not an argument against expertise .
It 's not even a populist argument .
Of course bankers understand finance , epidemiologists understand coronavirus far more than most people do .
So turning to experts in crisis makes sense and we should , and hopefully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't allow experts to make the big decisions .
That 's not their job .
This is a democracy .
It is our job . ''
You shameless , disingenuous shill .
You damage democracy every time you open your smug little mouth .
You just do n't care .

There are so many things to say about Tucker Carlson, none of them good. Because even during the rare times when he says something that appears thoughtful on the surface, there's always a deep vein of anti-intellectualism and an embrace of populist, authoritarian code words. Like this conversation, where he blames the coronavirus epidemic not on Trump's criminal negligence, but on.... public health experts?
"What would've happened for example if we would’ve adopted a more conventional response to this epidemic? What if we asked the elderly and the immunocompromised and anyone else facing statistically higher rates of risk to stay inside, cloistered away," Carlson said.
"And then at the same time allowed the rest of the population to use informed common sense and continue to work? What if we’d done that a month ago? Would the death rate today be much higher than it is now? Maybe, maybe not. We don't know. But it’s clearly a conversation we should’ve had before we locked the entire country down and put ten million people out of work.
"But we didn’t have that conversation. Instead we outsourced the decision to public health officials. And that's a strange irony of the moment we’re living through. One of the main lessons of this crisis is that the public health establishment failed us badly."
Sure, Tucker. That's the lesson. Not putting a narcissistic, pathologically indifferent reality TV star in a position where the problems were so far over his swollen, self-interested head.
"We’re being asked to trust these same people without hesitation and for the most part we are doing that. In other words, the experts failed -- yet the experts now have more power than ever before. It’s bewildering. In fact, it’s reminiscent of 2008 when reckless behavior by the banks crippled the economy and crushed the middle class. But when it came time to fix it we put bankers in charge of the clean up."
Wait, what? Public health experts who warned that if we didn't do extensive testing, we'd have to lock down the country, ARE JUST LIKE THE BANKERS WHO DELIBERATELY SOLD BAD MORTGAGES SO THEY COULD MAKE MONEY BETTING AGAINST THEM? Not to mention that they're NOT in charge, the Orange Cheeto is.
"Now, this is not an argument against expertise. It's not even a populist argument. Of course bankers understand finance, epidemiologists understand coronavirus far more than most people do. So turning to experts in crisis makes sense and we should, and hopefully we always will. But we can't allow experts to make the big decisions. That's not their job. This is a democracy. It is our job."
You shameless, disingenuous shill. You damage democracy every time you open your smug little mouth. You just don't care.


crooksandliars--2020-02-28--No, People — Corona BEER Does Not Cause Coronavirus

It 's very important not to punch down when making one 's point .
So , when we tell you that 38 % of Americans surveyed said they would n't buy Corona beer `` 'under any circumstances ' because of the outbreak '' of coronavirus , it is not for the purposes of making fun of them .
It 's simply too easy to draw that line between that 38 % and the 38 % of people who think Hair Fürer is doing a swell job kEaPiNg AmeRiCa GrEaT .
Low-hanging fruit , y'all .
We can just leave that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ telling you this because the staggering amount of disinformation coming out of the White House and its surrogates has impact on the physical and economic health of the citizens of this country .
The company that manufactures Corona , Constellation Brands , is suffering economically from this ( false ) negative association people make between the beer and the virus .
The stock market has officially entered into correction mode .
Corona/Constellation is feeling the pain of unlucky branding combined with ... okay , astounding stupidity .
From CNN : In another survey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consumers ' intent to purchase Corona fell to its lowest level in two years .
The survey also showed that Corona 's buzz score , a metric that that measures favorability , has dropped significantly since the beginning of the year .
Online searches for `` corona beer virus '' spiked in early February , but have since declined .
Listen , I have no skin in this game .
I hate all beer .
If our vodka supply is threatened , THEN I 'm in trouble .
Do n't mess with my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would like to remain alive long enough to at least finish what is in my liquor cabinet .
And with people like Mike Pompeo refusing to admit to Rep. Ted Lieu that the coronavirus outbreak is NOT a hoax in his Congressional testimony , I feel I have reason to fear .
With people like Donnie Jr. running to Fox News saying Dems are making the whole thing up because we WANT people to get sick and die , and we want Trump to stop WINNING , I can not help but think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the people in charge .
Oh , and by the way ... who 's in charge of coronavirus information again ?
If you guessed Mike Pence , guess again .
Word on the street is Stephen Miller 's new little fräulein , Pence 's press secretary , Katie Miller is now the neck at the top of the bottle .
All communication must be approved by this 28-year-old before it can be released to the public .
Is it vodka o'clock , yet ?

It's very important not to punch down when making one's point.
So, when we tell you that 38% of Americans surveyed said they wouldn't buy Corona beer "'under any circumstances' because of the outbreak" of coronavirus, it is not for the purposes of making fun of them. It's simply too easy to draw that line between that 38% and the 38% of people who think Hair Fürer is doing a swell job kEaPiNg AmeRiCa GrEaT. Low-hanging fruit, y'all.
We can just leave that to Twitter.
Corona beer announcing rebrand to Smallpox Beer after news that 38% of Americans are too dumb to be allowed outside unsupervised https://t.co/crjBoPIh2Y — Shawn Connolly (@dcb42) February 28, 2020
No, we're telling you this because the staggering amount of disinformation coming out of the White House and its surrogates has impact on the physical and economic health of the citizens of this country. The company that manufactures Corona, Constellation Brands, is suffering economically from this (false) negative association people make between the beer and the virus. The stock market has officially entered into correction mode. Corona/Constellation is feeling the pain of unlucky branding combined with...okay, astounding stupidity. From CNN:
In another survey conducted by YouGov, the firm found consumers' intent to purchase Corona fell to its lowest level in two years. The survey also showed that Corona's buzz score, a metric that that measures favorability, has dropped significantly since the beginning of the year. Online searches for "corona beer virus" spiked in early February, but have since declined.
Listen, I have no skin in this game. I hate all beer. If our vodka supply is threatened, THEN I'm in trouble. Don't mess with my ability to buy whiskey. But I would like to remain alive long enough to at least finish what is in my liquor cabinet. And with people like Mike Pompeo refusing to admit to Rep. Ted Lieu that the coronavirus outbreak is NOT a hoax in his Congressional testimony, I feel I have reason to fear. With people like Donnie Jr. running to Fox News saying Dems are making the whole thing up because we WANT people to get sick and die, and we want Trump to stop WINNING, I cannot help but think we're not getting the straight scoop from the people in charge.
Oh, and by the way...who's in charge of coronavirus information again? If you guessed Mike Pence, guess again. Word on the street is Stephen Miller's new little fräulein, Pence's press secretary, Katie Miller is now the neck at the top of the bottle. All communication must be approved by this 28-year-old before it can be released to the public.
Is it vodka o'clock, yet?


crooksandliars--2020-02-28--Stuart Varney Tantrum: No Wall Money For Coronavirus!

Fox Business host Stuart Varney fear mongered that Sen. Elizabeth Warren ’ s proposal to take funding from Trump ’ s border wall ( that Mexico was supposed to pay for ) and use it to fight the coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) will further tank the stock market .
Media Matters caught Varney on Fox & Friends this morning .
You know he had been booked to weaponize the health crisis on behalf of the Fan in Chief because cohost Steve Doocy said in his introduction , “ The president , you saw him live on the Channel last night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out who may be to blame for its impact on the markets.
” First , Varney reiterated the Fox talking point of blaming presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders .
VARNEY : Well , Bernie Sanders scares investors half to death .
Socialism is an economy killer , it 's a stock market killer , and Bernie Sanders is now the front-runner .
The possibility , however remote , of a Sanders presidency , really upsets and worries investors .
And so they should be worried -- the man 's a socialist … Even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ driver here is the spreading virus.
” But instead of noting how Trump has sabotaged the U.S. response , Varney diverted attention back to Sanders and the Democrats : `` if you see a Bernie Sanders presidency or a Democrat presidency looming at you , as the president says , anything can happen in an election .
No matter how remote , you 're going to get worried if you 're an investor.
” Cohost Pete Hegseth added his affirmation .
“ That looming reality never became more stark than on Monday morning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Saturday in Nevada [ when Sanders won the Nevada caucus ] . ''
Varney wasn ’ t willing to take the messaging too far .
He reiterated that the coronavirus is “ obviously , the main driver of this sell-off.
” But , he quickly added , “ socialism is a factor.
” He never mentioned how big or small that factor might be .
Doocy chimed in by saying that “ some ” Trump allies are accusing Democrats of exploiting the crisis by “ trying to talk down the economy ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Varney was all in on that point .
As he expounded on it , he dropped his comment about the wall .
VARNEY : Well , look what some of the leading Democrats have been saying about the president 's performance on the virus .
I think they 've been creating a level of panic here , and that 's not helping the market .
Sen. Schumer called it - called the president “ dangerously incompetent . ''
Speaker Pelosi says it 's shameful , late , too late , an anemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you said earlier this morning , she ’ s got a new plan coming , she would take money from that racist wall , and divert it all to the virus .
If that 's not drumming up some panic which actually encourages the downside move for the market , I do n't know what is .
Politics is a factor .
FACT CHECK : The Week has noted that Fox News ' own poll found in December that a majority of registered voters disapprove of Trump ’ s border wall , 52-44 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a much larger majority support Warren ’ s wealth tax – 68-26 % .
The stock market is dropping because of coronavirus fears , not the lack of a border wall .
But if Varney seriously thinks that taking away funds from the wall would create further panic , rather than reassurance that the federal government is finally doing something to fight COVID-19 , this would be a great time for Trump to fulfill his promise of getting Mexico to pay for the wall .
We know what Varney is dog whistling here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to immigrants , as well as a big wink to Trump and his immigrant-hating supporters , is more important than keeping Americans safe from a deadly pandemic .
Otherwise , Varney would have suggested alternative funding for public health , not just fear mongered about money being taken from the wall .
After they moved on to attacking the Democrats for not showing more COVID-19 unity with Trump ( from the gang that endlessly attacked President Barack Obama 's handling of the Ebola outbreak ) , Doocy and Varney acknowledged the coronavirus ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
You can watch Varney dog whistle above , from the February 27 , 2020 Fox & Friends , via Media Matters .

Fox Business host Stuart Varney fear mongered that Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s proposal to take funding from Trump’s border wall (that Mexico was supposed to pay for) and use it to fight the coronavirus (COVID-19) will further tank the stock market.
Media Matters caught Varney on Fox & Friends this morning. You know he had been booked to weaponize the health crisis on behalf of the Fan in Chief because cohost Steve Doocy said in his introduction, “The president, you saw him live on the Channel last night, addressing the coronavirus outbreak, pointing out who may be to blame for its impact on the markets.”
First, Varney reiterated the Fox talking point of blaming presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders.
VARNEY: Well, Bernie Sanders scares investors half to death. Socialism is an economy killer, it's a stock market killer, and Bernie Sanders is now the front-runner. The possibility, however remote, of a Sanders presidency, really upsets and worries investors. And so they should be worried -- the man's a socialist …
Even Varney soon admitted that “the real driver here is the spreading virus.” But instead of noting how Trump has sabotaged the U.S. response, Varney diverted attention back to Sanders and the Democrats: "if you see a Bernie Sanders presidency or a Democrat presidency looming at you, as the president says, anything can happen in an election. No matter how remote, you're going to get worried if you're an investor.”
Cohost Pete Hegseth added his affirmation. “That looming reality never became more stark than on Monday morning when the markets opened after what happened on Saturday in Nevada [when Sanders won the Nevada caucus]."
Varney wasn’t willing to take the messaging too far. He reiterated that the coronavirus is “obviously, the main driver of this sell-off.” But, he quickly added, “socialism is a factor.” He never mentioned how big or small that factor might be.
Doocy chimed in by saying that “some” Trump allies are accusing Democrats of exploiting the crisis by “trying to talk down the economy” in order to hurt his re-election chances.
Varney was all in on that point. As he expounded on it, he dropped his comment about the wall.
VARNEY: Well, look what some of the leading Democrats have been saying about the president's performance on the virus. I think they've been creating a level of panic here, and that's not helping the market. Sen. Schumer called it - called the president “dangerously incompetent." Speaker Pelosi says it's shameful, late, too late, an anemic response. And Sen. Warren, as you said earlier this morning, she’s got a new plan coming, she would take money from that racist wall, and divert it all to the virus. If that's not drumming up some panic which actually encourages the downside move for the market, I don't know what is. Politics is a factor.
FACT CHECK: The Week has noted that Fox News' own poll found in December that a majority of registered voters disapprove of Trump’s border wall, 52-44%. On the other hand, a much larger majority support Warren’s wealth tax – 68-26%.
The stock market is dropping because of coronavirus fears, not the lack of a border wall. But if Varney seriously thinks that taking away funds from the wall would create further panic, rather than reassurance that the federal government is finally doing something to fight COVID-19, this would be a great time for Trump to fulfill his promise of getting Mexico to pay for the wall.
We know what Varney is dog whistling here. He thinks sending a big FU to immigrants, as well as a big wink to Trump and his immigrant-hating supporters, is more important than keeping Americans safe from a deadly pandemic. Otherwise, Varney would have suggested alternative funding for public health, not just fear mongered about money being taken from the wall.
After they moved on to attacking the Democrats for not showing more COVID-19 unity with Trump (from the gang that endlessly attacked President Barack Obama's handling of the Ebola outbreak), Doocy and Varney acknowledged the coronavirus’ serious threat to the economic supply chain.
You can watch Varney dog whistle above, from the February 27, 2020 Fox & Friends, via Media Matters.
Republished with permission from Newshounds.


crooksandliars--2020-05-29--Mike's Blog Round Up

Mike's Blog Round Up

Politico tells us that `` MORE THAN 40 MILLION AMERICANS have filed for unemployment .
That ’ s about a quarter of the American workforce , and the equivalent of the entire population of California being out of work . ''
And on the day America surpassed 100,000 Coronavirus deaths , Prznint Stupid retweeted a video saying “ the only good Democrat is a dead Democrat.
” As the song says , we 're feeling dangerous .
Claytoonz presents Twitter vs. Twitter , which examines Twitter 's attempt to fact check Prznint Stupid .
TomDispatch compares and contrasts the Great @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Rogue Columnist compares and contrasts the Trump-Virus with the `` Spanish '' Influenza of 1918 .
Bonus Track : Because we 're all about the music , The Hood Internet gives us a year-by-year ( 1979—1989 ) 3-minute remix of more than 50 songs from each year .
It 's like your yearbook has a beat and you can dance to it !
Round-up by Tengrain who blogs at Mock , Paper , Scissors .
You can follow Tengrain on the Twitters , too .
Send tips , requests , and suggestions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MBRU in the subject line ) .

Politico tells us that "MORE THAN 40 MILLION AMERICANS have filed for unemployment. That’s about a quarter of the American workforce, and the equivalent of the entire population of California being out of work." And on the day America surpassed 100,000 Coronavirus deaths, Prznint Stupid retweeted a video saying “the only good Democrat is a dead Democrat.” As the song says, we're feeling dangerous.
Claytoonz presents Twitter vs. Twitter, which examines Twitter's attempt to fact check Prznint Stupid.
TomDispatch compares and contrasts the Great Depression with our current Coronavirus Depression.
The Rogue Columnist compares and contrasts the Trump-Virus with the "Spanish" Influenza of 1918.
Bonus Track: Because we're all about the music, The Hood Internet gives us a year-by-year (1979—1989) 3-minute remix of more than 50 songs from each year. It's like your yearbook has a beat and you can dance to it!
Round-up by Tengrain who blogs at Mock, Paper, Scissors. You can follow Tengrain on the Twitters, too. Send tips, requests, and suggestions to mbru@crooksandliars.com (with For MBRU in the subject line).


crooksandliars--2020-05-29--Fox News Goes Berserk Over Twitter Flagging Trump's Violent Tweet

As usual , Mango Mussolini the tin-pot dictator is more worried about himself and his cult of supporters than the coronavirus death toll .
So he took time away from his cable news viewing hours -- to sign an executive order that pretends to attack social media companies .
His lie about mail-in voting was unconscionable for any actual sitting US president , but a typical day for the Orange Julius .
And George Floyd was murdered by two Minnesota police officers .
The cops were not arrested , protests broke out in Minnesota and , again as usual , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most despicable manner .
He threatened to shoot the protesters to protect the personal property .
Trump values property above life and liberty .
And lest we forget : if these were white Proud Boy protesters or Neo-Nazis , he 'd never threaten violence against them .
In keeping with their new policy Twitter pasted a notice over Trump 's tweet , but still made it available to read .
This was too much for Fox News and F & F 's co-host Brian Kilmeade .
Brian went ballistic .
Ignoring that Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported almost 80 million Twitter followers , and that he has incredible influence over many of his sycophants , Brian wondered if Twitter was censoring anyone else and only targeting their dear lord and savior .
Kilmeade said , `` I ’ m just wondering , was the president the only one around the world on planet Earth to do something that Twitter now feels as though they have to redirect towards what they think is additional facts ?
Or that incite violence ?
” He continued , `` I find it unbelievable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and they don ’ t feel compelled , that I can see , to take on outlaw countries ... '' Kilmeade passed off to guest host Emily Compagno and said , `` It 's getting personal quick . ''
Compagno replied , `` That ’ s exactly right , Brian , and I think any notion that Twitter had any type of neutrality at all is just blown out the window now that they ’ ve done this again tonight .
It sort of pierces their credibility to the fact of putting them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
`` They 're obviously all about attacking the president , `` she said .
Trump 's Twitter feed has been a vast wasteland of the vilest content imaginable .
It 's coming from the person who has claim to be the President of the United States .
Finally , Twitter took action .
Again , the idea that conservatives are being `` targeted '' by social media companies is a lie .
But data from Facebook , the world 's largest social media company , pours cold water on the assertion that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact , according to CrowdTangle , a data-analytics firm owned by Facebook , content from conservative news organizations dominates Facebook and often outperforms content from straightforward news organizations .
These Fox News hosts are n't the least bit upset that Trump threatened to shoot and murder Minnesota protesters , but they were happy to be paid to defend Trump 's disgusting behavior .
During the 2016 general election , Trump had said that even if he shot somebody his supporters would be behind him .
It now appears that if he did order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'd have an entire Cable News Network to defend him .

As usual, Mango Mussolini the tin-pot dictator is more worried about himself and his cult of supporters than the coronavirus death toll.
So he took time away from his cable news viewing hours -- to sign an executive order that pretends to attack social media companies.
His lie about mail-in voting was unconscionable for any actual sitting US president, but a typical day for the Orange Julius.
And George Floyd was murdered by two Minnesota police officers. The cops were not arrested, protests broke out in Minnesota and, again as usual, Trump had to weigh in in a most despicable manner.
He threatened to shoot the protesters to protect the personal property. Trump values property above life and liberty. And lest we forget: if these were white Proud Boy protesters or Neo-Nazis, he'd never threaten violence against them.
In keeping with their new policy Twitter pasted a notice over Trump's tweet, but still made it available to read.
This was too much for Fox News and F&F's co-host Brian Kilmeade. Brian went ballistic.
Ignoring that Donald Trump is the so-called POTUS with a reported almost 80 million Twitter followers, and that he has incredible influence over many of his sycophants, Brian wondered if Twitter was censoring anyone else and only targeting their dear lord and savior.
Kilmeade said, "I’m just wondering, was the president the only one around the world on planet Earth to do something that Twitter now feels as though they have to redirect towards what they think is additional facts? Or that incite violence?”
He continued, " I find it unbelievable they’re taking on the president and they don’t feel compelled, that I can see, to take on outlaw countries..."
What a myopic jack-off.
Kilmeade passed off to guest host Emily Compagno and said, "It's getting personal quick."
Compagno replied, "That’s exactly right, Brian, and I think any notion that Twitter had any type of neutrality at all is just blown out the window now that they’ve done this again tonight. It sort of pierces their credibility to the fact of putting them on some type of elementary school playground?
"They're obviously all about attacking the president, " she said.
Trump's Twitter feed has been a vast wasteland of the vilest content imaginable. It's coming from the person who has claim to be the President of the United States. Finally, Twitter took action.
Again, the idea that conservatives are being "targeted" by social media companies is a lie.
As the data reports:
But data from Facebook, the world's largest social media company, pours cold water on the assertion that conservative voices are being silenced. In fact, according to CrowdTangle, a data-analytics firm owned by Facebook, content from conservative news organizations dominates Facebook and often outperforms content from straightforward news organizations.
These Fox News hosts aren't the least bit upset that Trump threatened to shoot and murder Minnesota protesters, but they were happy to be paid to defend Trump's disgusting behavior.
During the 2016 general election, Trump had said that even if he shot somebody his supporters would be behind him. It now appears that if he did order the military to shoot protesters, he'd have an entire Cable News Network to defend him.


crooksandliars--2020-04-09--Robin And Michelle Vos: The Most Dysfunctional People In Wisconsin

By now , just about everyone and their uncle caught the video of Robin Vos , the Republican Speaker of the Assembly , who was a driving force Tuesday 's shitshow of an election , making a fool of himself by telling people that it was perfectly safe to come out to vote in Tuesday 's elections in Wisconsin while he is bedecked in full PPE , including gloves , facemask , goggles and a full length hospital gown .
What a lot of people missed is that Vos was an `` Election Inspector '' in a drive-thru polling station @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a population of 10,000 .
This means that while other workers , who were not nearly as protected as Vos , would go up to the cars to get the person 's Voter ID and signature and run them to Vos who entered them into the computer to verify them .
Vos had absolutely zero contact with any members of the public .
Also missing was the whole clip , included in this tweet , which showed Vos explaining that if people applied for an absentee ( mail in ) ballot but had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ email the clerk 's office and have one emailed back to them : However , this advice was completely false , as reported by PolitiFact when another person gave the same misinformation : '' He was wrong , '' Magney said .
And later in the day , so was state Assembly Speaker Robin Vos , who made a nearly identical claim to a reporter while working as an election inspector .
His staff later admitted the error .
Spokeswoman Kit Beyer confirmed Vos was mistaken , saying the elections commission `` had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff hadn ’ t briefed him on . ''
Vos ' third ( or is fourth now ? )
wife , Robin Litgens Vos , did no better .
She was also an election inspector in the small village of Rochester , Wisconsin , a population of 3,600 people .
She posted on Facebook that is was perfectly safe to vote , but as Dan Bice of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel pointed out , there were no voters there : But what can you expect from a woman who , while a state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ children to have an adulterous affair with Vos ?
Nor was this Litjens Vos ' first foray into the realm of the super stupid .
In March , she also shared her opinion that the reactions to COVID-19 were `` way overblown : '' Michelle Litjens Vos , a conservative pundit and former state lawmaker , called the country 's coronavirus prevention and mitigation efforts an overreaction in a series of posts on her personal Facebook page .
`` I want to go on record and say we could be unnecessarily destroying our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID IS NOT AIRBORNE ( droplets yes , airborne no ) , '' she wrote .
`` My GOD we 're overreacting . ''
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stated that respiratory droplets — `` produced when an infected person coughs , sneezes or talks '' — can carry the disease from person to person .
A New England Journal of Medicine study found that the virus could remain suspended in air between a half-hour and up to three hours , In another post , Vos wrote , `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It just is n't worth shutting down our whole economy - except grocery stores .
In my opinion . ''
I wonder if these two asshats even realize they already have blood on their hands from all the people that will die from forcing the elections Tuesday .

By now, just about everyone and their uncle caught the video of Robin Vos, the Republican Speaker of the Assembly, who was a driving force Tuesday's shitshow of an election, making a fool of himself by telling people that it was perfectly safe to come out to vote in Tuesday's elections in Wisconsin while he is bedecked in full PPE, including gloves, facemask, goggles and a full length hospital gown. What a lot of people missed is that Vos was an "Election Inspector" in a drive-thru polling station in the small city of Burlington with a population of 10,000. This means that while other workers, who were not nearly as protected as Vos, would go up to the cars to get the person's Voter ID and signature and run them to Vos who entered them into the computer to verify them. Vos had absolutely zero contact with any members of the public.
Also missing was the whole clip, included in this tweet, which showed Vos explaining that if people applied for an absentee (mail in) ballot but hadn't received it, they could just email the clerk's office and have one emailed back to them:
This is Wisconsin’s @SpeakerVos, depressing the vote. He misinforms voters, who actually don’t have recourse if they didn’t request an absentee ballot by last Friday. Even the way he is dressed sends the clear message Republicans want to convey: stay home. pic.twitter.com/xNsB0Ctr2B — Jamil Smith (@JamilSmith) April 7, 2020
However, this advice was completely false, as reported by PolitiFact when another person gave the same misinformation:
"He was wrong," Magney said. And later in the day, so was state Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, who made a nearly identical claim to a reporter while working as an election inspector. His staff later admitted the error. Spokeswoman Kit Beyer confirmed Vos was mistaken, saying the elections commission "had guidance recently on that fact, which staff hadn’t briefed him on."
Vos' third (or is fourth now?) wife, Robin Litgens Vos, did no better. She was also an election inspector in the small village of Rochester, Wisconsin, a population of 3,600 people. She posted on Facebook that is was perfectly safe to vote, but as Dan Bice of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel pointed out, there were no voters there:
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos' wife -- former state Rep. Michelle Litjens Vos -- highlights that no one appears to be voting at her polling location in Rochester, Wis. Where could they be? pic.twitter.com/TofW6NfatW — Daniel Bice (@DanielBice) April 7, 2020
But what can you expect from a woman who, while a state representative herself, abandoned her husband and children to have an adulterous affair with Vos?
Nor was this Litjens Vos' first foray into the realm of the super stupid. In March, she also shared her opinion that the reactions to COVID-19 were "way overblown:"
Michelle Litjens Vos, a conservative pundit and former state lawmaker, called the country's coronavirus prevention and mitigation efforts an overreaction in a series of posts on her personal Facebook page. "I want to go on record and say we could be unnecessarily destroying our economy," she wrote. "COVID IS NOT AIRBORNE (droplets yes, airborne no)," she wrote. "My GOD we're overreacting." The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stated that respiratory droplets — "produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks" — can carry the disease from person to person. A New England Journal of Medicine study found that the virus could remain suspended in air between a half-hour and up to three hours, [...] In another post, Vos wrote, "Yes people will die of this. It just isn't worth shutting down our whole economy - except grocery stores. In my opinion."
I wonder if these two asshats even realize they already have blood on their hands from all the people that will die from forcing the elections Tuesday.


crooksandliars--2020-04-09--Diamond And Silk Forced To Delete Tweet Spreading Coronavirus Misinformation

Fox Nation hosts Diamond and Silk ’ s could have caused people to die with their coronavirus misinformation claiming that quarantining “ will make people sick ” but going out will bring immunity .
Fortunately , Twitter forced the duo to take down the tweet .
Mediaite ’ s Zachary Petrizzo caught the tweet and saved it for posterity .
Later , Petrizzo reported that a Twitter spokesperson confirmed the tweet had violated its COVID-19 misinformation policy and that the account would be locked until the tweet was removed .
Diamond and Silk ( real names Lynnette Hardaway and Rochelle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , most irresponsible sort of conspiracy theories about the coronavirus pandemic .
They have claimed that the number of deaths attributed to the disease has been exaggerated to harm their idol , Donald Trump .
They have also claimed that the virus itself , was engineered by the “ Deep State ” to harm Trump .
I previously wrote that If Fox Business fired Trish Regan because she suggested that the “ hysteria ” over the coronavirus was a plot to damage Trump , then Fox Nation ought to dump Diamond and Silk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ true now .

Fox Nation hosts Diamond and Silk’s could have caused people to die with their coronavirus misinformation claiming that quarantining “will make people sick” but going out will bring immunity. Fortunately, Twitter forced the duo to take down the tweet.
Mediaite’s Zachary Petrizzo caught the tweet and saved it for posterity.
Amidst the coronavirus pandemic, Fox Nation hosts Diamond and Silk are making false claims and encouraging people to "be out in the environment." pic.twitter.com/O0JY5VPn1l — Zachary Petrizzo (@ZTPetrizzo) April 8, 2020
Later, Petrizzo reported that a Twitter spokesperson confirmed the tweet had violated its COVID-19 misinformation policy and that the account would be locked until the tweet was removed.
Diamond and Silk (real names Lynnette Hardaway and Rochelle Richardson) have been spewing the vilest, most irresponsible sort of conspiracy theories about the coronavirus pandemic. They have claimed that the number of deaths attributed to the disease has been exaggerated to harm their idol, Donald Trump. They have also claimed that the virus itself, was engineered by the “Deep State” to harm Trump.
Now this.
I previously wrote that If Fox Business fired Trish Regan because she suggested that the “hysteria” over the coronavirus was a plot to damage Trump, then Fox Nation ought to dump Diamond and Silk ASAP.
That’s even more true now.
Posted with permission from News Hounds.


crooksandliars--2020-04-12--Trump Slammed For Refusing To Save The Post Office

The U.S .
Postal Service warned Congress this week that it will completely `` run out of cash '' in the next several months without immediate action from the White House and Congress , but—with as many as 630,000 jobs at risk—President Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers have refused to commit to rescuing the prized government institution as it falters amid the coronavirus pandemic .
Postmaster General Megan Brennan told the House Oversight and Reform Committee in a briefing on Thursday that the USPS will need access to a total of $ 75 billion in cash , grants , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the fall .
`` Our Postal Service is on the verge of collapse .
I 'm calling on Congress to act swiftly to shore up USPS so that everyone can continue to receive essential medicines and supplies , and as many Americans as possible can vote from home . ''
—Sen .
Elizabeth Warren '' We are at a critical juncture in the life of the Postal Service .
At a time when America needs the Postal Service more than ever , the reason we are so needed is having a devastating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brennan , referring to the coronavirus outbreak , which has led to a sharp decline in mail volume .
As Government Executive reported , `` House Democrats pushed for a $ 25 billion cash infusion for the Postal Service as part of the last stimulus package , but Senate negotiators ultimately opted to include only a $ 10 billion line of credit .
Postal management has said that amount would be insufficient for preventing fiscal calamity this year . ''
President Donald Trump has thus far rejected the Postal Service 's requests .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Trump urged USPS to simply `` raise the prices by , actually a lot . ''
Rep. Gerry Connolly ( D-Va. ) , one of the most vocal critics of the Trump administration 's refusal to assist USPS , said in a statement Thursday that `` we can not allow the Postal Service to collapse . ''
`` To do so would deepen our nation 's economic crisis and eliminate an important lifeline for individuals who rely on the Postal Service 's 1 billion deliveries of lifesaving prescription deliveries and eviscerate the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upcoming elections , '' said Connolly .
In a tweet Thursday , Connolly accused Trump of personally intervening to block the approval of any emergency funding for the Postal Service .
According to new reporting from the Washington Post on Saturday , Connolly 's accusation was correct .
`` Trump threatened to veto the $ 2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid , Relief , and Economic Security , or CARES , Act if the legislation contained any money directed to bail out the postal agency , according to a senior Trump administration official and congressional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The New York Times reported Thursday that a bailout for the Postal Service `` has already emerged as a political sticking point '' in talks over another large coronavirus stimulus package , `` with Democrats pressing to deliver one and President Trump , a persistent critic of the agency , opposed . ''
`` Some lawmakers , postal union representatives , and others who rely on the service now fear that the Trump administration is trying to use the current crisis to achieve conservatives ' longstanding goal of nudging the mail service toward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` either by setting highly prescriptive loan terms or by essentially forcing it into bankruptcy .
That would aid commercial competitors like FedEx and UPS . ''
Progressives argue that a major culprit behind the Postal Service 's financial woes is a 2006 law that requires USPS to prefund its retirees ' health benefits through the year 2056 .
As Sarah Anderson and Brian Wakamo of the Institute for Policy Studies wrote last year , `` this extraordinary mandate , which applies to no other federal agency or private corporation , created a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to justify harmful service cuts and even calls for postal privatization . ''
In a tweet Friday , Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D-Mass . )
urged Congress to take immediate action to provide relief to USPS as the Trump White House refuses to budge .
`` Our Postal Service is on the verge of collapse , '' said Warren .
`` I 'm calling on Congress to act swiftly to shore up USPS so that everyone can continue to receive essential medicines and supplies , and as many Americans as possible can vote @ @ @ @

The U.S. Postal Service warned Congress this week that it will completely "run out of cash" in the next several months without immediate action from the White House and Congress, but—with as many as 630,000 jobs at risk—President Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers have refused to commit to rescuing the prized government institution as it falters amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Postmaster General Megan Brennan told the House Oversight and Reform Committee in a briefing on Thursday that the USPS will need access to a total of $75 billion in cash, grants, and loans in order to avert financial ruin by the fall.
"Our Postal Service is on the verge of collapse. I'm calling on Congress to act swiftly to shore up USPS so that everyone can continue to receive essential medicines and supplies, and as many Americans as possible can vote from home."
—Sen. Elizabeth Warren"We are at a critical juncture in the life of the Postal Service. At a time when America needs the Postal Service more than ever, the reason we are so needed is having a devastating effect on our business," said Brennan, referring to the coronavirus outbreak, which has led to a sharp decline in mail volume.
As Government Executive reported, "House Democrats pushed for a $25 billion cash infusion for the Postal Service as part of the last stimulus package, but Senate negotiators ultimately opted to include only a $10 billion line of credit. Postal management has said that amount would be insufficient for preventing fiscal calamity this year."
President Donald Trump has thus far rejected the Postal Service's requests. During a press briefing earlier this week, Trump urged USPS to simply "raise the prices by, actually a lot."
Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), one of the most vocal critics of the Trump administration's refusal to assist USPS, said in a statement Thursday that "we cannot allow the Postal Service to collapse."
"To do so would deepen our nation's economic crisis and eliminate an important lifeline for individuals who rely on the Postal Service's 1 billion deliveries of lifesaving prescription deliveries and eviscerate the very infrastructure we need to administer the upcoming elections," said Connolly.
In a tweet Thursday, Connolly accused Trump of personally intervening to block the approval of any emergency funding for the Postal Service.
According to new reporting from the Washington Post on Saturday, Connolly's accusation was correct. "Trump threatened to veto the $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security, or CARES, Act if the legislation contained any money directed to bail out the postal agency, according to a senior Trump administration official and congressional official," the Post reported.
I spoke with the Postmaster General again today. She could not have been more clear: The Postal Service will collapse without urgent intervention, and it will happen soon. We’ve pleaded with the White House to help. @realDonaldTrump personally directed his staff not to do so. https://t.co/5wPQvbA951 — Rep. Gerry Connolly (@GerryConnolly) April 9, 2020
The New York Times reported Thursday that a bailout for the Postal Service "has already emerged as a political sticking point" in talks over another large coronavirus stimulus package, "with Democrats pressing to deliver one and President Trump, a persistent critic of the agency, opposed."
"Some lawmakers, postal union representatives, and others who rely on the service now fear that the Trump administration is trying to use the current crisis to achieve conservatives' longstanding goal of nudging the mail service toward privatization," the Times noted, "either by setting highly prescriptive loan terms or by essentially forcing it into bankruptcy. That would aid commercial competitors like FedEx and UPS."
Progressives argue that a major culprit behind the Postal Service's financial woes is a 2006 law that requires USPS to prefund its retirees' health benefits through the year 2056. As Sarah Anderson and Brian Wakamo of the Institute for Policy Studies wrote last year, "this extraordinary mandate, which applies to no other federal agency or private corporation, created a financial 'crisis' that has been used to justify harmful service cuts and even calls for postal privatization."
In a tweet Friday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) urged Congress to take immediate action to provide relief to USPS as the Trump White House refuses to budge.
"Our Postal Service is on the verge of collapse," said Warren. "I'm calling on Congress to act swiftly to shore up USPS so that everyone can continue to receive essential medicines and supplies, and as many Americans as possible can vote from home."
Republished from Common Dreams (Jake Johnson, staff writer) under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License.


crooksandliars--2020-04-13--John Oliver: It Shouldn't Take A Pandemic To Show We Need Social Programs

The more I listen to John Oliver , the more persuaded I am that the man is a frickin ' comedy genius on a par with Lenny Bruce .
To take all these bits of hyperactive whimsy and then weave them into a damning political critique , week after week , without a boring moment , is a skill few comedians have .
Like this segment from last night 's Last Week Tonight : '' We need to seriously think about whether having our health insurance systems so tied to employment is a good idea , because I would argue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
`` In fact , while many of the problems we 're being forced to confront right now were n't created by the coronavirus , it has thrown a spotlight on some of the biggest flaws in how our system operates , things like paid sick leave and hazard pay are essentially Band-aids and we absolutely need them right now because we 're bleeding .
But when this is over , this country is going to need more than Band-aids , it 's gon na need fucking surgery .
Things need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Control-z us back to how we were in 2016 is simply not going to cut it and honestly , it should n't have taken a pandemic to prove our unemployment system is a mess , that we need universal health care and that workers need benefits , the right to organize and wages that reflect how essential they really are , and we also should n't have needed a pandemic to consider whether mass incarceration is tolerable as prisons and jails become petri dishes for the coronavirus or whether our treatment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 've seen photos of them sleeping in a parking lot six feet apart or what we do about the multiple underlying inequalities that are making this virus in some places twice as deadly for black and Latino people as whites .
and what 's been infuriating is that some conservatives have seemed worried that we might do too much .
The extension of paid sick leave opens the door you know what 's going to happen on the Democratic side , Schumer is gon na want a permanent program , they 're gon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of this .
We ca n't let that happen .
`` Really ?
Why the fuck not ?
That argument basically boils down to , well , if we help people today , the Democrats are just gon na want to help more people tomorrow -- like that 's a bad thing -- and while Dollar Store Bill Nye here has moderated his stance since then , others are still adamant that nothing should permanently change because of this .
`` Florida senator Rick Scott , seen here having just learned that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show and he wo n't be able to shut down the orphanage after all , he put out a statement arguing that this crisis should n't be an opportunity for members of Congress to permanently expand the welfare state -- which is weird , because there is no better argument for a permanent welfare state than watching your government desperately try to build one when it 's already too late .
`` Because make no mistake , the real test here is n't whether or not our country will get through this .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ we get through this and what kind of country we want to be on the other side and if nothing else , this crisis has done what any great Judith Kudlow painting does -- make painfully clear what we 've been missing all along . ''

The more I listen to John Oliver, the more persuaded I am that the man is a frickin' comedy genius on a par with Lenny Bruce. To take all these bits of hyperactive whimsy and then weave them into a damning political critique, week after week, without a boring moment, is a skill few comedians have. Like this segment from last night's Last Week Tonight:
"We need to seriously think about whether having our health insurance systems so tied to employment is a good idea, because I would argue it emphatically isn't," Oliver said.
"In fact, while many of the problems we're being forced to confront right now weren't created by the coronavirus, it has thrown a spotlight on some of the biggest flaws in how our system operates, things like paid sick leave and hazard pay are essentially Band-aids and we absolutely need them right now because we're bleeding. But when this is over, this country is going to need more than Band-aids, it's gonna need fucking surgery. Things need to change and not go back to normal.
"Control-z us back to how we were in 2016 is simply not going to cut it and honestly, it shouldn't have taken a pandemic to prove our unemployment system is a mess, that we need universal health care and that workers need benefits, the right to organize and wages that reflect how essential they really are, and we also shouldn't have needed a pandemic to consider whether mass incarceration is tolerable as prisons and jails become petri dishes for the coronavirus or whether our treatment of the homeless is adequate when we've seen photos of them sleeping in a parking lot six feet apart or what we do about the multiple underlying inequalities that are making this virus in some places twice as deadly for black and Latino people as whites.
and what's been infuriating is that some conservatives have seemed worried that we might do too much.
The extension of paid sick leave opens the door you know what's going to happen on the Democratic side, Schumer is gonna want a permanent program, they're gonna try to get another social program out of this. We can't let that happen.
"Really? Why the fuck not? That argument basically boils down to, well, if we help people today, the Democrats are just gonna want to help more people tomorrow -- like that's a bad thing -- and while Dollar Store Bill Nye here has moderated his stance since then, others are still adamant that nothing should permanently change because of this.
"Florida senator Rick Scott, seen here having just learned that enough money was raised at the talent show and he won't be able to shut down the orphanage after all, he put out a statement arguing that this crisis shouldn't be an opportunity for members of Congress to permanently expand the welfare state -- which is weird, because there is no better argument for a permanent welfare state than watching your government desperately try to build
one when it's already too late.
"Because make no mistake, the real test here isn't whether or not our country will get through this. It will, the question is how we get through this and what kind of country we want to be on the other side and if nothing else, this crisis has done what any great Judith Kudlow painting does -- make painfully clear what we've been missing all along."


crooksandliars--2020-04-13--Trump Attacks Chris Wallace: 'Worse Than Sleepy Eyes Chuck Todd'

The narcissistic imbecile is pouting at his favorite media enterprise , all because Fox host Chris Wallace dared to state the obvious : Trump 's inept reaction to the coronavirus cost American lives .
On Fox News Sunday , Wallace was interviewing Dr. Tom Inglesby , the director of the Center for Health Security of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health , ( Video above . )
Wallace suggested to the doctor that the United States would be seeing fewer deaths from the coronavirus if President Donald Trump had taken the epidemic seriously in January and February .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wallace 's candor and tweeted this : Does Trump even realize that Chris is the son of Mike Wallace ?
If a Fox News personality is not in perpetual rapture with Trump , then they are the enemy as far as Orange Julius is concerned .
America is suffering through this pandemic and Trump is wasting his time bashing any and all political and media critics .
This puts an exclamation point over Trump 's despicable handling of the pandemic .
And dissenting views from Fox are not permissible under the Trump administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sue Chris Wallace ?
Trump followed up that tweet with this one , which shows his number one concern ( not the virus or the American people ) .
Me thinks he doth protests too much .
After ProPublica ’ s Jessica Husemana shamed Fox News hosts for remaining silent , a few have stepped up to defend Wallace .
And do n't forget that Jedidiah Bila has tested positive herself for COVID :

The narcissistic imbecile is pouting at his favorite media enterprise, all because Fox host Chris Wallace dared to state the obvious: Trump's inept reaction to the coronavirus cost American lives.
On Fox News Sunday, Wallace was interviewing Dr. Tom Inglesby, the director of the Center for Health Security of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, (Video above.) Wallace suggested to the doctor that the United States would be seeing fewer deaths from the coronavirus if President Donald Trump had taken the epidemic seriously in January and February.
The complainer in chief didn't appreciate Wallace's candor and tweeted this:
Just watched Mike Wallace wannabe, Chris Wallace, on @FoxNews. I am now convinced that he is even worse than Sleepy Eyes Chuck Todd of Meet the Press(please!), or the people over at Deface the Nation. What the hell is happening to @FoxNews. It’s a whole new ballgame over there! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 12, 2020
Does Trump even realize that Chris is the son of Mike Wallace?
If a Fox News personality is not in perpetual rapture with Trump, then they are the enemy as far as Orange Julius is concerned.
America is suffering through this pandemic and Trump is wasting his time bashing any and all political and media critics. This puts an exclamation point over Trump's despicable handling of the pandemic.
And dissenting views from Fox are not permissible under the Trump administration.
How long before Trump attempts to sue Chris Wallace?
Trump followed up that tweet with this one, which shows his number one concern (not the virus or the American people).
I am working hard to expose the corruption and dishonesty in the Lamestream Media. That part is easy, the hard part is WHY? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 13, 2020
Me thinks he doth protests too much.
After ProPublica’s Jessica Husemana shamed Fox News hosts for remaining silent, a few have stepped up to defend Wallace.
I will. He’s the best Sunday show host of his time, and perhaps of all time. https://t.co/TEXYG0Ojwn — Brit Hume (@brithume) April 13, 2020
That’s not true. Some of us put down the phone for Easter weekend. Chris is the best Sunday show interviewer hands down— he’s equally tough on left and right- and he’s a great talent to have on your team for election coverage or any debate - a true pro. https://t.co/z3TI1ho699 — Bret Baier (@BretBaier) April 13, 2020
And don't forget that Jedidiah Bila has tested positive herself for COVID:


crooksandliars--2020-04-13--Jim Harper: The Pandemic Is NOT The Time To Let Up On Gun Safety

18 term Democratic Jim Visclosky is retiring from his northwest Indiana congressional seat -- a deep blue ( D+8 ) seat where whomever wins the primary is the next member of Congress .
Districts like this should n't be sending GOP-lite candidates to Congress ; they should be sending bold progressives .
The bold progressive in contention is Jim Harper -- and his top opponent is Tom McDermott , an arch conservative and crooked ex-mayor .
In McDermott 's first interview after announcing , he attacked the House Democrats for impeaching Trump , something that might be expected from a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after being blocked from ballot access by the local Republican Party .
His `` change of heart '' did not include supporting the broader Democratic Party .
And as anyone who 's followed McDermott 's sleazy career might guess , his first quarter campaign finance report was riddled with donations from corporate PACs and city contractors .
Jim Harper -- the candidate endorsed by Blue America -- has a sterling progressive platform built on planks like the Green New Deal , Medicare-for-All , campaign finance reform and criminal justice reform .
Jim has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way of gun violence safety either .
Quite the contrary in fact .
`` At a time when public health experts and political leaders are pleading with Americans to stay home and save lives , '' he told us , `` a growing number of states have allowed gun stores to stay open for business as usual .
Even though 42 states have issued 'stay at home ' orders , at least 30 states -- including my state , Indiana -- have allowed gun stores to remain open .
Of course , these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread of the coronavirus and , therefore , the loss of life .
But the decision to provide a special exception to gun stores also comes at a time when gun violence poses a particularly significant threat to American families and children . ''
Jim 's point is that the pandemic is making gun safety even more urgent .
`` In February , '' he said , `` gun background checks spiked by 36 % , indicating a significant increase in the number of gun purchases .
At the same time , an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staying at home .
Before this crisis , an estimated 4.6 million young Americans lived in a home with an unsecured firearm .
Moreover , American kids are 20 times more likely to be killed in accidental shootings than kids in other countries .
Now is not the time to label gun stores as 'essential ' or to exempt those stores from public health requirements .
That ’ s why I call on Indiana ’ s governor to remove the exception for gun stores from the 'stay at home ' order . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is n't listening .
Jim : It ’ s also why we need to talk about and advocate for other gun safety measures during this time .
Of course , I have consistently supported common-sense measures like an assault weapons ban and high-capacity magazine restrictions .
But other gun safety measures often fly under the radar .
In February , I sat down with close friends who lost their young son when he was able to access an unsecured gun at a babysitter ’ s house .
I met these friends -- @ @ @ @ @ @ @ involvement with Mom ’ s Demand Action .
After Kandice and Ron lost their son , they learned how hard it was to hold individuals responsible for unsecured firearms .
I have joined Kandice and Ron to advocate for safe storage laws , which make it illegal for adults to store a firearm where a child can access it .
As more kids are staying home from school , safe-storage measures take on added urgency .
As more adults also stay at home , we need additional measures to protect victims of domestic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans and the NRA continue to senselessly oppose -- are a good start .
But we also need to close exceptions in currently law like the “ boyfriend loophole , ” which allows abusive partners to retain their firearm as long as they are not married to the victim of abuse .
Here , too , the NRA stands in the way .
In Congress , I look forward to standing up to the NRA and closing this loophole .
In the middle of the coronavirus crisis , our focus has understandably shifted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Americans continue to suffer from gun violence , and the current crisis only exacerbates the risk faced by children and family members .
It ’ s time to recognize that gun stores are not essential and to enact common-sense gun reforms in Washington , D.C. , and state capitals .
In Congress , look forward to leading these efforts .
As I mentioned above , Jim Harper was endorsed by Blue America and by clicking on the thermometer above you can help his campaign compete effectively against the corporate-backed conservative he 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nice blue district that only gave Trump 41.5 % of its vote in 2016 .

18 term Democratic Jim Visclosky is retiring from his northwest Indiana congressional seat-- a deep blue (D+8) seat where whomever wins the primary is the next member of Congress. Districts like this shouldn't be sending GOP-lite candidates to Congress; they should be sending bold progressives. The bold progressive in contention is Jim Harper-- and his top opponent is Tom McDermott, an arch conservative and crooked ex-mayor.
In McDermott's first interview after announcing, he attacked the House Democrats for impeaching Trump, something that might be expected from a right-of-center corporatist who only became a Democrat after being blocked from ballot access by the local Republican Party. His "change of heart" did not include supporting the broader Democratic Party. And as anyone who's followed McDermott's sleazy career might guess, his first quarter campaign finance report was riddled with donations from corporate PACs and city contractors.
Jim Harper-- the candidate endorsed by Blue America-- has a sterling progressive platform built on planks like the Green New Deal, Medicare-for-All, campaign finance reform and criminal justice reform.
Jim hasn't let the pandemic get in the way of gun violence safety either. Quite the contrary in fact. "At a time when public health experts and political leaders are pleading with Americans to stay home and save lives," he told us, "a growing number of states have allowed gun stores to stay open for business as usual. Even though 42 states have issued 'stay at home' orders, at least 30 states-- including my state, Indiana-- have allowed gun stores to remain open. Of course, these actions will undoubtedly result in the increased spread of the coronavirus and, therefore, the loss of life. But the decision to provide a special exception to gun stores also comes at a time when gun violence poses a particularly significant threat to American families and children."
Jim's point is that the pandemic is making gun safety even more urgent. "In February," he said, "gun background checks spiked by 36%, indicating a significant increase in the number of gun purchases. At the same time, an increasing number of children and families are staying at home. Before this crisis, an estimated 4.6 million young Americans lived in a home with an unsecured firearm. Moreover, American kids are 20 times more likely to be killed in accidental shootings than kids in other countries. Now is not the time to label gun stores as 'essential' or to exempt those stores from public health requirements. That’s why I call on Indiana’s governor to remove the exception for gun stores from the 'stay at home' order." Indiana's governor, an NRA shill, isn't listening. Jim:
It’s also why we need to talk about and advocate for other gun safety measures during this time. Of course, I have consistently supported common-sense measures like an assault weapons ban and high-capacity magazine restrictions. But other gun safety measures often fly under the radar. In February, I sat down with close friends who lost their young son when he was able to access an unsecured gun at a babysitter’s house. I met these friends-- Kandice and Ron Cole-- through our involvement with Mom’s Demand Action. After Kandice and Ron lost their son, they learned how hard it was to hold individuals responsible for unsecured firearms. I have joined Kandice and Ron to advocate for safe storage laws, which make it illegal for adults to store a firearm where a child can access it. As more kids are staying home from school, safe-storage measures take on added urgency. As more adults also stay at home, we need additional measures to protect victims of domestic abuse. Universal background checks-- which Republicans and the NRA continue to senselessly oppose-- are a good start. But we also need to close exceptions in currently law like the “boyfriend loophole,” which allows abusive partners to retain their firearm as long as they are not married to the victim of abuse. Here, too, the NRA stands in the way. In Congress, I look forward to standing up to the NRA and closing this loophole. In the middle of the coronavirus crisis, our focus has understandably shifted from other public health crises. However, Americans continue to suffer from gun violence, and the current crisis only exacerbates the risk faced by children and family members. It’s time to recognize that gun stores are not essential and to enact common-sense gun reforms in Washington, D.C., and state capitals. In Congress, look forward to leading these efforts.
As I mentioned above, Jim Harper was endorsed by Blue America and by clicking on the thermometer above you can help his campaign compete effectively against the corporate-backed conservative he's competing with for a seat in a nice blue district that only gave Trump 41.5% of its vote in 2016.


crooksandliars--2020-04-12--'Donald Trump' Calls Into Weekend Update During Hilarious SNL At Home Episode

Saturday Night Live managed to pull off a hilarious episode , filled with skits largely done out of the cast @ @ @ @ @ Pete Davidson 's basement ) .
There were special guests - Tom Hanks as the @ @ @ @ @ musical entertainment .
The best skit , in my opinion , was the Zoom call @ @ @ @ @ have a segment called `` Weekly Update '' hosted by Colin Jost and Michael Che @ @ @ @ @ events and usually put a hilarious spin on things .
Alec Baldwin has played Donald @ @ @ @ @ and on the SNL at Home skit , he called in .
And it was @ @ @ @ @ about America being number 1 in the world for coronavirus , his top ratings and @ @ @ @ @ , if you did n't tell me it was Alec Baldwin reading a script , @ @ @ @ @ he has been saying at his nightly MAGA Airing of Grievances Hostage Press Conferences .

Saturday Night Live managed to pull off a hilarious episode, filled with skits largely done out of the cast members' houses (and Pete Davidson's basement). There were special guests - Tom Hanks as the host and Chris Martin providing musical entertainment. The best skit, in my opinion, was the Zoom call. Every episode the cast have a segment called "Weekly Update" hosted by Colin Jost and Michael Che. They talk about current events and usually put a hilarious spin on things.
Alec Baldwin has played Donald Trump for a few years and on the SNL at Home skit, he called in. And it was...hilarious.
Trump bragged about America being number 1 in the world for coronavirus, his top ratings and other insane things. Honestly, if you didn't tell me it was Alec Baldwin reading a script, it sounded completely like what he has been saying at his nightly MAGA Airing of Grievances Hostage Press Conferences.
Enjoy!


crooksandliars--2020-04-13--Peter Navarro Gets Slam Dunked When 60 Minutes Brings Receipts

We 're used to Trump 's lackeys making horse 's asses of themselves in the national media but seldom do we see such an easy slam dunk as this one by CBS 's 60 Minutes as we saw last night .
The final coup de grâce with Dr Fauci , from 2005 , would shame any other administration but not this one .
Just par for the course from this pack of pathological liars .
Trump ’ s coronavirus tsar Peter Navarro defended the administration ’ s pandemic response on CBS on Sunday night , angrily challenging his hosts to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ preparations under previous administrations .
“ I challenge you , ” said Navarro , “ show me the 60 Minutes episode a year ago , two years ago , or during the Obama administration , during the Bush administration that said , ‘ Hey , global pandemic ’ s coming , you got ta do X , Y and Z , and , by the way , we got ta shut down the economy to fight it .
“ Show me that episode .
Then you ’ ll have some credence in terms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being prepared.
” 60 Minutes duly ran clips from a 2009 feature on the fight against H1N1 , or swine flu – “ a pandemic , meaning it ’ s a global epidemic , the first flu pandemic in 41 years ” – and a 2005 section on H5N1 , or avian flu , which the show said had “ the potential to cause an influenza pandemic similar to the one that killed 50 million people in 1918 ” .
The 2005 piece included an interview with Dr. Anthony Fauci , the head @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Infectious Diseases who is now a leading public health expert in the Trump White House , under increasing fire from the president .

We're used to Trump's lackeys making horse's asses of themselves in the national media but seldom do we see such an easy slam dunk as this one by CBS's 60 Minutes as we saw last night. The final coup de grâce with Dr Fauci, from 2005, would shame any other administration but not this one. Just par for the course from this pack of pathological liars.
Source: The Guardian
Trump’s coronavirus tsar Peter Navarro defended the administration’s pandemic response on CBS on Sunday night, angrily challenging his hosts to show him how they had covered pandemic preparations under previous administrations.
“I challenge you,” said Navarro, “show me the 60 Minutes episode a year ago, two years ago, or during the Obama administration, during the Bush administration that said, ‘Hey, global pandemic’s coming, you gotta do X, Y and Z, and, by the way, we gotta shut down the economy to fight it.
“Show me that episode. Then you’ll have some credence in terms of attacking the Trump administration for not being prepared.”
60 Minutes duly ran clips from a 2009 feature on the fight against H1N1, or swine flu – “a pandemic, meaning it’s a global epidemic, the first flu pandemic in 41 years” – and a 2005 section on H5N1, or avian flu, which the show said had “the potential to cause an influenza pandemic similar to the one that killed 50 million people in 1918”.
The 2005 piece included an interview with Dr. Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases who is now a leading public health expert in the Trump White House, under increasing fire from the president.


crooksandliars--2020-04-13--The Worst Possible People Are On Trump's 'Council To Re-Open America'

Because Trump trusts his inner circle ( re : family ) and only this circle , no one should be @ @ @ @ @ showed up on his newly named `` Council To Re-open America . ''
No , @ @ @ @ @ Tiffany , though they might be better choices .
It 's `` The Kids .
@ @ @ @ @ The purse saleswoman and the failed real estate investor .
Also , Wilbur Ross , @ @ @ @ @ , Larry Kudlow , and Mark Meadows .
Everyone you can think of who knows @ @ @ @ @ is going through during this life-shattering health and economic crisis .
Yeah , these are @ @ @ @ @ about Main Street .
Dr. Fauci or Dr. Birx ?
Nowhere to be found .
@ @ @ @ @ but it was not silent , either .
We are so frikkin doomed .
Is @ @ @ @ @

Because Trump trusts his inner circle (re: family) and only this circle, no one should be shocked that two of them showed up on his newly named "Council To Re-open America." No, it's not Barron and Tiffany, though they might be better choices. It's "The Kids." Ivanka and Jared. The purse saleswoman and the failed real estate investor. Also, Wilbur Ross, Steven Mnuchin, Robert Lighthizer, Larry Kudlow, and Mark Meadows.
Everyone you can think of who knows just what the average Joe is going through during this life-shattering health and economic crisis. Yeah, these are the ones who really care about Main Street. Dr. Fauci or Dr. Birx? Nowhere to be found.
Twitter was not shocked, but it was not silent, either.
Larry Kudlow who said there wouldn’t economic damage and the virus was “contained pretty close to airtight” and Wilbur Ross who said coronavirus “I think it will help to accelerate the return of jobs to North America.” pic.twitter.com/legudmtBNS — andrew kaczynski🤔 (@KFILE) April 13, 2020
Relax guys. We’re in good hands. This will be handled smoothly and wisely. pic.twitter.com/NlL3JMedlw — Helen Kennedy (@HelenKennedy) April 13, 2020
"Okay, first idea: Has America thought about inheriting wealth from its dad?" pic.twitter.com/zt7IzDpyfL — The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) April 13, 2020
not the choices i'd have gone with but ok pic.twitter.com/2wE3tkef6s — Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) April 13, 2020
pic.twitter.com/wC1BspoDoY — Rob Sheridan, but from a safe distance (@rob_sheridan) April 13, 2020
1. Former Birther
2. Unqualified daughter of President
3. Guy who bought his way into Harvard and married his way into the WH
3. Producer of Suicide Squad
4. Failed TV Pundit
5. Who?
6. Famous for sleeping through meetings https://t.co/JxLUOlpc4A — Dan Pfeiffer (@danpfeiffer) April 13, 2020
We are so frikkin doomed. Is it November, yet?


crooksandliars--2020-05-13--Mother's Day At Red Lobster: Woman FREAKS Out And Assaults Staff

We are all dealing with quarantine life differently .
Some of us are using the time to reconnect with out family .
Some of us are doing spring cleaning and sprucing up our gardens .
Some of us are catching up on DVR 'd tv shows or that stack of books that has been collecting dust until we had `` free time to read them . ''
A woman in York , Pennsylvania seems to not be handling quarantine well ... at all .
A customer at Red Lobster became enraged after waiting outside for her pickup order and proceeded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , even though it was clear from signs - and health orders - that the restaurant was only open for pickup , not dine in .
Well , Angry Karen did n't like that .
She clearly felt that her desire for All You Can Eat Shrimp was more important than the safety of others .
The staff prevented her from entering and the manager was physically removing her when Angry Karen decided to switch this from a verbal altercation to a physical one , with her actually striking the manager !
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cell phone video , we could see everything - from the angry entry , to removal , to the first swipe , to the manager 's response .
Wrong .
What we saw was her breaking the rules , assaulting the manager and then being physically removed .
The police reported to Red Lobster shortly after the incident and spoke with the employees .
They did hunt down Angry Karen at an alternate location and spoke with her later in the day .
Lt. Tony Beam reviewed the video and said : It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to three-hour wait for takeout orders at Red Lobster , which , to be fair , is exceptionally long , even for Mother 's Day .
But , that does not excuse violence .
“ We understand that we may have disappointed some of our guests on Mother ’ s Day when due to COVID-19 and changes to our operations and staffing , we were not able to keep up with the demand at some of our locations .
We apologize that some of our guests experienced long wait times , crowds , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ receive their orders .
It is always our goal to provide our guests with a great seafood experience , and unfortunately , for some guests , we did not meet that goal on Sunday .
We are working to better understand what occurred and how we can prevent it occurring in the future .
That said , we do not tolerate violence for any reason in our restaurants .
We expect our team members treat our guests with respect , and we expect our guests to treat our team members with respect in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the guest involved were not seriously injured in the incident on Sunday.
” No charges have been filed yet , but the police report that they are still investigating .

We are all dealing with quarantine life differently. Some of us are using the time to reconnect with out family. Some of us are doing spring cleaning and sprucing up our gardens. Some of us are catching up on DVR'd tv shows or that stack of books that has been collecting dust until we had "free time to read them."
A woman in York, Pennsylvania seems to not be handling quarantine well...at all. A customer at Red Lobster became enraged after waiting outside for her pickup order and proceeded to force her way into the store, even though it was clear from signs - and health orders - that the restaurant was only open for pickup, not dine in. Well, Angry Karen didn't like that. She clearly felt that her desire for All You Can Eat Shrimp was more important than the safety of others.
The staff prevented her from entering and the manager was physically removing her when Angry Karen decided to switch this from a verbal altercation to a physical one, with her actually striking the manager! In the head! WHAT?
Thanks to cell phone video, we could see everything - from the angry entry, to removal, to the first swipe, to the manager's response.
Angry Karen shrieked:
"I was assaulted and have a whole crowd to see it."
Wrong. What we saw was her breaking the rules, assaulting the manager and then being physically removed.
The police reported to Red Lobster shortly after the incident and spoke with the employees. They did hunt down Angry Karen at an alternate location and spoke with her later in the day.
Lt. Tony Beam reviewed the video and said:
"She was upset because her food wasn't ready. She wanted her money refunded...That restaurant's closed; you're not allowed in there. My understanding is all food is brought outside of the building."
It was reported that there was an up to three-hour wait for takeout orders at Red Lobster, which, to be fair, is exceptionally long, even for Mother's Day. But, that does not excuse violence.
Red Lobster made the following statement:
“We understand that we may have disappointed some of our guests on Mother’s Day when due to COVID-19 and changes to our operations and staffing, we were not able to keep up with the demand at some of our locations. We apologize that some of our guests experienced long wait times, crowds, and in some cases, did not receive their orders. It is always our goal to provide our guests with a great seafood experience, and unfortunately, for some guests, we did not meet that goal on Sunday. We are working to better understand what occurred and how we can prevent it occurring in the future. That said, we do not tolerate violence for any reason in our restaurants. We expect our team members treat our guests with respect, and we expect our guests to treat our team members with respect in return. We are grateful our Manager and the guest involved were not seriously injured in the incident on Sunday.”
No charges have been filed yet, but the police report that they are still investigating.