crooksandliars--2020-04-25--The Onion's Prescient Column On Trump Promoting Injesting Cleaning Products

It was exactly one month ago today that The Onion ran this satirical piece on their website .
Man Just Buying One Of Every Cleaning Product In Case Trump Announces It ’ s Coronavirus Cure EVANSTON , WY—Throwing bottles of bleach , ammonia , and Drano into a cart at his local grocery store , area man Troy Mitchell was reportedly stocking up on one of every cleaning product he could find Wednesday in case President Donald Trump announces it is a coronavirus cure .
“ I got toilet bowl cleaner , carpet cleaner , Swiffer WetJet refills—you name it—just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ready if the president announces one of these things can treat Chinese virus , ” said Mitchell , indiscriminately throwing containers of laundry detergent , Scrubbing Bubbles , grout whitener , steel wool , Febreze , Tilex mold and mildew remover , and laptop screen wipes into the cart , the contents of which rang up to $ 2,513.67 at checkout .
“ I ’ m not getting caught without some oven degreaser should Trump say it ’ s going to save us , so I better go ahead and grab me a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m hitting the hardware store to pick up a 5-gallon bucket of roof sealant to make sure I ’ m prepared in the event that turns out to be what gets rid of the Wuhan .
Could just be 10 or 20 squirts of Windex into each nostril .
You never know what might work in a pinch !
” At press time , neighbors confirmed Mitchell had been found unresponsive on the floor of his bathroom with several empty aerosol cans of Rust-Oleum wax-and-tar-removing solvent by his head .

It was exactly one month ago today that The Onion ran this satirical piece on their website.
Source: The Onion
Man Just Buying One Of Every Cleaning Product In Case Trump Announces It’s Coronavirus Cure
EVANSTON, WY—Throwing bottles of bleach, ammonia, and Drano into a cart at his local grocery store, area man Troy Mitchell was reportedly stocking up on one of every cleaning product he could find Wednesday in case President Donald Trump announces it is a coronavirus cure. “I got toilet bowl cleaner, carpet cleaner, Swiffer WetJet refills—you name it—just so me and my family will be ready if the president announces one of these things can treat Chinese virus,” said Mitchell, indiscriminately throwing containers of laundry detergent, Scrubbing Bubbles, grout whitener, steel wool, Febreze, Tilex mold and mildew remover, and laptop screen wipes into the cart, the contents of which rang up to $2,513.67 at checkout. “I’m not getting caught without some oven degreaser should Trump say it’s going to save us, so I better go ahead and grab me a bottle. After this, I’m hitting the hardware store to pick up a 5-gallon bucket of roof sealant to make sure I’m prepared in the event that turns out to be what gets rid of the Wuhan. Could just be 10 or 20 squirts of Windex into each nostril. You never know what might work in a pinch!” At press time, neighbors confirmed Mitchell had been found unresponsive on the floor of his bathroom with several empty aerosol cans of Rust-Oleum wax-and-tar-removing solvent by his head.


crooksandliars--2020-04-25--For Many, Stimulus Payments Delayed By Privatized Tax Services

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

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


crooksandliars--2020-04-26--Michigan Lawmaker Denies Wearing Confederate Flag Mask, Calls It History, Then Apologizes

I suppose nothing quite symbolizes today 's Republican Party like their allegiance to the Confederate Flag , while trying to thwart a Democratic Governor 's efforts to keep the public safe .
Zorn apologized yesterday after his antics , and his idiotic comments justifying them made the national news .
A Michigan lawmaker apologized Saturday for wearing a face mask that resembled the Confederate flag , a day after denying the pattern was a deeply divisive symbol tied to slavery .
State Sen. Dale Zorn ( R ) wore the mask to the Republican-controlled state chambers on Friday to vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including a bill that would repeal Democratic Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer ’ s emergency powers as conservatives increasingly criticize her stay-at-home order .
The uproar over Zorn ’ s mask was the latest example of pushback to coronavirus restrictions becoming entangled in other conservative causes and culture wars .
Protests around the country denouncing stay-at-home orders as oppressive have featured Confederate flags , with one Republican Party official in Wisconsin reportedly urging participants to leave the flags at home — along with AR15s and AK47s — to “ control the optics.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in the video above .
( h/t Mediaite ) Lake : Someone came up to us and said that you had on a Confederate flag mask .
Zorn : It wasn ’ t a Confederate flag , it was a mask that my wife made for me , and she wanted me to wear it today .
So I did , and I told my wife it probably will raise some eyebrows , but it was not a Confederate flag .
And I think even if it was a Confederate flag , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national history , in schools .
And that ’ s part of our national history , and it ’ s something we can ’ t just throw away because it is part of our history .
And if we want to make sure that the astrosities that happened during that time doesn ’ t happen again , we should be teaching it , our kids should know what that flag stands for .
Lake : What does that flag stand for ?
Lake : Do you have it with you ?
Zorn : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I left it in there .
Lake : And what is it exactly ?
You said it wasn ’ t the… Zorn : No it ’ s not , it wasn ’ t it Confederate flag , my wife said it ’ s more similar to the , I think she said Kentucky or Tennessee flag .
But it was not made of flag material .
Lake : When you put it , on you were like this may raise a few eyebrows ?
Zorn : Yeah , just because it looked like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it closely you might think it was a Confederate flag .
Lake : And why did you make the decision to change ?
Zorn : You know I respect this institution , and I didn ’ t want my actions to cause a negative effect to the institution .

I suppose nothing quite symbolizes today's Republican Party like their allegiance to the Confederate Flag, while trying to thwart a Democratic Governor's efforts to keep the public safe.
Zorn apologized yesterday after his antics, and his idiotic comments justifying them made the national news.
Source: Washington Post
A Michigan lawmaker apologized Saturday for wearing a face mask that resembled the Confederate flag, a day after denying the pattern was a deeply divisive symbol tied to slavery. State Sen. Dale Zorn (R) wore the mask to the Republican-controlled state chambers on Friday to vote on measures related to the novel coronavirus, including a bill that would repeal Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s emergency powers as conservatives increasingly criticize her stay-at-home order. The uproar over Zorn’s mask was the latest example of pushback to coronavirus restrictions becoming entangled in other conservative causes and culture wars. Protests around the country denouncing stay-at-home orders as oppressive have featured Confederate flags, with one Republican Party official in Wisconsin reportedly urging participants to leave the flags at home — along with AR15s and AK47s — to “control the optics.”
And here's some of what he said in the video above. (h/t Mediaite)
Lake: Someone came up to us and said that you had on a Confederate flag mask. Zorn: It wasn’t a Confederate flag, it was a mask that my wife made for me, and she wanted me to wear it today. So I did, and I told my wife it probably will raise some eyebrows, but it was not a Confederate flag. And I think even if it was a Confederate flag, we should be talking about teaching our national history, in schools. And that’s part of our national history, and it’s something we can’t just throw away because it is part of our history. And if we want to make sure that the astrosities that happened during that time doesn’t happen again, we should be teaching it, our kids should know what that flag stands for. Lake: What does that flag stand for? Zorn: The Confederacy. Lake: Do you have it with you? Zorn: No, I don’t. I left it in there. Lake: And what is it exactly? You said it wasn’t the… Zorn: No it’s not, it wasn’t it Confederate flag, my wife said it’s more similar to the, I think she said Kentucky or Tennessee flag. But it was not made of flag material. Lake: When you put it, on you were like this may raise a few eyebrows? Zorn: Yeah, just because it looked like if you didn’t look at it closely you might think it was a Confederate flag. Lake: And why did you make the decision to change? Zorn: You know I respect this institution, and I didn’t want my actions to cause a negative effect to the institution.
1/2:
I’m sorry for my choice of pattern on the face mask I wore yesterday on the Senate floor. I did not intend to offend anyone; however, I realize that I did, and for that I am sorry. Those who know me best know that I do not support the things this pattern represents. — Dale W. Zorn (@DaleZornSenate) April 25, 2020


crooksandliars--2020-04-26--Trump Rages On Twitter About 'Noble Prize', Demands Journalists Return Them

Donald Trump is not handling quarantine well .
He is to be letting out his frustration and anger via his favorite megaphone - Twitter .
He had a bunch of rants Sunday , but the one that got the most attention is when he attacked the `` Noble Prize '' and demanded that journalist-winners return them .
First of all , there is no such thing as a `` Noble Prize '' .
There is the Nobel Peace Prize , is an annual award given out in the following areas : Chemistry , Physics , Physiology or Medicine , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those who have made contributions in the areas of peace between nations , reduction in armies or for promoting peace .
So ... no .
Journalists do not generally get those .
What he probably meant was the Pulizter Prize , which is an award for writing in newspaper , magazine , online journalism , literature and music .
Sounds like that is what Trump meant , but he is too dumb to know the difference , since he neither reads anything or cares about peace .
Twitter jumped all over it : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the internet never forgets : Guys , it is so painful to have a President* as dumb as this buffoon .
Every day he goes `` how much dumber can I be ? ''
and then he tries to do it .
Tomorrow will be worse .
The next day even worse .
Sad !

Donald Trump is not handling quarantine well. He is to be letting out his frustration and anger via his favorite megaphone - Twitter. He had a bunch of rants Sunday, but the one that got the most attention is when he attacked the "Noble Prize" and demanded that journalist-winners return them.
First of all, there is no such thing as a "Noble Prize". There is the Nobel Peace Prize, is an annual award given out in the following areas: Chemistry, Physics, Physiology or Medicine, and Literature. The award is given to those who have made contributions in the areas of peace between nations, reduction in armies or for promoting peace. So...no. Journalists do not generally get those.
What he probably meant was the Pulizter Prize, which is an award for writing in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature and music. Sounds like that is what Trump meant, but he is too dumb to know the difference, since he neither reads anything or cares about peace.
Twitter jumped all over it:
Trump tried to delete them, but the internet never forgets:
Trump deleted his "Noble" tweets. (I thought it was ruled he couldn't do that since as President they're official government records?)
So here they are so they don't fade away into oblivion.
P.S. Dear Impeached President Trump, there are no NOBEL prizes for Journalism. pic.twitter.com/u1a71QmIYS — Michael Beck (@MikeTheMaineMan) April 26, 2020
We are accepting nominations. The only category is Russia. — The Noble Prize For Journalism (@thenobleprizes) April 26, 2020
This is what you all look like voting for a man who doesn’t know the difference between Nobel Prize or "Noble Prize." 🤦🏽♀ pic.twitter.com/PFiEBHljMH — stayflyshoes (@stayflyshoes) April 26, 2020
In the last 48 hours Trump has gone from discussing disinfectant injections to cancelling White House daily briefings to rage tweeting about hambergers and Noble Prizes.
Maybe he ate the bleach? — Christine Pelosi (@sfpelosi) April 26, 2020
It’s like Thursday ‘drink bleach’ Trump was named dumbest POTUS ever, and then Sunday ‘Noble Prize’ Trump was like, ‘hold my beer’ @realDonaldTrump — NoelCaslerComedy (@CaslerNoel) April 26, 2020
I logged back in to see if things were as dumb as I remembered, and I saw Trump writing about the "Noble" prize for journalism and remembered this idiot has the nuclear codes. — Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) April 26, 2020
Trump is spending his wife’s birthday throwing a Twitter temper tantrum about having never won a Noble Prize because that is what normal people who are not narcissistic sociopaths do. 🤦🏼♀
Well, joke’s on him. No one has ever won a Noble Prize because it’s called a NOBEL prize. — Meredith (@meralee727) April 26, 2020
At the risk of sounding overly ambitious, I want to win a Noble Prize. I am that woman. — Connie Schultz (@ConnieSchultz) April 26, 2020
Guys, it is so painful to have a President* as dumb as this buffoon. Every day he goes "how much dumber can I be?" and then he tries to do it. Tomorrow will be worse. The next day even worse. Sad!
UPDATE: Trump deleted his Noble tweets and sent this pathetic tweet tonight:
Does anybody get the meaning of what a so-called Noble (not Nobel) Prize is, especially as it pertains to Reporters and Journalists? Noble is defined as, “having or showing fine personal qualities or high moral principles and ideals.” Does sarcasm ever work? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 26, 2020
Sure, Donnie. Sure.


crooksandliars--2020-04-26--Frustrated Expedia Chairman Barry Diller: 'We Have A Witch Doctor As A President'

Barry Diller , the chairman of IAC and Expedia Group , bashed the Trump administration ferociously telling CBS ' Face The Nation that the federal government needs to tell the American public the right things to do but since Trump is president , he `` ai n't going to tell us . ''
Barry Diller did not hold back on the danger Donald Trump poses to the American public because as we know , Trump constantly tells people any moronic , unsafe , and nonsensical idea that flashes through his narcissistic head during his ridiculous daily task force press conferences @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discuss how the airlines and the American public can get back to work safely in the pandemic environment we live in today .
Brennan asked , `` So who needs to tell you that ?
Do you need to hear that from the federal government ?
`` Absolutely .
Look the thing is , we 're gon na have to go through a different -- a new kind of -- kind of let 's call it risk calculation .
And that 's gon na be based upon levels of what we believe is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ replied .
And we 're going to have to be told . ''
`` Now , unfortunately , we have a witch doctor as a president and he ai n't going to tell us , '' Diller said .
`` But the science part of it , I think that has to be translated into more practical solutions . ''
Calling Trump a witch doctor is a good term but using anything with the word doctor gives Trump too much credit .

Barry Diller, the chairman of IAC and Expedia Group, bashed the Trump administration ferociously telling CBS' Face The Nation that the federal government needs to tell the American public the right things to do but since Trump is president, he "ain't going to tell us."
Barry Diller did not hold back on the danger Donald Trump poses to the American public because as we know, Trump constantly tells people any moronic, unsafe, and nonsensical idea that flashes through his narcissistic head during his ridiculous daily task force press conferences.
Host Margaret Brennan asked Diller to discuss how the airlines and the American public can get back to work safely in the pandemic environment we live in today.
Brennan asked, "So who needs to tell you that? Do you need to hear that from the federal government?
"Absolutely. Look the thing is, we're gonna have to go through a different -- a new kind of -- kind of let's call it risk calculation. And that's gonna be based upon levels of what we believe is safe and not safe," he replied. And we're going to have to be told."
"Now, unfortunately, we have a witch doctor as a president and he ain't going to tell us," Diller said. "But the science part of it, I think that has to be translated into more practical solutions."
Calling Trump a witch doctor is a good term but using anything with the word doctor gives Trump too much credit.


crooksandliars--2020-04-26--CNN Anchor Stops Lying GOP Senator In His Tracks

Good for CNN 's John King for stopping one of these Republican liars in their tracks for once .
Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy was asked about Trump 's ridiculous remarks about UV light and injecting disinfectants as a treatment for coronavirus , and and the fact that the CDC itself had to issue a warning on the use of household cleaners .
Household cleaners and disinfectants can cause health problems when not used properly .
Follow the instructions on the product label to ensure safe and effective use .
Learn more about cleaning and disinfecting your home : https : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to downplay the real danger to public health that Trump represents , saying that no one took his advice seriously , and King was having none of it .
We ’ re in the position this past week where the Centers for Disease Control and U.S .
Surgeon General had to put out public statements , essentially saying , and this is my translation , don ’ t listen to the president , be careful here .
As a doctor , what goes through your mind when the president dispenses medical advice and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the phone and saying , sir , please , don ’ t ?
CASSIDY : The president speaks in such a way — people are not going to inject themselves , and when I hear this kind of conversation around that , I think to myself , we should be talking about how do we use data to guide where we can reopen the economy , not about what the president said on Lysol , because , really , no one is going to inject themselves with Lysol .
KING : But , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to interrupt here .
I hope you ’ re right sir , but , f you talk to the — on the Maryland hotline , they got a lot of phone calls .
You see these searches here .
He at least puts the nugget in people ’ s minds .
If he hadn ’ t mentioned it , those searches don ’ t happen , those phone calls don ’ t happen , the time is not wasted and we can get to the point you ’ re trying to make .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ about Lysol , if you want to , John .
We really can .
What we should be talking about is how do we use data in order to keep people safe and reopen an economy .
Now , we can talk about searches , or we can talk about R0 .
R0 is the rate of the transmissibility of a virus , if we lower it less than 1 , we can reopen an economy safely .
Now , that ’ s not Lysol .
Maybe that does n't kind of light @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what opens our economy , and frankly , that ’ s what I 'm focused on .
KING : Sir , that 's what I 'd love to focus on , but we also do have to cover the president of the United States when he says things .

Good for CNN's John King for stopping one of these Republican liars in their tracks for once. Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy was asked about Trump's ridiculous remarks about UV light and injecting disinfectants as a treatment for coronavirus, and and the fact that the CDC itself had to issue a warning on the use of household cleaners.
Household cleaners and disinfectants can cause health problems when not used properly. Follow the instructions on the product label to ensure safe and effective use. Learn more about cleaning and disinfecting your home: https://t.co/PW0UbW8KeE . pic.twitter.com/rdcR9QJNIR
Cassidy did his best to downplay the real danger to public health that Trump represents, saying that no one took his advice seriously, and King was having none of it.
We’re in the position this past week where the Centers for Disease Control and U.S. Surgeon General had to put out public statements, essentially saying, and this is my translation, don’t listen to the president, be careful here.
As a doctor, what goes through your mind when the president dispenses medical advice and have you ever thought about picking up the phone and saying, sir, please, don’t?
CASSIDY: The president speaks in such a way — people are not going to inject themselves, and when I hear this kind of conversation around that, I think to myself, we should be talking about how do we use data to guide where we can reopen the economy, not about what the president said on Lysol, because, really, no one is going to inject themselves with Lysol.
KING: But, I'm sorry, I just need to interrupt here. I hope you’re right sir, but, f you talk to the — on the Maryland hotline, they got a lot of phone calls. You see these searches here. He at least puts the nugget in people’s minds. If he hadn’t mentioned it, those searches don’t happen, those phone calls don’t happen, the time is not wasted and we can get to the point you’re trying to make.
CASSIDY: So, we can talk about Lysol, if you want to, John. We really can. What we should be talking about is how do we use data in order to keep people safe and reopen an economy. Now, we can talk about searches, or we can talk about R0. R0 is the rate of the transmissibility of a virus, if we lower it less than 1, we can reopen an economy safely. Now, that’s not Lysol. Maybe that doesn't kind of light up a headline, but it is what opens our economy, and frankly, that’s what I'm focused on.
KING: Sir, that's what I'd love to focus on, but we also do have to cover the president of the United States when he says things.


crooksandliars--2020-04-26--Gov. Ron DeSantis Says Florida Is 'God's Waiting Room' For Dying Seniors At COVID-19 Briefing

Gov .
Ron DeSantis ( R-FL ) referred to his state as a `` waiting room '' for seniors who @ @ @ @ @ Florida governor made the remarks at a coronavirus briefing on Sunday after noting that some @ @ @ @ @ infected by asymptomatic COVID-19 carriers .
`` Florida is ground zero for the nursing home @ @ @ @ @ waiting room , '' he explained .
`` We have a huge number of facilities @ @ @ @ @ residents . ''
DeSantis went on to brag that the state has `` only 1.2 @ @ @ @ @ nursing home residents .

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) referred to his state as a "waiting room" for seniors who will soon die.
The Florida governor made the remarks at a coronavirus briefing on Sunday after noting that some nursing home patients had been infected by asymptomatic COVID-19 carriers.
"Florida is ground zero for the nursing home, we're God's waiting room," he explained. "We have a huge number of facilities, a huge number of residents."
DeSantis went on to brag that the state has "only 1.2" coronavirus deaths per 100,000 nursing home residents.


crooksandliars--2020-04-26--Tom Cotton Wants To Ban Science For Chinese Students So They Can't 'Steal' COVID-19 Vaccine

Sen. Tom Cotton ( R-AR ) on Sunday argued that the United States should ban Chinese students from learning about science while they are in the United States .
During an interview on Fox News 's Sunday Morning Futures program , Cotton asserted that China is trying to `` actively trying steal '' a coronavirus vaccine from the U.S. '' The Chinese Communist Party has been stealing America 's intellectual property for decades and they 're not going to magically stop in the middle of a pandemic , '' Cotton opined .
`` In the middle of a pandemic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the world ?
It 's the research that our great laboratories and life science companies are doing on prophylactic drugs , therapeutic drugs and ultimately a vaccine . ''
`` So , I have little doubt that the Chinese intelligence services are actively trying to steal America 's intellectual property as it relates to the virus they unleashed on the world , '' he continued .
`` Because of course they want to be the country that claims credit for finding those drugs of finding a vaccine and then use it as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Cotton went on to attack Chinese students who are studying abroad in the U.S. '' It 's a scandal to me that we have trained so many of so many of the Chinese Communist Party 's brightest minds to go back to China , to compete for our jobs , to take our business and ultimately to steal our property , '' the senator said .
`` I think we need to take a very hard look at the visas we give Chinese nationals to come to the U.S. to study @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the post-graduate level in advanced scientific and technological fields . ''
According to Cotton , Chinese students should be studying `` Shakespeare and the Federalist Papers . ''
`` That 's what they need to learn from America , '' he insisted .
`` They do n't need to learn quantum computing and artifical intelligence from America . ''

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) on Sunday argued that the United States should ban Chinese students from learning about science while they are in the United States.
During an interview on Fox News's Sunday Morning Futures program, Cotton asserted that China is trying to "actively trying steal" a coronavirus vaccine from the U.S.
"The Chinese Communist Party has been stealing America's intellectual property for decades and they're not going to magically stop in the middle of a pandemic," Cotton opined. "In the middle of a pandemic, what's the most valuable intellectual property in the world? It's the research that our great laboratories and life science companies are doing on prophylactic drugs, therapeutic drugs and ultimately a vaccine."
"So, I have little doubt that the Chinese intelligence services are actively trying to steal America's intellectual property as it relates to the virus they unleashed on the world," he continued. "Because of course they want to be the country that claims credit for finding those drugs of finding a vaccine and then use it as leverage against the rest of the world."
Cotton went on to attack Chinese students who are studying abroad in the U.S.
"It's a scandal to me that we have trained so many of so many of the Chinese Communist Party's brightest minds to go back to China, to compete for our jobs, to take our business and ultimately to steal our property," the senator said.
"I think we need to take a very hard look at the visas we give Chinese nationals to come to the U.S. to study," he added. "Especially at the post-graduate level in advanced scientific and technological fields."
According to Cotton, Chinese students should be studying "Shakespeare and the Federalist Papers."
"That's what they need to learn from America," he insisted. "They don't need to learn quantum computing and artifical intelligence from America."


crooksandliars--2020-04-26--Speaker Pelosi Scolds SCOTUS 'Party Hacks' For Wisconsin Voting Decision

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi did not come to the Sunday shows to play games .
In an appearance on AM Joy Sunday morning , she let the U.S. Supreme Court have a piece of her mind about their decision to force Wisconsin voters to the polls to vote in a special election .
While discussing the CARES Act and the funds Democrats had included for universal vote-by-mail in the age of the coronavirus , she turned to the Wisconsin decision .
Party hacks .
What happened in Wisconsin was unconscionable on the part of the United States Supreme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hacks .
The court said , the election had to take place on that day , the court -- the lower court also said , though , should be consideration for more time for getting and counting absentee ballots .
The Supreme court even reversed that .
They said you ca n't do the election , you have to do the election that day , but no accommodation and why ?
Because they had a political purpose .
Disgraceful .
However , under the leadership of Wisconsin , the Democratic party and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that went out to the public , they won the election , thank God .
But they taught us a lot of things about voter protection and actually what the Supreme Court of the United States said to the state of Wisconsin is why do n't we all just go to the Mardi Gras together .
So we can all be contaminated .
Having those people stand in those lines for those hours having to interact with people and the polling place , unnecessarily , terrible .
According to reports , the number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 after voting in the election is now up to 40 , and that are just those who have been tested .
Assume there are more who have n't been .
Assume there are more across the state who have it because they went to the polls and voted .
`` Party hacks '' is a good start , but I would call those party hacks grim reapers , too .

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi did not come to the Sunday shows to play games. In an appearance on AM Joy Sunday morning, she let the U.S. Supreme Court have a piece of her mind about their decision to force Wisconsin voters to the polls to vote in a special election.
While discussing the CARES Act and the funds Democrats had included for universal vote-by-mail in the age of the coronavirus, she turned to the Wisconsin decision.
Party hacks. What happened in Wisconsin was unconscionable on the part of the United States Supreme Court. They turned themselves into party hacks. The court said, the election had to take place on that day, the court -- the lower court also said, though, should be consideration for more time for getting and counting absentee ballots. The Supreme court even reversed that. They said you can't do the election, you have to do the election that day, but no accommodation and why? Because they had a political purpose. Disgraceful. However, under the leadership of Wisconsin, the Democratic party and the Democratic establishment there, and the messaging that went out to the public, they won the election, thank God. But they taught us a lot of things about voter protection and actually what the Supreme Court of the United States said to the state of Wisconsin is why don't we all just go to the Mardi Gras together. So we can all be contaminated. Having those people stand in those lines for those hours having to interact with people and the polling place, unnecessarily, terrible.
According to reports, the number of people in Milwaukee County infected with COVID-19 after voting in the election is now up to 40, and that are just those who have been tested. Assume there are more who haven't been. Assume there are more across the state who have it because they went to the polls and voted.
"Party hacks" is a good start, but I would call those party hacks grim reapers, too.


crooksandliars--2020-04-26--Fox Host Insists People Are 'Itching To Be Out There' -- Polls Be Damned

Despite the fact that we have many states engaging in a dangerous experiment with their residents ' lives , and opening things up before it 's safe to do so , these AstroTurf promoted protests against the stay-at-home orders are continuing across the country , and are still being heavily promoted by Fox .
As Media Matters has documented , just during the time period `` from April 13 through 20 , Fox News devoted 91 segments to the story , spending 6 hours covering the protests . ''
`` Fox personalities went out of their way to gush over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even overlooking obvious issues like the lack of social distancing . ''
Fox was still promoting the rallies this Sunday ( with no mention of who is funding them , of course ) , and continued to ignore the lack of social distancing from the COVIDiots participating in them , with Fox & Friends host Pete Hegseth promising more to come in the weeks ahead : HEGSETH : Jason , I know yesterday , while many at home with their family , many were also protesting , still protests across the country .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ I read a list , I always get people reaching out say you missed my town .
Just a brief list , and whenever I read a list , I always get people reaching out say you missed my town .
So we know there are a lot more than just this : Fort Myers , Florida , Sarasota , Columbus , Ohio , El Paso , Texas , Frisco and Austin , Texas , Montgomery , Alabama , Elko , Nevada , Reno , Nevada , Springfield , Illinois , Jackson , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mine in New Jersey , he sent a video of a boat parade near Sea Bright , New Jersey , a fisherman and others want to get back to work .
People are also adamant that this health crisis needs to be moved past .
Let us make that choice .
And we 're going to continue to cover these , because it is an important part of the American fabric , people itching to be out there .
CHAFFETZ : Yeah , no .
I mean , clearly we 're going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we 've got some have stories about some towns , turning off water , doing silly things like that .
You still have constitutional rights even if there is it a virus .
Despite Hegseth 's insistence that American 's are `` itching to get out there , '' polls say otherwise , as was reported by Business Insider this week : In an era of political polarization , Americans are united behind coronavirus stay-at-home orders , polling shows : But the coronavirus pandemic is breeding rare levels of solidarity among Americans , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distancing and restrictions on society .
In short , the country appears willing to listen to public health experts and do what it takes to defeat this pandemic , even if it means hurting the economy in the process .
Across the board , recent polling shows that most Americans — including majorities of US voters from both major parties — are united in their willingness to stay home to prevent the spread of the deadly virus : • In a Politico/Morning Consult poll released on Wednesday , the vast majority of participants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue to social distance for as long as is needed to curb the spread of coronavirus even if it means continued damage to the economy .
Only 14 % said Americans should stop social distancing to stimulate the economy even if it means increasing the spread of coronavirus .
• The poll also showed strong support for continued social distancing , even if it translates into ongoing damage to the economy , the across party lines : 88 % of Democrats and 64 % of Republicans .
• 63 % of Americans are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and exacerbating the outbreak , vastly outnumbering those who are more worried ( 37 % ) about lifting restrictions too slowly and worsening the economy , according to a CBS News poll released Thursday .
• The poll also found strong majorities of both Democrats ( 85 % ) and Republicans ( 77 % ) think stay-at-home orders have been effective in limiting the spread of the virus .
• 86 % of Americans said they were trying to stay home as much as possible , the latest HuffPost/YouGov survey found .
• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of Democrats and 77 % of Republicans said that state stay-at-home orders remain the right decision , while 91 % of Democrats and 85 % of Republicans said they 're trying to stay at home as much as possible .
• 71 % of Americans are more worried about lifting coronavirus restrictions too quickly , as opposed to too slowly ( 29 % ) , according to a Yahoo News/YouGov poll released on Monday .
• The poll also found a majority of Democrats ( 87 ) and most Republicans ( 51 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only reopen once public-health officials are fully able to test and trace new cases and outbreaks .
• A new AP-NORC poll released on Wednesday found about eight-in-10 Americans support measures such as requiring Americans to stay in their homes and limiting gatherings to 10 people or fewer .
And 61 % said the restrictions put in place in their area are about right .
• 91 % of Democrats said they favor requiring Americans to say in their homes except for essential errands , according to the poll , alongside 70 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poll released on Tuesday found a bipartisan majority of Americans said people should stay at home `` until the doctors and public health officials say it is safe . ''
This included 88 % of Democrats , 55 % of Republicans , and roughly 70 % of independents .
These polls suggest that the sentiments of Americans protesting against coronavirus restrictions in various cities and regions are not widely shared .
The protesters ' sentiments are not widely shared , but you 'd never know that from watching Trump-TV .
Fox still seems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many of their viewers as possible .
How many of them have to die before they figure out maybe that 's not the best business model remains to be seen .

Despite the fact that we have many states engaging in a dangerous experiment with their residents' lives, and opening things up before it's safe to do so, these AstroTurf promoted protests against the stay-at-home orders are continuing across the country, and are still being heavily promoted by Fox.
As Media Matters has documented, just during the time period "from April 13 through 20, Fox News devoted 91 segments to the story, spending 6 hours covering the protests." "Fox personalities went out of their way to gush over the protests and praise those participating, even overlooking obvious issues like the lack of social distancing."
Fox was still promoting the rallies this Sunday (with no mention of who is funding them, of course), and continued to ignore the lack of social distancing from the COVIDiots participating in them, with Fox & Friends host Pete Hegseth promising more to come in the weeks ahead:
HEGSETH: Jason, I know yesterday, while many at home with their family, many were also protesting, still protests across the country. Just a brief list, and whenever I read a list, I always get people reaching out say you missed my town. Just a brief list, and whenever I read a list, I always get people reaching out say you missed my town. So we know there are a lot more than just this: Fort Myers, Florida, Sarasota, Columbus, Ohio, El Paso, Texas, Frisco and Austin, Texas, Montgomery, Alabama, Elko, Nevada, Reno, Nevada, Springfield, Illinois, Jackson, Mississippi. I know a friend of mine in New Jersey, he sent a video of a boat parade near Sea Bright, New Jersey, a fisherman and others want to get back to work. People are also adamant that this health crisis needs to be moved past. Let us make that choice. And we're going to continue to cover these, because it is an important part of the American fabric, people itching to be out there. CHAFFETZ: Yeah, no. I mean, clearly we're going to... later on in the show, we've got some have stories about some towns, turning off water, doing silly things like that. You still have constitutional rights even if there is it a virus.
Despite Hegseth's insistence that American's are "itching to get out there," polls say otherwise, as was reported by Business Insider this week: In an era of political polarization, Americans are united behind coronavirus stay-at-home orders, polling shows:
But the coronavirus pandemic is breeding rare levels of solidarity among Americans, at least when it comes to social distancing and restrictions on society. In short, the country appears willing to listen to public health experts and do what it takes to defeat this pandemic, even if it means hurting the economy in the process. Across the board, recent polling shows that most Americans — including majorities of US voters from both major parties — are united in their willingness to stay home to prevent the spread of the deadly virus: In a Politico/Morning Consult poll released on Wednesday, the vast majority of participants (76%) said Americans should continue to social distance for as long as is needed to curb the spread of coronavirus even if it means continued damage to the economy. Only 14% said Americans should stop social distancing to stimulate the economy even if it means increasing the spread of coronavirus. The poll also showed strong support for continued social distancing, even if it translates into ongoing damage to the economy, the across party lines: 88% of Democrats and 64% of Republicans.
63% of Americans are worried about lifting coronavirus restrictions too fast and exacerbating the outbreak, vastly outnumbering those who are more worried (37%) about lifting restrictions too slowly and worsening the economy, according to a CBS News poll released Thursday. The poll also found strong majorities of both Democrats (85%) and Republicans (77%) think stay-at-home orders have been effective in limiting the spread of the virus.
86% of Americans said they were trying to stay home as much as possible, the latest HuffPost/YouGov survey found. Meanwhile, the poll also found 87% of Democrats and 77% of Republicans said that state stay-at-home orders remain the right decision, while 91% of Democrats and 85% of Republicans said they're trying to stay at home as much as possible.
71% of Americans are more worried about lifting coronavirus restrictions too quickly, as opposed to too slowly (29%), according to a Yahoo News/YouGov poll released on Monday. The poll also found a majority of Democrats (87) and most Republicans (51%) agree that the US should only reopen once public-health officials are fully able to test and trace new cases and outbreaks.
A new AP-NORC poll released on Wednesday found about eight-in-10 Americans support measures such as requiring Americans to stay in their homes and limiting gatherings to 10 people or fewer. And 61% said the restrictions put in place in their area are about right. 91% of Democrats said they favor requiring Americans to say in their homes except for essential errands, according to the poll, alongside 70% of Republicans.
A Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released on Tuesday found a bipartisan majority of Americans said people should stay at home "until the doctors and public health officials say it is safe." This included 88% of Democrats, 55% of Republicans, and roughly 70% of independents. These polls suggest that the sentiments of Americans protesting against coronavirus restrictions in various cities and regions are not widely shared.
The protesters' sentiments are not widely shared, but you'd never know that from watching Trump-TV. Fox still seems bound and determined to kill off as many of their viewers as possible. How many of them have to die before they figure out maybe that's not the best business model remains to be seen.


crooksandliars--2020-04-26--Jake Tapper Calls Out Dr. Birx For Taking A 'Generous Approach' To Trump's Bleach Injection Idea

White House coronavirus task force coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx on Sunday downplayed President Donald Trump 's suggestion that sunlight or disinfectant could be injected into people who have the COVID-19 virus .
During an interview on CNN , host Jake Tapper asked about the dangerous remarks that the president made at a press briefing on Thursday .
`` What should the American people know about disinfectants and the human body ? ''
Tapper said .
`` Well , first , '' Birx began .
`` That was a dialog he was having between the DHS scientists and himself for information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When he turned to me , I made it clear and he understood it was not as a treatment . ''
`` I get it , '' Tapper countered .
`` And I understand the importance of that study that the DHS official was discussing from the lab in Maryland ... but that 's what the president was musing about .
He was talking about ways to take that science and somehow turn it into injecting UV or disinfectants into the human body , which as you know -- especially with disinfectants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had to issue a statement , Lysol had to issue a statement . ''
`` You 're taking a generous approach to this when it comes to President Trump musing aloud , '' he continued .
`` But this is potentially dangerous .
I mean , poison control centers got calls from people and they had to issue statements . ''
`` As a doctor , does n't that bother you ? ''
the CNN host pressed .
`` It bothers me that this is still in the news cycle because I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what we need to be doing as an American people to protect one another , '' Birx replied .
`` Sometimes I worry that we do n't get the information to the American people that they need when we continue to bring up something that was from Thursday night . ''
`` I think I 've answered that question , '' she added .
`` I think the president made it clear that physicians had to study this .
I think I 've made it clear that this was a musing .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to get information to the American people . ''
`` I would agree with that , '' Tapper remarked .
`` I would say that I think the source of the misinformation is not the news media on this . ''

White House coronavirus task force coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx on Sunday downplayed President Donald Trump's suggestion that sunlight or disinfectant could be injected into people who have the COVID-19 virus.
During an interview on CNN, host Jake Tapper asked about the dangerous remarks that the president made at a press briefing on Thursday.
"What should the American people know about disinfectants and the human body?" Tapper said.
"Well, first," Birx began. "That was a dialog he was having between the DHS scientists and himself for information he had received and he was discussing. When he turned to me, I made it clear and he understood it was not as a treatment."
"I get it," Tapper countered. "And I understand the importance of that study that the DHS official was discussing from the lab in Maryland... but that's what the president was musing about. He was talking about ways to take that science and somehow turn it into injecting UV or disinfectants into the human body, which as you know -- especially with disinfectants -- can be lethal and the CDC had to issue a statement, Lysol had to issue a statement."
"You're taking a generous approach to this when it comes to President Trump musing aloud," he continued. "But this is potentially dangerous. I mean, poison control centers got calls from people and they had to issue statements."
"As a doctor, doesn't that bother you?" the CNN host pressed.
"It bothers me that this is still in the news cycle because I think we're missing the bigger pieces of what we need to be doing as an American people to protect one another," Birx replied. "Sometimes I worry that we don't get the information to the American people that they need when we continue to bring up something that was from Thursday night."
"I think I've answered that question," she added. "I think the president made it clear that physicians had to study this. I think I've made it clear that this was a musing. I want us to move on to be able to get information to the American people."
"I would agree with that," Tapper remarked. "I would say that I think the source of the misinformation is not the news media on this."


crooksandliars--2020-04-26--Trump Rage-Tweets That His Lie-Filled Coronavirus 'Briefings' Are 'Not Worth The Effort'

It appears we may finally be spared these daily lie-filled press briefings from Trump and his so-called coronavirus `` task force , '' not because our corporate media decided to do the right thing and quit airing them live , but because Trump is tired of being the subject of widespread mockery ever since he stepped in it and suggested that people could possibly use UV light or disinfectants inside the body as a treatment for coronavirus .
Here 's his latest rage tweet from Saturday night where he once again lashed out at the press for daring to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shows .
Axios reported a couple of days ago that his advisers have been urging him to stop doing the briefings because they 're not helping his poll numbers against Joe Biden .
Never mind the fact that he 's putting people 's lives at risk who are foolish enough to actually listen to him , as we saw with the uptick in calls to the NYC poison control center following the spectacle in the video above .
Trump was treated with the disdain he deserves on Twitter in response his latest temper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ examples .

It appears we may finally be spared these daily lie-filled press briefings from Trump and his so-called coronavirus "task force," not because our corporate media decided to do the right thing and quit airing them live, but because Trump is tired of being the subject of widespread mockery ever since he stepped in it and suggested that people could possibly use UV light or disinfectants inside the body as a treatment for coronavirus.
Here's his latest rage tweet from Saturday night where he once again lashed out at the press for daring to do their jobs during these ridiculous daily freak shows.
What is the purpose of having White House News Conferences when the Lamestream Media asks nothing but hostile questions, & then refuses to report the truth or facts accurately. They get record ratings, & the American people get nothing but Fake News. Not worth the time & effort! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 25, 2020
Axios reported a couple of days ago that his advisers have been urging him to stop doing the briefings because they're not helping his poll numbers against Joe Biden. Never mind the fact that he's putting people's lives at risk who are foolish enough to actually listen to him, as we saw with the uptick in calls to the NYC poison control center following the spectacle in the video above.
Trump was treated with the disdain he deserves on Twitter in response his latest temper tantrum. Here are just a few examples.
If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. — Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) April 25, 2020
Pobrecito. The reporters won't play along with Lil Donnie's alternate reality that he's used to from scripted TV days when everyone pretended his rantings were brilliant. Now he's taking his ball & going back to his room after suggesting disinfectants as a covid 19 treatment. pic.twitter.com/rRKn1G9IBY — KD (@Fly_Sistah) April 25, 2020
what a fragile little excuse for a human — Jeff Tiedrich (@itsJeffTiedrich) April 25, 2020
It is your job to inform the American people. The pressers are live. There’s no way to fake live tv. You’re just a fake president on the real news and the whole world knows it. Even your base is dwindling. #NovemberIsComing — Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) April 25, 2020


crooksandliars--2020-04-27--Maryland Governor Complains About Flood Of Calls Asking About Ingesting Clorox

Donald Trump 's daily press conferences have become a menace to the American public and that was exemplified last week when he suggested ingesting disinfectants may kill COVID-19 a few days ago .
The chair of the National Governor 's Association and Maryland Governor Larry Hogan joined ABC 's This Week and explain what happened after Trump made those disastrous remarks .
When George Stephanopoulos asked if states like Georgia and Oklahoma are opening too quickly , Hogan said , `` I ’ m going to be very cautious .
We 're going to make decisions on science . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ agency put out an alert to the citizens of Maryland making sure that they did not ingest or inject disinfectants after the president 's comments , '' Tapper observed .
After Trump 's insidious remarks disinfectant manufacturers came out and issued warnings against people ingesting any cleaning fluids .
Stephanopoulos then played a clip of Trump gaslighting everyone who saw his original remarks by saying he was being sarcastic , which nobody believes .
`` Many of your citizens did n't see it as sarcasm .
Is that how you took it ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ it 's really important .
This has been important to me from day one about communicating very clearly on the facts because people listen to these press conferences , '' Hogan emphasized .
`` They listen when the governor holds a press conference and they certainly pay attention when the President of the United States is standing there giving a press conference about something as serious as this worldwide pandemic . ''
He continued , `` And I think when misinformation comes out or you just say something that pops in your head @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We had hundreds of calls come into our emergency hotline at our health department asking if it was -- if it was right to ingest Clorox or alcohol cleaning products , whether that was going to help them fight the virus .
So , we had to put out that warning to make sure that people were not doing something like that which would kill people actually to do it . ''
Trump 's words need to carry with them a warning like we see on packages of cigarettes : These words @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump knows that many of his supporters take his word as gospel , and most Americans usually have a belief that when a US president tells them something that 's related to their own health and mortality that it would be based on what medical professionals have proven to be true .
Thankfully , the national media did n't ignore Trump 's dangerous remarks , instead reporting thoroughly on his dangerous ideas .
Because they did that , it forced Trump to backpedal and finally start whining about the pressers in general .

Donald Trump's daily press conferences have become a menace to the American public and that was exemplified last week when he suggested ingesting disinfectants may kill COVID-19 a few days ago.
The chair of the National Governor's Association and Maryland Governor Larry Hogan joined ABC's This Week and explain what happened after Trump made those disastrous remarks.
When George Stephanopoulos asked if states like Georgia and Oklahoma are opening too quickly, Hogan said, "I’m going to be very cautious. We're going to make decisions on science."
Science, isn't that a nice word?
"On Friday, your emergency management agency put out an alert to the citizens of Maryland making sure that they did not ingest or inject disinfectants after the president's comments," Tapper observed.
After Trump's insidious remarks disinfectant manufacturers came out and issued warnings against people ingesting any cleaning fluids.
Stephanopoulos then played a clip of Trump gaslighting everyone who saw his original remarks by saying he was being sarcastic, which nobody believes.
"Many of your citizens didn't see it as sarcasm. Is that how you took it?" Stephanopoulos said.
"I think it's really important. This has been important to me from day one about communicating very clearly on the facts because people listen to these press conferences," Hogan emphasized. "They listen when the governor holds a press conference and they certainly pay attention when the President of the United States is standing there giving a press conference about something as serious as this worldwide pandemic."
He continued, "And I think when misinformation comes out or you just say something that pops in your head, it does send a wrong message. We had hundreds of calls come into our emergency hotline at our health department asking if it was -- if it was right to ingest Clorox or alcohol cleaning products, whether that was going to help them fight the virus. So, we had to put out that warning to make sure that people were not doing something like that which would kill people actually to do it."
Trump's words need to carry with them a warning like we see on packages of cigarettes: These words may be hazardous to your health.
Trump knows that many of his supporters take his word as gospel, and most Americans usually have a belief that when a US president tells them something that's related to their own health and mortality that it would be based on what medical professionals have proven to be true.
Thankfully, the national media didn't ignore Trump's dangerous remarks, instead reporting thoroughly on his dangerous ideas. Because they did that, it forced Trump to backpedal and finally start whining about the pressers in general.


crooksandliars--2020-04-27--Russian Doctor 'Falls' 50 Feet From Hospital Window After Complaining Of Lack Of PPE

According to reports , Dr Yelena Nepomnyashchaya disagreed with the decision to repurpose her hospital for COVID-19 .
It 's @ @ @ @ @ , was pushed , or jumped .
Pretty much anything is possible in Vladimir Putin @ @ @ @ @ .
The head of a Siberian hospital repurposed for coronavirus patients is in critical condition @ @ @ @ @ hospital building following a conference call with health officials , local media reported Saturday .
@ @ @ @ @ fell from a fifth-floor window of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Hospital for War Veterans after talks @ @ @ @ @ Krasnoyarsk region ’ s health department , according to the TVK broadcaster .
Nepomnyashchaya was @ @ @ @ @ of the hospital ’ s buildings to house 80 Covid-19 patients because of its shortage @ @ @ @ @ of proper training among staff , TVK cited an unnamed source as saying .
“ @ @ @ @ @ that prompted the woman to commit a desperate act , ” the source was quoted @ @ @

According to reports, Dr Yelena Nepomnyashchaya disagreed with the decision to repurpose her hospital for COVID-19. It's not clear whether she fell, was pushed, or jumped. Pretty much anything is possible in Vladimir Putin's Russia these days though.
Source: The Moscow Times
The head of a Siberian hospital repurposed for coronavirus patients is in critical condition after she fell from the hospital building following a conference call with health officials, local media reported Saturday.
Yelena Nepomnyashchaya, 47, fell from a fifth-floor window of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Hospital for War Veterans after talks with the head of the Krasnoyarsk region’s health department, according to the TVK broadcaster.
Nepomnyashchaya was allegedly opposed to repurposing another of the hospital’s buildings to house 80 Covid-19 patients because of its shortage of protective gear and lack of proper training among staff, TVK cited an unnamed source as saying.
“Perhaps these were the circumstances that prompted the woman to commit a desperate act,” the source was quoted as saying.


crooksandliars--2020-04-27--Kamala Harris Holds Town Hall With African American Leaders On COVID-19

`` It wasn ’ t a Confederate flag , it was a mask that my wife made for me , @ @ @ @ @ wear it today .
So I did , and I told my wife it probably @ @ @ @ @ but it was not a Confederate flag .
And I think even if it was @ @ @ @

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crooksandliars--2020-04-27--IRONY: One Of The Leaders Of The ReOpen NC Group Says She Tested Positive For COVID-19

Idiots keep protesting all over the country to `` reopen '' their states after Governors and Mayors issued stay-at-home orders due to the highly contagious and , in sadly many cases , dealy , coronavirus .
These protestors feel that their civil rights are being infringed upon because they are not able to bowl , get tattoos or haircuts , visit the mall or movie theater and go about their boring lives ... because science is wrong and this is `` just like the flu '' ( It is not ) ) .
These protests are filled with angry white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guns , waving Trump and confederate flags and screaming about `` rights '' while also not wearing masks or using common sense and social distancing .
To put it simply - these idiots are just asking to get sick .
All it takes is one person at these rallies and *poof* we will see an explosion .
Well , guess what ?
You know what happened based on the title of this article ... One of the organizers of ReOpen NC actually HAS COVID .
The News Observer reports that one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is an administrator on the ReOpen NC Facebook page , posted a message to the entire group telling everyone that she was positive herself !
OMG .
But even though SHE was positive , she still thinks Governor Cooper 's restrictions were too much .
In her post she said : “ As an asymptomatic COVID19 positive patient ( quarantine ends 4/26 ) ... .another concern I have is the treatment of COVID patients as it relates to other communicable diseases .
I have been forced to quarantine in my home for 2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not to participate in public or private accommodations as requested by the government , and therefore denied my 1st amendment right of freedom of religion .
If I were an essential employee , I would be denied access to my job by my employer and the government , though compensated , those with other communicable diseases are afforded the right to work .
It has been insinuated by others that if I go out , I could be arrested for denying a quarantine order .
However , the Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accommodation , and state and local government entities .
.
Where do we draw the line ?
” This idiot does n't understand that being quarantined is not a punishment FOR HER .
It is an attempt at slowing her ability to infect others , especially those with a risk of serious complications , like death .
The Observer tried to reach her for comment and to find out whether she had attended the ReOpen NC prtoests over the last 2 weeks .
She declined to comment , which is not a good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ReOpen NC has another rally planned for Tuesday at 11:00am .

Idiots keep protesting all over the country to "reopen" their states after Governors and Mayors issued stay-at-home orders due to the highly contagious and, in sadly many cases, dealy, coronavirus. These protestors feel that their civil rights are being infringed upon because they are not able to bowl, get tattoos or haircuts, visit the mall or movie theater and go about their boring lives...because science is wrong and this is "just like the flu" (It is not)).
These protests are filled with angry white people, often armed with long barrel guns, waving Trump and confederate flags and screaming about "rights" while also not wearing masks or using common sense and social distancing. To put it simply - these idiots are just asking to get sick. All it takes is one person at these rallies and *poof* we will see an explosion.
Well, guess what? You know what happened based on the title of this article...
One of the organizers of ReOpen NC actually HAS COVID. The News Observer reports that one of the leaders, Audrey S. Whitlock, who is an administrator on the ReOpen NC Facebook page, posted a message to the entire group telling everyone that she was positive herself! OMG. But even though SHE was positive, she still thinks Governor Cooper's restrictions were too much.
In her post she said:
“As an asymptomatic COVID19 positive patient (quarantine ends 4/26)....another concern I have is the treatment of COVID patients as it relates to other communicable diseases. I have been forced to quarantine in my home for 2 weeks.”
She added:
“I have been told not to participate in public or private accommodations as requested by the government, and therefore denied my 1st amendment right of freedom of religion. If I were an essential employee, I would be denied access to my job by my employer and the government, though compensated, those with other communicable diseases are afforded the right to work. It has been insinuated by others that if I go out, I could be arrested for denying a quarantine order. However, the Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination by employers, places of public accommodation, and state and local government entities. . Where do we draw the line?”
This idiot doesn't understand that being quarantined is not a punishment FOR HER. It is an attempt at slowing her ability to infect others, especially those with a risk of serious complications, like death.
The Observer tried to reach her for comment and to find out whether she had attended the ReOpen NC prtoests over the last 2 weeks. She declined to comment, which is not a good sign for those that did attend. ReOpen NC has another rally planned for Tuesday at 11:00am.


crooksandliars--2020-04-27--Dr. Fauci Warned In Advance That Someone Needed To Tell Trump You Can't Drink Bleach

On Saturday , there was no scheduled White House briefing on the COVID-19 crisis .
This follows an abbreviated Friday session in which Donald Trump made only brief remarks and left without taking question .
And that follows a Thursday session in which Trump suggested drinking or injecting disinfectant as a possible treatment .
As well as finding a way to put a bright UV light “ inside the body.
” All of which makes it seem that , after allowing Trump to spew unchecked for hour after hour , he may finally have said something so obviously awful that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that feeling … that strange , strange feeling … is it … embarrassment ?
Maybe .
But it ’ s certainly anger .
Because the hunt for someone else to blame goes on .
Trump ’ s first go-to in the search for someone to take the fall went to his standard fall guys , with the current kinda-sorta press secretary Kayleigh McEnany calling out the press for taking Trump “ out of context ” while claiming that Trump never tried to give medical advice .
The only problem with that is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other than the context of how the networks have been broadcasting Trump ’ s increasingly off the rails press events in full .
Actually , that ’ s not the only problem , because McEnany ’ s statement also requires ignoring the dozens of other times Trump tried to dispense advice .
Right-wing media , both on Fox News and radio , tried to help out by coming up with the pretense that Trump was talking about some new and radical treatment—something too cool to be known by plain old medical doctors like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they supergenius messiahs ?
No !
Then how can they be aware of the brilliance of ideas like a Clorox vape ?
There doesn ’ t yet seem to be a body count attached to this particular effort to own the libs … but it ’ s early .
Meanwhile , the White House seems to have pinned down a new scapegoat for Bleachgate .
As The Washington Post reports , the whirling finger of blame has landed on Department of Homeland Security undersecretary William Bryan .
And what did Bryan do ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ which he discussed how UV light and disinfectants were effective in removing coronavirus from surfaces .
Apparently , when giving this information to Trump , Bryan neglected to say that surfaces doesn ’ t include the interior of lungs or veins .
Apparently , a number of White House officials had deep concerns about this demonstration of cleaning something being taken in front of Donald Trump .
Several people seemed to believe that Bryan had a lot of information in his presentation , and that the whole thing “ was not ready ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dr. Fauci seems to have predicted where Trump would take it , with worries the presentation might be taken as “ the cure for humans.
” Of course , it ’ s understandable that Trump had to be given a briefing on how things are cleaned .
For Trump , a can of Lysol or a jug of Clorox are arcane objects he has never handled in his life .
He may have glimpsed such things being wielded by invisible people who scurried in to clear away the remains of his latest donuts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made demand that those people only come out at night .
Anyway , it ’ s an easy bet that he ’ s never used any such product in his entire life .
Really , people should understand that Trump has never used a disinfectant , never swiped a cleaning cloth , and never even contemplated whether a load of laundry needs a shot of bleach .
These things are all new to him .
Exotic .
It shouldn ’ t be surprising that Donald Trump had to be given a briefing on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or that he had no understanding of the chemicals involved .
After all , he ’ s not a plain old fool .
He ’ s a rich fool .
If you ’ ve ever wondered why there were warning levels on the side of consumer products , the answer appears to be : Donald Trump .
Warning : Not to be taken internally .
Keep refrigerated after opening .
Do not place toaster in the oven .

On Saturday, there was no scheduled White House briefing on the COVID-19 crisis. This follows an abbreviated Friday session in which Donald Trump made only brief remarks and left without taking question. And that follows a Thursday session in which Trump suggested drinking or injecting disinfectant as a possible treatment. As well as finding a way to put a bright UV light “inside the body.” All of which makes it seem that, after allowing Trump to spew unchecked for hour after hour, he may finally have said something so obviously awful that even Trump may feel … what is that feeling … that strange, strange feeling … is it … embarrassment?
Maybe. But it’s certainly anger. Because the hunt for someone else to blame goes on.
Trump’s first go-to in the search for someone to take the fall went to his standard fall guys, with the current kinda-sorta press secretary Kayleigh McEnany calling out the press for taking Trump “out of context” while claiming that Trump never tried to give medical advice. The only problem with that is that there was no “context,” other than the context of how the networks have been broadcasting Trump’s increasingly off the rails press events in full. Actually, that’s not the only problem, because McEnany’s statement also requires ignoring the dozens of other times Trump tried to dispense advice.
Right-wing media, both on Fox News and radio, tried to help out by coming up with the pretense that Trump was talking about some new and radical treatment—something too cool to be known by plain old medical doctors like Deborah Birx or Anthony Fauci. Are they supergenius messiahs? No! Then how can they be aware of the brilliance of ideas like a Clorox vape? There doesn’t yet seem to be a body count attached to this particular effort to own the libs … but it’s early.
Meanwhile, the White House seems to have pinned down a new scapegoat for Bleachgate. As The Washington Post reports, the whirling finger of blame has landed on Department of Homeland Security undersecretary William Bryan. And what did Bryan do? He had a briefing for Trump in which he discussed how UV light and disinfectants were effective in removing coronavirus from surfaces. Apparently, when giving this information to Trump, Bryan neglected to say that surfaces doesn’t include the interior of lungs or veins.
Apparently, a number of White House officials had deep concerns about this demonstration of cleaning something being taken in front of Donald Trump. Several people seemed to believe that Bryan had a lot of information in his presentation, and that the whole thing “was not ready” to go in front of Trump. Dr. Fauci seems to have predicted where Trump would take it, with worries the presentation might be taken as “the cure for humans.”
Of course, it’s understandable that Trump had to be given a briefing on how things are cleaned. For Trump, a can of Lysol or a jug of Clorox are arcane objects he has never handled in his life. He may have glimpsed such things being wielded by invisible people who scurried in to clear away the remains of his latest donuts and taco salad conquest. Or he made demand that those people only come out at night. Anyway, it’s an easy bet that he’s never used any such product in his entire life.
Really, people should understand that Trump has never used a disinfectant, never swiped a cleaning cloth, and never even contemplated whether a load of laundry needs a shot of bleach. These things are all new to him. Exotic. It shouldn’t be surprising that Donald Trump had to be given a briefing on how to clean a counter top, or that he had no understanding of the chemicals involved. After all, he’s not a plain old fool. He’s a rich fool.
If you’ve ever wondered why there were warning levels on the side of consumer products, the answer appears to be: Donald Trump.
Warning: Not to be taken internally. Keep refrigerated after opening. Do not place toaster in the oven.
Posted with permission from Daily Kos.