bonginoreport--2020-03-12--The Case for Russian Collusion Fell Apart Immediately – and Dems Pushed it Anyway

The piecemeal release of FBI files in the Russia collusion investigation has masked an essential fact : James Comey ’ s G-men had substantially debunked the theory that Donald Trump ’ s campaign conspired with Moscow by the time the 45th president was settling into the Oval Office , according to declassified memos , court filings and interviews .
And that means a nascent presidency and an entire nation were put through two more years of lacerating debate over an issue that was mostly resolved in January 2017 inside the bureau ’ s own evidence files .
The proof is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rapid fire sequence in January 2017 , U.S. officials : • received multiple warnings about the credibility of informant Christopher Steele and his dossier ; • affirmed key targets of the FBI counterintelligence investigation made exculpatory statements denying collusion to undercover sources ; • concluded retired Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn , Trump 's first national security adviser , was not engaged in collusion with the Russians .
The latter revelation has mostly escaped much notice , contained in a single sentence in a once-sealed court motion filed by Flynn defense attorney Sidney Powell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ material , or evidence of innocence .
That motion dated Sept. 11 , 2019 requested access to “ an internal DOJ document dated January 30 , 2017 , in which the FBI exonerated Mr. Flynn of being ‘ an agent of Russia.
’ ” Flynn 's motion is confirmed by a 2018 letter obtained by Just the News between Special Counsel Robert Mueller 's office and defense lawyers .
It shows the DOJ exoneration memo was written after Flynn had been interviewed by FBI agents in January 2017 and after the government learned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kept his old agency briefed on his contacts with Russia , something that weighed heavily against the notion he was aiding Moscow .
`` According to an internal DOJ memo dated January 30 , 2017 , after the Jan. 24 interview , the FBI advised that based on the interview the FBI did not believe Flynn was acting as an agent of Russia , '' Mueller 's team wrote in the letter .
U.S. District Judge Emmett Sullivan so far has concluded that the exoneration of Flynn on the Russia collusion charge wasn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he pled guilty to a different crime , making a false statement to the FBI .
But for the American public , such a revelation is momentous .
Less than two weeks into Trump ’ s presidency the FBI had concluded his national security adviser had not been working as an agent of Russia .
While that was the view of federal law enforcement , the false storyline of Flynn as a Russian stooge was broadcasted across the nation , with leaks of his conversations with a Russian ambassador and other tales , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interview with Just the News and its John Solomon Reports podcast , Powell confirmed she was provided by letter three sentences from the DOJ memo but has been unable to get the full document .
`` It ’ s just horrible , ” Powell said .
`` They gave us a little three lines summary of it and the letter and told us it existed but have refused to give us the actual document , which I know means there 's a lot of other information in it that would be helpful to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was fully aware of a letter sent in early January 2017 to Flynn from Britain ’ s national security adviser raising concerns about Steele ’ s credibility .
The British government “ hand-delivered ” a letter to Flynn ’ s team that “ totally disavowed any credibility of Christopher Steele , and would have completely destroyed the Russia collusion narrative , ” Powell said .
Flynn himself has no memory of receiving the communique , but people around him at the time do and confirmed the existence of the document , Powell explained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his debriefings by Mueller ’ s team , she added .
“ I was told that a copy of the document would have been given to [ then-National Security Adviser ] Susan Rice as well , ” she added .
`` So the Obama administration knew full well that the entire Russia collusion mess was a farce.
” Instead of responding to the British government ’ s warning by abandoning the Russia collusion narrative and sparing her client the years-long ordeal of being targeted for investigation , top U.S. intelligence officials hid the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirms information that Rep. Mark Meadows ( R-N.C. ) provided for a May 2019 article for The Hill .
Other significant red flags also emerged in January 2017 that the Russia collusion theory used by the FBI to open a Trump campaign-focused probe in July 2016 was simply wrong .
So too was the evidence the FBI submitted to secure an October 2016 FISA warrant targeting Trump campaign adviser Carter Page .
According to information made public by Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court , the FBI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jan. 7 , 2017 .
That source disavowed much of the Russia collusion evidence attributed to him in the dossier , a fact the bureau hid from the court .
A recent order by FISC Chief Judge James Boasberg lays bare how devastating the revelation from Steele ’ s source was to the entire Russia collusion theory .
“ Steele obtained this information from a primary sub-source , who had , in tum , obtained the information from his/her own source network , ” the judge wrote .
“ The FBI did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Court of inconsistencies between sections of Steele 's reporting that had been used in the applications and statements Steele 's primary sub-source had made to the FBI about the accuracy of information attributed to 'Person 1 , ' who the FBI assessed had been the source of the information in Reports 95 and 102 .
The government also did not disclose that Steele himself had undercut the reliability of Person 1 , telling the FBI that Person 1 was a 'boaster ' and an 'egoist ' and 'may engage in some embellishment .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that nearly all of Steele ’ s information in the dossier was either false , could not be proved , or amounted to Internet-based rumor , making it mostly worthless as actionable intelligence .
Further eroding by January 2017 the FBI ’ s `` mosaic '' ( former FBI Director James Comey 's term ) of evidence cited for suspicions of collusion , the bureau had collected exculpatory statements in fall 2016 in which two central targets of the investigation — former Trump advisers Carter Page and George Papadopoulos — told undercover informants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Boasberg ’ s ruling also slammed the FBI for hiding these statements from his court , saying they substantially undercut the FBI 's predicate for the investigation , including the now-disproven allegation that Page had altered the RNC platform at the 2016 nominating convention to help Putin .
“ The government also omitted Page 's statements to a confidential human source that he intentionally had 'stayed clear ' of efforts to change the Republican platform , as well as evidence tending to show that two other Trump campaign officials were responsible for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Both pieces of information were inconsistent with the government 's suggestion that , at the behest of the Russian government , Page may have facilitated a change to the Republican platform regarding Russia 's annexation of part of Ukraine.
” The Horowitz report confirms the court 's finding in much greater detail .
Flynn was cleared of being a Russian agent in January 2017 .
That same month Steele ’ s dossier was both discredited by the British government and repudiated by his own confidential sources .
And the FBI had evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
All as President Trump was starting his first two weeks in office .
Congressional investigators are now looking at whether Comey 's approach to Trump at a Feb. 14 , 2017 dinner at the White House may have been part of an effort to pivot away from the bogus Russia collusion investigation and lay a predicate for a new investigation focused on possible obstruction of justice .
Those same investigators also are inquiring as to why Mueller 's final report did not more clearly spell out how the FBI 's collusion case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that congressional inquiry lands , there is now clear and convincing evidence that the country , the president and the courts were kept in the dark about an historic turnaround in the evidence in January 2017 , even as defendants were being pressured to plead guilty to crimes unrelated to the collusion allegation .
Time will tell whether those who kept this secret for two more years will be held to account .

The piecemeal release of FBI files in the Russia collusion investigation has masked an essential fact: James Comey’s G-men had substantially debunked the theory that Donald Trump’s campaign conspired with Moscow by the time the 45th president was settling into the Oval Office, according to declassified memos, court filings and interviews.
And that means a nascent presidency and an entire nation were put through two more years of lacerating debate over an issue that was mostly resolved in January 2017 inside the bureau’s own evidence files. The proof is now sitting in plain view.
In rapid fire sequence in January 2017, U.S. officials:
received multiple warnings about the credibility of informant Christopher Steele and his dossier;
affirmed key targets of the FBI counterintelligence investigation made exculpatory statements denying collusion to undercover sources;
concluded retired Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn, Trump's first national security adviser, was not engaged in collusion with the Russians.
The latter revelation has mostly escaped much notice, contained in a single sentence in a once-sealed court motion filed by Flynn defense attorney Sidney Powell that requested what is known as Brady material, or evidence of innocence.
That motion dated Sept. 11, 2019 requested access to “an internal DOJ document dated January 30, 2017, in which the FBI exonerated Mr. Flynn of being ‘an agent of Russia.’”
URL to Embed
Flynn's motion is confirmed by a 2018 letter obtained by Just the News between Special Counsel Robert Mueller's office and defense lawyers. It shows the DOJ exoneration memo was written after Flynn had been interviewed by FBI agents in January 2017 and after the government learned the former Defense Intelligence Agency chief had kept his old agency briefed on his contacts with Russia, something that weighed heavily against the notion he was aiding Moscow.
"According to an internal DOJ memo dated January 30, 2017, after the Jan. 24 interview, the FBI advised that based on the interview the FBI did not believe Flynn was acting as an agent of Russia," Mueller's team wrote in the letter.
U.S. District Judge Emmett Sullivan so far has concluded that the exoneration of Flynn on the Russia collusion charge wasn’t relevant to his conviction since he pled guilty to a different crime, making a false statement to the FBI.
URL to Embed
But for the American public, such a revelation is momentous.
Less than two weeks into Trump’s presidency the FBI had concluded his national security adviser had not been working as an agent of Russia. While that was the view of federal law enforcement, the false storyline of Flynn as a Russian stooge was broadcasted across the nation, with leaks of his conversations with a Russian ambassador and other tales, for many more months.
In an interview with Just the News and its John Solomon Reports podcast, Powell confirmed she was provided by letter three sentences from the DOJ memo but has been unable to get the full document.
"It’s just horrible,” Powell said. "They gave us a little three lines summary of it and the letter and told us it existed but have refused to give us the actual document, which I know means there's a lot of other information in it that would be helpful to us.”
Powell also confirmed that Mueller was fully aware of a letter sent in early January 2017 to Flynn from Britain’s national security adviser raising concerns about Steele’s credibility.
The British government “hand-delivered” a letter to Flynn’s team that “totally disavowed any credibility of Christopher Steele, and would have completely destroyed the Russia collusion narrative,” Powell said.
Flynn himself has no memory of receiving the communique, but people around him at the time do and confirmed the existence of the document, Powell explained. Flynn was questioned about it during his debriefings by Mueller’s team, she added.
“I was told that a copy of the document would have been given to [then-National Security Adviser] Susan Rice as well,” she added. "So the Obama administration knew full well that the entire Russia collusion mess was a farce.”
Instead of responding to the British government’s warning by abandoning the Russia collusion narrative and sparing her client the years-long ordeal of being targeted for investigation, top U.S. intelligence officials hid the communication, Powell said.
Her account confirms information that Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) provided for a May 2019 article for The Hill.
Other significant red flags also emerged in January 2017 that the Russia collusion theory used by the FBI to open a Trump campaign-focused probe in July 2016 was simply wrong. So too was the evidence the FBI submitted to secure an October 2016 FISA warrant targeting Trump campaign adviser Carter Page.
According to information made public by Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, the FBI interviewed Steele’s primary sub-source around Jan. 7, 2017. That source disavowed much of the Russia collusion evidence attributed to him in the dossier, a fact the bureau hid from the court.
A recent order by FISC Chief Judge James Boasberg lays bare how devastating the revelation from Steele’s source was to the entire Russia collusion theory.
“Steele obtained this information from a primary sub-source, who had, in tum, obtained the information from his/her own source network,” the judge wrote. “The FBI did not, however, advise DOJ or the Court of inconsistencies between sections of Steele's reporting that had been used in the applications and statements Steele's primary sub-source had made to the FBI about the accuracy of information attributed to 'Person 1,' who the FBI assessed had been the source of the information in Reports 95 and 102. The government also did not disclose that Steele himself had undercut the reliability of Person 1, telling the FBI that Person 1 was a 'boaster' and an 'egoist' and 'may engage in some embellishment.'"
An FBI spreadsheet similarly found that nearly all of Steele’s information in the dossier was either false, could not be proved, or amounted to Internet-based rumor, making it mostly worthless as actionable intelligence.
Further eroding by January 2017 the FBI’s "mosaic" (former FBI Director James Comey's term) of evidence cited for suspicions of collusion, the bureau had collected exculpatory statements in fall 2016 in which two central targets of the investigation — former Trump advisers Carter Page and George Papadopoulos — told undercover informants they were not colluding with Russia.
Boasberg’s ruling also slammed the FBI for hiding these statements from his court, saying they substantially undercut the FBI's predicate for the investigation, including the now-disproven allegation that Page had altered the RNC platform at the 2016 nominating convention to help Putin.
“The government also omitted Page's statements to a confidential human source that he intentionally had 'stayed clear' of efforts to change the Republican platform, as well as evidence tending to show that two other Trump campaign officials were responsible for the change,” the judge wrote. “Both pieces of information were inconsistent with the government's suggestion that, at the behest of the Russian government, Page may have facilitated a change to the Republican platform regarding Russia 's annexation of part of Ukraine.”
The Horowitz report confirms the court's finding in much greater detail.
URL to Embed
Flynn was cleared of being a Russian agent in January 2017. That same month Steele’s dossier was both discredited by the British government and repudiated by his own confidential sources. And the FBI had evidence its two main Trump targets were innocent. All as President Trump was starting his first two weeks in office.
Congressional investigators are now looking at whether Comey's approach to Trump at a Feb. 14, 2017 dinner at the White House may have been part of an effort to pivot away from the bogus Russia collusion investigation and lay a predicate for a new investigation focused on possible obstruction of justice. Those same investigators also are inquiring as to why Mueller's final report did not more clearly spell out how the FBI's collusion case fell apart in January 2017.
Wherever that congressional inquiry lands, there is now clear and convincing evidence that the country, the president and the courts were kept in the dark about an historic turnaround in the evidence in January 2017, even as defendants were being pressured to plead guilty to crimes unrelated to the collusion allegation. Time will tell whether those who kept this secret for two more years will be held to account.


bonginoreport--2020-03-12--Pelosi Tried to Sneak Federal Abortion Funding Into Coronavirus Bill

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sought to include a potential way to guarantee federal funding for abortion into the coronavirus economic stimulus plan , according to multiple senior White House officials .
Speaking to the Daily Caller , those officials alleged that while negotiating the stimulus with U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin , Pelosi tried to lobby for “ several ” provisions that stalled bipartisan commitment to the effort .
One was a mandate for up to $ 1 billion to reimburse laboratory claims , which White House officials say would set a precedent of health spending without protections outlined in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blocks clinics that perform abortions from receiving federal funding , and Democrats have pushed the Trump administration to end it since he was elected in 2016 .
( RELATED : Here ’ s What The $ 8.3 Billion Bill For Coronavirus Actually Does ) “ A new mandatory funding stream that does not have Hyde protections would be unprecedented , ” one White House official explained .
“ Under the guise of protecting people , Speaker Pelosi is working to make sure taxpayer dollars are spent covering abortion — which is not only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” A second White House official referred to the provision as a “ slush fund ” and yet another questioned “ what the Hyde Amendment and abortion have to do with protecting Americans from coronavirus ?
” Pelosi and Mnuchin were engaged in negotiations Thursday morning to finalize the text of the legislation .
( RELATED : Stocks Have Lost Around 25 % Of Their Value Since Trump , Kudlow Offered Market Advice ) Politico confirmed after this article went to press that the Hyde Amendment provision was eventually removed from the stimulus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House floor as a separate bill .
Despite Trump ’ s assurance that he would sign any stimulus bill that Congress approved , several Republicans rejected the stimulus offered by Pelosi and Mnuchin .
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Thursday morning he was totally opposed to Pelosi ’ s plan and wanted to draft a new proposal over the next 24-48 hours .
Pelosi pushed back on that suggestion during her Thursday press conference .
“ Families have needs , ” she stated .
“ We don ’ t need 48 hours @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision to help families right now.
” ( RELATED : Senate Staffer Reportedly Has Coronavirus ) “ I ’ m not sticking around because they don ’ t want to agree to language , ” Pelosi said of Congress ’ s upcoming recess week .
“ Right now we have to find our common ground , work together , to get this done as soon as possible.
” Pelosi ’ s office did not respond to a request for comment by publication time .
This is a developing story and will be updated @ @ @ @ @ @

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sought to include a potential way to guarantee federal funding for abortion into the coronavirus economic stimulus plan, according to multiple senior White House officials.
Speaking to the Daily Caller, those officials alleged that while negotiating the stimulus with U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, Pelosi tried to lobby for “several” provisions that stalled bipartisan commitment to the effort. One was a mandate for up to $1 billion to reimburse laboratory claims, which White House officials say would set a precedent of health spending without protections outlined in the Hyde Amendment.
The Hyde Amendment blocks clinics that perform abortions from receiving federal funding, and Democrats have pushed the Trump administration to end it since he was elected in 2016. (RELATED: Here’s What The $8.3 Billion Bill For Coronavirus Actually Does)
“A new mandatory funding stream that does not have Hyde protections would be unprecedented,” one White House official explained. “Under the guise of protecting people, Speaker Pelosi is working to make sure taxpayer dollars are spent covering abortion — which is not only backwards, but goes against historical norms.”
A second White House official referred to the provision as a “slush fund” and yet another questioned “what the Hyde Amendment and abortion have to do with protecting Americans from coronavirus?”
Pelosi and Mnuchin were engaged in negotiations Thursday morning to finalize the text of the legislation. (RELATED: Stocks Have Lost Around 25% Of Their Value Since Trump, Kudlow Offered Market Advice)
Politico confirmed after this article went to press that the Hyde Amendment provision was eventually removed from the stimulus later on Thursday and will hit the House floor as a separate bill.
Despite Trump’s assurance that he would sign any stimulus bill that Congress approved, several Republicans rejected the stimulus offered by Pelosi and Mnuchin.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Thursday morning he was totally opposed to Pelosi’s plan and wanted to draft a new proposal over the next 24-48 hours.
Pelosi pushed back on that suggestion during her Thursday press conference.
“Families have needs,” she stated. “We don’t need 48 hours. We need to just make a decision to help families right now.” (RELATED: Senate Staffer Reportedly Has Coronavirus)
“I’m not sticking around because they don’t want to agree to language,” Pelosi said of Congress’s upcoming recess week. “Right now we have to find our common ground, work together, to get this done as soon as possible.”
Speaker Pelosi says lawmakers should “save it for another day” if they have complaints about the coronavirus response bill: “We don’t need 48 hours. We need to just make a decision to help families right now … in an emergency status where we have to get the job done” pic.twitter.com/Ek1QeksXZ6 — CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) March 12, 2020
Pelosi’s office did not respond to a request for comment by publication time.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.


bonginoreport--2020-03-13--U.K. May Be Added to Europe Travel Ban

U.K. May Be Added to Europe Travel Ban

President Trump said today that the United Kingdom may be added to the U.S. travel ban after all , given Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his government ’ s inability to control the spread of coronavirus .
Speaking in the White House Rose Garden this afternoon , Trump declared : “ We may have to include them in the list of countries we will – you could say ban or whatever it is – during this period of time .
But yeah , their numbers have gone up fairly precipitously over the last 24 hours , so we may be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ couple of others , and we may frankly start about taking some off.
” The news comes less than a day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson callously insisted that “ many more families are going to lose loved ones before their time.
” Britain ’ s response appears to be along the lines of developing “ herd immunity ” which requires most of the population to be willingly exposed to the virus .
This will mean that many thousands , if not hundreds of thousands , could die under the UK government strategy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the world has been willing to countenance .
Originally , Britain was believed by the U.S. government to be responding responsibly to the outbreak .
Prime Minister Johnson proved them wrong , fast .
Britain ’ s health minister Nadine Dorries and her mother both recently tested positive for the coronavirus .
The U.S. President used his address to announce a “ national emergency ” – another step the Johnson government has shunned .
This makes $ 50bn available for the national response .
The executive order released today reads as follows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may exercise the authority under section 1135 of the SSA to temporarily waive or modify certain requirements of the Medicare , Medicaid , and State Children ’ s Health Insurance programs and of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Privacy Rule throughout the duration of the public health emergency declared in response to the COVID‑19 outbreak .
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.
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In exercising this authority , the Secretary of HHS shall provide certification and advance written notice to the Congress as required by section 1135 ( d ) of the SSA ( 42 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
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( a ) Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect : ( i ) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency , or the head thereof ; or ( ii ) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary , administrative , or legislative proposals .
( b ) This proclamation shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations .
( c ) This proclamation is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ create any right or benefit , substantive or procedural , enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States , its departments , agencies , or entities , its officers , employees , or agents , or any other person .
The British government has not yet responded to the move .

Trump: UK May Be Added to Travel Ban Following Boris’s ‘Many More Will Die’ Plan
President Trump said today that the United Kingdom may be added to the U.S. travel ban after all, given Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his government’s inability to control the spread of coronavirus.
Speaking in the White House Rose Garden this afternoon, Trump declared: “We may have to include them in the list of countries we will – you could say ban or whatever it is – during this period of time. But yeah, their numbers have gone up fairly precipitously over the last 24 hours, so we may be adding them and may be adding a couple of others, and we may frankly start about taking some off.”
Donald Trump has said the US is considering including the UK in its European travel ban, following an increase in the number of #coronavirus cases diagnosed in Britain. For the latest on the #COVID19 outbreak in the US, click here: https://t.co/plMJoaF5dN pic.twitter.com/FQyQKr1Jqj — Sky News (@SkyNews) March 13, 2020
The news comes less than a day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson callously insisted that “many more families are going to lose loved ones before their time.”
Britain’s response appears to be along the lines of developing “herd immunity” which requires most of the population to be willingly exposed to the virus.
This will mean that many thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, could die under the UK government strategy – a response that no other government in the world has been willing to countenance.
Originally, Britain was believed by the U.S. government to be responding responsibly to the outbreak. Prime Minister Johnson proved them wrong, fast.
Britain’s health minister Nadine Dorries and her mother both recently tested positive for the coronavirus.
"This is the worst public health crisis for a generation" UK PM Boris Johnson says it is "not right" to compare coronavirus to flu, adding "many more families are going to lose loved ones before their time" as the virus spreadshttps://t.co/0jp2YH9bl2 #CoronavirusPandemic pic.twitter.com/WriDAlPjIT — BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) March 12, 2020
The U.S. President used his address to announce a “national emergency” – another step the Johnson government has shunned.
This makes $50bn available for the national response.
The executive order released today reads as follows:
Section 1 . Emergency Authority . The Secretary of HHS may exercise the authority under section 1135 of the SSA to temporarily waive or modify certain requirements of the Medicare, Medicaid, and State Children’s Health Insurance programs and of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Privacy Rule throughout the duration of the public health emergency declared in response to the COVID‑19 outbreak.
Sec . 2 . Certification and Notice . In exercising this authority, the Secretary of HHS shall provide certification and advance written notice to the Congress as required by section 1135(d) of the SSA (42 U.S.C. 1320b-5(d)).
Sec . 3 . General Provisions . (a) Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This proclamation shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This proclamation is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
The British government has not yet responded to the move.


bonginoreport--2020-03-13--Israeli Scientists Making Major Progress on Coronavirus Vaccine

JERUSALEM : Scientists in Israel are expected to announce in the coming days that they have completed development of a vaccine for the new coronavirus COVID-19 , according to a media report here.Quoting medical sources , Israeli daily Ha'aretz , reported on Thursday that scientists at the Israel 's Institute for Biological Research , supervised by the Prime Minister 's office , have recently had a significant breakthrough in understanding the biological mechanism and qualities of the virus , including better diagnostic capability , production of antibodies for those who already have the virus and development of a vaccine.The development @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of tests and experiments that may last many months before the vaccination is deemed effective or safe to use , the report said.The Defence Ministry , however , did not confirm the same in its response to the daily .
`` There has been no breakthrough in the efforts of the biological institute to find a vaccine for the coronavirus or to develop testing kits .
The institute 's work is conducted according to an orderly work plan and it will take time .
If and when there will be something to report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ orderly fashion '' , the Defence Ministry told Ha'aretz .
`` The biological institute is a world-renowned research and development agency , which relies on experienced researchers and scientists with great knowledge and quality infrastructures .
There are now more than 50 experienced scientists working at the institute on researching and developing a medical remedy for the virus , '' it added.The Institute for Biological Research , located in the central Israeli town of Nes Tziona , was established in 1952 as part of the Israel Defence Forces ' Science Corps , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under the supervision of the Prime Minister 's Office , but is in close communication with the Defence Ministry , as per the report.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is said to have ordered the institute to devote resources to develop a vaccine for Covid-19 on Feb 1.The normal process of development of such a vaccine requires a long process of pre-clinical trials on animals , followed by clinical trials .
This period allows for a full characterization of side effects and a better understanding of how different populations are affected , the daily said.The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may accelerate this process in order to vaccinate as many people who are most at risk from the virus , it said.Israel 's most popular news portal , Ynet , reported about three weeks ago that five shipments of virus samples arrived here from Japan , Italy and other countries.They were brought by a specially secured Defence Ministry courier to the Institute for Biological Research and had been frozen at -80 degrees Celsius , it said.There has been intensive work , including by leading experts , to develop the vaccine since then.Experts believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ develop a vaccine runs from a few months to a year and a half.Numerous research teams all over the world are participating in the race to develop a vaccine for COVID-19 .
Many of them at this point are focusing on the way the virus presents itself in animals , with the biggest hurdle being the way it morphs when it moves from animals to human beings.China released the genetic sequence of the virus on open scientific databases shortly after its outbreak in January so that research institutes and commercial companies could try @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to obtain samples.Around a month and a half after the genetic sequence was published , biotechnology company Moderna , Inc. , based in Boston , Massachussets , announced it had completed the development of a possible coronavirus vaccine , Ha'aretz reported.The vaccine was sent to the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , with clinical trials , which will include up to 25 health participants to start in April , the report said.Any vaccine developed in Israel will presumably also need to go through a similar or even stricter process before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the daily said .

JERUSALEM: Scientists in Israel are expected to announce in the coming days that they have completed development of a vaccine for the new coronavirus COVID-19, according to a media report here.Quoting medical sources, Israeli daily Ha'aretz, reported on Thursday that scientists at the Israel's Institute for Biological Research , supervised by the Prime Minister's office, have recently had a significant breakthrough in understanding the biological mechanism and qualities of the virus, including better diagnostic capability, production of antibodies for those who already have the coronavirus and development of a vaccine.The development process, however, requires a series of tests and experiments that may last many months before the vaccination is deemed effective or safe to use, the report said. However, the Defence Ministry did not confirm the same in its response to the daily."There has been no breakthrough in the efforts of the biological institute to find a vaccine for the coronavirus or to develop testing kits. The institute's work is conducted according to an orderly work plan and it will take time. If and when there will be something to report, it will be done in an orderly fashion", the Defence Ministry told Ha'aretz."The biological institute is a world-renowned research and development agency, which relies on experienced researchers and scientists with great knowledge and quality infrastructures. There are now more than 50 experienced scientists working at the institute on researching and developing a medical remedy for the virus," it added.The Institute for Biological Research, located in the central Israeli town of Nes Tziona, was established in 1952 as part of the Israel Defence Forces' Science Corps, and later became a civilian organisation.It is technically under the supervision of the Prime Minister's Office, but is in close communication with the Defence Ministry, as per the report.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is said to have ordered the institute to devote resources to develop a vaccine for Covid-19 on Feb 1.The normal process of development of such a vaccine requires a long process of pre-clinical trials on animals, followed by clinical trials. This period allows for a full characterization of side effects and a better understanding of how different populations are affected, the daily said.The global emergency over the coronavirus pandemic however may accelerate this process in order to vaccinate as many people who are most at risk from the virus, it said.Israel's most popular news portal, Ynet , reported about three weeks ago that five shipments of virus samples arrived here from Japan, Italy and other countries.They were brought by a specially secured Defence Ministry courier to the Institute for Biological Research and had been frozen at -80 degrees Celsius, it said.There has been intensive work, including by leading experts, to develop the vaccine since then.Experts believe that the length of time needed to develop a vaccine runs from a few months to a year and a half.Numerous research teams all over the world are participating in the race to develop a vaccine for COVID-19. Many of them at this point are focusing on the way the virus presents itself in animals, with the biggest hurdle being the way it morphs when it moves from animals to human beings.China released the genetic sequence of the virus on open scientific databases shortly after its outbreak in January so that research institutes and commercial companies could try to develop treatments and vaccines without requiring to obtain samples.Around a month and a half after the genetic sequence was published, biotechnology company Moderna, Inc., based in Boston, Massachussets, announced it had completed the development of a possible coronavirus vaccine , Ha'aretz reported.The vaccine was sent to the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, with clinical trials, which will include up to 25 health participants to start in April, the report said.Any vaccine developed in Israel will presumably also need to go through a similar or even stricter process before it will be approved for use, the daily said.


bonginoreport--2020-03-13--Bill Gates Leaves Microsoft’s Board

Bill Gates Leaves Microsoft’s Board

Microsoft announced on Friday that Bill Gates is leaving the board , effective Friday .
Gates is also stepping down from his position on the board of Berkshire Hathaway .
`` I have made the decision to step down from both of the public boards on which I serve – Microsoft and Berkshire Hathaway – to dedicate more time to philanthropic priorities including global health and development , education , and my increasing engagement in tackling climate change , '' Gates said on LinkedIn .
`` The leadership at the Berkshire companies and Microsoft has never been stronger , so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ step . ''
`` With respect to Microsoft , stepping down from the board in no way means stepping away from the company , '' Gates said .
`` Microsoft will always be an important part of my life 's work and I will continue to be engaged with Satya and the technical leadership to help shape the vision and achieve the company 's ambitious goals .
I feel more optimistic than ever about the progress the company is making and how it can continue to benefit the world . ''
Gates co-founded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who died in 2018 .
Gates was CEO until 2000 when Steve Ballmer took over the role .
Microsoft 's current CEO , Satya Nadella , took over in 2014 .
Gates was director of the board at Microsoft until 2014 but began dedicating more of his time to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2008 .

Microsoft announced on Friday that Bill Gates is leaving the board, effective Friday. Gates is also stepping down from his position on the board of Berkshire Hathaway .
"I have made the decision to step down from both of the public boards on which I serve – Microsoft and Berkshire Hathaway – to dedicate more time to philanthropic priorities including global health and development, education, and my increasing engagement in tackling climate change," Gates said on LinkedIn. "The leadership at the Berkshire companies and Microsoft has never been stronger, so the time is right to take this step."
"With respect to Microsoft, stepping down from the board in no way means stepping away from the company," Gates said. "Microsoft will always be an important part of my life's work and I will continue to be engaged with Satya and the technical leadership to help shape the vision and achieve the company's ambitious goals. I feel more optimistic than ever about the progress the company is making and how it can continue to benefit the world."
Gates co-founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen, who died in 2018. Gates was CEO until 2000 when Steve Ballmer took over the role. Microsoft's current CEO, Satya Nadella, took over in 2014. Gates was director of the board at Microsoft until 2014 but began dedicating more of his time to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2008.


bonginoreport--2020-03-13--President Trump Will “Most Likely” be Tested for Coronavirus Soon

President Trump said Friday he will “ most likely ” be tested for coronavirus “ fairly soon , ” after having been in contact with several individuals who have self-quarantined , or tested positive , for the virus .
He made the comments during a Rose Garden press conference where he declared a national emergency over the coronavirus outbreak and announced partnerships with major U.S. companies to expand testing capabilities .
Trump 's announcement Friday also comes amid conflicting reports over whether another person who came in contact with Trump in recent days—Brazil ’ s President Jair Bolsonaro—tested positive .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he does not have any symptoms of coronavirus , or COVID-19 .
Earlier this week , several Republican lawmakers went into self-quarantine , after an attendee of the Conservative Political Action Conference on Feb. 26 to Feb. 29 notified CPAC organizers that he had tested positive .
TRUMP DOUBLES DOWN ON CALL FOR PAYROLL TAX CUT AMID COVID-19 Both Trump and Vice President Pence , who has been appointed to lead the official Coronavirus Task Force , attended and spoke at CPAC .
Neither came in contact with the ill individual , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , though , had direct contact with Rep. Doug Collins on a trip last Friday to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) in Atlanta , and Rep. Matt Gaetz traveled on Air Force One on Monday .
Both are in self-quarantine .
On Friday , amid the reports about his father , Bolsonaro ’ s son Eduardo told Fox News his father tested negative for coronavirus , contradicting earlier reports that the South American leader had tested positive .
Bolsonaro had been tested after one of his deputies , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Florida resort , was diagnosed with COVID-19 : Fabio Wajngarten , the communications secretary for the 64-year-old Brazilian leader who had traveled to Miami for the meeting as well , showed flu-like symptoms and tested positive for the virus early Wednesday .
Reports out of Brazil had initially indicated Bolsonaro had tested positive , and his son appeared to confirm this to Fox News earlier Friday , adding that further testing was being done to confirm the diagnosis and the second set of testing was expected later in the day .
However , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's Newsroom , '' Eduardo denied his father had ever tested positive .
He denied his father was showing any symptoms .
“ He is okay , ” he confirmed .
The confusion surrounding the results came just days after Bolsonaro met with Trump at the U.S. leader 's Florida home , Mar-a-Lago .
CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP The developments also came after Peter Dutton , Australia 's minister for home affairs , tested positive after traveling back from Washington D.C. , where he met Attorney General William Barr and @ @ @

President Trump said Friday he will “most likely” be tested for coronavirus “fairly soon,” after having been in contact with several individuals who have self-quarantined, or tested positive, for the virus.
He made the comments during a Rose Garden press conference where he declared a national emergency over the coronavirus outbreak and announced partnerships with major U.S. companies to expand testing capabilities.
TRUMP DECLARES NATIONAL EMERGENCY OVER CORONAVIRUS, ENLISTS PRIVATE SECTOR
Trump's announcement Friday also comes amid conflicting reports over whether another person who came in contact with Trump in recent days—Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro—tested positive.
The president, decisively, told reporters that he does not have any symptoms of coronavirus, or COVID-19.
Earlier this week, several Republican lawmakers went into self-quarantine, after an attendee of the Conservative Political Action Conference on Feb. 26 to Feb. 29 notified CPAC organizers that he had tested positive.
TRUMP DOUBLES DOWN ON CALL FOR PAYROLL TAX CUT AMID COVID-19
Both Trump and Vice President Pence, who has been appointed to lead the official Coronavirus Task Force, attended and spoke at CPAC. Neither came in contact with the ill individual, according to the White House.
Trump, though, had direct contact with Rep. Doug Collins on a trip last Friday to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, and Rep. Matt Gaetz traveled on Air Force One on Monday. Both are in self-quarantine.
On Friday, amid the reports about his father, Bolsonaro’s son Eduardo told Fox News his father tested negative for coronavirus, contradicting earlier reports that the South American leader had tested positive.
Bolsonaro had been tested after one of his deputies, who was also in attendance at the Florida resort, was diagnosed with COVID-19: Fabio Wajngarten, the communications secretary for the 64-year-old Brazilian leader who had traveled to Miami for the meeting as well, showed flu-like symptoms and tested positive for the virus early Wednesday.
Reports out of Brazil had initially indicated Bolsonaro had tested positive, and his son appeared to confirm this to Fox News earlier Friday, adding that further testing was being done to confirm the diagnosis and the second set of testing was expected later in the day. However, in a subsequent appearance on "America's Newsroom," Eduardo denied his father had ever tested positive.
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE
He denied his father was showing any symptoms. “He is okay,” he confirmed.
The confusion surrounding the results came just days after Bolsonaro met with Trump at the U.S. leader's Florida home, Mar-a-Lago.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP
The developments also came after Peter Dutton, Australia's minister for home affairs, tested positive after traveling back from Washington D.C., where he met Attorney General William Barr and Ivanka Trump.
Fox News’ Chris Irvine contributed to this report.


bonginoreport--2020-03-13--Coronavirus Fact and Fiction

Coronavirus Fact and Fiction

[ This post was updated on 3/12/20 ] .
As a physician , I ’ ve posted on the coronavirus two times this past week to try to answer the bevy of patient and family questions I have received .
My second post was shared very widely and generated lots of comments from many freaked out and frightened people .
Hence , I ’ ve taken the biggest misconceptions I have seen in those comments and in the media and reviewed them with this post .
I have to say , that after being a doctor for 31 years , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve seen anything quite like this level of abject panic regarding a respiratory virus in my career .
While this is a bad bug that can overwhelm health systems and should be taken seriously , the misinformation is spinning out of control .
Again , if you focus on the actual hard data , it paints a different picture .
As of this morning , we have just over 4,000 deaths worldwide .
Again , the average seasonal flu kills between 291,000 to 646,000 people worldwide each year ( 15 ) .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ had 20,000 flu deaths this season with 350,000 hospitalizations ( 16 ) .
Today , on average , 48,219 people will die of cardiac disease ( 17 ) .
So why the abject panic ?
It ’ s being fueled by some in the media .
As I ’ ll show below , when you have trusted names like Sanjay Gupta fanning the flames of fear rather than correctly interpreting data , you can see why people are so freaked .
• None The mortality rate of coronavirus is 2-3 % !
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recently by Sanjay Gupta who should know better .
At a White House press conference , Dr. Sanjay Gupta said , “ the flu has a fatality rate of about 0.1 % , this has a fatality rate of somewhere between 2-3 % … ” COVID-19 DOES NOT have a 2-3 % mortality rate .
That number comes from the Chinese Wuhan data .
The issue is that that number represents mostly sick people tested for the disease versus total deaths .
Regrettably , that ’ s NOT how a mortality rate is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contracted the disease as the denominator .
See my diagram below : The outside of Wuhan mortality , where there was wider testing of most that had contracted the disease , was 0.4 % based on a report published by the Chinese CDC ( 7 ) .
Mortality on the Princess Cruise outside Japan ( the only place so far where you can be sure that you tested all exposed in a closed environment ) , was 0.85 % and only those over 70 died ( 8 ) .
In South Korea , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the case fatality rate is 0.65 % ( 18 ) .
Germany has announced that it ’ s mortality rate is 0.2 % ( 20 ) .
So what ’ s the real mortality rate ?
Under 1 % .
The mortality rate for influenza varies by type and immunization effectiveness , but mortality among those 75 years and older is much higher than for the young and is over 1 % ( 9 ) .
So we have mortality rates that are pretty close here .
Hence , Sanjay Gupta wasn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement that in the elderly the coronavirus is about as deadly as the flu is more accurate .
You could also say that it ’ s harder to treat than the flu and that more middle-aged people need intensive care and that these needs can quickly overwhelm health systems .
However , Sanjay should know that the 2-3 % number he threw out is likely not accurate and the reasons why it ’ s likely inflated .
Here are some media outlets I would like to congratulate as they have actually reported on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • SLATE-COVID-19 Isn ’ t As Deadly As We Think • NPR-Why The Death Rate From Coronavirus Is Plunging In China • ABC News-Early mortality rates for coronavirus are likely misleading , experts say .
Children and adults have done extremely well in terms of recovery , say doctors .
• None Coronavirus is aerosolized and the flu is not , hence the spread of this disease is much more than the flu .
This is nonsense .
The flu virus is also aerosolized which is the primary way it ’ s spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ survives MUCH longer on surfaces than the flu virus , which is up to 9 days on plastic !
This rumor was started by the Washington Post and is also not accurate as written ( 10 ) .
First , for comparison , the flu virus survives on hard surfaces for about 9 hours and several hours in fluid droplets ( aerosols ) in the air , with low temperatures increasing the survival of the virus in these droplets ( 2 ) .
Many respiratory viruses die off as the temperature goes up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is in the winter .
At this point , according to the CDC , there is no evidence that Coronavirus is spread by surface contact ( 3 ) .
The Washington Post article was based on a statement in the conclusion of a research study that found that on most surfaces , other coronaviruses ( NOT the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 ) survived various lengths of time from hours to days ( 11 ) .
The study that reported that a coronavirus could survive for 9 days on plastic really didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
While that research showed that a different coronavirus survived for 9 days on plastic , by 48 hours the viral load was 10,000 times less !
So “ survives ” is a relative term .
In fact , another study included in the same review paper showed a similar coronavirus only practically survived for 2-3 days on plastic , which fits with the fact that the viral load is falling steeply after that time ( 4 ) .
So how “ spreadable ” is this virus ?
The data from the Princess @ @ @ @ @ @ @ environment where you have almost 4,000 people that live in one space for 2 weeks and infected people touch all sorts of shared surfaces , shows that only about 20 % of the people on the ship were positive ( 8 ) .
Given that this one spreads through water droplets from coughing and cruise ships are known to spread respiratory viruses , that spread is pretty typical for the average flu or cold virus .
On the other side of that argument is a new study out of China which has not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This suggests that the coronavirus is more contagious than the flu .
It will be interesting to see how this paper fares in the stringent peer-review process .
However , it ’ s critical to look at data from both sides of this argument .
• None The coronavirus will ramp up in the US over the next few months and by summer we will become China , a country on lockdown with millions of cases and our health system will crash .
Blogger Liz Specht gets a raspberry for getting this one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ May we would have some 5.4 million cases in the U.S. using her pandemic math .
The problem is that Liz isn ’ t a physician , so she seems to have missed this graph put out by the CDC ( 12 ) : The peak months of U.S. viral flu transmission ( which this virus will follow as well as it ’ s primary spread is aerosolization through coughing ) are December through March .
This is because the survival of viruses in water droplets falls off the map when the temps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 36 years graphed here ( 1982-2018 ) we have never had a flu peak in April or May .
The graph for other viruses looks similar .
Hence , while the spread of the virus may well be somewhat contained by testing and quarantine which is unprecedented in the US at this scale , mother nature will be the rate-limiting step in the U.S. pandemic math since warmer weather reduces viral spread .
• None Forget about China , the real disaster is Italy !
It ’ s hard to get much data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve tried translating press releases put out by the Italian Health Ministry , but they don ’ t have all that much information .
We do know that Italy as of this writing has 9,172 coronavirus cases and has had 463 deaths .
So while it ’ s true that the numbers look awful and their health system is seriously overtaxed ( the reports are that they are running low on critical ventilators ) , an interesting bit of information was reported by the BBC .
The Italian health ministry says that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is 81.4 years ( 6 ) .
Why is that number VERY important ?
It means that the data out of Italy so far is following the information we have from the Princess Cruise ship .
The mortality is clustering around the very old , which is the same for the flu ( 13 ) .
• None If you have cold symptoms , you probably have the coronavirus !
I heard this one on a local radio station .
The main symptoms of COVID-19 are not the sniffles or a runny nose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a fever and a dry cough with or without shortness of breath ( 14 ) .
The coronavirus misinformation machine continues to spin out of control .
You can ’ t turn around without hearing a factoid from usually credible sources that can be easily debunked .
So listen to the CDC and get yourself tested if you have symptoms .
Observe strict quarantine protocols if you test positive .
If you ’ re sick and unsure , just stay home .
In the meantime , wash your hands and take a deep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Episode 1-Why I am NOT Concerned About the Coronavirus • Click here for Coronavirus Episode 3-Keep Calm and Carry On… [ Given that the comments sections on prior coronavirus posts were not constructive , they will be suspended for this post ] .
( 2 ) Greatorex JS , Digard P , Curran MD , Moynihan R , Wensley H , Wreghitt T , et al .
( 2011 ) Survival of Influenza A ( H1N1 ) on Materials Found in Households : Implications for Infection Control .
PLoS ONE 6 ( 11 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( 3 ) Centers for Disease Control .
Environmental Cleaning and Disinfection Recommendations : Interim Recommendations for US Households with Suspected/Confirmed Coronavirus Disease 2019. https : //www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/home/cleaning-disinfection.html .
Accessed 3/9/20 ( 4 ) Duan SM , Zhao XS , Wen RF , Huang JJ , Pi GH , Zhang SX , Han J , Bi SL , Ruan L , Dong XP ; SARS Research Team .
Stability of SARS coronavirus in human specimens and environment and its sensitivity to heating and UV irradiation .
Biomed Environ Sci .
2003 Sep ; 16 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( 5 ) Rabenau , H.F. , Cinatl , J. , Morgenstern , B. et al .
Stability and inactivation of SARS coronavirus .
Med Microbiol Immunol 194 , 1–6 ( 2005 ) .
https : //doi.org/10.1007/s00430-004-0219-0 ( 7 ) Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention CCDC Weekly .
The Epidemiological Characteristics of an Outbreak of 2019 Novel Coronavirus Diseases ( COVID-19 ) — China , 2020 .
Vol .
2 .
No .
8. http : //weekly.chinacdc.cn/fileCCDCW/journal/article/ccdcw/2020/8/PDF/COVID-19.pdf ( 8 ) Faust J. COVID-19 Isn ’ t As Deadly As We Think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3/6/20 .
( 9 ) Chung , J. , Hsu , C. , Chen , J. et al .
Geriatric influenza death ( GID ) score : a new tool for predicting mortality in older people with influenza in the emergency department .
Sci Rep 8 , 9312 ( 2018 ) .
https : //doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-27694-6 ( 11 ) Kampf , G. et al .
Persistence of coronaviruses on inanimate surfaces and their inactivation with biocidal agents .
Journal of Hospital Infection , Volume 104 , Issue 3 , 246 – 251. https : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) Czaja CA , Miller LA , Alden N , et al .
Herlihy , Age-Related Differences in Hospitalization Rates , Clinical Presentation , and Outcomes Among Older Adults Hospitalized With Influenza—U.S .
Influenza Hospitalization Surveillance Network ( FluSurv-NET ) , Open Forum Infectious Diseases , Volume 6 , Issue 7 , July 2019 , ofz225 , https : //doi.org/10.1093/ofid/ofz225 ( 15 ) Iuliano AD , Roguski KM , Chang HH , et al .
Estimates of global seasonal influenza-associated respiratory mortality : a modelling study [ published correction appears in Lancet .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lancet .
2018 ; 391 ( 10127 ) :1285–1300 .
doi : 10.1016/S0140-6736 ( 17 ) 33293-2 ( 18 ) Kolate G. Coronavirus Is Very Different From the Spanish Flu of 1918 .
Here ’ s How .
The New York Times .
https : //www.nytimes.com/2020/03/09/science/coronavirus-is-very-different-from-the-spanish-flu-of-1918-heres-how.html Accessed 3/10/20 ( 19 ) Sanche S , et al .
The Novel Coronavirus , 2019-nCoV , is Highly Contagious and More Infectious Than Initially Estimated .
medRxiv Preprint Server .
doi : https : //doi.org/10.1101/2020.02.07.20021154 Accessed 3/11/20

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bonginoreport--2020-03-13--Canadian Research Team Isolates Coronavirus

A team of researchers from Sunnybrook , McMaster University and the University of Toronto has isolated severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 ( SARS-CoV-2 ) , the agent responsible for the ongoing outbreak of COVID-19 .
Thanks to nimble collaboration , the team was able to culture the virus from two clinical specimens in a Level 3 containment facility .
“ We need key tools to develop solutions to this pandemic .
While the immediate response is crucial , longer-term solutions come from essential research into this novel virus , ” said Dr. Samira Mubareka , microbiologist and infectious diseases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will help researchers in Canada and across the world develop better diagnostic testing , treatments and vaccines , and gain a better understanding of SARS-CoV-2 biology , evolution and clinical shedding .
“ Researchers from these world-class institutions came together in a grassroots way to successfully isolate the virus in just a few short weeks , ” said Dr .
Rob Kozak , clinical microbiologist at Sunnybrook .
“ It demonstrates the amazing things that can happen when we collaborate.
” Dr. Arinjay Banerjee , NSERC post-doctoral fellow at McMaster University , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stop there .
“ Now that we have isolated the SARS-CoV-2 virus , we can share this with other researchers and continue this teamwork , ” he said .
“ The more viruses that are made available in this way , the more we can learn , collaborate and share.
” Congratulations to the researchers from these three Canadian institutions : Dr. Samira Mubareka and Dr .
Rob Kozak of Sunnybrook and University of Toronto ; Dr. Arinjay Banerjee and Dr. Karen Mossman of McMaster University .
With gratitude to the CL3 team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plays key role in isolating COVID-19 virus for use in urgent research • U of T and Sunnybrook virologists work on tools to combat coronavirus outbreak

A team of researchers from Sunnybrook, McMaster University and the University of Toronto has isolated severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the agent responsible for the ongoing outbreak of COVID-19.
Thanks to nimble collaboration, the team was able to culture the virus from two clinical specimens in a Level 3 containment facility.
“We need key tools to develop solutions to this pandemic. While the immediate response is crucial, longer-term solutions come from essential research into this novel virus,” said Dr. Samira Mubareka, microbiologist and infectious diseases physician at Sunnybrook.
The isolated virus will help researchers in Canada and across the world develop better diagnostic testing, treatments and vaccines, and gain a better understanding of SARS-CoV-2 biology, evolution and clinical shedding.
“Researchers from these world-class institutions came together in a grassroots way to successfully isolate the virus in just a few short weeks,” said Dr. Rob Kozak, clinical microbiologist at Sunnybrook. “It demonstrates the amazing things that can happen when we collaborate.”
Dr. Arinjay Banerjee, NSERC post-doctoral fellow at McMaster University, said he knows the collaboration won’t stop there.
“Now that we have isolated the SARS-CoV-2 virus, we can share this with other researchers and continue this teamwork,” he said. “The more viruses that are made available in this way, the more we can learn, collaborate and share.”
Congratulations to the researchers from these three Canadian institutions: Dr. Samira Mubareka and Dr. Rob Kozak of Sunnybrook and University of Toronto; Dr. Arinjay Banerjee and Dr. Karen Mossman of McMaster University.
With gratitude to the CL3 team and Biosafety Officers.
Read more:
Help support COVID-19 research at Sunnybrook


bonginoreport--2020-03-13--Sec. Mnuchin: White House and Congress Close to Reaching Coronavirus Stimulus Deal

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told CNBC on Friday the White House and Congress are nearing a deal on stimulus and @ @ @ @ @ to doing whatever it takes to spark the economy amid the coronavirus pandemic .
He @ @ @ @ @ though he mentioned previous statements from President Donald Trump advocating for a payroll tax holiday @ @ @ @ @ end of the year .
`` I think we 're very close to getting this @ @ @ @ @ in a `` Squawk on the Street '' interview .
`` The president is absolutely @ @ @ @ @ an entire government effort , that we will be working with the House and Senate @ @ @ @ @ that the administration , working with the Federal Reserve , will take aggressive measures to @ @ @ @ @ to capital .
`` There will be liquidity available , '' Mnuchin said .
`` @ @ @ @ @ , whatever the Fed needs to do , whatever Congress needs to do , we @ @ @ @ @ will be an entire whole-of-government approach led by the president . ''

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told CNBC on Friday the White House and Congress are nearing a deal on stimulus and that the administration is committed to doing whatever it takes to spark the economy amid the coronavirus pandemic.
He did not provide specifics, though he mentioned previous statements from President Donald Trump advocating for a payroll tax holiday that could last through the end of the year.
"I think we're very close to getting this done," Mnuchin said in a "Squawk on the Street" interview. "The president is absolutely committed that this will be an entire government effort, that we will be working with the House and Senate."
He also promised that the administration, working with the Federal Reserve, will take aggressive measures to make sure businesses have access to capital.
"There will be liquidity available," Mnuchin said. "Whatever we need to do, whatever the Fed needs to do, whatever Congress needs to do, we will provide liquidity and this will be an entire whole-of-government approach led by the president."


bonginoreport--2020-03-14--Biden’s Virtual Town Hall a Complete Train Wreck

Somebody thought it was a good idea to have 77-year-old Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden host a virtual town hall event on Friday .
Who would have guessed that the same candidate who told Americans to listen to their record players at a debate last year might run into some technical difficulties ?
Awkward video of people sitting in front of their computers and random audio feeds dominated the first 14 minutes of the 38-minute event .
After a short introduction by Dick Durbin , Biden finally made an appearance around the 15-minute mark and began speaking – or began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there was no audio from Mr. Biden for the first minute or so .
When Biden 's audio did come through , it was garbled and cut in and out , denying viewers the privilege of catching who knows how many gaffes .
Perhaps that was by design ...
Anyway , the first half-hour of the 38-minute town hall was a complete waste .
The problem was finally rectified around minute 31 when somebody gave the former vice president a cell phone to capture his audio .
`` Am I on camera ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ one point .
Biden then struggled to recall the date of the next presidential inauguration .
While discussing his promise to expand Obamacare , Biden said , `` ...
But even I ca n't do that for another two years -- another year -- between now and November .
Or actually January . ''
And while the candidate was discussing the Endangered Species Act , he seemed to forget he was even on camera and started pacing around the room .
His team , surely exhausted at this point , put an image @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidate as he wandered about .
The campaign apologized for the problem-riddled event .

Somebody thought it was a good idea to have 77-year-old Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden host a virtual town hall event on Friday. Who would have guessed that the same candidate who told Americans to listen to their record players at a debate last year might run into some technical difficulties?
Awkward video of people sitting in front of their computers and random audio feeds dominated the first 14 minutes of the 38-minute event. After a short introduction by Dick Durbin, Biden finally made an appearance around the 15-minute mark and began speaking – or began moving his mouth at least – because there was no audio from Mr. Biden for the first minute or so.
When Biden's audio did come through, it was garbled and cut in and out, denying viewers the privilege of catching who knows how many gaffes. Perhaps that was by design... Anyway, the first half-hour of the 38-minute town hall was a complete waste. The problem was finally rectified around minute 31 when somebody gave the former vice president a cell phone to capture his audio.
"Am I on camera?" Biden can be heard asking at one point.
Biden then struggled to recall the date of the next presidential inauguration.
While discussing his promise to expand Obamacare, Biden said, "... But even I can't do that for another two years -- another year -- between now and November. Or actually January."
And while the candidate was discussing the Endangered Species Act, he seemed to forget he was even on camera and started pacing around the room. His team, surely exhausted at this point, put an image up on the screen to obscure the candidate as he wandered about.
It was a disaster.
THREAD.
Joe Biden doesn't understand the concept of time.
The latest example: tonight.
During his virtual town hall, he got the time frame between now and November WRONG by well over a year.pic.twitter.com/fAX3CNQfL4 — Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) March 14, 2020
The campaign apologized for the problem-riddled event.


bonginoreport--2020-03-14--D.C. Circuit Court to Rehear Case Over Border Wall Funding

The D.C .
Circuit Court of Appeals will rehear arguments in two Trump administration cases over a House subpoena to White House counsel Don McGahn and funding for a southern border wall .
The court vacated previous rulings in both cases on Friday , according to Politico .
Arguments for each are scheduled for April 28 in front of the full D.C .
Circuit .
House lawmakers petitioned the court last week to revisit a lawsuit to force McGahn through subpoena to testify to Congress .
A divided three-judge panel ruled on Feb. 28 that the Judiciary could not decide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two coequal branches of government .
The ruling was a major victory for President Trump .
The House subpoenaed McGahn last night while investigating Trump on impeachment charges related to his foreign policy with Ukraine .
Trump claimed executive privilege over McGahn ’ s testimony , resulting in the House lawsuit .
Last year , Democratic lawmakers accused the president of withholding military aid from Ukraine to secure investigations into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden .
The House impeached the president in December on charges of abuse of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the second charge based , in part , on Trump ’ s claim of executive privilege over McGahn ’ s testimony .
The second case due to be reheard by the D.C .
Circuit is over whether Congress can sue to block the Trump administration from diverting unspent military construction funding toward building a wall on the United States-Mexico border .
Trump declared a national emergency last year and diverted $ 3.6 billion toward border wall construction , and the court approved Trump 's action in January after House lawmakers sued .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 7.2 billion in 2020 .

The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals will rehear arguments in two Trump administration cases over a House subpoena to White House counsel Don McGahn and funding for a southern border wall.
The court vacated previous rulings in both cases on Friday, according to Politico. Arguments for each are scheduled for April 28 in front of the full D.C. Circuit.
House lawmakers petitioned the court last week to revisit a lawsuit to force McGahn through subpoena to testify to Congress. A divided three-judge panel ruled on Feb. 28 that the Judiciary could not decide what amounted to a political debate between two coequal branches of government.
The ruling was a major victory for President Trump. The House subpoenaed McGahn last night while investigating Trump on impeachment charges related to his foreign policy with Ukraine. Trump claimed executive privilege over McGahn’s testimony, resulting in the House lawsuit.
Last year, Democratic lawmakers accused the president of withholding military aid from Ukraine to secure investigations into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden. The House impeached the president in December on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, with the second charge based, in part, on Trump’s claim of executive privilege over McGahn’s testimony.
The second case due to be reheard by the D.C. Circuit is over whether Congress can sue to block the Trump administration from diverting unspent military construction funding toward building a wall on the United States-Mexico border. Trump declared a national emergency last year and diverted $3.6 billion toward border wall construction, and the court approved Trump's action in January after House lawmakers sued. The president plans to divert an additional $7.2 billion in 2020.


bonginoreport--2020-03-14--Google-Funded Think Tank Chief Wishes Coronavirus Would Kill Trump

The head of a Google-funded think tank is resigning after suggesting to his Twitter followers that he would like to see President Donald Trump die from coronavirus , Politico reported Friday .
TechFreedom president Berin Szóka is going on an indefinite sabbatical to write a book on tech policy , the libertarian-leaning group told Politico .
Szóka got into some hot water Monday after saying on Twitter that it would be “ poetic justice ” for Trump to die from the deadly virus .
“ Serious question : could there possibly any greater poetic justice in the universe than for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Szóka tweeted in reference to Trump ’ s presence at the Conservative Political Action Conference .
One person who attended CPAC tested positive for the virus .
Szóka apologized several days after sharing the tweet .
“ Earlier this week , I sent a thoughtless tweet making an inappropriate comment about the President that I deeply regret , ” he tweeted Thursday .
“ I was wrong to tweet it and deleted it .
Again , I apologize.
” TechFreedom is linked to billionaire Charles Koch and gets funding from Google @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Think Tank Hopes Trump Will Die From Coronavirus ) Szóka has a reputation for being a dogged supporter of Silicon Valley and a fierce opponent of conservatives who are attempting to reform a law that protects tech companies from being sued for content posted on their platforms .
His decision to step down comes at an awkward time for TechFreedom .
Szóka ’ s tweet came on the same day The Washington Post included him as an expert in their Techology 202 Network .
Several Republican lawmakers have self-quarantined after being exposed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus .
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz , for instance , decided to self-isolate after coming into contact with the unnamed person .
TechFreedom has not replied to the Daily Caller News Foundation ’ s request for comment .
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience .
For licensing opportunities of our original content , please contact licensing @ dailycallernewsfoundation.org .

The head of a Google-funded think tank is resigning after suggesting to his Twitter followers that he would like to see President Donald Trump die from coronavirus, Politico reported Friday.
TechFreedom president Berin Szóka is going on an indefinite sabbatical to write a book on tech policy, the libertarian-leaning group told Politico. Szóka got into some hot water Monday after saying on Twitter that it would be “poetic justice” for Trump to die from the deadly virus.
“Serious question: could there possibly any greater poetic justice in the universe than for Trump to die of the #CPACvirus,” Szóka tweeted in reference to Trump’s presence at the Conservative Political Action Conference.
One person who attended CPAC tested positive for the virus.
Szóka apologized several days after sharing the tweet. “Earlier this week, I sent a thoughtless tweet making an inappropriate comment about the President that I deeply regret,” he tweeted Thursday. “I was wrong to tweet it and deleted it. Again, I apologize.”
TechFreedom is linked to billionaire Charles Koch and gets funding from Google. (RELATED: Head Of Koch-Linked Think Tank Hopes Trump Will Die From Coronavirus)
Szóka has a reputation for being a dogged supporter of Silicon Valley and a fierce opponent of conservatives who are attempting to reform a law that protects tech companies from being sued for content posted on their platforms. His decision to step down comes at an awkward time for TechFreedom.
Szóka’s tweet came on the same day The Washington Post included him as an expert in their Techology 202 Network.
Several Republican lawmakers have self-quarantined after being exposed to the CPAC attendee who was infected with the coronavirus. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, for instance, decided to self-isolate after coming into contact with the unnamed person. TechFreedom has not replied to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.


bonginoreport--2020-03-14--Surgeon General Blasts Media’s Politicization of Coronavirus

VIDEO : Surgeon General scolds media for 'partisanship , ' 'finger-pointing ' — then tells them how to help America @ @ @ @ @ can protect themselves '

Surgeon General Jerome Adams scolded the media on Saturday for the politicization of ongoing coronavirus outbreak in the United States.
Following President Donald Trump's daily update on the government's coronavirus response, Adams told the media to "hit the reset button" and cease prompting partisanship and the politicization of coronavirus.
"Straight talk from the nation's doctor: We really need you all to lean into and prioritize the health and safety of the American people," Adams said.
"No more bickering, no more partisanship, no more criticism or finger-pointing," he added.
Adams went on to say:
They'll be plenty of time for that, but we all need to hit the reset button and lean into moving forward with the health and safety of the American people as our top priority.
More stories on how people can protect themselves, more people on — how people can get the resources that they need, that we've unleashed from the federal government, and state and local government, less stories looking at what happened in the past. Again, there'll be time for that.
During Saturday's press conference, Trump also announced that he had finally been tested for coronavirus.
Trump has come into contact with several people who later tested positive for coronavirus, but the White House doctor said Friday that Trump's risk of contracting the disease remains low.


bonginoreport--2020-03-14--The Florida Primary Next Tuesday Could be Sanders’ Last Stand

MIAMI ( AP ) — Florida has never been known as a place of stability , especially in its politics .
And yet stability is what has been on the minds of many Democrats in the state who say they ’ ll vote for former Vice President Joe Biden in Tuesday ’ s presidential primary election instead of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders .
“ I like some of Sanders ’ ideas , but he ’ s a little too extreme for me , ” said Jeanne Hilburn , a 76-year-old retired teacher who lives in the suburbs of Tampa .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ me — we want stability.
” As the race for the Democratic nomination enters a penultimate phase , with Sanders ’ campaign on the brink of collapse and Biden ’ s ascendant , attention is turning to places like Florida , which is holding its primary on Tuesday along with Ohio , Illinois and Arizona .
Florida has 219 delegates , the biggest prize of next week ’ s election .
Few places hold the electoral cachet of Florida , which has been among the most coveted swing states in the last three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chaotic recount of 2000 .
It is a vital state for President Donald Trump , who would have almost no path to reelection without it .
Biden ’ s advisers are banking on a decisive Florida victory that sends a clear message that he is much better positioned to win the state and deny Trump a second term .
In 2016 , Trump defeated Hillary Clinton here by 1.2 percentage points .
“ Florida , as always , is pivotal in the outcome , ” said Nikki Fried , who is the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrat and who endorsed Biden .
“ We are the ultimate swing state.
” Sanders ’ support in Florida has always been tenuous .
In the 2016 primary , he lost to Clinton by a nearly 2-to-1 margin .
This year , Sanders angered a potentially large voting bloc — Cuban Americans — by praising Fidel Castro for implementing a literacy program in the communist nation .
“ There is nothing positive you can say about the conditions in Cuba .
If he doesn ’ t understand that , it is hard to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Xavier Suarez , who was the first Cuban-born mayor of Miami and is now running as an independent in the county mayoral race .
“ It ’ s gon na be a massacre.
” That leaves many Florida Democrats looking beyond the primary to November .
Several groups have banded together to register people to vote and mobilize for November .
One of the four groups , Organizing Together 2020 , is led by Fried .
It will hire employees , register voters , train volunteers and then turn everything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convention .
Another of the groups is For Our Future , a super PAC that is made up largely of Mike Bloomberg ’ s campaign apparatus .
A strong turnout in the Florida primary could give hope to Democrats , though it would be difficult to draw any conclusions for November given the state ’ s high number of independents .
And , to be sure , the coronavirus outbreak could keep some voters away from the polls and muffle any message from the turnout .
Democrats know it will be a challenge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million of the state ’ s 13.6 million voters are registered independents , which means they can ’ t vote in Tuesday ’ s primary but are eligible to cast ballots in the general election .
“ Florida is an interesting state .
Depending on where you ’ re at , we can be very conservative , or we can be very progressive , ” said St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman , a Democrat .
“ We also have a strong moderate and independent streak .
Biden , I think he ’ ll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And with Republicans who are looking for an alternative to President Trump.
” Ashley Walker , of Organizing Together , said a priority is grassroots door-knocking in counties that were close in 2016 , like Pinellas , home to St. Petersburg , which Trump won by 5,500 votes , and in Pasco , a suburban county just north of Tampa where voters moved to Republican candidates in the 2018 Senate and gubernatorial races .
Walker says the aim is to siphon off votes there .
“ The margins matter .
We ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County , but we ’ re going to need to close the margins so we lose less badly , ” she said .
“ And in those counties that go back-and-forth between red and blue , like Pinellas , it ’ s especially important to get organized early .
To build relationships early.
” Similarly , Biden ’ s supporters have been paying visits to Spanish-language TV shows and broadening “ diaspora outreach ” efforts in South Florida .
John Kerry , the former secretary of state and the Democratic presidential nominee in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on behalf of Biden ’ s campaign at a restaurant in Doral , the hub of Venezuelan exiles .
“ We feel good about where we are in the state , but we are not taking anything for granted , ” said Carmen Torres , of Florida Hispanics for Biden .
Democrats don ’ t have a lock on the Latino vote in Florida , particularly among the nearly 2 million residents who are originally from Cuba , Venezuela and Nicaragua , where authoritarian socialist regimes have soured many exiles toward any left-leaning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ midterm voters identify as Democrats , according to AP Vote Cast , a wide-ranging survey of the elecotrate .
But the survey said a majority , 56 % , of Cuban American midterm voters expressed approval of the way Trump was handling his job as president .
Daisy Baez , a former Democratic state lawmaker , is leading a group called “ Dominicanos con Biden ” to rally her fellow Dominican Americans to support the former vice president .
A similar effort to rally Venezuelans will roll out on Sunday .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ specific community , ” Baez said .
“ We needed to piece it down in smaller parts.
” As Sanders ’ chances diminish , Biden may also need to win over his challenger ’ s fervent supporters if an endorsement follows .
Some may not follow suit .
Nick Mora , 24 , a Florida International University Student , marched alongside 20 students on a recent afternoon on campus to persuade others to vote early for Sanders .
Mora acknowledged Sanders ’ defeat earlier this week was disappointing but said they were not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Let ’ s just say Joe Biden does not have the same policy proposals as Bernie , ” Mora said .
“ I feel like the progressive movement is being pushed down , and there ’ s not much we can do about it if we vote for Joe Biden , so we are still trying to fight till the end.
” Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast , “ Ground Game .
”

MIAMI (AP) — Florida has never been known as a place of stability, especially in its politics.
And yet stability is what has been on the minds of many Democrats in the state who say they’ll vote for former Vice President Joe Biden in Tuesday’s presidential primary election instead of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.
“I like some of Sanders’ ideas, but he’s a little too extreme for me,” said Jeanne Hilburn, a 76-year-old retired teacher who lives in the suburbs of Tampa. “A lot of Democrats are like me — we want stability.”
As the race for the Democratic nomination enters a penultimate phase, with Sanders’ campaign on the brink of collapse and Biden’s ascendant, attention is turning to places like Florida, which is holding its primary on Tuesday along with Ohio, Illinois and Arizona. Florida has 219 delegates, the biggest prize of next week’s election.
Few places hold the electoral cachet of Florida, which has been among the most coveted swing states in the last three decades, including during the contentious, chaotic recount of 2000. It is a vital state for President Donald Trump, who would have almost no path to reelection without it.
Biden’s advisers are banking on a decisive Florida victory that sends a clear message that he is much better positioned to win the state and deny Trump a second term.
In 2016, Trump defeated Hillary Clinton here by 1.2 percentage points.
“Florida, as always, is pivotal in the outcome,” said Nikki Fried, who is the state’s agriculture commissioner and top elected Democrat and who endorsed Biden. “We are the ultimate swing state.”
Sanders’ support in Florida has always been tenuous. In the 2016 primary, he lost to Clinton by a nearly 2-to-1 margin. This year, Sanders angered a potentially large voting bloc — Cuban Americans — by praising Fidel Castro for implementing a literacy program in the communist nation.
“There is nothing positive you can say about the conditions in Cuba. If he doesn’t understand that, it is hard to conceive that he will get any votes,” said Xavier Suarez, who was the first Cuban-born mayor of Miami and is now running as an independent in the county mayoral race. “It’s gonna be a massacre.”
That leaves many Florida Democrats looking beyond the primary to November. Several groups have banded together to register people to vote and mobilize for November.
One of the four groups, Organizing Together 2020, is led by Fried. It will hire employees, register voters, train volunteers and then turn everything over to the party after the July convention. Another of the groups is For Our Future, a super PAC that is made up largely of Mike Bloomberg’s campaign apparatus.
A strong turnout in the Florida primary could give hope to Democrats, though it would be difficult to draw any conclusions for November given the state’s high number of independents. And, to be sure, the coronavirus outbreak could keep some voters away from the polls and muffle any message from the turnout.
Democrats know it will be a challenge to sway voters here. About 3.6 million of the state’s 13.6 million voters are registered independents, which means they can’t vote in Tuesday’s primary but are eligible to cast ballots in the general election.
“Florida is an interesting state. Depending on where you’re at, we can be very conservative, or we can be very progressive,” said St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman, a Democrat. “We also have a strong moderate and independent streak. Biden, I think he’ll do well here with Democrats and independents. And with Republicans who are looking for an alternative to President Trump.”
Ashley Walker, of Organizing Together, said a priority is grassroots door-knocking in counties that were close in 2016, like Pinellas, home to St. Petersburg, which Trump won by 5,500 votes, and in Pasco, a suburban county just north of Tampa where voters moved to Republican candidates in the 2018 Senate and gubernatorial races.
Walker says the aim is to siphon off votes there.
“The margins matter. We’re probably not going to win Pasco County, but we’re going to need to close the margins so we lose less badly,” she said. “And in those counties that go back-and-forth between red and blue, like Pinellas, it’s especially important to get organized early. To build relationships early.”
Similarly, Biden’s supporters have been paying visits to Spanish-language TV shows and broadening “diaspora outreach” efforts in South Florida. John Kerry, the former secretary of state and the Democratic presidential nominee in 2004, spoke about Latin America policy on behalf of Biden’s campaign at a restaurant in Doral, the hub of Venezuelan exiles.
“We feel good about where we are in the state, but we are not taking anything for granted,” said Carmen Torres, of Florida Hispanics for Biden.
Democrats don’t have a lock on the Latino vote in Florida, particularly among the nearly 2 million residents who are originally from Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, where authoritarian socialist regimes have soured many exiles toward any left-leaning politicians.
A third of Cuban American midterm voters identify as Democrats, according to AP Vote Cast, a wide-ranging survey of the elecotrate. But the survey said a majority, 56%, of Cuban American midterm voters expressed approval of the way Trump was handling his job as president.
Daisy Baez, a former Democratic state lawmaker, is leading a group called “Dominicanos con Biden” to rally her fellow Dominican Americans to support the former vice president. A similar effort to rally Venezuelans will roll out on Sunday.
“We wanted to address our message to a specific community,” Baez said. “We needed to piece it down in smaller parts.”
As Sanders’ chances diminish, Biden may also need to win over his challenger’s fervent supporters if an endorsement follows. Some may not follow suit.
Nick Mora, 24, a Florida International University Student, marched alongside 20 students on a recent afternoon on campus to persuade others to vote early for Sanders. Mora acknowledged Sanders’ defeat earlier this week was disappointing but said they were not ready to give up yet.
“Let’s just say Joe Biden does not have the same policy proposals as Bernie,” Mora said. “I feel like the progressive movement is being pushed down, and there’s not much we can do about it if we vote for Joe Biden, so we are still trying to fight till the end.”
___
Lush reported from St. Petersburg, Fla.
___
Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast, “Ground Game.”


bonginoreport--2020-03-14--Bernie Bros Refuse to Back Biden

Bernie Bros Refuse to Back Biden

Joe Biden is ahead in the Democratic Party presidential race by 150 delegates and is well on his way to winning the 1,991 necessary to secure the nomination .
And while the establishment rallies around Joe Biden , many Bernie Sanders supporters — the vanguard of the revolution — are refusing the call for unity .
This is n't surprising .
In 2016 , fully 12 percent of Sanders voters ended up voting for Donald Trump .
It 's estimated that another 5 percent of Sanders voters did n't vote at all in the general election .
Certainly , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a good argument can be made — especially in Michigan , Wisconsin , and Pennsylvania — that defections from Bernie Sanders to Donald Trump cost Hillary Clinton those states and the election .
So what are Bernie Bros going to do in 2020 if Sanders , as expected , loses to Biden ?
“ If we lose to Trump then hopefully within the next four years maybe an AOC or Rashida Tlaib would be able to run , ” [ 19-year-old student Ekene ] Okonkwo said , referring to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last two years .
“ Maybe there would be a better chance to save the planet.
” Okonkwo is not alone in her unequivocal and uncompromising support for Sanders .
She is part of a loosely connected but vocal group , sometimes uniting under hashtags like # BernieorBust or # NeverBiden who say they will not vote for Biden if he wins the nomination .
While it ’ s nearly impossible to know how large the group is , hundreds of people have shared this sentiment , including progressive political candidates .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the election rather than possible Trump supporters .
But , in the end , the effect is the same ; lower Democratic Party turnout in critical swing states .
Biden aides say they can bring them back home , but it sounds like they 're whistling past the graveyard .
That `` strength '' is an illusion that will disappear on Election Day .
And whether they acknowledge it or not , Biden is going to miss those voters in November .
It may be impossible to quantify their number , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will not yield to a moderate and vote for Biden if he wins the nomination are the same group who are sometimes blamed for Donald Trump ’ s victory in 2016 when disappointed Sanders fans sat out the general election .
And the past few weeks have been hard to swallow for Sanders fans .
After a strong early showing in Iowa , Nevada and New Hampshire his star faded on Super Tuesday .
Supporters were left disappointed again this week when he lost to Biden in Michigan , where he edged out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ performance is partly due to an unexpectedly weak youth vote – despite Sanders ’ vaunted ability to mobilise younger Americans .
Every four years Democrats predict a youth vote tsunami that will carry them to victory .
And every four years young people fail to turn out .
Bernie 's dependence on the youth vote to sweep him to victory was pathetic .
In Michigan , just 8 percent of primary voters were age 18-24 .
Just 16 percent were age 18-29 .
You 're not going to build a youth revolt when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fifth of the electorate .
Most of the younger Sanders voters wo n't even vote in the general election .
They are n't Democrats and resist being tagged with that label .
Despite all the anti-Trump hysteria , Sanders supporters do n't see a reason to vote for Biden if Bernie is n't the nominee .

Joe Biden is ahead in the Democratic Party presidential race by 150 delegates and is well on his way to winning the 1,991 necessary to secure the nomination. And while the establishment rallies around Joe Biden, many Bernie Sanders supporters — the vanguard of the revolution — are refusing the call for unity.
This isn’t surprising. In 2016, fully 12 percent of Sanders voters ended up voting for Donald Trump. It’s estimated that another 5 percent of Sanders voters didn’t vote at all in the general election. Certainly, there were other factors to consider, but a good argument can be made — especially in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania — that defections from Bernie Sanders to Donald Trump cost Hillary Clinton those states and the election.
So what are Bernie Bros going to do in 2020 if Sanders, as expected, loses to Biden?
The Guardian:
“If we lose to Trump then hopefully within the next four years maybe an AOC or Rashida Tlaib would be able to run,” [19-year-old student Ekene] Okonkwo said, referring to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and another progressive politician who has gained popularity in the last two years. “Maybe there would be a better chance to save the planet.” Okonkwo is not alone in her unequivocal and uncompromising support for Sanders. She is part of a loosely connected but vocal group, sometimes uniting under hashtags like #BernieorBust or #NeverBiden who say they will not vote for Biden if he wins the nomination. While it’s nearly impossible to know how large the group is, hundreds of people have shared this sentiment, including progressive political candidates.
These voters sound more like Democratic no-shows for the election rather than possible Trump supporters. But, in the end, the effect is the same; lower Democratic Party turnout in critical swing states.
Biden aides say they can bring them back home, but it sounds like they’re whistling past the graveyard.
New York Post:
An aide to Biden insisted that his strength with other demographics would more than offset renegade Bros, but told the Post they recognized the challenge and were prepared for outreach. “It is going to be our job to bring the party together and reach out to everyone and create a united front,” the aide said.
That “strength” is an illusion that will disappear on Election Day. And whether they acknowledge it or not, Biden is going to miss those voters in November.
It may be impossible to quantify their number, but not their influence. Those Democrats who will not yield to a moderate and vote for Biden if he wins the nomination are the same group who are sometimes blamed for Donald Trump’s victory in 2016 when disappointed Sanders fans sat out the general election. And the past few weeks have been hard to swallow for Sanders fans. After a strong early showing in Iowa, Nevada and New Hampshire his star faded on Super Tuesday. Supporters were left disappointed again this week when he lost to Biden in Michigan, where he edged out Hillary Clinton in 2016. This poor performance is partly due to an unexpectedly weak youth vote – despite Sanders’ vaunted ability to mobilise younger Americans.
Every four years Democrats predict a youth vote tsunami that will carry them to victory. And every four years young people fail to turn out. Bernie’s dependence on the youth vote to sweep him to victory was pathetic. In Michigan, just 8 percent of primary voters were age 18-24. Just 16 percent were age 18-29. You’re not going to build a youth revolt when young voters make up less than a fifth of the electorate.
Most of the younger Sanders voters won’t even vote in the general election. They aren’t Democrats and resist being tagged with that label. Despite all the anti-Trump hysteria, Sanders supporters don’t see a reason to vote for Biden if Bernie isn’t the nominee.