wnd--2020-04-19--In Sweden, there's no COVID-19 lockdown: Here are 4 things to know

[ Editor 's note : This story originally was published by the Daily Signal , a part of the Heritage Foundation . ]
After logging over 1,000 COVID-19 deaths , Sweden has faced a rash of criticism for having perhaps the least restrictive rules in the world regarding social distancing , as restaurants and bars and some schools remain open while staying at home is urged but not mandated .
But don ’ t let that fool you because Sweden is still a different place from what it used to be , said Johan Norberg , an economics writer who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ author of the award-winning book “ Progress : Ten Reasons to Look Forward to the Future.
” TRENDING : Obama AG Eric Holder giddy about 'opportunity ' coronavirus presents to make 'permanent ' changes “ Most people stay at home , don ’ t travel , rarely go to restaurants , and don ’ t meet with the older generation .
And people keep the distance when they meet on the street , ” Norberg said in an email interview with The Daily Signal .
“ You have probably seen pictures of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is … the one time it was crowded , and if they had turned the camera in the opposite direction they would have found an empty square.
” Here are four keys to determining the effectiveness of Sweden ’ s COVID-19 policy .
The characterization of Sweden as freewheeling during the coronavirus pandemic is inaccurate , said Joshua Michaud , associate director for global health at Kaiser Family Foundation .
“ Sweden has taken a middle path between lockdown and letting it run rampant .
It ’ s not business as usual , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a phone interview .
“ They strongly suggest working from home if you can .
There can ’ t be congregations of more than 50 people.
” The Swedish government did ask citizens not to travel or visit family over Easter .
Norberg , a senior fellow with the Washington , D.C.-based Cato Institute , a libertarian think tank , said that Sweden seems safe and not so different from most other places : Restaurants , bars , playgrounds , and parks are open .
Elementary schools also are open , but not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which he said he finds somewhat puzzling .
During a White House briefing on COVID-19 last week , President Donald Trump criticized Sweden ’ s approach .
“ Now , they talk about Sweden , but Sweden is suffering very gravely , ” Trump said , then referred to the concept of herd immunity .
“ They call it the herd .
Sweden is suffering very , very badly.
” Sweden ’ s state epidemiologist , Anders Tegnell , told CNN that the country ’ s policy is “ producing quality results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ done .
So far Swedish health care is handling this pandemic in a fantastic way.
” Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde pushed back against Trump on Swedish TV , saying the American president was “ factually wrong ” and that Sweden was not following a “ herd immunity ” policy .
Linde summarized her country ’ s policy this way : “ No lockdown , and we rely very much on people taking responsibility themselves.
” Herd immunity means sheltering only the vulnerable population and , in this case , exposing most of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ build immunity .
2 .
How Does the Death Toll Compare ?
The COVID-19 death rate in Sweden , at over 1,000 out of a population of 10.2 million , is lower than some other European countries such as Italy and the United Kingdom .
However , Sweden ’ s death rate from the disease is higher than other Nordic countries , according to Kaiser Family Foundation .
Norway has had 128 deaths from COVID-19 out of a population of 5.4 million .
Finland , with 5.5 million , has had fewer than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5.6 million , has had 275 deaths .
For that matter , the United States has a lower death rate , with 71 COVID-19 deaths per 1 million population , according to Worldometers .
The United States has had 22,252 coronavirus deaths , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
By contrast , Sweden ’ s death rate works out to 91 per 1 million population .
“ We see the balance that Sweden has struck has provided some semblance of normality , but it has come at the cost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Michaud said .
It ’ s too early to know , but Sweden later may be seen as a success because its smaller population allows it to respond more easily , said Dr. Kevin Pham , a medical doctor and contributor to The Daily Signal .
“ In the U.S. , we had breakouts in Washington , then New York , two major population centers .
Sweden has not had that , ” Pham told The Daily Signal .
“ They do have more deaths per capita now , so if we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they will change their tactics , But it could work .
It depends what they see on the ground.
” 3 .
Is the Economy Really Better Off ?
Sweden ’ s economy has taken a hit , but less so than many other countries , Norberg said .
“ One reason why we ’ ve done this [ comparatively liberal policy ] is economic concerns .
Only getting 30 % of your normal revenue might be a disaster for a restaurant or a shop , but it ’ s better than 0 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Whether it works or not remains to be seen .
Sweden is a very export-dependent country , and when others are shutting down we are suffering too .
But there is also the idea that this might be the best way to protect us in the long run .
Those who are shutting down society will see a second wave when they open up , and a third , whereas Sweden protects the old while others get immune , so that we will hopefully get out of this nightmare sooner than others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tougher economic hit than it did during the 2008 financial crisis , just not as tough as some other countries ’ coronavirus-battered economies , Kaiser Family Foundation ’ s Michaud said .
4 .
How Does the Policy Play Politically ?
Sweden ’ s COVID-19 policy has sparked debate , but generally is popular , observers say .
On Tuesday , in light of the death toll surpassing the milestone of 1,000 , 22 academics signed onto an op-ed with the Dagens Nyheter newspaper .
“ The approach must be changed radically and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Sweden ’ s “ balanced approach ” of not enforcing lockdown has 50 % support from the public , Michaud said .
The party running the government is getting higher marks for what some consider a cautious approach , Norberg noted .
“ There is some opposition to this cautious model , but so far it is not widespread in the population , even though that might obviously change , ” Norberg said .
“ The ruling Social Democrats just registered their strongest monthly gain in the polls—almost 7 points from 24 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to suggest that the public is rewarding their way or responding.
” Sweden is not the only country to consider a more lenient approach in responding to the coronavirus , noted Nile Gardiner , director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at The Heritage Foundation .
“ The U.K. originally started down a similar path , but reversed course based on advisers using the Imperial College [ London ] model that warned of a huge number of deaths , ” Gardiner told The Daily Signal in a phone interview .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approach could be effective .
It ’ s a risky path.
” The varying approaches make a larger point about Europe , Gardiner said : [ Editor 's note : This story originally was published by the Daily Signal , a part of the Heritage Foundation . ]

[Editor's note: This story originally was published by the Daily Signal, a part of the Heritage Foundation.]
By Fred Lucas
Daily Signal
After logging over 1,000 COVID-19 deaths, Sweden has faced a rash of criticism for having perhaps the least restrictive rules in the world regarding social distancing, as restaurants and bars and some schools remain open while staying at home is urged but not mandated.
But don’t let that fool you because Sweden is still a different place from what it used to be, said Johan Norberg, an economics writer who lives in Stockholm and most recently the author of the award-winning book “Progress: Ten Reasons to Look Forward to the Future.”
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
“Most people stay at home, don’t travel, rarely go to restaurants, and don’t meet with the older generation. And people keep the distance when they meet on the street,” Norberg said in an email interview with The Daily Signal.
“You have probably seen pictures of a crowded Stockholm restaurant. Well, that is … the one time it was crowded, and if they had turned the camera in the opposite direction they would have found an empty square.”
Here are four keys to determining the effectiveness of Sweden’s COVID-19 policy.
1. What’s the Actual Policy?
The characterization of Sweden as freewheeling during the coronavirus pandemic is inaccurate, said Joshua Michaud, associate director for global health at Kaiser Family Foundation.
“Sweden has taken a middle path between lockdown and letting it run rampant. It’s not business as usual,” Michaud told The Daily Signal in a phone interview. “They strongly suggest working from home if you can. There can’t be congregations of more than 50 people.”
The Swedish government did ask citizens not to travel or visit family over Easter.
Norberg, a senior fellow with the Washington, D.C.-based Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, said that Sweden seems safe and not so different from most other places:
The difference is that we follow these recommendations voluntarily, which gives more space for individual knowledge and needs, and might even make it more sustainable than a system where everybody is forced to stay at home indefinitely and will rebel eventually. Yes, it seems safe.
Restaurants, bars, playgrounds, and parks are open. Elementary schools also are open, but not high schools and colleges, Michaud said, which he said he finds somewhat puzzling.
During a White House briefing on COVID-19 last week, President Donald Trump criticized Sweden’s approach.
“Now, they talk about Sweden, but Sweden is suffering very gravely,” Trump said, then referred to the concept of herd immunity. “They call it the herd. Sweden is suffering very, very badly.”
Sweden’s state epidemiologist, Anders Tegnell, told CNN that the country’s policy is “producing quality results the same way it’s always done. So far Swedish health care is handling this pandemic in a fantastic way.”
Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde pushed back against Trump on Swedish TV, saying the American president was “factually wrong” and that Sweden was not following a “herd immunity” policy.
Linde summarized her country’s policy this way: “No lockdown, and we rely very much on people taking responsibility themselves.”
Herd immunity means sheltering only the vulnerable population and, in this case, exposing most of the general public to the virus to build immunity.
2. How Does the Death Toll Compare?
The COVID-19 death rate in Sweden, at over 1,000 out of a population of 10.2 million, is lower than some other European countries such as Italy and the United Kingdom.
However, Sweden’s death rate from the disease is higher than other Nordic countries, according to Kaiser Family Foundation.
Norway has had 128 deaths from COVID-19 out of a population of 5.4 million. Finland, with 5.5 million, has had fewer than 100 deaths, and Denmark, with 5.6 million, has had 275 deaths.
For that matter, the United States has a lower death rate, with 71 COVID-19 deaths per 1 million population, according to Worldometers. The United States has had 22,252 coronavirus deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
By contrast, Sweden’s death rate works out to 91 per 1 million population.
“We see the balance that Sweden has struck has provided some semblance of normality, but it has come at the cost of a large number of deaths,” Michaud said.
It’s too early to know, but Sweden later may be seen as a success because its smaller population allows it to respond more easily, said Dr. Kevin Pham, a medical doctor and contributor to The Daily Signal.
“In the U.S., we had breakouts in Washington, then New York, two major population centers. Sweden has not had that,” Pham told The Daily Signal. “They do have more deaths per capita now, so if we start seeing more signs of trouble, they will change their tactics, But it could work. It depends what they see on the ground.”
3. Is the Economy Really Better Off?
Sweden’s economy has taken a hit, but less so than many other countries, Norberg said.
“One reason why we’ve done this [comparatively liberal policy] is economic concerns. Only getting 30% of your normal revenue might be a disaster for a restaurant or a shop, but it’s better than 0%,” Norberg said, adding:
Whether it works or not remains to be seen. Sweden is a very export-dependent country, and when others are shutting down we are suffering too. But there is also the idea that this might be the best way to protect us in the long run. Those who are shutting down society will see a second wave when they open up, and a third, whereas Sweden protects the old while others get immune, so that we will hopefully get out of this nightmare sooner than others.
Nevertheless, Sweden has taken a tougher economic hit than it did during the 2008 financial crisis, just not as tough as some other countries’ coronavirus-battered economies, Kaiser Family Foundation’s Michaud said.
4. How Does the Policy Play Politically?
Sweden’s COVID-19 policy has sparked debate, but generally is popular, observers say.
On Tuesday, in light of the death toll surpassing the milestone of 1,000, 22 academics signed onto an op-ed with the Dagens Nyheter newspaper.
“The approach must be changed radically and swiftly,” they said, adding:
Close schools and restaurants in the same way that Finland has. All people working with elderly must wear adequate protective equipment. Start mass testing of all personnel that treat patients and test for antibodies so that those who have immunity can go back to work.
Sweden’s “balanced approach” of not enforcing lockdown has 50% support from the public, Michaud said.
The party running the government is getting higher marks for what some consider a cautious approach, Norberg noted.
“There is some opposition to this cautious model, but so far it is not widespread in the population, even though that might obviously change,” Norberg said. “The ruling Social Democrats just registered their strongest monthly gain in the polls—almost 7 points from 24% to 31%, which seems to suggest that the public is rewarding their way or responding.”
Sweden is not the only country to consider a more lenient approach in responding to the coronavirus, noted Nile Gardiner, director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at The Heritage Foundation.
“The U.K. originally started down a similar path, but reversed course based on advisers using the Imperial College [London] model that warned of a huge number of deaths,” Gardiner told The Daily Signal in a phone interview. “It remains to be seen if the Swedish approach could be effective. It’s a risky path.”
The varying approaches make a larger point about Europe, Gardiner said:
The coronavirus crisis demonstrates how weak and also irrelevant the European Union is in a situation like this. European governments have pursued their own responses. The nation-state is important in addressing a crisis like this, rather than a European-wide response.
[Editor's note: This story originally was published by the Daily Signal, a part of the Heritage Foundation.]


wnd--2020-04-19--Jihadis call coronavirus the 'small soldier of Allah'

Muslim jihadists in Africa and the Middle East have begun calling the coronavirus the `` small soldier of Allah , '' saying that those infected with it are receiving just punishment .
If the victim is a Muslim , it 's because he was n't devout enough .
The Washington Times reported groups such as ISIS and al-Qaida have celebrated the coronavirus .
Islamic militants see the virus as a divine punishment against Western countries and Muslims who are not sufficiently devout for the purpose of facilitating jihad against them .
TRENDING : Obama AG Eric Holder giddy about 'opportunity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changes The ISIS online magazine highlights the fact that the coronavirus has killed more Americans than 9/11 .
Alexander Meleagrou-Hitchens , director of research at George Washington University ’ s Program on Extremism , said the jihadist believe they will gain immunity from the coronavirus by waging jihad .
The global Christian ministry Barnabas Fund said attacks by Boko Haram and ISIS in West Africa Province in the notorious Lake Chad area are reported to be on the rise while Chad and Nigeria are under lockdown .
A spate of deadly attacks was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Barnabas Fund said .
• In Adamawa State , Nigeria , Fulani militant herdsmen raided Kirchinga village on April 6 , wounding a man in the leg and destroying houses and shops .
Just a day earlier , Boko Haram ambushed a Nigerian Army convoy , killing 47 soldiers .
• In Bamba in northern Mali , also on April 6 , Muslim militants attacked a military base killing 25 Malian soldiers before they were repelled .
• In the Far North Cameroonian town of Amchide , two Boko Haram terrorists detonated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seven and injuring 15 in the predominately Christian region .
Two teenagers and a village leader were among the dead . ''
• `` In another April 5 attack , two soldiers from the Multinational Task Force patrolling in the Lake Chad region of Far North Cameroon were killed in a Boko Haram ambush .
The attack came weeks after Boko Haram inflicted one of its deadliest assaults on the Chad military , killing 92 soldiers in a single attack on a military base on the Boma peninsula on March 23 .
• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ militants attacked and occupied the town of Mocimboa da Praia , Mozambique , a major base for the growing oil industry .
They tore down Mozambique flags on government buildings and raised ISIS flags .

Muslim jihadists in Africa and the Middle East have begun calling the coronavirus the "small soldier of Allah," saying that those infected with it are receiving just punishment.
If the victim is a Muslim, it's because he wasn't devout enough.
The Washington Times reported groups such as ISIS and al-Qaida have celebrated the coronavirus.
Islamic militants see the virus as a divine punishment against Western countries and Muslims who are not sufficiently devout for the purpose of facilitating jihad against them.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
The ISIS online magazine highlights the fact that the coronavirus has killed more Americans than 9/11.
Alexander Meleagrou-Hitchens, director of research at George Washington University’s Program on Extremism, said the jihadist believe they will gain immunity from the coronavirus by waging jihad.
The global Christian ministry Barnabas Fund said attacks by Boko Haram and ISIS in West Africa Province in the notorious Lake Chad area are reported to be on the rise while Chad and Nigeria are under lockdown.
A spate of deadly attacks was recorded in several territories in early April, Barnabas Fund said.
Other attacks:


wnd--2020-04-19--'Misdeeds' of FBI now include inappropriate cell-phone photos

It 's already well documented that the FBI under the Obama administration used a bogus , political opposition-research `` dossier '' based on anonymous Russian sources to obtain warrants to spy on the Trump administration .
Now , according to recently declassified information in Michael Horowitz 's inspector general report , FBI agents violated the privacy of former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page by taking photographs of personal materials that had nothing to do with the investigation .
Investigative reporter John Solomon at Just the News writes the `` list of FBI misdeeds in the Russia investigation keeps piling higher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inaccurate Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act warrants , hiding evidence of innocence from the courts and falsifying a government document , the bureau collected inappropriate cell phone photos during two secret premises searches in summer 2017 while spying on Trump campaign adviser Carter Page . ''
TRENDING : Obama AG Eric Holder giddy about 'opportunity ' coronavirus presents to make 'permanent ' changes The information comes from the footnotes in Horowitz 's Justice Department report .
`` Footnote 379 revealed that in 2019 , nearly two years after the inappropriate pictures were gathered , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Division ( NSD ) self-reported two violations notifying the FISA court that FBI personnel conducting two premises searches violated rules designed to protect Americans from unnecessary privacy invasions , '' Solomon explained .
The rules bar FBI agents from collecting , gathering or storing private information about an American target that is n't germane to the investigation .
A footnote reads : `` On May 10 , 2019 , NSD sent a second letter to the FISC concerning the Carter Page FISA applications , advising the court of two indicants in which the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ applicable to physical searches conducted pursuant to the final FISA orders issued by the court on June 29 , 2017 . ''
FBI agents used a bureau-issued cellphone to take photos of `` certain property '' during a physical search in July 2017 , the report said .
The same thing happened in a separate incident a couple of weeks later .
Solomon reported : `` The FBI eventually reported that it had taken 'remedial action ' to resolve the procedural violations .
Officials said that could have included removing the inappropriate photos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
The footnotes from the Horowitz report hold `` a new body of explosive evidence , including that the Steele dossier used by the bureau to justify the FISA warrants may have been based on intentional Russian disinformation fed to its author , former British spy Christopher Steele , '' the report said .

It's already well documented that the FBI under the Obama administration used a bogus, political opposition-research "dossier" based on anonymous Russian sources to obtain warrants to spy on the Trump administration.
Now, according to recently declassified information in Michael Horowitz's inspector general report, FBI agents violated the privacy of former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page by taking photographs of personal materials that had nothing to do with the investigation.
Investigative reporter John Solomon at Just the News writes the "list of FBI misdeeds in the Russia investigation keeps piling higher."
"In addition to filing inaccurate Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act warrants, hiding evidence of innocence from the courts and falsifying a government document, the bureau collected inappropriate cell phone photos during two secret premises searches in summer 2017 while spying on Trump campaign adviser Carter Page."
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
The information comes from the footnotes in Horowitz's Justice Department report.
"Footnote 379 revealed that in 2019, nearly two years after the inappropriate pictures were gathered, the Justice Department’s National Security Division (NSD) self-reported two violations notifying the FISA court that FBI personnel conducting two premises searches violated rules designed to protect Americans from unnecessary privacy invasions," Solomon explained.
The rules bar FBI agents from collecting, gathering or storing private information about an American target that isn't germane to the investigation.
A footnote reads: "On May 10, 2019, NSD sent a second letter to the FISC concerning the Carter Page FISA applications, advising the court of two indicants in which the FBI failed to comply with the SMPs applicable to physical searches conducted pursuant to the final FISA orders issued by the court on June 29, 2017."
FBI agents used a bureau-issued cellphone to take photos of "certain property" during a physical search in July 2017, the report said.
The same thing happened in a separate incident a couple of weeks later.
Solomon reported: "The FBI eventually reported that it had taken 'remedial action' to resolve the procedural violations. Officials said that could have included removing the inappropriate photos from its servers and possibly destroying them."
The footnotes from the Horowitz report hold "a new body of explosive evidence, including that the Steele dossier used by the bureau to justify the FISA warrants may have been based on intentional Russian disinformation fed to its author, former British spy Christopher Steele," the report said.


wnd--2020-04-19--Researchers release report claiming China's outbreak may have started in September

A new study estimates that the first human cases of COVID-19 in China may have occurred as early as September .
China has admitted that the disease was present in Wuhan , the capital of its Hubei Province , in December , although for weeks into January it denied that human-to-human transmission had already taken place .
Some reports have said that , according to internal Chinese documents not shared with the West , cases of the virus existed as early as November .
But now , according to the U.K. Daily Star , a University of Cambridge geneticist and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ timetable could be off by as much as two months .
All viruses mutate .
Cambridge geneticist Peter Forster has been tracking the subtle mutations of the novel coronavirus , hoping to find -- based on the DNA of the virus in those who were infected in December -- how far back the trail of mutations will lead him .
TRENDING : Obama AG Eric Holder giddy about 'opportunity ' coronavirus presents to make 'permanent ' changes '' The virus may have mutated into its final 'human-efficient ' form months ago , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or even human for several months without infecting other individuals , '' Forster said , according to the Daily Star .
`` Then , it started infecting and spreading among humans between September 13 and December 7 , '' he said .
“ The viral network we have detailed is a snapshot of the early stages of an epidemic , before the evolutionary paths of COVID-19 become obscured by vast numbers of mutations .
It ’ s like catching an incipient supernova in the act , '' he said according to a report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Forster 's work uses what 's known as phylogenetic network , which maps the global movement of any living thing through the mutation of its genes .
Such a network can `` reconstruct infection paths where they are unknown and pose a public health risk , '' the study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences said .
The study found that `` the first virus genome that was sampled on 24 December 2019 already is distant from the root type according to the bat coronavirus outgroup rooting , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the network is the first significant spread among humans , '' Forster said .
He estimates that by the time the virus reached humans , it had already gone through hundreds of mutations , which leads him to believe that the virus was prevalent in animals for years before it infected humans .
Forster said that based on his research , the virus might not have originated in Wuhan .
`` If I am pressed for an answer , I would say the original spread started more likely in southern China than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` But proof can only come from analyzing more bats , possibly other potential host animals , and preserved tissue samples in Chinese hospitals stored between September and December .
This kind of research project would help us understand how the transmission happened , and help us prevent similar instances in the future , '' he said .
The study was a unique use of the research tools that can trace mutations , Forster said .
“ There are too many rapid mutations to neatly trace a COVID-19 family tree .
We used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the plausible trees simultaneously , ” he said .
“ These techniques are mostly known for mapping the movements of prehistoric human populations through DNA .
We think this is one of the first times they have been used to trace the infection routes of a coronavirus like COVID-19 , '' he said .
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal .

'It’s like catching an incipient supernova in the act.', The Western Journal

A new study estimates that the first human cases of COVID-19 in China may have occurred as early as September.
China has admitted that the disease was present in Wuhan, the capital of its Hubei Province, in December, although for weeks into January it denied that human-to-human transmission had already taken place.
Some reports have said that, according to internal Chinese documents not shared with the West, cases of the virus existed as early as November.
But now, according to the U.K. Daily Star, a University of Cambridge geneticist and his research team are arguing even that timetable could be off by as much as two months.
All viruses mutate. Cambridge geneticist Peter Forster has been tracking the subtle mutations of the novel coronavirus, hoping to find -- based on the DNA of the virus in those who were infected in December -- how far back the trail of mutations will lead him.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
"The virus may have mutated into its final 'human-efficient' form months ago, but stayed inside a bat or other animal or even human for several months without infecting other individuals," Forster said, according to the Daily Star.
"Then, it started infecting and spreading among humans between September 13 and December 7," he said.
“The viral network we have detailed is a snapshot of the early stages of an epidemic, before the evolutionary paths of COVID-19 become obscured by vast numbers of mutations. It’s like catching an incipient supernova in the act," he said according to a report on the University of Cambridge's website.
Forster's work uses what's known as phylogenetic network, which maps the global movement of any living thing through the mutation of its genes.
Such a network can "reconstruct infection paths where they are unknown and pose a public health risk," the study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences said.
The study found that "the first virus genome that was sampled on 24 December 2019 already is distant from the root type according to the bat coronavirus outgroup rooting," it said.
"What we reconstruct in the network is the first significant spread among humans," Forster said.
He estimates that by the time the virus reached humans, it had already gone through hundreds of mutations, which leads him to believe that the virus was prevalent in animals for years before it infected humans.
Forster said that based on his research, the virus might not have originated in Wuhan.
"If I am pressed for an answer, I would say the original spread started more likely in southern China than in Wuhan," Forster said.
"But proof can only come from analyzing more bats, possibly other potential host animals, and preserved tissue samples in Chinese hospitals stored between September and December. This kind of research project would help us understand how the transmission happened, and help us prevent similar instances in the future," he said.
The study was a unique use of the research tools that can trace mutations, Forster said.
“There are too many rapid mutations to neatly trace a COVID-19 family tree. We used a mathematical network algorithm to visualize all the plausible trees simultaneously,” he said.
“These techniques are mostly known for mapping the movements of prehistoric human populations through DNA. We think this is one of the first times they have been used to trace the infection routes of a coronavirus like COVID-19," he said.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.


wnd--2020-04-19--Government website actually ENCOURAGES underage sex

A website promoted by the goverment health system in Scotland touted as a `` safe space '' for teens to learn about sex is condoning underage sexual relationships .
The age of consent in the United Kingdom is 16 , yet the website advised a 14-year-old girl considering a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old boy that if the act was consensual , it was `` unlikely to cause a problem , '' according to the U.K. 's Christian Institute .
The organization called for an urgent review of the website , which technically is encouraging statutory rape .
`` The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for any child to see is highly irresponsible , '' said Simon Calvert , the institute 's deputy director for public affairs .
TRENDING : Obama AG Eric Holder giddy about 'opportunity ' coronavirus presents to make 'permanent ' changes '' The age of consent law exists because children under 16 are not considered capable of giving informed consent , '' he continued .
`` It is reckless to act as if underage sex is normal and send this message to other children visiting the website . ''
The website 's writers also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about having sex with an 18-year-old . ''
`` If you become sexually intimate together then ( the 18-year-old ) is breaking the law , although as long as you consent and are not being pressured into anything then it is unlikely anything will be pursued , '' the site said .
The site , Cool2Talk , targets people between 12 and 26 .
`` The site was set up in 2005 as a 'safe space , ' but the institute has raised concerns that much of the content is not suitable for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the age of consent , '' the Christian Institute said .
Conservative Member of the Scottish Parliament Murdo Fraser also had concerns .
`` All advice of sexual matters which is directed at those under the age of consent should be age-appropriate , '' Fraser said .
`` Some of what is on this website would appear not to meet that test and , indeed , could be seen to condone an adult having sex with a child . ''
“ It is reckless to act as if underage sex is normal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' he said .
At the The Times reported the site , run by the National Health Service , also explains `` how to access contraception and abortion services without parental knowledge . ''

A website promoted by the goverment health system in Scotland touted as a "safe space" for teens to learn about sex is condoning underage sexual relationships.
The age of consent in the United Kingdom is 16, yet the website advised a 14-year-old girl considering a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old boy that if the act was consensual, it was "unlikely to cause a problem," according to the U.K.'s Christian Institute.
The organization called for an urgent review of the website, which technically is encouraging statutory rape.
"The advice given on this site and available for any child to see is highly irresponsible," said Simon Calvert, the institute's deputy director for public affairs.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
"The age of consent law exists because children under 16 are not considered capable of giving informed consent," he continued. "It is reckless to act as if underage sex is normal and send this message to other children visiting the website."
The website's writers also responded to a 15-year-old who "asked about having sex with an 18-year-old."
"If you become sexually intimate together then (the 18-year-old) is breaking the law, although as long as you consent and are not being pressured into anything then it is unlikely anything will be pursued," the site said.
The site, Cool2Talk, targets people between 12 and 26.
"The site was set up in 2005 as a 'safe space,' but the institute has raised concerns that much of the content is not suitable for younger visitors, and undermines the law on the age of consent," the Christian Institute said.
Conservative Member of the Scottish Parliament Murdo Fraser also had concerns.
"All advice of sexual matters which is directed at those under the age of consent should be age-appropriate," Fraser said. "Some of what is on this website would appear not to meet that test and, indeed, could be seen to condone an adult having sex with a child."
“It is reckless to act as if underage sex is normal and send this message to other children," he said.
At the The Times reported the site, run by the National Health Service, also explains "how to access contraception and abortion services without parental knowledge."


wnd--2020-04-19--NYC forms coronavirus anti-discrimination response team

[ Editor 's note : This story originally was published by the Daily Caller News Foundation . ]
New York City , the focal point of the coronavirus crisis within the United States , has formed a task force to specifically handle coronavirus-related discrimination claims .
In light of hundreds of discrimination complaints based on COVID-19 fears , New York City ’ s Commission on Human Rights said it has formed a task force to process the reports , according to the Wall Street Journal .
The commission can transfer a complaint to the NYPD Hate Crime Task Force if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crime .
TRENDING : Obama AG Eric Holder giddy about 'opportunity ' coronavirus presents to make 'permanent ' changes “ The response team came together because we saw that we had so many inquiries coming in after this pandemic started , ” Sapna Raj , deputy commissioner of the commission ’ s law enforcement bureau , said to the Wall Street Journal .
“ We realized we needed to respond rapidly to unique issues that New Yorkers were facing , ” Raj continued .
Since the beginning of February , the city ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 248 complaints regarding coronavirus-related discrimination .
Most of these complaints were lodged in March and April , and roughly 42 % of them were about anti-Asian discrimination specifically .
The commission says it formed the task force in early April to manage the influx of reports , which included complaints about employment or housing discrimination based on age , race , disability , and immigration status .
Some calls , for example , included handicapped individuals or those with compromised immune systems whose landlords were restricting deliveries of groceries .
The commission garnered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1 and April 26 .
As comparison , only five such cases were reported during the same time frame last year .
Manjusha P. Kulkarni , the executive director of the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council , believes many in the Asian community are hesitant to report such instances , and that New York City is likely indicative of what ’ s taking place across the United States .
“ Even though the numbers are small overall , I think it ’ s an indication of what we ’ re seeing across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ All those efforts are important to get a better understanding of the problem.
” New York has more coronavirus cases than any other state in the country .
As of Sunday , the state reported more than 236,700 positive cases , and more than 13,300 deaths .
In New York City specifically , more than 8,600 people have died from coronavirus-related illnesses .
This story originally was published by the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For licensing opportunities of our original content , please contact [ email protected ]

[Editor's note: This story originally was published by the Daily Caller News Foundation.]
By Jason Hopkins
Daily Caller News Foundation
New York City, the focal point of the coronavirus crisis within the United States, has formed a task force to specifically handle coronavirus-related discrimination claims.
In light of hundreds of discrimination complaints based on COVID-19 fears, New York City’s Commission on Human Rights said it has formed a task force to process the reports, according to the Wall Street Journal. The commission can transfer a complaint to the NYPD Hate Crime Task Force if it determines the incident constitutes a hate crime.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
“The response team came together because we saw that we had so many inquiries coming in after this pandemic started,” Sapna Raj, deputy commissioner of the commission’s law enforcement bureau, said to the Wall Street Journal.
“We realized we needed to respond rapidly to unique issues that New Yorkers were facing,” Raj continued.
Since the beginning of February, the city’s Commission on Human Rights has received 248 complaints regarding coronavirus-related discrimination. Most of these complaints were lodged in March and April, and roughly 42% of them were about anti-Asian discrimination specifically.
The commission says it formed the task force in early April to manage the influx of reports, which included complaints about employment or housing discrimination based on age, race, disability, and immigration status. Some calls, for example, included handicapped individuals or those with compromised immune systems whose landlords were restricting deliveries of groceries.
The commission garnered 105 calls about anti-Asian incidents between Feb. 1 and April 26. As comparison, only five such cases were reported during the same time frame last year.
Manjusha P. Kulkarni, the executive director of the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council, believes many in the Asian community are hesitant to report such instances, and that New York City is likely indicative of what’s taking place across the United States.
“Even though the numbers are small overall, I think it’s an indication of what we’re seeing across the country,” Kulkarni stated. “All those efforts are important to get a better understanding of the problem.”
New York has more coronavirus cases than any other state in the country. As of Sunday, the state reported more than 236,700 positive cases, and more than 13,300 deaths. In New York City specifically, more than 8,600 people have died from coronavirus-related illnesses.
This story originally was published by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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 [email protected].


wnd--2020-04-19--Poll: Most voters support government taking bigger role in economy amid coronavirus

( CNBC ) -- The federal government has flexed its muscle to blunt the economic damage from the coronavirus pandemic @ @ @ @ @ the intervention .
As Congress looks to build on the largest emergency spending plan in @ @ @ @ @ of registered voters said they approve of the expansion of the government ’ s role @ @ @ @ @ to the outbreak , an NBC/Wall Street Journal poll released Sunday found .
Another 30 @ @ @ @ @ disapproved .
The survey reflects comfort with federal influence on the economy during crises usually @ @ @ @ @ when more voters sound the alarm about budget deficits or overreach .
Even so , @ @ @ @ @ evaporated during the current economic freefall .

(CNBC) -- The federal government has flexed its muscle to blunt the economic damage from the coronavirus pandemic, and most voters back the intervention.
As Congress looks to build on the largest emergency spending plan in U.S. history, 63% of registered voters said they approve of the expansion of the government’s role in the economy in response to the outbreak, an NBC/Wall Street Journal poll released Sunday found. Another 30% of respondents said they disapproved.
The survey reflects comfort with federal influence on the economy during crises usually unseen during calmer periods, when more voters sound the alarm about budget deficits or overreach. Even so, those concerns have not fully evaporated during the current economic freefall.
Read the full story ›


wnd--2020-04-19--State gets sued for allowing only girls in girls' sports

The American Civil Liberties Union is suing Idaho over a state law that requiring participants in girls ' sports to be girls .
That would rule out boys who say they are girls .
Idaho 's Fairness in Women 's Sports Act made the state the first to ban `` biologically male students from participating in all-female sports . ''
That 's a problem for the ACLU : TRENDING : Obama AG Eric Holder giddy about 'opportunity ' coronavirus presents to make 'permanent ' changes The organization said on Twitter : `` When @ GovernorLittle signed a law to ban @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that trans people do not deserve the benefits of sports available to their peers .
He is wrong and today along with @ CooleyLLP and @ Legal_Voice , we will sue . ''
One Twitter user corrected the ACLU : `` No , he sent the message that gender identity is not a sports category ; sex is .
As such , the protected female sports category is only open to athletes who are biologically female and adhere to the doping rules .
It holds trans and non-trans athletes alike to this same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported the ACLU sued on behalf of a transgender Boise State University track runner named Lindsay Hecox and a Boise High School student who is not transgender but said she is worried the government could invade her privacy to verify her sex .
The law is scheduled to take effect July 1 .
Gabriel Arkles , a lawyer for the LGBT activists , told the Free Beacon that biological sex does not matter , it 's `` gender identity '' that counts .
`` This should be the standard for all school sports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is to protect the rights of female athletes .
`` I think that the issue is the girl ’ s right to participate without having to be concerned about who they ’ re competing with .
And that ’ s why I signed the bill , '' he said .
In districts where boys are allowed to compete as girls they tend to overwhelm the competition .
`` Courts have recognized that the inherent , physiological differences between males and females result in different athletic capabilities , '' the law states .

The American Civil Liberties Union is suing Idaho over a state law that requiring participants in girls' sports to be girls.
That would rule out boys who say they are girls.
Idaho's Fairness in Women's Sports Act made the state the first to ban "biologically male students from participating in all-female sports."
That's a problem for the ACLU:
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
When @GovernorLittle signed a law to ban trans athletes, he sent a message that trans people do not deserve the benefits of sports available to their peers. He is wrong and today along with @CooleyLLP and @Legal_Voice, we will sue. @ACLU @IdahoStatesman. https://t.co/fRtPid7um4 — ACLU of Idaho (@acluidaho) April 15, 2020
The organization said on Twitter: "When @GovernorLittle signed a law to ban trans athletes, he sent a message that trans people do not deserve the benefits of sports available to their peers. He is wrong and today along with @CooleyLLP and @Legal_Voice, we will sue."
One Twitter user corrected the ACLU: "No, he sent the message that gender identity is not a sports category; sex is. As such, the protected female sports category is only open to athletes who are biologically female and adhere to the doping rules. It holds trans and non-trans athletes alike to this same standard."
Should only biological girls be allowed to compete in girls' sports? Yes No Completing this poll entitles you to WND news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use You're logged in to Facebook. Click here to log out. 95% (332 Votes) 5% (16 Votes)
The Washington Free Beacon reported the ACLU sued on behalf of a transgender Boise State University track runner named Lindsay Hecox and a Boise High School student who is not transgender but said she is worried the government could invade her privacy to verify her sex.
The law is scheduled to take effect July 1.
Gabriel Arkles, a lawyer for the LGBT activists, told the Free Beacon that biological sex does not matter, it's "gender identity" that counts.
"This should be the standard for all school sports."
The governor explained the law is to protect the rights of female athletes.
"I think that the issue is the girl’s right to participate without having to be concerned about who they’re competing with. And that’s why I signed the bill," he said.
In districts where boys are allowed to compete as girls they tend to overwhelm the competition.
"Courts have recognized that the inherent, physiological differences between males and females result in different athletic capabilities," the law states.


wnd--2020-04-19--Beyond stockpiling: Here's what Americans are buying as pandemic drags on

( CNBC ) -- Following a rush for groceries and cleaning supplies , more Americans are looking to crack open @ @ @ @ @ remain sheltered in their homes due to the coronavirus outbreak , online shopping has surged @ @ @ @ @ old-fashioned trip to the store .
In addition to the overall boom in e-commerce spending @ @ @ @ @ following an initial stockpiling of goods , many online shoppers have shifted their focus to @ @ @ @ @ and games as they adjust to the new normal of life in quarantine .
E-commerce @ @ @ @ @ up more than 30 % from the beginning of March through mid-April compared with the @ @ @ @ @ according to market research firm Rakuten Intelligence .
That is significantly more growth — about @ @ @ @ @ the annual 20 % growth in online shopping the firm has become accustomed to seeing @ @ @ @

(CNBC) -- Following a rush for groceries and cleaning supplies, more Americans are looking to crack open a book.
As people remain sheltered in their homes due to the coronavirus outbreak, online shopping has surged as a replacement for an old-fashioned trip to the store. In addition to the overall boom in e-commerce spending, sales data reveals that following an initial stockpiling of goods, many online shoppers have shifted their focus to entertainment products such as books and games as they adjust to the new normal of life in quarantine.
E-commerce spending in the U.S. is up more than 30% from the beginning of March through mid-April compared with the same period last year, according to market research firm Rakuten Intelligence. That is significantly more growth — about 50% more — than the annual 20% growth in online shopping the firm has become accustomed to seeing in recent years.
Read the full story ›


wnd--2020-04-20--'I crawled in bed and cried': CNN face has meltdown

As the global pandemic of coronavirus continues to impact millions of lives , the media critic at CNN is admitting the situation has hit him especially hard .
Brian Stelter explained he failed to send out his nightly newsletter because he `` crawled in bed and cried for our pre-pandemic lives . ''
`` Gutted by the death toll .
Disturbed by the govt 's shortcomings .
Dismayed by political rhetoric that bears no resemblance to reality .
Worried about friends who are losing jobs ; kids who are missing school ; and senior citizens who are living in fear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accusing Trump of inaction , 'Morning Joe ' now calls him authoritarian In a second tweet , Stelter said : `` I crawled in bed and cried for our pre-pandemic lives .
Tears that had been waiting a month to escape .
I wanted to share because it feels freeing to do so .
Now is not a time for faux-invincibility .
Journos are living this , hating this , like everyone else . ''
Then on Sunday , Stelter addressed the issue on the air .
`` All of us are grieving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
All of us have lost something in the past few weeks , some have suffered the ultimate loss of a father , or mother or spouse or relative .
Others have lost livelihoods , they lost access to family and friends , '' Stelter explained .
`` I tried to bottle it all up ; I guess I was trying to be stoic for my wife and kids , it was n't until this Friday night that I hit a wall . ''
He noted the ongoing pandemic made him `` angry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his Friday newsletter .
`` That 's when the tears came , '' he said .
`` Almost everyone is experiencing isolation or stress or anxiety or other emotions , as a result of this crisis . ''
`` It 's OK to not be OK right now , '' he concluded , as he encouraged others to use social media and seek help when needed .
Learn astonishing Bible truth on a higher level than ever before with the Holy Spirit-filled books by Joe Kovacs

As the global pandemic of coronavirus continues to impact millions of lives, the media critic at CNN is admitting the situation has hit him especially hard.
Brian Stelter explained he failed to send out his nightly newsletter because he "crawled in bed and cried for our pre-pandemic lives."
"Last night, I hit a wall," Stelter tweeted on Saturday.
"Gutted by the death toll. Disturbed by the govt's shortcomings. Dismayed by political rhetoric that bears no resemblance to reality. Worried about friends who are losing jobs; kids who are missing school; and senior citizens who are living in fear."
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
In a second tweet, Stelter said: "I crawled in bed and cried for our pre-pandemic lives. Tears that had been waiting a month to escape. I wanted to share because it feels freeing to do so. Now is not a time for faux-invincibility. Journos are living this, hating this, like everyone else."
Last night, I hit a wall. Gutted by the death toll. Disturbed by the govt's shortcomings. Dismayed by political rhetoric that bears no resemblance to reality. Worried about friends who are losing jobs; kids who are missing school; and senior citizens who are living in fear. — Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) April 18, 2020
I crawled in bed and cried for our pre-pandemic lives. Tears that had been waiting a month to escape. I wanted to share because it feels freeing to do so. Now is not a time for faux-invincibility. Journos are living this, hating this, like everyone else. https://t.co/dIDujZZvQZ — Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) April 18, 2020
Then on Sunday, Stelter addressed the issue on the air.
"All of us are grieving, whether we sense it or not. All of us have lost something in the past few weeks, some have suffered the ultimate loss of a father, or mother or spouse or relative. Others have lost livelihoods, they lost access to family and friends," Stelter explained.
"I tried to bottle it all up; I guess I was trying to be stoic for my wife and kids, it wasn't until this Friday night that I hit a wall."
“It’s okay to not be okay right now.” Watch this poignant message from @brianstelter. pic.twitter.com/DUj1SeVtkT — Reliable Sources (@ReliableSources) April 19, 2020
He noted the ongoing pandemic made him "angry" enough to preclude him from completing his Friday newsletter.
"That's when the tears came," he said.
"Almost everyone is experiencing isolation or stress or anxiety or other emotions, as a result of this crisis."
"It's OK to not be OK right now," he concluded, as he encouraged others to use social media and seek help when needed.
Learn astonishing Bible truth on a higher level than ever before with the Holy Spirit-filled books by Joe Kovacs
Follow Joe on Twitter @JoeKovacsNews


wnd--2020-04-21--Drive-in church services now allowed in California after lawsuit

( KMPH ) -- California churches will now be allowed to offer drive-in church services during the COVID-19 outbreak .
@ @ @ @ @ a result of the Center for American Liberty ’ s lawsuit and request for a @ @ @ @ @ policy change comes hours after Governor Newsom and Attorney General Becerra responded to the restraining @ @

(KMPH) -- California churches will now be allowed to offer drive-in church services during the COVID-19 outbreak.
The decision was made as a result of the Center for American Liberty’s lawsuit and request for a temporary restraining order.
This policy change comes hours after Governor Newsom and Attorney General Becerra responded to the restraining order.
Read the full story ›


wnd--2020-04-21--Pastor to church members: Give us your stimulus checks

( WAFB ) -- CENTRAL , La .
-- A Louisiana pastor who defied the governor ’ s orders and @ @ @ @ @ during the coronavirus pandemic is now asking congregates to donate their stimulus checks to the @ @ @ @ @ the pastor at Life Tabernacle Church in Central , La.
, has launched the # @ @ @ @ @ donate their government stimulus checks to evangelists , missionaries , and music ministers who he @ @ @ @ @ in over a month .
Spell says he , his wife , and son have @ @ @ @ @

(WAFB) -- CENTRAL, La. -- A Louisiana pastor who defied the governor’s orders and repeatedly held large church services during the coronavirus pandemic is now asking congregates to donate their stimulus checks to the church.
Tony Spell, the pastor at Life Tabernacle Church in Central, La., has launched the #PastorSpellStimulusChallenge, asking Americans to donate their government stimulus checks to evangelists, missionaries, and music ministers who he said have not received offerings in over a month.
Spell says he, his wife, and son have all donated their checks.
Read the full story ›


wnd--2020-04-21--Need permission to shop? Gov't now sorry for pink-wristband demand

Officials in one Montana county are apologizing and withdrawing a demand that shoppers have and wear a pink wristband after their health department imposed that extreme requirement during the recovery from the coronavirus pandemic .
The order had come from officials in the Valley County Health Department in Glasgow .
`` Did you see a pink wrist band in Valley County ?
What does it mean ? ''
a flier from the department poses .
TRENDING : Lockdowns may have been unnecessary , says Rush Limbaugh It tells store owners those with a `` PINK wristband '' have been through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enter businesses to shop .
Those without the band must `` use curbside delivery only .
They are not to enter your business to shop , '' the department warned .
And if such shoppers do n't cooperate ?
`` Here is an example of what to say if you the person ( sic ) refuses to cooperate .
'You are violating our governor 's and Valley County 's Health Officer 's orders .
I am happy to shop for you with curbside delivery .
I will get the items for your and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you do n't cooperate , you will force me to call law enforcement . ''
A report in the Montana Daily Gazette linked to Facebook , where the following image was found : The news report pointed out that the idea has been tried before , when Jews were required to wear a yellow star on their clothes in the buildup to World War II .
Also , China currently demands coronavirus patients wear wristbands , the report said .
Just a day later , the report was updated , with an apology @ @ @ @ @ @ @ newspaper revealed they stated , `` The Valley County Commissioners would like to apologize , and issue clarification , regarding the current health orders and obligations that apply to visitors from outside Valley County .
`` In response to significant public concern regarding out of county contractors who are present in our communities for essential work purposes , one of the companies partnered with the County Health Officer to wear pink wrist bands following their 14-day quarantine .
This was implemented to help alleviate community concerns about the potential spread of COVID-19 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ are not a part of any of the current health orders in place .
Rather , they are a good faith effort by these contractors to try to put the community at ease .
`` In a break-down of our internal processes , a flier went out to local business owners seemingly indicating such wrist bands are required for out of county individuals , and that local business owners were obligated to report violations of the health orders .
That is not the intent of Valley County , and that flier has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , for any confusion this has caused .
We are addressing our internal processes , and want to thank all community members for continuing to work with us during this unprecedented time . ''
It was signed Paul Tweten , John Fahlgran and Mary Armstrong .
The news report originally characterized the health department 's demands as `` one of the most over-the-top and draconian responses to coronavirus yet seen… '' A comment at the Gateway Pundit noted , `` We thought this was a spoof .
It 's not . ''

Officials in one Montana county are apologizing and withdrawing a demand that shoppers have and wear a pink wristband after their health department imposed that extreme requirement during the recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.
The order had come from officials in the Valley County Health Department in Glasgow.
"Did you see a pink wrist band in Valley County? What does it mean?" a flier from the department poses.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
It tells store owners those with a "PINK wristband" have been through a 14-day self-quarantine and are allowed to enter businesses to shop.
Those without the band must "use curbside delivery only. They are not to enter your business to shop," the department warned.
And if such shoppers don't cooperate?
"Here is an example of what to say if you the person (sic) refuses to cooperate. 'You are violating our governor's and Valley County's Health Officer's orders. I am happy to shop for you with curbside delivery. I will get the items for your and bring them to your car. If you don't cooperate, you will force me to call law enforcement."
A report in the Montana Daily Gazette linked to Facebook, where the following image was found:
The news report pointed out that the idea has been tried before, when Jews were required to wear a yellow star on their clothes in the buildup to World War II. Also, China currently demands coronavirus patients wear wristbands, the report said.
Just a day later, the report was updated, with an apology from the Valley County Commissioners.
The newspaper revealed they stated, "The Valley County Commissioners would like to apologize, and issue clarification, regarding the current health orders and obligations that apply to visitors from outside Valley County.
"In response to significant public concern regarding out of county contractors who are present in our communities for essential work purposes, one of the companies partnered with the County Health Officer to wear pink wrist bands following their 14-day quarantine. This was implemented to help alleviate community concerns about the potential spread of COVID-19. These bands are not government issued and are not a part of any of the current health orders in place. Rather, they are a good faith effort by these contractors to try to put the community at ease.
"In a break-down of our internal processes, a flier went out to local business owners seemingly indicating such wrist bands are required for out of county individuals, and that local business owners were obligated to report violations of the health orders. That is not the intent of Valley County, and that flier has been rescinded.
"We apologize, again, for any confusion this has caused. We are addressing our internal processes, and want to thank all community members for continuing to work with us during this unprecedented time."
It was signed Paul Tweten, John Fahlgran and Mary Armstrong.
The news report originally characterized the health department's demands as "one of the most over-the-top and draconian responses to coronavirus yet seen…"
A comment at the Gateway Pundit noted, "We thought this was a spoof. It's not."


wnd--2020-04-20--It's begun: Reopening of U.S. economy now under way

President Trump long has said a total shutdown of the American economy to battle the coronavirus pandemic is not feasible over the long term .
He should know , having signed a $ 2.2 trillion spending package to mitigate the impact .
So he 's outlined steps that states can take to balance the interests of health and the economy as the number of cases decline .
TRENDING : Lockdowns may have been unnecessary , says Rush Limbaugh Trump told governors Thursday : `` A national shutdown is not a sustainable long-term solution to preserve the health of our citizens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and functioning of our economy over the long haul .
You can ’ t do one without the other . ''
He said that once it 's confirmed that cases are declining , states should set up testing sites , trace individuals who test positive , identify those who are infected but not symptomatic , and get back to business .
The Texas Tribune reports Gov .
Greg Abbott 's plan to restart the Texas economy began Monday with the reopening of most of the state 's parks .
Other business-related moves are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , social distancing rules still apply , but people can now return .
Over the weekend , citizens gathering at several state capitols to protest stringent stay-at-home measures by Democratic governors , demanding they be allowed to return to work .
Liberty Counsel , which has defended churches punished for employing creative ways to gather , is calling for Sunday , May 3 , to be `` ReOpen Church Sunday . ''
Congregations should be allowed to meet , restricted only by appropriate measures to spread infection , said Liberty Counsel 's founder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The lockdowns have closed churches at a time of greatest need , and they must reopen to meet the burgeoning needs of the community , '' he said .
`` Churches are now more essential to than ever to bring comfort , hope , and help to the people they serve Each church is different and each one must assess when and how best to reopen . ''
Trump defended the protesters , telling reporters Sunday that some governors `` have gone too far '' with their restrictions .
White House counselor Kellyanne @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concerned about controlling the populations than protecting them . ''
`` In Michigan , you can basically smoke your grass but not cut your grass , '' she said , referring to Democratic Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer 's declaration of lawn services as nonessential while allowing cannabis retailers to remain open .
`` This makes no sense to many people . ''
The World Health Organization , which Trump has criticized for defending China 's handling of the pandemic , said nations that are beginning to ease restrictions should be careful .
WHO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We want to reemphasize that easing restrictions is not the end of the epidemic in any country .
So-called lockdowns can help to take the heat out of a country ’ s epidemic , but they can not end it alone .
Countries must now ensure they can detect , test , isolate and care for every case and trace every contact . ''
Some European nations are beginning to reopen schools and businesses .
In Paris , police fired tear gas at protesters frustrated with restrictions .
CNN reported Florida has allowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Carolina also is planning beach openings .
The University of Washington coronavirus model often cited by the White House indicates some states with a low number of cases could begin lifting measures beginning May 4 .
However , according to the model , states such as Iowa , North and South Dakota , Nebraska , Utah , Arkansas and Oklahoma may need to wait until late June or early July .
Officials in 31 states have recommended public schools stay closed through the end of the school year .

President Trump long has said a total shutdown of the American economy to battle the coronavirus pandemic is not feasible over the long term.
He should know, having signed a $2.2 trillion spending package to mitigate the impact.
So he's outlined steps that states can take to balance the interests of health and the economy as the number of cases decline.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
Trump told governors Thursday: "A national shutdown is not a sustainable long-term solution to preserve the health of our citizens. We must also preserve the health and functioning of our economy over the long haul. You can’t do one without the other."
He said that once it's confirmed that cases are declining, states should set up testing sites, trace individuals who test positive, identify those who are infected but not symptomatic, and get back to business.
The Texas Tribune reports Gov. Greg Abbott's plan to restart the Texas economy began Monday with the reopening of most of the state's parks. Other business-related moves are planned later this week.
In parks, social distancing rules still apply, but people can now return.
Over the weekend, citizens gathering at several state capitols to protest stringent stay-at-home measures by Democratic governors, demanding they be allowed to return to work.
Liberty Counsel, which has defended churches punished for employing creative ways to gather, is calling for Sunday, May 3, to be "ReOpen Church Sunday."
Congregations should be allowed to meet, restricted only by appropriate measures to spread infection, said Liberty Counsel's founder and chairman, Mat Staver.
"The lockdowns have closed churches at a time of greatest need, and they must reopen to meet the burgeoning needs of the community," he said. "Churches are now more essential to than ever to bring comfort, hope, and help to the people they serve Each church is different and each one must assess when and how best to reopen."
Trump defended the protesters, telling reporters Sunday that some governors "have gone too far" with their restrictions.
White House counselor Kellyanne Conway said some governors are "more concerned about controlling the populations than protecting them."
"In Michigan, you can basically smoke your grass but not cut your grass," she said, referring to Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's declaration of lawn services as nonessential while allowing cannabis retailers to remain open.
"This makes no sense to many people."
The World Health Organization, which Trump has criticized for defending China's handling of the pandemic, said nations that are beginning to ease restrictions should be careful.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhonom Ghedbreyesus said: "We want to reemphasize that easing restrictions is not the end of the epidemic in any country. So-called lockdowns can help to take the heat out of a country’s epidemic, but they cannot end it alone. Countries must now ensure they can detect, test, isolate and care for every case and trace every contact."
Some European nations are beginning to reopen schools and businesses.
In Paris, police fired tear gas at protesters frustrated with restrictions.
CNN reported Florida has allowed the reopening of some beaches, and South Carolina also is planning beach openings.
The University of Washington coronavirus model often cited by the White House indicates some states with a low number of cases could begin lifting measures beginning May 4.
The states include Vermont, West Virginia, Montana and Hawaii.
However, according to the model, states such as Iowa, North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Utah, Arkansas and Oklahoma may need to wait until late June or early July.
Officials in 31 states have recommended public schools stay closed through the end of the school year.


wnd--2020-04-20--Harvard prof calls for total ban on homeschooling

The estimated 56 million American children who are being homeschooled because of coronavirus-pandemic lockdowns is a growing catastrophe in the mind of Harvard Law School professor Elizabeth Bartholet and other educators .
In an article for Harvard Magazine headlined `` The Risks of Homeschooling , '' Bartholet urged the government to step in to protect children from their own parents , reports PJ Media columnist Paula Bolyard .
Bartholet , the faculty director of Harvard Law School 's Child Advocacy Program , told the magazine that homeschooling deprives children of their right to a `` meaningful education . ''
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grow up exposed to community values , social values , democratic values , ideas about nondiscrimination and tolerance of other people 's viewpoints . ''
TRENDING : Lockdowns may have been unnecessary , says Rush Limbaugh PJ Media commented : `` In other words , she knows that homeschooled children are being taught to think for themselves , and she wo n't stand for it . ''
Meanwhile , the Washington Post published an article by a former teacher and education bureaucrat , Kevin Huffman , titled `` Homeschooling during the coronavirus will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Huffman wrote that the United States during the coronavirus pandemic `` is embarking on a massive , months-long virtual-pedagogy experiment , and it is not likely to end well . ''
`` Years of research shows that online schooling is ineffective — and that students suffer significant learning losses when they have a long break from school , '' he said .
The Harvard prof Bartholet acknowledged that parents have `` very significant rights to raise their children with the beliefs and religious convictions that the parents hold . ''
But then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be restricted '' The issue is , do we think that parents should have 24/7 , essentially authoritarian control over their children from ages zero to 18 ? ''
she asks .
`` I think that ’ s dangerous , '' she replied .
`` I think it 's always dangerous to put powerful people in charge of the powerless , and to give the powerful ones total authority . ''
PJ Media 's Bolyard noted that Bartholet trotted out an anecdotal story of a child taught at home not receiving a proper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to mention , '' PJ Media said , `` is that in the vast majority of the tragic cases used to 'prove ' how dangerous homeschooling is , the victims were a ) truant rather than being legally homeschooled and/or b ) were known to child protective services who ignored the abuse and neglect in the home . ''
Bartholet insisted that parents be required to prove to the government that they are qualified to teach their children .
`` I think an overwhelming majority of legislators and American people , if they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says , `` would conclude that something ought to be done . ''
• Typically score 15 to 30 percentile points above public-school students on standardized tests • Score above average on achievement tests regardless of their parents ’ level of formal education or their family ’ s household income • Typically score above average on the SAT and ACT tests • Typically score above average , on measures of social , emotional and psychological development including peer interaction , self-concept , leadership skills , family cohesion , participation in community service and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ college at an equal or higher rate than the general population • Participate in local community service more frequently than does the general population , vote and attend public meetings more frequently than the general population • Internalize the values and beliefs of their parents at a high rate Bartholet claimed in a recent Arizona Law Review paper , `` Many homeschool because they want to isolate their children from ideas and values central to our democracy , determined to keep their children from exposure to views that might enable autonomous choice about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , therefore , for a `` radical transformation in the homeschooling regime and a related rethinking of child rights '' that `` recommends a presumptive ban on homeschooling , with the burden on parents to demonstrate justification for permission to homeschool . ''
Bartholet is leading a June summit at Harvard to discuss regulating homeschooling .

The estimated 56 million American children who are being homeschooled because of coronavirus-pandemic lockdowns is a growing catastrophe in the mind of Harvard Law School professor Elizabeth Bartholet and other educators.
In an article for Harvard Magazine headlined "The Risks of Homeschooling," Bartholet urged the government to step in to protect children from their own parents, reports PJ Media columnist Paula Bolyard.
Bartholet, the faculty director of Harvard Law School's Child Advocacy Program, told the magazine that homeschooling deprives children of their right to a "meaningful education."
She explained it's "important that children grow up exposed to community values, social values, democratic values, ideas about nondiscrimination and tolerance of other people's viewpoints."
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PJ Media commented: "In other words, she knows that homeschooled children are being taught to think for themselves, and she won't stand for it."
Meanwhile, the Washington Post published an article by a former teacher and education bureaucrat, Kevin Huffman, titled "Homeschooling during the coronavirus will set back a generation of children."
Huffman wrote that the United States during the coronavirus pandemic "is embarking on a massive, months-long virtual-pedagogy experiment, and it is not likely to end well."
"Years of research shows that online schooling is ineffective — and that students suffer significant learning losses when they have a long break from school," he said.
Parents have 'authoritarian control'
The Harvard prof Bartholet acknowledged that parents have "very significant rights to raise their children with the beliefs and religious convictions that the parents hold."
But then she insists the influence of parents must be restricted
"The issue is, do we think that parents should have 24/7, essentially authoritarian control over their children from ages zero to 18?" she asks. "I think that’s dangerous," she replied. "I think it's always dangerous to put powerful people in charge of the powerless, and to give the powerful ones total authority."
PJ Media's Bolyard noted that Bartholet trotted out an anecdotal story of a child taught at home not receiving a proper education.
"What they never seem to mention," PJ Media said, "is that in the vast majority of the tragic cases used to 'prove' how dangerous homeschooling is, the victims were a) truant rather than being legally homeschooled and/or b) were known to child protective services who ignored the abuse and neglect in the home."
Bartholet insisted that parents be required to prove to the government that they are qualified to teach their children.
"I think an overwhelming majority of legislators and American people, if they looked at the situation," Bartholet says, "would conclude that something ought to be done."
Bolyard, however, pointed out homeschoolers:
Typically score 15 to 30 percentile points above public-school students on standardized tests
Score above average on achievement tests regardless of their parents’ level of formal education or their family’s household income
Typically score above average on the SAT and ACT tests
Typically score above average, on measures of social, emotional and psychological development including peer interaction, self-concept, leadership skills, family cohesion, participation in community service and self-esteem
Go to and succeed at college at an equal or higher rate than the general population
Participate in local community service more frequently than does the general population, vote and attend public meetings more frequently than the general population
Internalize the values and beliefs of their parents at a high rate
Bartholet claimed in a recent Arizona Law Review paper, "Many homeschool because they want to isolate their children from ideas and values central to our democracy, determined to keep their children from exposure to views that might enable autonomous choice about their future lives."
She called, therefore, for a "radical transformation in the homeschooling regime and a related rethinking of child rights" that "recommends a presumptive ban on homeschooling, with the burden on parents to demonstrate justification for permission to homeschool."
Bartholet is leading a June summit at Harvard to discuss regulating homeschooling.


wnd--2020-04-20--What will be the new American cause?

What will be the new American cause?

After the Great Pandemic has passed and we emerge from Great Depression II , what will be America 's mission in the world ?
What will be America 's cause ?
We have been at such a turning point before .
After World War II , Americans wanted to come home .
But we put aside our nation-building to face the challenge of a malevolent Stalinist empire dominant from the Elbe river to the Barents Sea .
And after persevering for four decades , we prevailed .
TRENDING : Lockdowns may have been unnecessary , says Rush Limbaugh What , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ epochal victory ?
We alienated Russia by moving our NATO military alliance into the Baltic and Black Seas .
We launched bloody , costly crusades for democracy in the Middle East that , invariably , failed .
We exported a huge slice of our manufacturing capacity and economic independence to a coddled China .
Historically , blunders of such magnitude have undone great powers .
Even before COVID-19 , Americans had begun to realize the folly of decades of mindless interventionism over matters irrelevant to our vital interests .
`` Unsustainable '' was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy .
But if our foreign policy was unsustainable during President Trump 's economic boom , with unemployment at record lows and a bull market to rival the Roaring '20s , can an interventionist foreign policy be sustained after the losses of this major depression we have induced to kill the pandemic ?
If the Democrats win in November , we know their priorities : national health insurance , carbon taxes , the Green New Deal , open borders , amnesty , reparations and wealth redistribution to reduce social and economic inequality – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And Democrats will be looking at the defense budget as a slush fund to finance this new progressive era .
If the Republicans win , given the influence of hawks and neocons among the party elite , interventionism may get another run in the yard .
Having been exposed as naive beyond belief for their indulgence of China from the Bush I days to 2016 , some Republicans are looking to make amends by casting China in the Soviet role in Cold War II .
There is talk on Capitol Hill of refusing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ holds and of suing China for the damages done by the coronavirus , as China failed to alert the world the pathogen was loose .
Americans should think long and hard before defaulting on U.S. government debt and consider the consequences if we open a door to claims against sovereign nations for past sins .
Iraq was invaded in 2003 to force it to give up illicit weapons of mass destruction it did not have .
Baghdad could have a case in international court against America for the unprovoked war waged against that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to bring back manufacturing – especially of products critical to the health , safety and defense of our nation – there seems to be no stomach among the public for a war with China .
But again , with the democracy crusades now repudiated , what is America 's cause , what is America 's mission in the world ?
Preventing climate change , say our liberal elites .
Yet , even before the pandemic , global warming ranked near the bottom of national concerns .
The situation in which America will find @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lifts will be almost unprecedented .
We will have the same treaty obligations to go to war on behalf of dozens of nations in Europe and Asia and at the same time , we will be running deficits on the order of $ 3 trillion a year with a shrunken economic base .
If Trump wins , borders will be tightened .
The U.S. withdrawal from the Mideast will continue .
U.S. manufacturing will begin to be repatriated .
Transnational institutions will be downgraded , ignored and superseded .
The watchword will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America First . ''
In a second Trump presidency , there would likely be even less concern for how other nations rule themselves .
Does it matter to us if Russia is led by an autocrat not unlike a Romanov czar , that Hindu nationalism wields the whip hand in India or that Hungarians have rejected Earl Warren 's ideas about liberal democracy ?
In recent decades , the U.N. General Assembly has seemed to resemble the bar scene in `` Star Wars . ''
But is how other nations choose to rule @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those nations do not threaten us ?
In the 19th century , when the Hungarians had risen up against the Hapsburg Empire and sought U.S. intervention , Henry Clay opposed it : '' Far better is it for ourselves … and for the cause of liberty … that we should keep our lamp burning brightly on this western shore , as a light to all nations , than to hazard its utter extinction amid the ruins of falling or fallen republics in Europe . ''
Not only President Trump 's preferences but also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such a destiny .
To borrow from the title of historian Walter A. McDougall 's classic work , America 's future is as a promised land , not a crusader state .

After the Great Pandemic has passed and we emerge from Great Depression II, what will be America's mission in the world?
What will be America's cause?
We have been at such a turning point before.
After World War II, Americans wanted to come home. But we put aside our nation-building to face the challenge of a malevolent Stalinist empire dominant from the Elbe river to the Barents Sea.
And after persevering for four decades, we prevailed.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
What, then, did we do with our epochal victory?
We alienated Russia by moving our NATO military alliance into the Baltic and Black Seas. We launched bloody, costly crusades for democracy in the Middle East that, invariably, failed. We exported a huge slice of our manufacturing capacity and economic independence to a coddled China.
Historically, blunders of such magnitude have undone great powers.
Even before COVID-19, Americans had begun to realize the folly of decades of mindless interventionism over matters irrelevant to our vital interests. "Unsustainable" was the word commonly associated with our foreign policy.
But if our foreign policy was unsustainable during President Trump's economic boom, with unemployment at record lows and a bull market to rival the Roaring '20s, can an interventionist foreign policy be sustained after the losses of this major depression we have induced to kill the pandemic?
If the Democrats win in November, we know their priorities: national health insurance, carbon taxes, the Green New Deal, open borders, amnesty, reparations and wealth redistribution to reduce social and economic inequality – an agenda costing trillions of dollars.
And Democrats will be looking at the defense budget as a slush fund to finance this new progressive era.
If the Republicans win, given the influence of hawks and neocons among the party elite, interventionism may get another run in the yard.
Having been exposed as naive beyond belief for their indulgence of China from the Bush I days to 2016, some Republicans are looking to make amends by casting China in the Soviet role in Cold War II.
There is talk on Capitol Hill of refusing to pay off U.S. bonds that Beijing holds and of suing China for the damages done by the coronavirus, as China failed to alert the world the pathogen was loose.
Americans should think long and hard before defaulting on U.S. government debt and consider the consequences if we open a door to claims against sovereign nations for past sins.
Iraq was invaded in 2003 to force it to give up illicit weapons of mass destruction it did not have. Baghdad could have a case in international court against America for the unprovoked war waged against that country.
While the U.S. appears determined to bring back manufacturing – especially of products critical to the health, safety and defense of our nation – there seems to be no stomach among the public for a war with China.
But again, with the democracy crusades now repudiated, what is America's cause, what is America's mission in the world?
Preventing climate change, say our liberal elites. Yet, even before the pandemic, global warming ranked near the bottom of national concerns.
The situation in which America will find herself after the virus passes and depression lifts will be almost unprecedented.
We will have the same treaty obligations to go to war on behalf of dozens of nations in Europe and Asia and at the same time, we will be running deficits on the order of $3 trillion a year with a shrunken economic base.
If Trump wins, borders will be tightened. The U.S. withdrawal from the Mideast will continue. U.S. manufacturing will begin to be repatriated. Transnational institutions will be downgraded, ignored and superseded.
The watchword will be what it has lately been: "America First."
In a second Trump presidency, there would likely be even less concern for how other nations rule themselves.
Does it matter to us if Russia is led by an autocrat not unlike a Romanov czar, that Hindu nationalism wields the whip hand in India or that Hungarians have rejected Earl Warren's ideas about liberal democracy?
In recent decades, the U.N. General Assembly has seemed to resemble the bar scene in "Star Wars." But is how other nations choose to rule themselves any business of ours, if those nations do not threaten us?
In the 19th century, when the Hungarians had risen up against the Hapsburg Empire and sought U.S. intervention, Henry Clay opposed it:
"Far better is it for ourselves … and for the cause of liberty … that we should keep our lamp burning brightly on this western shore, as a light to all nations, than to hazard its utter extinction amid the ruins of falling or fallen republics in Europe."
Not only President Trump's preferences but also events seem to be driving us toward such a destiny.
To borrow from the title of historian Walter A. McDougall's classic work, America's future is as a promised land, not a crusader state.


wnd--2020-04-20--Now Schiff, Nadler demand investigation of Attorney General William Barr!

Democratic Reps. Adam Schiff , D-Calif. , and Jerry Nadler , D-N.Y. , were House Speaker Nancy Pelosi 's lieutenants in the partisan impeachment of President Trump .
Schiff also falsely claimed during Robert Mueller 's special counsel probe that he had secret evidence that Donald Trump colluded with the Russians .
Now , Schiff and Nadler are demanding an investigation of Attorney General William Barr .
Their complaint is that Barr said in an interview he agreed with President Trump 's decision to dismiss Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson .
TRENDING : Lockdowns may have been unnecessary , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whistleblower '' complaint regarding Trump 's phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that charged Trump engaged in a quid pro quo to benefit his 2020 campaign .
Such complaints require first-hand information , but the still anonymous filer did not listen in on the call .
In a letter to the DOJ , the two Democrats point out that Trump `` was impeached '' by Democrats for the conversation , but they neglected to note he was acquitted .
Democrats claimed Atkinson 's legal responsibility was to notify members of Congress about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explains Atkinson `` sidestepped '' the DOJ and send the complaint to a `` political hack , '' Schiff .
`` Schiff also falsely called the complaint a whistleblower complaint and asserted the acting DNI was withholding it from the committee in violation of his 'express obligations under the law . '
Schiff then implied the White House had somehow interfered to prevent [ officials ] from fulfilling their duties , '' the Federalist said .
`` In the process , many more details were disclosed about the complaint , the complainant , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matter .
For instance , declassified documents revealed that Atkinson determined the complaint 'appeared credible ' even though the complainant 'was not a direct witness to the President ’ s telephone call with the Ukrainian President , ' and even though 'as part of its preliminary review , the ICIG did not request access to records of the President ’ s July 25 , 2019 , call with the Ukrainian President . '
'' The Federalist noted that had Atkinson simply reviewed a readout of the call , `` he would have discovered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ false . ''
Nevertheless , Schiff and Nadler claimed in a letter to DOJ chief counsel Jeffrey Radsale and Inspector General Michael Horowitz that Barr 's remarks were `` misleading . ''
They claim that Barr `` coordinated '' with the White House and others to try to prevent the `` whistleblower '' complaint from reaching Congress .
However , Federalist pointed out the complaint did n't qualify under the nation 's whistleblower law .
Barr said in an interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham that Trump 's firing of Atkinson was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Atkinson broke protocol when he ran to Congress with the whistleblower complaint rather than letting the executive branch determine whether there was a problem , the report said .
Barr said , `` Atkinson tried to turn it into a commission to explore anything in the government and immediately report it to Congress without letting the executive branch look at it and determine whether there was any problem . ''
The Gateway Pundit blog commented that Schiff `` hijacked Congress with his phony impeachment against President Trump while the Coronavirus was spreading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s wasting time and resources investigating Barr over comments he made about a corrupt government official . ''
A criminal investigation is under way into the origins of the Obama administration 's investigation of the Trump campaign .

Democratic Reps. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., were House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's lieutenants in the partisan impeachment of President Trump.
Schiff also falsely claimed during Robert Mueller's special counsel probe that he had secret evidence that Donald Trump colluded with the Russians.
Now, Schiff and Nadler are demanding an investigation of Attorney General William Barr.
Their complaint is that Barr said in an interview he agreed with President Trump's decision to dismiss Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
Atkinson processed the "whistleblower" complaint regarding Trump's phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that charged Trump engaged in a quid pro quo to benefit his 2020 campaign. Such complaints require first-hand information, but the still anonymous filer did not listen in on the call.
In a letter to the DOJ, the two Democrats point out that Trump "was impeached" by Democrats for the conversation, but they neglected to note he was acquitted.
Democrats claimed Atkinson's legal responsibility was to notify members of Congress about the complaint, but as the Federalist explains Atkinson "sidestepped" the DOJ and send the complaint to a "political hack," Schiff.
"Schiff also falsely called the complaint a whistleblower complaint and asserted the acting DNI was withholding it from the committee in violation of his 'express obligations under the law.' Schiff then implied the White House had somehow interfered to prevent [officials] from fulfilling their duties," the Federalist said.
"In the process, many more details were disclosed about the complaint, the complainant, and Atkinson’s handling of the matter. For instance, declassified documents revealed that Atkinson determined the complaint 'appeared credible' even though the complainant 'was not a direct witness to the President’s telephone call with the Ukrainian President,' and even though 'as part of its preliminary review, the ICIG did not request access to records of the President’s July 25, 2019, call with the Ukrainian President.'"
The Federalist noted that had Atkinson simply reviewed a readout of the call, "he would have discovered numerous allegations contained in the complaint were false."
Nevertheless, Schiff and Nadler claimed in a letter to DOJ chief counsel Jeffrey Radsale and Inspector General Michael Horowitz that Barr's remarks were "misleading."
They claim that Barr "coordinated" with the White House and others to try to prevent the "whistleblower" complaint from reaching Congress. However, Federalist pointed out the complaint didn't qualify under the nation's whistleblower law.
Barr said in an interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham that Trump's firing of Atkinson was the "right thing" to do.
Atkinson broke protocol when he ran to Congress with the whistleblower complaint rather than letting the executive branch determine whether there was a problem, the report said.
Barr said, "Atkinson tried to turn it into a commission to explore anything in the government and immediately report it to Congress without letting the executive branch look at it and determine whether there was any problem."
The Gateway Pundit blog commented that Schiff "hijacked Congress with his phony impeachment against President Trump while the Coronavirus was spreading across the globe and now he’s wasting time and resources investigating Barr over comments he made about a corrupt government official."
A criminal investigation is under way into the origins of the Obama administration's investigation of the Trump campaign.