wnd--2020-05-12--The word that gets us through national crises: 'Together'

Editor 's note : Longtime WND columnist and legendary talk-radio host Barry Farber died last week at the age of 90 .
This column of Barry 's was published in the March edition of WND 's Whistleblower magazine , `` The Day the Earth Stood Still , '' and will be his final column to appear in these pages .
Have you ever belonged to a club you never intended to join , that never has meetings and never asks for dues or donations for annual banquets ?
Well , I do !
I belong to that elite corps of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as we all remember 9/11 .
I 'm frequently called upon to talk about the warlike similarities linking the two national disasters .
This is the first time I 've pushed aside the military activities and concentrated strictly on the peaceful activities – how Americans of all ages pulled together , on what we called `` the home front , '' to make life easier for us all .
The first thing that struck me as a member of this `` club '' was the ubiquity of the word `` together . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ crowd you could be sure you were going to hear the word `` together '' dozens if not a hundred times .
`` We 're all in this together . ''
`` We 've got to pull together . ''
`` We can overcome our difficulties because we 're Americans , and our nation is so great precisely because we 've worked together .
We of every faith , of every national origin , have learned how to work together . ''
I do n't remember the word `` color '' in there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but we went to work on that shortly after victory and never let go until today , when all Americans can proudly say America is not a racist nation .
And not only are we not a racist nation , but we are a nation that bends over backwards to avoid the appearance and suggestion that we might be a racist nation .
The second thing I remember is the instantaneous , unquestioning giddiness of falling into line behind our leaders and conducting our national lives utterly together .
There was no such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will support our bond drive ? ''
I recall everybody supporting everybody 's bond drive .
We kids saved our dimes and quarters to buy war stamps .
When we 'd reach the astronomical sum of $ 18.75 we 'd trade them for a war bond , which carried the government 's promise that in 10 years we 'd get a walloping $ 25 for that bond .
Our togetherness was so bull-proof and pig-tight we could hardly breathe .
That felt good .
It felt good on the battlefield , in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and it felt good in our hearts .
That experience taught me never to regard togetherness as an intangible .
For those of us buying war stamps and war bonds , it was as tangible as a granite brick !
Of course , during World War II , we had Republican and Democratic parties and candidates .
But never once do I recall any accusation or attempt by any party or candidate to spread lies aimed at destroying the candidacy and character of the opponent .
As a matter of fact , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when Franklin D. Roosevelt was running for a fourth term as president ( presidents were not term-limited in those days ) , his opponent , New York governor and famous crime-buster Thomas E. Dewey , obtained documents that proved that Roosevelt had prior knowledge about the attack on Pearl Harbor .
Such a revelation would have inflicted unparalleled damage on Roosevelt and the Democrats .
It may not have tilted the election in Dewey 's favor , but it would have visited havoc upon every Democrat and done a great deal to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
One day before Dewey was about to release those incriminating documents , a messenger who identified himself as a Roosevelt aide knocked on the door of Dewey 's hotel campaign suite and told the Dewey official there that he had a message for Gov .
Dewey direct from President Roosevelt , urging Dewey not to disclose that Roosevelt had known of the impending attack on Pearl Harbor .
`` Thank you , '' said the Dewey aide , reaching for the envelope .
`` Sorry !
My instructions are to give this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the Roosevelt aide , turning away .
At Dewey 's meeting that night with his campaign team , he staggered them all by announcing that he had decided not to use the information that would have been so harmful to Roosevelt .
Dewey 's campaign team tore their hair out and then went after one another 's hair , protesting that the evidence was the most important element in the entire election .
How dare Dewey decide not to use it ?
`` I 've decided it would be bad for America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ course went down to defeat much worse than if he had revealed that Roosevelt knew of the impending Japanese attack ) .
Looking back on our food supply , I suddenly feel a 79-year-old flash of shame from 1941 on behalf of any of us who complained about anything lacking in the national pantry .
Woolworth 's lunch counter had a wonderful lunch of luscious rare roast beef , pickled beets and mashed potatoes – a meal I would gladly offer many times its price to be able to enjoy once again .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in line two and three deep , all patiently waiting for that 35-cent lunch !
All families had been distributed ration cards .
Can you guess what commodities we were whimpering about being in short supply ?
The answer : sugar , coffee and gasoline .
A nation full of deprived children , right ?
During World War II there was a little `` war between the wars '' that did n't get much media attention but was quite meaningful to those of us who spent those years on the home front .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ pat of butter in a restaurant to a better windshield wipe , any indication that you had waited long enough and you thought it was your turn to be served brought forth the sarcastic rejoinder of `` Sir ( or Ma'am or Pal ) , do n't you know there 's a war going on ? ''
That phrase was uttered and heard many times each day among exasperated civilians trying to cope .
The great comedian Bob Hope was driving down Hollywood Boulevard on the afternoon of Aug. 15 , 1945 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ radio report that Japan had surrendered , the war was over and gasoline rationing would be lifted immediately .
Bob Hope was right at the entrance to a gas station when he heard that , so he pulled up to a pump and said to the attendant , `` Fill 'er up , please . ''
`` What do you mean 'Fill 'er up , ' Pal ? ''
railed the gas station attendant .
`` Show me your ration card ! ''
Bob Hope thereupon said , `` What do you mean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know there 's a peace going on ? ''

Editor's note: Longtime WND columnist and legendary talk-radio host Barry Farber died last week at the age of 90. This column of Barry's was published in the March edition of WND's Whistleblower magazine, "The Day the Earth Stood Still," and will be his final column to appear in these pages.
Have you ever belonged to a club you never intended to join, that never has meetings and never asks for dues or donations for annual banquets? Well, I do!
I belong to that elite corps of Americans who remember Pearl Harbor as vividly as we all remember 9/11. I'm frequently called upon to talk about the warlike similarities linking the two national disasters. This is the first time I've pushed aside the military activities and concentrated strictly on the peaceful activities – how Americans of all ages pulled together, on what we called "the home front," to make life easier for us all.
The first thing that struck me as a member of this "club" was the ubiquity of the word "together." Whenever politicians stood up to address a crowd you could be sure you were going to hear the word "together" dozens if not a hundred times. "We're all in this together." "We've got to pull together." "We can overcome our difficulties because we're Americans, and our nation is so great precisely because we've worked together. We of every faith, of every national origin, have learned how to work together."
I don't remember the word "color" in there alongside faith and creed and origin, but we went to work on that shortly after victory and never let go until today, when all Americans can proudly say America is not a racist nation. And not only are we not a racist nation, but we are a nation that bends over backwards to avoid the appearance and suggestion that we might be a racist nation.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
The second thing I remember is the instantaneous, unquestioning giddiness of falling into line behind our leaders and conducting our national lives utterly together. There was no such thing as "I wonder if so-and-so will support our bond drive?" I recall everybody supporting everybody's bond drive. We kids saved our dimes and quarters to buy war stamps. When we'd reach the astronomical sum of $18.75 we'd trade them for a war bond, which carried the government's promise that in 10 years we'd get a walloping $25 for that bond. Our togetherness was so bull-proof and pig-tight we could hardly breathe. That felt good. It felt good on the battlefield, in the factory, farm, mine and mill, and it felt good in our hearts. That experience taught me never to regard togetherness as an intangible. For those of us buying war stamps and war bonds, it was as tangible as a granite brick!
Of course, during World War II, we had Republican and Democratic parties and candidates. But never once do I recall any accusation or attempt by any party or candidate to spread lies aimed at destroying the candidacy and character of the opponent.
As a matter of fact, it was the reverse. In 1944, when Franklin D. Roosevelt was running for a fourth term as president (presidents were not term-limited in those days), his opponent, New York governor and famous crime-buster Thomas E. Dewey, obtained documents that proved that Roosevelt had prior knowledge about the attack on Pearl Harbor. Such a revelation would have inflicted unparalleled damage on Roosevelt and the Democrats. It may not have tilted the election in Dewey's favor, but it would have visited havoc upon every Democrat and done a great deal to rebuild the structure of the Republican Party.
One day before Dewey was about to release those incriminating documents, a messenger who identified himself as a Roosevelt aide knocked on the door of Dewey's hotel campaign suite and told the Dewey official there that he had a message for Gov. Dewey direct from President Roosevelt, urging Dewey not to disclose that Roosevelt had known of the impending attack on Pearl Harbor. "Thank you," said the Dewey aide, reaching for the envelope. "Sorry! My instructions are to give this only to Governor Dewey himself!" said the Roosevelt aide, turning away.
At Dewey's meeting that night with his campaign team, he staggered them all by announcing that he had decided not to use the information that would have been so harmful to Roosevelt.
Dewey's campaign team tore their hair out and then went after one another's hair, protesting that the evidence was the most important element in the entire election. How dare Dewey decide not to use it? "I've decided it would be bad for America," said Dewey (who of course went down to defeat much worse than if he had revealed that Roosevelt knew of the impending Japanese attack).
Looking back on our food supply, I suddenly feel a 79-year-old flash of shame from 1941 on behalf of any of us who complained about anything lacking in the national pantry. Woolworth's lunch counter had a wonderful lunch of luscious rare roast beef, pickled beets and mashed potatoes – a meal I would gladly offer many times its price to be able to enjoy once again. Men, women and even teenagers stood in line two and three deep, all patiently waiting for that 35-cent lunch! All families had been distributed ration cards. Can you guess what commodities we were whimpering about being in short supply? The answer: sugar, coffee and gasoline. A nation full of deprived children, right?
During World War II there was a little "war between the wars" that didn't get much media attention but was quite meaningful to those of us who spent those years on the home front. Whenever you wanted anything from an extra pat of butter in a restaurant to a better windshield wipe, any indication that you had waited long enough and you thought it was your turn to be served brought forth the sarcastic rejoinder of "Sir (or Ma'am or Pal), don't you know there's a war going on?" That phrase was uttered and heard many times each day among exasperated civilians trying to cope.
The great comedian Bob Hope was driving down Hollywood Boulevard on the afternoon of Aug. 15, 1945, and heard the announcer on the car radio report that Japan had surrendered, the war was over and gasoline rationing would be lifted immediately. Bob Hope was right at the entrance to a gas station when he heard that, so he pulled up to a pump and said to the attendant, "Fill 'er up, please."
"What do you mean 'Fill 'er up,' Pal?" railed the gas station attendant. "Show me your ration card!" Bob Hope thereupon said, "What do you mean 'ration card'? Don't you know there's a peace going on?"


wnd--2020-05-12--Restart sports – without gambling

Restart sports – without gambling

The shutdown of professional sports due to the Wuhan virus has exposed the increasing billions of dollars being wagered on these games and the heightened dependency of state governments on revenue from this formerly illicit activity .
When the NCAA canceled March Madness , the annual college basketball tournament , states addicted to sports gambling lost millions of dollars in revenue from taxes on the betting .
Many were astounded when 15.6 million recently watched the first day of the NFL draft , a tedious event previously interesting only to diehard fans .
But the audience this year was boosted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ college students would be picked , and when .
That is a pathetic way to spend the family nest egg , or waste one 's time .
Yet sports betting has mushroomed to tens of billions of dollars , particularly since the Murphy v. NCAA ruling by the Supreme Court in 2018 allowed states to ramp up sports gambling .
Legalized sports gambling then quickly spread to a total of 18 states , and just as quickly they are becoming hostage to the tax revenue it generates .
With professional sports shut down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lost this revenue while their residents save money .
There has been no local or state tax revenue from casinos since they were shut down nationwide , to the dismay of their owners , including Indian tribes .
Their losses benefit casino victims , including many American Indians and every other demographic group .
Democratic politicians complain about how the rich get richer even now , but sports and casino gambling constitute one of the biggest drivers of wealth inequality .
Billionaire owner Mark Cuban estimated that the Supreme Court ruling authorizing sports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the top four professional sports leagues .
Sports competitions should restart , as athletes are most able to overcome the Wuhan virus .
But we can do without the smoke-filled casinos infecting the less healthy and the integrity of the games .
Democrat-controlled Las Vegas announced that it will reopen its casinos , despite how Democrats criticize Trump for seeking to reopen ordinary businesses .
Apparently , the concept of which businesses are `` essential '' is in the eye of the beholder .
Belorussian soccer and Ukrainian pingpong are nearly the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This has left millions of Americans with little to bet on in sports .
This fall Las Vegas is set to be the new home for the Oakland Raiders as the NFL and other leagues embrace gambling and fantasy sports betting like never before .
`` Gaming management '' seeks credibility by holding conferences at prestigious universities and offering accredited college degrees .
Sports bettors attended in March the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference , which is a fancy name to legitimize the combination of two addictions : gambling and watching professional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bar for a little rest and relaxation after a day of panel presentations .
But it turns out that COVID-19 was being spread at that cigar bar during the conference .
According to Sports Illustrated , everyone who frequented the bar at that time contracted the virus .
Most recovered from the disease , but the shutdown of professional sports may have caused even worse symptoms for sports gambling addicts and states increasingly dependent on them .
Desperate states may soon attempt to expand sports gambling as a way to try to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ businesses .
Democrat-controlled Colorado has now done just that .
After heavy spending by gambling interests pushed through a referendum by a narrow 51-49 % margin , regulators in that formerly conservative state made sports betting legal as of May 1 .
This was just in time for gambling interests to get `` apps '' into the state for the college and professional football seasons expected to begin in August , if the coronavirus crisis is over by then .
Some NFL owners want to play without fans if necessary , and several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even before the virus arrived .
The hypocrisy of owners of professional sports teams includes how they have harshly punished players who may have occasionally bet on games , while the owners themselves seek to profit from it .
Baseball great `` Shoeless '' Joe Jackson , whom Babe Ruth imitated as the finest natural hitter he ever saw , was accused of gambling on the 1919 World Series but was acquitted in a court of law , and yet remains banished .
Some of the new state laws authorizing sports wagering allow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can not .
Meanwhile , states like Pennsylvania are imposing whopping taxes of 36 % on revenue from sports gambling .
Professional sports should be reopened without the gambling , which most states recently allowed or seek to permit .
The Department of Justice should fully enforce the Wire Act and other federal laws to end nationwide this exploitation of fans when seasons restart .

The shutdown of professional sports due to the Wuhan virus has exposed the increasing billions of dollars being wagered on these games and the heightened dependency of state governments on revenue from this formerly illicit activity. When the NCAA canceled March Madness, the annual college basketball tournament, states addicted to sports gambling lost millions of dollars in revenue from taxes on the betting.
Many were astounded when 15.6 million recently watched the first day of the NFL draft, a tedious event previously interesting only to diehard fans. But the audience this year was boosted by famished gamblers who wagered on which college students would be picked, and when.
That is a pathetic way to spend the family nest egg, or waste one's time. Yet sports betting has mushroomed to tens of billions of dollars, particularly since the Murphy v. NCAA ruling by the Supreme Court in 2018 allowed states to ramp up sports gambling.
Legalized sports gambling then quickly spread to a total of 18 states, and just as quickly they are becoming hostage to the tax revenue it generates. With professional sports shut down due to COVID-19, state governments have lost this revenue while their residents save money.
There has been no local or state tax revenue from casinos since they were shut down nationwide, to the dismay of their owners, including Indian tribes. Their losses benefit casino victims, including many American Indians and every other demographic group.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
Democratic politicians complain about how the rich get richer even now, but sports and casino gambling constitute one of the biggest drivers of wealth inequality. Billionaire owner Mark Cuban estimated that the Supreme Court ruling authorizing sports gambling immediately doubled the value of franchises in the top four professional sports leagues.
Sports competitions should restart, as athletes are most able to overcome the Wuhan virus. But we can do without the smoke-filled casinos infecting the less healthy and the integrity of the games.
Democrat-controlled Las Vegas announced that it will reopen its casinos, despite how Democrats criticize Trump for seeking to reopen ordinary businesses. Apparently, the concept of which businesses are "essential" is in the eye of the beholder.
Belorussian soccer and Ukrainian pingpong are nearly the only professional sports which have carried on. This has left millions of Americans with little to bet on in sports.
This fall Las Vegas is set to be the new home for the Oakland Raiders as the NFL and other leagues embrace gambling and fantasy sports betting like never before. "Gaming management" seeks credibility by holding conferences at prestigious universities and offering accredited college degrees.
Sports bettors attended in March the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, which is a fancy name to legitimize the combination of two addictions: gambling and watching professional sports. Conference attendees enjoyed the cigar bar for a little rest and relaxation after a day of panel presentations.
But it turns out that COVID-19 was being spread at that cigar bar during the conference. According to Sports Illustrated, everyone who frequented the bar at that time contracted the virus.
Most recovered from the disease, but the shutdown of professional sports may have caused even worse symptoms for sports gambling addicts and states increasingly dependent on them. Desperate states may soon attempt to expand sports gambling as a way to try to make up for their lost revenue from legitimate businesses.
Democrat-controlled Colorado has now done just that. After heavy spending by gambling interests pushed through a referendum by a narrow 51-49% margin, regulators in that formerly conservative state made sports betting legal as of May 1.
This was just in time for gambling interests to get "apps" into the state for the college and professional football seasons expected to begin in August, if the coronavirus crisis is over by then. Some NFL owners want to play without fans if necessary, and several taxpayer-supported stadiums had already been poorly attended even before the virus arrived.
The hypocrisy of owners of professional sports teams includes how they have harshly punished players who may have occasionally bet on games, while the owners themselves seek to profit from it. Baseball great "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, whom Babe Ruth imitated as the finest natural hitter he ever saw, was accused of gambling on the 1919 World Series but was acquitted in a court of law, and yet remains banished.
Some of the new state laws authorizing sports wagering allow owners to gamble in ways that players cannot. Meanwhile, states like Pennsylvania are imposing whopping taxes of 36% on revenue from sports gambling.
Professional sports should be reopened without the gambling, which most states recently allowed or seek to permit. The Department of Justice should fully enforce the Wire Act and other federal laws to end nationwide this exploitation of fans when seasons restart.


wnd--2020-05-12--We're all on welfare now

We're all on welfare now

I 'm pleased to read that Republican leaders in the White House and on Capitol Hill want to take a pause before enacting more coronavirus stimulus spending .
Thinking about the coronavirus debt my grandchildren will have to endure is already starting to keep me up at night .
But what really had me in cold sweats was when I found myself anxiously waiting for a Paycheck Protection Program loan , or PPP loan , to provide assistance to my struggling company .
I pondered , with deep angst , that after shedding myself of welfare dependency some 35 years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in business with government .
Back when I was on means-tested welfare programs , the rules were `` Do n't work .
Do n't save .
Do n't get married '' – and my rich uncle in Washington would reach into someone else 's pocket and provide me security and stability on his government plantation .
Now politicians are setting up commissions and oversight to allegedly assure compliance with the rules for the trillions of coronavirus stimulus dollars allocated .
I say allegedly because , sadly , it is largely a show with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pretending that politicians can design trillions in spending programs that are targeted and efficient and can be overseen to assure that it 's all done right .
The PPP program consists of some $ 349 billion in loans that will go to millions of businesses around the country .
Each of these businesses is unique .
What does my Washington , D.C. , nonprofit have in common with a dry cleaner or a restaurant ?
What does my organization of 12 employees have in common with a business of 500 , the largest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the rules for using the PPP loan are the same for everyone .
The loans can become grants if 75 % of the funds are used for payroll and the business is staffed as it was before the crisis .
But the way we are going to get out of this crisis is creativity , doing things in new and different ways .
Many businesses , including my own , will not and should not be the same .
There should be a lot of change and reinventing going on .
Yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that you run your business as government tells you how to run it , and that you continue to operate it as you did before – both very bad ideas .
Also consider that the PPP was one part of the $ 2 trillion CARES Act package .
Another part included a $ 600 weekly payment to the unemployed , over and above unemployment insurance .
So while the PPP demands that employers restore their workforce , many in that workforce are now being subsidized by government to stay out of work .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ circumstances that require government action .
But the issue is not whether government should act but how .
All this could have been done without vast new expenditures and government micromanagement of our lives .
The point was to get cash to individuals and businesses to get through the crisis without interfering with individual autonomy .
This could have been done through a tax holiday , where individuals were sent back their 2019 taxes .
If a business paid $ 30,000 in taxes in 2019 , refund it .
And/or , as Peter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , short-term credit forbearance could have been provided .
Deferral of rent payments , mortgage payments , car payments , utilities , etc.
, could have been permitted , providing for payment later at a special low interest rate .
Brian Riedl at the Manhattan Institute estimates that what we 've spent so far in this crisis will add another $ 8 trillion to our national debt , which was already approaching the size of our entire economy .
We 've made a big mistake by dealing with a cash flow crisis by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and political intervention into our personal lives .
Let 's wait before doing more of the same .

I'm pleased to read that Republican leaders in the White House and on Capitol Hill want to take a pause before enacting more coronavirus stimulus spending.
Thinking about the coronavirus debt my grandchildren will have to endure is already starting to keep me up at night.
But what really had me in cold sweats was when I found myself anxiously waiting for a Paycheck Protection Program loan, or PPP loan, to provide assistance to my struggling company.
I pondered, with deep angst, that after shedding myself of welfare dependency some 35 years ago, suddenly I find myself back in business with government.
Back when I was on means-tested welfare programs, the rules were "Don't work. Don't save. Don't get married" – and my rich uncle in Washington would reach into someone else's pocket and provide me security and stability on his government plantation.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
Now politicians are setting up commissions and oversight to allegedly assure compliance with the rules for the trillions of coronavirus stimulus dollars allocated.
I say allegedly because, sadly, it is largely a show with a storyline that we tell ourselves, pretending that politicians can design trillions in spending programs that are targeted and efficient and can be overseen to assure that it's all done right.
The PPP program consists of some $659 billion in loans that will go to millions of businesses around the country.
Each of these businesses is unique. What does my Washington, D.C., nonprofit have in common with a dry cleaner or a restaurant? What does my organization of 12 employees have in common with a business of 500, the largest that qualifies for PPP loans?
Yet, the rules for using the PPP loan are the same for everyone.
The loans can become grants if 75% of the funds are used for payroll and the business is staffed as it was before the crisis.
But the way we are going to get out of this crisis is creativity, doing things in new and different ways.
Many businesses, including my own, will not and should not be the same. There should be a lot of change and reinventing going on.
Yet the condition for the government money is that you run your business as government tells you how to run it, and that you continue to operate it as you did before – both very bad ideas.
Also consider that the PPP was one part of the $2 trillion CARES Act package. Another part included a $600 weekly payment to the unemployed, over and above unemployment insurance.
So while the PPP demands that employers restore their workforce, many in that workforce are now being subsidized by government to stay out of work.
Of course, we are in unique circumstances that require government action. But the issue is not whether government should act but how.
All this could have been done without vast new expenditures and government micromanagement of our lives.
The point was to get cash to individuals and businesses to get through the crisis without interfering with individual autonomy.
This could have been done through a tax holiday, where individuals were sent back their 2019 taxes. If a business paid $30,000 in taxes in 2019, refund it.
And/or, as Peter Wallison of the American Enterprise Institute suggested, short-term credit forbearance could have been provided. Deferral of rent payments, mortgage payments, car payments, utilities, etc., could have been permitted, providing for payment later at a special low interest rate.
Brian Riedl at the Manhattan Institute estimates that what we've spent so far in this crisis will add another $8 trillion to our national debt, which was already approaching the size of our entire economy.
We've made a big mistake by dealing with a cash flow crisis by introducing massive new government spending, debt and political intervention into our personal lives.
Let's wait before doing more of the same.


wnd--2020-05-13--Protect your family from fearmonger Fauci

This Mother 's Day weekend , my family defied government pandemania .
We drove out east from Colorado Springs to the tiny town of Calhan for a lovely little hike in the purple-and-gold-hued Paint Mines archeological district .
Unmasked , we basked in the sunshine , fresh air and freedom .
The park was teeming with moms like me who put family bonding over `` social distancing . ''
We were not alone – and that was a glorious thing .
There is nothing public health fossil Dr. Anthony Fauci can do or say to stop me from making the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , sanity and resilience .
He appeared before the Senate on Tuesday to heckle states like Colorado not to get back to business – back to life – too soon and too quickly .
`` Needless suffering and death '' will occur , he told The New York Times .
`` I think we better be careful ( that ) we are not cavalier in thinking that children are completely immune from the deleterious effects , '' he testified .
Irked by Kentucky GOP Sen. Rand Paul 's very necessary reminder that no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end-all '' decider of our fate , Fauci warned against reopening schools because children in New York are `` presenting with COVID-19 who actually have a very strange inflammatory syndrome , very similar to Kawasaki syndrome . ''
How dare you accuse us parents of being `` cavalier '' with our children 's health , Fauci , when you are scaring them with dubious , unverified claims connecting a few cases of an alleged mystery pediatric disease to the coronavirus ?
How dare you toss around so cavalierly the uncorroborated specter of `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treatable disease ) while untold numbers among the 57 million K-12 students suffer from the effects of panic-induced anxiety , depression , phobias and isolation ?
Here are some actual facts about Fauci 's Kawasaki hype : Peer-reviewed studies over the last several years have identified multiple theories of the inflammatory disease 's etiology , including genetic factors , environmental triggers , superantigens , bacterial infections and viruses .
A blinded , case-control retrospective study on kids at Children 's Hospital in Denver investigating whether one strain of human coronavirus infection was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to demonstrate an association . ''
The Mayo Clinic diseases and conditions information website states that `` scientists do n't believe the disease is contagious from person to person . ''
Moreover , the Mayo Clinic states : `` Kawasaki disease is usually treatable , and most children recover from Kawasaki disease without serious problems . ''
The truth is that Fauci is misleading American families and educators through arrogant acts of both omission and commission .
The Kawasaki lie is not his first or last lie .
Before he embraced masks for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in March during a `` 60 Minutes '' interview because it would `` make people 'feel ' a little bit better , and it might even block a droplet , but it 's not providing the perfect protection people think that it is . ''
Now , he says , face coverings must be a `` should be a very regular part '' of our daily lives .
Dutiful reporters ignore the flip-flop , slavishly acting as stenographers for Fauci and the rest of the dishonest `` deep state . ''
`` Masks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington Post Lifestyle section chirped last week .
To which I say : Hell , no .
As a responsible parent and citizen , I will not let terror rule my children 's lives .
I speak from heart-wrenching personal experience over the past five years as my teenage daughter , already battling chronic pain and joint hypermobility requiring multiple surgeries , also suffered from severe clinical OCD that left her unable to do mundane things – like use a public bathroom , eat out at a restaurant or ride in a crowded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fell into depression .
Her physical and emotional health deteriorated .
She was homebound , helplessly trapped in the worst kind of self-imposed lockdown .
Thanks to a brilliant and effective doctor , she learned to confront her fears instead of cowering from them .
She learned that avoiding risks at all costs carries its own unacceptable risks .
Every member of my family benefited from embracing the exposure therapy ethos .
We can not hide from germs , people or adversity .
My daughter has remained strong in the face of mass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world – working , seeing friends and living life .
As Dr. Judy Mikovits , author of `` Plague of Corruption '' and star of the documentary , `` Plandemic , '' which social media platforms have banned everywhere , `` Fear is a very powerful immune-suppressant . ''
By holding our children hostage , federal scare-mongers with vested financial interests and ideological agendas are making our most precious and vulnerable members of the American family sick .
Here in Colorado Springs , two cadets at the Air Force Academy committed suicide while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month , 12-year-old Hayden Hunstable committed suicide after suffering in a `` perfect storm '' of loneliness under quarantine , his family said .
Isolation was a `` hidden killer and equally as shocking and horrific as what is happening on the front lines of this disease . ''
Where is Fauci 's concern for these invisible victims of the invisible enemy ?
He 's apparently too busy preparing to jab a new generation of young guinea pigs with his BFF Bill Gates ' shots .
To which I again say : Hell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ live rationally and fearlessly , through words and deeds , is the most potent vaccine we can give them .

This Mother's Day weekend, my family defied government pandemania. We drove out east from Colorado Springs to the tiny town of Calhan for a lovely little hike in the purple-and-gold-hued Paint Mines archeological district. Unmasked, we basked in the sunshine, fresh air and freedom. The park was teeming with moms like me who put family bonding over "social distancing."
We were not alone – and that was a glorious thing.
There is nothing public health fossil Dr. Anthony Fauci can do or say to stop me from making the best choices for my children's health, sanity and resilience. He appeared before the Senate on Tuesday to heckle states like Colorado not to get back to business – back to life – too soon and too quickly. "Needless suffering and death" will occur, he told The New York Times. "I think we better be careful (that) we are not cavalier in thinking that children are completely immune from the deleterious effects," he testified.
Irked by Kentucky GOP Sen. Rand Paul's very necessary reminder that no federal infectious disease bureaucrat is the "end-all" decider of our fate, Fauci warned against reopening schools because children in New York are "presenting with COVID-19 who actually have a very strange inflammatory syndrome, very similar to Kawasaki syndrome."
How dare you accuse us parents of being "cavalier" with our children's health, Fauci, when you are scaring them with dubious, unverified claims connecting a few cases of an alleged mystery pediatric disease to the coronavirus?
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How dare you toss around so cavalierly the uncorroborated specter of "Kawasaki syndrome" (a rare but treatable disease) while untold numbers among the 57 million K-12 students suffer from the effects of panic-induced anxiety, depression, phobias and isolation?
Here are some actual facts about Fauci's Kawasaki hype: Peer-reviewed studies over the last several years have identified multiple theories of the inflammatory disease's etiology, including genetic factors, environmental triggers, superantigens, bacterial infections and viruses. A blinded, case-control retrospective study on kids at Children's Hospital in Denver investigating whether one strain of human coronavirus infection was a factor among Kawasaki syndrome patients "failed to demonstrate an association." The Mayo Clinic diseases and conditions information website states that "scientists don't believe the disease is contagious from person to person." Moreover, the Mayo Clinic states: "Kawasaki disease is usually treatable, and most children recover from Kawasaki disease without serious problems."
The truth is that Fauci is misleading American families and educators through arrogant acts of both omission and commission. The Kawasaki lie is not his first or last lie. Before he embraced masks for all, he smugly dismissed the measure in March during a "60 Minutes" interview because it would "make people 'feel' a little bit better, and it might even block a droplet, but it's not providing the perfect protection people think that it is." Now, he says, face coverings must be a "should be a very regular part" of our daily lives.
Dutiful reporters ignore the flip-flop, slavishly acting as stenographers for Fauci and the rest of the dishonest "deep state." "Masks are here to stay," The Washington Post Lifestyle section chirped last week. To which I say: Hell, no.
As a responsible parent and citizen, I will not let terror rule my children's lives. I speak from heart-wrenching personal experience over the past five years as my teenage daughter, already battling chronic pain and joint hypermobility requiring multiple surgeries, also suffered from severe clinical OCD that left her unable to do mundane things – like use a public bathroom, eat out at a restaurant or ride in a crowded vehicle. She lost friends. She fell into depression. Her physical and emotional health deteriorated. She was homebound, helplessly trapped in the worst kind of self-imposed lockdown.
Thanks to a brilliant and effective doctor, she learned to confront her fears instead of cowering from them. She learned that avoiding risks at all costs carries its own unacceptable risks. Every member of my family benefited from embracing the exposure therapy ethos. We cannot hide from germs, people or adversity. My daughter has remained strong in the face of mass hysteria and refused to withdraw from the world – working, seeing friends and living life.
As Dr. Judy Mikovits, author of "Plague of Corruption" and star of the documentary, "Plandemic," which social media platforms have banned everywhere, "Fear is a very powerful immune-suppressant." By holding our children hostage, federal scare-mongers with vested financial interests and ideological agendas are making our most precious and vulnerable members of the American family sick.
Here in Colorado Springs, two cadets at the Air Force Academy committed suicide while on extreme lockdown.
In Ohio last month, 12-year-old Hayden Hunstable committed suicide after suffering in a "perfect storm" of loneliness under quarantine, his family said. Isolation was a "hidden killer and equally as shocking and horrific as what is happening on the front lines of this disease."
Where is Fauci's concern for these invisible victims of the invisible enemy? He's apparently too busy preparing to jab a new generation of young guinea pigs with his BFF Bill Gates' shots. To which I again say: Hell, no.
Teaching your children to live rationally and fearlessly, through words and deeds, is the most potent vaccine we can give them.


wnd--2020-05-13--Trump's press secretary destroys media with truth bomb

Call it the Sarah Sanders school of media management .
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany hasn ’ t been long in the post , but her handling of the divas of the Washington media corps is taking a page out of one of her predecessor ’ s books .
And she ’ s getting plenty of positive reviews from Americans tired of watching incessant , Lilliputian attacks on President Donald Trump , aimed at tying him down from the business of running the government -- and running for re-election at the same time .
Like Sanders , whose service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consistent willingness to do combat with arrogant correspondents -- CNN ’ s Jim Acosta leaps to mind -- McEnany hasn ’ t shied away from taking on the media corps in sometimes personal terms .
And her appearance Tuesday on the Fox News morning program Fox & Friends ” was a case in point .
At the end of an interview dealing with topics ranging from former Vice President Joe Biden ’ s softball interview with ABC 's “ Good Morning America ” to China ’ s bid to reopen trade talks with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about a question Trump received from a reporter in the Rose Garden on Monday .
Weijia Jiang , a White House correspondent for CBS News , questioned whether Trump saw increased testing in the U.S. as part of some global competition “ if every day Americans are still losing their lives.
” Trump responded that lives are being lost all over the world , thanks to the coronavirus pandemic , and suggested Jiang could take her question to the government of China .
Either perceiving an ethnic slur or -- more likely -- @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pointedly asked , “ Why are you saying that to me , specifically ?
” Instead of giving the question a response it deserved , like : “ Because you ’ re the one who asked , ” Trump said he was posing the question in general terms .
He ended the news conference almost immediately afterward .
“ Fox & Friends ” host Brian Kilmeade asked McEnany about it on Tuesday “ Do you want to expand on that ?
” he said .
“ I guess she was saying that maybe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Asian .
Did that figure into that at all ?
” “ No , that ’ s a ridiculous assertion , ” she said .
“ But what I would note is , leave it to members of the White House press corps to make it about them , to take a question , to turn around and somehow say , ‘ How dare you ask this of me , me , me.
’ “ Well , guess what ?
It ’ s not about ‘ me.
’ This is about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says , ask China about this , ask China about the fact that they slow-walked information , that alongside the [ World Health Organization ] that American lives were put at risk .
China has some real questions to answer here .
But leave it [ to ] the White House press corps to make it about themselves.
” It 's the kind of bare-knuckled approach McEnany demonstrated at a briefing last week when she responded to a baiting question about a previous statement she 'd made by hurling the words of major @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way that would have embarrassed honest adults .
( The Washington media corps was unembarrassed . )
Her approach has made plenty of fans among viewers : Given the blatant hostility between Trump and the Washington media establishment -- the same bootlickers who spent eight years prostituting the profession of journalism during the Obama administrations -- it ’ s unlikely any Trump White House press secretary could be on warm terms with the vast majority of reporters .
Trump 's first press secretary , Sean Spicer , was treated like the new kid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pathologically mean-spirited bullies .
It was Sanders , with her den mother discipline and an approach that exuded common sense tough while taking no nonsense , that set the standard .
While Sanders ' immediate successor , Stephanie Grisham , did n't have the daily briefings Sanders endured , she also was a vocal critic of the Washington media 's laughably liberal bias .
Now in her second month on the job , McEnany is showing exactly the kind of grit a Trump press secretary needs wading in the shark tank of Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House complains about its media coverage .
As Kyle Smith pointed out at National Review last week , former first lady Michelle Obama , beneficiary of the most positive , undeserved media the country may have ever seen , gripes about negative coverage in `` Becoming , '' the Netflix documentary about her life ( naturally ) .
But the open warfare between Trump and the Democrat-dominated Washington media corps is n't normal -- and the fault does n't belong on the White House side .
Constant baiting , insulting behavior , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imaginative idea that Trump had somehow singled her out with an answer because she was the one who asked the question -- have both poisoned relations between the president and the media and damaged Americans ' faith in the media overall .
But Sarah Sanders ' example taught her successors how to fight back .
So far , it looks like McEnany learned the lesson well .
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal .

Call it the Sarah Sanders school of media management.
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany hasn’t been long in the post, but her handling of the divas of the Washington media corps is taking a page out of one of her predecessor’s books.
And she’s getting plenty of positive reviews from Americans tired of watching incessant, Lilliputian attacks on President Donald Trump, aimed at tying him down from the business of running the government -- and running for re-election at the same time.
Like Sanders, whose service as press secretary was marked by a consistent willingness to do combat with arrogant correspondents -- CNN’s Jim Acosta leaps to mind -- McEnany hasn’t shied away from taking on the media corps in sometimes personal terms.
And her appearance Tuesday on the Fox News morning program Fox & Friends” was a case in point.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
At the end of an interview dealing with topics ranging from former Vice President Joe Biden’s softball interview with ABC's “Good Morning America” to China’s bid to reopen trade talks with the Trump administration, McEnany was asked about a question Trump received from a reporter in the Rose Garden on Monday.
Check out Trump's exchange here:
After @weijia asks President Trump why he sees the pandemic response as a "global competition," he tells her: "Maybe that's a question you should ask China. Don't ask me, ask China that question, okay?" https://t.co/9T8aUPjUrs pic.twitter.com/aDQ5cwWvn0 — CBS News (@CBSNews) May 11, 2020
Weijia Jiang, a White House correspondent for CBS News, questioned whether Trump saw increased testing in the U.S. as part of some global competition “if every day Americans are still losing their lives.”
Trump responded that lives are being lost all over the world, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, and suggested Jiang could take her question to the government of China.
Either perceiving an ethnic slur or -- more likely -- trying to gin one up, Jiang pointedly asked, “Why are you saying that to me, specifically?”
Instead of giving the question a response it deserved, like: “Because you’re the one who asked,” Trump said he was posing the question in general terms. He ended the news conference almost immediately afterward.
“Fox & Friends” host Brian Kilmeade asked McEnany about it on Tuesday
“Do you want to expand on that?” he said. “I guess she was saying that maybe the president was saying that because she’s Asian. Did that figure into that at all?”
McEnany's response was scathing.
“No, that’s a ridiculous assertion,” she said. “But what I would note is, leave it to members of the White House press corps to make it about them, to take a question, to turn around and somehow say, ‘How dare you ask this of me, me, me.’
“Well, guess what? It’s not about ‘me.’ This is about the American people.
“President Trump says, ask China about this, ask China about the fact that they slow-walked information, that alongside the [World Health Organization] that American lives were put at risk. China has some real questions to answer here. But leave it [to] the White House press corps to make it about themselves.”
It's the kind of bare-knuckled approach McEnany demonstrated at a briefing last week when she responded to a baiting question about a previous statement she'd made by hurling the words of major news outlets back at them in a way that would have embarrassed honest adults. (The Washington media corps was unembarrassed.)
Her approach has made plenty of fans among viewers:
McEnany on Trump, Asian Reporter Exchange: ‘Leave It to Members of the White House Press Corps to Make It About Them‘ So true! Embarrassing to America https://t.co/6ajepWgIlv via @BreitbartNews — Off Grid Media (@OffGridMedia) May 12, 2020
Dear Media in the Press Room that hates Trump, Your act is so old and predictable that Kayleigh McEnany is prepared for every one of your hack, leftist questions. The jig is up. — Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) May 9, 2020
Given the blatant hostility between Trump and the Washington media establishment -- the same bootlickers who spent eight years prostituting the profession of journalism during the Obama administrations -- it’s unlikely any Trump White House press secretary could be on warm terms with the vast majority of reporters.
Trump's first press secretary, Sean Spicer, was treated like the new kid in class at a reform school for pathologically mean-spirited bullies.
It was Sanders, with her den mother discipline and an approach that exuded common sense tough while taking no nonsense, that set the standard.
While Sanders' immediate successor, Stephanie Grisham, didn't have the daily briefings Sanders endured, she also was a vocal critic of the Washington media's laughably liberal bias.
Now in her second month on the job, McEnany is showing exactly the kind of grit a Trump press secretary needs wading in the shark tank of Washington politics.
Of course, every White House complains about its media coverage. As Kyle Smith pointed out at National Review last week, former first lady Michelle Obama, beneficiary of the most positive, undeserved media the country may have ever seen, gripes about negative coverage in "Becoming," the Netflix documentary about her life (naturally).
But the open warfare between Trump and the Democrat-dominated Washington media corps isn't normal -- and the fault doesn't belong on the White House side.
Constant baiting, insulting behavior, and too-inane-to-be-believed insinuations -- like Jiang's belligerently imaginative idea that Trump had somehow singled her out with an answer because she was the one who asked the question -- have both poisoned relations between the president and the media and damaged Americans' faith in the media overall.
But Sarah Sanders' example taught her successors how to fight back. So far, it looks like McEnany learned the lesson well.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.


wnd--2020-05-14--Greta Thunberg on CNN's expert coronavirus panel, Twitter erupts

( NEW YORK POST ) -- An upcoming CNN town hall on the coronavirus pandemic will feature 17-year-old Greta Thunberg @ @ @ @ @ experts .
The program , “ Coronavirus Facts and Fears , ” also includes CNN @ @ @ @ @ , former Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius , 71 and former Centers for @ @ @ @ @ Richard Besser , 60 .
CNN anchor Anderson Cooper , 52 , will host alongside @ @ @ @ @ media watchdogs are foaming at the mouth over the choice to place a teen climate @ @ @ @ @ public health experts .

(NEW YORK POST) -- An upcoming CNN town hall on the coronavirus pandemic will feature 17-year-old Greta Thunberg alongside a panel of medical experts .
The program, “Coronavirus Facts and Fears,” also includes CNN broadcaster Sanjay Gupta, 50, former Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, 71 and former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Richard Besser, 60. CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, 52, will host alongside Gupta.
However, social media watchdogs are foaming at the mouth over the choice to place a teen climate activist on a panel with public health experts.
Read the full story ›


wnd--2020-05-14--New documents undermine Yovanovitch impeachment testimony

During House Speaker Nancy Pelosi 's partisan impeachment effort , Democrats repeatedly insisted there was no corruption in Hunter Biden 's profiting from a Ukrainain gas company while his father , Joe Biden , was overseeing U.S. policy for the European nation .
Former U.S. ambassador Marie Yovanovitch claimed under oath she knew little about the conflict of interest beyond an initial briefing and various press reports about the Ukrainian firm , Burisma .
Under oath last October , she said it `` just was n't a big deal . ''
However , Just the News investigative reporter John Solomon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Burisma in 2016 as the company tried to clean up its image .
State Department records of the discussions filled more than 160 pages of emails , memos and correspondence at that time .
Solomon cited memos among the federal records obtained under a Freedom of Information Act case by the group Citizens United .
They show Yovanovitch was warned in September 2016 in an email by her top deputy that Burisma had hired an American firm with deep Democratic connections called Blue Star Strategies .
Bursima 's aim , a memo said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' and it it had placed `` Hunter Biden on its board . ''
The former ambassador also did not mention in her impeachment deposition that she met with a Burisma official in her embassy office just before President Trump took office .
Among the records was a private letter hand-delivered to Yovanovitch by a Burisma lawyer in September 2016 .
Others documented a briefing from her staff just weeks later and a meeting with a Burisma official just as Obama was leaving office , Just the News reported .
Neither Yovanovitch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Just the News for comment .
`` These new records clearly do n't support Ambassador Yovanovitch 's testimony under oath during [ Rep. Adam ] Schiff 's sham impeachment , '' David Bossie , the chairman of Citizens United , told Just the News .
`` Her sworn testimony must be investigated and scrutinized just like in the case of General [ Michael ] Flynn .
You ca n't have two sets of rules . ''
During Pelosi 's impeachment drive , Democrats criticized efforts by Trump and personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yovanovitch from her post .
Hunter Biden 's firm received $ 3 million in payments over two years while his vice president father supervised U.S. policy for Ukraine .
Burisma , at the time , was being investigated in Ukraine for corruption , and many viewed the Bidens relationships to Ukraine a conflict of interest .
But Yovanovitch 's testimony `` made no mention of direct contact with Burisma representatives , '' the report said .
Her response to a question what she knew about Burisma was : `` Not very much .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ I arrived . ''
Solomon noted that during a televised impeachment hearing , she doubled down on her claim that Burisma and Hunter Biden were n't on her radar .
`` But the memos show Yovanovitch was informed that the criminal cases were actively being settled in fall 2016 and that Burisma and its founder Mykola Zlochevsky were trying to repair the company ’ s reputation with the U.S. Embassy , '' the report said .
Just the News noted Fox News last November challenged her denial that she had contact with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ document the contact .
Solomon reported Blue Star Strategies and another group , Atlantic Council , were involved in lobbying the U.S. Embassy in Kiev to drop its characterization of Burisma as corrupt .
Just the News quoted from a number of communications with the embassy about Burisma .
In one , an embassy official told Yovanovitch , `` This is further to the Blue Star effort to rehabilitate the reputation of their non-client in the U.S. , former ministry of ecologies Zlochevsky , who clearly has retained the services of a blue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his energy company Burisma , which in turn has Hunter Biden on its board . ''

During House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's partisan impeachment effort, Democrats repeatedly insisted there was no corruption in Hunter Biden's profiting from a Ukrainain gas company while his father, Joe Biden, was overseeing U.S. policy for the European nation.
Former U.S. ambassador Marie Yovanovitch claimed under oath she knew little about the conflict of interest beyond an initial briefing and various press reports about the Ukrainian firm, Burisma. Under oath last October, she said it "just wasn't a big deal."
However, Just the News investigative reporter John Solomon reports Yovanovitch had discussions and meetings about Burisma in 2016 as the company tried to clean up its image.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
State Department records of the discussions filled more than 160 pages of emails, memos and correspondence at that time.
Solomon cited memos among the federal records obtained under a Freedom of Information Act case by the group Citizens United.
They show Yovanovitch was warned in September 2016 in an email by her top deputy that Burisma had hired an American firm with deep Democratic connections called Blue Star Strategies. Bursima's aim, a memo said, was to "rehabilitate its reputation," and it it had placed "Hunter Biden on its board."
The former ambassador also did not mention in her impeachment deposition that she met with a Burisma official in her embassy office just before President Trump took office.
Among the records was a private letter hand-delivered to Yovanovitch by a Burisma lawyer in September 2016. Others documented a briefing from her staff just weeks later and a meeting with a Burisma official just as Obama was leaving office, Just the News reported.
Neither Yovanovitch nor State Department officials responded to requests from Just the News for comment.
"These new records clearly don't support Ambassador Yovanovitch's testimony under oath during [Rep. Adam] Schiff's sham impeachment," David Bossie, the chairman of Citizens United, told Just the News. "Her sworn testimony must be investigated and scrutinized just like in the case of General [Michael] Flynn. You can't have two sets of rules."
During Pelosi's impeachment drive, Democrats criticized efforts by Trump and personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani to investigate the Bidens and to remove Yovanovitch from her post.
Hunter Biden's firm received $3 million in payments over two years while his vice president father supervised U.S. policy for Ukraine.
Burisma, at the time, was being investigated in Ukraine for corruption, and many viewed the Bidens relationships to Ukraine a conflict of interest.
But Yovanovitch's testimony "made no mention of direct contact with Burisma representatives," the report said.
Her response to a question what she knew about Burisma was: "Not very much. And, again, that happened before I arrived."
Solomon noted that during a televised impeachment hearing, she doubled down on her claim that Burisma and Hunter Biden weren't on her radar.
"But the memos show Yovanovitch was informed that the criminal cases were actively being settled in fall 2016 and that Burisma and its founder Mykola Zlochevsky were trying to repair the company’s reputation with the U.S. Embassy," the report said.
Just the News noted Fox News last November challenged her denial that she had contact with a Democratic House staffer, pointing out emails document the contact.
Solomon reported Blue Star Strategies and another group, Atlantic Council, were involved in lobbying the U.S. Embassy in Kiev to drop its characterization of Burisma as corrupt.
Just the News quoted from a number of communications with the embassy about Burisma.
In one, an embassy official told Yovanovitch, "This is further to the Blue Star effort to rehabilitate the reputation of their non-client in the U.S., former ministry of ecologies Zlochevsky, who clearly has retained the services of a blue chip law firm (Cravath) and his energy company Burisma, which in turn has Hunter Biden on its board."


wnd--2020-05-14--Dershowitz: Judge should dismiss Flynn case or be impeached

Judge Emmet G. Sullivan should dismiss the case against former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn or face impeachment , contends Harvard Law emeritus professor Alan Dershowitz .
The Justice Department filed a motion last week to dismiss the case , but Sullivan has refused to sign off on the order .
Instead , he has invited third parties to submit friend-of-the-court briefs in the case .
The DOJ moved to dismiss at the recommendation of a U.S. attorney assigned to review the case and after the unsealing of documents that confirmed Flynn 's claim that he was framed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has the gall to not throw this out , he ought to be impeached .
Remember that judges only have jurisdiction for cases and controversies , '' Dershowitz said .
`` There ’ s no controversy here .
Both sides agree this case should be dismissed .
This judge has no power to do anything else .
And if he asserts that power , he has violated the Constitution . ''
In a motion to the court , Flynn 's attorney , Sidney Powell , argued there is no provision in federal criminal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proposed amicus brief has no place in this court … it is no accident that amicus briefs are excluded in criminal cases , '' she wrote .
`` This court , on 24 specific occasions has rejected all prior attempts … to intervene . ''
Powell said no `` further delay should be tolerated or any further expense caused to him and his defense . ''
Evidence released last week shows the investigation against Flynn was to be closed due to lack of evidence before lead investigator Peter Strzok ordered it remain open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discussed trying to get Flynn to lie so they could prosecute him .
The interview of Flynn , which led to his guilty plea , had no legal foundation because the FBI already had a transcript of the telephone call at issue with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak , critics argue .
A group calling itself `` Watergate Prosecutors '' requested permission from Sullivan to file a brief opposing dismissal of the case , even though the DOJ will not continue its prosecution .
`` Judge Sullivan , who has been so unhinged on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a treason case , decided this was just a peachy idea so now he ’ s inviting basically an anti-Trump group therapy session , '' McCarthy said .
`` All the lawyers out there who want to file amicus briefs are invited to do that .
It will make no difference in the end but it will just drag the process out . ''

Judge Emmet G. Sullivan should dismiss the case against former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn or face impeachment, contends Harvard Law emeritus professor Alan Dershowitz.
The Justice Department filed a motion last week to dismiss the case, but Sullivan has refused to sign off on the order. Instead, he has invited third parties to submit friend-of-the-court briefs in the case.
The DOJ moved to dismiss at the recommendation of a U.S. attorney assigned to review the case and after the unsealing of documents that confirmed Flynn's claim that he was framed by the FBI.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
"If this judge has the gall to not throw this out, he ought to be impeached. Remember that judges only have jurisdiction for cases and controversies," Dershowitz said. "There’s no controversy here. Both sides agree this case should be dismissed. This judge has no power to do anything else. And if he asserts that power, he has violated the Constitution."
In a motion to the court, Flynn's attorney, Sidney Powell, argued there is no provision in federal criminal cases for such briefs.
The "proposed amicus brief has no place in this court … it is no accident that amicus briefs are excluded in criminal cases," she wrote. "This court, on 24 specific occasions has rejected all prior attempts … to intervene."
Powell said no "further delay should be tolerated or any further expense caused to him and his defense."
Evidence released last week shows the investigation against Flynn was to be closed due to lack of evidence before lead investigator Peter Strzok ordered it remain open. A memo shows FBI agents then discussed trying to get Flynn to lie so they could prosecute him.
The interview of Flynn, which led to his guilty plea, had no legal foundation because the FBI already had a transcript of the telephone call at issue with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak, critics argue.
A group calling itself "Watergate Prosecutors" requested permission from Sullivan to file a brief opposing dismissal of the case, even though the DOJ will not continue its prosecution.
Former assistant U.S. attorney Andrew McCarthy called Sullivan's actions "unhinged," Fox News reported.
"Judge Sullivan, who has been so unhinged on this case that he originally characterized it as a treason case, decided this was just a peachy idea so now he’s inviting basically an anti-Trump group therapy session," McCarthy said. "All the lawyers out there who want to file amicus briefs are invited to do that. It will make no difference in the end but it will just drag the process out."


wnd--2020-05-13--Despite false accusations, Liberty U ends school year with no coronavirus cases

Liberty University , which was attacked repeatedly by media after it continued to allow students on campus amid the pandemic , has announced at the end of its academic year it had zero confirmed coronavirus cases on campus .
Its president , Jerry Falwell Jr. , says the university is a model of how things should be done , reported Paul Bedard in his Washington Secrets column in the Washington Examiner .
He noted there were `` some 750 media reports that Liberty University was writing COVID-19 death sentences for some 1,100 students returning after spring break , '' but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students on campus . ''
After the students left for home , Falwell said , 'We finished this year strong — maybe even stronger than ever before because of the hard work of our administration , faculty , staff , and students who pushed through the challenges that this pandemic caused and never quit safely serving our students . ''
He said Liberty created a model that others should follow by protecting students , faculty and staff .
No one who lived in a campus residence hall or who worked in a campus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The column included a chart showing how other universities of similar size , including UCLA and Arizona State , have not reported how many cases developed among students .
All of them were in full compliance with health recommendations .
But only Liberty was targeted by the media with negative reports , the column pointed out , totaling many hundreds .
Falwell , in the column , said it `` shows how one-sided the American media has become , that they sound the alarm on the false narrative that there are COVID-19 cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ find out that there were none , total silence . ''
He said many of the school 's students returned to campus because they had elderly parents they were protecting .
Some were international students and others did n't have web access at home .
The state health department conducted two surprise inspections and found everything in order and in compliance with Gov .
Ralph Northam 's orders , the report said .
The New York Times said : `` Jerry Falwell Jr. , president of Liberty University , reopened the school 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly a dozen Liberty students were sick with symptoms that suggest Covid-19 . ''
Only it was n't so .
Falwell already has announced plans to sue the Times and ProPublica over their reports .
`` Enough is enough , '' he said .

Liberty University, which was attacked repeatedly by media after it continued to allow students on campus amid the pandemic, has announced at the end of its academic year it had zero confirmed coronavirus cases on campus.
Its president, Jerry Falwell Jr., says the university is a model of how things should be done, reported Paul Bedard in his Washington Secrets column in the Washington Examiner.
He noted there were "some 750 media reports that Liberty University was writing COVID-19 death sentences for some 1,100 students returning after spring break," but there actually were "no cases with students on campus."
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
After the students left for home, Falwell said, 'We finished this year strong — maybe even stronger than ever before because of the hard work of our administration, faculty, staff, and students who pushed through the challenges that this pandemic caused and never quit safely serving our students."
He said Liberty created a model that others should follow by protecting students, faculty and staff.
No one who lived in a campus residence hall or who worked in a campus office tested positive, he said.
The column included a chart showing how other universities of similar size, including UCLA and Arizona State, have not reported how many cases developed among students. All of them were in full compliance with health recommendations.
But only Liberty was targeted by the media with negative reports, the column pointed out, totaling many hundreds.
Falwell, in the column, said it "shows how one-sided the American media has become, that they sound the alarm on the false narrative that there are COVID-19 cases at Liberty, and then when they find out that there were none, total silence."
He said many of the school's students returned to campus because they had elderly parents they were protecting. Some were international students and others didn't have web access at home.
The state health department conducted two surprise inspections and found everything in order and in compliance with Gov. Ralph Northam's orders, the report said.
Jerry Falwell Jr., president of Liberty University, reopened the school's campus last week. By Friday, nearly a dozen Liberty students were sick with symptoms that suggest Covid-19. https://t.co/dmgBQ27pdZ — NYT Politics (@nytpolitics) March 29, 2020
The New York Times said: "Jerry Falwell Jr., president of Liberty University, reopened the school's campus last week. By Friday, nearly a dozen Liberty students were sick with symptoms that suggest Covid-19."
Only it wasn't so.
Another illustration of why the lying @nytimes and other mainstream #FakeNews publications are failing financially and have lost the public’s trust. ZERO COVID cases on campus @LibertyU and the campus just closed for the semester @NYTLiz ! https://t.co/bY8oXqKsl4 — Jerry Falwell (@JerryFalwellJr) May 7, 2020
Falwell already has announced plans to sue the Times and ProPublica over their reports.
"Enough is enough," he said.


wnd--2020-05-13--$3 trillion Dem bill would grant amnesty to illegal aliens!

What would be bought with the $ 3 trillion Democrats are proposing in yet another massive coronavirus stimulus bill ?
For one thing , amnesty until the end of the coronavirus for millions of illegal aliens who have `` essential '' jobs .
And the distribution of $ 1,200 stimulus checks people in the country illegally .
Along with huge tax breaks for the millionaire and billionaire classes in the Democratic Party .
And much more , points out Fox News host Tucker Carlson .
He addressed this week 's proposal by Democrats at about the 4:00 mark : He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ massive new constituency for Democrats , a virtual `` blank amnesty '' that `` will never be taken away . ''
The result , he warned , would be a permanent majority for Democrats , who `` will win every presidential election for the rest of your life , for the rest of your children 's lives and the rest of your grandchildren 's lives .
That 's the point of the Democrats ' plan , he said .
Other features would be extended guest worker visas , which would allow foreigners who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ industry to enter the United States even as American workers in that field are being laid off .
It also would release every federal prisoner with asthma or diabetes and those over 50 , unless the government can prove they are likely to commit violence against a specific person .
Fox News reported the amnesty plan states `` the hiring , employment or continued employment '' of the defined group of illegal immigrants is not in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act .
`` Is it really a good idea to not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but to absolve employers who have been breaking the law in the last few months ?
” he tweeted .
“ I do n't think so ! ''

What would be bought with the $3 trillion Democrats are proposing in yet another massive coronavirus stimulus bill?
For one thing, amnesty until the end of the coronavirus for millions of illegal aliens who have "essential" jobs.
And the distribution of $1,200 stimulus checks people in the country illegally.
Along with huge tax breaks for the millionaire and billionaire classes in the Democratic Party.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
And much more, points out Fox News host Tucker Carlson.
He addressed this week's proposal by Democrats at about the 4:00 mark:
He said the amnesty plan would create a massive new constituency for Democrats, a virtual "blank amnesty" that "will never be taken away."
The result, he warned, would be a permanent majority for Democrats, who "will win every presidential election for the rest of your life, for the rest of your children's lives and the rest of your grandchildren's lives.
That's the point of the Democrats' plan, he said.
Other features would be extended guest worker visas, which would allow foreigners who want to work in the health care industry to enter the United States even as American workers in that field are being laid off.
It also would release every federal prisoner with asthma or diabetes and those over 50, unless the government can prove they are likely to commit violence against a specific person.
Fox News reported the amnesty plan states "the hiring, employment or continued employment" of the defined group of illegal immigrants is not in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
Homeland Security Secretary Ken Cuccinelli commented:
Is it really a good idea to not only grant an amnesty to illegal aliens but to absolve employers who have been breaking the law in the last few months? I don't think so! pic.twitter.com/mak6nHzwiV — Acting Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli (@HomelandKen) May 13, 2020
"Is it really a good idea to not only grant an amnesty to illegal aliens but to absolve employers who have been breaking the law in the last few months?” he tweeted. “I don't think so!"


wnd--2020-05-13--Lawyer/soldier/radio man joins WND commentary team

Commentator Sean Harshey joins the stable of regular , weekly WND columnists today .
His column will be published each Thursday on the site 's Commentary page .
A Hoosier by birth , Harshey has a diverse background , including serving in the U.S. Army and as a broadcaster .
He has written multiple guest columns for WND over the last four years .
Holding a Bachelor 's degree in both Telecommunications and American History from Ball State University , Harshey earned a law degree from the University of Toledo School of Law in Toledo , Ohio .
After graduating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Indiana , where he served as a deputy prosecutor , private practice attorney and judge pro tem in criminal courts .
He 's a graduate of the National Institute for Trial Advocacy 's Advanced Criminal Trial Practice school and served as lead counsel in hundreds of trials , including several murder cases .
Harshey was an adjunct professor and co-authored `` The Criminal Trial from Start to Finish , '' a manual for trial attorneys .
A veteran of the United States Army , Harshey was a JAG officer and served two tours @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 17-year law career , Harshey turned to broadcasting , working as a talk-radio host on stations in the Indianapolis area while simultaneously beginning to write commentary for a national audience .
Noted Harshey , `` I believe in and advocate for the principles of maximum freedom , limited government and personal responsibility .
While politics is not my primary topic of discussion , my commentary focusing on 'culture wars ' often touches on policy and political matters . ''
Harshey lives in Florida with his wife and has five grown children .
Read @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , `` Americans suckered by the coronavirus bait-and-switch . ''

Commentator Sean Harshey joins the stable of regular, weekly WND columnists today. His column will be published each Thursday on the site's Commentary page.
A Hoosier by birth, Harshey has a diverse background, including serving in the U.S. Army and as a broadcaster. He has written multiple guest columns for WND over the last four years.
Holding a Bachelor's degree in both Telecommunications and American History from Ball State University, Harshey earned a law degree from the University of Toledo School of Law in Toledo, Ohio.
After graduating from law school, Harshey returned to Indiana, where he served as a deputy prosecutor, private practice attorney and judge pro tem in criminal courts. He's a graduate of the National Institute for Trial Advocacy's Advanced Criminal Trial Practice school and served as lead counsel in hundreds of trials, including several murder cases.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
Harshey was an adjunct professor and co-authored "The Criminal Trial from Start to Finish," a manual for trial attorneys. A veteran of the United States Army, Harshey was a JAG officer and served two tours of duty in Iraq.
After a 17-year law career, Harshey turned to broadcasting, working as a talk-radio host on stations in the Indianapolis area while simultaneously beginning to write commentary for a national audience.
Noted Harshey, "I believe in and advocate for the principles of maximum freedom, limited government and personal responsibility. While politics is not my primary topic of discussion, my commentary focusing on 'culture wars' often touches on policy and political matters."
Harshey lives in Florida with his wife and has five grown children.
Read Harshey's first weekly column for WND, "Americans suckered by the coronavirus bait-and-switch."


wnd--2020-05-13--Americans suckered by the coronavirus bait-and-switch

Editor 's note : This is Sean Harshey 's first weekly column for WND .
Find out more about him .
We all know the phrase `` bait and switch . ''
It is the dishonest practice of urging an unsuspecting person to give up something of value , then substituting a trade they would never have agreed to if the transaction were honest .
The practice is illegal in a consumer setting , but standard practice by liberal politicians seeking to gain power .
Americans were suckered big-time with the coronavirus lockdown/shutdown , trading away our constitutional rights and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and experts predicted millions of Americans would soon be dead and dying from the Chinese coronavirus .
Doubting them was heresy , implying they could be wrong .
The few people in March 2020 who questioned the estimates or motivation of politicians and bureaucrats were derided as conspiracy theorists whose reservations would cause more people to die .
We were assured there was no time for sober reflection or rational debate .
Experts were to be trusted without question because the situation was too dire to do otherwise .
If you had a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic shutdowns , you were not alone .
The cast of characters calling the loudest for drastic measures , loss of freedom , unprecedented economic shutdown and massive government control were largely the same people always demanding these things : big-government statists , bureaucrats and major media .
Their reasoning was strikingly familiar , too , based on experts citing computer models , warnings of imminent catastrophe and claims that delay would be deadly to millions .
The timing of the emergency was suspect , also , as it came on the heels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only failed to remove President Trump , but actually increased his approval ratings .
The coronavirus panic followed the playbook we know from global warming , the `` health care emergency '' that gave us Obamacare , and the response to 9/11 , which resulted in the Patriot Act .
The hole-in-the-ozone panic from the 1990s turned out to be a dud , and Americans largely resisted falling for the global warming hysteria .
But Obamacare and the Patriot Act were passed in this same rushed manner , with those advocating rational debate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the laws ) demonized as insensitive to those about to die .
Both these enormous laws resulted in considerable buyers ' remorse .
Had Americans understood the resulting loss of freedom and invasions of privacy , these laws would not have passed .
With coronavirus , though , the politicians peddling the emergency had the benefit of being able to point to an actual virus .
Unlike global warming or the hole in the ozone , there was a real sickness likely to come here at some point .
Virtually everyone can relate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ level of deaths from previous pandemics seemed sensible .
Add in that politicians everywhere want to avoid being seen as slow to act in the face of disaster , and we had a perfect storm resulting in the Great Coronavirus Panic of 2020 .
As subtle as some of these similarities were , though , there was a deeper parallel : the vague and open-ended nature of the control they demanded .
Anyone who has debated liberals can attest they are masters of `` moving the goalposts . ''
Changing the subject or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is how taxes or government programs passed for specific reasons continue to haunt us long after their original purpose is gone .
Another way the left shifts the goalposts , though , is by making their initial goals vague enough to achieve and maintain open-ended controls .
Examples of this tactic are demands for the rich to `` pay their fair share , '' `` adequate funding for schools '' or `` common-sense gun control . ''
These are all ambiguous , open-ended demands that serve as a pretext for unlimited control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taxes go , how much money is spent on schools or how many gun control laws are on the books , these demands never expire .
To see this for yourself , ask a liberal friend for a specific tax rate or amount of school funding that , once and for all , they would consider a `` fair share '' or `` adequate funding . ''
They will not commit to a specific number , because it would result in their losing the continued use of that demand .
When the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ controls were first put in place , it was claimed they were immediately necessary to `` flatten the curve '' of infections to avoid overwhelming the health care system in the massive wave of hospitalizations and deaths experts predicted .
As we now know , American hospitals ( besides those in New York City and a few other large urban areas ) sat mostly empty as the predicted millions of sick never showed up , while other medical procedures were canceled .
As it became increasingly apparent the experts ' models were overinflated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was never going to be an unmanageable spike in hospitalizations , Americans expected an end to the emergency controls over their freedom and their careers .
But it was too late .
Many politicians are not giving up that control .
The `` flatten-the-curve '' excuse used in March to justify putting Americans on house arrest , shutting businesses , banning religious services and prohibiting people from gathering morphed into `` stopping-the-spread . ''
Now that excuse is transforming into `` not-until-a-vaccine '' or `` only-when-safe '' – unknown times in the future @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politicians and government bureaucrats have previously unimagined control over entire populations , they are switching to a series of open-ended excuses to justify keeping that grip on power , or only giving token concessions while maintaining overall control .
Democratic governors are maintaining heavy-handed control , but some Republican governors are also ignoring their citizens ' demands to be freed from government restrictions .
Americans were suckered into forfeiting freedom by use of pretexts and fear .
A bait-and-switch .
The only way to restore freedom and pry this power out of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years of litigation .

Editor's note: This is Sean Harshey's first weekly column for WND. Find out more about him.
We all know the phrase "bait and switch." It is the dishonest practice of urging an unsuspecting person to give up something of value, then substituting a trade they would never have agreed to if the transaction were honest. The practice is illegal in a consumer setting, but standard practice by liberal politicians seeking to gain power.
Americans were suckered big-time with the coronavirus lockdown/shutdown, trading away our constitutional rights and freedom.
Just eight weeks ago politicians and experts predicted millions of Americans would soon be dead and dying from the Chinese coronavirus. Doubting them was heresy, implying they could be wrong. The few people in March 2020 who questioned the estimates or motivation of politicians and bureaucrats were derided as conspiracy theorists whose reservations would cause more people to die. We were assured there was no time for sober reflection or rational debate. Experts were to be trusted without question because the situation was too dire to do otherwise.
If you had a bad feeling about the demanded lockdowns and economic shutdowns, you were not alone.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
The cast of characters calling the loudest for drastic measures, loss of freedom, unprecedented economic shutdown and massive government control were largely the same people always demanding these things: big-government statists, bureaucrats and major media. Their reasoning was strikingly familiar, too, based on experts citing computer models, warnings of imminent catastrophe and claims that delay would be deadly to millions. The timing of the emergency was suspect, also, as it came on the heels of Democrats' impeachment debacle that not only failed to remove President Trump, but actually increased his approval ratings.
The coronavirus panic followed the playbook we know from global warming, the "health care emergency" that gave us Obamacare, and the response to 9/11, which resulted in the Patriot Act. The hole-in-the-ozone panic from the 1990s turned out to be a dud, and Americans largely resisted falling for the global warming hysteria. But Obamacare and the Patriot Act were passed in this same rushed manner, with those advocating rational debate (or even a chance to read the laws) demonized as insensitive to those about to die. Both these enormous laws resulted in considerable buyers' remorse. Had Americans understood the resulting loss of freedom and invasions of privacy, these laws would not have passed.
With coronavirus, though, the politicians peddling the emergency had the benefit of being able to point to an actual virus. Unlike global warming or the hole in the ozone, there was a real sickness likely to come here at some point. Virtually everyone can relate to being sick, and avoiding the level of deaths from previous pandemics seemed sensible. Add in that politicians everywhere want to avoid being seen as slow to act in the face of disaster, and we had a perfect storm resulting in the Great Coronavirus Panic of 2020.
As subtle as some of these similarities were, though, there was a deeper parallel: the vague and open-ended nature of the control they demanded.
Anyone who has debated liberals can attest they are masters of "moving the goalposts." Changing the subject or changing demands justify continue their control. This is how taxes or government programs passed for specific reasons continue to haunt us long after their original purpose is gone.
Another way the left shifts the goalposts, though, is by making their initial goals vague enough to achieve and maintain open-ended controls.
Examples of this tactic are demands for the rich to "pay their fair share," "adequate funding for schools" or "common-sense gun control." These are all ambiguous, open-ended demands that serve as a pretext for unlimited control and taxation. No matter how high taxes go, how much money is spent on schools or how many gun control laws are on the books, these demands never expire. To see this for yourself, ask a liberal friend for a specific tax rate or amount of school funding that, once and for all, they would consider a "fair share" or "adequate funding." They will not commit to a specific number, because it would result in their losing the continued use of that demand.
When the U.S. Constitution was effectively suspended and the coronavirus controls were first put in place, it was claimed they were immediately necessary to "flatten the curve" of infections to avoid overwhelming the health care system in the massive wave of hospitalizations and deaths experts predicted. As we now know, American hospitals (besides those in New York City and a few other large urban areas) sat mostly empty as the predicted millions of sick never showed up, while other medical procedures were canceled.
As it became increasingly apparent the experts' models were overinflated by orders of magnitude, and there was never going to be an unmanageable spike in hospitalizations, Americans expected an end to the emergency controls over their freedom and their careers.
But it was too late. Many politicians are not giving up that control.
The "flatten-the-curve" excuse used in March to justify putting Americans on house arrest, shutting businesses, banning religious services and prohibiting people from gathering morphed into "stopping-the-spread." Now that excuse is transforming into "not-until-a-vaccine" or "only-when-safe" – unknown times in the future, or possibly never. Now that politicians and government bureaucrats have previously unimagined control over entire populations, they are switching to a series of open-ended excuses to justify keeping that grip on power, or only giving token concessions while maintaining overall control.
Democratic governors are maintaining heavy-handed control, but some Republican governors are also ignoring their citizens' demands to be freed from government restrictions.
Americans were suckered into forfeiting freedom by use of pretexts and fear. A bait-and-switch. The only way to restore freedom and pry this power out of the hands of our political overlords may be years of litigation.