wnd--2020-03-25--America needs a formula for reopening

America needs a formula for reopening

This week , President Donald Trump began openly considering at what point the American government ought to take steps to reopen the American economy .
He explained : `` Our country was n't built to be shut down .
America will again and soon be open for business , '' suggesting that the timeline will be weeks instead of months .
`` If it were up to the doctors , '' Trump said , `` they 'd say , 'Let 's shut down the entire world . '
This could create a much bigger problem than the problem that you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ optimistically proclaimed that he `` would love to have the country opened up and just raring to go by Easter . ''
Trump 's projections drew fire – as do all of his statements .
These statements , however , caused inordinate faux heartburn among commentators , who shouted that Trump was weighing dollars against lives and deciding in favor of dollars .
The hashtag # NotDyingForWallStreet began trending on Twitter , followed by the hashtag # DieForTheDow .
New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo tweeted : `` My mother is not expendable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We will not put a dollar figure on human life .
… No one should be talking about social darwinism for the sake of the stock market . ''
Presumptive 2020 Democratic nominee Joe Biden said , `` I do n't agree with the notion that somehow it 's OK … to let people die . ''
That , of course , was not Trump 's suggestion .
Trump was merely pointing out – quite correctly – that since the federal government has now taken the unprecedented and justifiable action of completely shutting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tune of millions of lost jobs and the greatest quarterly economic decline in recorded history , we must also have a plan to end this situation .
The economy can not remain shuttered indefinitely ; the federal government can not engage in endless cash expenditures on the basis of treasuries nobody is buying .
Nor is the economy merely Wall Street .
The vast majority of those who will lose their jobs are not day traders but workers .
Small companies are more likely to go under than large ones .
The economy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the real lives of hundreds of millions of American citizens , and costs to those Americans must be weighed in the balance .
That 's not controversial .
That 's a simple fact .
Public policy is the craft of weighing risks and rewards , and policymakers do it every day .
It 's just that this time , the stakes are the highest they have ever been .
TRENDING : 2 Fox stars gave Donna Brazile lesson in manners after outrageous 'Go to hell ' comment So , when do we reopen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is that we lack the data to answer the question .
How many lives will be lost if we take heavy social measures after how many weeks ?
Moderate social measures ?
What will be the concomitant economic gain or loss ?
How many additional ICU beds and ventilators will we need to make available in order to clear the flattened curve such that we do not experience excess deaths due to lack of equipment , a la Italy ?
Our goal should be to move from the Chinese model – total lockdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heavy testing , contact investigations and social distancing .
In order to accomplish that , we need to flatten the curve and stop the spread , allowing us to reset .
How long will that take ?
We 're not going to have answers until some time passes – until we test more , until the outcomes of cases are made certain .
But we can certainly construct the formulas that should allow us to calculate possible outcomes as new data comes in , and that should allow us to collectively commit to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ require a formula from the government .
That 's the transparency the markets need , that the American people need .
And that , at least , should be attainable over the next two weeks .

This week, President Donald Trump began openly considering at what point the American government ought to take steps to reopen the American economy. He explained: "Our country wasn't built to be shut down. America will again and soon be open for business," suggesting that the timeline will be weeks instead of months. "If it were up to the doctors," Trump said, "they'd say, 'Let's shut down the entire world.' This could create a much bigger problem than the problem that you started with." Later, Trump optimistically proclaimed that he "would love to have the country opened up and just raring to go by Easter."
Trump's projections drew fire – as do all of his statements. These statements, however, caused inordinate faux heartburn among commentators, who shouted that Trump was weighing dollars against lives and deciding in favor of dollars. The hashtag #NotDyingForWallStreet began trending on Twitter, followed by the hashtag #DieForTheDow. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo tweeted: "My mother is not expendable. Your mother is not expendable. We will not put a dollar figure on human life. … No one should be talking about social darwinism for the sake of the stock market." Presumptive 2020 Democratic nominee Joe Biden said, "I don't agree with the notion that somehow it's OK … to let people die."
That, of course, was not Trump's suggestion. Trump was merely pointing out – quite correctly – that since the federal government has now taken the unprecedented and justifiable action of completely shutting down the American economy, to the tune of millions of lost jobs and the greatest quarterly economic decline in recorded history, we must also have a plan to end this situation.
The economy cannot remain shuttered indefinitely; the federal government cannot engage in endless cash expenditures on the basis of treasuries nobody is buying. Nor is the economy merely Wall Street. The vast majority of those who will lose their jobs are not day traders but workers. Small companies are more likely to go under than large ones. The economy isn't an abstraction. It's the real lives of hundreds of millions of American citizens, and costs to those Americans must be weighed in the balance.
That's not controversial. That's a simple fact. Public policy is the craft of weighing risks and rewards, and policymakers do it every day. It's just that this time, the stakes are the highest they have ever been.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
So, when do we reopen, and how?
The biggest problem is that we lack the data to answer the question. How many lives will be lost if we take heavy social measures after how many weeks? Moderate social measures? What will be the concomitant economic gain or loss? How many additional ICU beds and ventilators will we need to make available in order to clear the flattened curve such that we do not experience excess deaths due to lack of equipment, a la Italy? Our goal should be to move from the Chinese model – total lockdown – to the South Korean model – heavy testing, contact investigations and social distancing. In order to accomplish that, we need to flatten the curve and stop the spread, allowing us to reset. How long will that take?
We're not going to have answers until some time passes – until we test more, until the outcomes of cases are made certain. But we can certainly construct the formulas that should allow us to calculate possible outcomes as new data comes in, and that should allow us to collectively commit to actions directed at certain outcomes. We require a formula from the government. That's the transparency the markets need, that the American people need. And that, at least, should be attainable over the next two weeks.


wnd--2020-03-26--FEMA launches 'rumor control' campaign on coronavirus

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has launched a web page to `` help the public distinguish between rumors and facts '' regarding the response to coronavirus pandemic .
For example , the site notes a recent death was reported in China due `` to a new Hantavirus . ''
However , the Hantavirus , often contracted from contact with the waste products of infected rodents , is n't new and is very rare .
TRENDING : 2 Fox stars gave Donna Brazile lesson in manners after outrageous 'Go to hell ' comment It refutes the rumor that there is `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debunks reports that FEMA `` has deployed military assets . ''
`` Like all emergencies , response is most successful when it is locally executed , state managed and federally supported .
Each state 's governor is responsible for response activities in their state , to include establishing curfews , deploying the National Guard if needed and any other restrictions or safety measures they deem necessary . ''
How about groceries ?
How many months of food do I need ?
`` Please only buy what your family needs for a week .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ families may be unable to buy a supply of food and water for weeks in advance .
Consumer demand has recently been exceptionally high – especially for grocery , household cleaning , and some healthcare products . ''
The site also addresses `` an unfortunate rumor that only people over 60 years of age are at risk of getting this disease . ''
`` According to the Centers for Disease Control , those at higher risk include older adults and people with serious chronic medical conditions .
However , symptoms can range from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ different complications for each individual . ''
And the rebate checks to taxpayers from the government ?
Not now , the site says , although the Senate 's $ 2.2 trillion stimulus would grant $ 1,200 to every taxpayer with a 2018 income of up to $ 75,000 .

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has launched a web page to "help the public distinguish between rumors and facts" regarding the response to coronavirus pandemic.
For example, the site notes a recent death was reported in China due "to a new Hantavirus."
However, the Hantavirus, often contracted from contact with the waste products of infected rodents, isn't new and is very rare.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
It refutes the rumor that there is "a national lockdown."
And it debunks reports that FEMA "has deployed military assets."
"Like all emergencies, response is most successful when it is locally executed, state managed and federally supported. Each state's governor is responsible for response activities in their state, to include establishing curfews, deploying the National Guard if needed and any other restrictions or safety measures they deem necessary."
How about groceries? How many months of food do I need?
"Please only buy what your family needs for a week. It is important to remember that many families may be unable to buy a supply of food and water for weeks in advance. Consumer demand has recently been exceptionally high – especially for grocery, household cleaning, and some healthcare products."
The site also addresses "an unfortunate rumor that only people over 60 years of age are at risk of getting this disease."
"According to the Centers for Disease Control, those at higher risk include older adults and people with serious chronic medical conditions. However, symptoms can range from ile to severe ... and may have different complications for each individual."
And the rebate checks to taxpayers from the government?
Not now, the site says, although the Senate's $2.2 trillion stimulus would grant $1,200 to every taxpayer with a 2018 income of up to $75,000.


wnd--2020-03-26--Coronavirus mapping site's predictions 'have fallen short'

A major source of information upon which government leaders have relied to urge or order the canceling of public events , shut down of businesses and sheltering in place has proved to be inaccurate .
The Federalist 's Madeline Osburn points out many members of the media and state officials are relying on an online mapping tool called COVID Act Now .
The site , with a map of catastrophic forecasts for each state , boasts of enabling `` political leaders to quickly make decisions in their Coronavirus response informed by best available data and modeling . ''
`` But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID Act Now 's predictions have already fallen short , and how they became a ubiquitous resource across the country overnight , suggests something more sinister , '' Osburn wrote .
TRENDING : 2 Fox stars gave Donna Brazile lesson in manners after outrageous 'Go to hell ' comment Osburn said the `` bogus data sets ... scare local and state officials into making rash , economy-killing mandates . ''
The impact of the site can not be ignored .
The NBC affiliate in Dallas embedded the models in a story on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ published stories featuring the predictions about a `` point of no return . ''
It 's been used by Michigan Democratic Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer , a Georgia CBS report and others But its predictions already have proven `` wildly wrong , '' Osburn said .
`` COVID Act Now predicted that by March 19 the state of Tennessee could expect 190 hospitalizations of patients with confirmed Wuhan virus .
By March 19 , they only had 15 patients hospitalized , '' she pointed out .
`` In New York , Covid Act @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve been hospitalized by March 19 .
The actual number of hospitalizations is around 750 .
The site also claimed nearly 13,000 New York hospitalizations by March 23 .
The actual number was around 2,500 . ''
There 's more .
The report noted COVID Act Now predicted 688 hospitalizations in Georgia by March 23 .
There were 800 cases in the state and only 300 hospitalizations .
Numbers for other states were similar , the report said .
`` Jordan Schachtel , a national security writer , said COVID Act Now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ based at Imperial College London that is not only highly scrutinized , but has a track record of bad predictions , '' Osburn said .
Jessica Hamzelou at New Scientist explained how Chen Shen at the New England Complex Systems Institute , a research group in Cambridge , Massachusetts , found flaws and `` incorrect assumptions '' in the formulas .
Even COVID Act Now has started acknowledging `` limitations , '' including that `` many '' original numbers `` are based on early estimates that are likely to be wrong '' and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counts are outdated . ''
It 's politics , though , that keeps the project in the headlines , the Federalist said .
`` Founders of the site include Democratic Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins and three Silicon Valley tech workers and Democratic activists — Zachary Rosen , Max Henderson , and Igor Kofman — who are all also donors to various Democratic campaigns and political organizations since 2016 .
Henderson and Kofman donated to the Hillary Clinton campaign in 2016 , while Rosen donated to the Democratic National Committee , recently resigned Democratic Rep. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Prior to building the COVID Act Now website , Kofman created an online game designed to raise $ 1 million for the eventual 2020 Democratic candidate and defeat President Trump .
The game ’ s website is now defunct , '' Osburn said .
Perhaps , the analysis explained , `` the goal of COVID Act Now was never to provide accurate information , but to scare citizens and government officials into to implementing rash and draconian measures . ''
`` The creators even admit as much with the caveat that 'this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , not predict the future . '
''

A major source of information upon which government leaders have relied to urge or order the canceling of public events, shut down of businesses and sheltering in place has proved to be inaccurate.
The Federalist's Madeline Osburn points out many members of the media and state officials are relying on an online mapping tool called COVID Act Now.
The site, with a map of catastrophic forecasts for each state, boasts of enabling "political leaders to quickly make decisions in their Coronavirus response informed by best available data and modeling."
"But a closer look at how many of COVID Act Now's predictions have already fallen short, and how they became a ubiquitous resource across the country overnight, suggests something more sinister," Osburn wrote.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
Osburn said the "bogus data sets ... scare local and state officials into making rash, economy-killing mandates."
The impact of the site cannot be ignored. The NBC affiliate in Dallas embedded the models in a story on a shelter-in-place order, and newspapers in Oregon published stories featuring the predictions about a "point of no return."
It's been used by Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Georgia CBS report and others
But its predictions already have proven "wildly wrong," Osburn said.
"COVID Act Now predicted that by March 19 the state of Tennessee could expect 190 hospitalizations of patients with confirmed Wuhan virus. By March 19, they only had 15 patients hospitalized," she pointed out.
"In New York, Covid Act Now claimed nearly 5,400 New Yorkers would’ve been hospitalized by March 19. The actual number of hospitalizations is around 750. The site also claimed nearly 13,000 New York hospitalizations by March 23. The actual number was around 2,500."
There's more. The report noted COVID Act Now predicted 688 hospitalizations in Georgia by March 23. There were 800 cases in the state and only 300 hospitalizations.
Numbers for other states were similar, the report said.
"Jordan Schachtel, a national security writer, said COVID Act Now’s modeling comes from one team based at Imperial College London that is not only highly scrutinized, but has a track record of bad predictions," Osburn said.
Jessica Hamzelou at New Scientist explained how Chen Shen at the New England Complex Systems Institute, a research group in Cambridge, Massachusetts, found flaws and "incorrect assumptions" in the formulas.
Even COVID Act Now has started acknowledging "limitations," including that "many" original numbers "are based on early estimates that are likely to be wrong" and "demographics, populations and hospital bed counts are outdated."
It's politics, though, that keeps the project in the headlines, the Federalist said.
"Founders of the site include Democratic Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins and three Silicon Valley tech workers and Democratic activists — Zachary Rosen, Max Henderson, and Igor Kofman — who are all also donors to various Democratic campaigns and political organizations since 2016. Henderson and Kofman donated to the Hillary Clinton campaign in 2016, while Rosen donated to the Democratic National Committee, recently resigned Democratic Rep. Katie Hill, and other Democratic candidates. Prior to building the COVID Act Now website, Kofman created an online game designed to raise $1 million for the eventual 2020 Democratic candidate and defeat President Trump. The game’s website is now defunct," Osburn said.
Perhaps, the analysis explained, "the goal of COVID Act Now was never to provide accurate information, but to scare citizens and government officials into to implementing rash and draconian measures."
"The creators even admit as much with the caveat that 'this model is designed to drive fast action, not predict the future.'"


wnd--2020-03-26--'Innocent' in Justice Department's upper echelons

[ Editor 's note : This story originally was published by Real Clear Investigations . ]
It wasn ’ t the first time the FBI attorney had been in the Marine Corps Base Quantico Exchange .
Nor was that day in February 2018 the first time she had secreted cosmetics in her purse .
But it was the first time she was caught – with $ 257.99 worth of shoplifted beauty products in her bag .
She admitted to the crime – and to stealing from other area stores .
And yet she was not prosecuted .
Not that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regularly declines to prosecute high-ranking current and former department officials , even when its Office of Inspector General provides the grounds for it .
TRENDING : 2 Fox stars gave Donna Brazile lesson in manners after outrageous 'Go to hell ' comment The Department of Justice OIG does not keep complete public records on the number of prosecutions that result from its investigations .
But the office does keep track of certain cases – those involving wrongdoing by senior DoJ managers and officials that Justice declines to prosecute .
In 2019 the Justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office issued 27 such reports of alleged wrongdoing by senior Justice Department officials and employees that went unprosecuted – everything from nepotism in hiring , to making false claims on mortgage documents , to “ lack of candor ” with federal investigators , to sexual assault .
RealClearInvestigations reviewed the OIG ’ s summaries of its investigations and found that in at least a dozen of those cases the inspector general determined that the wrongdoing was serious enough to be criminal .
Even so , the Department of Justice declined to bring criminal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the more strictly treated – she had to agree to 125 hours of community service to avoid prosecution .
The OIG also makes public the outcomes of “ cases involving high profile investigations ” such as those into former FBI Director James Comey and former Deputy Director Andrew McCabe .
“ By not safeguarding sensitive information obtained during the course of his FBI employment , ” the OIG found , “ Comey set a dangerous example.
” The Inspector General ’ s office provided its “ findings to the Department for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ After reviewing the matter , the Department declined prosecution.
” As for McCabe , the OIG found he repeatedly lacked candor while being questioned under oath .
Justice chose not to bring charges against him either .
It ’ s much harder to find cases of senior officials who are found by the OIG to have committed wrongdoing and are subsequently prosecuted .
An example is Barbara Zoccola , who was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Memphis until the OIG caught her falsifying her time and attendance records .
But there are reasons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For example , the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia – who would have jurisdiction over misconduct committed in Washington – puts out press releases announcing indictments and convictions .
In 2019 there were press releases regarding any number of murders , robberies , and molestations – the all too common crimes of any big city .
But Washington being the seat of government , there were announcements of indictments and convictions of government employees , including cases of bribery at the Department of Housing and Urban Development and at Veterans Affairs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ departments of State and Defense .
But none of the 2019 releases involved wrongdoing by senior DOJ officials .
Another advantage DOJ officials apparently enjoy is that those alleged to have committed wrongdoing – even criminal wrongdoing – are rarely named publicly .
This leniency is drawing new scrutiny in the wake of Special Counsel Robert Mueller ’ s investigation of Russian collusion , which repeatedly used the full force of the law to convict associates of President Trump of process crimes , especially the crime of making false statements to government investigators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senior official wrongdoing reported by the Justice OIG last year were resolved by the resignation of the misbehaving employee .
“ Federal employees facing potential disciplinary action do often resign instead , ” says Sean Bigley , who practices government employment and security clearance law .
“ So the fact is that a lot of senior officials found culpable of misconduct escape accountability.
” Government employees have job protections that few in the private sector enjoy .
Officials who have gotten themselves in trouble “ can frequently negotiate their exit in lieu of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ These types of arrangements are , indeed , undertaken with an eye toward avoiding the time and hassle of litigation.
” But even when an official is already long gone from federal service , the DOJ instinct is to treat its own with a generosity that has not been on display in the cases involving associates of Donald Trump .
A former deputy assistant attorney general was not happy that his brother was sharing a hospital room with another patient .
A January 2019 OIG report states that he called the hospital claiming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person with the Department of Justice.
” Leveraging that falsehood , the former Justice official demanded his brother be moved to a private room .
The hospital complied .
When questioned by agents of the Department of Justice Inspector General , the former high-ranking attorney readily admitted he had committed “ an ethical violation.
” He “ also agreed that his conduct amounted to the impersonation of a government official.
” In fact , using one ’ s government position to secure special treatment is by itself serious ethical misconduct .
But doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in government compounds the offense by impersonating a federal official .
A person who had been a top-ranking official at the Department of Justice would know what he was doing was wrong .
Such a serious charge might seem excessive to press against a concerned brother , but perhaps not in an era in which misstatements to FBI agents are treated as serious crimes – think former Trump associates George Papadopoulos and Gen. Michael Flynn .
As for the concerned brother , ultimately , the OIG reported that the U.S. Attorney ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a criminal prosecution of this matter.
” This resolution underscores both the power prosecutors have to decide how and when to apply the law , and the leniency they often apply to their colleagues .
Another expression of the leniency was that the former deputy assistant attorney general was never named .
Throughout the report of the OIG , obtained by RealClearInvestigations through a Freedom of Information Act request , his name is blacked out .
Any information that might make identification possible is similarly redacted .
In other words , he is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ subjects of such inquiries are allowed to remain anonymous , Stephanie M. Logan , a spokesperson for the DOJ ’ s Office of Inspector General , told RCI , “ We make a determination in each individual case by reference to applicable privacy and public disclosure laws , what information we can release.
” Yet even when officials plead guilty to crimes , the inspector general is inclined to spare them the notoriety that comes with being named .
This month the OIG reported on its investigation into an assistant U.S. attorney who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inspector general found that the official threatened the police who pulled him or her over and invoked his office in a belligerent bid to avoid arrest .
“ The AUSA resigned during the OIG investigation , ” said the inspector general , “ and pleaded guilty to the DUI offense.
” By contrast , the DOJ doesn ’ t hesitate to name the accused when it announces indictments , let alone convictions , of those not in the Justice hierarchy .
A deputy assistant director ( DAD ) of the FBI went unnamed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among other offenses , the official had “ disclosed to the media the existence of information that had been filed under seal in federal court.
” Though this was a violation of 18 US Code , Section 401 , the federal law governing criminal contempt of court , the OIG noted that “ Prosecution of the DAD was declined.
” The Department of Justice inspector general reported in September that a Bureau of Prisons assistant director “ engaged in a sexual and personal financial relationship with a Bureau of Prisons Union executive.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her government cell phone .
The OIG found this resulted “ in a conflict of interest , in violation of federal regulation and BOP policy.
” Beyond that , investigators found that in their in their interviews , the BOP assistant director “ lacked candor…in violation of federal law.
” When it came to the Mueller probe , dishonesty in an interview was met with the full force of the law .
However , not only did Justice decline to prosecute the prison official , the inspector general declined even to name her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Judith Garrett ) .
Contacted by RealClearInvestigations , Garrett said , “ There is a lot the IG got wrong.
” Beyond that she said , “ Sorry , I have nothing to share with you.
” Garrett resigned from the Bureau of Prisons and is now a real estate agent .
Criminal prosecution was also declined in the case of an unnamed assistant U.S. attorney who , according to an October , 2019 inspector general ’ s report of the investigation , “ improperly disclosed [ DC ] Superior Court grand jury @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high-ranking Justice Department official went unnamed and unprosecuted even when he admitted misleading investigators about viewing pornography at work , according to the inspector general .
The offense of misleading investigators has been enforced unsparingly against individuals not employed in senior positions within the Justice Department .
Initially , the man – identified by the National Law Journal as Donald Kempf , Jr. -- “ insisted that he never viewed or accessed any pornographic material or websites on his government computers , ” according to the OIG report , obtained by RealClearInvestivations through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The OIG ’ s digital forensics team , however , found “ sexually explicit material ” on his DOJ computer along with “ numerous ” visits to pornographic websites and search engines such as “ xvideos.com.
” When confronted with the computer evidence , the OIG reports Kempf apologized to investigators and said , “ I didn ’ t mean to mislead you.
” The inspector general concluded he “ made false statements during his initial interview…in violation of Title 18 U.S.C .
Section 1001.
” That is the same false statements law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Flynn was pursued until he pleaded guilty , while Donald Kempf was allowed simply to resign .
The Justice Department “ declined criminal prosecution in this matter.
” The most serious action taken based on the OIG investigation was that the DOJ ’ s Office of Professional Responsibility asked the department ’ s Professional Misconduct Review Unit to report Kempf to the state bars where he is admitted .
OIG investigations are not – nor should they be – the final word .
For example , if an IG finds one party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ situation , the IG may or may not be right in that judgment .
There ’ s a difference between establishing facts about what someone did or didn ’ t do and making determinations about what that person ’ s motives or intentions were .
The law comes with a presumption of innocence for a reason .
Donald Kempf points out that at the end of January , Justice ’ s Professional Misconduct Review Unit rejected the Office of Professional Responsibility ’ s request that he be reported to bar associations .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made false statements under oath is erroneous , ” the Review Unit told Kempf .
The case might not have ended that way if Kempf had faced a prosecutor eager to make the most of the inspector general ’ s findings rather than an internal review board willing to question the OIG ’ s conclusions .
Experts say that sort of case reflects a fundamental inconsistency in how false-statement laws are enforced .
Harvey Silverglate , a civil liberties litigator and author whose books include “ Three Felonies a Day ” and , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ written with Michael Flynn attorney Sidney Powell ) , told RCI , “ Because of the vague nature of so many federal criminal statutes , it is very easy for the prosecutors to indict some for making ‘ false statements ’ to a federal official , while refusing to indict others who simply ‘ lack candor ’ or perhaps made an inadvertent misstep.
” Silverglate says , “ The combination of vague statutes and politically oriented investigations makes for a very uneven enforcement of federal criminal law.
” The DOJ ’ s discretionary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the case of a senior official in the Office of Justice Programs who was , among other things , accused of coercing female co-workers to have sex with him if they wanted any chance at promotion .
That wasn ’ t all that was discovered by investigators about how female employees were treated by Edison Aponte .
( As usual , the OIG did not release the official ’ s name , but his identity was revealed by BuzzFeed . )
A woman working in the Office of Justice Programs told investigators that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an office outing to a basketball game .
He came into her house on the pretense of using the bathroom , and then asked for a tour .
According to the OIG ’ s October 2018 Report of Investigation , obtained by RealClearInvestigations , once in the bedroom , Aponte “ started touching her.
” She told him to “ knock it off.
” Instead , “ he became forceful , ” the woman said , “ and sexually assaulted her by having sexual intercourse with her.
” At first , Aponte denied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woman home or that he assaulted her .
Confronted with evidence to the contrary , Aponte “ recanted his denial.
” He “ admitted further that he had inappropriate relationships with subordinates.
” Finding the women “ to be credible witnesses , ” whose testimony “ was detailed and specific ” and consistent with one another , the OIG concluded Aponte “ engaged in the misconduct as alleged , ” including sexual harassment , sexual assault , and lacking “ candor in his statements to the OIG.
” Still , for all that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Office , ” according to the OIG , “ declined criminal prosecution.
” Aponte has denied the accusations .
Contacted by RealClearInvestigations , Aponte said , “ I have no comment.
” Had he been charged , he would have had a forum in which to defend his reputation .
Instead , he retired , leaving the charges unchallenged .
He is now a soccer coach at St. Paul VI Catholic High School in Northern Virginia .
DOJ spokesperson Wyn Hornbuckle insists department officials get no special treatment .
“ The Department of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct , ” he tells RealClearInvestigations .
“ The department takes allegations of employee misconduct seriously , including claims that employees lacked candor when dealing with investigators , and has a zero-tolerance approach to sexual harassment in the workplace.
” Allegations of misconduct are met with “ appropriate action ” he says , including “ criminal prosecution , if warranted.
” Not necessarily so , says Sidney Powell , Michael Flynn ’ s attorney .
Accusations that would be aggressively investigated and prosecuted if alleged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when alleged of DOJ or FBI officials , she says .
“ They are given passes.
” [ Editor 's note : This story originally was published by Real Clear Investigations . ]

[Editor's note: This story originally was published by Real Clear Investigations.]
By Eric Felten
Real Clear Investigations
It wasn’t the first time the FBI attorney had been in the Marine Corps Base Quantico Exchange. Nor was that day in February 2018 the first time she had secreted cosmetics in her purse. But it was the first time she was caught – with $257.99 worth of shoplifted beauty products in her bag. She admitted to the crime – and to stealing from other area stores. And yet she was not prosecuted.
Not that it was a surprise. The Justice Department regularly declines to prosecute high-ranking current and former department officials, even when its Office of Inspector General provides the grounds for it.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
The Department of Justice OIG does not keep complete public records on the number of prosecutions that result from its investigations. But the office does keep track of certain cases – those involving wrongdoing by senior DoJ managers and officials that Justice declines to prosecute.
In 2019 the Justice Department’s Inspector General’s office issued 27 such reports of alleged wrongdoing by senior Justice Department officials and employees that went unprosecuted – everything from nepotism in hiring, to making false claims on mortgage documents, to “lack of candor” with federal investigators, to sexual assault. RealClearInvestigations reviewed the OIG’s summaries of its investigations and found that in at least a dozen of those cases the inspector general determined that the wrongdoing was serious enough to be criminal. Even so, the Department of Justice declined to bring criminal charges. The sticky-fingered FBI attorney was one of the more strictly treated – she had to agree to 125 hours of community service to avoid prosecution.
The OIG also makes public the outcomes of “cases involving high profile investigations” such as those into former FBI Director James Comey and former Deputy Director Andrew McCabe.
“By not safeguarding sensitive information obtained during the course of his FBI employment,” the OIG found, “Comey set a dangerous example.” The Inspector General’s office provided its “findings to the Department for a prosecutorial decision.” But, “After reviewing the matter, the Department declined prosecution.”
As for McCabe, the OIG found he repeatedly lacked candor while being questioned under oath. Justice chose not to bring charges against him either.
It’s much harder to find cases of senior officials who are found by the OIG to have committed wrongdoing and are subsequently prosecuted. An example is Barbara Zoccola, who was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Memphis until the OIG caught her falsifying her time and attendance records.
But there are reasons to believe such prosecutions are rare. For example, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia – who would have jurisdiction over misconduct committed in Washington – puts out press releases announcing indictments and convictions. In 2019 there were press releases regarding any number of murders, robberies, and molestations – the all too common crimes of any big city. But Washington being the seat of government, there were announcements of indictments and convictions of government employees, including cases of bribery at the Department of Housing and Urban Development and at Veterans Affairs, as well as espionage at the departments of State and Defense. But none of the 2019 releases involved wrongdoing by senior DOJ officials.
Another advantage DOJ officials apparently enjoy is that those alleged to have committed wrongdoing – even criminal wrongdoing – are rarely named publicly.
This leniency is drawing new scrutiny in the wake of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of Russian collusion, which repeatedly used the full force of the law to convict associates of President Trump of process crimes, especially the crime of making false statements to government investigators.
Many of the 27 cases of senior official wrongdoing reported by the Justice OIG last year were resolved by the resignation of the misbehaving employee. “Federal employees facing potential disciplinary action do often resign instead,” says Sean Bigley, who practices government employment and security clearance law. “So the fact is that a lot of senior officials found culpable of misconduct escape accountability.”
Government employees have job protections that few in the private sector enjoy. Officials who have gotten themselves in trouble “can frequently negotiate their exit in lieu of punishment,” Bigley says. “These types of arrangements are, indeed, undertaken with an eye toward avoiding the time and hassle of litigation.”
But even when an official is already long gone from federal service, the DOJ instinct is to treat its own with a generosity that has not been on display in the cases involving associates of Donald Trump.
A former deputy assistant attorney general was not happy that his brother was sharing a hospital room with another patient. A January 2019 OIG report states that he called the hospital claiming he was “the No. 4 person with the Department of Justice.” Leveraging that falsehood, the former Justice official demanded his brother be moved to a private room. The hospital complied.
When questioned by agents of the Department of Justice Inspector General, the former high-ranking attorney readily admitted he had committed “an ethical violation.” He “also agreed that his conduct amounted to the impersonation of a government official.”
In fact, using one’s government position to secure special treatment is by itself serious ethical misconduct. But doing so when one isn’t even in government compounds the offense by impersonating a federal official. A person who had been a top-ranking official at the Department of Justice would know what he was doing was wrong. Such a serious charge might seem excessive to press against a concerned brother, but perhaps not in an era in which misstatements to FBI agents are treated as serious crimes – think former Trump associates George Papadopoulos and Gen. Michael Flynn. As for the concerned brother, ultimately, the OIG reported that the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DOJ “both declined a criminal prosecution of this matter.”
This resolution underscores both the power prosecutors have to decide how and when to apply the law, and the leniency they often apply to their colleagues.
Another expression of the leniency was that the former deputy assistant attorney general was never named. Throughout the report of the OIG, obtained by RealClearInvestigations through a Freedom of Information Act request, his name is blacked out. Any information that might make identification possible is similarly redacted. In other words, he is still being protected.
Asked why the subjects of such inquiries are allowed to remain anonymous, Stephanie M. Logan, a spokesperson for the DOJ’s Office of Inspector General, told RCI, “We make a determination in each individual case by reference to applicable privacy and public disclosure laws, what information we can release.”
Yet even when officials plead guilty to crimes, the inspector general is inclined to spare them the notoriety that comes with being named. This month the OIG reported on its investigation into an assistant U.S. attorney who was arrested for driving drunk. The inspector general found that the official threatened the police who pulled him or her over and invoked his office in a belligerent bid to avoid arrest. “The AUSA resigned during the OIG investigation,” said the inspector general, “and pleaded guilty to the DUI offense.” By contrast, the DOJ doesn’t hesitate to name the accused when it announces indictments, let alone convictions, of those not in the Justice hierarchy.
A deputy assistant director (DAD) of the FBI went unnamed when the inspector general found that, among other offenses, the official had “disclosed to the media the existence of information that had been filed under seal in federal court.” Though this was a violation of 18 US Code, Section 401, the federal law governing criminal contempt of court, the OIG noted that “Prosecution of the DAD was declined.”
The Department of Justice inspector general reported in September that a Bureau of Prisons assistant director “engaged in a sexual and personal financial relationship with a Bureau of Prisons Union executive.” This included sending sexually explicit photos on her government cell phone. The OIG found this resulted “in a conflict of interest, in violation of federal regulation and BOP policy.” Beyond that, investigators found that in their in their interviews, the BOP assistant director “lacked candor…in violation of federal law.” When it came to the Mueller probe, dishonesty in an interview was met with the full force of the law. However, not only did Justice decline to prosecute the prison official, the inspector general declined even to name her. (USA Today identified her as Judith Garrett). Contacted by RealClearInvestigations, Garrett said, “There is a lot the IG got wrong.” Beyond that she said, “Sorry, I have nothing to share with you.” Garrett resigned from the Bureau of Prisons and is now a real estate agent.
Criminal prosecution was also declined in the case of an unnamed assistant U.S. attorney who, according to an October, 2019 inspector general’s report of the investigation, “improperly disclosed [DC] Superior Court grand jury materials to an unauthorized individual.”
Another high-ranking Justice Department official went unnamed and unprosecuted even when he admitted misleading investigators about viewing pornography at work, according to the inspector general. The offense of misleading investigators has been enforced unsparingly against individuals not employed in senior positions within the Justice Department. Initially, the man – identified by the National Law Journal as Donald Kempf, Jr. -- “insisted that he never viewed or accessed any pornographic material or websites on his government computers,” according to the OIG report, obtained by RealClearInvestivations through a Freedom of Information Act request.
The OIG’s digital forensics team, however, found “sexually explicit material” on his DOJ computer along with “numerous” visits to pornographic websites and search engines such as “xvideos.com.” When confronted with the computer evidence, the OIG reports Kempf apologized to investigators and said, “I didn’t mean to mislead you.”
The inspector general concluded he “made false statements during his initial interview…in violation of Title 18 U.S.C. Section 1001.” That is the same false statements law Gen. Michael Flynn pleaded guilty to violating. Flynn was pursued until he pleaded guilty, while Donald Kempf was allowed simply to resign. The Justice Department “declined criminal prosecution in this matter.” The most serious action taken based on the OIG investigation was that the DOJ’s Office of Professional Responsibility asked the department’s Professional Misconduct Review Unit to report Kempf to the state bars where he is admitted.
OIG investigations are not – nor should they be – the final word. For example, if an IG finds one party more believable in a he-said, she-said situation, the IG may or may not be right in that judgment. There’s a difference between establishing facts about what someone did or didn’t do and making determinations about what that person’s motives or intentions were. The law comes with a presumption of innocence for a reason.
Donald Kempf points out that at the end of January, Justice’s Professional Misconduct Review Unit rejected the Office of Professional Responsibility’s request that he be reported to bar associations. “The OIG’s finding that you made false statements under oath is erroneous,” the Review Unit told Kempf.
The case might not have ended that way if Kempf had faced a prosecutor eager to make the most of the inspector general’s findings rather than an internal review board willing to question the OIG’s conclusions.
Experts say that sort of case reflects a fundamental inconsistency in how false-statement laws are enforced. Harvey Silverglate, a civil liberties litigator and author whose books include “Three Felonies a Day” and, most recently “Conviction Machine” (written with Michael Flynn attorney Sidney Powell), told RCI, “Because of the vague nature of so many federal criminal statutes, it is very easy for the prosecutors to indict some for making ‘false statements’ to a federal official, while refusing to indict others who simply ‘lack candor’ or perhaps made an inadvertent misstep.” Silverglate says, “The combination of vague statutes and politically oriented investigations makes for a very uneven enforcement of federal criminal law.”
The DOJ’s discretionary leniency to its own is highlighted by the case of a senior official in the Office of Justice Programs who was, among other things, accused of coercing female co-workers to have sex with him if they wanted any chance at promotion.
That wasn’t all that was discovered by investigators about how female employees were treated by Edison Aponte. (As usual, the OIG did not release the official’s name, but his identity was revealed by BuzzFeed.) A woman working in the Office of Justice Programs told investigators that Aponte followed her home one night after an office outing to a basketball game. He came into her house on the pretense of using the bathroom, and then asked for a tour. According to the OIG’s October 2018 Report of Investigation, obtained by RealClearInvestigations, once in the bedroom, Aponte “started touching her.” She told him to “knock it off.” Instead, “he became forceful,” the woman said, “and sexually assaulted her by having sexual intercourse with her.”
At first, Aponte denied to the OIG that he followed the woman home or that he assaulted her. Confronted with evidence to the contrary, Aponte “recanted his denial.” He “admitted further that he had inappropriate relationships with subordinates.”
Finding the women “to be credible witnesses,” whose testimony “was detailed and specific” and consistent with one another, the OIG concluded Aponte “engaged in the misconduct as alleged,” including sexual harassment, sexual assault, and lacking “candor in his statements to the OIG.”
Still, for all that, “The U.S. Attorney’s Office,” according to the OIG, “declined criminal prosecution.”
Aponte has denied the accusations. Contacted by RealClearInvestigations, Aponte said, “I have no comment.” Had he been charged, he would have had a forum in which to defend his reputation. Instead, he retired, leaving the charges unchallenged. He is now a soccer coach at St. Paul VI Catholic High School in Northern Virginia.
DOJ spokesperson Wyn Hornbuckle insists department officials get no special treatment. “The Department of Justice expects all employees to hold themselves to the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct,” he tells RealClearInvestigations. “The department takes allegations of employee misconduct seriously, including claims that employees lacked candor when dealing with investigators, and has a zero-tolerance approach to sexual harassment in the workplace.” Allegations of misconduct are met with “appropriate action” he says, including “criminal prosecution, if warranted.”
Not necessarily so, says Sidney Powell, Michael Flynn’s attorney. Accusations that would be aggressively investigated and prosecuted if alleged against a DOJ target are treated differently when alleged of DOJ or FBI officials, she says. “They are given passes.”
[Editor's note: This story originally was published by Real Clear Investigations.]


wnd--2020-03-25--Trump Cabinet Bible leader blames coronavirus on God's 'wrath'

A minister who has been leading a weekly Bible-study group for members of President Trump 's Cabinet has posted online his belief that amid the coronavirus , America is not experiencing God 's `` forsaking wrath '' but , rather , his `` consequential wrath . ''
`` Some leading evangelicals believe and teach that America is now experiencing God 's judgment , '' wrote Ralph Drollinger , a former NBA player and the founder of Capitol Ministries , which provides Bible studies , evangelism and discipleship to political leaders .
`` If that is the case , as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in your attempt to turn our nation around , it would stand to reason – if those evangelical leaders are correct – that you are wasting your time .
Are you laboring against a foregone conclusion ?
I think not .
But let me qualify that : I do not believe America is experiencing the forsaking wrath of God , but yes , America is experiencing the consequential wrath of God , '' he wrote March 21 in a preface to his Bible study on the subject .
TRENDING : 2 Fox stars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outrageous 'Go to hell ' comment In the study , Drollinger explains the Bible is full of examples showing that the satisfaction of God 's violated justice is His judgment , but that is balanced – `` often placated '' – by His mercy .
But Drollinger raises the prospect of mercy being `` expended . ''
`` Since God is just and sin must and will be paid for , wrath—the righteousness of God revealed against sin—is an inevitable consequence , '' he said .
He listed five forms of God 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , eschatological wrath ( the day of the Lord ) and cataclysmic wrath ( Sodom & Gomorrah ) .
Then there is the forsaking wrath ( removing restraint ) and consequential wrath ( sowing and reaping ) .
Drollinger concludes that America is facing consequential wrath , pointing out it 's not the same as the punishment of Sodom and Gomorrah , the Old Testament cities destroyed by fire from the heavens over their homosexuality .
`` In fact to the contrary , America today is populated by tens of millions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote .
`` Many are those who have glibly postured , 'If God does not judge America , then he owes Sodom and Gomorrah an apology ! '
But such thinking fails to take into account what went on between Abraham and God in Genesis 18:22–33 before He judged Sodom and Gomorrah ! ''
Abraham , if he were to plead with God for America , would have a much stronger case than he did pleading with God for Sodom and Gomorrah .
In fact , today ’ s America is not by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unfaithful to God ’ s precepts .
Conversely , there is only a small minority of individuals who are grossly disobedient to God .
Unfortunately for the vast majority of faithful individuals in America , too many of the unfaithful have been allowed by the faithful to gain high positions of influence in our culture : high positions in our government , our educational system , our media and our entertainment industry .
This is tragic , unfortunate , and costly .
Those individuals who are rebuked by God ’ s forsaking wrath @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consequential wrath on our nation .
That needs to change—and that is something we can change with God ’ s help !
What is a great encouragement to me , ministering here in our nation ’ s capital , is witnessing the groundswell of faithful individuals who have been voted into office .
If my calculations are correct , and I believe they are , there are more believers in Congress and the executive branch now than at any other time in modern American history !
And they are beginning to reach a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think great days lie ahead for our country as more and more evangelicals rise in their influence—you godly public servants— who are working so hard to deliver us from the consequential wrath we are undergoing as a nation due in large part to the misdirection of those who are rebuked by God ’ s forsaking wrath . ''
He cited a verse in Proverbs that states , `` When the righteous increase , the people rejoice , But when a wicked man rules , people groan . ''
Investigative journalist Glenn Greenwald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` evangelical lessons are carefully catered to conservative ideology , with a focus on interpreting current events through a partisan lens . ''
The study meets every Wednesday with members of Trump 's Cabinet , including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson , Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and Health Secretary Alex Azar .
The report said another 52 Republican lawmakers have taken part in Drollinger 's Capitol Hill Bible study .

A minister who has been leading a weekly Bible-study group for members of President Trump's Cabinet has posted online his belief that amid the coronavirus, America is not experiencing God's "forsaking wrath" but, rather, his "consequential wrath."
"Some leading evangelicals believe and teach that America is now experiencing God's judgment," wrote Ralph Drollinger, a former NBA player and the founder of Capitol Ministries, which provides Bible studies, evangelism and discipleship to political leaders.
"If that is the case, as a public servant who is sacrificing so much in your attempt to turn our nation around, it would stand to reason – if those evangelical leaders are correct – that you are wasting your time. Are you laboring against a foregone conclusion? I think not. But let me qualify that: I do not believe America is experiencing the forsaking wrath of God, but yes, America is experiencing the consequential wrath of God," he wrote March 21 in a preface to his Bible study on the subject.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
In the study, Drollinger explains the Bible is full of examples showing that the satisfaction of God's violated justice is His judgment, but that is balanced – "often placated" – by His mercy.
But Drollinger raises the prospect of mercy being "expended."
"Since God is just and sin must and will be paid for, wrath—the righteousness of God revealed against sin—is an inevitable consequence," he said.
He listed five forms of God's judgment, including eternal wrath (hell), eschatological wrath (the day of the Lord) and cataclysmic wrath (Sodom & Gomorrah).
Then there is the forsaking wrath (removing restraint) and consequential wrath (sowing and reaping).
Drollinger concludes that America is facing consequential wrath, pointing out it's not the same as the punishment of Sodom and Gomorrah, the Old Testament cities destroyed by fire from the heavens over their homosexuality.
"In fact to the contrary, America today is populated by tens of millions of faithful followers of Christ!" he wrote. "Many are those who have glibly postured, 'If God does not judge America, then he owes Sodom and Gomorrah an apology!' But such thinking fails to take into account what went on between Abraham and God in Genesis 18:22–33 before He judged Sodom and Gomorrah!"
Drollinger wrote:
Abraham, if he were to plead with God for America, would have a much stronger case than he did pleading with God for Sodom and Gomorrah. In fact, today’s America is not by in large characterized by people who are unfaithful to God’s precepts. Conversely, there is only a small minority of individuals who are grossly disobedient to God.
Unfortunately for the vast majority of faithful individuals in America, too many of the unfaithful have been allowed by the faithful to gain high positions of influence in our culture: high positions in our government, our educational system, our media and our entertainment industry. This is tragic, unfortunate, and costly.
Those individuals who are rebuked by God’s forsaking wrath are largely responsible for God’s consequential wrath on our nation.
That needs to change—and that is something we can change with God’s help! What is a great encouragement to me, ministering here in our nation’s capital, is witnessing the groundswell of faithful individuals who have been voted into office. If my calculations are correct, and I believe they are, there are more believers in Congress and the executive branch now than at any other time in modern American history! And they are beginning to reach a tipping point!
He predicted: "I think great days lie ahead for our country as more and more evangelicals rise in their influence—you godly public servants— who are working so hard to deliver us from the consequential wrath we are undergoing as a nation due in large part to the misdirection of those who are rebuked by God’s forsaking wrath."
He cited a verse in Proverbs that states, "When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, But when a wicked man rules, people groan."
Investigative journalist Glenn Greenwald's publication The Intercept said Drollinger's "evangelical lessons are carefully catered to conservative ideology, with a focus on interpreting current events through a partisan lens."
The study meets every Wednesday with members of Trump's Cabinet, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and Health Secretary Alex Azar.
The report said another 52 Republican lawmakers have taken part in Drollinger's Capitol Hill Bible study.


wnd--2020-03-25--So when did we all become such pansies?

So when did we all become such pansies?

As a kid , I was the victim – and beneficiary – of a malady I remember as the `` Asian flu . ''
Without hesitation , I can trace the onset of this illness to early October 1957 , when I was 9 years old .
I remember the date specifically because I followed baseball .
I grew up as Dodger fan in a metropolitan area with three choices , all of them viable .
The New York Giants had won the World Series in 1954 , the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1955 and the New York Yankees in 1956 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1947 , 1949 , 1950 , 1951 , 1952 and 1953 .
I might have been a Yankee fan save for the fact that when I came of age , my older brother informed me that the Yankees were already `` taken . ''
They were `` his '' team .
Like my brother , Yankee fans were insufferable .
On occasion , they would roam the neighborhood in bands searching out apostates .
We Dodger fans were few : little brothers , `` colored kids , '' left-handers and other misfits .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ detest the Yankees and their fans .
I remember the date of my Asian flu malady so precisely because it coincided with the 1957 World Series .
At the time , these games were played only in the daytime .
TRENDING : 2 Fox stars gave Donna Brazile lesson in manners after outrageous 'Go to hell ' comment I used the word `` beneficiary '' above because I , unlike my friends , got to watch the Series from the comfort of the living room couch .
The Asian flu was a happy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happy because the underdog Milwaukee Braves came from behind to beat the Yankees four games to three , the final victory a shutout at Yankee Stadium .
I did not know the word `` schadenfreude '' then , but I certainly knew the concept .
I was not too ill to glory in my brother 's misery .
Although my teachers were surely suspicious of the timing , there was no doubting my illness .
Our family doctor made a house call .
My temperature crested at 104 degrees .
I remember the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rights .
The Asian flu struck many children in my neighborhood .
After the fact , we compared our temperatures the way we would our batting averages .
I was the envy of my fellow baseball fans .
Not only did my illness strike during the World Series , but at 104 I also topped their paltry 102s and 103s .
For me this all seemed providential as I was a generally healthy kid .
I would not miss another day of school for the next four years and would win the school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a landslide .
Not hearing anything about this epidemic in the news , I googled `` Asian Flu 1957 '' to test my memory .
Here is what I learned from the Encyclopedia Britannica .
In the early months of 1957 , a virus known as influenza A subtype H2N2 was first identified in East Asia .
It spread worldwide causing somewhere between 1 and 2 million deaths , an estimated 69,800 in the United States .
Especially vulnerable were `` young children , the elderly , and pregnant women , '' the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through my own experience .
The population of the United States in 1957 was roughly half of what it is today .
Were wagering on life and death not so distasteful , I would gladly take the `` under '' position in an over-under bet that COVID-19 will kill 140,000 Americans .
We were a hardier people back then .
Although likely more lethal than the coronavirus , the Asian flu minimally affected the way we lived our lives .
Although the flu struck children with force , the schools did not close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lou Burdette threw three complete games , two of them shutouts , to humiliate the New York Yankees .
Better still , no one got called `` racist '' for saying `` Asian flu . ''

As a kid, I was the victim – and beneficiary – of a malady I remember as the "Asian flu." Without hesitation, I can trace the onset of this illness to early October 1957, when I was 9 years old.
I remember the date specifically because I followed baseball. I grew up as Dodger fan in a metropolitan area with three choices, all of them viable. The New York Giants had won the World Series in 1954, the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1955 and the New York Yankees in 1956.
The Yankees had also won in 1947, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952 and 1953. I might have been a Yankee fan save for the fact that when I came of age, my older brother informed me that the Yankees were already "taken." They were "his" team.
Like my brother, Yankee fans were insufferable. On occasion, they would roam the neighborhood in bands searching out apostates. We Dodger fans were few: little brothers, "colored kids," left-handers and other misfits. We came to dread these mini-pogroms and detest the Yankees and their fans.
I remember the date of my Asian flu malady so precisely because it coincided with the 1957 World Series. At the time, these games were played only in the daytime.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
I used the word "beneficiary" above because I, unlike my friends, got to watch the Series from the comfort of the living room couch.
The Asian flu was a happy memory for me. It was especially happy because the underdog Milwaukee Braves came from behind to beat the Yankees four games to three, the final victory a shutout at Yankee Stadium.
I did not know the word "schadenfreude" then, but I certainly knew the concept. I was not too ill to glory in my brother's misery.
Although my teachers were surely suspicious of the timing, there was no doubting my illness. Our family doctor made a house call. My temperature crested at 104 degrees.
I remember the number well because it gave me bragging rights. The Asian flu struck many children in my neighborhood. After the fact, we compared our temperatures the way we would our batting averages.
I was the envy of my fellow baseball fans. Not only did my illness strike during the World Series, but at 104 I also topped their paltry 102s and 103s.
For me this all seemed providential as I was a generally healthy kid. I would not miss another day of school for the next four years and would win the school's perfect attendance award at graduation in a landslide.
Not hearing anything about this epidemic in the news, I googled "Asian Flu 1957" to test my memory. Here is what I learned from the Encyclopedia Britannica.
In the early months of 1957, a virus known as influenza A subtype H2N2 was first identified in East Asia. It spread worldwide causing somewhere between 1 and 2 million deaths, an estimated 69,800 in the United States.
Especially vulnerable were "young children, the elderly, and pregnant women," the first of which I can attest to through my own experience.
The population of the United States in 1957 was roughly half of what it is today. Were wagering on life and death not so distasteful, I would gladly take the "under" position in an over-under bet that COVID-19 will kill 140,000 Americans.
We were a hardier people back then. Although likely more lethal than the coronavirus, the Asian flu minimally affected the way we lived our lives.
Although the flu struck children with force, the schools did not close. The economy churned along, and Lou Burdette threw three complete games, two of them shutouts, to humiliate the New York Yankees.
Better still, no one got called "racist" for saying "Asian flu."


wnd--2020-03-25--Stupid floats to the top of coronavirus flood

Once the deluge of water that brings on a flood stops , sludge floats to the top .
The floodwaters of the coronavirus are still rising in this country , but the sludge and corruption and outright stupidity that led to bad policy supported and enacted by our lawmakers is becoming apparent , even to the political neophyte .
The Democrats , who want us to see them as champions of the poor and working class , held-up a much-needed relief bill that would prop-up the economy and save the jobs of countless millions , not to mention provide outright @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need them most .
In return for their vote , Democrats tried to include a liberal wish-list that includes : reducing student loan debt , a permanent expansion of Obamacare , imposing diversity requirements on employers and tightening emission standards on airlines and cruise ships – two of the most hard-hit industries .
To justify their `` no '' vote they were calling the bill a `` corporate slush-fund . ''
This was no slush-fund .
These were loans .
Corporations and businesses must pay back the loans once the crisis has passed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when you consider that it 's the Democrats who want to bailout the airlines by giving outright grants to those who would put a union representative on their boards .
Please !
TRENDING : 2 Fox stars gave Donna Brazile lesson in manners after outrageous 'Go to hell ' comment But the politics surrounding this critical piece of legislation is just part of the sludge that recently has floated to the top .
Faced with this crisis , the Trump administration is considering a plan to use the powers at his disposal during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all who enter illegally , including those so-called asylum seekers who simply refuse to wait in line for a chance at a better life .
Trump 's simple solution : Do n't detain .
Immediately deport them to their home country or turn them back into Mexico ( or in some cases Canada ) , the country from which they came .
Funny , now that everyone is concerned about catching this dreaded coronavirus , you do n't hear many bleeding-heart liberals complaining .
They are too worried about saving their own skin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immune from stupid .
While millions are now out of work , his administration has done nothing to put caps on the H1-B visa , the loophole that lets corporations bring in thousands of foreign workers who take our software and other STEM jobs .
Instead , earlier this month , the Department of Homeland Security announced plans to speed up the process .
Many college graduates are available and desperately seeking these jobs .
They worked hard and invested time and money on their education , but they are unable to pay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Companies are able to import these foreign workers through the H1-B visa program for a fraction of the cost by offering a green card and a chance to become an American citizen .
Speaking of foreign workers , have you called an American company 's help line recently ?
If you have , no doubt you ended up talking to someone in India or the Philippines at the expense of an American worker who used to have that job .
Why is it no one in Congress or the administration has addressed this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that thousands of disabled Americans would be happy to do .
Instead we would rather have them sit idly by and pay them to do nothing .
Another stupid idea is the school lunch and breakfast program .
This is one of the most wasteful programs in the country .
Even in the midst of this crisis , we are working overtime to get meals to , not only poor children , but many middle-class and wealthy ones as well .
Poor families get food stamps for the purpose of feeding their children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ families are so helpless they ca n't provide their kids with a simple peanut butter and jelly sandwich with an apple or a bowl of cereal ?
And stupid is n't limited to our government .
Part of the sludge that has risen to the top is our individual inability to manage money .
More than 80 percent of workers are living paycheck to paycheck , and that includes many high-earners as well .
Less than 40 % can handle an unexpected $ 1,000 expense , much less enough sustain themselves for three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis or job loss .
Before we accuse the government of being ill-prepared for a crisis , we need to look in the mirror .
Hopefully , we will all come out of this a lot smarter .

Once the deluge of water that brings on a flood stops, sludge floats to the top.
The floodwaters of the coronavirus are still rising in this country, but the sludge and corruption and outright stupidity that led to bad policy supported and enacted by our lawmakers is becoming apparent, even to the political neophyte.
The Democrats, who want us to see them as champions of the poor and working class, held-up a much-needed relief bill that would prop-up the economy and save the jobs of countless millions, not to mention provide outright cash payments to individuals and families who need them most.
In return for their vote, Democrats tried to include a liberal wish-list that includes: reducing student loan debt, a permanent expansion of Obamacare, imposing diversity requirements on employers and tightening emission standards on airlines and cruise ships – two of the most hard-hit industries.
To justify their "no" vote they were calling the bill a "corporate slush-fund." This was no slush-fund. These were loans. Corporations and businesses must pay back the loans once the crisis has passed. This is the height of hypocrisy when you consider that it's the Democrats who want to bailout the airlines by giving outright grants to those who would put a union representative on their boards. Please!
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
But the politics surrounding this critical piece of legislation is just part of the sludge that recently has floated to the top.
Faced with this crisis, the Trump administration is considering a plan to use the powers at his disposal during a pandemic to close the border to all who enter illegally, including those so-called asylum seekers who simply refuse to wait in line for a chance at a better life. Trump's simple solution: Don't detain. Immediately deport them to their home country or turn them back into Mexico (or in some cases Canada), the country from which they came.
Funny, now that everyone is concerned about catching this dreaded coronavirus, you don't hear many bleeding-heart liberals complaining. They are too worried about saving their own skin.
But the Trump administration is not immune from stupid. While millions are now out of work, his administration has done nothing to put caps on the H1-B visa, the loophole that lets corporations bring in thousands of foreign workers who take our software and other STEM jobs. Instead, earlier this month, the Department of Homeland Security announced plans to speed up the process.
Many college graduates are available and desperately seeking these jobs. They worked hard and invested time and money on their education, but they are unable to pay off their college loans. Why? Companies are able to import these foreign workers through the H1-B visa program for a fraction of the cost by offering a green card and a chance to become an American citizen.
Speaking of foreign workers, have you called an American company's help line recently? If you have, no doubt you ended up talking to someone in India or the Philippines at the expense of an American worker who used to have that job. Why is it no one in Congress or the administration has addressed this issue?
These are the very jobs that thousands of disabled Americans would be happy to do. Instead we would rather have them sit idly by and pay them to do nothing.
Another stupid idea is the school lunch and breakfast program. This is one of the most wasteful programs in the country. Even in the midst of this crisis, we are working overtime to get meals to, not only poor children, but many middle-class and wealthy ones as well. Poor families get food stamps for the purpose of feeding their children. Are we to believe that welfare families are so helpless they can't provide their kids with a simple peanut butter and jelly sandwich with an apple or a bowl of cereal?
And stupid isn't limited to our government. Part of the sludge that has risen to the top is our individual inability to manage money. More than 80 percent of workers are living paycheck to paycheck, and that includes many high-earners as well. Less than 40% can handle an unexpected $1,000 expense, much less enough sustain themselves for three to six months in a time of crisis or job loss.
Before we accuse the government of being ill-prepared for a crisis, we need to look in the mirror. Hopefully, we will all come out of this a lot smarter.


wnd--2020-03-25--Race for a cure: Prisoners could be our saving grace

As the clock ticks , the number of new COVID-19 infections rise .
While promising theories are emerging over potential vaccines and drug treatments , the stark reality is that without large-scale human experimentation of those new medications , the public will remain at risk .
State and federal prisoners may hold the key to finding a cure for this pandemic .
The National Institutes of Health recently announced a need to find 400 volunteers to undergo a study that will provide clinical results for the drug Remdesivir as a COVID-19 treatment .
Similar large-scale testing would be necessary for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ volunteers may prove unsuccessful given the health risks to the volunteer in light of what typically is a nominal financial offering by the lab or drug maker .
However , a large reservoir of potential clinical volunteers stands ready , located throughout the country , in state and federal prisons .
To be sure prisoner volunteers would have to give informed consent of potential health risks and side effects before they are included in a test group .
Current federal rules governing prisoner use for scientific experimentation allows it so long as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk '' of harm .
That regulation can easily be waived or modified by Congress or the Bureau of Prisons in the case of emergencies , which COVID-19 would seem to present .
Historically , the testing of prisoners to find cures for disease is not new .
Gen. Douglas McArthur , the supreme commander for Allied Powers in Japan , readily accepted for the benefit of the United States the scientific results achieved by the Japanese in their human testing on conquered people during World War II .
The ethics and legality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the basis for the Nuremberg Code , which set out guidelines for medical research experimentation on prisoners .
Chief among those guidelines is informed consent and that the risks be justified by the anticipated benefits .
TRENDING : 2 Fox stars gave Donna Brazile lesson in manners after outrageous 'Go to hell ' comment It is anticipated that prisoners would readily volunteer to be included in testing in return for a reduction in , or commutation of , their sentences of imprisonment .
Commutation can be fast-tracked by state governors or the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of prisoner applicants for testing .
According to the Prison Policy Initiative , in 2019 the United States had nearly 2.3 million citizens incarcerated in state and federal prisons .
In those prisons are inmates who possess medical and nursing degrees – perfect candidates to assist in the experiments and testing .
Dr. Samuel Mudd , convicted and imprisoned for aiding John Wilkes Booth after the assassination of President Lincoln , received a presidential pardon for his medical assistance in stemming the outbreak of yellow fever plague in his prison .
Eligibility requirements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ non-violent prisoners reap the benefit of being included in such experiments , such as prisoners serving harsh minimum mandatory drug sentences .
Thus , little residual danger to society would occur when such prisoners gain freedom after the scientific experimentation ends .
Giving a prisoner the chance to repay his or her debt to society by volunteering to participate in testing and clinical trials would serve the greater good for both the prisoner and society .
The alternative is to continue to warehouse these prisoners at great expense to the taxpayer while simultaneously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus when COVID-19 hits the inmate population nationwide .
In sum , prisoners offer the greatest potential and the quickest means to finding a viable vaccine and cure for Covid-19 .
In times of crisis , the unthinkable is thinkable .
We need to consider all avenues to speed research and treatment for the benefit of us all .
Richard Kibbey and David Lamos are criminal defense attorneys practicing law on Florida 's Treasure Coast .

By Richard Kibbey, Esq., and David Lamos, Esq.
As the clock ticks, the number of new COVID-19 infections rise. While promising theories are emerging over potential vaccines and drug treatments, the stark reality is that without large-scale human experimentation of those new medications, the public will remain at risk. State and federal prisoners may hold the key to finding a cure for this pandemic.
The National Institutes of Health recently announced a need to find 400 volunteers to undergo a study that will provide clinical results for the drug Remdesivir as a COVID-19 treatment. Similar large-scale testing would be necessary for other drug treatments under consideration. Finding volunteers may prove unsuccessful given the health risks to the volunteer in light of what typically is a nominal financial offering by the lab or drug maker. However, a large reservoir of potential clinical volunteers stands ready, located throughout the country, in state and federal prisons.
To be sure prisoner volunteers would have to give informed consent of potential health risks and side effects before they are included in a test group. Current federal rules governing prisoner use for scientific experimentation allows it so long as the testing exposes the prisoner to "minimal risk" of harm. That regulation can easily be waived or modified by Congress or the Bureau of Prisons in the case of emergencies, which COVID-19 would seem to present.
Historically, the testing of prisoners to find cures for disease is not new. Gen. Douglas McArthur, the supreme commander for Allied Powers in Japan, readily accepted for the benefit of the United States the scientific results achieved by the Japanese in their human testing on conquered people during World War II. The ethics and legality of human testing of prisoners was also the basis for the Nuremberg Code, which set out guidelines for medical research experimentation on prisoners. Chief among those guidelines is informed consent and that the risks be justified by the anticipated benefits.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
It is anticipated that prisoners would readily volunteer to be included in testing in return for a reduction in, or commutation of, their sentences of imprisonment. Commutation can be fast-tracked by state governors or the White House.
There would be no shortage of prisoner applicants for testing. According to the Prison Policy Initiative, in 2019 the United States had nearly 2.3 million citizens incarcerated in state and federal prisons. In those prisons are inmates who possess medical and nursing degrees – perfect candidates to assist in the experiments and testing. Dr. Samuel Mudd, convicted and imprisoned for aiding John Wilkes Booth after the assassination of President Lincoln, received a presidential pardon for his medical assistance in stemming the outbreak of yellow fever plague in his prison.
Eligibility requirements for prisoner volunteers can assure that only non-violent prisoners reap the benefit of being included in such experiments, such as prisoners serving harsh minimum mandatory drug sentences. Thus, little residual danger to society would occur when such prisoners gain freedom after the scientific experimentation ends.
Giving a prisoner the chance to repay his or her debt to society by volunteering to participate in testing and clinical trials would serve the greater good for both the prisoner and society. The alternative is to continue to warehouse these prisoners at great expense to the taxpayer while simultaneously exposing the prisoner to inadvertent infection of the virus when COVID-19 hits the inmate population nationwide.
In sum, prisoners offer the greatest potential and the quickest means to finding a viable vaccine and cure for Covid-19.
In times of crisis, the unthinkable is thinkable. We need to consider all avenues to speed research and treatment for the benefit of us all.
Richard Kibbey and David Lamos are criminal defense attorneys practicing law on Florida's Treasure Coast.


wnd--2020-03-25--Globalists, China and media selling us fear

The following analysis is based on the hypothesis that American globalists ended up joining the U.S.-China trade war , helping China push even more media fear of corona , simply to try to harm President Trump – since Russia-gate , impeachment nor anything else has worked .
The horrendous outcomes may have been unanticipated , but the results remain the same .
The United States is locked in an economic civil war over who is to own the country , its assets and global trade .
President Trump has , from the beginning , spoken of national interest , jobs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paying taxes again , halting the monopoly structures that quench local businesses , reinstating honor for the Constitution with its profound respect for Judeo-Christian values – and fair trade with China .
The globalist model of acquiring the world 's wealth in the hands of the top elite was at stake from the very second Trump was chosen .
The globalists , who also own the media , have attempted for years to remove Trump .
By fueling the media with fear , yet another attempt on Trump is on the way .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ seems that the globalists have joined China in attacking the U.S. economy .
This is the new chapter in the U.S.-China trade war , with empty shelves all across the West soon to be filled by Chinese products .
It is a government-ordered shutdown of the Western economy , not determined by lack of demand .
The West is under siege by a cunning enemy .
TRENDING : 2 Fox stars gave Donna Brazile lesson in manners after outrageous 'Go to hell ' comment The current economic crisis has three components : • @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slowing down of the Chinese economy .
Russia 's `` no '' to OPEC+ took a hit at U.S. shale oil and helped spur low oil prices , on which the rise of China is dependent .
Saudi Arabia is increasing its production with China as the main customer .
• The fear of death from the coronavirus-caused COVID-19 .
• The enhancing of this fear coming from the globalist owners of the Western media in order to finally `` get to Trump . ''
A short summary:650 000 people die yearly of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ World Health Organization .
The U.S. numbers for yearly deaths due to regular flus are , as CNN reported in 2018 , around 80 000 .
Compared to Chinese numbers from coronavirus , the 2018 U.S. influenza was much more `` pandemic . ''
Yet , no media pumped that story up back then .
In Italy , which has Europe 's oldest population , thousands die yearly from flus – 68,000 died of various flus between 2013-2017 , according to one study .
Over 5 million got the illness .
We never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ age of those dying from COVID-19 is 79.5 years old , 70 % men , most of whom have two or three other serious diagnoses , according to steigan.no .
Israel , with its well-informed intelligence , took the correct response by reducing the panic , isolating its elderly and those prone to respiratory illnesses , implementing social distance while the national economy continued .
South Korea seems to have beaten the virus , demonstrating its discipline and collective approach by implementing social distance , protecting the elderly and business carrying on .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ not our economies .
As the Chinese markets fell due to the outbreak , stocks plunged , and the China government allegedly responded by buying up stocks and nationalizing assets .
Allegedly , they are now doing the same in the Wall Street market crash .
It was at this point that President Xi Jinping used the term `` a devil '' about the virus .
Those who have studied Confucianism know exactly what it implies pertaining to Chinese fury .
`` Xi 's terminology is a major clue .
He said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ war .
And , as a counterattack , a 'people 's war ' had to be launched , '' writes Pepe Escobar .
This was right after President Trump signed the fair trade agreement with China back in January , correcting currency manipulation and violations of intellectual property laws .
The Chinese may have felt that they lost face .
Two weeks later , news of the virus erupted amid record low unemployment in the United States – much to the distress of CNN , which has tried to crush Trump for years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ massive Trump gains since he took office , the same gains CNN formerly denied , only now in order to demonstrate how the market crash hurts Trump .
It is remarkable how undisclosed intentions are on display in the current American mainstream media .
They are still happy to hurt Trump , even if it takes the whole country down .
Watch Hanne 's interview with Dr. Paul Craig Roberts , one of America 's leading political economists :

The following analysis is based on the hypothesis that American globalists ended up joining the U.S.-China trade war, helping China push even more media fear of corona, simply to try to harm President Trump – since Russia-gate, impeachment nor anything else has worked. The horrendous outcomes may have been unanticipated, but the results remain the same.
The United States is locked in an economic civil war over who is to own the country, its assets and global trade. President Trump has, from the beginning, spoken of national interest, jobs returning to American workers, internationalist corporations paying taxes again, halting the monopoly structures that quench local businesses, reinstating honor for the Constitution with its profound respect for Judeo-Christian values – and fair trade with China.
The globalist model of acquiring the world's wealth in the hands of the top elite was at stake from the very second Trump was chosen. The globalists, who also own the media, have attempted for years to remove Trump. By fueling the media with fear, yet another attempt on Trump is on the way.
In the 2020 financial meltdown, it seems that the globalists have joined China in attacking the U.S. economy.
This is the new chapter in the U.S.-China trade war, with empty shelves all across the West soon to be filled by Chinese products. It is a government-ordered shutdown of the Western economy, not determined by lack of demand. The West is under siege by a cunning enemy.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
The current economic crisis has three components:
The falling oil price due to the slowing down of the Chinese economy. Russia's "no" to OPEC+ took a hit at U.S. shale oil and helped spur low oil prices, on which the rise of China is dependent. Saudi Arabia is increasing its production with China as the main customer. The fear of death from the coronavirus-caused COVID-19. The enhancing of this fear coming from the globalist owners of the Western media in order to finally "get to Trump."
A short summary:650 000 people die yearly of a regular influenzas, according to the World Health Organization. The U.S. numbers for yearly deaths due to regular flus are, as CNN reported in 2018, around 80 000.
Compared to Chinese numbers from coronavirus, the 2018 U.S. influenza was much more "pandemic." Yet, no media pumped that story up back then. In Italy, which has Europe's oldest population, thousands die yearly from flus – 68,000 died of various flus between 2013-2017, according to one study. Over 5 million got the illness. We never heard much about that.
The average age of those dying from COVID-19 is 79.5 years old, 70% men, most of whom have two or three other serious diagnoses, according to steigan.no.
Israel, with its well-informed intelligence, took the correct response by reducing the panic, isolating its elderly and those prone to respiratory illnesses, implementing social distance while the national economy continued. South Korea seems to have beaten the virus, demonstrating its discipline and collective approach by implementing social distance, protecting the elderly and business carrying on. Let us take down the coronavirus, not our economies.
As the Chinese markets fell due to the outbreak, stocks plunged, and the China government allegedly responded by buying up stocks and nationalizing assets. Allegedly, they are now doing the same in the Wall Street market crash.
It was at this point that President Xi Jinping used the term "a devil" about the virus. Those who have studied Confucianism know exactly what it implies pertaining to Chinese fury. "Xi's terminology is a major clue. He said, on the record, that this was war. And, as a counterattack, a 'people's war' had to be launched," writes Pepe Escobar.
This was right after President Trump signed the fair trade agreement with China back in January, correcting currency manipulation and violations of intellectual property laws. The Chinese may have felt that they lost face. Two weeks later, news of the virus erupted amid record low unemployment in the United States – much to the distress of CNN, which has tried to crush Trump for years.
Ironically, CNN now confirms the massive Trump gains since he took office, the same gains CNN formerly denied, only now in order to demonstrate how the market crash hurts Trump. It is remarkable how undisclosed intentions are on display in the current American mainstream media. They are still happy to hurt Trump, even if it takes the whole country down?
Watch Hanne's interview with Dr. Paul Craig Roberts, one of America's leading political economists: