wnd--2020-03-31--Mayor de Blasio, you have overstepped your bounds

As a religious leader born and raised in New York , I 'm appealing to you to reconsider your threats to the synagogues and churches of your city .
Your words , sir , were reckless and could actually provoke people of faith to defy you .
What on earth prompted you to say what you said ?
I 'm speaking specifically of your threat to `` permanently '' close synagogues and churches that refuse to comply with the ban on public gatherings .
Mr. Mayor , what gives you that authority ?
Mr. Mayor , who gives you that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gave Donna Brazile lesson in manners after outrageous 'Go to hell ' comment Please know that I have been using my platforms ( radio , internet and writing ) to urge pastors and leaders to comply with bans on public gatherings .
I have urged fellow-believers to use wisdom and to love their neighbors , accepting these restrictions as something necessary for the public good .
And I have made clear to concerned pastors that these bans are not an attack on their religious freedoms , since the bans affect movie theaters and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much as churches and synagogues and mosques .
Yet when you specifically threaten to permanently close synagogues and churches that do not comply , you immediately raise concerns .
This certainly does look like religious discrimination .
You said , `` I want to say to all those who are preparing for the potential of religious services this weekend : If you go to your synagogue , if you go to your church , and attempt to hold services after having been told so often not to , our enforcement agents will have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ services , '' making clear that you did not `` say this with joy . ''
And you added , `` I understand how important people 's faiths are to them , and we need our faith in this time of crisis .
But we do not need gatherings that will endanger people . ''
Again , sir , I support you in saying this , and I 'm sending this same message out to the millions of people I seek to reach each week .
I can even understand this part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : `` The NYPD , Fire Department , Buildings Department , and everyone has been instructed that if they see worship services going on , they will go to the officials of that congregation , they 'll inform them they need to stop the services and disperse . ''
But you seriously overstepped your bounds when you also said this : `` If that does not happen , they will take additional action up to the point of fines and potentially closing the building permanently .
You 've been warned , you need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their faith in different ways , but not in groups , not in gatherings that could endanger people . ''
What ?
You said that an option on the table was `` potentially closing the building permanently '' ?
Shutting down a synagogue or church forever because of a violation of the current guidelines ?
I could see arrests and fines .
But this ?
With all respect , sir , and meaning no insult , this sounded to me like a frustrated parent , upping his threat to his kids when they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , not only does the punishment not fit the crime but the punishment , to my knowledge , is both illegal and unconstitutional .
Please correct me if I 'm wrong .
Again , I 'm with you on enforcing the ban for public safety .
Right now , better be be safe than sorry .
And I ca n't imagine the pressure you 're now under , facing criticism for your earlier handling of the pandemic and with New York City the hotspot of the entire nation .
Millions of lives are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it 's possible that you misspoke .
I interacted with an ultra-Orthodox rabbi in Brooklyn today .
He told me that people in his community have already died of the virus .
An old friend of the family told me that she and her husband both have the virus , that their daughter now has the virus , and that a 57-year-old friend of theirs just died from the virus .
So , do what you have to do , within the bounds of law , to protect your citizens .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believers who , as you noted in your press conference , have done a great job of complying .
( And may I ask why you did not threaten mosques with closure ?
Is this because none of them violated the bans ?
Or was there another reason ? )
Please also understand that from our perspective , as lovers of God and lovers of life , your harsh threats are all the more hypocritical and glaring when we realize that you have allowed abortion facilities to remain open during the crisis .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ womb is considered an essential service , but Jewish and Christian believers who would dare gather together to pray are threatened with permanent closure of their buildings .
Something is terribly wrong with this picture , sir , and you are the only one who can make it right .
Please do .

Dear Mayor de Blasio,
As a religious leader born and raised in New York, I'm appealing to you to reconsider your threats to the synagogues and churches of your city. Your words, sir, were reckless and could actually provoke people of faith to defy you. What on earth prompted you to say what you said?
I'm speaking specifically of your threat to "permanently" close synagogues and churches that refuse to comply with the ban on public gatherings.
Mr. Mayor, what gives you that authority?
Mr. Mayor, who gives you that authority?
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
Please know that I have been using my platforms (radio, internet and writing) to urge pastors and leaders to comply with bans on public gatherings.
I have urged fellow-believers to use wisdom and to love their neighbors, accepting these restrictions as something necessary for the public good.
And I have made clear to concerned pastors that these bans are not an attack on their religious freedoms, since the bans affect movie theaters and restaurants and strip clubs and bars as much as churches and synagogues and mosques.
Yet when you specifically threaten to permanently close synagogues and churches that do not comply, you immediately raise concerns. This certainly does look like religious discrimination.
You said, "I want to say to all those who are preparing for the potential of religious services this weekend: If you go to your synagogue, if you go to your church, and attempt to hold services after having been told so often not to, our enforcement agents will have no choice but to shut down those services," making clear that you did not "say this with joy."
And you added, "I understand how important people's faiths are to them, and we need our faith in this time of crisis. But we do not need gatherings that will endanger people."
Again, sir, I support you in saying this, and I'm sending this same message out to the millions of people I seek to reach each week.
I can even understand this part of the stern warning you gave this week: "The NYPD, Fire Department, Buildings Department, and everyone has been instructed that if they see worship services going on, they will go to the officials of that congregation, they'll inform them they need to stop the services and disperse."
But you seriously overstepped your bounds when you also said this: "If that does not happen, they will take additional action up to the point of fines and potentially closing the building permanently. You've been warned, you need to stop services, help people practice their faith in different ways, but not in groups, not in gatherings that could endanger people."
What? You said that an option on the table was "potentially closing the building permanently"? Shutting down a synagogue or church forever because of a violation of the current guidelines? I could see arrests and fines. But this?
With all respect, sir, and meaning no insult, this sounded to me like a frustrated parent, upping his threat to his kids when they do not obey. In this case, not only does the punishment not fit the crime but the punishment, to my knowledge, is both illegal and unconstitutional. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Again, I'm with you on enforcing the ban for public safety. Right now, better be be safe than sorry. And I can't imagine the pressure you're now under, facing criticism for your earlier handling of the pandemic and with New York City the hotspot of the entire nation. Millions of lives are at stake, and under such circumstances, it's possible that you misspoke.
I interacted with an ultra-Orthodox rabbi in Brooklyn today. He told me that people in his community have already died of the virus.
An old friend of the family told me that she and her husband both have the virus, that their daughter now has the virus, and that a 57-year-old friend of theirs just died from the virus.
So, do what you have to do, within the bounds of law, to protect your citizens.
But do not needlessly provoke religious leaders and believers who, as you noted in your press conference, have done a great job of complying. (And may I ask why you did not threaten mosques with closure? Is this because none of them violated the bans? Or was there another reason?)
Please also understand that from our perspective, as lovers of God and lovers of life, your harsh threats are all the more hypocritical and glaring when we realize that you have allowed abortion facilities to remain open during the crisis. The elective slaughtering of babies in the womb is considered an essential service, but Jewish and Christian believers who would dare gather together to pray are threatened with permanent closure of their buildings.
Something is terribly wrong with this picture, sir, and you are the only one who can make it right. Please do.
(For my video comments, see here.)


wnd--2020-03-31--Ft. Lauderdale mayor on cruise ship with sick passengers: 'We don't need any more infection'

( FOX NEWS ) -- Ft. Lauderdale , Fla. Mayor Dean Trantalis joined `` Bill Hemmer Reports '' Monday to @ @ @ @ @ want a cruise ship carrying passengers believed to be infected with the coronavirus to dock @ @ @ @ @ Cruiseport .
`` It 's unfair for these sick people , over 100 of them @ @ @ @ @ our shores and left to their own devices , '' Trantalis said.
`` ... We @ @ @ @ @ trying to hold everything together .
People are out of work .
We 're staying @ @ @ @ @ n't need any more infection in our community . ''
About 130 people onboard the @ @ @ @ @ have reported flu-like symptoms and four elderly passengers have died , officials said .
There @ @ @ @ @ crew onboard the Zandaam , which left Argentina on March 7 and has not been @ @ @ @ @ than two weeks .

(FOX NEWS) -- Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Mayor Dean Trantalis joined "Bill Hemmer Reports" Monday to explain why he does not want a cruise ship carrying passengers believed to be infected with the coronavirus to dock at the nearby Port Everglades Cruiseport.
"It's unfair for these sick people, over 100 of them, to be dumped on our shores and left to their own devices," Trantalis said. " ... We are a community that is trying to hold everything together. People are out of work. We're staying at home. We don't need any more infection in our community."
About 130 people onboard the Holland America cruise ship Zandaam have reported flu-like symptoms and four elderly passengers have died, officials said. There are 1,243 guests and 586 crew onboard the Zandaam, which left Argentina on March 7 and has not been allowed to dock for more than two weeks.
Read the full story ›


wnd--2020-03-31--Even on COVID-19, left and right are divided

If there is one thing on which you 'd think left and right could agree , it would be the proper response to the present coronavirus .
After all , COVID-19 does n't distinguish between left and right : Conservatives and liberals are just as likely to contract and even die from it .
Yet , it 's amazing how consistently left and right differ on even this issue .
Virtually every opinion piece in The New York Times , The Washington Post and every other mainstream , i.e.
, left-wing , journal share two characteristics : a sense of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an unshakeable conviction that to prevent mass death , the world 's economy must be shut down .
Meanwhile , virtually every opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal and on just about every conservative website contains less foreboding and asks more questions about whether the cure may be worse than the disease .
To cite some examples : March 11 : Ben Shapiro published a piece titled `` Our Fears About Coronavirus Are Overblown . ''
TRENDING : 2 Fox stars gave Donna Brazile lesson in manners after outrageous 'Go to hell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Institution published a piece by Richard A. Epstein that 's thesis was : `` I believe that the current dire models radically overestimate the ultimate death toll . ''
March 16 : City Journal published conservative thinker Victor Davis Hanson 's piece that 's thesis was : `` Our response could prove as harmful as the virus itself . ''
March 17 : My column titled `` Why the Remedy May Be Worse Than the Disease '' appeared on many conservative sites .
March 19 : The lead Wall Street Journal editorial was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' March 19 : A column titled `` Will the Costs of a Great Depression Outweigh the Risks of Coronavirus ? ''
appeared on The Federalist 's website .
March 24 : The Wall Street Journal published a column by two Stanford professors of medicine titled `` Is the Coronavirus as Deadly as They Say ? ''
Meanwhile , the liberal and left-wing media published hundreds of articles warning us of millions of deaths if we do n't shut down the American economy .
Or take the example of President Donald Trump 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 19 that hydroxychloroquine had `` shown really good promise '' in helping to cure COVID-19 .
Virtually every left-wing news medium mocked him for making that claim .
They implicitly or explicitly blamed the president for the death of an Arizona man who ingested a fish tank cleaner because it contained chloroquine phosphate ( because the name sounds similar to hydroxychloroquine ) .
March 24 : CBS News published a story headlined `` Arizona Man Dies , Wife Ill After Taking Drug Touted as Virus Treatment : 'Trump Kept Saying It Was Basically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March 24 : The left-wing site BuzzFeed simply lied about that story in order to blame the president : `` A Man Died After Self-Medicating With a Form of a Drug That Trump Promoted as a Potential Treatment for the Coronavirus . ''
March 24 : The left-wing St. Louis Post-Dispatch did the same in its headline : `` Man Dies After Taking Chloroquine Phosphate , Additive in Drug Touted by Trump as COVID-19 Treatment . ''
March 24 : The Democratic governor of Nevada , Steve Sisolak , issued an order that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health Response , `` prohibits ( the ) prescribing and dispensing chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine for a COVID-19 diagnosis . ''
A particularly egregious example of the left-right divide on the coronavirus response appeared in The Washington Post on March 27 .
One of its columnists , Max Boot , wrote : '' Radio host Dennis Prager bemoaned our unwillingness to sacrifice lives as we did during World War II , saying 'that attitude leads to appeasement ' and 'cowardice . '
The United States lost 418,500 people in World War II … but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2.2 million civilians – the worst-case estimate of the U.S. death toll if we let the novel coronavirus spread unimpeded . ''
On my radio show and in my weekly PragerU `` Fireside Chat , '' I criticized New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo for the way he defended shutting down his state : `` I want to be able to say to the people of New York : I did everything we could do .
… And if everything we do saves just one life , I 'll be happy . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ morally absurd sentiment .
Anyone who thinks rationally knows it is not worth depriving millions of people of their incomes , forcing thousands of companies to go out of business , causing recovering addicts to lapse back into addiction and much more economic and social damage to `` save one life . ''
As we are fighting a `` war '' against the virus , I used a war analogy to make my point .
I noted that if we had fought World War II with the attitude that we can not lose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fought the Nazis or the Japanese .
I further noted that we do not make any social policy based on saving one life .
For example , every time we raise the speed limit , we know thousands more people will die .
But the left went nuts .
Max Boot in The Washington Post is only one example .
So , then , why this left-right gulf ?
One reason , as I have written previously , is that hysteria is to the left what oxygen is to biological life .
Leftists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the further left one goes , the more feelings displace reason .
A second reason is hatred of Trump .
On the left , damaging Trump is more important than truth and more important than the welfare of the American people .
If Trump believes hydroxychloroquine offers hope , let 's debunk its usefulness .
A third reason is leftists are afraid – of life and of death .
Fear of life is why they build `` safe spaces '' on campuses for students who can not handle a visiting speaker with whom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of death .
They undoubtedly find Patrick Henry 's famous cry , `` Give me liberty , or give me death ! ''
incomprehensible , if not downright foolish .
Even COVID-19 has brought no cease-fire in the ongoing American civil war .

If there is one thing on which you'd think left and right could agree, it would be the proper response to the present coronavirus. After all, COVID-19 doesn't distinguish between left and right: Conservatives and liberals are just as likely to contract and even die from it.
Yet, it's amazing how consistently left and right differ on even this issue.
Virtually every opinion piece in The New York Times, The Washington Post and every other mainstream, i.e., left-wing, journal share two characteristics: a sense of foreboding (millions will die) and an unshakeable conviction that to prevent mass death, the world's economy must be shut down.
Meanwhile, virtually every opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal and on just about every conservative website contains less foreboding and asks more questions about whether the cure may be worse than the disease. To cite some examples:
March 11: Ben Shapiro published a piece titled "Our Fears About Coronavirus Are Overblown."
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
March 16: The Hoover Institution published a piece by Richard A. Epstein whose thesis was: "I believe that the current dire models radically overestimate the ultimate death toll."
March 16: City Journal published conservative thinker Victor Davis Hanson's piece whose thesis was: "Our response could prove as harmful as the virus itself."
March 17: My column titled "Why the Remedy May Be Worse Than the Disease" appeared on many conservative sites.
March 19: The lead Wall Street Journal editorial was titled "Rethinking the Coronavirus Shutdown."
March 19: A column titled "Will the Costs of a Great Depression Outweigh the Risks of Coronavirus?" appeared on The Federalist's website.
March 24: The Wall Street Journal published a column by two Stanford professors of medicine titled "Is the Coronavirus as Deadly as They Say?"
Meanwhile, the liberal and left-wing media published hundreds of articles warning us of millions of deaths if we don't shut down the American economy.
Or take the example of President Donald Trump's announcement at a press conference on March 19 that hydroxychloroquine had "shown really good promise" in helping to cure COVID-19.
Virtually every left-wing news medium mocked him for making that claim.
March 21: "AP FACT CHECK: Trump's Breathless Takes on Drugs for Virus."
They implicitly or explicitly blamed the president for the death of an Arizona man who ingested a fish tank cleaner because it contained chloroquine phosphate (because the name sounds similar to hydroxychloroquine).
March 24: CBS News published a story headlined "Arizona Man Dies, Wife Ill After Taking Drug Touted as Virus Treatment: 'Trump Kept Saying It Was Basically Pretty Much a Cure.'"
March 24: The left-wing site BuzzFeed simply lied about that story in order to blame the president: "A Man Died After Self-Medicating With a Form of a Drug That Trump Promoted as a Potential Treatment for the Coronavirus."
March 24: The left-wing St. Louis Post-Dispatch did the same in its headline: "Man Dies After Taking Chloroquine Phosphate, Additive in Drug Touted by Trump as COVID-19 Treatment."
March 24: The Democratic governor of Nevada, Steve Sisolak, issued an order that, in the words of the Nevada Health Response, "prohibits (the) prescribing and dispensing chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine for a COVID-19 diagnosis."
A particularly egregious example of the left-right divide on the coronavirus response appeared in The Washington Post on March 27. One of its columnists, Max Boot, wrote:
"Radio host Dennis Prager bemoaned our unwillingness to sacrifice lives as we did during World War II, saying 'that attitude leads to appeasement' and 'cowardice.' The United States lost 418,500 people in World War II … but it would be far worse to lose 2.2 million civilians – the worst-case estimate of the U.S. death toll if we let the novel coronavirus spread unimpeded."
On my radio show and in my weekly PragerU "Fireside Chat," I criticized New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo for the way he defended shutting down his state: "I want to be able to say to the people of New York: I did everything we could do. … And if everything we do saves just one life, I'll be happy."
It is hard to imagine a more morally absurd sentiment. Anyone who thinks rationally knows it is not worth depriving millions of people of their incomes, forcing thousands of companies to go out of business, causing recovering addicts to lapse back into addiction and much more economic and social damage to "save one life."
As we are fighting a "war" against the virus, I used a war analogy to make my point. I noted that if we had fought World War II with the attitude that we cannot lose one life, we would never have fought the Nazis or the Japanese. I further noted that we do not make any social policy based on saving one life. For example, every time we raise the speed limit, we know thousands more people will die.
But the left went nuts. Max Boot in The Washington Post is only one example.
So, then, why this left-right gulf?
One reason, as I have written previously, is that hysteria is to the left what oxygen is to biological life. Leftists pride themselves on being rational. But the further left one goes, the more feelings displace reason.
A second reason is hatred of Trump. On the left, damaging Trump is more important than truth and more important than the welfare of the American people. If Trump believes hydroxychloroquine offers hope, let's debunk its usefulness.
A third reason is leftists are afraid – of life and of death. Fear of life is why they build "safe spaces" on campuses for students who cannot handle a visiting speaker with whom they differ. And they are afraid of death. They undoubtedly find Patrick Henry's famous cry, "Give me liberty, or give me death!" incomprehensible, if not downright foolish.
Even COVID-19 has brought no cease-fire in the ongoing American civil war.


wnd--2020-03-31--Whole Foods workers staging nationwide 'sick-out'

( VICE ) -- Whole Foods employees are planning to strike on Tuesday to protest the lack of protections offered @ @ @ @ @ pandemic—the first national collective action led by workers at the company since it was founded @ @ @ @ @ 31 , Whole Foods employees will call in sick to demand paid leave for all @ @ @ @ @ self-quarantine during the crisis , free coronavirus testing for all employees , and hazard pay @ @ @ @ @ wage for employees who show up to work during the pandemic .
“ COVID-19 is @ @ @ @ @ the safety of our workforce and customers , ” Whole Worker , the national worker @ @ @ @ @ “ sick out ” wrote in a statement .
“ We can not wait for @ @ @ @ @ our own management to step in to protect us .
”

(VICE) -- Whole Foods employees are planning to strike on Tuesday to protest the lack of protections offered to workers during the coronavirus pandemic—the first national collective action led by workers at the company since it was founded in 1980.
On March 31, Whole Foods employees will call in sick to demand paid leave for all workers who stay home or self-quarantine during the crisis, free coronavirus testing for all employees, and hazard pay of double the current hourly wage for employees who show up to work during the pandemic.
“COVID-19 is a very real threat to the safety of our workforce and customers,” Whole Worker, the national worker group that is organizing the “sick out” wrote in a statement. “We cannot wait for politicians, institutions, or our own management to step in to protect us.”
Read the full story ›


wnd--2020-03-31--Top WHO official cuts feed after journalist asks about country claimed by China

A top official with the World Health Organization has ignited a political controversy over whether Taiwan is being ignored in order to pander to China .
Taiwan , off the coast of China , is the island to which Chinese nationalists fled after losing the Chinese Civil War to Mao Zedong and the Communist Party in 1949 .
Relations between the two have ebbed and flowed over the years , with the current regime taking forceful exception to any recognition of Taiwan .
The small nation was ousted from the WHO at China 's instigation and has been fighting to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the context of the global battle against the coronavirus , which first erupted in Wuhan , China , Radio Television Hong Kong journalist Yvonne Tong asked Bruce Aylward , a senior adviser to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus , whether Taiwan 's efforts would at long last be recognized , according to Taiwan News .
Aylward first indicated he had not heard the question , then asked Tong to “ move on to another one.
” TRENDING : 2 Fox stars gave Donna Brazile lesson in manners after outrageous 'Go to hell ' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call ended abruptly .
In a follow-up call , Aylward told Tong in answer to her question about WHO membership for Taiwan that different areas within China have “ done quite a good job ” in terms of combatting the virus .
The episode sparked an angry tweet Saturday from Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu .
“ Wow , can ’ t even utter ‘ Taiwan ’ in the WHO ?
You should set politics aside in dealing with a pandemic , ” Wu wrote .
Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` WHO shilling for # China continues .
Time to clean house at that organization , which is failing the world before our eyes , '' he said on Twitter .
That led the WHO to issue a statement passing the buck by saying member nations -- and not the organization 's paid staff -- decide who is in the club .
“ The question of Taiwanese membership in WHO is up to WHO Member States , not WHO staff , ” spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said in an emailed statement , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lessons learned from all areas , including Taiwanese health authorities , to share best practices globally , '' he said , without responding to a question of whether Aylward had hung up on the reporter .
The WHO said in a statement said it was working with Taiwan .
“ However , WHO is working closely with all health authorities who are facing the current coronavirus pandemic , including Taiwanese health experts , ” it said , according to Reuters .
“ The Taiwanese caseload is low relative to population .
We continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taking lessons learned from all areas , including Taiwanese health authorities , to share best practices globally , '' the WHO statement said .
The WHO said it has been working with Taiwan “ following established procedures to facilitate a fast and effective response and ensure connection and information flow . ''
“ WHO staff work around the world to respond to this pandemic with the best evidence-based guidance and operational support available for all people , based on public health needs , '' it said .
This article appeared originally on The @ @ @

A top official with the World Health Organization has ignited a political controversy over whether Taiwan is being ignored in order to pander to China.
Taiwan, off the coast of China, is the island to which Chinese nationalists fled after losing the Chinese Civil War to Mao Zedong and the Communist Party in 1949. Relations between the two have ebbed and flowed over the years, with the current regime taking forceful exception to any recognition of Taiwan.
The small nation was ousted from the WHO at China's instigation and has been fighting to become a member once again.
In the context of the global battle against the coronavirus, which first erupted in Wuhan, China, Radio Television Hong Kong journalist Yvonne Tong asked Bruce Aylward, a senior adviser to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, whether Taiwan's efforts would at long last be recognized, according to Taiwan News.
Aylward first indicated he had not heard the question, then asked Tong to “move on to another one.”
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
When she did not, the call ended abruptly.
In a follow-up call, Aylward told Tong in answer to her question about WHO membership for Taiwan that different areas within China have “done quite a good job” in terms of combatting the virus.
The episode sparked an angry tweet Saturday from Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu.
“Wow, can’t even utter ‘Taiwan’ in the WHO? You should set politics aside in dealing with a pandemic,” Wu wrote.
Wow, can’t even utter “Taiwan” in the WHO? You should set politics aside in dealing with a pandemic. FYI @WHO, 450+ news reports from 40+ countries so far positively covered #Taiwan’s handling of #COVID19. These reports do not mistake us as part of China & #TaiwanCanHelp. JW https://t.co/KbupbUb7NG — 外交部 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ROC (Taiwan) 🇹🇼 (@MOFA_Taiwan) March 29, 2020
Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri also called out the WHO on Saturday.
"WHO shilling for #China continues. Time to clean house at that organization, which is failing the world before our eyes," he said on Twitter.
WHO shilling for #China continues. Time to clean house at that organization, which is failing the world before our eyes https://t.co/Ot6ulegO0P — Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) March 28, 2020
That led the WHO to issue a statement passing the buck by saying member nations -- and not the organization's paid staff -- decide who is in the club.
“The question of Taiwanese membership in WHO is up to WHO Member States, not WHO staff,” spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said in an emailed statement, according to Bloomberg News.
“WHO is taking lessons learned from all areas, including Taiwanese health authorities, to share best practices globally," he said, without responding to a question of whether Aylward had hung up on the reporter.
The WHO said in a statement said it was working with Taiwan.
“However, WHO is working closely with all health authorities who are facing the current coronavirus pandemic, including Taiwanese health experts,” it said, according to Reuters.
“The Taiwanese caseload is low relative to population. We continue to follow developments closely. WHO is taking lessons learned from all areas, including Taiwanese health authorities, to share best practices globally," the WHO statement said.
The WHO said it has been working with Taiwan “following established procedures to facilitate a fast and effective response and ensure connection and information flow."
“WHO staff work around the world to respond to this pandemic with the best evidence-based guidance and operational support available for all people, based on public health needs," it said.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.


wnd--2020-03-31--Some Liberty U. students back on campus praise decision to reopen

( COLLEGE FIX ) -- News reports covering Liberty University ’ s decision to reopen declare doom and gloom for @ @ @ @ @ school .
“ He ’ s Going to Do Whatever He Wants , ” blared @ @ @ @ @ , which adds : “ Jerry Falwell Jr. ’ s decision to reopen Liberty University @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus pandemic has sparked anger and confusion—even among those usually sympathetic to him.
” “ @ @ @ @ @ for Failure to Shut Down for Coronavirus , ” opined Slate on March 27 , @ @ @ @ @ in a dangerous position is the kind of careless—even reckless—behavior that fills first-year torts casebooks @ @

(COLLEGE FIX) -- News reports covering Liberty University’s decision to reopen declare doom and gloom for the Lynchburg, Virginia, school.
“He’s Going to Do Whatever He Wants,” blared a Politico headline from Sunday, which adds: “Jerry Falwell Jr.’s decision to reopen Liberty University’s campus amid the coronavirus pandemic has sparked anger and confusion—even among those usually sympathetic to him.”
“Liberty University Could Face Liability for Failure to Shut Down for Coronavirus,” opined Slate on March 27, noting that “placing people in a dangerous position is the kind of careless—even reckless—behavior that fills first-year torts casebooks.”
Read the full story ›


wnd--2020-03-31--CBS used fake COVID video: 'N.Y. hospital' footage was from Italy's hardest-hit city

There 's little doubt that many in the establishment media are trying to turn the coronavirus pandemic into their own windfall against President Donald Trump , and it 's becoming apparent some have resorted to using fake news to do it .
Case in point : a CBS News broadcast Wednesday about the shortfall of ventilators in the state of New York .
Among the cacophony of errors and lies of omission is one crowning jewel of potential prevarication : Footage of coronavirus patients used in the story to whip up hysteria about the situation in New York is actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the main payoff , let 's start at the very beginning .
TRENDING : 2 Fox stars gave Donna Brazile lesson in manners after outrageous 'Go to hell ' comment The report from CBS correspondent David Begnaud opens with him talking about how New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo said the federal government is n't doing enough in the face of the coronavirus emergency , apparently walking back his previous praise .
In a little rhyme that makes him sound like an infomercial charlatan , Begnaud said the Federal Emergency Management Agency 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` is n't matching the urgency of the emergency . ''
The story went on to chronicle how New York City is especially hard-hit .
`` Crowded subway cars may have accelerated the spread , '' Begnaud said over footage of a packed subway car , where a rider was wearing a blue medical mask ( more on that later ) .
Next , Begnaud voiced over footage of a hospital room full of patients hooked up to ventilators .
They lay in hospital beds clustered side by side as medical personnel in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ driving home the dire straits in which New York City finds itself .
There 's only one problem : The footage is not from New York City .
In fact , it is n't even from the United States ; it 's from Bergamo , the Italian city hardest-hit by COVID-19 .
The footage can be seen here in a Sky News report March 22 about a critical shortage of ventilators in northern Italy .
Sure , it 's possible a producer used the wrong footage when putting the piece together , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and its apparent pleading of the Democratic governor 's case , one has to wonder where `` mistake '' ends and `` fake news '' begins .
But wait , there 's more ( we 'll stick in that infomercial trope as a nod to Begnaud ) .
After the Italian hospital footage ended , the clip switched to a visibly angry Cuomo , who shouted , `` What am I going to do with 400 ventilators when I need 30,000 ?
You pick the 26,000 people who are going to die because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You did n't read that wrong ; Cuomo was just a little off in his calculations , as only 400 ventilators would mean that 29,600 patients would be left without one -- assuming , of course , that his premise was even correct .
Apparently , CBS News is just as lousy at math as MSNBC and The New York Times , as Begnaud did nothing to correct the governor 's numbers .
With such questionable knowledge of both geography and mathematics , the viewer is left to wonder what other facts the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lies or errors , the most troubling thing about this piece was the tone .
There is no doubt the United States and New York in particular are in the grips of a crisis .
COVID-19 , as of Monday , had sickened 60,679 and killed 1,040 in the state , of which 790 deaths were in New York City alone , according to Johns Hopkins .
Because of the seriousness of the situation , it is important that the media be truthful in their reporting and not incite panic .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eldest son , Donald Trump Jr. , thought every American needed to hear .
On Friday , he tweeted a clip from Dr. Deborah Birx of the White House coronavirus task force urging truthful coverage .
`` Every American needs to know this , '' Trump wrote .
`` You won ’ t hear it on CNN .
They are only playing bad news . ''
Far from it , pieces like this one from CBS News do everything to cast a shadow over the administration and its handling of coronavirus , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing enough for the states .
The Western Journal has reached out to CBS News for comment but has not yet received a response .
The Daily Caller 's Shelby Talcott , however , tweeted that the network claimed it was an `` editing error . ''
Let 's return to the part about the crowded New York subways .
So far , the Trump administration has done what it can to help at the federal level but still requires local municipalities to do what they can and should do .
In New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was slow to respond to coronavirus outbreak , partially discontinuing subway service only on Tuesday following already reduced ridership , The New York Times reported .
While Cuomo railed about a shortage of ventilators , the mayor did nothing to stop the spread of the disease at one of its sources .
Meanwhile , another Democratic mayor , LaToya Cantrell of New Orleans , famously blamed Trump for her own decision not to cancel the city 's Mardi Gras celebration despite mounting concerns .
The city is now facing an increasingly serious outbreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The worst part of this is that in the midst of an actual emergency , Trump 's opponents in the media and Democratic Party are wasting time with more opportunistic swipes at destroying him , even as if it means misleading footage and questionable facts .
If the United States is at war with a virus , then what the ancient playwright Aeschylus wrote applies to CBS News ' coverage : “ In war , truth is the first casualty.
” This article appeared originally on The Western Journal .

There's little doubt that many in the establishment media are trying to turn the coronavirus pandemic into their own windfall against President Donald Trump, and it's becoming apparent some have resorted to using fake news to do it.
Case in point: a CBS News broadcast Wednesday about the shortfall of ventilators in the state of New York.
Among the cacophony of errors and lies of omission is one crowning jewel of potential prevarication: Footage of coronavirus patients used in the story to whip up hysteria about the situation in New York is actually from Italy.
Before we get to the main payoff, let's start at the very beginning.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
The report from CBS correspondent David Begnaud opens with him talking about how New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the federal government isn't doing enough in the face of the coronavirus emergency, apparently walking back his previous praise.
In a little rhyme that makes him sound like an infomercial charlatan, Begnaud said the Federal Emergency Management Agency's sending only 400 ventilators to the state "isn't matching the urgency of the emergency."
The story went on to chronicle how New York City is especially hard-hit. "Crowded subway cars may have accelerated the spread," Begnaud said over footage of a packed subway car, where a rider was wearing a blue medical mask (more on that later).
Next, Begnaud voiced over footage of a hospital room full of patients hooked up to ventilators. They lay in hospital beds clustered side by side as medical personnel in serious protective gear attended to them, driving home the dire straits in which New York City finds itself.
There's only one problem: The footage is not from New York City.
In fact, it isn't even from the United States; it's from Bergamo, the Italian city hardest-hit by COVID-19. The footage can be seen here in a Sky News report March 22 about a critical shortage of ventilators in northern Italy.
Sure, it's possible a producer used the wrong footage when putting the piece together, but given the alarmist tone of the story and its apparent pleading of the Democratic governor's case, one has to wonder where "mistake" ends and "fake news" begins.
But wait, there's more (we'll stick in that infomercial trope as a nod to Begnaud).
After the Italian hospital footage ended, the clip switched to a visibly angry Cuomo, who shouted, "What am I going to do with 400 ventilators when I need 30,000? You pick the 26,000 people who are going to die because you only sent 400 ventilators."
You didn't read that wrong; Cuomo was just a little off in his calculations, as only 400 ventilators would mean that 29,600 patients would be left without one -- assuming, of course, that his premise was even correct.
Apparently, CBS News is just as lousy at math as MSNBC and The New York Times, as Begnaud did nothing to correct the governor's numbers. With such questionable knowledge of both geography and mathematics, the viewer is left to wonder what other facts the network is sloppy about verifying.
Besides the lies or errors, the most troubling thing about this piece was the tone.
There is no doubt the United States and New York in particular are in the grips of a crisis. COVID-19, as of Monday, had sickened 60,679 and killed 1,040 in the state, of which 790 deaths were in New York City alone, according to Johns Hopkins.
Because of the seriousness of the situation, it is important that the media be truthful in their reporting and not incite panic. This message was one that the president's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., thought every American needed to hear.
On Friday, he tweeted a clip from Dr. Deborah Birx of the White House coronavirus task force urging truthful coverage.
"Every American needs to know this," Trump wrote. "You won’t hear it on CNN. They are only playing bad news."
Every American needs to know this. You won’t hear it on CNN. They are only playing bad news. https://t.co/jqMTP9yGi1 — Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) March 27, 2020
Far from it, pieces like this one from CBS News do everything to cast a shadow over the administration and its handling of coronavirus, including claiming that the president simply isn't doing enough for the states.
The Western Journal has reached out to CBS News for comment but has not yet received a response.
The Daily Caller's Shelby Talcott, however, tweeted that the network claimed it was an "editing error."
NEW:CBS News tells me the misleading video showing an Italian hospital during a segment on NY coronavirus crisis was "an editing mistake." No word yet on issuing an on-air correction. "It was an editing mistake. We took immediate steps to remove it from all platforms and shows." — Shelby Talcott (@ShelbyTalcott) March 30, 2020
Let's return to the part about the crowded New York subways. So far, the Trump administration has done what it can to help at the federal level but still requires local municipalities to do what they can and should do.
In New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio was slow to respond to coronavirus outbreak, partially discontinuing subway service only on Tuesday following already reduced ridership, The New York Times reported. While Cuomo railed about a shortage of ventilators, the mayor did nothing to stop the spread of the disease at one of its sources.
Meanwhile, another Democratic mayor, LaToya Cantrell of New Orleans, famously blamed Trump for her own decision not to cancel the city's Mardi Gras celebration despite mounting concerns. The city is now facing an increasingly serious outbreak situation, according to Begnaud's piece.
The worst part of this is that in the midst of an actual emergency, Trump's opponents in the media and Democratic Party are wasting time with more opportunistic swipes at destroying him, even as if it means misleading footage and questionable facts.
If the United States is at war with a virus, then what the ancient playwright Aeschylus wrote applies to CBS News' coverage: “In war, truth is the first casualty.”
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.


wnd--2020-03-31--'Cover-up': Chinese researched bat virus near Wuhan market

Just three miles from a wild animal market identified as the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic , Chinese government researchers were carrying out scientific research on 2,000 new viruses , including deadly bat coronaviruses .
Veteran Washington Times national security reporter Bill Gertz reported several Chinese state media outlets spotlighted the virus research , including Wuhan researcher Tian Junhua , noted for his leadership in bat virus work .
The coronavirus strain -- which has infected 856,700 worldwide , with 42,092 deaths -- mutated from bats believed to have infected animals and people at a wild animal market in Wuhan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told Gertz the reports about Tian and his virus research are concerning .
TRENDING : Dr. Ron Paul hits nail on the head in no-nonsense coronavirus interview '' He is among the small team in Wuhan that has contributed to China ’ s obsession in recent years with virus hunting and research , '' the official said .
Gertz said the virus research will increase calls to hold China accountable for the outbreak .
`` This is one of the worst cover-ups in human history , and now the world is facing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ T. McCaul , Texas Republican and ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee .
Chinese officials have said the virus likely spread from wild animals to people at Wuhan 's Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market , which is near the Wuhan Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , the national center for China 's bat virus research .
The researcher Tian lives a few hundred yards from the market .
Over the weekend , some of the stalls at China 's `` wet '' wild animal markets have begun to reopen , British @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resumed questionable practices such as slaughtering animals at the site .
Shortly after the outbreak became public in January , Chinese officials refused to provide samples of its coronavirus strains to U.S. researchers and barred international disease specialists from visiting Wuhan for weeks .
Gertz pointed out that Chinese state media outlets reported Tian once failed to wear protective gear when he came into contact with bat urine .
He self-quarantined for 14 days .
`` As long as I am not getting sick during the incubation period of 14 days , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , '' he said at the time .
Shenzhen News reported in December that Tian searched for viruses in bats and ticks in caves and jungles in an effort to develop vaccines .
Nearly 2,000 viruses have been discovered in China over the past 12 years , the publication said , which is nearly double the total number of known viruses .
Gertz noted some scientists have dismissed reports linking the new virus to Chinese research labs , contending it jumped naturally to humans .
But biosecurity researcher Richard Ebright is among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus may have escaped from a lab through either infecting a worker or an animal .
Ebright , a Rutgers University professor at the Waksman Institute of Microbiology , said the coronavirus is 96.2 % similar to a bat virus discovered by the Wuhan Institute of Virology in 2013 and studied at the Wuhan CDC .
The professor said a Chinese video shows Wuhan CDC workers under Tian 's direction carrying out unsafe practices .
Workers are seen with exposed faces and wrists and a lack of goggles or face shields .

Just three miles from a wild animal market identified as the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese government researchers were carrying out scientific research on 2,000 new viruses, including deadly bat coronaviruses.
Veteran Washington Times national security reporter Bill Gertz reported several Chinese state media outlets spotlighted the virus research, including Wuhan researcher Tian Junhua, noted for his leadership in bat virus work.
The coronavirus strain -- which has infected 856,700 worldwide, with 42,092 deaths -- mutated from bats believed to have infected animals and people at a wild animal market in Wuhan, China.
A State Department official told Gertz the reports about Tian and his virus research are concerning.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
"He is among the small team in Wuhan that has contributed to China’s obsession in recent years with virus hunting and research," the official said.
Gertz said the virus research will increase calls to hold China accountable for the outbreak.
"This is one of the worst cover-ups in human history, and now the world is facing a global pandemic," said Rep. Michael T. McCaul, Texas Republican and ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Chinese officials have said the virus likely spread from wild animals to people at Wuhan's Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, which is near the Wuhan Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the national center for China's bat virus research.
The researcher Tian lives a few hundred yards from the market.
Over the weekend, some of the stalls at China's "wet" wild animal markets have begun to reopen, British news outlets reported. And they have resumed
questionable practices such as slaughtering animals at the site.
Unprotected
Shortly after the outbreak became public in January, Chinese officials refused to provide samples of its coronavirus strains to U.S. researchers and barred international disease specialists from visiting Wuhan for weeks.
Gertz pointed out that Chinese state media outlets reported Tian once failed to wear protective gear when he came into contact with bat urine. He self-quarantined for 14 days.
"As long as I am not getting sick during the incubation period of 14 days, I can be lucky to get away with it," he said at the time.
Virus hunt
Shenzhen News reported in December that Tian searched for viruses in bats and ticks in caves and jungles in an effort to develop vaccines. Nearly 2,000 viruses have been discovered in China over the past 12 years, the publication said, which is nearly double the total number of known viruses.
Gertz noted some scientists have dismissed reports linking the new virus to Chinese research labs, contending it jumped naturally to humans.
But biosecurity researcher Richard Ebright is among others who point to evidence indicating the virus may have escaped from a lab through either infecting a worker or an animal.
Ebright, a Rutgers University professor at the Waksman Institute of Microbiology, said the coronavirus is 96.2% similar to a bat virus discovered by the Wuhan Institute of Virology in 2013 and studied at the Wuhan CDC.
The professor said a Chinese video shows Wuhan CDC workers under Tian's direction carrying out unsafe practices. Workers are seen with exposed faces and wrists and a lack of goggles or face shields.


wnd--2020-03-31--Federal workers sue for coronavirus 'hazard pay'

Workers from five federal agencies are suing for `` hazard pay '' because they must work during the coronavirus pandemic .
The news website Government Executive reports five federal employees and the American Federation of Government Employees filed the lawsuit .
The complaint argues federal workers exposed to the COVID-19 disease through their jobs are owed the extra benefit .
TRENDING : Dr. Ron Paul hits nail on the head in no-nonsense coronavirus interview The case , by workers at the U.S. Bureau of Prisons , Agriculture Department and Veterans Affairs , is in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that `` by not providing hazard pay to employees who interact with people and materials that could carry the virus , it is violating both federal law and Office of Personnel Management regulations . ''
The case contends they are due the federally mandated 25 % increase in pay for duty involving `` unusual physical hardship or hazard . ''
`` The schedule of hazardous duty pay differentials set forth in [ OPM 's regulations ] provides that agencies shall pay a 25 % hazard pay differential when employees perform work with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ' which are defined as 'materials of micro-organic nature which when introduced into the body are likely to cause serious disease or fatality and for which protective devices do not afford complete protection , ' '' the complaint states .
The case charges that the exposure to the threat started on Jan. 27 and continues .
The workers , it contends , `` have performed work with or in close proximity to objects , surfaces , and/or individuals infected with COVID-19 without sufficient protective devices . ''
A union statement said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government does right by these employees and pays them the hazardous duty pay they 've earned . ''
A spokesman added , `` I also implore Congress to pass legislation to provide hazardous duty pay to all front-line federal employees not already covered by existing laws like our nurses in federal prisons , transportation security officers at airports , and health care workers at the VA who provide direct patient care to our nation 's veterans . ''

Workers from five federal agencies are suing for "hazard pay" because they must work during the coronavirus pandemic.
The news website Government Executive reports five federal employees and the American Federation of Government Employees filed the lawsuit.
The complaint argues federal workers exposed to the COVID-19 disease through their jobs are owed the extra benefit.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
The case, by workers at the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, Agriculture Department and Veterans Affairs, is in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.
They allege, the report explains, that "by not providing hazard pay to employees who interact with people and materials that could carry the virus, it is violating both federal law and Office of Personnel Management regulations."
The case contends they are due the federally mandated 25% increase in pay for duty involving "unusual physical hardship or hazard."
"The schedule of hazardous duty pay differentials set forth in [OPM's regulations] provides that agencies shall pay a 25% hazard pay differential when employees perform work with or in close proximity to 'virulent biologicals,' which are defined as 'materials of micro-organic nature which when introduced into the body are likely to cause serious disease or fatality and for which protective devices do not afford complete protection,'" the complaint states.
The case charges that the exposure to the threat started on Jan. 27 and continues.
The workers, it contends, "have performed work with or in close proximity to objects, surfaces, and/or individuals infected with COVID-19 without sufficient protective devices."
A union statement said, "It is our hope that the government does right by these employees and pays them the hazardous duty pay they've earned."
A spokesman added, "I also implore Congress to pass legislation to provide hazardous duty pay to all front-line federal employees not already covered by existing laws like our nurses in federal prisons, transportation security officers at airports, and health care workers at the VA who provide direct patient care to our nation's veterans."


wnd--2020-03-31--Good news: 'Essential' companies hiring new workers

Amid massive job losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic , an estimated 1 million new positions are being offered by major companies deemed essential during the crisis .
The bad news is that hotel chains , restaurants and retailers such as Macy 's are laying off or furloughing workers .
The department store giant Macy 's announced it 's furloughing 100,000 employees , meaning their health insurance will continue but they receive a paycheck for an extended period of time .
But `` essential '' companies such as Amazon , Walmart , Kroger and 7-Eleven are `` desperate '' for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Fox Business Network 's `` After the Bell '' told the Fox News Channel 's Tucker Carlson Monday night .
Kroger , Papa John 's and 7-Eleven are looking for 20,000 workers , for example .
CVS needs 50,000 , Walgreens 100,000 and Walmart 150,000 .
TRENDING : Dr. Ron Paul hits nail on the head in no-nonsense coronavirus interview Instacart , the same-day grocery delivery company , is seeking 300,000 new employees .
`` This side of the economy , these are the essential places that we 're all going right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Francis said .
She acknowledged there are Amazon workers complaining of being forced to work around the clock in unsafe conditions .
But the online retailer is willing to pay new employees $ 17 an hour and double that amoung for overtime .
`` For people who are out of work and ca n't feedtheir family , Amazon is offering jobs to 100,000 new people , '' Francis said .
She observed it illustrates a shift in the economy already in progress in which people are shopping online .
`` This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said .
`` I think it was all happening anyway ; it just made it happen overnight . ''
It 's a big adjustment , Francis said , but there are an estimated 1 million new jobs available now `` begging '' to be filled .
Along with Kroger , Papa John 's , 7-Eleven , CVS , Walgreens , Walmart , Instacart and Amazon , companies hiring include Pepsico , Domino 's , Dollar General , Dollar Tree , Aldi , Costco , Albertsons , H-E-B , Army National Guard , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ HCA Healthcare , Intuit , Nepris and Whole Foods .
See the segment beginning at 21:22 :

Amid massive job losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic, an estimated 1 million new positions are being offered by major companies deemed essential during the crisis.
The bad news is that hotel chains, restaurants and retailers such as Macy's are laying off or furloughing workers. The department store giant Macy's announced it's furloughing 100,000 employees, meaning their health insurance will continue but they receive a paycheck for an extended period of time.
But "essential" companies such as Amazon, Walmart, Kroger and 7-Eleven are "desperate" for workers, Melissa Francis, co-host of the Fox Business Network's "After the Bell" told the Fox News Channel's Tucker Carlson Monday night.
Kroger, Papa John's and 7-Eleven are looking for 20,000 workers, for example. CVS needs 50,000 , Walgreens 100,000 and Walmart 150,000.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
Instacart, the same-day grocery delivery company, is seeking 300,000 new employees.
"This side of the economy, these are the essential places that we're all going right now -- they are desperate for workers," Francis said.
She acknowledged there are Amazon workers complaining of being forced to work around the clock in unsafe conditions. But the online retailer is willing to pay new employees $17 an hour and double that amoung for overtime.
"For people who are out of work and can't feedtheir family, Amazon is offering jobs to 100,000 new people," Francis said.
She observed it illustrates a shift in the economy already in progress in which people are shopping online.
"This virus has forced that faster," she said. "I think it was all happening anyway; it just made it happen overnight."
It's a big adjustment, Francis said, but there are an estimated 1 million new jobs available now "begging" to be filled.
Along with Kroger, Papa John's, 7-Eleven, CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, Instacart and Amazon, companies hiring include Pepsico, Domino's, Dollar General, Dollar Tree, Aldi, Costco, Albertsons, H-E-B, Army National Guard, KPMG, Genetentech, Lowe's, HCA Healthcare, Intuit, Nepris and Whole Foods.
See the segment beginning at 21:22:


wnd--2020-03-31--N.Y. Times: Christians to blame for 'crippling' the coronavirus response

The religious right is anti-science .
The religious right supports Donald Trump , and he welcomes their support .
Therefore , America is doing much worse in our fight with the coronavirus than we could be .
If Trump had not chosen to ally himself with those anti-science Bible-thumpers , the whole world would be better off .
So posits an op-ed by Katherine Stewart in the New York Times ( March 27 ) .
Stewart 's article is entitled , `` The Religious Right 's Hostility to Science Is Crippling Our Coronavirus Response , '' and the subtitle is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been haunted by the science denialism of his ultraconservative religious allies . ''
Stewart opines , `` Donald Trump rose to power with the determined assistance of a movement that denies science , bashes government and prioritized loyalty over professional expertise .
In the current crisis , we are all reaping what that movement has sown . ''
I noticed one response to this NYT op-ed , where the author asked sarcastically , `` [ It must be ] all those evangelical Christians running Communist China and lying to the global community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ever seems to notice the irony of those who claim Donald Trump is some sort of dictator yet want the federal government to have unlimited power in responding .
I will grant one point to Sullivan : It does not help that there are reports of a few mega-churches in the country that are defying the orders not to meet together in large groups lest we infect one another .
But those irresponsible ministers are the exception , not the rule .
Shame on those pastors who are disobeying the government 's common-sense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ putting other people 's lives at risk .
TRENDING : Dr. Ron Paul hits nail on the head in no-nonsense coronavirus interview But the vast majority of churches in the country are using the tools available to us to `` meet '' and `` hold service '' in virtual ways , through the internet .
What is the basis of Stewart 's claim that evangelicals are anti-science ?
In previous articles , I have demonstrated the indispensable role Christianity played in the founding of modern science .
It seems that her biggest argument @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do with climate change .
Many Christians , and I am one of them , do not buy into the notion of man-made , catastrophic global warming .
Sullivan writes , `` Today , the hard core of climate deniers is concentrated among people who identify as religiously conservative Republicans . ''
And the problem is ?
`` Climate change '' is the left 's new religion .
But it is fraught with all sorts of problems .
Climategate , which has been so conveniently forgotten , provided ample evidence that some global-warming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they ignored evidence that was contrary to it – and , worse , they even fudged the raw data .
If Christians are accused of being anti-science because we do n't buy politicized science , then so be it .
Competitive Enterprise Institute compiled a number of different predictions by the expert scientists in the last few decades .
They called this article : `` Wrong Again : 50 Years of Failed Eco-pocalyptic Predictions . ''
For example , Al Gore once predicted that the polar ice cap may disappear by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there .
Despite one failed prophecy after the next , no one ever seems to hold these people accountable .
When I saw this blame-the-Christians article in the Times , I turned to Volume II of Philip Schaff of Yale 's `` History of the Christian Church , '' written around the turn of the 20th century .
The great historian describes the unwarranted suspicion and hostility toward Christianity on the part of the Caesars and the Roman people around A.D. 200 .
Schaff writes : `` The common people also , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the one God as atheists and enemies of the gods .
They readily gave credit to the slanderous rumors of all sorts of abominations , even incest and cannibalism , practiced by the Christians at their religious assemblies and love-feasts , and regarded the frequent public calamities of that age as punishments justly inflicted by the angry gods for the disregard of their worship .
In North Africa arose the proverb : 'If God does not send rain , lay it to the Christians . '
At every inundation , or drought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fanatical populace cried , 'Away with the atheists !
To the lions with the Christians ! '
'' ( p. 43 ) The early Christians were called `` atheists '' because they did not believe in the pantheon of Roman gods .
Whatever bad happened – including `` pestilence '' ( and the coronavirus is a pestilence ) – in their ignorance they scapegoated Christians .
President Trump has been working very hard to fight this pandemic and to cause private and public entities to partner together to fight the common enemy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well , what is wrong with that ?
So have virtually all our presidents .
Scapegoating the Christians because of this virus is an old and failed policy .
Too bad the `` newspaper of record '' would resort to this old tactic .

The religious right is anti-science. The religious right supports Donald Trump, and he welcomes their support. Therefore, America is doing much worse in our fight with the coronavirus than we could be. If Trump had not chosen to ally himself with those anti-science Bible-thumpers, the whole world would be better off. So posits an op-ed by Katherine Stewart in the New York Times (March 27).
Stewart's article is entitled, "The Religious Right's Hostility to Science Is Crippling Our Coronavirus Response," and the subtitle is "Trump's response to the pandemic has been haunted by the science denialism of his ultraconservative religious allies."
Stewart opines, "Donald Trump rose to power with the determined assistance of a movement that denies science, bashes government and prioritized loyalty over professional expertise. In the current crisis, we are all reaping what that movement has sown."
I noticed one response to this NYT op-ed, where the author asked sarcastically, "[It must be] all those evangelical Christians running Communist China and lying to the global community, right?" And no one ever seems to notice the irony of those who claim Donald Trump is some sort of dictator yet want the federal government to have unlimited power in responding.
I will grant one point to Sullivan: It does not help that there are reports of a few mega-churches in the country that are defying the orders not to meet together in large groups lest we infect one another. But those irresponsible ministers are the exception, not the rule. Shame on those pastors who are disobeying the government's common-sense orders during the pandemic. They are putting other people's lives at risk.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
But the vast majority of churches in the country are using the tools available to us to "meet" and "hold service" in virtual ways, through the internet.
What is the basis of Stewart's claim that evangelicals are anti-science? In previous articles, I have demonstrated the indispensable role Christianity played in the founding of modern science.
It seems that her biggest argument that Christians are supposedly anti-science has to do with climate change. Many Christians, and I am one of them, do not buy into the notion of man-made, catastrophic global warming. Sullivan writes, "Today, the hard core of climate deniers is concentrated among people who identify as religiously conservative Republicans."
And the problem is? "Climate change" is the left's new religion. But it is fraught with all sorts of problems. Climategate, which has been so conveniently forgotten, provided ample evidence that some global-warming alarmists were so convinced by their theory that they ignored evidence that was contrary to it – and, worse, they even fudged the raw data.
If Christians are accused of being anti-science because we don't buy politicized science, then so be it.
Competitive Enterprise Institute compiled a number of different predictions by the expert scientists in the last few decades. They called this article: "Wrong Again: 50 Years of Failed Eco-pocalyptic Predictions."
For example, Al Gore once predicted that the polar ice cap may disappear by the summer of 2014. It's still there. Despite one failed prophecy after the next, no one ever seems to hold these people accountable.
When I saw this blame-the-Christians article in the Times, I turned to Volume II of Philip Schaff of Yale's "History of the Christian Church," written around the turn of the 20th century.
The great historian describes the unwarranted suspicion and hostility toward Christianity on the part of the Caesars and the Roman people around A.D. 200.
Schaff writes: "The common people also, with their polytheistic ideas, abhorred the believers in the one God as atheists and enemies of the gods. They readily gave credit to the slanderous rumors of all sorts of abominations, even incest and cannibalism, practiced by the Christians at their religious assemblies and love-feasts, and regarded the frequent public calamities of that age as punishments justly inflicted by the angry gods for the disregard of their worship. In North Africa arose the proverb: 'If God does not send rain, lay it to the Christians.' At every inundation, or drought, or famine, or pestilence, the fanatical populace cried, 'Away with the atheists! To the lions with the Christians!'" (p. 43)
The early Christians were called "atheists" because they did not believe in the pantheon of Roman gods. Whatever bad happened – including "pestilence" (and the coronavirus is a pestilence) – in their ignorance they scapegoated Christians.
President Trump has been working very hard to fight this pandemic and to cause private and public entities to partner together to fight the common enemy. If he welcomes divine help as well, what is wrong with that? So have virtually all our presidents.
Scapegoating the Christians because of this virus is an old and failed policy. Too bad the "newspaper of record" would resort to this old tactic.


wnd--2020-03-31--2 new bills meant to 'Track 'n Grab' your guns

A parody in the voice of Sen. Chuck Schumer : Gun owners , do you struggle with an addictive urge to buy firearms on the fly while goose-stepping through gun shows and pawn shops ?
If so , my fellow Democrats will happily relieve you of all your guilt … and your guns .
Forget wasting time plugging silhouettes of bad guys with bullets – blast your addiction publicly on social media by plugging these two pending Track ' n Grab gun bills : The National Instant Criminal Background Check System ( NICS ) Data Integrity Act would amend my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partner in crime , Rep. Jimmy `` the Gun Grabber '' Panetta , D-Calif. , his H.R .
5949 will put a contract hit out on the Second Amendment .
The Brady Bill originally had a five-day cooling-off period to delay or deny trigger-happy , gun-totin ' wannabes from getting their hands on a pistol .
Unfortunately , my carefully crafted waiting period was castrated to about 30 seconds by a Republican amendment when NICS went online 20 years ago .
Panetta 's H.R .
5949 could skyrocket the 30-second insta-check to 30 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , `` as long as necessary to determine whether receipt of a firearm would violate '' federal or state law .
In other words , Uncle Sam could then drag his feet to slow down emotionally unstable and impatient gun buyers until their background eligibility is verified .
TRENDING : Dr. Ron Paul hits nail on the head in no-nonsense coronavirus interview Federal law currently requires such background data destroyed within 24 hours of completion , but H.R .
5949 has a workaround .
The very first line in the bill permits `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with respect to conducting criminal background checks , and for other purposes '' ... like maybe our dream of a national gun registry ?
Panetta 's bill purposely does not define `` other purposes '' and is loaded with vague verbiage that could be interpreted wildly by progressive judges , legislating from the bench in a wide variety of ways .
As a backup , we want to give judges and law enforcement agencies another bill to better throw the book at gun owners .
H.R .
5917 – The Gun Records Restoration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to destroy instant criminal background check records '' and will save personal , `` identifying information , '' which we hope will eventually populate our proposed national gun registry .
Cars have been used as lethal weapons as have guns , so why not require registration , licensing and insurance for both ?
In addition , anyone purchasing two or more firearms would have his or her information publicly displayed in a searchable database controlled by the Justice Department , similar to their National Sex Offender Registry .
Hundreds of gun-control advocates could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the home and business addresses of gun owners , then organize picket lines and blockades to rain down public shame on them .
We also have a progressive posse of sheriffs in the vain of former New Orleans Police Superintendent Edwin P. Compass III , whose hobby was confiscating firearms after the horror of Hurricane Katrina .
Our fellow gun-grabber put the antiquated Second Amendment in its place when stating , `` Only law enforcement are allowed to have weapons . ''
A state of emergency like the COVID-19 pandemic could give law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knock on doors and proactively persuade people to pony up their pistols , just like the compliant , law-abiding citizens of New Orleans did .
But for now , Democratic Party leaders will play like a mother hen brooding over her eggs , sitting on these bills to stall them in committee , waiting for a pen-friendly president to sign them .
We used this same strategy to get the Brady Bill passed .
I first introduced it when George H.W .
Bush was president , but waited to hatch its reintroduction in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inaugurated , who of course signed it into law .
In this case , the new sheriff in town will be Joe Biden after he runs that cocky , orange-feathered , Republican rooster out of the White House .
Biden will sign these two bills just to spite the NRA , thus fulfilling his campaign promise : `` If I 'm elected , NRA , I am coming for you and gun manufacturers .
I 'm going to take you on and I 'm going to beat you . ''
Boss Biden aims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will throw gobs of money at gun control – for he promises on his campaign website to `` enact legislation to give states and local governments grants to require individuals to obtain a license prior to purchasing a gun . ''
The marvelous thing about licenses is that we can revoke them .

A parody in the voice of Sen. Chuck Schumer:
Gun owners, do you struggle with an addictive urge to buy firearms on the fly while goose-stepping through gun shows and pawn shops? If so, my fellow Democrats will happily relieve you of all your guilt … and your guns. Forget wasting time plugging silhouettes of bad guys with bullets – blast your addiction publicly on social media by plugging these two pending Track 'n Grab gun bills:
The National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Data Integrity Act would amend my original Brady Bill. Sponsored by my partner in crime, Rep. Jimmy "the Gun Grabber" Panetta, D-Calif., his H.R. 5949 will put a contract hit out on the Second Amendment.
The Brady Bill originally had a five-day cooling-off period to delay or deny trigger-happy, gun-totin' wannabes from getting their hands on a pistol. Unfortunately, my carefully crafted waiting period was castrated to about 30 seconds by a Republican amendment when NICS went online 20 years ago.
Panetta's H.R. 5949 could skyrocket the 30-second insta-check to 30 days, or as the bill states, "as long as necessary to determine whether receipt of a firearm would violate" federal or state law. In other words, Uncle Sam could then drag his feet to slow down emotionally unstable and impatient gun buyers until their background eligibility is verified.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
Federal law currently requires such background data destroyed within 24 hours of completion, but H.R. 5949 has a workaround. The very first line in the bill permits "the search and retention of certain records with respect to conducting criminal background checks, and for other purposes"... like maybe our dream of a national gun registry?
Panetta's bill purposely does not define "other purposes" and is loaded with vague verbiage that could be interpreted wildly by progressive judges, legislating from the bench in a wide variety of ways. As a backup, we want to give judges and law enforcement agencies another bill to better throw the book at gun owners.
H.R. 5917 – The Gun Records Restoration and Preservation Act repeals the "requirement to destroy instant criminal background check records" and will save personal, "identifying information," which we hope will eventually populate our proposed national gun registry. Cars have been used as lethal weapons as have guns, so why not require registration, licensing and insurance for both?
In addition, anyone purchasing two or more firearms would have his or her information publicly displayed in a searchable database controlled by the Justice Department, similar to their National Sex Offender Registry. Hundreds of gun-control advocates could then scope out the database online for the home and business addresses of gun owners, then organize picket lines and blockades to rain down public shame on them.
We also have a progressive posse of sheriffs in the vain of former New Orleans Police Superintendent Edwin P. Compass III, whose hobby was confiscating firearms after the horror of Hurricane Katrina. Our fellow gun-grabber put the antiquated Second Amendment in its place when stating, "Only law enforcement are allowed to have weapons."
A state of emergency like the COVID-19 pandemic could give law enforcement just the excuse they need to knock on doors and proactively persuade people to pony up their pistols, just like the compliant, law-abiding citizens of New Orleans did.
But for now, Democratic Party leaders will play like a mother hen brooding over her eggs, sitting on these bills to stall them in committee, waiting for a pen-friendly president to sign them. We used this same strategy to get the Brady Bill passed. I first introduced it when George H.W. Bush was president, but waited to hatch its reintroduction in Congress the month after Bill Clinton was inaugurated, who of course signed it into law.
In this case, the new sheriff in town will be Joe Biden after he runs that cocky, orange-feathered, Republican rooster out of the White House. Biden will sign these two bills just to spite the NRA, thus fulfilling his campaign promise: "If I'm elected, NRA, I am coming for you and gun manufacturers. I'm going to take you on and I'm going to beat you."
Boss Biden aims to be one gun-grabbin' Godzilla who will throw gobs of money at gun control – for he promises on his campaign website to "enact legislation to give states and local governments grants to require individuals to obtain a license prior to purchasing a gun."
The marvelous thing about licenses is that we can revoke them.


wnd--2020-03-31--Why 'price gouging' helps in a disaster

Why 'price gouging' helps in a disaster

I 'm not sure whether COVID-19 , first identified in Wuhan , China , in the U.S. qualifies as a true disaster .
Putting the disease in perspective , we might look at current influenza illnesses .
According to Centers for Disease Control estimates , between Oct. 1 , 2019 , and March 14 , 2020 , there have been 390,000 to 710,000 hospitalizations as a result of the flu , 38,000,000 to 54,000,000 flu illnesses and 23,000 to 59,000 flu deaths .
That 's compared with , as of March 27 , a total of 85,356 cases of COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But let 's agree that COVID-19 is a disaster and ask what the appropriate steps that are to deal with it .
One of the first observations about any disaster is that the quantity demanded of many goods greatly exceeds the supply .
There is a shortage .
The natural market response when there is a shortage is for prices to rise .
Rising prices produce several beneficial effects .
They reduce the incentive for people to hoard while suppliers , motivated by the prospect of higher profits , are incentivized to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supply .
Thirty-four states and the District of Columbia have anti-price gouging laws that prohibit `` excessive and unjustified '' increases in prices of essential consumer goods and services during a federal , state or local declared emergency .
Price gouging is legally defined as charging 10 to 25 % more for something than you charged for it during the month before an emergency .
Sellers convicted of price gouging face stiff fines and perhaps prison terms .
But what about hoarding ?
Often hoarding creates the shortage .
In uncertain times , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of one dozen .
They may want to maintain stockpiles of canned goods and buy up large quantities of cleaners , paper towels and toilet paper .
This kind of behavior has left some with overflowing freezers , shelves of sanitizers and garages full of toilet paper while their neighbors are left either wanting for the same items or paying what some call `` excessive and unjustified '' prices .
While it 's difficult to get beyond emotions , the fact is that consumers are not forced to buy products for the higher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pay , it is likely because they see themselves as being better off acquiring the good than the alternative – keeping their money in their pocket .
Higher prices charged have a couple of unappreciated benefits .
First , they get people to economize on the use of the good whose price has risen .
That is , higher prices reduce demand and encourage conservation .
That helps with the disaster .
TRENDING : Dr. Ron Paul hits nail on the head in no-nonsense coronavirus interview With higher prices , profit-seeking suppliers know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bringing additional quantities of the goods to the market .
This increases the supply of goods , which helps to drive prices back down .
Anti-price gouging laws disrupt these two very important functions of the marketplace and enhance and prolong a disaster .
In other words , in a disaster , we want people to economize their use of goods and services , and we want suppliers of these goods and services to produce more .
Rising prices encourage these actions .
Anti-price gouging laws stymy those incentives and create the pretense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Some people might reluctantly agree that allowing prices to rise during a disaster helps allocate resources .
But they 'll complain that 's not the intention of greedy sellers who are out to profit .
I say , so what ?
It 's not sellers ' intentions that count but what their actions accomplish that 's important – namely , getting people to conserve more and suppliers to produce more .
Many of the problems associated with a disaster would be eliminated if people 's buying behavior were the same as it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to behave nicely and consider their neighbors is the ultimate challenge .
I think rising prices are the best and most dependable way to get people to be considerate of their fellow man .

I'm not sure whether COVID-19, first identified in Wuhan, China, in the U.S. qualifies as a true disaster. Putting the disease in perspective, we might look at current influenza illnesses. According to Centers for Disease Control estimates, between Oct. 1, 2019, and March 14, 2020, there have been 390,000 to 710,000 hospitalizations as a result of the flu, 38,000,000 to 54,000,000 flu illnesses and 23,000 to 59,000 flu deaths. That's compared with, as of March 27, a total of 85,356 cases of COVID-19 resulting in the deaths of 1,246 people.
But let's agree that COVID-19 is a disaster and ask what the appropriate steps that are to deal with it. One of the first observations about any disaster is that the quantity demanded of many goods greatly exceeds the supply. There is a shortage. The natural market response when there is a shortage is for prices to rise. Rising prices produce several beneficial effects. They reduce the incentive for people to hoard while suppliers, motivated by the prospect of higher profits, are incentivized to produce more of the good in short supply.
Thirty-four states and the District of Columbia have anti-price gouging laws that prohibit "excessive and unjustified" increases in prices of essential consumer goods and services during a federal, state or local declared emergency. Price gouging is legally defined as charging 10 to 25% more for something than you charged for it during the month before an emergency. Sellers convicted of price gouging face stiff fines and perhaps prison terms.
But what about hoarding? Often hoarding creates the shortage. In uncertain times, people may purchase three dozen eggs instead of one dozen. They may want to maintain stockpiles of canned goods and buy up large quantities of cleaners, paper towels and toilet paper. This kind of behavior has left some with overflowing freezers, shelves of sanitizers and garages full of toilet paper while their neighbors are left either wanting for the same items or paying what some call "excessive and unjustified" prices.
While it's difficult to get beyond emotions, the fact is that consumers are not forced to buy products for the higher (gouged) price. If they pay, it is likely because they see themselves as being better off acquiring the good than the alternative – keeping their money in their pocket. Higher prices charged have a couple of unappreciated benefits. First, they get people to economize on the use of the good whose price has risen. That is, higher prices reduce demand and encourage conservation. That helps with the disaster.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
With higher prices, profit-seeking suppliers know that they can make more money by bringing additional quantities of the goods to the market. This increases the supply of goods, which helps to drive prices back down. Anti-price gouging laws disrupt these two very important functions of the marketplace and enhance and prolong a disaster. In other words, in a disaster, we want people to economize their use of goods and services, and we want suppliers of these goods and services to produce more. Rising prices encourage these actions. Anti-price gouging laws stymy those incentives and create the pretense that a disaster does not exist.
Some people might reluctantly agree that allowing prices to rise during a disaster helps allocate resources. But they'll complain that's not the intention of greedy sellers who are out to profit. I say, so what? It's not sellers' intentions that count but what their actions accomplish that's important – namely, getting people to conserve more and suppliers to produce more.
Many of the problems associated with a disaster would be eliminated if people's buying behavior were the same as it was before the disaster. To get people to behave nicely and consider their neighbors is the ultimate challenge. I think rising prices are the best and most dependable way to get people to be considerate of their fellow man.


wnd--2020-03-31--Free people take responsibility and solve problems

Several months ago , before anyone imagined the current crisis , I read a book called `` Man 's Search for Meaning '' by Viktor Frankl .
Frankl was a Jewish Viennese psychiatrist who was captured by the Nazis during World War II and managed to survive four concentration camps , including the infamous Auschwitz and Dachau .
He went through the ordeal observing human behavior , and the result was his formulation of a system of therapy he called logotherapy .
Frankl found that those who were most successful , surviving under the most challenging circumstances , were those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their lives .
That is , the real challenge that every person faces is not what 's happening outside of themselves but what 's happening inside .
In Frankl 's own words : `` Everything can be taken from a man but one thing : the last of human freedoms – to choose one 's attitude in any given set of circumstances , to choose one 's own way . ''
TRENDING : Dr. Ron Paul hits nail on the head in no-nonsense coronavirus interview He continued : `` Freedom is but the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positive aspect is responsibleness .
In fact , freedom is in danger of degenerating into mere arbitrariness unless it is lived in terms of responsibleness . ''
With all our talk about freedom , somehow its essence has gotten lost : human beings taking responsibility for their own life and the world around them .
Human beings are causes , not results .
They are free agents , not victims .
I ca n't think of a more important message as we face these great challenges today as a nation and as individuals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and hopefully still is , freedom , which means America must be about individuals taking responsibility .
The country now faces two huge areas of uncertainty and lack of clarity .
One is regarding the nature of the health threat we are dealing with .
I am still reading different opinions from knowledgeable sources about how lethal this virus is and the best way to stop it without totally shutting down and destroying our economy .
Second , we 're suffering great absence of clarity in government regarding who is responsible for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in the spirit of Viktor Frankl , for individuals to step up and take responsibility .
But , unfortunately , we 're getting the opposite .
It 's obscene that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , who held up the emergency stimulus bill to insert left-wing nonsense , accused President Donald Trump of fiddling while `` people are dying . ''
Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer complained to the press , `` We 're not getting what we need from the federal government . ''
But this is n't new .
Back in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response to President Trump 's State of the Union address and went on for her full 10 minutes about the federal government not doing enough .
She touted her efforts to expand health coverage under the Affordable Care Act , meaning more bureaucratization of our hospitals and health care delivery , and creation of government health care incapable of flexibility to changing market realities , let alone dealing with a crisis .
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio is taking deserved heat for his delayed action in response to the crisis in his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on television talking about how this crisis could only be addressed by the federal government .
This is all the result of generations degrading the clear constitutional lines between the federal government and the states , resulting in massive growth of the welfare state .
But while Democratic governors and mayors and Speaker Pelosi use valuable time looking for who to blame , America 's private business is already churning to develop better and faster testing procedures , and soon we 'll see a drug to eradicate COVID-19 .
Small and large businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ways that will pay great dividends when we emerge from this crisis .
Challenges are met by free , responsible people stepping into the void : exactly what Viktor Frankl was talking about .

Several months ago, before anyone imagined the current crisis, I read a book called "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor Frankl.
Frankl was a Jewish Viennese psychiatrist who was captured by the Nazis during World War II and managed to survive four concentration camps, including the infamous Auschwitz and Dachau.
He went through the ordeal observing human behavior, and the result was his formulation of a system of therapy he called logotherapy.
Frankl found that those who were most successful, surviving under the most challenging circumstances, were those who retained a sense of meaning in their lives. That is, the real challenge that every person faces is not what's happening outside of themselves but what's happening inside.
In Frankl's own words: "Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms – to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way."
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
He continued: "Freedom is but the negative aspect of the whole phenomenon whose positive aspect is responsibleness. In fact, freedom is in danger of degenerating into mere arbitrariness unless it is lived in terms of responsibleness."
With all our talk about freedom, somehow its essence has gotten lost: human beings taking responsibility for their own life and the world around them. Human beings are causes, not results. They are free agents, not victims.
I can't think of a more important message as we face these great challenges today as a nation and as individuals.
The whole idea of America was, and hopefully still is, freedom, which means America must be about individuals taking responsibility.
The country now faces two huge areas of uncertainty and lack of clarity.
One is regarding the nature of the health threat we are dealing with. I am still reading different opinions from knowledgeable sources about how lethal this virus is and the best way to stop it without totally shutting down and destroying our economy.
Second, we're suffering great absence of clarity in government regarding who is responsible for what.
Times of uncertainty are times, in the spirit of Viktor Frankl, for individuals to step up and take responsibility.
But, unfortunately, we're getting the opposite.
It's obscene that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who held up the emergency stimulus bill to insert left-wing nonsense, accused President Donald Trump of fiddling while "people are dying."
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer complained to the press, "We're not getting what we need from the federal government."
But this isn't new. Back in February, Whitmer delivered the Democrats' response to President Trump's State of the Union address and went on for her full 10 minutes about the federal government not doing enough.
She touted her efforts to expand health coverage under the Affordable Care Act, meaning more bureaucratization of our hospitals and health care delivery, and creation of government health care incapable of flexibility to changing market realities, let alone dealing with a crisis.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio is taking deserved heat for his delayed action in response to the crisis in his city. Weeks ago, he was on television talking about how this crisis could only be addressed by the federal government.
This is all the result of generations degrading the clear constitutional lines between the federal government and the states, resulting in massive growth of the welfare state.
But while Democratic governors and mayors and Speaker Pelosi use valuable time looking for who to blame, America's private business is already churning to develop better and faster testing procedures, and soon we'll see a drug to eradicate COVID-19.
Small and large businesses are deploying resources in new and creative ways that will pay great dividends when we emerge from this crisis.
Challenges are met by free, responsible people stepping into the void: exactly what Viktor Frankl was talking about.