prisonplanet--2020-02-21--Peter Schiff: Printing Money Is Not The Cure For Cononavirus

Peter Schiff : Printing Money Is Not The Cure For Cononavirus In his most recent podcast , Peter Schiff talked about coronavirus and the impact that it is having on the markets .
Earlier this month , Peter said he thought the virus was just an excuse for stock market woes .
At the time he believed the market was poised to fall anyway .
But as it turns out , coronavirus has actually helped the US stock market because it has led central banks to pump even more liquidity into the world financial system .
Although the new money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is flowing into dollars — the dollar index is up — and into US stocks .
Last week , US stock markets once again made all-time record highs .
In fact , I think but for the coronavirus , the US stock market would still be selling off .
But because of the central bank stimulus that has been the result of fears over the coronavirus , that actually benefitted not only the US dollar , but the US stock market.
” In the midst of all this , Peter raises a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concern is that coronavirus will slow down output and ultimately stunt economic growth .
Practically speaking , the world would produce less stuff .
If the virus continues to spread , there would be fewer goods and services produced in a market that is hunkered down .
Why would the Federal Reserve respond , or why would any central bank respond to that by printing money ?
How does printing more money solve that problem ?
It doesn ’ t .
In fact , it actually exacerbates it .
But you know , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ ve got the solution to every problem .
They don ’ t .
They don ’ t have the magic wand .
They just have a printing press .
And all that creates is inflation.
” Sometimes the illusion inflation creates can look like a magic wand .
Printing money can paper over problems .
But none of this is going to fundamentally fix the economy .
Peter explained how the Fed was originally intended to create an “ elastic ” money supply that would expand or contract along with economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only goes in one direction — that ’ s up .
Of course , the asset that ’ s doing the best right now is gold .
The yellow metal pushed above $ 1,600 yesterday .
Gold is up 5.5 % on the year in dollar terms and has set record highs in other currencies .
Because gold is rising even in an environment where the dollar is strengthening against other fiat currencies , that shows you that there is an underlying weakness in the dollar that is right now not being reflected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being reflected in the gold markets .
Because after all , why are people buying gold more aggressively than they ’ re buying dollars or more aggressively than they ’ re buying US Treasuries ?
Because they know that things are not as good for the dollar or the US economy as everybody likes to believe .
So , more people are seeking out refuge in a better safe-haven and that is gold.
” Peter also talked about the debate between Trump and Obama over who gets credit for the booming economy – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This article was posted : Friday , February 21 , 2020 at 4:50 am


prisonplanet--2020-02-21--Scientists spot ELEVEN asteroids that could hit Earth triggering ‘unprecedented devastation’ – but w

Scientists spot ELEVEN asteroids that could hit Earth triggering ‘unprecedented devastation’ – but were ‘MISSED by NASA software’

Scientists spot ELEVEN asteroids that could hit Earth triggering ‘ unprecedented devastation ’ – but were ‘ MISSED by NASA software ’ A computer algorithm from Leiden University in the Netherlands has spotted eleven asteroids that could eventually hit Earth and cause ‘ unprecedented devastation ’ .
All were missed by NASA software thanks to their chaotic orbits , which are difficult for current techniques to predict and identify as being potentially dangerous .
Each are more than 328 feet ( 100 metres ) in diameter and will pass closer to our planet than ten times the distance between the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Tunguska object which flattened 772 square miles of forest in Siberia had a diameter of around 164–262 feet ( 50–80 metres ) .
However , these space rocks won ’ t pose a threat in our lifetime , however — for they will only get worryingly near to Earth between the years 2131 and 2923 .
In their study , astronomer and simulation expert Simon Portegies Zwart and colleagues trained a so-called neural network — an algorithm modelled on the human brain that can study patterns — to hunt for potentially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they first modelled the orbits of the Sun and its planets over the next 10,000 years , tracking the relative positions of the different bodies .
This article was posted : Friday , February 21 , 2020 at 4:48 am

For the New World Order, a world government is just the beginning. Once in place they can engage their plan to exterminate 80% of the world's population, while enabling the "elites" to live forever with the aid of advanced technology. For the first time, crusading filmmaker ALEX JONES reveals their secret plan for humanity's extermination: Operation ENDGAME.
Jones chronicles the history of the global elite's bloody rise to power and reveals how they have funded dictators and financed the bloodiest wars—creating order out of chaos to pave the way for the first true world empire.
Watch as Jones and his team track the elusive Bilderberg Group to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III.
to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. Learn about the formation of the North America transportation control grid, which will end U.S. sovereignty forever.
Discover how the practitioners of the pseudo-science eugenics have taken control of governments worldwide as a means to carry out depopulation.
View the progress of the coming collapse of the United States and the formation of the North American Union.
Never before has a documentary assembled all the pieces of the globalists' dark agenda. Endgame's compelling look at past atrocities committed by those attempting to steer the future delivers information that the controlling media has meticulously censored for over 60 years. It fully reveals the elite's program to dominate the earth and carry out the wicked plan in all of human history.
Endgame is not conspiracy theory, it is documented fact in the elite's own words.


prisonplanet--2020-02-21--House Subcommittee Knocking at Amazon’s Door Over Ring Data

Lawmakers want answers from Amazon as civil liberties , privacy and surveillance concerns surrounding its Ring doorbell camera continue to mount .
In a letter to Amazon Feb. 19 , Democratic Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi , the chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy , requested numerous documents and policies from the company , including how it partners with law enforcement agencies .
The letter indicates the subcommittee is examining “ traditional constitutional protections against surveilling Americans ” and balancing civil liberties with security interests .
“ The Subcommittee is seeking more information regarding why cities and law enforcement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Krishnamoorthi said in the letter .
“ The answer appears to be that Ring gives them access to a much wider system of surveillance than they could build themselves , and Ring allows law enforcement access to a network of surveillance cameras on private property without the expense to taxpayers of having to purchase , install , and monitor those cameras.
” In 2019 , Senate lawmakers voice similar concerns in a letter to Amazon Chief Executive Office Jeff Bezos when reports surfaced that Amazon Ring ’ s at-home camera systems were sharing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time , Sen. Ed Markey , D-Mass.
, said such data sharing “ could easily create a surveillance network that places dangerous burdens on people of color.
” This article was posted : Friday , February 21 , 2020 at 4:45 am


prisonplanet--2020-02-21--‘Window of Life’ Live Streamer Faces Hate Crime Allegations

Broadcast allows YouTube users to play live audio clips to people who frequent crack alley .
An Austin man who set up a live streaming webcam/speaker outside his apartment that allows people who pay $ 5 dollars to broadcast audio onto a crack alley is now facing “ hate crime ” allegations .
The live streaming channel , called ‘ Window of Life ’ , allows YouTube users to play 30 or 60 second clips to an audience primarily made up of homeless people and drug dealers who frequent the alley .
Much of the audio being broadcast is random @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot of it also includes racial slurs , insults and the sound of gunfire .
According to Keegan Godsey , the man behind the stream , he is broadcasting as a “ social experiment ” and to shine a spotlight on homeless problems in Austin , where the system is located .
“ Godsey has had the stream up for five days and has already received six citations from Austin police , ” reports Fox 7 .
“ Police say it ’ s a noise ordinance violation and within those citations , an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crime.
” However , during commentary on his live stream , Godsey claimed that some police officers didn ’ t have a problem with the broadcasts because it had reduced criminal behavior , meaning they didn ’ t have to patrol the area as closely .
Godsey said it was “ very selective ” for neighbors to complain about noise when they don ’ t report people dealing drugs , fighting or engaging in other anti-social behavior .
He also sees the experiment as an exercise in free speech and disavows any “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Everybody gets to do whatever they wan na do anyways .
The homeless are down there getting to do what they wan na do .
I just feel like everybody gets to do what they wan na do if that ’ s gon na be the situation ” he said .
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@ @ @ @ @ @ @ February 20 , 2020 at 8:36 pm


prisonplanet--2020-02-21--CNN Asks Why Testosterone & Sperm Counts Are Plummeting in Europe and North America

CNN Asks Why Testosterone & Sperm Counts Are Plummeting in Europe and North America Says “ science might worry that it ’ s heading toward extinction.
” CNN has published an article asking why testosterone and sperm counts are plummeting across Europe and North America , saying that if sperm was an animal it might be “ heading toward extinction in western nations.
” The article highlights how “ Total sperm count in North America , Europe , Australia and New Zealand dropped by up to 60 % in the 38 years between 1973 and 2011 ” and that more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The article links the fall to diets made up of fatty and processed foods , but admits “ no one knows for sure ” the reason and that it could also be connected with “ radiation , air pollution and chemicals in our food , clothes and water.
” The article opens with , “ If sperm was an animal , science might worry that it ’ s heading toward extinction in Western nations , ” a line which if it was uttered by a right-winger would be taken by many in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white supremacy .
Despite admitting that sperm counts and testosterone are plummeting and that fertility rates amongst white women in the west are also on the slide , anyone who talks about the demographic decline of white people is automatically branded a racist .
America ’ s fertility rate currently stands at 1.8 births per woman .
From 2007 to 2011 the fertility rate in the U.S. declined 9 % in the space of just 4 years .
In 2016 , the U.S. fertility rate fell to 59.8 births per 1,000 women , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rates for white women were down in every US state in 2017 , while among black and Hispanic women , fertility rates were up in 12 and 29 states , respectively .
For an added layer of irony , consider the fact that just a few days ago , CNN celebrated “ the benefits of being single , ” something that certainly isn ’ t going to encourage people in the west to have more children .
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This article was posted : Friday , February 21 , 2020 at 2:03 pm


prisonplanet--2020-02-21--Transgender Kids? Father Shows Son Identifying as an “Egg Omelette”

Ex-NBA star claimed son told him he was transgender aged 3 .
Following ex-NBA star Dwyane Wade ’ s claim that his son identified as transgender aged just 3 , a father posted a video of his son of the same age identifying as an egg omelette .
Earlier this week , Wade told Good Morning America his son made the gender determination as a toddler .
In response to the claim , a father posted a clip where he read out a series of gender identities to gage his 3-year-old son ’ s response .
“ Are you a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to which the toddler responded by nodding his head .
“ Are you a transgender ?
” he then asked , to which his son again nodded his head .
“ Are you a X-Box 360 with a Playstation core ?
” he asked , eliciting the same response .
“ How in the fuck does a 3-year-old identify as a woman , and my son is 3 , and he identifies as a fucking egg omelette ?
” asked the father .
The purpose of the video is clear .
3-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , much less the intricacies of identity politics and gender expressions .
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This article was posted : Friday , February 21 , 2020 at 12:32 pm


prisonplanet--2020-02-21--Rapper Denied Entry to Planet Fitness For Questioning Transgender Children

Boosie Badazz accused of “ transphobic tirade ” for telling Dwyane Wade he shouldn ’ t allow his son to “ cut his dick off.
” Rapper Boosie Badazz says he was kicked out of Planet Fitness for questioning why former NBA star Dwyane Wade was celebrated by the media for announcing his 12-year-old son was transgender .
In an Instagram post , Boosie remarked , “ Do not go to Planet Fitness , they racist , they haters .
They just put me out Planet Fitness for what I said about Dwyane Wade son.
” Earlier this month , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Ellen DeGeneres Show during which he revealed that his 12-year-old son Zaire was now transgender , going by the name Zaya and using she/her pronouns .
Wade later claimed that his son decided on becoming transgender aged 3-years-old ( yes , really ) .
Boosie initially responded to Wade by pleading with him not to allow his son to “ cut his dick off.
” After the media framed this as a “ transphobic tirade , ” life is already being made difficult for Boosie .
“ Manager who was gay refused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of my past actions on social media about gender etc.
, ” said the rapper .
How are we supposed to build a fair & tolerant society unless we all think exactly the same while vilifying & punishing those who don ’ t ?
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This article was posted : Friday , February @ @ @ @ @ @


prisonplanet--2020-02-21--Trump Slams Oscars For Giving Best Picture Award to a Foreign Movie

Trump Slams Oscars For Giving Best Picture Award to a Foreign Movie Says Gone With the Wind should be brought back .
President Trump went off last night on the Oscars for giving its top prize to a foreign movie .
During a speech to a crowd in Colorado Springs , Colorado , Trump asked why an American film wasn ’ t given the award .
“ By the way , how bad were the Academy Awards this year — did you see ?
” he asked .
“ ‘ And the winner is a movie from South Korea ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about ?
We got enough problems with South Korea with trade .
On top of it , they give them the best movie of the year ?
Was it good ?
I don ’ t know.
” The president was referring to Parasite , a South Korean black comedy thriller .
“ Let ’ s get Gone With the Wind — can we get , like , Gone With the Wind back , please ?
” asked Trump .
The president also said he was never a fan of Brad Pitt , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attack Trump over the impeachment process .
Neon , the film company that distributed Parasite , responded to Trump by tweeting , “ Understandable , he can ’ t read , ” yet another “ Orange man stupid , orange man bad ” sick burn that earned nearly 150,000 likes .
As we highlighted yesterday , if you thought Hollywood wasn ’ t ‘ woke ’ enough , it ’ s about to get a whole lot more politically correct .
Major Hollywood studios are set to use a new tool that scans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any examples where “ diversity ” is not portrayed positively or “ gender roles ” are not adequately represented .
The tool bears some hallmarks to Soviet realism , where every piece of art had to mimic the criteria of a prescribed style in order to “ educate citizens on how to be the perfect Soviets ” and “ limit popular culture to a specific , highly regulated faction of emotional expression that promoted Soviet ideals.
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This article was posted : Friday , February 21 , 2020 at 7:50 am


prisonplanet--2020-02-21--Biden: ‘Nobody Is Going to Be Deported in My First 100 Days’

Biden : ‘ Nobody Is Going to Be Deported in My First 100 Days ’ During a town hall on @ @ @ @ @ Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden vowed that no one will be deported @ @ @ @ @ in office and that the only rationale for deportation will be if someone has “ @ @ @ @ @ the country.
” Biden said , “ [ N ] obody , and some of @ @ @ @ @ mad at me with this , but nobody is going to be deported in my @ @ @ @ @ we get through the part that we find out the only rationale for deportation will @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve committed a felony while in the country.
” This article was posted : @ @ @ @ @ 2020 at 7:14 am


prisonplanet--2020-02-21--Yahoo News’ Michael Isikoff Inverts Reality On Trump-Assange Pardon Tale

The media ’ s top story on Wednesday was the claim from Julian Assange ’ s lawyer that President Trump allegedly sent former Rep Dana Rohrabacher to the Ecuadorian embassy in London to offer Assange a pardon in exchange for him claiming the Russians did not leak Hillary Clinton ’ s emails to Wikileaks .
At Westminster Magistrates ’ Court , Assange ’ s barrister , Edward Fitzgerald , said that former Republican U.S. Representative Dana Rohrabacher had been sent by the president to visit Assange in 2017 to offer him a pardon .
The pardon would come on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not involved in the email leak that damaged Hillary Clinton ’ s presidential campaign in 2016 against Trump .
The story was immediately called into question as Julian Assange told Sean Hannity very publicly in 2017 Wikileaks ’ source was not the Russian government or a state party .
HANNITY : Can you say to the American people , unequivocally , that you did not get this information about the DNC , John Podesta ’ s emails , can you tell the American people 1,000 percent that you did not get it from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ JULIAN ASSANGE : Yes .
We can say , we have said , repeatedly that over the last two months that our source is not the Russian government and it is not a state party .
Rohrabacher on Wednesday afternoon released a statement saying he never spoke to Trump about his meeting with Assange and did not offer Assange a pardon on behalf of Trump .
At no time did I offer a deal made by the President , nor did I say I was representing the President .
Upon my return , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I told him that Julian Assange would provide information about the purloined DNC emails in exchange for a pardon .
No one followed up with me including Gen. Kelly and that was the last discussion I had on this subject with anyone representing Trump or in his Administration .
On Thursday , investigative journalist turned RussiaGate clickbait conspiracy theorist Michael Isikoff decided to shift the goalposts with an article at Yahoo News titled , “ Rohrabacher confirms he offered Trump pardon to Assange for proof Russia didn ’ t hack DNC email “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmed in a new interview that during a three-hour meeting at the Ecuadorian Embassy in August 2017 , he told Julian Assange he would get President Trump to give him a pardon if he turned over information proving the Russians had not been the source of internal Democratic National Committee emails published by WikiLeaks .
In a phone interview with Yahoo News , Rohrabacher said his goal during the meeting was to find proof for a widely debunked conspiracy theory : that WikiLeaks ’ real source for the DNC emails was not Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since concluded , but former DNC staffer Seth Rich , who was murdered on the streets of Washington in July 2016 in what police believe was a botched robbery .
A lawyer for Assange in London on Wednesday cited the pardon offer from Rohrabacher during a court hearing on the U.S. government ’ s request to extradite the WikiLeaks founder .
[ … ] Rohrabacher said that not only did talk of a Trump pardon take place during his meeting , but he also followed up by calling then White House chief of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He did not , however , ever speak to Trump about it , he said .
“ I spoke to Julian Assange and told him if he would provide evidence about who gave WikiLeaks the emails I would petition the president to give him a pardon , ” Rohrabacher said .
“ He knew I could get to the president.
” The headline can be misinterpreted and is being misinterpreted — no doubt by design — to imply Rohrabacher “ confirm [ ed ] ” he “ offered ” a pardon from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debunking the claim from Fitzgerald that Trump had made such an offer and used him as his surrogate .
Rohrabacher told Isikoff he would “ petition the president to give him a pardon ” but Isikoff reported in the first line that “ he told Julian Assange he would get President Trump to give him a pardon if he turned over information proving the Russians had not been the source of internal Democratic National Committee emails published by WikiLeaks.
” The reality of the situation is the opposite of how Isikoff reported it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same news with the opposite headline ( Rohrabacher ’ s written statement which the BBC was reporting on and what he said in his call with Isikoff was not markedly different ) : Of course , none of this really matters because Yahoo News gets to get millions of hits and tons of ad revenue out of the story regardless of it being a fraud .
They will never face any “ fact check ” demoting their content on social media , nor any algorithmic censorship or demonetization from Google , nor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ fake news ” — such treatment is reserved only for people who tell the truth !
This article was posted : Friday , February 21 , 2020 at 7:13 am


prisonplanet--2020-02-21--Report: Mick Mulvaney Claims U.S. ‘Needs More Immigrants’ Because Country ‘Running Out of People’

Report : Mick Mulvaney Claims U.S. ‘ Needs More Immigrants ’ Because Country ‘ Running Out of People ’ White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney is claiming that the United States “ needs more immigrants ” because the country is “ running out of people , ” according to a report by the Washington Post .
During a closed-door meeting in England , Mulvaney reportedly said the U.S. needed to expand legal immigration levels beyond their current admission rates of more than 1.2 million legal immigrants a year .
The comments were revealed in audio obtained by the Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff Mick Mulvaney told a crowd at a private gathering in England on Wednesday night that the Trump administration “ needs more immigrants ” for the U.S. economy to continue growing , according to a audio recording of his remarks obtained by The Washington Post .
[ Emphasis added ] “ We are desperate — desperate — for more people , ” Mulvaney said .
“ We are running out of people to fuel the economic growth that we ’ ve had in our nation over the last four years .
We need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House spokesperson Stephanie Grisham told Breitbart News “ it ’ s always been our position that we are for legal immigration.
” This article was posted : Friday , February 21 , 2020 at 7:05 am


prisonplanet--2020-02-21--BBC Warns It Has ‘Reported’ People Critical of Poem About ‘Non-Binary’ Haircut Struggles

BBC Warns It Has ‘ Reported ’ People Critical of Poem About ‘ Non-Binary ’ Haircut Struggles The British Broadcasting Corporation ( BBC ) has doubled down on its publication of a poem describing the “ struggles of getting a haircut as a non-binary person ” , warning that critics have been “ reported ” .
BBC The Social , an off-shoot of BBC Scotland which claims it “ brings you fresh up and coming talent from Scotland straight to your social media feeds ” , featured a person who claims to be neither male nor female in the video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is to have to choose between “ the salon ” or “ the barber ’ s ” , given their gender identity .
“ I ’ m sure you ’ ve seen the signs , gent ’ s trim five quid , woman ’ s trim nine… as usual there always seems to be a higher price to pay for those who are female , ” observes the poet , Gray Crosbie .
“ We ’ re queer and we ’ re here and life can be tough out there , so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or could you just cut our fucking hair ?
” , she said .
Many viewers were not especially enthused with the performance , however , or with indulging the notion that some people are so unique they exist entirely outside the gender binary .
This article was posted : Friday , February 21 , 2020 at 7:00 am


prisonplanet--2020-02-21--Ukrainian villagers STONE buses bringing countrymen evacuated from Wuhan to coronavirus quarantine (

Ukrainian villagers STONE buses bringing countrymen evacuated from Wuhan to coronavirus quarantine (VIDEOS)

Ukrainians evacuated from Wuhan , China , have been less than welcomed at a village hosting the coronavirus quarantine facility .
Videos show locals throwing stones at buses with evacuees , burning tires and clashing with police .
Dozens of villagers first attempted to block the road leading to Novye Sanzhary , in the Poltava region of central Ukraine , and stop the government ’ s plan to quarantine the Ukrainian evacuees from Wuhan there .
Their roadblocks were removed by force , with police using armored vehicles and arresting several locals .
Later on Thursday , the villagers gathered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stones at the buses bringing in the evacuees , smashing windows and damaging the vehicles .
“ I urge the protesters not to violate the law .
All attempts to commit offenses will be stopped , ” Ivan Vygovsky , head of the Poltava regional police , said in a statement .
This is not the first such protest in Ukraine .
Earlier this week , roadblocks were set up in the Ternopil and Lviv regions in the west , following rumors that the government was planning to set up quarantine facilities there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the locals to show compassion for about 70 people who had been evacuated from China ’ s Hebei province on a charter flight .
“ Unfortunately , not all of us reacted humanely , ” Zelensky said on his Facebook page .
“ Attempts to block roads , block hospitals , and prevent Ukrainian citizens from entering the country – this is far from showing the best side of our national character.
” The novel coronavirus , officially called COVID-19 , has infected over 75,000 people worldwide and caused more than 2,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first case was recorded in Wuhan .
This article was posted : Friday , February 21 , 2020 at 6:58 am


prisonplanet--2020-02-21--Sweden Starts Testing of World’s First Blockchain-Based National Currency

Stockholm ’ s move comes amid growing concerns among governments , central banks and even intelligence agencies that cryptocurrencies could pose a major threat to traditional global financial structures and institutions backed by the dollar .
Sweden ’ s Riksbank central bank has announced plans for a test-basis rollout of the e-krona , a central bank digital currency running on the distributed ledger technology ( DLT ) known for its use in cryptocurrencies .
“ A digital krona should be simple , user-friendly as well as fulfil critical requirements for security and performance , ” the bank noted .
Created @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pilot project is expected to run until February 2021 , with test users able to make and receive payments using a digital wallet , with payment options to include a mobile phone app , smartwatches and cards to make payments , deposits and withdrawals .
Banks will be able to swap deposits in exchange for e-krona using a private DLT network controlled directly by the central bank .
Sweden is one of dozens of countries which have explored the possibility of using digital currencies , with Russia , China , Japan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UK , Venezuela , Iran and others also looking into the idea of a blockchain-based e-currency .
For some countries , the currency is merely an attractive new alternative payment tool .
However , for nations targeted by US sanctions such as Iran , it is a potentially significant workaround against Washington ’ s crushing and arbitrary restrictions .
Central bank-backed digital currencies operate a bit differently from traditional independent or corporate-backed cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin or Facebook ’ s Libra , which have been characterized by some as a potential threat to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unregulated nature .
However , the principle behind national e-currencies is much the same , with the system working by solving complex mathematical puzzles and operating without the use of a central server system .
With less than 1 percent of Sweden ’ s GDP represented in banknotes in 2018 , the Scandinavian country is already one of the most ‘ cashless societies ’ in the world , with Sweden deliberately moving toward digitizing all payments in a move criticized by some for the power it grants the government and business over peoples @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Friday , February 21 , 2020 at 6:56 am


prisonplanet--2020-02-21--South Korean Coronavirus Cases Explode After “Super Spreader” Event

One day after South Korea reported its first coronavirus death and shortly after all of Daegu city ’ s 2.5 million residents were put on lock-down , the number of covid-19 cases in South Korea has exploded , with 52 new cases reported overnight , representing a third of all the nation ’ s cases .
After four largely uneventful weeks in which South Korea had confirmed just 30 cases , the number of cases has soared five fold in just three days , rising from 31 cases on Tuesday to 156 on Friday ( local time ) , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exponential increase .
Notably , thirty-nine of the cases are related to a cluster at a church in Daegu , the city that “ looks like a zombie apocalypse “ , according to a statement from Korea Centers for Disease Control .
Earlier in the day , officials said the city of Daegu was facing an “ unprecedented crisis ” after coronavirus infections that centred on a controversial “ cult ” church , linked to a branch of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus , surged over the past two days .
The city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two hours south of the capital Seoul , was turned into a ghost town after health officials said the bulk of country ’ s 31 new cases announced on Thursday were linked to a branch of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus ( and now another 39 ) .
Mayor Kwon Young-jin made a televised address , urging citizens to wear masks and remain indoors while revealing his concerns that the contagion could rapidly overwhelm the city ’ s health infrastructure .
“ We are in an unprecedented crisis , ” the mayor told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he can afford to do in times like these is tell the truth .
He ordered the shutdown of all kindergartens and public libraries , according to Yonhap .
Schools in the city were considering postponing the beginning of the spring term scheduled for early March .
Shopping malls and movie theaters were also empty and the usually busy city streets were quiet .
A concert featuring BTS and other K-pop stars that was set for Daegu Stadium on 8 March has been postponed .
The defense ministry banned troops stationed in Daegu @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The US military imposed similar restrictions on its army base in the city , which houses thousands of troops , family members and civilian employees , curbing travel and closing schools and child care centers .
In what the Korean center for disease control called a “ super spreader ” event , almost half of the country ’ s total of 82 infections have been linked to a 61-year-old woman who worships at the Daegu church , which has often accused of being a cult .
She first developed a fever on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be tested for the coronavirus on the grounds that she had not recently travelled abroad .
She attended at least four services before being diagnosed .
So far , almost 40 other members of the church have been confirmed as infected .
Shincheonji claims that its founder , Lee Man-hee , has donned the mantle of Jesus Christ and will take 144,000 people with him to Heaven , body and soul , on Judgement Day .
And if the number of cases continues to grow exponentially , Judgment Day may be in early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said there were 1,001 Shincheonji members in the city , all of whom had been asked to self-quarantine , with 90 of them currently showing symptoms .
Those who have symptoms “ will be tested as soon as possible ” , Kwon Young-jin said , urging stronger action from the government in Seoul and calling the national response “ inadequate ” .
“ We plan to test all believers of that church and have asked them to stay at home isolated from their families.
” The situation was “ very grave ” , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said at a separate briefing .
Shincheonji said on Thursday that it had closed down all its facilities nationwide .
“ We are deeply sorry that because of one of our members , who thought of her condition as a cold because she had not travelled abroad , led to many in our church being infected and thereby caused concern to the local community , ” it said in a statement .
Separately a man in his 60s from the neighboring Cheongdo county tested positive for the coronavirus after dying Wednesday following symptoms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was among 15 people found to be infected at a hospital .
Meanwhile , a few hundred kilometers west , China continues to pretend it is successfully containing the virus , although it apparently can ’ t even do that .
One week after Beijing reported nearly 15,000 new cases after a change in the definition of “ infection ” , China reverted back to the original definition in hopes of drastically reducing the number of new cases and boosting people ’ s confidence it was successfully containing the pandemic .
The result @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Feb 19 was just 391 , one of the lowest since the start of the pandemic , and a far cry from the 15,000 new cases reported a week earlier .
Alas , in its ambition to get people back to work , the case number was too low and nobody believed it , resulting in even greater self-quarantining as China ’ s population increasingly believes that Beijing is no longer telling it the truth and is willing to sacrifice the population just so some factories can resume production .
Meanwhile , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and another , in hopes of finding some “ just right ” middle ground between reporting too many cases and sparking a market crash , or too few cases and leading to social violence as people on the ground certainly know just how bad it truly is , Beijing is now losing all credibility and even China ’ s best friend in the US , Bloomberg , writes that “ Hubei Changes Virus Count Method With Data Mistrust Growing.
” This happened after on Thursday China reported that it had just 349 additional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ additional cases from the day before ; the number then doubled to 889 on Friday as China appears to have given up on any pretense at reporting data objectively .
The outcome appears to be a recreating of the famous surgery scene from Spice Like Us , where China comes up with some made up number , gauges the market ’ s and media ’ s reaction , and then China offers a totally opposite number on the next day as it scramble to give everyone what they want while creating the fiction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ irony , of course , is that the more China manipulates the data , the less anyone will believe a positive outcome for the epidemic and will instead claim that this is just the result of Chinese propaganda : “ It points to a rather concerning confusion over how best to officially report the number of cases , leading to a loss of confidence in the true numbers , ” said Jeffrey Halley , a Singapore-based senior market analyst with Oanda Asia Pacific Pte .
“ That could mean that internationally , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lockdown for longer , which will not be good for the ‘ V-shaped recovery ’ projections.
” As reported previously , the latest changes cast doubt over whether the drop in new cases – a positive sign that the epidemic is coming under control at the epicenter – is actually happening .
In recent days , China ’ s leaders have scrambled to project optimism over the outbreak , which has shut down large parts of its economy and plunged industries from retail to aviation into crisis .
Companies and factories across China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activity , while Chinese premier Li Keqiang said on Monday that the outbreak is on “ a positive trend.
” What Li meant is that Beijing is willing to sacrifice healthy citizens by commingling them with potentially infected ones , if it means that China ’ s GDP , already set for a record plunge , can be pushed up just a bit .
Of course , none of this is lost on the people , and in a country where the biggest morbid fear is one where the middle class rises up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there is a distinct possibility that by telegraphing to the people just how worthless their lives are to Beijing , the instead of delivering a “ positive trend ” for the outbreak , China ’ s ruthless rulers may soon be on the receiving end of what happens when 1.4 billion Chinese grab the pitchforks and go after those who are willing to risk their lives if only it means that the “ quota met ” bonus payment for 2020 is made .
This article was posted : Friday , February 21 @ @ @ @ @


prisonplanet--2020-02-21--Warren calls on Bloomberg to drop out of race: ‘Take your ego out of this’

Warren calls on Bloomberg to drop out of race : ‘ Take your ego out of this ’ Elizabeth Warren thinks Mike Bloomberg needs to drop out of the Democrat race for president .
Warren , who is trailing Bloomberg in a new national poll , said he should give his money to Democrats , but get out of the way .
“ Mike Bloomberg , drop out of the race , ” she said on CNN .
“ Keep putting your money in to help Democrats beat Donald Trump .
And just take your ego out of this.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Warren ’ s advice , since he just passed her in a new survey .
According to a new ABC News/Washington Post poll , Warren has the support of 11 percent of “ leaned Democrat ” voters .
That ’ s behind Bloomberg , whose support jumped from 8 percent in late January to 14 percent today .
Both are behind Joe Biden , who has 17 percent , and Bernie Sanders , who has the support of 32 percent of Democrats .
This article was posted : Friday , February 21 , @ @ @ @


prisonplanet--2020-02-21--Recycling Is a Waste

Recycling Is a Waste

This won ’ t come as a big surprise , but it has been revealed that recycling is largely a waste of time and money .
Via WUWT : [ T ] he value of recycled materials has fallen dramatically in recent years because far too much unrecyclable material is put in the bins by the public and much of what is recyclable is contaminated with water , food , or other contaminates that make the “ good ” stuff unusable .
Waste disposal companies often charge “ contamination fees.
” In addition to the contamination problem , the value @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to process them into a usable form is going up .
Processing , that is cleaning and sorting a load of recyclable material , has gone from earning a community $ 25/ton to costing the community $ 70/ton or more in many areas .
… Paper and metals , especially aluminum , are the easiest and most valuable materials to recycle , but if they are stained with food or left-over beer or soda , they are rejected and wind up in the landfill anyway .
Wet paper , even wet with water @ @ @ @ @ @ @ … Glass is still recycled in some areas , but most reject all glass currently because non-recyclable glass items and dirty bottles are too commonly placed in the bins .
China used to buy up to 70 % of the world ’ s waste plastic , but they stopped taking it and this has caused the cost of recycling to go up dramatically .
… Even Vietnam , Malaysia , and some countries in Africa are limiting their imports of recyclables .
They would welcome cleaner recyclables , but the contaminated portion of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and in the ocean , where they are not only unsightly , but they affect the fish and can [ cause ] disease .
Processing recyclables requires massive amounts of water .
Afterward , the contaminated water often finds its way to local rivers .
Since most of the plastic shipped overseas can not be recycled , it ends up floating around in the ocean .
Burning garbage is much better for the environment .
Ash can be contained , pathogens destroyed , and valuable metals extracted afterward .
Sorting and cleaning are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ energy , moonbats don ’ t approve of incineration for ideological reasons disconnected from reality .
But it ’ s not as if recycling serves no purpose .
It has a religious function .
For moonbats , it signals virtue .
For everyone else , it is a constant reminder that we are ruled by moonbats and must make obeisance to their religion by going through the motions of their absurd rituals .
This article was posted : Friday , February 21 , 2020 at 6:50 am


prisonplanet--2020-02-21--Bloomberg Reportedly Bragged About Getting Dates for ‘Busty’ Teen Daughter ‘In Every City In China’

Bloomberg Reportedly Bragged About Getting Dates for ‘ Busty ’ Teen Daughter ‘ In Every City In China ’ A 1999 report has recently resurfaced that claims billionaire former New York mayor and current presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg boasted of getting his “ tall , busty , and blonde ” teen daughter dates with potential suitors “ in every city in China.
” The New York billionaire is also quoted as saying , “ What ’ s a 16-year-old going to do on a business trip ?
” The report comes from Wired magazine , which quoted Bloomberg , 78 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ table of Boston College graduates before demanding that the anecdote be kept “ off the record.
” “ My daughter is tall and busty and blonde , ” Michael Bloomberg is telling a table of Boston College graduates .
“ We went to China together .
And what ’ s a 16-year-old going to do on a business trip ?
” He pops another carefully buttered piece of bread in his mouth .
“ So I got her dates in every city in China.
” Remembering that I ’ m also at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ That ’ s off the record !
” he barks .
It ’ s typical Mike Bloomberg , wanting to have it both ways : imperious man of the people , coarse billionaire , earthy business leader , accessible control freak .
The dates and ages referenced in the Wired piece indicate Bloomberg would have been talking about his then-sixteen-year-old daughter Georgina .
Earlier this week , National File ’ s Patrick Howley reported that Bloomberg was featured in the infamous “ little black book ” of the late pedophilic information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg appears in the late pedophile and accused child trafficker Jeffrey Epstein ’ s little black book of contacts .
Bloomberg appears on page six of the address book maintained by Epstein ’ s late former butler ( READ THE REDACTED LITTLE BLACK BOOK HERE ) .
Bloomberg ’ s ties to China were on covered on the Fox News “ Tucker Carlson Tonight ” television program on Monday .
Carlson ’ s segment featured video of Bloomberg admitting that his news publication Bloomberg.com censors its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suppression policies .
This article was posted : Friday , February 21 , 2020 at 6:44 am


prisonplanet--2020-02-21--Most Americans Are Not Taking This Coronavirus Outbreak Seriously, And That Is Potentially Very Dang

Most Americans Are Not Taking This Coronavirus Outbreak Seriously, And That Is Potentially Very Dangerous

Most Americans Are Not Taking This Coronavirus Outbreak Seriously , And That Is Potentially Very Dangerous We still don ’ t know if this coronavirus outbreak will become a horrific worldwide pandemic or not , but what we have seen so far is definitely very alarming .
People have literally been dropping dead in the streets , the Chinese government has locked down major city after major city , and the virus kept spreading very rapidly on a cruise ship off the coast of Japan even though a strict quarantine was instituted .
Scientists that have studied the virus are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20 times more lethal than the flu ” , and it binds to human cell receptors much more easily than the SARS virus did .
Unfortunately , because the epicenter of this crisis is on the other side of the globe , most Americans are simply not paying much attention to it .
In fact , most of the people that my wife and I have been talking to and hearing from don ’ t think that the coronavirus is much of a threat to the United States at all .
And if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problem in this country , a new survey has found that most Americans are quite confident that the government can handle it… Hopefully this coronavirus outbreak will not explode in North America and our normal lives will not be disrupted .
But considering what is happening over in Asia , it would definitely be prudent to take some precautions .
Unfortunately , most Americans are not really doing much of anything to prepare for a potential pandemic at this point .
If a pandemic does not materialize , that won ’ t be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ starts spreading like wildfire in the U.S. , we are going to have a massive crisis on our hands .
The time to stop an outbreak from happening is at the very beginning , and the lack of urgency about this virus that we are witnessing from local health officials around the country is absolutely stunning .
According to NBC News , there are thousands of Americans that are currently “ under voluntary self-quarantine ” .
These individuals have either recently traveled to China or they have recently had contact with someone that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a “ voluntary self-quarantine ” is not mandatory .
Instead , NBC News says that it is “ strongly encouraged ” … So anyone that doesn ’ t want to participate can feel free to mix with the general public as much as they want .
And since it is “ up to the state and local health departments to decide how to manage residents under self-quarantine ” , there is no single set of standards that is being followed .
In other words , state and local health officials are free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ along .
We aren ’ t talking about a small number of people either .
In fact , more than 5,000 people are under self-quarantine in California alone… All it takes is a couple of “ super spreaders ” to get a real good outbreak going , and to see such a lack of concern about preventing the spread of this disease is quite disheartening .
And this lackadaisical attitude has even extended to actual victims that have been confirmed to have the virus .
The CDC specifically warned against putting infected people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but the U.S. government did it anyway… Reading this sort of thing makes you want to tear your hair out .
Despite such extreme negligence , hopefully everything will be okay .
But it should be noted that the CDC is telling hospitals that now “ is the time to open up your pandemic plans and see that things are in order ” … Anyone that assumed that this crisis would be largely confined to China has been proven wrong .
At this point , we have already seen significant outbreaks erupt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In fact , there are now six other nations where “ community spread ” is taking place… Perhaps the most notable outbreak on that list is in South Korea .
According to the Guardian , 31 brand new cases were announced on Thursday… If we don ’ t want the same thing to happen here , we need to take this virus very seriously .
Unfortunately , that is simply not happening , and all of us could end up paying a great price as a result .
This article was posted : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 6:42 am


prisonplanet--2020-02-21--YouTube Bans Christian Broadcaster TruNews For ‘Hate Speech’

Christian pastor Rick Wiles ’ channel TruNews was permanently banned from Google-owned YouTube on Thursday for “ hate speech.
” “ It was only a matter of time , YouTube finally canceled our channel , ” Wiles said on his show Thursday .
“ What was our crime ?
They accused us of hate speech.
” “ Of course , there is no such thing as hate speech — it ’ s a crime that was invented by the political left several decades ago , ” he said .
“ What it really means is free speech that somebody doesn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ final nail in the coffin ” according to YouTube was their February 12 interview with Israeli News Live ’ s Steve and Jana Ben-Nun titled , “ Christianity Vs. Evangelical Zionism.
” Wiles said he got hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of free bandwidth off YouTube and plans to conduct “ business as usual ” on their own website .
“ Nothing they do to stop us will succeed , in fact , the more they try to destroy us the more God will bless us , the gates of hell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Wiles said .
“ YouTube has finally banned # antiSemitic outlet TruNews , and we hope other social media platforms will follow suit , ” Anti-Defamation League head Jonathan Greenblatt said Thursday on Twitter .
The Anti-Defamation League last year put TruNews on what many have called a “ hit list ” of 30 Christian and right-wing channels they demanded YouTube ban for “ anti-Semitism.
” Greenblatt said in the past that the ADL works with Google and Facebook to “ tweak their algorithms ” and “ redirect ” searches through AI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ not be harassed or hated.
” Sacha Baron Cohen said during a viral speech to the ADL a few months ago that nothing should be allowed to be posted on social media which hasn ’ t gone through their “ monitors ” first for manual approval .
YouTube ’ s decision was met with outrage on TruNews ’ Facebook page .
YouTube ’ s decision to ban TruNews came one week after they decided to permanently ban Christian conservative commentator Nick Fuentes for “ hate speech.
” YouTube appears to be following @ @ @ @ @ @ @ researchers ” led by professor Neil Johnson of George Washington University released in August which called for a slow but steady stream of mass bannings of right-wing dissidents on social media to avoid “ inflaming the entire hive ” by generating too much pushback .
The paper recommended tech giants ban “ small clusters ” of dissidents “ at random ” to “ weaken the cluster over time without inflaming the entire hive.
” This article was posted : Friday , February 21 , 2020 at 6:40 am


prisonplanet--2020-02-21--Instead Of Whining About “Russian Election Interference”, Democrats Should Be Searching For A Winnin

Instead Of Whining About “Russian Election Interference”, Democrats Should Be Searching For A Winning Nominee

Instead Of Whining About “ Russian Election Interference ” , Democrats Should Be Searching For A Winning Nominee Here we go again .
All of a sudden the mainstream media is full of headlines about how the Russians are trying to help Donald Trump win the 2020 election , and seeds are already being planted that will cause millions upon millions of Americans to doubt the legitimacy of the election if Trump wins again in November .
But ultimately all of the interference coming from outside isn ’ t going to make much of a difference whatsoever .
Even if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote for Trump , there are far more foreign governments that would like to see Trump gone .
For example , everyone knows that the Chinese are not pleased with Trump at all , and they will be attempting to influence American citizens to vote for the Democratic nominee as long as the Chinese consider that nominee to be “ reasonable ” .
But we never hear about foreign influence that helps the Democrats .
In addition , it is a bit hypocritical for us to be complaining about a few foreign social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been directly intervening in foreign elections for many decades .
Yes , the integrity of our election process is of paramount importance .
And if there is any sort of hacking or direct attacks on our election infrastructure those should be dealt with very harshly .
But the idea that Russian social media accounts could swing the outcome of the U.S. presidential election is absolutely ludicrous .
Unfortunately , this old narrative was given new life during a recent congressional briefing , and the mainstream media has taken this story and run with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawmakers that were at this briefing were not pleased with what they were hearing at all… Of course we should all be in favor of election security .
Personally , I have been advocating a return to 100 percent paper ballots in all elections for many years .
But there has never been an allegation that the Russians changed even a single vote .
Instead , it is has always been alleged that they attempted to “ influence ” American voters during the 2016 election using social media and other means , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the reason why Trump won .
Unfortunately , the truth is that all sorts of interested parties all over the globe work very hard to try to influence our elections .
Some of those interested parties favor the Democrats and some of those interested parties favor the Republicans .
In the Internet age we will never be able to eliminate foreign influence entirely , and that is a reality that we are just going to have to live with .
And far more important than a few Russian social media accounts is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outlets has grown substantially in recent years , and the way that those media outlets slant their election coverage has a tremendous influence over how Americans ultimately vote .
So if we really wanted to get serious about foreign influence in our elections , we would completely ban all foreign ownership of our media companies .
But the Democrats will never agree to that .
Look , instead of coming up with excuses for why they are going to lose the upcoming election in advance , what the Democrats should really be doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And right now they definitely do not have one .
Joe Biden was supposed to be the nominee , but he keeps putting his foot in his mouth , and there are way too many videos out there of him acting very creepy .
His campaign is absolutely imploding at this point , but there is still a chance that he could grab a few hundred delegates .
Of course the Democratic establishment is absolutely desperate to keep a full-blown socialist from being nominated , because they know that Trump would definitely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DNC has gone out of their way to help Michael Bloomberg , because it appears very unlikely that either Pete Buttigieg or Amy Klobuchar will be able to stop Bernie Sanders .
But Bloomberg ’ s candidacy was doomed from the start .
Even though he can throw billions of dollars at this race , the Democrats simply are not going to nominate a racist , sexist billionaire that was still a registered Republican just a few years ago .
Yes , Bloomberg had surged in the polls recently due to all the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was absolutely eviscerated during Wednesday night ’ s debate .
It was such a brutal affair that the New York Post is calling it “ the greatest debate in human history ” … The primary target of the attacks was Bloomberg , and he seemed entirely unprepared for the relentless onslaught… It is being reported that Bloomberg spoke for about 13 minutes during the two hour debate , and during that time he was attacked by his opponents 45 times .
In particular , one absolutely perfect zinger from Elizabeth Warren will never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up and go home , because he doesn ’ t have a prayer of winning now .
But he isn ’ t going to do that .
Instead , he actually tried to joke about the debate on Thursday… What the Democratic Party has on their hands is a giant mess .
None of the current candidates can beat Trump , and they know it .
Their only hope is to divide the delegates enough ways so that Bernie Sanders can not secure the nomination before the convention .
And then at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone that can actually win to step in and become the nominee .
At the same time , they will need to somehow convince Sanders and his supporters that they are being fair .
Of course that may not be possible , and that is very good news for President Trump .
Because right now things are looking brighter than ever for the Trump campaign , and the Democrats only have themselves to blame .
This article was posted : Friday , February 21 , 2020 at 6:34 am


prisonplanet--2020-02-22--Report: Bernie Sanders Briefed that Russia Trying to Help His Campaign

Report : Bernie Sanders Briefed that Russia Trying to Help His Campaign U.S. officials have warned Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-VT ) that Russia is attempting to boost his prospects of winning the White House in 2020 , sources familiar with the matter told the Washington Post .
President Donald Trump and Congressional lawmakers have also received briefings regarding the Kremlin ’ s efforts to help Sanders , reports the Post .
In a statement to the newspaper , Sanders called Russian President Vladimir Putin a “ thug ” and said he stands “ firmly against ” any efforts to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t care , frankly , who Putin wants to be president , ” Sanders said .
“ My message to Putin is clear : stay out of American elections , and as president I will make sure that you do.
” “ In 2016 , Russia used internet propaganda to sow division in our country , and my understanding is that they are doing it again in 2020 .
Some of the ugly stuff on the Internet attributed to our campaign may well not be coming from real supporters , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Saturday , February 22 , 2020 at 7:01 am


prisonplanet--2020-02-22--Terrorists are ‘generally Muslims’ says Ryanair CEO

LONDON : Muslim men should be profiled at airports as terrorists will “ generally be of a Muslim persuasion , @ @ @ @ @ ’ Leary said in an interview published Saturday , sparking accusations of racism .
“ @ @ @ @ @ ” the budget airline ’ s controversial chief executive said while discussing airport security in @ @ @ @ @ newspaper .
“ They are going to be single males traveling on their own… If @ @ @ @ @ family of kids , on you go ; the chances you are going to blow @ @ @ @ @ ” “ You can ’ t say stuff , because it ’ s racism , @ @ @ @ @ males of a Muslim persuasion .
Thirty years ago it was the Irish.
” This @ @ @ @ @ , February 22 , 2020 at 6:58 am


prisonplanet--2020-02-22--Baltimore school district defends lesson likening Trump to Nazis, communists

A high school is Maryland is defending a teacher ’ s history lesson , which used a meme to not-so-subtly compare President Trump to Nazism and communism .
An anonymous AP History teacher at Baltimore County ’ s Loch Raven High School used this meme , according to Fox 45 : The graphic features an image of a stern-looking Trump with the words , “ Wants to round up a group of people and build a giant wall.
” Below that image , the Nazi and Soviet flags are shown , with the words , “ Been there , Done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ included the following commentary : “ Oh that ’ s why it sounds so familiar !
” It is not clear where the teacher obtained the meme , but it is readily available on Reddit and Pinterest .
Parents were incensed that the meme was used in an Advanced Placement class .
“ The biggest problem is pushing an agenda on 16-year-olds , ” one parent tells Fox45 .
“ My understanding is that was just put up and it was left there for everyone to see the whole day.
” “ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the topic in that class was supposedly world leaders shunning other groups out , ” the anonymous parent says .
“ I said , ‘ Is this part of the curriculum ?
’ ” Apparently , the answer is yes .
Baltimore County Schools defended the usage of the meme , saying in a statement : This slide was used as part of a lesson in an AP History course .
The topics being discussed included World Wars and the attempts by some leaders to limit , or prevent migration , into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of context with the lesson , the image could be misunderstood .
In our Advanced Placement ( AP ) classes , which are college level courses , we expect and encourage analysis and discussion around historical and current events even if they are considered controversial .
This lesson was not intended to make a political statement .
If a student has concerns when discussing a controversial issue , schools have the tools to address the concern and support the student .
To even imply that our president is in any way a Nazi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Baltimore County councilman Wade Kach tells the news station .
This article was posted : Saturday , February 22 , 2020 at 6:48 am


prisonplanet--2020-02-22--“Jeffrey And I Had Everyone On Videotape” Ghislaine Maxwell Reportedly Told Friend

“ Jeffrey And I Had Everyone On Videotape ” Ghislaine Maxwell Reportedly Told Friend Jeffrey Epstein ’ s alleged ‘ madam ’ told a former acquaintance that she and the now-dead pedophile had “ everything on videotape , ” according to The Telegraph .
The acquaintance , socialite and distant relative to the royals Christina Oxenberg , said that Maxwell also told her that Epstein bought a private helicopter because commercial pilots were “ eyes and ears ” he did not need .
She revealed she had spoken to the FBI about what she had been told .
Ms Oxenberg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the early 1990s and said she would never forget a conversation the pair once had in Maxwell ’ s home .
“ We were alone , ” she said .
“ She said many things .
All creepy .
Unorthodox .
Strange .
I could not believe whatever she was saying was real .
Stuff like : ‘ Jeffrey and I have everyone on videotape.
’ ” … Maxwell has been accused by several alleged Epstein victims of both facilitating and participating in sexual crimes .
She has vehemently denied the claims and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in connection to Epstein ’ s activities .
If true , we wonder who exactly was taped ?
This article was posted : Saturday , February 22 , 2020 at 6:44 am


prisonplanet--2020-02-22--Woke Irrationality Is Undermining Civilization

The Seattle School Board recently deemed inequality – too few minorities – in their gifted children program to be more important than nurturing the abilities of these intellectually talented kids .
They propose to consign these high achievers to classes that will fail to challenge or engross them , and potentially show them the futility of achievement .
“ What are they thinking ?
” we wonder .
Presumably , this school board is not comprised of stupid , corrupt , or ill-intentioned people .
But what could motivate this kind of policy change ?
Of course , people have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make bad decisions .
Just as we can choose to damage our health by overeating , smoking cigarettes , and neglecting to take prescribed medications , we can also choose to remain uninformed on policy issues .
Sometimes , it might even make sense to do so .
According to economists , “ rational ignorance ” comes into play when the “ cost ” ( usually meaning the effort ) of gaining enough understanding of an issue to be able to make an informed decision relating to it outweighs the benefit that one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For example , many who are preoccupied with family , school , work , and mortgages may not consider it worthwhile to sift through a mass of arcane data to understand , say , the risks and benefits of nuclear power , plasticizers in children ’ s toys , or genetically engineered crops .
A quarter century ago , the cosmologist Carl Sagan expressed concern about the trend toward a society in which , “ clutching our crystals and religiously consulting our horoscopes , our critical faculties in steep decline … we slide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and darkness.
” More recently , British polymath Dick Taverne warned that , “ in the practice of medicine , popular approaches to farming and food , policies to reduce hunger and disease , and many other practical issues , there is an undercurrent of irrationality that threatens science-dependent progress , and even the civilized basis of our democracy.
” In everyday life , public policy , and even in the decisions made by elite universities , we are seeing such dire predictions validated .
MISSING THE FOREST FOR THE TREES A variation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of thing we recently encountered in an article published by Stanford University ’ s news service that seems a perfect example of largely symbolic idealism : “ simple , but meaningful steps [ people on campus ] can take to reduce their environmental footprint.
” Those steps consist of actions like converting lights to LEDs , updating aerators to save water , and reducing the use of disposable packaging and utensils .
Those actions are aimed at addressing climate change at the micro level , and there ’ s nothing wrong with them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ small contributions can make a difference if they ’ re aggregated across a large population .
But at Stanford , they seem to be missing the forest for the trees .
At the same time the university encourages those baby steps , it embraces and encourages organic farming , which is wasteful of water and arable land .
The university ’ s organic gardens prohibit the cultivation of plants crafted with modern genetic engineering technologies ( including a groundbreaking one that was co-invented by a Stanford professor ) , and , incredibly , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and anti-technology activist , to lecture to its students .
Her rejection of modern agricultural technologies and encouragement of primitive farming methods in poor countries leads to low yields , vulnerability to pests and diseases , under-nutrition , and diminished longevity .
The dissonance between Stanford ’ s ostensible priorities – preeminence in science and technological innovation , and environmental stewardship – and its actions is a prime example of the schizophrenia of much of America ’ s liberal intelligentsia .
Too often , even when small actions make sense , the attempts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a larger scale go wildly awry .
We could go on and on about the wrong-headed , proposed remedies for climate change , but consider the following examples : • The U.S. has only around 2-3 % ( and dropping ) of the world ’ s coal generating capacity .
Disrupting the coal industry by governmental fiat makes little sense because it is already shrinking from free market forces like the availability of cheap natural gas .
Even if every plant were to close tomorrow , there would be no discernible impact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , on the other hand , is planning to build 22 new , coal-fired power plants ) .
• Speaking of natural gas , why would we want to block pipelines , exploration , and the use of a resource that makes our country energy independent and reduces carbon emissions ?
Emissions began to decline significantly in 2005 , coincident with the shale gas revolution , which ended our dependence on foreign suppliers of energy .
• Wind power is no salvation .
The cost and pollution involved in building the monster wind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terms of dollars and environmental effects ) many years into the future—if ever .
And that doesn ’ t include the negative effects of building the massive batteries needed to make this form of power compatible with the realities of demand and distribution .
• Nuclear power continues to be largely ignored , although it is the only purely manmade form of zero-emissions energy .
The broader point is that , echoing Professor Sagan and Lord Taverne , we are increasingly sacrificing common sense and rationality to a kind of mindless idealism .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ shift the Seattle School Board is considering is that they , too , have capitulated to idealism and have been blinded by identity politics into believing that all people are , literally , created equal—not just in the eyes of the law , but in innate characteristics including intelligence .
According to this view , differentiating people by accomplishments is hurtful if the outcome does not precisely mirror the racial , gender , ethnic , and cultural dimensions through which everyone can be categorized .
Any underrepresented cohort in these political categorization schemes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be victimized , and the system must , ipso facto , be racist , sexist , homophobic , etc .
But if this is a valid viewpoint , we would ask , “ Why isn ’ t everybody athletically talented enough to play professional sports if they choose ?
” and , “ Why can ’ t everybody become a coloratura soprano or a published poet ?
” Those questions are fundamentally no different than , “ Why can ’ t everybody solve complex math and engineering problems like the smartest kids at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perfect equality fails in the real world , so why distort policy to try to achieve the impossible ?
This situation has been a long time coming .
It began when parents somehow acquired the notion that disappointment or hurt feelings was something their kids should , and could , be entirely spared .
But that fails to distinguish between learning opportunities , where disappointment is constructive – every child must at some point learn that he can ’ t always win the spelling bee or get all A ’ s – and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might justify protection .
This trend has led to “ participation trophies , ” safe spaces , crying booths , protection from micro-aggressions and “ trigger words , ” and , more recently , the “ right ” not to be made to feel uncomfortable .
British writer and TV personality Piers Morgan has called it the “ snowflake and victimhood culture.
” This new entitlement is a major contributor to the adoption of feelings-based policies that reject the need to seek rational validation .
Fact-based debate no longer seems necessary , if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facts can be ignored , repudiated , or “ cancelled , ” if social media condemns them .
Entitlement is everywhere .
Identity is everything .
Measures of merit are no longer a crucial factor for judging people ’ s status .
Virtuous ideas and virtue-signaling are sacrosanct , regardless of their grounding in reality .
Although individuals are entitled to believe in horoscopes , trust in crystals to bring good luck , or buy into quack medical cures , such irrationality becomes a serious threat to society when it is allowed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we need to choose political leaders who understand the limits of quixotic thinking , or we will continue to confront financial albatrosses like the Green New Deal and California High Speed Rail Consortium ( aka the Train to Nowhere ) .
If we tolerate the dominance of ideological purity and good intentions over reason , perils lie ahead .
This article was posted : Saturday , February 22 , 2020 at 6:39 am


prisonplanet--2020-02-22--S.Korea Coronavirus Cases Go Exponential As New Infections Soar By 70%; 10 Towns In Northern Italy P

S.Korea Coronavirus Cases Go Exponential As New Infections Soar By 70%; 10 Towns In Northern Italy Put On Lockdown

S.Korea Coronavirus Cases Go Exponential As New Infections Soar By 70 % ; 10 Towns In Northern Italy Put On Lockdown • South Korea reported 142 new cases , up 70 % in one day , to 346 ; The country also reported its second death .
• China reported 397 new cases , bringing the total cases to 76,288 , and an additional 109 new deaths or 2,345 in total .
• China pledges to build 19 new hospitals in Wuhan • Hawaii hasn ’ t tested any suspected cases in the state • 253 more passengers depart the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evacuees in Nebraska test positive • Local authorities in China warn people will be punished for not returning to work if ordered • CDC says virus tremendous health threat , warns more human to human transmission of the virus in the US likely • South Korea reported massive jump in cases on Friday as total climbed to 204 • Global Times insinuates that US might be covering up coronavirus cases Update ( 2020ET ) : Earlier today , when describing the ludicrous lengths to which China has gone to mask the severity of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changes of what a Coronavirus infection means , and which saw another major jump in the last two days ’ cases after Hubei admitted it hadn ’ t tracked the recently unveiled prison cases , we said that there was a certain irony to China ’ s data massaging , namely that the more China manipulates the data , the less anyone will believe a positive outcome for the epidemic as a result of lower cases and will instead claim that this is just the result of Chinese propaganda : “ It points @ @ @ @ @ @ @ best to officially report the number of cases , leading to a loss of confidence in the true numbers , ” Oanda analyst Jeffrey Halley told Bloomberg .
“ That could mean that internationally , the rest of the world keeps China in lockdown for longer , which will not be good for the ‘ V-shaped recovery ’ projections.
” We then said that as China scrambles to goal seek its propaganda number , the world ’ s attention has shifted to what has emerged as the second coronavirus hotspot , South Korea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certainly not doctored , pardon the bad pun , and where there is a truly exponential increase in new cases , which are now doubling with every passing day in a terrible , if accurate , representation of what indeed happens when there is a viral epidemic .
Late on Friday we got painfully clear example of just this when China reported that on Feb 21 , there were just 397 new Coronavirus cases bringing the total to 76,288 , a plunge of more than 50 % from the previous day ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which is now completely meaningless in light of what has become a daily adjustment by China .
Meanwhile , the number of deaths , which China has so far failed to revise ( but will surely try before this is all over ) , rose by 109 to 2345 , and with the number of cases barely rising , it also means that the mortality rate his now hit a new lifetime high of 3.0 % .
Which also means that China has to pick : keep fabricating the number of cases while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mortality rate creep ever higher , or change the definition of death .
So if Chinese data is now meaningless ( and the only thing that matters is if and when its economy will come back on line ) , there is South Korea , and it is here that things have turned south quick .
Or rather north if one follows the latest number of cases , because one day after total South Korean cases doubled ( having doubled the day before that , and again the day prior ) , on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another stunning increase in the total number of cases which rose by 142 in one day , a 70 % increase from the prior day , to a new high of 346 ; Putting this stunning increase in context , China , which officially has over 76,000 cases , had just 397 cases , while South Korea with just 204 cases , had an increase of 142 , or about a third of all of China ’ s new cases !
South Korea also reported its second coronavirus linked death .
With the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tested for coronavirus surging to 5,481 , up from 3,180 last night , it is virtually certain that this exponential increase in new confirmed cases will last for quite a while , perhaps even longer than China ’ s , unless of course , South Korea learns from Beijing just how to change the “ definition ” of cases and fast .
Thanks to South Korea , the number of cases in the top 7 countries outside China with the most cases , including Iran , and excluding the Diamond Princess Cruise Ship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well .
And so , as at least one cluster of new coronavirus cases has emerged in South Korea , and many are waiting for a similar emergence in Japan where the fallout from the early breach of the Diamond Princess quarantine will hit the hardest in the coming days , more and more are finally asking : “ can it still be contained ?
” If the answer is no , Rabobank ’ s “ unthinkable ” coronavirus scenario comes into play , which for those who may have missed it , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) : Italy ’ s Corriere has just reported the first death from Covid-19 – a 77 year old man in Padua , Veneto region .
Authorities in northern Italy on Friday ordered the closure of schools , bars and other public spaces in 10 towns following a flurry of new coronavirus cases .
After 5 doctors and 10 other people tested positive for the virus in Lombardy , IBTimes reports that over 50,000 people have been asked to stay at home while all public activities such as carnival celebrations , church masses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to a week .
In a desperate attempt to reassure a public beginning to panic , Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said “ everything is under control ” , and stressed the government was maintaining “ an extremely high level of precaution ” .
In Casalpusterlengo , a large electronic message board outside the town hall read : More polite than the full martial law forced upon the people of Wuhan for sure .
Update ( 1645ET ) : Earlier this week , we reported that a Japanese man who had recently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a popular destination among Chinese and Japanese tourists .
Since then , things have been oddly quiet .
For those who have been hoping that this is because authorities found no evidence that the patient was infected in Hawaii or spread the virus to anyone else he came into contact with , well , we ’ re sorry to disappoint you .
Because journalists with the Star Advertiser discovered that the reason that officials haven ’ t had any news is because nobody has been tested .
And nobody has been tested , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any kits .
This report hit before today ’ s CDC press conference , where the agency once again noted the shortage of tests , and the lack of preparedness among most US states ( only three : Cali , Texas and Illinois are sufficiently prepared they said ) .
Until this changes , the CDC said it will centralize ‘ surge ’ testing at the CDC .
More likely than not , this means there ’ s probably a huuuuuge backlog of cases from around the country waiting to be tested .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was due to new cases from the Diamond Princess .
Perhaps the next round of infections might involve human-to-human transmission in the US .
Update ( 1615ET ) : As the week draws to a close , we ’ d like to share a video with readers that we found particularly helpful while trying to put the outbreak in context : Additionally , we ’ d like to add a little levity for readers who have grown weary of all the videos depicting terrifying scenes on mainland China , we saw this report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Apparently , the only thing a cruise ship is good for right now is transporting doctors to coronavirus hot spots .
Update ( 1455ET ) : The New York Times is reporting that at least 34 people in the United States are infected with the new coronavirus spreading from China , federal health officials said on Friday .
These include 21 cases among repatriated individuals , as well as 13 US cases .
This is a dramatic increase from the last reported case count of 16 , and Dr. Nancy Messonnier , director @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Respiratory Diseases , said at a news briefing , more infections are expected .
The Epoch Times reports that 8 CCP leaders were removed from their positions following the discovery of 207 cases of the virus inside Rencheng Prison in Shandong , one of three provinces where prison cases have been detected .
Just the latest reminder that officials can only hide things for so long with the coronavirus .
Any lies or dissembling will be exposed by the onslaught of COVID-19 .
Update ( 1240ET ) : As we mentioned below , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the American public during a press conference on Friday .
During the 12:15pm ET update , the organization warned that it had centralized ‘ surge ’ virus response due to a lack of testing kits and the fact that every state but three is unprepared for the epidemic .
During the press conference , the CDC described the virus as a “ tremendous public healht threat ” and warned that human to human transmission in the US is “ very possible , even likely.
” The announcement comes after the Washington Post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the State Department ’ s decision to bring the 14 Americans confirmed to have been infected with the virus aboard the ‘ Diamond Princess ’ back to the US with the other ~300 evacuees – thereby breaking the quarantine and risking a broader outbreak , and exposing many of the passengers on the flight who hadn ’ t been infected to the virus .
The CDC was so mad , it reportedly asked for its name to be removed from a press release about the evacuation .
We also noted at the time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and bring the 14 infected persons back seemed idiotic .
So far , it ’ s looking like that ’ s exactly what ’ s happening : As we noted earlier , 11 of 13 people quarantined in Nebraska have now tested positive .
Just imagine what happens if it hits Omaha , or Chicago .
Or New York ( which has already had a few scares ) : Earlier , WHO Director General Dr. Tedros warned that the “ window is narrowing ” to suppress the virus before it ’ s too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the language he used during the press conference late last month where the organization finally declared the virus a global pandemic .
At the time , he assured the public that the number of cases was still small .
“ Even now there ’ s a window of opportunity , ” he said.
” Update ( 1230ET ) : Remember those two hospitals that China slapped together in Wuhan that some have compared to prisons , and which have reportedly been rife with problems ?
Well , now China is planning to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more infected patients in Wuhan .
So far , the city of 11 million has converted 13 existing venues into hospitals , with a total of 13,348 beds .
The 19 new hospitals would create 30,000 beds , according to China ’ s Global Times .
In other news , minutes ago , two more coronavirus cases were confirmed in northern Italian region of Lombardy , bringing the country ’ s total announced on Friday to 16 .
Italy now has some 19 cases .
It ’ s unclear whether the patients were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Some 250 others are in isolation awaiting testing results .
Most of the cases have been found in northern Italy .
In the US , the CDC has warned that only three states , California , Nevada and Illinois , have the testing capacity needed to confront a coronavirus outbreak .
Until more become available , the CDC will be handling any necessary ‘ surge testing ’ .
They added that future human to human transmission in the US is possible , even ‘ likely ’ ( which is why the US probably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passengers in Japan ) .
Meanwhile , here ’ s what we ’ re looking at so far for cases ex-China in Asia .
Update ( 1215ET ) : It looks like Beijing is adopting a new media strategy : Imply that the US is concealing a massive outbreak .
The US is actually using some pretty scary surveillance tech to screen flu patients who seek treatment in American hospitals to root out any possible coronavirus cases that might have slipped through .
Update ( 1140ET ) : Japanese health officials and Carnival @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a mix of passengers and crew , presumably – who tested negative for the virus have disembarked from the ‘ Diamond Princess ’ on Friday .
It looks like the company has extended the de-boarding process by a day , as there are still some passengers on the ship who won ’ t leave until tomorrow .
Health experts and local officials ( probably all the way up to PM Shinzo Abe ) have been fretting about the possibility of an outbreak in Japan , especially with the Tokyo Olympics this summer .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Olympics like you can cancel the Tokyo Marathon .
This comes after US media reported earlier on Friday that 11 of the 13 ‘ Diamond Princess ’ evacuees taken to the University of Nebraska Medical Center ended up testing positive for the virus , which means more individuals must ’ ve caught it either just before departing , or in transit , as 14 individuals who tested positive at the last minute were allowed aboard the flight that some say broke the quarantine .
University of Nebraska Medical Center representative Taylor Wilson said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the facility ’ s National Quarantine Unit , while three others are in the biocontainment unit , according to USA Today .
Earlier this week , before they tested positive , Dr. Mike Wadman , the co-medical director of the National Quarantine Unit , said that all 13 would spend at least 2 weeks quarantined in Omaha .
By that time , one male patient had already been transferred to the hospital ’ s biocontainment unit because of severe symptoms including cough , fever and shortness of breath .
At the time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were exhibiting ‘ minor symptoms ’ .
As of last night , there were 634 confirmed cases of the virus stemming from the ‘ DP ’ , while 2 Japanese passengers passed away in Japan .
Update ( 1130ET ) : Epidemiologist had already warned that patients could be reinfected with the virus .
But the Epoch Times ’ Jennifer Zeng is sharing a report about a patient in Sichuan ( notably one of the provinces visited by WHO experts ) who was reinfected with the virus after recovering .
UPI reported earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discharged from hospitals after making a full recovery have been reinfected , citing reports in the People ’ s Daily on Friday .
One patient in Chengdu was discharged from a local hospital and was quarantined for 14 days at home , but somehow became reinfected .
And doctors quoted in the story said her case isn ’ t unique .
It ’ s also possible to catch the flu twice in one season , but that is rare .
Update ( 1100ET ) : Epoch Times ’ Jennifer Zeng is reporting that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has signaled to workers that they will be “ punished ” if they don ’ t report back to work .
And for everyone who gets infected , don ’ t expect your employer to deal with it , Zeng adds .
“ if you get infected , it is not a work-related injury .
You are on your own.
” That ’ s pretty chilling stuff , but as we pointed out yesterday , there ’ s an ongoing debate in parts of the country where case numbers aren ’ t as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government ’ s figures ) about whether keeping the economy on lockdown might be doing more harm then good .
And in order to prevent a repeat of what happened last time ( when millions just simply didn ’ t show up ) , it ’ s upping the ante for citizens who don ’ t abide by the state ’ s command .
The New York Times is reporting that , for the first time since the outbreak began , Chinese health officials acknowledged on Friday that their constant changes to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ confirmed case ’ have sown confusion and mistrust .
As we have assiduously reported , officials in Hubei have revised their case tallies three times now because of these shifting definitions .
in the province hardest hit by the coronavirus acknowledged for the first time on Friday that their methods of confirming and reporting infection numbers had sown confusion and mistrust .
They added that they would no longer subtract cases from the total .
The message comes just hours after state media reported new breakouts in a handful of Chinese prisons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s daily press conference from Switzerland , Director-General Dr. Tedros commented on the new cases and deaths reported in Iran , as well as Lebanon , which reported its first case this morning though hasn ’ t yet recorded a death .
Asked whether the situation is at a “ tipping point , ” Dr. Tedros replied that the “ window of opportunity ” for humanity to prevent an even more massive outbreak is rapidly closing .
“ The window of opportunity is narrowing , ” Dr. Tedros said , and humanity is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus before things get much , much worse .
You know , just some reassuring words to kick off the weekend with a little levity .
We ’ re starting to suspect that Dr. Tedros may have recently purchased some out-of-the-money S & P puts .
Seemingly responding to the growing number of ‘ armchair cranks ’ and ‘ conspiracy theorists ’ questioning why a WHO team of experts – a team that includes two Americans – hasn ’ t yet traveled to Wuhan , Dr. Tedros added that the team is planning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak on Saturday .
So far , the team has traveled to Beijing , Sichuan and Guangdong provinces .
The NYT has published an interesting interactive illustrating the huge drop in flights departing from China to the US and other major economies .
The disappearance of tens of thousands of flights leaving China shows “ how the coronavirus has hobbled a nation , ” the NYT said .
As the NYT reports , Oxford Economics said in a recent report that the outbreak could wipe $ 1.1 trillion from global output , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stammering on CNBC about this not being a ‘ US story ’ : It ’ s difficult to imagine a scenario where the US economy would walk away unaffected by this .
See it here .
In other news , Beijing continues to push the ‘ everything ’ s fine ; we ’ re winning ’ narrative .
Update ( 0725ET ) : Lebanon has confirmed its first case of COVID-9 .
The tiny Levantine state , which has swollen with refugees from nearby Syria in recent years , is in the middle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government is presently weighing whether to default on an upcoming loan payment , which could lead to deeply unpopular austerity measures , as Al Jazeera reports .
Earlier , Israel ’ s Health Ministry confirmed that an Israeli citizen contracted the virus while aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship ( 1 of 11 Israeli passengers ) .
She is currently under supervision and isolation in Israel .
All 11 were flown out of Japan and sent directly Friday into isolation at Sheba Tel Hashomer Hospital , where they will remain during a 2-week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Israel ’ s government announced a temporary travel ban on all foreign nationals who had traveled to Thailand , Singapore , Hong Kong and Macao during the past 2 weeks .
Following reports yesterday that two Beijing hospitals had been put under quarantine amid fears of a wider outbreak , WaPo reported that one district in Beijing has been found to have an “ infection density ” second only to Wuhan on mainland China .
This has served to further intensify concerns about what might happen when millions of Chinese return to work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the COVID-19 outbreak , they ’ ll remember this week as an important turning point in the crisis , when international public-health experts and investors started to focus their attention on South Korea , Japan and other countries in the region that have seen the number of new cases accelerate markedly in recent days .
Put another way , evidence that the virus is spreading more rapidly within other Asian countries outside mainland China has become impossible to ignore , which is probably why US futures are pointing to a lower open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bloomberg reminds us , South Korea has seen its total cases soar past 200 as the number of infections doubled in 24 hours .
Meanwhile , cases in Singapore and Japan have topped 85 , and let ’ s not forget the 600+ from the ‘ Diamond Princess ’ who have been excluded from the ‘ Japan ’ total .
At least as far as deaths are concerned , the numbers outside of China remain small : out of 2,247 deaths , only 13 have occurred in other regions ( this includes 2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago ) .
But there ’ s no getting around it : the spread of the virus will undoubtedly worsen the economic blowback , as one economist explained to BBG .
Last night , we reported on the latest case numbers out of South Korea , and more have already been recorded .
The current total is 204 .
Earlier this month , the WHO said China ’ s approach to tackling the virus should be a “ model ” for other governments facing similar outbreaks .
At the time , experts criticized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ propaganda .
But it looks like they might have been on to something .
Because as we reported late last night , the Blue House has ordered a ‘ special management zones ’ in the cities of Daegu and Cheongdo , or what appears to be a kind of ‘ soft ’ quarantine .
The government said that since they ’ ve failed to prevent an outbreak , they ’ re pivoting decidedly to a strategy of containment .
Just a few hours ago , Chinese state media reported that 500 cases – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in China on Friday – involved prisoners at a handful of jails across the country , according to the Washington Post .
Infections have been confirmed at five prisons in Shandong , Hubei and Zhejiang , according to China ’ s Ministry of Justice .
A prison in eastern Shandong province showed 207 out of 2,077 inmates and staff were infected , and the provincial justice department ’ s Communist Party secretary was dismissed as a result , the province announced .
Another jail in Zhejiang province found 34 cases .
Hubei province @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said Friday it found 220 new cases inside penitentiaries .
According to the Washington Post , the prison outbreaks underscore the virus ’ s easy transmissibility in confined spaces .
Even the Global Times acknowledged that the prison outbreaks have “ weakened ” Beijing ’ s claims that the virus is receding.. …Even as local officials adopt ever-more bizarre and draconian restrictions on individual movement .
Tests at a prison in eastern Shandong province showed 207 out of 2,077 inmates and staff were infected , and the provincial justice department ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ result , the province announced .
Another jail in Zhejiang province found 34 cases .
Hubei province , at the center of the outbreak , said Friday it found 220 new cases inside penitentiaries .
The prison outbreaks underscored the SARS-CoV-2 virus ’ s high transmissibility in confined spaces after the disease ravaged the Diamond Princess cruise ship docked in Japan .
While overall numbers remain low , thousands who fear they may have come into contact with a ‘ super-spreader ’ in Daegu , a city of 2.5 million about 2 hours @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who believed she was suffering from a simple cold because she had not traveled abroad , reportedly attended four church services at a “ cult-like ” church with 1,100 members in the city , as well as branches in other cities , including Seoul , where the mayor has ordered the local church closed until further notice .
Communist Party leaders made yet another public misstep overnight when health officials said they would once again change their ‘ criteria ’ for what constitutes a ‘ confirmed ’ case of COVID-19 back to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said they decided on the switch because they couldn ’ t subtract already confirmed cases from the total , which sounds…almost plausible .
On CNBC Friday morning , Eunice Yoon , the network ’ s reporter on the ground in Beijing , interviewed the owner of a Beijing restaurant discussing his fears about going out of business .
But as China slouches back to work , millions are worried that Beijing might sacrifice the public welfare to get a few factories up and running .
Looks like the cat ’ s out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Pyongyang Marathon , the country ’ s largest tourism money-maker , because of COVID-19 , according to the operators of several tour companies who spoke with AFP .
Beijing-based Koryo Tours , the official partner of the marathon , said on its website it had “ received official confirmation today that the Pyongyang Marathon 2020 is cancelled ” .
“ This is due to the ongoing closure of the North Korean border and COVID-19 virus situation in China and the greater region , ” it added .
North Korean officials have vehemently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Yalu River , evening becoming enraged at the US in response to an offer of assistance from the State Department .
Recently , a WHO official said there are “ no indications ” that the virus has arrived in North Korea , but considering that we ’ re talking about North Korea , that ’ s hardly surprising .
As the lockdowns in Beijing , Tianjin and other cities intensified over the last week , more Chinese were subjected to displays like this : On Friday , Japanese health officials and Carnival @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passengers and crew from their 14-day quarantine aboard the ‘ Diamond Princess ’ despite criticisms from the CDC that Japanese officials had failed to maintain the quarantine .
Right now , infectious disease experts see Japan as one of the riskiest places outside China , according to BBG .
Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said on Sunday that Japan had lost track of the route of some of the infection cases , which have tripled in the past week to more than 90 .
Iran just confirmed 13 more cases and 2 new deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city where some earlier cases had been detected , while also reporting that the virus has reached Tehran , according to Reuters .
So far , seven Iranians have been diagnosed in Qom , four in Tehran and two in Gilan , according to a tweet from the Iranian health ministry .
Iranian officials have acknowledged the possibility that the virus might have arrived in every major Iranian city .
Even in Korea , health officials say they their investigators can ’ t figure out how some of the outbreaks started .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now , the focus is on South Korea .
Last week , it briefly shifted to the UK before moving on to Japan .
Italy just reported another three cases , doubling its count from 3 to six .
Will they be next ?
Maybe Africa ?
This article was posted : Saturday , February 22 , 2020 at 6:21 am


prisonplanet--2020-02-23--NY Post: Don’t buy China’s story, the coronavirus may have leaked from a lab

NY Post : Don ’ t buy China ’ s story , the coronavirus may have leaked from a lab At an emergency meeting in Beijing held last Friday , Chinese leader Xi Jinping spoke about the need to contain the coronavirus and set up a system to prevent similar epidemics in the future .
A national system to control biosecurity risks must be put in place “ to protect the people ’ s health , ” Xi said , because lab safety is a “ national security ” issue .
Xi didn ’ t actually admit that the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ escaped from one of the country ’ s bioresearch labs .
But the very next day , evidence emerged suggesting that this is exactly what happened , as the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology released a new directive entitled : “ Instructions on strengthening biosecurity management in microbiology labs that handle advanced viruses like the novel coronavirus.
” Read that again .
It sure sounds like China has a problem keeping dangerous pathogens in test tubes where they belong , doesn ’ t it ?
And just how many “ microbiology labs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ advanced viruses like the novel coronavirus ” ?
It turns out that in all of China there is only one .
And this one is located in the Chinese city of Wuhan that just happens to be .
.
.
the epicenter of the epidemic .
This article was posted : Sunday , February 23 , 2020 at 7:22 am