thelibertydaily--2020-04-15--Fake News Wars: In New Book, ABC’s Jon Karl Admits Press Is Full of Trump Haters, RIPS Jim Acosta as

Fake News Wars: In New Book, ABC’s Jon Karl Admits Press Is Full of Trump Haters, RIPS Jim Acosta as ‘Rude’ Jerk

ABC News journalist Jon Karl ’ s just-released book Front Row at the Trump Show , features the usual denunciations of Donald Trump ’ s “ war on truth.
” But it diverges from screeds like Jim Acosta ’ s anti-Trump tome .
This one actually concedes the hard-left bias from the mainstream media .
Karl also hammers CNN counterpart Acosta as a “ rude ” opportunist who plays right into the hands of Donald Trump .
We at the Media Research Center read all 340 pages of Karl 's book .
Let 's begin with the admissions of just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the introduction on page XXII , Karl , the chief White House correspondent for ABC News slammed the President as a serial liar : “ The president is waging a war on truth , helping to convince millions of Americans that real news is fake , that journalists are partisans out to get him.
” On page 147 , chronicling the early days of the Trump White House , Karl again admits , almost as an aside , the “ relentlessly negative ” coverage and “ plenty ” of “ media bias.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relentlessly and exhaustively negative ” ?
Karl sounds like MRC Research Director Rich Noyes , who has consistently found network evening news coverage to be over 90 percent negative .
Reflecting on election night 2016 , the ABC correspondent offered an insider ’ s look at the network newsroom as it became apparent that Hillary Clinton would lose .
ABC News President James Goldston entered the studio to lecture the assembled crew of journalists .
His basic message : Stop acting so depressed over Trump winning .
“ It was after one A.M @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the race for Donald Trump , but it was finally clear to everybody he was going to win .
During a commercial break , ABC News President James Goldston came out to talk to those of us on the set .
I don ’ t remember his exact words , but I remember precisely the message .
He wanted us to snap out of it , step up the energy .
We were witnessing one of the greatest political upsets ever – maybe the greatest in American history .
Whatever anybody thought about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already there were signs of global panic , with international markets tanking and the value of the Mexican peso falling – this was one hell of a story.
” What was actually happening at ABC on Election night 2016 around 1 A.M. ?
Well , ABC News journalist Martha Raddatz was getting emotional , struggling to control herself as she reconciled a Clinton loss and a Trump victory .
Speaking of Trump on foreign policy , her voice quivered that night : “ I was also looking back [ voice breaks ] at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kaine has a son in the Marine Corps .
He was asked , by John Dickerson , ‘ So if Donald Trump is democratically elected , and your son is serving as a Marine , you would n't trust his life under that commander-in-chief ?
And Kaine said , ‘ I wouldn't.
” Struggling to hold it together , she continued , “ That 's a pretty extraordinary thing to say [ voice breaks ] if you have a son in the Marine Corps and you don ’ t trust the Commander in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] in the military defend the Constitution.
” Self-aggrandizing CNN journalist Jim Acosta comes up several times in the book .
Karl does not appear to be a fan .
Writing of then-President-elect Trump ’ s January 11 , 2017 press conference in which Acosta interrupted and screamed out questions , Karl wrote on page 110 : “ This was a press conference with more than one hundred reporters present .
At most only ten or fifteen were likely to be called on .
But as the press conference was nearing its end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increasingly agitated that he had not been called on .
As Trump called on NPR ’ s Mara Liasson , Acosta jumped up and tried to ask a question .
Trump wouldn ’ t have it .
‘ Your organization is terrible , ’ he said , waving him off ‘ You are attacking our news organization , can you give us a chance to ask a question , sir ?
’ Acosta responded , standing up and trying to take center stage .
Acosta kept speaking over the president-elect , as if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called on by the president-elect at that particular moment .
‘ Don ’ t be rude , ’ Trump said .
“ No , I ’ m not going to give you a question .
I ’ m not going to give you a question .
You are fake news.
’ It was an embarrassing start , I thought for the press corps and for the president-elect .
I hated to hear Trump denounce CNN at a press conference .
It was decidedly unpresidential .
But Acosta was , in fact , rudely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who wanted to ask a serious question .
Acosta was portraying himself as some kind of a righteous advocate for the free press , but to most of the reporters in the room , he was rudely interrupting a colleague as she was trying to ask her question.
” On Page 253 , Karl described another press conference in which Acosta left early to call for journalistic protests against Trump : “ A few minutes later , Acosta quietly left the room .
Not many people noticed ; CNN ’ s seat is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was almost over .
It ’ s not unusual for a reporter to leave a briefing early , but Jim later said he left in protest .
As soon as Sanders left , Acosta was back in the briefing room to do a live report on CNN .
And now he was calling for a real protest .
A protest led by reporters .
‘ There ’ s no government official here , but I ’ ll say that the press is not the enemy of the people , ’ he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ think maybe we should make some bumper stickers .
Make some buttons , you know , maybe we should go out to Pennsylvania Avenue like those folks who chant ‘ CNN sucks ’ and ‘ fake news , ’ maybe we should go out , all journalists and chant ‘ We ’ re not the enemy of the people , ’ because I ’ m tired of this.
’ It was a moment that could have been scripted by the president .
Here was the chief White House correspondent for a major news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strategy of portraying th press as the opposition party .
Reporters should protest outside the White House ?
Really ?
I appreciate Jim ’ s passion in taking offense to the label ‘ enemy of the people ’ – I share it—but the surest way to undermine the credibility of the White House press corps is to behave like the political opposition .
Report the facts .
Investigate .
Ask the hard questions .
Don ’ t give speeches from the White House briefing room and , for heaven ’ s sake , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against the President in Lafayette Park.
” Karl ended the book by citing the White House Correspondents Association charter .
He concluded , “ It has and will continue to survive challenging times and flawed reporters just as surely as it will survive flawed presidents.
” The book mostly focusing on the flaws of the current president .
Flaws of liberal and biased journalists are relegated to the few mentions above .
If only reporters were capable of a little more self reflection , perhaps the country would have a more balanced press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another White House book by a reporter , this one by Acosta , see NewsBusters managing editor Curtis Houck ’ s review .

ABC News journalist Jon Karl’s just-released book Front Row at the Trump Show, features the usual denunciations of Donald Trump’s “war on truth.” But it diverges from screeds like Jim Acosta’s anti-Trump tome. This one actually concedes the hard-left bias from the mainstream media. Karl also hammers CNN counterpart Acosta as a “rude” opportunist who plays right into the hands of Donald Trump.
We at the Media Research Center read all 340 pages of Karl's book. Let's begin with the admissions of just how biased the press is:
In the introduction on page XXII, Karl, the chief White House correspondent for ABC News slammed the President as a serial liar: “The president is waging a war on truth, helping to convince millions of Americans that real news is fake, that journalists are partisans out to get him.”
But Karl then concedes:
“But the truth is that the mainstream media coverage of Donald Trump is relentlessly and exhaustively negative. His accomplishments – and there are accomplishments – are either ignored or overshadowed by the drumbeat of outrage fueled by his own outrageous behavior.”
On page 147, chronicling the early days of the Trump White House, Karl again admits, almost as an aside, the “relentlessly negative” coverage and “plenty” of “media bias.”
“As he settled into the White House, Donald Trump actually had good reason to be outraged by what was being reported about his administration. The biggest issue wasn’t the relentlessly negative tone of the news coverage, although it was certainly relentlessly negative. And the central problem wasn’t media bias, although there was plenty of that. The real issue was closer to home: Private details of the inner workings of his White House were all over the news.”
The media coverage of Trump is “relentlessly and exhaustively negative”? Karl sounds like MRC Research Director Rich Noyes, who has consistently found network evening news coverage to be over 90 percent negative.
Reflecting on election night 2016, the ABC correspondent offered an insider’s look at the network newsroom as it became apparent that Hillary Clinton would lose. ABC News President James Goldston entered the studio to lecture the assembled crew of journalists. His basic message: Stop acting so depressed over Trump winning.
From page 87:
“It was after one A.M, and we had not yet called the race for Donald Trump, but it was finally clear to everybody he was going to win. During a commercial break, ABC News President James Goldston came out to talk to those of us on the set. I don’t remember his exact words, but I remember precisely the message. He wanted us to snap out of it, step up the energy. We were witnessing one of the greatest political upsets ever – maybe the greatest in American history. Whatever anybody thought about the impact of that upset – and already there were signs of global panic, with international markets tanking and the value of the Mexican peso falling – this was one hell of a story.”
What was actually happening at ABC on Election night 2016 around 1 A.M.? Well, ABC News journalist Martha Raddatz was getting emotional, struggling to control herself as she reconciled a Clinton loss and a Trump victory.
Speaking of Trump on foreign policy, her voice quivered that night: “I was also looking back [voice breaks] at an interview Tim Kaine gave. Tim Kaine has a son in the Marine Corps. He was asked, by John Dickerson, ‘So if Donald Trump is democratically elected, and your son is serving as a Marine, you wouldn't trust his life under that commander-in-chief? And Kaine said, ‘I wouldn't.”
Struggling to hold it together, she continued, “That's a pretty extraordinary thing to say [voice breaks] if you have a son in the Marine Corps and you don’t trust the Commander in Chief. The people [voice breaks] in the military defend the Constitution.”
Self-aggrandizing CNN journalist Jim Acosta comes up several times in the book. Karl does not appear to be a fan. Writing of then-President-elect Trump’s January 11, 2017 press conference in which Acosta interrupted and screamed out questions, Karl wrote on page 110:
“This was a press conference with more than one hundred reporters present. At most only ten or fifteen were likely to be called on. But as the press conference was nearing its end, CNN’s Jim Acosta grew increasingly agitated that he had not been called on. As Trump called on NPR’s Mara Liasson, Acosta jumped up and tried to ask a question. Trump wouldn’t have it. ‘Your organization is terrible,’ he said, waving him off ‘You are attacking our news organization, can you give us a chance to ask a question, sir?’ Acosta responded, standing up and trying to take center stage. … Acosta kept speaking over the president-elect, as if he had a constitutional right to be called on by the president-elect at that particular moment. ‘Don’t be rude,’ Trump said. “No, I’m not going to give you a question. I’m not going to give you a question. You are fake news.’ It was an embarrassing start, I thought for the press corps and for the president-elect. I hated to hear Trump denounce CNN at a press conference. It was decidedly unpresidential. But Acosta was, in fact, rudely interrupting Mara Liasson, a well-respected journalist who wanted to ask a serious question. Acosta was portraying himself as some kind of a righteous advocate for the free press, but to most of the reporters in the room, he was rudely interrupting a colleague as she was trying to ask her question.”
On Page 253, Karl described another press conference in which Acosta left early to call for journalistic protests against Trump:
“A few minutes later, Acosta quietly left the room. Not many people noticed; CNN’s seat is right by the door and the briefing was almost over. It’s not unusual for a reporter to leave a briefing early, but Jim later said he left in protest. As soon as Sanders left, Acosta was back in the briefing room to do a live report on CNN. And now he was calling for a real protest. A protest led by reporters. ‘There’s no government official here, but I’ll say that the press is not the enemy of the people,’ he said. ‘And, you know, I think maybe we should make some bumper stickers. Make some buttons, you know, maybe we should go out to Pennsylvania Avenue like those folks who chant ‘CNN sucks’ and ‘fake news,’ maybe we should go out, all journalists and chant ‘We’re not the enemy of the people,’ because I’m tired of this.’ It was a moment that could have been scripted by the president. Here was the chief White House correspondent for a major news network playing right into the explicit Trump strategy of portraying th press as the opposition party. Reporters should protest outside the White House? Really? I appreciate Jim’s passion in taking offense to the label ‘enemy of the people’ – I share it—but the surest way to undermine the credibility of the White House press corps is to behave like the political opposition. Report the facts. Investigate. Ask the hard questions. Don’t give speeches from the White House briefing room and, for heaven’s sake, don’t talk about holding protests against the President in Lafayette Park.”
Karl ended the book by citing the White House Correspondents Association charter. He concluded, “It has and will continue to survive challenging times and flawed reporters just as surely as it will survive flawed presidents.” The book mostly focusing on the flaws of the current president. Flaws of liberal and biased journalists are relegated to the few mentions above. If only reporters were capable of a little more self reflection, perhaps the country would have a more balanced press.
To see how the MRC reviewed another White House book by a reporter, this one by Acosta, see NewsBusters managing editor Curtis Houck’s review.


thelibertydaily--2020-04-15--Communist Propaganda Site ‘Salon’: Trump and White Christian Nationalist Using Virus to Undermine De

Communist Propaganda Site ‘Salon’: Trump and White Christian Nationalist Using Virus to Undermine Democracy

It would be easy to chalk up Salon staff writer Chauncey DeVega ’ s latest piece to the stress of virus lockdown .
It ’ s a long , ominous and deeply paranoid warning about “ racial authoritarians , along with other white neo-fascists ” led by Donald Trump using the coronavirus pandemic “ to advance their goal of undermining multiracial , pluralist democracy.
” It ’ s just the kind of screed one imagines coming from a mind fevered with the strain of isolation and relative powerlessness .
But then you look at what DeVega has been writing for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paranoid is his oeuvre .
He ’ s batty .
Still , “ Trump 's darkness : White supremacy , Christian nationalism and the coronavirus ” is special even for a guy who gets paid to imagine and write about an America of festering racism , sexism , homophobia and all sorts of related oppression .
The white Christian menace is “ using this crisis to engage in terrorism and other acts of political violence — along with other , deeper machinations , ” DeVega writes .
“ Reportedly , some white supremacists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus as a biological weapon to infect and kill nonwhites , Jews , Muslims and other targeted groups.
” Yeah , there are crazies out there , to be sure .
Just today Germany arrested four ISIS members who were plotting to blow up U.S. military bases there .
But DeVega ’ s only worried about certain kinds of terror : It ’ s at this point futile to mention that SPLC has less credibility than the Chinese Communist Party .
Woke activists like DeVega keep going to the poisoned well of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goes for slander too .
“ White supremacy and white nationalism are central to the Trump phenomenon , which has effectively conquered the Republican Party , the right-wing news media and their collective public.
” And get this : “ White Christian conservatives are Trump 's most stalwart supporters .
He enjoys a 99 percent level of support among them .
This is the very definition of a cult.
” Sorta like the support blacks gave Obama … are we allowed to call them a cult ?
And clearly , white Christian conservative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ How do we know ?
“ Black Americans are much more likely to be both hospitalized and die from the coronavirus than are other groups in the country.
” Ahah !
How is Trump giving them the virus ?
Does he send out infected federal agents to lick the doorknobs in black neighborhoods ?
Well , no .
DeVega allows that “ There are many factors which explain that disproportionate outcome.
” And every last one of them has to do with -- wait for it !
-- “ dramatic social inequality ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white Christian nationalist supremacist neo-Nazis .
And they aim to use the virus to be mean to everyone else .
“ As reported by civil liberties and human rights groups such as the ACLU , the coronavirus is imperiling the lives of people being held in Trump 's concentration camps and other detention centers , ” DeVega asserts .
“ Trump 's ICE enforcers are also using the pandemic as an opportunity to further terrorize nonwhite immigrant communities by launching raids when so many people are confined at home and therefore easier to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get worked up about the civil rights of people who are in the country illegally and therefore have no civil rights .
It is ironic that the most prominent civil rights violations have been against Christians trying to go to Easter service , and that most of the petty tyrants emerging from the crisis are aligned with DeVega -- check out the dictatorship running Michigan right now .
But DeVega accounts for that , and he knows what white people are really on about with their constitution and independence talk : I imagine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to express such hatred -- and that ’ s what it is -- with impunity .
It must make virus lockdown easier to take .
Still , when this is all over , Chauncey should get out more .

It would be easy to chalk up Salon staff writer Chauncey DeVega’s latest piece to the stress of virus lockdown. It’s a long, ominous and deeply paranoid warning about “racial authoritarians, along with other white neo-fascists” led by Donald Trump using the coronavirus pandemic “to advance their goal of undermining multiracial, pluralist democracy.” It’s just the kind of screed one imagines coming from a mind fevered with the strain of isolation and relative powerlessness.
But then you look at what DeVega has been writing for years and realize that ominous and deeply paranoid is his oeuvre. He’s batty. Still, “Trump's darkness: White supremacy, Christian nationalism and the coronavirus” is special even for a guy who gets paid to imagine and write about an America of festering racism, sexism, homophobia and all sorts of related oppression.
The white Christian menace is “using this crisis to engage in terrorism and other acts of political violence — along with other, deeper machinations,” DeVega writes. “Reportedly, some white supremacists have strategized online about how to use the coronavirus as a biological weapon to infect and kill nonwhites, Jews, Muslims and other targeted groups.”
Yeah, there are crazies out there, to be sure. Just today Germany arrested four ISIS members who were plotting to blow up U.S. military bases there. But DeVega’s only worried about certain kinds of terror:
These plots reflect a rising tide of white supremacist and other right-wing violence during the Age of Trump. To point: The Southern Poverty Law Center reports a 50 percent growth in the number of white nationalist groups from 2017 to 2019.
It’s at this point futile to mention that SPLC has less credibility than the Chinese Communist Party. Woke activists like DeVega keep going to the poisoned well of dubious statistics and dishonest allegations.
He goes for slander too. “White supremacy and white nationalism are central to the Trump phenomenon, which has effectively conquered the Republican Party, the right-wing news media and their collective public.”
And get this: “White Christian conservatives are Trump's most stalwart supporters. He enjoys a 99 percent level of support among them. This is the very definition of a cult.” Sorta like the support blacks gave Obama … are we allowed to call them a cult?
And clearly, white Christian conservative cultists are all in it together. How do we know? “Black Americans are much more likely to be both hospitalized and die from the coronavirus than are other groups in the country.” Ahah! How is Trump giving them the virus? Does he send out infected federal agents to lick the doorknobs in black neighborhoods? Well, no. DeVega allows that “There are many factors which explain that disproportionate outcome.”
And every last one of them has to do with -- wait for it! -- “dramatic social inequality” that’s the creation of fascist white Christian nationalist supremacist neo-Nazis. And they aim to use the virus to be mean to everyone else.
“As reported by civil liberties and human rights groups such as the ACLU, the coronavirus is imperiling the lives of people being held in Trump's concentration camps and other detention centers,” DeVega asserts. “Trump's ICE enforcers are also using the pandemic as an opportunity to further terrorize nonwhite immigrant communities by launching raids when so many people are confined at home and therefore easier to target.”
It’s tough to get worked up about the civil rights of people who are in the country illegally and therefore have no civil rights. It is ironic that the most prominent civil rights violations have been against Christians trying to go to Easter service, and that most of the petty tyrants emerging from the crisis are aligned with DeVega -- check out the dictatorship running Michigan right now.
But DeVega accounts for that, and he knows what white people are really on about with their constitution and independence talk:
Trump's followers are not really threatened by the coronavirus — or at least they believe they're not. For them, the coronavirus is a metaphor or representation of a general racial paranoia about a country they imagine as imperiled by changing demographics. The coronavirus is also seen as an imposition on the "freedom" of white people in the form of "big government" and "political correctness" — code words laden with racial resentment and hostility toward "elites" — and as a threat to continued white privilege.
I imagine it's sort of freeing to be able to express such hatred -- and that’s what it is -- with impunity. It must make virus lockdown easier to take. Still, when this is all over, Chauncey should get out more.


thelibertydaily--2020-04-15--President Trump Says He’ll Announce New Guidelines Thursday For Reopening The Country

President Donald Trump announced at Wednesday ’ s coronavirus press briefing that he plans to unveil on Thursday a new set of guidelines for reopening the country .
The president has expressed his desire to reopen the economy on May 1 , immediately following the conclusion of the current social distancing guidelines issued by the White House coronavirus task force .
“ All of American society is engaged and mobilized in the war against the invisible enemy , ” he told reporters gathered in the White House Rose Garden .
“ It is clear that our strategy is working , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : White House Officials Counter Pelosi ’ s Claim That Trump ’ s WHO Cuts Are ‘ Illegal ’ ) “ The data suggests that nationwide we have passed the peak on new cases , ” he continued .
“ Hopefully that will continue , and we will continue to make great progress.
” Trump noted that the new “ developments have put us in a very strong position to finalize guidelines for states for reopening the country.
” “ We will have a news conference tomorrow sometime during the afternoon .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be talking about various states , and it ’ s very exciting.
” Trump additionally touched on his Wednesday teleconferences with business leaders from multiple different industries on how to reopen the economy .
“ These experts and innovators provided productive feedback on how to reboot our economy , ” the president explained .
“ They gave us a lot of good ideas.
” In recent days , Trump has clashed with state governors over the timeline , and who ultimately holds the authority , for reopening communities .
The president suggested Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ force will pass along to governors on reopening their communities could be approved prior to May 1 .
On Monday , he insinuated that the president has “ total ” authority on such matters , prompting widespread criticism from governors , constitutional scholars and others .

President Donald Trump announced at Wednesday’s coronavirus press briefing that he plans to unveil on Thursday a new set of guidelines for reopening the country.
The president has expressed his desire to reopen the economy on May 1, immediately following the conclusion of the current social distancing guidelines issued by the White House coronavirus task force.
“All of American society is engaged and mobilized in the war against the invisible enemy,” he told reporters gathered in the White House Rose Garden. “It is clear that our strategy is working, and very strongly working.” (EXCLUSIVE: White House Officials Counter Pelosi’s Claim That Trump’s WHO Cuts Are ‘Illegal’)
“The data suggests that nationwide we have passed the peak on new cases,” he continued. “Hopefully that will continue, and we will continue to make great progress.”
Trump noted that the new “developments have put us in a very strong position to finalize guidelines for states for reopening the country.”
“We will have a news conference tomorrow sometime during the afternoon. We will be announcing guidelines, and will be talking about various states, and it’s very exciting.”
WATCH:
Trump additionally touched on his Wednesday teleconferences with business leaders from multiple different industries on how to reopen the economy.
“These experts and innovators provided productive feedback on how to reboot our economy,” the president explained. “They gave us a lot of good ideas.”
WATCH:
In recent days, Trump has clashed with state governors over the timeline, and who ultimately holds the authority, for reopening communities.
The president suggested Tuesday that the plans he and the task force will pass along to governors on reopening their communities could be approved prior to May 1. On Monday, he insinuated that the president has “total” authority on such matters, prompting widespread criticism from governors, constitutional scholars and others.


thelibertydaily--2020-04-15--Mexifornia Democrats Offering $125 Million In Chi-Com Virus Assistance To Illegal Aliens

California will dole out $ 125 million in coronavirus assistance to illegal aliens living in the state , California Gov .
Gavin Newsom said during a press briefing Wednesday .
The announced disaster relief assistance program is a public-private partnership with $ 75 million in funds being covered by taxpayers and another $ 50 million by philanthropic donations .
“ California is the most diverse state in the nation , ” Newsom , a Democrat , said in a prepared statement .
“ Our diversity makes us stronger and more resilient.
” “ Every Californian , including our undocumented neighbors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is here to support them during this crisis , ” he continued.
” We are all in this together.
” The Disaster Relief Fund is intended for illegal aliens living in California who don ’ t qualify for the stimulus package Congress passed in March .
Individuals can receive a one-time cash benefit of up to $ 500 and households can receive up to $ 1,000 to deal with the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic .
The state expects to dole out cash to roughly 150,000 illegal alien adults .
Newsom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s workforce is undocumented .
“ Many Californians are one paycheck away from losing their homes or from being able to put food on their tables , and COVID-19 has only made these challenges worse , ” the governor said .
“ California is focused on getting relief dollars and unemployment assistance in the hands of those who need it as quickly as possible.
” ( RELATED : Los Angeles Will Hand Out Pre-Paid Debit Cards To Illegal Aliens ) Individuals can begin applying for the Disaster Relief Fund in May .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ California meant to help the undocumented during the coronavirus pandemic .
Newsom already announced the launch of a relief program for businesses in the state that are run by illegal aliens , and earlier in April he confirmed that he is working with Democrats in the California state legislature on a fund for those living in the country illegally .
Democrats in Congress and across the country have urged that taxpayer dollars be used to help illegal aliens during the crisis .
A debate will likely take place as to wether the undocumented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relief package .
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience .
For licensing opportunities of our original content , please contact licensing @ dailycallernewsfoundation.org .

California will dole out $125 million in coronavirus assistance to illegal aliens living in the state, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said during a press briefing Wednesday.
The announced disaster relief assistance program is a public-private partnership with $75 million in funds being covered by taxpayers and another $50 million by philanthropic donations.
“California is the most diverse state in the nation,” Newsom, a Democrat, said in a prepared statement. “Our diversity makes us stronger and more resilient.”
“Every Californian, including our undocumented neighbors and friends, should know that California is here to support them during this crisis,” he continued.”We are all in this together.”
The Disaster Relief Fund is intended for illegal aliens living in California who don’t qualify for the stimulus package Congress passed in March. Individuals can receive a one-time cash benefit of up to $500 and households can receive up to $1,000 to deal with the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
The state expects to dole out cash to roughly 150,000 illegal alien adults. Newsom on Wednesday said 10% of California’s workforce is undocumented.
“Many Californians are one paycheck away from losing their homes or from being able to put food on their tables, and COVID-19 has only made these challenges worse,” the governor said. “California is focused on getting relief dollars and unemployment assistance in the hands of those who need it as quickly as possible.” (RELATED: Los Angeles Will Hand Out Pre-Paid Debit Cards To Illegal Aliens)
Individuals can begin applying for the Disaster Relief Fund in May.
This is not the first initiative in California meant to help the undocumented during the coronavirus pandemic.
Newsom already announced the launch of a relief program for businesses in the state that are run by illegal aliens, and earlier in April he confirmed that he is working with Democrats in the California state legislature on a fund for those living in the country illegally.
Democrats in Congress and across the country have urged that taxpayer dollars be used to help illegal aliens during the crisis. A debate will likely take place as to wether the undocumented should be included in the next federal relief package.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.


thelibertydaily--2020-04-15--Climate Commies Hope to Exploit Chi-Com Virus Panic to ‘Permanently’ Remove Cars From the Road

The Pandemic Could Be an Opportunity to Remake Cities Excerpt : Cities from Bogota to Oakland are closing streets to make room for pedestrians and bikers .
Urbanists think we ’ d be healthier if such changes were permanent… .
The problem with curtailing the supply of open space , though , is that it doesn ’ t reduce demand .
People still need to go outside , some to work , others to play , all to keep their sanity intact .
Now , though , the demand comes chiefly from people on foot , rather than in vehicles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a chance to save city dwellers not just from the sweep of a pandemic , but from the auto-centric culture that has dominated urban life for decades .
They want to prioritize the movement of people—pedestrians , cyclists , transit users , and their ilk—over cars .
This isn ’ t just opportunism , a shot at grabbing street space while most cars are parked .
A range of tactics long demanded by urbanists can make life outside more pleasant and practical amidst the Covid-19 pandemic .
And depending on how much life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic has passed , the moves could change cities for the better , and for the long term .

Thank you for being patient. We are doing some work on the site and will be back shortly.


thelibertydaily--2020-04-15--Climate Commies See Upside to Chi-Com Virus Panic: ‘The Machine of Capitalism has Slowed Dramaticall

Climate Commies See Upside to Chi-Com Virus Panic: ‘The Machine of Capitalism has Slowed Dramatically’

Brooke Russell in Santa Barbara Independent : `` The tangibility of COVID-19 is overshadowing the looming existential threat of climate change , an issue that has much higher potential for complete and utter global devastation . ''
... `` Even in the most tragic of times , however , a silver lining ultimately prevails .
As roads empty and people sequester themselves , the machine of capitalism has slowed dramatically , prompting environmental healing . ''
`` While many Americans , as well as people across the globe , maintain a singular focus on the pandemic , the prominent threat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Excerpts : …the tangibility of COVID-19 is overshadowing the looming existential threat of climate change , an issue that has much higher potential for complete and utter global devastation .
Even in the most tragic of times , however , a silver lining ultimately prevails .
As roads empty and people sequester themselves , the machine of capitalism has slowed dramatically , prompting environmental healing .
Viral articles detail miracles such as the vacancy of boat traffic in Venice that has prompted dolphins and swans to make an appearance .
Though some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , scientific data and satellites reinforce that COVID-19 has had a positive environmental impact .
In densely populated cities such as Los Angeles , Seattle , and New York , satellite imagery shows a major decrease in emissions .
As people share these feel-good articles on social media and the like , the greater ramifications of these phenomena are still lost on many .
This global pause has served as proof that we do , in fact , have the capacity to halt industries and disastrous environmental practices .
While many are eager @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ordinary life , the fact of the matter is , our current practices are unsustainable at every level .
As we flatten the curve and society returns to some semblance of normalcy , my hope is that this catastrophe helps us redefine a different future .
COVID-19 is a reminder that whether it ’ s a pandemic or broad sweeping anthropogenic climate change , humans are not immune to catastrophe in the many forms it may assume .
Going back to the way things were , when possible , will be transitioning from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if it ’ s a less obvious one .
While many Americans , as well as people across the globe , maintain a singular focus on the pandemic , the prominent threat of climate change is being overlooked .
Public health is paramount , as the response to COVID-19 has indicated .
Why treat climate change any differently ?


thelibertydaily--2020-04-15--Four Michigan Sheriffs: We Will Not Enforce Democrat Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s Unconstitutional Ed

Four Michigan Sheriffs: We Will Not Enforce Democrat Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s Unconstitutional Edicts

Four Michigan county sheriffs said in a letter on Wednesday that they will not strictly enforce Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer ’ s ( D ) aggressive stay-at-home orders , emphasizing their oath to “ uphold and defend the Michigan Constitution , as well as the U.S. Constitution , and to ensure that your God-given rights are not violated.
” Sheriffs of Michigan ’ s 101st House District , covering the counties of Manistee , Benzie , Leelanau , and Mason , spoke out against Whitmer ’ s stringent orders , forbidding residents ’ “ nonessential ” visits to neighbors , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also restricts retailers from selling items deemed “ nonessential.
” Those include gardening items , furniture , child car seats , and certain home improvement goods .
While the Michigan sheriffs stated that they understand Whitmer ’ s desire to protect the public , they “ question some restrictions that she has imposed as overstepping her executive authority.
” “ She has created a vague framework of emergency laws that only confuse Michigan citizens , ” they wrote , noting that they will not have “ strict enforcement of these orders.
” Rather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case as an individual situation and apply common sense in assessing the apparent violation.
” “ Each of us took an oath to uphold and defend the Michigan Constitution , as well as the US Constitution , and to ensure that your God given rights are not violated , ” the sheriffs wrote .
“ We believe that we are the last line of defense in protecting your civil liberties.
” They also emphasized the need to focus on the reopening of their counties and getting people back to work while continuing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distancing .
“ We also need to be aware that this virus is deadly and that we need to continue to practice social distancing , washing of hands , wearing of masks as well as other medically recommended measures , ” they wrote .
“ Allowing those without paychecks back to work is imperative to the economic success and well-being of our community .
We can do this in stages , especially those that work outside , ” they continued .
The letter coincides with Wednesday ’ s mass protest in Lansing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oppose Whitmer ’ s aggressive actions .

Four Michigan county sheriffs said in a letter on Wednesday that they will not strictly enforce Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s (D) aggressive stay-at-home orders, emphasizing their oath to “uphold and defend the Michigan Constitution, as well as the U.S. Constitution, and to ensure that your God-given rights are not violated.”
Sheriffs of Michigan’s 101st House District, covering the counties of Manistee, Benzie, Leelanau, and Mason, spoke out against Whitmer’s stringent orders, forbidding residents’ “nonessential” visits to neighbors, friends, or relatives. The order also restricts retailers from selling items deemed “nonessential.” Those include gardening items, furniture, child car seats, and certain home improvement goods.
While the Michigan sheriffs stated that they understand Whitmer’s desire to protect the public, they “question some restrictions that she has imposed as overstepping her executive authority.”
“She has created a vague framework of emergency laws that only confuse Michigan citizens,” they wrote, noting that they will not have “strict enforcement of these orders.” Rather, they will “deal with every case as an individual situation and apply common sense in assessing the apparent violation.”
“Each of us took an oath to uphold and defend the Michigan Constitution, as well as the US Constitution, and to ensure that your God given rights are not violated,” the sheriffs wrote. “We believe that we are the last line of defense in protecting your civil liberties.”
They also emphasized the need to focus on the reopening of their counties and getting people back to work while continuing to practice common safety suggestions, like social distancing.
“We also need to be aware that this virus is deadly and that we need to continue to practice social distancing, washing of hands, wearing of masks as well as other medically recommended measures,” they wrote.
“Allowing those without paychecks back to work is imperative to the economic success and well-being of our community. We can do this in stages, especially those that work outside,” they continued.
The letter, signed by Mason County Sheriff Kim Cole, Manistee County Sheriff Ken Falk, Benzie County Sheriff Ted Schendel, and Leelanau County Sheriff Mike Borkovich, concluded:
Together, as a community, we will overcome this pandemic, and as Americans, we will persevere and come out even stronger than before. As sheriffs of your community we want you to know we have your back and will continue to serve the people who have entrusted us with your protection.
Mason County Sheriff, Benzie County Sheriff, Manistee County Sheriff, and Leelanau County Sheriff say they will next strictly enforce @GovWhitmer's Executive Orders pic.twitter.com/CewjVToFDD — Nick Ponton (@nick_ponton) April 15, 2020
Mason County Sheriff, Benzie County Sheriff, Manistee County Sheriff, and Leelanau County Sheriff say they will next strictly enforce @GovWhitmer's Executive Orders pic.twitter.com/CewjVToFDD — Nick Ponton (@nick_ponton) April 15, 2020
The letter coincides with Wednesday’s mass protest in Lansing, Michigan, that drew frustrated residents who oppose Whitmer’s aggressive actions.


thelibertydaily--2020-04-15--The Chi-Com Virus and the War on Cash: What Is Behind the Push for a Cashless Society?

Cash may well become a casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic .
As these COVID-19 lockdowns drag out , more and more individuals and businesses are going cashless ( for convenience and in a so-called effort to avoid spreading coronavirus germs ) , engaging in online commerce or using digital forms of currency ( bank cards , digital wallets , etc. )
.
As a result , physical cash is no longer king .
Yet there are other , more devious , reasons for this re-engineering of society away from physical cash : a cashless society—easily monitored , controlled , manipulated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the hands of the government ( and its corporate partners ) .
To this end , the government and its corporate partners-in-crime have been waging a subtle war on cash for some time now .
What is this war on cash ?
It ’ s a concerted campaign to shift consumers towards a digital mode of commerce that can easily be monitored , tracked , tabulated , mined for data , hacked , hijacked and confiscated when convenient .
According to economist Steve Forbes , “ The real reason for this war @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then work your way down—is an ugly power grab by Big Government .
People will have less privacy : Electronic commerce makes it easier for Big Brother to see what we ’ re doing , thereby making it simpler to bar activities it doesn ’ t like , such as purchasing salt , sugar , big bottles of soda and Big Macs.
” Much like the war on drugs and the war on terror , this so-called “ war on cash ” is being sold to the public as a means of fighting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and now COVID-19 germs .
Digital currency provides the government and its corporate partners with the ultimate method to track , control you and punish you .
In recent years , just the mere possession of significant amounts of cash could implicate you in suspicious activity and label you a criminal .
The rationale ( by police ) is that cash is the currency for illegal transactions given that it ’ s harder to track , can be used to pay illegal immigrants , and denies the government its share of the “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paper money will help law enforcement fight crime and help the government realize more revenue .
Despite what we know about the government and its history of corruption , bumbling , fumbling and data breaches , not to mention how easily technology can be used against us , the campaign to do away with cash is really not a hard sell .
It ’ s not a hard sell , that is , if you know the right buttons to push , and the government has become a grand master in the art @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what it wants .
Remember , this is the same government that plans to use behavioral science tactics to “ nudge ” citizens to comply with the government ’ s public policy and program initiatives .
It ’ s also not a hard sell if you belong to the Digital Generation , that segment of the population for whom technology is second nature and “ the first generation born into a world that has never not known digital life.
” And it ’ s certainly not a hard sell if you belong to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their cell phones to pay bills , purchase goods , and transfer funds .
In much the same way that Americans have opted into government surveillance through the convenience of GPS devices and cell phones , digital cash—the means of paying with one ’ s debit card , credit card or cell phone—is becoming the de facto commerce of the American police state .
Not too long ago , it was estimated that smart phones would replace cash and credit cards altogether by 2020 .
Right on schedule , a growing number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certain airlines , hotels , rental car companies , restaurants and retail stores .
In Sweden , even the homeless and churches accept digital cash .
Making the case for “ never , ever carrying cash ” in lieu of a digital wallet , journalist Lisa Rabasca Roepe argues that cash is inconvenient , ATM access is costly , and it ’ s now possible to reimburse people using digital apps such as Venmo .
Thus , there ’ s no longer a need for cash .
“ More and more retailers and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Google Wallet , Samsung Pay , and Android Pay , ” notes Roepe .
“ PayPal 's app is now accepted at many chain stores including Barnes & Noble , Foot Locker , Home Depot , and Office Depot .
Walmart and CVS have both developed their own payment apps while their competitors Target and RiteAid are working on their own apps.
” It ’ s not just cash that is going digital , either .
A growing number of states are looking to adopt digital driver ’ s licenses that would reside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would include all of the information contained on your printed license , along with a few “ extras ” such as real-time data downloaded directly from your state 's Department of Motor Vehicles .
Of course , reading between the lines , having a digital driver ’ s license will open you up to much the same jeopardy as digital cash : it will make it possible for the government to better track your movements , monitor your activities and communications and ultimately shut you down .
So what ’ s the deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that go along with living in a digital age—namely , convenience—it ’ s hard to imagine how a cashless world navigated by way of a digital wallet doesn ’ t signal the beginning of the end for what little privacy we have left and leave us vulnerable to the likes of government thieves and data hackers .
First , when I say privacy , I ’ m not just referring to the things that you don ’ t want people to know about , those little things you do behind closed doors that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or intimate .
I am also referring to the things that are deeply personal and which no one need know about , certainly not the government and its constabulary of busybodies , nannies , Peeping Toms , jail wardens and petty bureaucrats .
Second , we ’ re already witnessing how easy it will be for government agents to manipulate digital wallets for their own gain .
For example , civil asset forfeiture schemes are becoming even more profitable for police agencies thanks to ERAD ( Electronic Recovery and Access to Data ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Security that allow police to not only determine the balance of any magnetic-stripe card ( i.e.
, debit , credit and gift cards ) but also freeze and seize any funds on pre-paid money cards .
In fact , the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that it does not violate the Fourth Amendment for police to scan or swipe your credit card .
Third , as commentator Paul Craig Roberts observed , while Americans have been distracted by the government ’ s costly war on terror , “ the financial system , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more damage to Americans than terrorists could possibly inflict.
” Ultimately , as Roberts—who served as Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy under Ronald Reagan—makes clear , the war on cash is about giving the government the ultimate control of the economy and complete access to the citizenry ’ s pocketbook .
Fourth , if there ’ s a will , there ’ s a way .
So far , every technological convenience that has made our lives easier has also become our Achilles ’ heel , opening us up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alike .
In recent years , the U.S. government has been repeatedly hacked .
In 2015 , the Office of Personnel Management had more than 20 million personnel files stolen , everything from Social Security numbers to birth dates and fingerprint records .
In 2014 , it was the White House , the State Department , the Post Office and other government agencies , along with a host of financial institutions , retailers and entertainment giants that had their files breached .
And these are the people in charge of protecting our sensitive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s one entity that will not stop using cash for its own nefarious purposes , it ’ s the U.S. government .
Cash is the currency used by the government to pay off its foreign “ associates.
” For instance , the Obama administration flew more than $ 400 million in cash to Iran , reportedly as part of a financial settlement with the country .
Critics claim the money was ransom paid for the return of American hostages .
And then there was the $ 12 billion in shrink-wrapped $ 100 bills @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to claim it had no record of what happened to the money .
It just disappeared , we were told .
So when government economists tell you that two-thirds of all $ 100 bills in circulation are overseas—more than half a trillion dollars ’ worth—it ’ s a pretty good bet that the government played a significant part in their export .
Sixth , this drive to do away with cash is part of a larger global trend driven by international financial institutions and the United Nations that is transforming nations of all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the biggest , most advanced economies .
Finally , short of returning to a pre-technological , Luddite age , there ’ s really no way to pull this horse back now that it ’ s left the gate .
While doing so is near impossible , it would also mean doing without the many conveniences and advantages that are the better angels , if you will , of technology ’ s totalitarian tendencies : the internet , medical advances , etc .
To our detriment , we have virtually no control over who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is stored , or how it is used .
Whether we ever had much control remains up for debate .
However , in terms of our bargaining power over digital privacy rights , we have been reduced to a pitiful , unenviable position in which we can only hope and trust that those in power will treat our information with respect .
Clearly , as I make clear in my book Battlefield America : The War on the American People , we have come full circle , back to a pre-revolutionary era of @ @ @ @ @ @

“The fact is that the government, like a highwayman, says to a man: Your money, or your life. And many, if not most, taxes are paid under the compulsion of that threat. The government does not, indeed, waylay a man in a lonely place, spring upon him from the road side, and, holding a pistol to his head, proceed to rifle his pockets. But the robbery is none the less a robbery on that account; and it is far more dastardly and shameful.”—Lysander Spooner, American abolitionist and legal theorist
Cash may well become a casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As these COVID-19 lockdowns drag out, more and more individuals and businesses are going cashless (for convenience and in a so-called effort to avoid spreading coronavirus germs), engaging in online commerce or using digital forms of currency (bank cards, digital wallets, etc.). As a result, physical cash is no longer king.
Yet there are other, more devious, reasons for this re-engineering of society away from physical cash: a cashless society—easily monitored, controlled, manipulated, weaponized and locked down—would play right into the hands of the government (and its corporate partners).
To this end, the government and its corporate partners-in-crime have been waging a subtle war on cash for some time now.
What is this war on cash?
It’s a concerted campaign to shift consumers towards a digital mode of commerce that can easily be monitored, tracked, tabulated, mined for data, hacked, hijacked and confiscated when convenient.
According to economist Steve Forbes, “The real reason for this war on cash—start with the big bills and then work your way down—is an ugly power grab by Big Government. People will have less privacy: Electronic commerce makes it easier for Big Brother to see what we’re doing, thereby making it simpler to bar activities it doesn’t like, such as purchasing salt, sugar, big bottles of soda and Big Macs.”
Much like the war on drugs and the war on terror, this so-called “war on cash” is being sold to the public as a means of fighting terrorists, drug dealers, tax evaders and now COVID-19 germs.
Digital currency provides the government and its corporate partners with the ultimate method to track, control you and punish you.
In recent years, just the mere possession of significant amounts of cash could implicate you in suspicious activity and label you a criminal. The rationale (by police) is that cash is the currency for illegal transactions given that it’s harder to track, can be used to pay illegal immigrants, and denies the government its share of the “take,” so doing away with paper money will help law enforcement fight crime and help the government realize more revenue.
Despite what we know about the government and its history of corruption, bumbling, fumbling and data breaches, not to mention how easily technology can be used against us, the campaign to do away with cash is really not a hard sell.
It’s not a hard sell, that is, if you know the right buttons to push, and the government has become a grand master in the art of getting the citizenry to do exactly what it wants. Remember, this is the same government that plans to use behavioral science tactics to “nudge” citizens to comply with the government’s public policy and program initiatives.
It’s also not a hard sell if you belong to the Digital Generation, that segment of the population for whom technology is second nature and “the first generation born into a world that has never not known digital life.”
And it’s certainly not a hard sell if you belong to the growing class of Americans who use their cell phones to pay bills, purchase goods, and transfer funds.
In much the same way that Americans have opted into government surveillance through the convenience of GPS devices and cell phones, digital cash—the means of paying with one’s debit card, credit card or cell phone—is becoming the de facto commerce of the American police state.
Not too long ago, it was estimated that smart phones would replace cash and credit cards altogether by 2020. Right on schedule, a growing number of businesses are adopting no-cash policies, including certain airlines, hotels, rental car companies, restaurants and retail stores. In Sweden, even the homeless and churches accept digital cash.
Making the case for “never, ever carrying cash” in lieu of a digital wallet, journalist Lisa Rabasca Roepe argues that cash is inconvenient, ATM access is costly, and it’s now possible to reimburse people using digital apps such as Venmo. Thus, there’s no longer a need for cash. “More and more retailers and grocery stores are embracing Apple Pay, Google Wallet, Samsung Pay, and Android Pay,” notes Roepe. “PayPal's app is now accepted at many chain stores including Barnes & Noble, Foot Locker, Home Depot, and Office Depot. Walmart and CVS have both developed their own payment apps while their competitors Target and RiteAid are working on their own apps.”
It’s not just cash that is going digital, either.
A growing number of states are looking to adopt digital driver’s licenses that would reside on your mobile phone. These licenses would include all of the information contained on your printed license, along with a few “extras” such as real-time data downloaded directly from your state's Department of Motor Vehicles.
Of course, reading between the lines, having a digital driver’s license will open you up to much the same jeopardy as digital cash: it will make it possible for the government to better track your movements, monitor your activities and communications and ultimately shut you down.
So what’s the deal here?
Despite all of the advantages that go along with living in a digital age—namely, convenience—it’s hard to imagine how a cashless world navigated by way of a digital wallet doesn’t signal the beginning of the end for what little privacy we have left and leave us vulnerable to the likes of government thieves and data hackers.
First, when I say privacy, I’m not just referring to the things that you don’t want people to know about, those little things you do behind closed doors that are neither illegal nor harmful but embarrassing or intimate. I am also referring to the things that are deeply personal and which no one need know about, certainly not the government and its constabulary of busybodies, nannies, Peeping Toms, jail wardens and petty bureaucrats.
Second, we’re already witnessing how easy it will be for government agents to manipulate digital wallets for their own gain. For example, civil asset forfeiture schemes are becoming even more profitable for police agencies thanks to ERAD (Electronic Recovery and Access to Data) devices supplied by the Department of Homeland Security that allow police to not only determine the balance of any magnetic-stripe card (i.e., debit, credit and gift cards) but also freeze and seize any funds on pre-paid money cards. In fact, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that it does not violate the Fourth Amendment for police to scan or swipe your credit card.
Third, as commentator Paul Craig Roberts observed, while Americans have been distracted by the government’s costly war on terror, “the financial system, working hand-in-hand with policymakers, has done more damage to Americans than terrorists could possibly inflict.” Ultimately, as Roberts—who served as Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy under Ronald Reagan—makes clear, the war on cash is about giving the government the ultimate control of the economy and complete access to the citizenry’s pocketbook.
Fourth, if there’s a will, there’s a way. So far, every technological convenience that has made our lives easier has also become our Achilles’ heel, opening us up to greater vulnerabilities from hackers and government agents alike. In recent years, the U.S. government has been repeatedly hacked. In 2015, the Office of Personnel Management had more than 20 million personnel files stolen, everything from Social Security numbers to birth dates and fingerprint records. In 2014, it was the White House, the State Department, the Post Office and other government agencies, along with a host of financial institutions, retailers and entertainment giants that had their files breached. And these are the people in charge of protecting our sensitive information?
Fifth, if there’s one entity that will not stop using cash for its own nefarious purposes, it’s the U.S. government. Cash is the currency used by the government to pay off its foreign “associates.” For instance, the Obama administration flew more than $400 million in cash to Iran, reportedly as part of a financial settlement with the country. Critics claim the money was ransom paid for the return of American hostages. And then there was the $12 billion in shrink-wrapped $100 bills that the U.S. flew to Iraq only to claim it had no record of what happened to the money. It just disappeared, we were told. So when government economists tell you that two-thirds of all $100 bills in circulation are overseas—more than half a trillion dollars’ worth—it’s a pretty good bet that the government played a significant part in their export.
Sixth, this drive to do away with cash is part of a larger global trend driven by international financial institutions and the United Nations that is transforming nations of all sizes, from the smallest nation to the biggest, most advanced economies.
Finally, short of returning to a pre-technological, Luddite age, there’s really no way to pull this horse back now that it’s left the gate. While doing so is near impossible, it would also mean doing without the many conveniences and advantages that are the better angels, if you will, of technology’s totalitarian tendencies: the internet, medical advances, etc.
To our detriment, we have virtually no control over who accesses our private information, how it is stored, or how it is used. Whether we ever had much control remains up for debate. However, in terms of our bargaining power over digital privacy rights, we have been reduced to a pitiful, unenviable position in which we can only hope and trust that those in power will treat our information with respect.
Clearly, as I make clear in my book Battlefield America: The War on the American People, we have come full circle, back to a pre-revolutionary era of taxation without any real representation.
WC: 1719


thelibertydaily--2020-04-16--170-Yr.-Old Hockey Stick Reportedly Worth $3.5 Million Hits Auction Block

Hockey fan ?
!
Ridiculously rich ?
!
Listen up if you wan na own a piece of sports history , 'cause a 170-year-old hockey stick -- estimated to be worth MILLIONS -- just hit the auction block .
The stick -- one of the first-ever made -- is believed to be from the time period between 1850 and 1870 ... as the game of hockey was being invented .
Here 's the deal ... in 1980 , a couple -- Gary and Germaine Morse -- discovered the one-of-a-kind stick sitting in the closet of a Vermont home they recently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ idea what the stick was worth ... so they had it assessed .
The value , according to the expert fine art appraiser ?
Shockingly , they held on to the stick for 40 years -- until recently deciding to cash out -- going to Goldin Auctions and asking them to unload the piece .
We know , sounds like a helluva lot of money for a very old piece of wood ... but 100+-year-old sticks have a track record of selling for a fortune .
The `` Rutherford Stick '' -- also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reportedly sold for $ 2.2 million in the mid-2000s .
Question is , what will a similarly old and rare stick go for at auction ?
We 'll know soon ... bidding kicks off on Friday .

Hockey fan?! Ridiculously rich?! Listen up if you wanna own a piece of sports history, 'cause a 170-year-old hockey stick -- estimated to be worth MILLIONS -- just hit the auction block.
The stick -- one of the first-ever made -- is believed to be from the time period between 1850 and 1870 ... as the game of hockey was being invented.
Here's the deal ... in 1980, a couple -- Gary and Germaine Morse -- discovered the one-of-a-kind stick sitting in the closet of a Vermont home they recently purchased.
The Morse's had no idea what the stick was worth ... so they had it assessed.
The value, according to the expert fine art appraiser?
3.5 MILLION DOLLARS!!
Shockingly, they held on to the stick for 40 years -- until recently deciding to cash out -- going to Goldin Auctions and asking them to unload the piece.
We know, sounds like a helluva lot of money for a very old piece of wood ... but 100+-year-old sticks have a track record of selling for a fortune.
The "Rutherford Stick" -- also believed to be from the 1850s -- reportedly sold for $2.2 million in the mid-2000s.
Question is, what will a similarly old and rare stick go for at auction?
We'll know soon ... bidding kicks off on Friday.


thelibertydaily--2020-04-16--FOX Bombshell: Chi-Com Virus Originated at the Wuhan Institute of Virology Laboratory

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EXCLUSIVE : There is increasing confidence that the COVID-19 outbreak likely originated in a Wuhan laboratory , though not as a bioweapon but as part of China 's attempt to demonstrate that its efforts to identify and combat viruses are equal to or greater than the capabilities of the United States , multiple sources who have been briefed on the details of early actions by China 's government and seen relevant materials tell Fox News .
This may be the `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' one of the sources said .
The sources believe the initial transmission of the virus was bat-to-human – a naturally occurring strain that was being studied there – and that `` patient zero '' worked at the laboratory , then went into the population in Wuhan .
The “ increasing confidence ” comes from classified and open-source documents and evidence , the sources said .
Fox News has requested to see the evidence directly .
Sources emphasized -- as is often the case with intelligence -- that it ’ s not definitive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Some inside the administration and the intelligence and epidemiological communities are more skeptical , and the investigation is continuing .
What all of the sources agree about is the extensive cover-up of data and information about COVID-19 orchestrated by the Chinese government .
Asked by Fox News ' John Roberts about the reporting , President Trump remarked at Wednesday 's coronavirus press briefing , `` More and more we 're hearing the story ... we are doing a very thorough examination of this horrible situation . ''
Documents detail early efforts by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at containment .
The Wuhan wet market initially identified as a possible point of origin never sold bats , and the sources tell Fox News that blaming the wet market was an effort by China to deflect blame from the laboratory , along with the country 's propaganda efforts targeting the U.S. and Italy .
U.S. Embassy officials warned in January 2018 about inadequate safety at the Wuhan Institute of Virology lab and passed on information about scientists conducting risky research on coronavirus from bats , The Washington Post reported Tuesday .
Responding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , said on Tuesday afternoon : `` It should be no surprise to you that we have taken a keen interest in that and we 've had a lot of intelligence take a hard look at that .
I would just say at this point , it 's inconclusive , although the weight of evidence seems to indicate natural , but we do n't know for certain . ''
“ Even today , I see them withholding information and I think we need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to share , ” Secretary of Defense Mark Esper told “ America ’ s Newsroom '' on Wednesday , referring to China .
Esper added that he would n't speak to `` intelligence reporting , '' but that `` most people believe it began naturally — it was organic , if you will .
I think in due course , once we get through the pandemic we 're in right now , there 'll be time to look back and really ascertain what happened and make sure we have a better understanding so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Speaking to `` The Story '' Wednesday evening , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo remarked : `` What we do know is we know that this virus originated in Wuhan , China .
We know there is the Wuhan Institute of Virology just a handful of miles away from where the wet market was .
There is still lots to learn .
You should know that the United States government is working diligently to figure it out . ''
Concerning the State Department cables warning about the Wuhan laboratory , Pompeo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ materials — we knew that , we knew that they were working on this program , many countries have programs like this .
In countries that are open and transparent , they have the ability to control them and keep them safe , and they allow outside observers in to make sure all the processes and procedures are right .
I only wish that that had happened in this place . ''
On Thursday , China 's foreign ministry pushed back on the suspicion that the virus escaped from the facility , by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that there is no evidence the coronavirus came from a laboratory .
Americans were originally helping train the Chinese in a program called PREVENT well before the Chinese started working on this virus .
The French government helped the Chinese set up the Wuhan lab .
China `` 100 percent '' suppressed data and changed data , the sources tell Fox News .
Samples were destroyed , contaminated areas scrubbed , some early reports erased , and academic articles stifled .
There were doctors and journalists who were `` disappeared '' warning of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contagious nature and human to human transmission .
China moved quickly to shut down travel domestically from Wuhan to the rest of China , but did not stop international flights from Wuhan .
Additionally , the sources tell Fox News the World Health Organization ( WHO ) was complicit from the beginning in helping China cover its tracks .
Trump announced at the White House coronavirus news briefing in the Rose Garden on Tuesday that the United States will immediately halt all funding for the WHO , saying it had put `` political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States is the WHO 's largest single donor , and the State Department had previously planned to provide the agency $ 893 million in the current two-year funding period .
Senior administrations separately tell Fox News the rollout of the president ’ s “ blueprint for reopening the U.S. economy ” will happen Thursday afternoon , first for governors and then briefed to the press .
Meanwhile , Trump 's own handling of the crisis has come into focus .
On January 24 , for example , Trump tweeted in praise of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus .
Though they were not speaking for the president , the sources ventured an explanation , saying it was diplomatic talk to make the Chinese `` feel good '' .
while the investigation was ongoing , with trade and other talks happening simultaneously .
In the six days after top Chinese officials secretly determined they likely were facing a pandemic from a new coronavirus , the city of Wuhan at the epicenter of the disease hosted a mass banquet for tens of thousands of people ; millions began traveling through for Lunar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warned the public on the seventh day , Jan. 20 .
But by that time , more than 3,000 people had been infected during almost a week of public silence , according to internal documents obtained by The Associated Press and expert estimates based on retrospective infection data .
“ This is tremendous , ” said Zuo-Feng Zhang , an epidemiologist at the University of California , Los Angeles .
“ If they took action six days earlier , there would have been much fewer patients and medical facilities would have been sufficient @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Wuhan ’ s medical system.
” Fox News ' Barnini Chakraborty and The Associated Press contributed to this report .

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EXCLUSIVE: There is increasing confidence that the COVID-19 outbreak likely originated in a Wuhan laboratory, though not as a bioweapon but as part of China's attempt to demonstrate that its efforts to identify and combat viruses are equal to or greater than the capabilities of the United States, multiple sources who have been briefed on the details of early actions by China's government and seen relevant materials tell Fox News.
This may be the "costliest government cover-up of all time," one of the sources said.
The sources believe the initial transmission of the virus – a naturally occurring strain that was being studied there – was bat-to-human and that "patient zero" worked at the laboratory, then went into the population in Wuhan.
The "increasing confidence" comes from classified and open-source documents and evidence, the sources said. Fox News has requested to see the evidence directly. Sources emphasized -- as is often the case with intelligence -- that it’s not definitive and should not be characterized as such. Some inside the administration and the intelligence and epidemiological communities are more skeptical, and the investigation is continuing.
What all of the sources agree about is the extensive cover-up of data and information about COVID-19 orchestrated by the Chinese government.
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE
Asked by Fox News' John Roberts about the reporting, President Trump remarked at Wednesday's coronavirus press briefing, "More and more we're hearing the story...we are doing a very thorough examination of this horrible situation."
Documents detail early efforts by doctors at the lab and early efforts at containment. The Wuhan wet market initially identified as a possible point of origin never sold bats, and the sources tell Fox News that blaming the wet market was an effort by China to deflect blame from the laboratory, along with the country's propaganda efforts targeting the U.S. and Italy.
U.S. Embassy officials warned in January 2018 about inadequate safety at the Wuhan Institute of Virology lab and passed on information about scientists conducting risky research on coronavirus from bats, The Washington Post reported Tuesday.
Responding to the report, Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on Tuesday afternoon: "It should be no surprise to you that we have taken a keen interest in that and we've had a lot of intelligence take a hard look at that. I would just say at this point, it's inconclusive, although the weight of evidence seems to indicate natural, but we don't know for certain."
"Even today, I see them withholding information and I think we need to do more to continue to press them to share," Secretary of Defense Mark Esper told "America’s Newsroom" on Wednesday, referring to China. Esper added that he wouldn't speak to "intelligence reporting," but that "most people believe it began naturally — it was organic, if you will. I think in due course, once we get through the pandemic we're in right now, there'll be time to look back and really ascertain what happened and make sure we have a better understanding so we can prevent this in the future."
Sources point to the structure of the virus, in saying the genome mapping specifically shows it was not genetically altered.
Speaking to "The Story" Wednesday evening, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo remarked: "What we do know is we know that this virus originated in Wuhan, China. We know there is the Wuhan Institute of Virology just a handful of miles away from where the wet market was. There is still lots to learn. You should know that the United States government is working diligently to figure it out."
Concerning the State Department cables warning about the Wuhan laboratory, Pompeo said the installation "contained highly contagious materials — we knew that, we knew that they were working on this program, many countries have programs like this. In countries that are open and transparent, they have the ability to control them and keep them safe, and they allow outside observers in to make sure all the processes and procedures are right. I only wish that that had happened in this place."
On Thursday, China's foreign ministry pushed back on the suspicion that the virus escaped from the facility, by citing statements from the World Health Organization that there is no evidence the coronavirus came from a laboratory.
Americans were originally helping train the Chinese in a program called PREVENT well before the Chinese started working on this virus. The French government helped the Chinese set up the Wuhan lab.
China "100 percent" suppressed data and changed data, the sources tell Fox News. Samples were destroyed, contaminated areas scrubbed, some early reports erased, and academic articles stifled.
STATE DEPT LEAKED CABLES RENEW THEORIES ON ORIGINS OF CORONAVIRUS
There were doctors and journalists who were "disappeared" warning of the spread of the virus and its contagious nature and human to human transmission. China moved quickly to shut down travel domestically from Wuhan to the rest of China, but did not stop international flights from Wuhan.
Additionally, the sources tell Fox News the World Health Organization (WHO) was complicit from the beginning in helping China cover its tracks.
Trump announced at the White House coronavirus news briefing in the Rose Garden on Tuesday that the United States will immediately halt all funding for the WHO, saying it had put "political correctness over lifesaving measures." The United States is the WHO's largest single donor, and the State Department had previously planned to provide the agency $893 million in the current two-year funding period.
Senior administrations separately tell Fox News the rollout of the president’s "blueprint for reopening the U.S. economy" will happen Thursday afternoon, first for governors and then briefed to the press.
Meanwhile, Trump's own handling of the crisis has come into focus. On January 24, for example, Trump tweeted in praise of China’s "transparency" on coronavirus.
Though they were not speaking for the president, the sources ventured an explanation, saying it was diplomatic talk to make the Chinese "feel good" while the investigation was ongoing, with trade and other talks happening simultaneously.
In the six days after top Chinese officials secretly determined they likely were facing a pandemic from a new coronavirus, the city of Wuhan at the epicenter of the disease hosted a mass banquet for tens of thousands of people; millions began traveling through for Lunar New Year celebrations.
TRUMP CUTS ALL WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION FUNDING
President Xi Jinping warned the public on the seventh day, Jan. 20. But by that time, more than 3,000 people had been infected during almost a week of public silence, according to internal documents obtained by The Associated Press and expert estimates based on retrospective infection data.
"This is tremendous," said Zuo-Feng Zhang, an epidemiologist at the University of California, Los Angeles. "If they took action six days earlier, there would have been much fewer patients and medical facilities would have been sufficient. We might have avoided the collapse of Wuhan’s medical system."
Fox News' Barnini Chakraborty and The Associated Press contributed to this report.