westernjournal--2020-03-25--Watch Ryan Reynolds Hilariously Mock Celebrities’ Coronavirus Virtue-Signaling in Viral Video

There are very few things more irritating than a self-important celebrity .
In much the same way , there are very few experiences more rewarding than watching said celebrity get absolutely roasted .
In a video on Twitter that has since gone viral , actor Ryan Reynolds did just that to many of his self-important peers .
“ I think in times of crisis , I think we all know that it ’ s the celebrities that we count on most .
They ’ re the ones who are gon na get us through this , ” the “ Deadpool @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He then listed off people who are actually more important during times of crisis .
“ Right after health care workers , of course , first responders , people who work in essential services , ping-pong players , mannequins , childhood imaginary friends , sure — like 400 other types of people , ” he said .
These biting comments come only days after the release of the widely mocked “ Imagine ” video .
Led by “ Wonder Woman ” star Gal Gadot , a group of celebrities released a video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rendition of John Lennon ’ s “ Imagine.
” The video did , in fact , bring people from all walks of life together in a unifying moment , but not exactly in the way that the singing celebrities had intended .
Most of these people rallied together over their disgust for the celebrities ’ cluelessness about the COVID-19 situation .
RELATED : Twitter Bans James Woods but Leaves Actor Michael Rapaport Alone Despite Dehumanizing Melania Tweet Reynolds isn ’ t the only comedian mocking these celebrities .
On Sunday , conservative actor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ version of the “ Imagine ” video .
“ Imagine there no acting .
It ’ s easy if you try .
No TV shows or movies , streaming going dry , ” Searcy sang .
“ Imagine all the people reading lots of books .
“ Imagine there ’ s no audience .
It isn ’ t hard to do .
You ’ ve told half of them you hate them .
What the hell do you think they ’ re gon na do ?
“ Imagine all the people turning off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ self-important Hollywood elite likely fall on deaf ears .
As you ’ d expect , many celebrities think the coronavirus epidemic is the perfect opportunity to show just how important they are .
In the age of social media , their narcissism is becoming increasingly transparent .
Ryan Reynolds understands this sentiment and gave his fans exactly what they need from an actor at this moment : a hilarious bit of humble , self-deprecating humor .
The best thing that Hollywood celebrities can do right now is to entertain us without the preening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

There are very few things more irritating than a self-important celebrity.
In much the same way, there are very few experiences more rewarding than watching said celebrity get absolutely roasted.
In a video on Twitter that has since gone viral, actor Ryan Reynolds did just that to many of his self-important peers.
“I think in times of crisis, I think we all know that it’s the celebrities that we count on most. They’re the ones who are gonna get us through this,” the “Deadpool” star said with a sarcastic grin.
He then listed off people who are actually more important during times of crisis.
“Right after health care workers, of course, first responders, people who work in essential services, ping-pong players, mannequins, childhood imaginary friends, sure — like 400 other types of people,” he said.
These biting comments come only days after the release of the widely mocked “Imagine” video.
Led by “Wonder Woman” star Gal Gadot, a group of celebrities released a video responding to the epidemic by singing a rendition of John Lennon’s “Imagine.”
The video did, in fact, bring people from all walks of life together in a unifying moment, but not exactly in the way that the singing celebrities had intended.
Most of these people rallied together over their disgust for the celebrities’ cluelessness about the COVID-19 situation.
Everyone: “Things are crap at the moment hey”
Celebrities: “What if we all sing imagine at you”
Everyone: “Please don’t” — TechnicallyRon (@TechnicallyRon) March 19, 2020
Imagine struggling through this quarantine with 4 people in your 1 bedroom home… Then imagine a bunch of celebrities start singing from their MANSIONS. This should be the start of The Purge. https://t.co/GjDE7EnxtL — Andrew Schulz ?HEZI (@andrewschulz) March 20, 2020
Reynolds isn’t the only comedian mocking these celebrities.
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On Sunday, conservative actor and director Nick Searcy released his own version of the “Imagine” video.
“Imagine there no acting. It’s easy if you try. No TV shows or movies, streaming going dry,” Searcy sang. “Imagine all the people reading lots of books.
“Imagine there’s no audience. It isn’t hard to do. You’ve told half of them you hate them. What the hell do you think they’re gonna do?
“Imagine all the people turning off your show.”
Imagine along with me. pic.twitter.com/UKZz8e2ssN — Nick Searcy, INTERNATIONAL FILM & TELEVISION STAR (@yesnicksearcy) March 22, 2020
These criticisms of the self-important Hollywood elite likely fall on deaf ears.
As you’d expect, many celebrities think the coronavirus epidemic is the perfect opportunity to show just how important they are.
In the age of social media, their narcissism is becoming increasingly transparent.
Ryan Reynolds understands this sentiment and gave his fans exactly what they need from an actor at this moment: a hilarious bit of humble, self-deprecating humor.
The best thing that Hollywood celebrities can do right now is to entertain us without the preening of their inflated egos.
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westernjournal--2020-03-25--Chick-fil-A Worker Goes Viral for His Cheerful Drive-Thru Dance Moves

In a time when panic is taking root in many hearts , there are those who are trying to help by creating moments of joy .
Dwelling on the unknowns and what-ifs of the coronavirus outbreak can be exhausting and depressing , but there are people who are still doing their best to get others to smile instead of worry .
One of those people is Daniel Morgan .
Morgan works at the Southport Road Chick-fil-A in Indianapolis .
Even though the chain is already well known for its employees ’ extreme politeness and excellent customer service , Morgan has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has become his job to direct drive-thru traffic .
Chick-fil-As are known for their streamlined drive-thru process , and that quality has become even more important now that dining rooms are closed .
Morgan doesn ’ t merely direct traffic , though : He delivers smiles as he dances through directing .
WXIN-TV revealed that when Morgan was younger , his mother referred to him as “ Dan , Dan the Dancing Man , ” and after several videos of his skills have gone viral , it ’ s not just his mom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The reactions have been great , ” he told WXIN .
“ So many people just like burst out laughing.
” “ So many people like join in a little bit doing a little dance in their car , and I just love it .
It ’ s great to see the smile on people ’ s faces.
” “ This is our guy !
” the Southport Road Chick-fil-A location posted on Facebook on Saturday , sharing a video taken by one of its customers .
“ Enjoy Danny ’ s dance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he believes his skills are being used by God to cheer people up — and based on crowd reactions , that seems quite true .
“ We saw him out there on Friday !
” one person commented on WXIN ’ s video .
“ Chick fil a knows how to do it !
He definitely had us laughing while we waited in line.
” “ He was awesome !
” wrote another .
“ Blowing kisses at an old lady .
I was hurt I didnt get one lol .
Totally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chick-fil-A Employee Plays Christian Music in Drive-Thru Line Since Customers Ca n't Hear It Inside “ At a time in the world when many are in fear , concerned or worried ; I pulled up to Chick-fil-A and this was refreshing , ” a third person said .
“ He did the moon walk and has some smooth moves.
” “ Whether I ’ m getting attention or not , it ’ s not about me in the end , ” Morgan explained .
“ Our time here isn ’ t long , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ using that time more wisely , I think that ’ s what this whole pandemic has encouraged and motivated me to do and forced a lot of people to do .
To spend a lot of time with people we love and really be honest with them how much they mean to us.
” We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

In a time when panic is taking root in many hearts, there are those who are trying to help by creating moments of joy.
Dwelling on the unknowns and what-ifs of the coronavirus outbreak can be exhausting and depressing, but there are people who are still doing their best to get others to smile instead of worry. One of those people is Daniel Morgan.
Morgan works at the Southport Road Chick-fil-A in Indianapolis. Even though the chain is already well known for its employees’ extreme politeness and excellent customer service, Morgan has ratcheted up expectations even more.
It has become his job to direct drive-thru traffic. Chick-fil-As are known for their streamlined drive-thru process, and that quality has become even more important now that dining rooms are closed.
Morgan doesn’t merely direct traffic, though: He delivers smiles as he dances through directing.
WXIN-TV revealed that when Morgan was younger, his mother referred to him as “Dan, Dan the Dancing Man,” and after several videos of his skills have gone viral, it’s not just his mom who’s taking notice.
“The reactions have been great,” he told WXIN. “So many people just like burst out laughing.”
“So many people like join in a little bit doing a little dance in their car, and I just love it. It’s great to see the smile on people’s faces.”
“This is our guy!” the Southport Road Chick-fil-A location posted on Facebook on Saturday, sharing a video taken by one of its customers. “Enjoy Danny’s dance moves!”
Morgan also told WXIN that he believes his skills are being used by God to cheer people up — and based on crowd reactions, that seems quite true.
“We saw him out there on Friday!” one person commented on WXIN’s video. “Chick fil a knows how to do it! He definitely had us laughing while we waited in line.”
“He was awesome!” wrote another. “Blowing kisses at an old lady. I was hurt I didnt get one lol. Totally made my day!”
“At a time in the world when many are in fear, concerned or worried; I pulled up to Chick-fil-A and this was refreshing,” a third person said. “He did the moon walk and has some smooth moves.”
“Whether I’m getting attention or not, it’s not about me in the end,” Morgan explained. “Our time here isn’t long, it’s limited so, just using that time more wisely, I think that’s what this whole pandemic has encouraged and motivated me to do and forced a lot of people to do. To spend a lot of time with people we love and really be honest with them how much they mean to us.”
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westernjournal--2020-03-25--Coronavirus Kills ‘Top Chef Masters’ Champion, Chef Floyd Cardoz, at Age 59

Chef Floyd Cardoz , who competed on “ Top Chef , ” won “ Top Chef Masters ” and operated successful restaurants in both India and New York , died Wednesday of complications from the coronavirus , his company said in a statement .
He was 59 .
Cardoz had traveled from Mumbai to New York through Frankfurt , Germany , on March 8 .
He was admitted a week ago to Mountainside Medical Center in Montclair , New Jersey , with a fever and subsequently tested positive for COVID-19 , the statement said .
The committed advocate of making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospitality training in his native Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay .
He later moved to Switzerland , where he honed his skills in French , Italian and Indian cuisine before moving on to the kitchens of New York City .
He was a partner in Bombay Sweet Shop , O Pedro and The Bombay Canteen in India at the time of his death .
The Indian-American partnered with famed restaurateur Danny Meyer ’ s Union Square Hospitality Group to open Tabla in 1997 .
The Manhattan spot was praised by critics .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s death was mourned by famous friends in both the restaurant and television industries .
“ Love you so much @ floydcardoz , ” Meyer tweeted , calling him a “ beautiful human being.
” The two worked together for 17 years .
At Tabla , they celebrated Cardoz ’ s new Indian cuisine that melded the sensual flavors and spices of his homeland with Western techniques .
Padma Lakshmi , host of the Bravo cooking competition series “ Top Chef , ” praised the success of Tabla and offered condolences to Cardoz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wife and business partner , Barkha .
“ He had an impish smile , an innate need to make those around him happy , and a delicious touch , ” Lakshmi tweeted .
RELATED : Brains Behind Popular Soap Operas ‘ Young and the Restless ’ and ‘ Bold and the Beautiful , ' Lee Phillip Bell , Dead at Age 91 The Twitter account for “ Top Chef ” offered condolences and called Cardoz an “ inspiration to chefs around the world.
” In 2011 , Cardoz competed in and won Season @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He used his $ 110,000 in winnings to support the Young Scientist Cancer Research Fund at New York ’ s Mount Sinai School of Medicine .
The now-independent foundation , referred to as the Young Scientist Foundation , enables high school and college students to work alongside accomplished researchers to develop new treatments for diseases , according to a representative of Cardoz ’ s company .
It was a central focus of his charity work .
In addition to Tabla , Cardoz and Meyer partnered in 2012 on North End Grill , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ downtown Manhattan favorite until its closing in 2018 .
Along with his work with Meyer , Cardoz partnered with Sameer Seth and Yash Bhanage in Hunger Inc. Hospitality starting in 2015 .
Cardoz was a four-time James Beard Award nominee .
He was the author of two cookbooks , “ Once Spice , Two Spice ” and “ Flavorwalla.
” In 2008 , he launched a line of ready to cook entrees in collaboration with the online grocer Fresh Direct .
The Associated Press contributed to this report .
We are committed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Chef Floyd Cardoz, who competed on “Top Chef,” won “Top Chef Masters” and operated successful restaurants in both India and New York, died Wednesday of complications from the coronavirus, his company said in a statement. He was 59.
Cardoz had traveled from Mumbai to New York through Frankfurt, Germany, on March 8.
He was admitted a week ago to Mountainside Medical Center in Montclair, New Jersey, with a fever and subsequently tested positive for COVID-19, the statement said.
The committed advocate of making the food industry more sustainable began his hospitality training in his native Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay.
He later moved to Switzerland, where he honed his skills in French, Italian and Indian cuisine before moving on to the kitchens of New York City.
He was a partner in Bombay Sweet Shop, O Pedro and The Bombay Canteen in India at the time of his death.
The Indian-American partnered with famed restaurateur Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group to open Tabla in 1997. The Manhattan spot was praised by critics. It closed in 2010.
Cardoz’s death was mourned by famous friends in both the restaurant and television industries.
“Love you so much @floydcardoz,” Meyer tweeted, calling him a “beautiful human being.”
Beautiful human being. — Danny Meyer (@dhmeyer) March 25, 2020
The two worked together for 17 years. At Tabla, they celebrated Cardoz’s new Indian cuisine that melded the sensual flavors and spices of his homeland with Western techniques.
Padma Lakshmi, host of the Bravo cooking competition series “Top Chef,” praised the success of Tabla and offered condolences to Cardoz’s loved ones, including his wife and business partner, Barkha.
“He had an impish smile, an innate need to make those around him happy, and a delicious touch,” Lakshmi tweeted.
not only for the professional food world, but for Indians everywhere. My heart goes out to his wife Barkha and their whole family. RIP Floyd. — Padma Lakshmi (@PadmaLakshmi) March 25, 2020
The Twitter account for “Top Chef” offered condolences and called Cardoz an “inspiration to chefs around the world.”
In 2011, Cardoz competed in and won Season 3 of “Top Chef Masters.” He used his $110,000 in winnings to support the Young Scientist Cancer Research Fund at New York’s Mount Sinai School of Medicine.
The now-independent foundation, referred to as the Young Scientist Foundation, enables high school and college students to work alongside accomplished researchers to develop new treatments for diseases, according to a representative of Cardoz’s company. It was a central focus of his charity work.
In addition to Tabla, Cardoz and Meyer partnered in 2012 on North End Grill, a Battery Park City staple that was a downtown Manhattan favorite until its closing in 2018.
Along with his work with Meyer, Cardoz partnered with Sameer Seth and Yash Bhanage in Hunger Inc. Hospitality starting in 2015.
Cardoz was a four-time James Beard Award nominee. He was the author of two cookbooks, “Once Spice, Two Spice” and “Flavorwalla.”
In 2008, he launched a line of ready to cook entrees in collaboration with the online grocer Fresh Direct.
The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.
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westernjournal--2020-03-25--Pizzeria Recognized for Kindness After Offering Free Pizza and Delivery to People 70+

COVID-19 has changed the way we live our daily lives on a fundamental level .
While it certainly affects people who now have to work from home , there are some jobs that simply can ’ t be performed at a residence , forcing business owners to make tough calls .
That ’ s especially true of restaurants .
Many have had to choose between temporarily shuttering their locations or adapting to curbside pick-ups or delivery .
While that may be an issue for some food joints , fast food restaurants and pizza places were made for this .
Drive-thru @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one pizzeria , adjusting to the times is about more than keeping customers coming — it ’ s about taking care of their own .
Tony & Alba ’ s Pizza and Pasta in San Jose , California , is a local spot known for its casual atmosphere and sense of community .
TRENDING : Lifelong Democrat Voter Says 'That Streak Will End in Nov. ' After Pelosi Stunt on COVID Relief Bill “ An Italian family restaurant that will meet your expectations , ” their “ About ” section on Facebook reads @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , GREAT FOOD , GREAT FRIENDS , GREAT TIMES .
When you come through our doors we treat you as one of family !
” In light of COVID-19 , they ’ ve had to pivot and change up their services .
They have started offering pick-up options and “ activity kits ” for kids , where parents can pick up pizza-making kits and they can make pizzas at home .
But it ’ s their senior program that ’ s gotten the most notice — and for good reason .
They posted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ [ W ] e thought about all the elderly people living alone with no family nearby , ” pizzeria owner Diana Vallorz told People .
“ If you know of a person that is 70 and older and is quarantined , call us , ” the pizzeria shared on March 14 .
“ We will deliver a FREE PIZZA to them .
They need to be in our delivery area .
Just give us a call .
You have been supporting us , we are giving back.
” “ Driver will put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knock and leave , ” the caption added .
“ No interaction .
We can also call to confirm.
” While the generous offer has been shared far and wide across the internet , it is important to note that the offer only extends to people within their delivery parameters .
RELATED : Police Officer Sits Down , Shares Lunch with Homeless Woman by Stop Sign Still , the local act of kindness has people buzzing — so much so that some have made donations to help fund the endeavor .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ program received a donation of $ 1000 as a ‘ Pay it Forward , ' ” the pizza place shared on March 15 .
“ We are going to add a salad to the meal which is big enough to feed 2 .
If you know a person that could use a free meal contact us .
Unfortunately we have a define delivery area but I might try to expand it.
” The response they got was overwhelming and prompted a follow-up post clearly defining their delivery boundaries .
“ It is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” the post clarified .
“ We can deliver it when we can which might be the next day .
The pizza can be cooked by you when you want it .
It can last in the fridge for 3 days.
” If you know someone in the area who could benefit from this , make sure to check out Tony & Alba ’ s Pizza and Pasta and spread the word !
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

COVID-19 has changed the way we live our daily lives on a fundamental level. While it certainly affects people who now have to work from home, there are some jobs that simply can’t be performed at a residence, forcing business owners to make tough calls.
That’s especially true of restaurants. Many have had to choose between temporarily shuttering their locations or adapting to curbside pick-ups or delivery.
While that may be an issue for some food joints, fast food restaurants and pizza places were made for this. Drive-thru and delivery are their thing.
For one pizzeria, adjusting to the times is about more than keeping customers coming — it’s about taking care of their own.
Tony & Alba’s Pizza and Pasta in San Jose, California, is a local spot known for its casual atmosphere and sense of community.
“An Italian family restaurant that will meet your expectations,” their “About” section on Facebook reads. “We live by our motto, GREAT FOOD, GREAT FRIENDS, GREAT TIMES. When you come through our doors we treat you as one of family!”
People. Doing. Good. This is what we love to see! @tonyandalbas Pizza & Pasta in San Jose is taking free pizza and salad to people 70 and older in their delivery area. Cash donations have been flooding in to help pay for the food for people in need. https://t.co/4BmMorGiz1 pic.twitter.com/Zs2gkSpDXB — Dustin Dorsey (@DustinABC7) March 17, 2020
In light of COVID-19, they’ve had to pivot and change up their services. They have started offering pick-up options and “activity kits” for kids, where parents can pick up pizza-making kits and they can make pizzas at home.
But it’s their senior program that’s gotten the most notice — and for good reason. They posted on Facebook with the program details.
“[W]e thought about all the elderly people living alone with no family nearby,” pizzeria owner Diana Vallorz told People.
“If you know of a person that is 70 and older and is quarantined, call us,” the pizzeria shared on March 14. “We will deliver a FREE PIZZA to them. They need to be in our delivery area. Just give us a call. You have been supporting us, we are giving back.”
“Driver will put it on a table or porch, knock and leave,” the caption added. “No interaction. We can also call to confirm.”
While the generous offer has been shared far and wide across the internet, it is important to note that the offer only extends to people within their delivery parameters.
Such powerful words of positivity and encouragement by @tonyandalbas owner Al Valorez. Why is he and his staff giving back in such an unprecedented time? “We’re all in this together and together we’re going to get through this” Spread the good news!https://t.co/4BmMorGiz1 pic.twitter.com/aiiYjFWq43 — Dustin Dorsey (@DustinABC7) March 17, 2020
Still, the local act of kindness has people buzzing — so much so that some have made donations to help fund the endeavor.
“I am happy to announce that the 70+ program received a donation of $1000 as a ‘Pay it Forward,'” the pizza place shared on March 15. “We are going to add a salad to the meal which is big enough to feed 2. If you know a person that could use a free meal contact us. Unfortunately we have a define delivery area but I might try to expand it.”
The response they got was overwhelming and prompted a follow-up post clearly defining their delivery boundaries.
“It is a medium pepperoni or cheese TAKE N BAKE,” the post clarified. “We can deliver it when we can which might be the next day. The pizza can be cooked by you when you want it. It can last in the fridge for 3 days.”
If you know someone in the area who could benefit from this, make sure to check out Tony & Alba’s Pizza and Pasta and spread the word!
Truth and Accuracy Submit a Correction → * Name
* Email
* Message
* All fields are required. Success! We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.


westernjournal--2020-03-25--Trump: In Last 8 Days US Carried Out More COVID Tests Than South Korea in Last 8 Weeks

When America gets going , it moves fast .
That , at least , was the message from the White House during President Donald Trump ’ s virtual town hall meeting on Tuesday , when both he and White House coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx said we ’ d carried out more COVID-19 tests in the past eight days than South Korea in the past eight weeks .
Birx , when answering a question about self-testing , said the United States had ramped up to the point where it was running more far more tests than the country that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I just want to speak to the Americans for just a second though , we have to ensure that we still are testing , even though probably by today we will have done more tests than South Korea did in eight weeks , in the last eight days , ” Birx said .
TRENDING : Lifelong Democrat Voter Says 'That Streak Will End in Nov. ' After Pelosi Stunt on COVID Relief Bill “ In the last eight days , we ’ ve done more testing than South Korea .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the testing process , as the president spoke to , but we don ’ t want people who are just worried to go get tested , ” she added .
Trump would later say that “ we took something that was broken and we made it the model .
And I didn ’ t even know , I just heard the number for the first time from Deborah , that in a short period of time , we ’ ve done more testing than South Korea .
“ Now , you ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ newspapers because they don ’ t like to write things like that , but I ’ d love you to say that one more time because that ’ s a big number .
We ’ ve done more than South Korea in a short period of time.
” According to Birx , South Korea has done 290,000 tests thus far .
The United States , by comparison , is doing between 50,000 to 70,000 tests a day at the moment .
“ And now we ’ re way over 300,000 , but we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eight days , ” Birx said .
Trump said that the United States ’ “ tests are better , they ’ re highly sophisticated .
And , frankly , I took one .
It ’ s not the most pleasant thing in the world , I will tell you that .
“ We ’ re going to have a much simpler test very soon , but we have a really good test and we ’ ve done more in eight days.
” RELATED : James Woods Banned from Twitter After Being Retweeted by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a few minutes ago , ” he said .
“ Pretty impressive.
” South Korea has a much smaller population than the United States and their test was developed much earlier , mind you — part of the reason they were able to flatten the curve .
The Centers for Disease Control also made critical errors in developing the test that was used in the U.S. , causing delays in getting a test out there .
That said , once America gets going , it moves its posterior .
As of right now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company , says it can run up to 25,000 coronavirus tests per day .
“ By the end of this week we ’ ll have close to a dozen laboratories that would be running this test , those laboratories will run throughout the United States , both on the East Coast as well as on the West Coast , ” Quest Diagnostics CEO Steve Rusckowski told ABC News .
Seven weeks ago , the private lab got authorization from the United States government to develop its own test for COVID-19 .
“ When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had the go-ahead to develop our own test on Feb. 29 , we then had our development team — these are M.D.s , Ph.D. ’ s — work on the development of the assay and we had to actually test to make sure that that test would work — it ’ s called a validation process — so we were bringing in some of the virus from South Korea , ” Rusckowski said .
Along with their suppliers , they worked to develop automated testing , as well .
“ With that automated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ourselves — this allows us to greatly expand our capacity over the last several weeks , ” Rusckowski said .
This is but one of the suppliers that ’ s answered the call to fight the coronavirus pandemic .
It ’ s not unlike World War II in microcosm , where the United States had to not only build up military capacity but also production capacity .
We did .
We see not only the same spirit but the same prowess being demonstrated now .
Yes , federal incompetence made it difficult for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first .
We haven ’ t turned the corner yet .
We ’ re getting there , though .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

When America gets going, it moves fast.
That, at least, was the message from the White House during President Donald Trump’s virtual town hall meeting on Tuesday, when both he and White House coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx said we’d carried out more COVID-19 tests in the past eight days than South Korea in the past eight weeks.
Birx, when answering a question about self-testing, said the United States had ramped up to the point where it was running more far more tests than the country that has become the international standard of testing.
“I just want to speak to the Americans for just a second though, we have to ensure that we still are testing, even though probably by today we will have done more tests than South Korea did in eight weeks, in the last eight days,” Birx said.
“In the last eight days, we’ve done more testing than South Korea. But, we did that because we transformed the testing process, as the president spoke to, but we don’t want people who are just worried to go get tested,” she added.
Trump would later say that “we took something that was broken and we made it the model. And I didn’t even know, I just heard the number for the first time from Deborah, that in a short period of time, we’ve done more testing than South Korea.
“Now, you’re not going to read that in the newspapers because they don’t like to write things like that, but I’d love you to say that one more time because that’s a big number. We’ve done more than South Korea in a short period of time.”
Do you think we've turned the corner on coronavirus? Yes No
Completing this poll entitles you to The Western Journal news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use Yes: 66% (187 Votes) No: 34% (96 Votes)
According to Birx, South Korea has done 290,000 tests thus far.
The United States, by comparison, is doing between 50,000 to 70,000 tests a day at the moment.
“And now we’re way over 300,000, but we achieved that over the last seven to eight days,” Birx said.
Trump said that the United States’ “tests are better, they’re highly sophisticated. And, frankly, I took one. It’s not the most pleasant thing in the world, I will tell you that.
“We’re going to have a much simpler test very soon, but we have a really good test and we’ve done more in eight days.”
“I just heard this number a few minutes ago,” he said. “Pretty impressive.”
South Korea has a much smaller population than the United States and their test was developed much earlier, mind you — part of the reason they were able to flatten the curve.
The Centers for Disease Control also made critical errors in developing the test that was used in the U.S., causing delays in getting a test out there.
That said, once America gets going, it moves its posterior.
As of right now, Quest Diagnostics, a private laboratory company, says it can run up to 25,000 coronavirus tests per day.
“By the end of this week we’ll have close to a dozen laboratories that would be running this test, those laboratories will run throughout the United States, both on the East Coast as well as on the West Coast,” Quest Diagnostics CEO Steve Rusckowski told ABC News.
Seven weeks ago, the private lab got authorization from the United States government to develop its own test for COVID-19.
“When we heard from the FDA that we had the go-ahead to develop our own test on Feb. 29, we then had our development team — these are M.D.s, Ph.D.’s — work on the development of the assay and we had to actually test to make sure that that test would work — it’s called a validation process — so we were bringing in some of the virus from South Korea,” Rusckowski said.
Along with their suppliers, they worked to develop automated testing, as well.
“With that automated test in parallel with what we do ourselves — this allows us to greatly expand our capacity over the last several weeks,” Rusckowski said.
This is but one of the suppliers that’s answered the call to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
It’s not unlike World War II in microcosm, where the United States had to not only build up military capacity but also production capacity.
We did. We see not only the same spirit but the same prowess being demonstrated now.
Yes, federal incompetence made it difficult for us to meet our testing needs at first.
We haven’t turned the corner yet. We’re getting there, though.
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westernjournal--2020-03-25--Herman Cain: Easter Rebound Might Be Implausible, But Trump’s Optimism Is Absolutely Essential

President Trump is catching heat from just about all corners for his expressed hope that the country can start working and producing again by Easter .
Easter !
That ’ s only a few weeks away !
How is that possible , people wonder , when COVID-19 cases are still exploding and it doesn ’ t appear safe to resume any sort of public or private gatherings ?
It ’ s a reasonable question and , frankly , it ’ s hard for me to see how we ’ re up and running by Easter the way President Trump would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it ’ s not up to him .
The hunker-down orders have come from state governors , and it ’ s the governors who will decide when it ’ s safe to revoke the orders .
They ’ re not going to do so on a specific schedule because President Trump wants them to .
And the president himself is not declaring that this will be safe to do by Easter .
He ’ s simply expressing his hope .
If it ’ s not safe , he will be the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
TRENDING : Lifelong Democrat Voter Says 'That Streak Will End in Nov. ' After Pelosi Stunt on COVID Relief Bill Even so , his optimism is badly needed .
As a nation , it ’ s essential that we be able to look ahead and see our way past this and back to better times .
The national psyche desperately needs that .
Right now , the daily deluge is all about infection numbers , death numbers , staying home , social distancing and sheltering in place .
The only national goal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is staying alive and not getting sick .
And yes , that must be the priority right now .
But that is not what built this country , and that is not what we ’ re made of .
America is a nation of producers and risk-takers .
It is not in our nature to stop producing and avoid risk .
We ’ re only a few days into the harshest of the lockdown orders in certain states , and we haven ’ t even reached the point where this has to happen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reached the point where people are running out of things and going stir-crazy .
If this goes on for many weeks , it will get a lot harder for people to resist snapping .
One thing that will help , though , is if people can see their way clear to the other side of this .
What goals do you have for the summer ?
For the second half of the year ?
For the decade that ’ s just started ?
What were you sure you were going to do in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ once it ’ s safe to live as we ’ re used to living ?
When President Trump talks about getting things rolling again , he ’ s signaling to the country that this is not some sort of “ new normal ” that we should just kick back and accept .
We may have no choice but to do it in this moment , but why even bother if we can ’ t anticipate once again doing what we did before ?
We should look forward to going to work , going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , going shopping , going to concerts .
.
.
just going .
No one ’ s doing much going right now because all we hear all day long is that we have to stop .
We ’ re not a nation of stoppers .
Psychologically we have to believe that before too much longer we can get going again .
And it ’ s important to know that our president wants us to do that , and that he doesn ’ t want this to go on one day longer than it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Let the Governors Govern - They 're Better Than the Bureaucrats That doesn ’ t mean we all rush out prematurely , or that we disregard the lives of those at risk .
There are people spinning the president ’ s words as “ sacrificing lives for 401 ( k ) s. ” That is not what he ’ s saying at all and that ’ s a ridiculous mischaracterization .
He ’ s simply saying that , yes , our desire to get back to our real lives is a valid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we should look forward to it with eager expectation .
I for one am glad someone is telling us this matters , and I ’ m glad that someone is the president .
Envisioning life after coronavirus will help all of us get through this .
The views expressed in this opinion article are those of their author and are not necessarily either shared or endorsed by the owners of this website .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

President Trump is catching heat from just about all corners for his expressed hope that the country can start working and producing again by Easter.
Easter! That’s only a few weeks away! How is that possible, people wonder, when COVID-19 cases are still exploding and it doesn’t appear safe to resume any sort of public or private gatherings?
It’s a reasonable question and, frankly, it’s hard for me to see how we’re up and running by Easter the way President Trump would like to see.
For one thing, it’s not up to him. The hunker-down orders have come from state governors, and it’s the governors who will decide when it’s safe to revoke the orders. They’re not going to do so on a specific schedule because President Trump wants them to.
And the president himself is not declaring that this will be safe to do by Easter. He’s simply expressing his hope. If it’s not safe, he will be the first to say it shouldn’t happen.
Even so, his optimism is badly needed. As a nation, it’s essential that we be able to look ahead and see our way past this and back to better times. The national psyche desperately needs that.
Right now, the daily deluge is all about infection numbers, death numbers, staying home, social distancing and sheltering in place. The only national goal we seem to have at the moment is staying alive and not getting sick. And yes, that must be the priority right now.
But that is not what built this country, and that is not what we’re made of.
America is a nation of producers and risk-takers. It is not in our nature to stop producing and avoid risk. We’re only a few days into the harshest of the lockdown orders in certain states, and we haven’t even reached the point where this has to happen everywhere. We’ve not yet reached the point where people are running out of things and going stir-crazy. If this goes on for many weeks, it will get a lot harder for people to resist snapping.
Do you appreciate President Trump's optimism about the coronavirus crisis? Yes No
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One thing that will help, though, is if people can see their way clear to the other side of this.
What goals do you have for the summer? For the second half of the year? For the decade that’s just started? What were you sure you were going to do in 2020 that perhaps you can still do once it’s safe to live as we’re used to living?
When President Trump talks about getting things rolling again, he’s signaling to the country that this is not some sort of “new normal” that we should just kick back and accept. We may have no choice but to do it in this moment, but why even bother if we can’t anticipate once again doing what we did before?
We should look forward to going to work, going to ballgames, going to the movies, going shopping, going to concerts . . . just going. No one’s doing much going right now because all we hear all day long is that we have to stop. We’re not a nation of stoppers. Psychologically we have to believe that before too much longer we can get going again.
And it’s important to know that our president wants us to do that, and that he doesn’t want this to go on one day longer than it needs to.
That doesn’t mean we all rush out prematurely, or that we disregard the lives of those at risk. There are people spinning the president’s words as “sacrificing lives for 401(k)s.” That is not what he’s saying at all and that’s a ridiculous mischaracterization.
He’s simply saying that, yes, our desire to get back to our real lives is a valid one, that he supports it and that we should look forward to it with eager expectation. I for one am glad someone is telling us this matters, and I’m glad that someone is the president.
Envisioning life after coronavirus will help all of us get through this.
The views expressed in this opinion article are those of their author and are not necessarily either shared or endorsed by the owners of this website. If you are interested in contributing an Op-Ed to The Western Journal, you can learn about our submission guidelines and process here.
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westernjournal--2020-03-25--FDA Approves Centuries-Old Blood Treatment for Critical Coronavirus Patients

The Food and Drug Administration has announced that physicians treating critically ill coronavirus patients now can use a centuries-old practice that injects sick people with the blood plasma of survivors of infectious diseases .
A treatment , known as convalescent plasma , will immediately allow doctors in the U.S. to use plasma donated by coronavirus survivors to treat patients who are in critical condition with COVID-19 .
Medical experts say plasma from recovered patients is rich in antibodies against the virus .
“ Use of convalescent plasma has been studied in outbreaks of other respiratory infections , including the 2009-2010 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ epidemic , and the 2012 MERS-CoV epidemic .
Although promising , convalescent plasma has not been shown to be effective in every disease studied , ” the FDA said in the announcement .
The FDA added that convalescent plasma can be collected only from individuals who are eligible to donate blood and who have fully recovered from the coronavirus infection .
Dr. Jeffrey Henderson , an associate professor of medicine and molecular microbiology at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis , told NBC News he is optimistic about using the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ definitely has merit , and what ’ s remarkable about it is it ’ s not a new idea ; it ’ s been with us for a good hundred years or longer , ” Henderson said .
“ I think we don ’ t know until we have experience and case reports with this particular disease whether it will be effective , but just based on its track record with a number of other viruses , I think it has a very good chance of working , ” the doctor added .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ researchers working under the direction of scientists and doctors from the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore .
A number of other doctors have also shared optimism in regard to using convalescent plasma therapy .
RELATED : Ocasio-Cortez Warns She 's 'Open ' To Single-Handedly Delaying Coronavirus Bill 'If Necessary' Convalescent plasma was widely used during the Spanish flu outbreak of 1918 , according to a previous FDA report .
While it can not cure the coronavirus , it can potentially help some patients lessen the severity of their symptoms and recover more quickly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previously noted that the use of convalescent plasma therapy had previously shown success when used in treating patients suffering from infections such as severe acute respiratory syndrome , Ebola and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus .
New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo announced earlier this week that the state health department had begun using blood plasma on critically ill patients .
New York has reported more cases of COVID-19 than anywhere else in the country .
More than 30,000 New Yorkers have tested positive for the virus , which has killed more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early Wednesday afternoon .
Meanwhile , across the country , nearly 60,000 cases have been reported , resulting in more than 800 deaths , according to Johns Hopkins .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

The Food and Drug Administration has announced that physicians treating critically ill coronavirus patients now can use a centuries-old practice that injects sick people with the blood plasma of survivors of infectious diseases.
A treatment, known as convalescent plasma, will immediately allow doctors in the U.S. to use plasma donated by coronavirus survivors to treat patients who are in critical condition with COVID-19.
Medical experts say plasma from recovered patients is rich in antibodies against the virus.
“Use of convalescent plasma has been studied in outbreaks of other respiratory infections, including the 2009-2010 H1N1 influenza virus pandemic, 2003 SARS-CoV-1 epidemic, and the 2012 MERS-CoV epidemic. Although promising, convalescent plasma has not been shown to be effective in every disease studied,” the FDA said in the announcement.
Through the emergency Investigational New Drug (eIND) application process, FDA is facilitating the use of #COVID19 convalescent plasma as an investigational treatment for individual #COVID19 patients with serious or immediately life-threatening #COVID19. https://t.co/zbLa5yw6ot — U.S. FDA (@US_FDA) March 24, 2020
The FDA added that convalescent plasma can be collected only from individuals who are eligible to donate blood and who have fully recovered from the coronavirus infection.
Dr. Jeffrey Henderson, an associate professor of medicine and molecular microbiology at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, told NBC News he is optimistic about using the time-tested transfusion method.
“The approach definitely has merit, and what’s remarkable about it is it’s not a new idea; it’s been with us for a good hundred years or longer,” Henderson said.
Do you support doctors exploring alternative or nontraditional treatments to deal with coronavirus infections? Yes No
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“I think we don’t know until we have experience and case reports with this particular disease whether it will be effective, but just based on its track record with a number of other viruses, I think it has a very good chance of working,” the doctor added.
Henderson is part of a network of researchers working under the direction of scientists and doctors from the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.
A number of other doctors have also shared optimism in regard to using convalescent plasma therapy.
Sometimes science moves faster than the regulatory process, & in times of public health emergency like the #COVID19 pandemic, it is paramount that we be flexible in getting potentially life-saving investigational medicines to patients who need them most. https://t.co/q6vxjqIT94 — Dr. Stephen M. Hahn (@SteveFDA) March 24, 2020
#COVID19 convalescent plasma first will be given to critically ill #coronavirus patients. Once proven safe & effective (good chance!), it will likely work best if given BEFORE patients get critically ill. It might also be effective in protecting front-line health care workers.? — Dr. Dena Grayson (@DrDenaGrayson) March 24, 2020
Here’s a key paper summarizing the efficacy of convalescent serum antibody Rx for SARS CoV during the 2003 SARS epidemic: https://t.co/2OJHDpQo99 — Prof Peter Hotez MD PhD (@PeterHotez) March 23, 2020
Convalescent plasma was widely used during the Spanish flu outbreak of 1918, according to a previous FDA report.
While it cannot cure the coronavirus, it can potentially help some patients lessen the severity of their symptoms and recover more quickly.
The National Center for Biotechnology Information previously noted that the use of convalescent plasma therapy had previously shown success when used in treating patients suffering from infections such as severe acute respiratory syndrome, Ebola and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced earlier this week that the state health department had begun using blood plasma on critically ill patients.
New York has reported more cases of COVID-19 than anywhere else in the country.
More than 30,000 New Yorkers have tested positive for the virus, which has killed more than 270 people in the state as of early Wednesday afternoon.
Meanwhile, across the country, nearly 60,000 cases have been reported, resulting in more than 800 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins.
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westernjournal--2020-03-25--Man Arrested After Being Filmed Licking Items at Walmart

A Missouri man has been arrested for filming himself licking items at Walmart and charged with making a terrorist threat .
Authorities have identified Cody Pfister of Warrenton , Missouri , as the man shown in a viral video licking toiletries at Walmart and saying , “ Who ’ s scared of coronavirus ?
Don ’ t touch your mouth , ” KMOV reported .
The video , shared on Tik Tok and Twitter , garnering international concern from viewers in the Netherlands , Ireland and the United Kingdom .
WARNING : The following video contains vulgar language that some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is advised .
In a Monday Facebook post , the City of Warrenton Police Department announced they had taken the 26-year-old into custody .
“ A local resident who took a video of themselves licking the merchandise after making a ‘ Corona Virus ’ statement at Walmart and posting it to social media has been taken into custody , ” the statement said .
“ This particular video , which won ’ t be shared here , has gained some international attention and we have received numerous reports about the video from locals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people from the Netherlands , Ireland , and the United Kingdom .
“ We take these complaints very seriously and would like to thank all of those who reported the video so the issue could be addressed , ” the statement concluded .
Court documents say the video was filmed on March 11 , and that Pfister has since been charged with a terrorist threat in the second degree , according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch .
The court documents say that by posting the video , Pfister “ knowingly caused a false @ @ @ @ @ @ @ danger to life existed , ” and acted “ with reckless disregard of the risk causing the evacuation , quarantine or closure of any portion ” of the Walmart he was in .
As of Wednesday morning , there have been eight COVID-19 related deaths in Missouri , according to KCTV .
RELATED : Ocasio-Cortez Warns She 's 'Open ' To Single-Handedly Delaying Coronavirus Bill 'If Necessary' Pfister is not the only person to get in trouble for allegedly licking surfaces in stores , despite warnings from the Centers for Disease Control and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a call from a manager at a Festival Foods store in Marshfield , Wisconsin , who said a woman licked the handle of a freezer at the grocery store .
Police reported the woman admitted to carrying out the act to “ protest ” the coronavirus pandemic , Newsweek reported .
“ While sanitizing handles in the freezer section store manager Marty reported looking over at a woman who proceeded to look at him and lick the door handle of a freezer door , ” the police report read .
The manager @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police .
A CDC report released Monday said COVID-19 can survive on surfaces for at least 17 days .
Despite the longer survival time of COVID-19 on surfaces , the CDC still says the virus is mainly spread from person to person .
“ It may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth , nose , or possibly their eyes , but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

A Missouri man has been arrested for filming himself licking items at Walmart and charged with making a terrorist threat.
Authorities have identified Cody Pfister of Warrenton, Missouri, as the man shown in a viral video licking toiletries at Walmart and saying, “Who’s scared of coronavirus? Don’t touch your mouth,” KMOV reported.
The video, shared on Tik Tok and Twitter, garnering international concern from viewers in the Netherlands, Ireland and the United Kingdom.
WARNING: The following video contains vulgar language that some viewers may find offensive. Viewer discretion is advised.
In a Monday Facebook post, the City of Warrenton Police Department announced they had taken the 26-year-old into custody.
“A local resident who took a video of themselves licking the merchandise after making a ‘Corona Virus’ statement at Walmart and posting it to social media has been taken into custody,” the statement said.
“This particular video, which won’t be shared here, has gained some international attention and we have received numerous reports about the video from locals, nearby residents, as well as people from the Netherlands, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.
Do you think people should be taking the coronavirus more seriously? Yes No
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“We take these complaints very seriously and would like to thank all of those who reported the video so the issue could be addressed,” the statement concluded.
Court documents say the video was filmed on March 11, and that Pfister has since been charged with a terrorist threat in the second degree, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
The court documents say that by posting the video, Pfister “knowingly caused a false belief or fear that a condition involving danger to life existed,” and acted “with reckless disregard of the risk causing the evacuation, quarantine or closure of any portion” of the Walmart he was in.
A docket hearing was scheduled for Wednesday.
As of Wednesday morning, there have been eight COVID-19 related deaths in Missouri, according to KCTV.
Pfister is not the only person to get in trouble for allegedly licking surfaces in stores, despite warnings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Police responded earlier this month to a call from a manager at a Festival Foods store in Marshfield, Wisconsin, who said a woman licked the handle of a freezer at the grocery store.
Police reported the woman admitted to carrying out the act to “protest” the coronavirus pandemic, Newsweek reported.
“While sanitizing handles in the freezer section store manager Marty reported looking over at a woman who proceeded to look at him and lick the door handle of a freezer door,” the police report read.
The manager quickly cleaned the handle before calling the police.
A CDC report released Monday said COVID-19 can survive on surfaces for at least 17 days.
Despite the longer survival time of COVID-19 on surfaces, the CDC still says the virus is mainly spread from person to person.
“It may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads,” the federal agency says.
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westernjournal--2020-03-25--Senator Who Sold Off Stocks Before Coronavirus Market Crash Gets Hit with Lawsuit

Sen. Richard Burr has been sued by an investor in Wyndham Hotel stock for allegedly using Senate Intelligence Committee information to sell off his shares of the stock before their value plummeted during the coronavirus pandemic .
“ Senator Burr owed a duty to Congress , the United States government , and citizens of the United States , including Plaintiff , not to use material nonpublic information that he learned by virtue of his duties as a United States Senator in connection with the sale or purchase of any security , ” the lawsuit says , according to ABC News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by selling stock , including Wyndham stock , based on that material nonpublic information.
” According to Senate disclosure forms , the North Carolina Republican , who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee , made 33 stock transactions on Feb. 13 .
The forms do not disclose the exact value of transactions but provide a range .
The sales collectively netted Burr between $ 628,000 and $ 1.72 million .
Two weeks later , Burr was recorded making ominous predictions about the impact of the coronavirus , according to NPR .
“ There ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you about this : It is much more aggressive in its transmission than anything that we have seen in recent history , ” the senator told a small group of constituents at a private luncheon .
“ It is probably more akin to the 1918 pandemic.
” Burr also told the group he met with that the use of the military would be possible and that limits on travel were likely .
Neither of those possibilities were were being publicly talked about at the time .
The senator released a statement following public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ volunteered to submit himself to a Senate Ethics Committee investigation .
“ I relied solely on public news reports to guide my decision regarding the sale of stocks on February 13 , ” his statement said .
“ Specifically , I closely followed CNBC ’ s daily health and science reporting out of its Asia bureaus at the time .
“ Understanding the assumption many could make in hindsight however , I spoke this morning with the chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee and asked him to open a complete review of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prosecutor Thomas P. O ’ Brien filed the lawsuit on behalf of an investor named Alan D. Jacobson .
O ’ Brien told ABC News that the civic case could provide a remedy for investors who believe the senator had an unfair advantage when he sold the stock .
“ The senator made an unusual trade , ” O ’ Brien said .
“ Our client was one of many people who traded without benefit of information that the senator had.
” The lawsuit says that Burr also violated the STOCK Act , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ using inside information to guide their investments .
Burr voted against the legislation , according to ABC News .
RELATED : Ocasio-Cortez Warns She 's 'Open ' To Single-Handedly Delaying Coronavirus Bill 'If Necessary' Despite Burr ’ s denial of the allegations against him , some ethical experts maintain authorities should look into the classified briefings Burr had access to during that time .
Republican ethics lawyer Matthew Sanderson said Burr ’ s claim that he sold off his stocks because of media reports on the coronavirus outbreak does not explain why other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporting at the time .
“ To me that doesn ’ t hold any water , ” Sanderson said .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Sen. Richard Burr has been sued by an investor in Wyndham Hotel stock for allegedly using Senate Intelligence Committee information to sell off his shares of the stock before their value plummeted during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Senator Burr owed a duty to Congress, the United States government, and citizens of the United States, including Plaintiff, not to use material nonpublic information that he learned by virtue of his duties as a United States Senator in connection with the sale or purchase of any security,” the lawsuit says, according to ABC News.
“Senator Burr breached that duty by selling stock, including Wyndham stock, based on that material nonpublic information.”
According to Senate disclosure forms, the North Carolina Republican, who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, made 33 stock transactions on Feb. 13.
The forms do not disclose the exact value of transactions but provide a range. The sales collectively netted Burr between $628,000 and $1.72 million.
Two weeks later, Burr was recorded making ominous predictions about the impact of the coronavirus, according to NPR.
“There’s one thing that I can tell you about this: It is much more aggressive in its transmission than anything that we have seen in recent history,” the senator told a small group of constituents at a private luncheon. “It is probably more akin to the 1918 pandemic.”
Burr also told the group he met with that the use of the military would be possible and that limits on travel were likely. Neither of those possibilities were were being publicly talked about at the time.
The senator released a statement following public scrutiny of his financial disclosures and even volunteered to submit himself to a Senate Ethics Committee investigation.
Do you think the senator used inside information to sell off his stocks before they lost value? Yes No
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“I relied solely on public news reports to guide my decision regarding the sale of stocks on February 13,” his statement said. “Specifically, I closely followed CNBC’s daily health and science reporting out of its Asia bureaus at the time.
“Understanding the assumption many could make in hindsight however, I spoke this morning with the chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee and asked him to open a complete review of the matter with full transparency.”
Former federal prosecutor Thomas P. O’Brien filed the lawsuit on behalf of an investor named Alan D. Jacobson. O’Brien told ABC News that the civic case could provide a remedy for investors who believe the senator had an unfair advantage when he sold the stock.
“The senator made an unusual trade,” O’Brien said. “Our client was one of many people who traded without benefit of information that the senator had.”
The lawsuit says that Burr also violated the STOCK Act, a 2012 law that prevents senators from using inside information to guide their investments. Burr voted against the legislation, according to ABC News.
Despite Burr’s denial of the allegations against him, some ethical experts maintain authorities should look into the classified briefings Burr had access to during that time.
Republican ethics lawyer Matthew Sanderson said Burr’s claim that he sold off his stocks because of media reports on the coronavirus outbreak does not explain why other investors did not also act on the reporting at the time.
“To me that doesn’t hold any water,” Sanderson said.
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westernjournal--2020-03-25--Alleged Chinese Spy Arrested with Vials of Biological Material at Boston Airport in December

Imagine , if you will , a scenario .
A pandemic occurs under a Democrat president .
The origin of the infection is in China — and China badly botches the response , which leads to more fatalities .
Separately , a man is arrested with vials of biological material stuffed inside a sock in his bag at Boston ’ s Logan International Airport right around when the virus was first developing .
It was cancer cells that he wanted to transport back to China to publish under his own name at a Chinese university — a purported case of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no alleged connection with the virus , mind you — but he ’ s one of three people charged in separate cases all having to do with China and the sciences .
TRENDING : Lifelong Democrat Voter Says 'That Streak Will End in Nov. ' After Pelosi Stunt on COVID Relief Bill Now , what do you think the level of media invective directed at China would have been ?
They would have , a la Spinal Tap , made sure their amps went up to 11 .
They wouldn ’ t have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus , ” it would have been the “ very China-y China virus from Wuhan did we mention China ?
No ?
Then China .
Again.
” It ’ s a bit of a mouthful , but MSNBC would make that kind of time .
The president is Republican , however , and the focus is not on how China mismanaged the coronavirus outbreak and its various perfidies but how President Donald Trump and his administration mismanaged the outbreak and all of its various perfidies .
That ’ s why you ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In August 2018 , Zheng entered the United States on a J-1 visa and conducted cancer-cell research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston from Sept. 4 , 2018 , to Dec. 9 , 2019 , ” the Department of Justice said in a news release .
“ It is alleged that on Dec. 9 , 2019 , Zheng stole 21 vials of biological research and attempted to smuggle them out of the United States aboard a flight destined for China .
Federal officers at Logan Airport discovered the vials hidden in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s bags , and not properly packaged .
“ It is alleged that initially , Zheng lied to officers about the contents of his luggage , but later admitted he had stolen the vials from a lab at Beth Israel .
Zheng stated that he intended to bring the vials to China to use them to conduct research in his own laboratory and publish the results under his own name.
” Zheng is now charged with “ one count of smuggling goods from the United States and one count of making false , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to The New York Times , his arrest , just before he was about to board Hainan Airlines Flight 482 , was part of “ an escalation in the F.B.I.
’ s efforts to root out scientists who , the authorities say , are stealing research from American laboratories.
” RELATED : Somebody Tell Holier-Than-Thou Liberals It 's Impossible To Be Racist Against China Visiting researchers , almost entirely from China , were described by FBI Director Christopher Wray as “ nontraditional collectors ” of intelligence for the government in China as part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way up the economic ladder at our expense.
” Zheng ’ s case itself was evidence of an escalation on the part of those “ nontraditional collectors.
” “ This is one of the few cases where there ’ s been stealing of physical material as well as the stealing of ideas , ” Dr. Ross McKinney Jr. , chief scientific officer of the Association of American Medical Colleges , said .
“ It ’ s an escalation over most of what we ’ ve been seeing.
” Thankfully , Customs and Border @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ a high risk for possibly exporting biological undeclared biological material.
” When confronted , he claimed the vials were unimportant to his research , according to the DOJ .
When that line didn ’ t work , he said a friend had given them to him .
“ Zheng could not explain why he was attempting to leave the United States with the vials concealed in a sock in his checked bag , ” Kara Spice , the FBI special agent assigned to the case , said in a statement .
Prosecutors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isolated incident.
” “ Rather , it appears to have been a coordinated crime , with likely involvement by the Chinese government , as two other Chinese nationals working in the same lab have also stolen biological materials and smuggled them out of the United States , ” they said in a statement asking for bail to be denied .
So , where ’ s this story being amplified ?
It doesn ’ t have to do with the virus directly , unless a Chinese foreign minister decides to try to use this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smuggled out of an American lab by one of these researchers that the government deliberately let through .
This isn ’ t out of the realm of possibility , of course .
Instead , it has to do with the virus indirectly — especially when it comes to the role that the Chinese government plays as an unreliable and dishonest actor on the world stage .
The Chinese government lied about the spread of COVID-19 .
It jailed doctors who dared speak out about the virus .
If it had acted three weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 95 percent of cases could have been precluded .
This shouldn ’ t have been a surprise , though , not when the Chinese government has allowed massive IP theft like the one Zheng is alleged to have taken part in .
And yet , this case mostly disappeared as impeachment ramped up and then coronavirus hit .
Trump is right .
The Chinese aren ’ t our friends and we can ’ t deal with them as such — not when the stakes are so high .
Perhaps instead of discussing how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ought to spend more time discussing that .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Imagine, if you will, a scenario.
A pandemic occurs under a Democrat president. The origin of the infection is in China — and China badly botches the response, which leads to more fatalities.
Separately, a man is arrested with vials of biological material stuffed inside a sock in his bag at Boston’s Logan International Airport right around when the virus was first developing.
It was cancer cells that he wanted to transport back to China to publish under his own name at a Chinese university — a purported case of intellectual property theft.
There’s no alleged connection with the virus, mind you — but he’s one of three people charged in separate cases all having to do with China and the sciences.
Now, what do you think the level of media invective directed at China would have been?
They would have, a la Spinal Tap, made sure their amps went up to 11. They wouldn’t have just called it the “Wuhan Chinese virus,” it would have been the “very China-y China virus from Wuhan did we mention China? No? Then China. Again.” It’s a bit of a mouthful, but MSNBC would make that kind of time.
The president is Republican, however, and the focus is not on how China mismanaged the coronavirus outbreak and its various perfidies but how President Donald Trump and his administration mismanaged the outbreak and all of its various perfidies.
That’s why you’ve never heard of Zaosong Zheng.
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“In August 2018, Zheng entered the United States on a J-1 visa and conducted cancer-cell research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston from Sept. 4, 2018, to Dec. 9, 2019,” the Department of Justice said in a news release.
“It is alleged that on Dec. 9, 2019, Zheng stole 21 vials of biological research and attempted to smuggle them out of the United States aboard a flight destined for China. Federal officers at Logan Airport discovered the vials hidden in a sock inside one of Zheng’s bags, and not properly packaged.
“It is alleged that initially, Zheng lied to officers about the contents of his luggage, but later admitted he had stolen the vials from a lab at Beth Israel. Zheng stated that he intended to bring the vials to China to use them to conduct research in his own laboratory and publish the results under his own name.”
Zheng is now charged with “one count of smuggling goods from the United States and one count of making false, fictitious or fraudulent statements. “
According to The New York Times, his arrest, just before he was about to board Hainan Airlines Flight 482, was part of “an escalation in the F.B.I.’s efforts to root out scientists who, the authorities say, are stealing research from American laboratories.”
Visiting researchers, almost entirely from China, were described by FBI Director Christopher Wray as “nontraditional collectors” of intelligence for the government in China as part of an attempt to “steal their way up the economic ladder at our expense.”
Zheng’s case itself was evidence of an escalation on the part of those “nontraditional collectors.”
“This is one of the few cases where there’s been stealing of physical material as well as the stealing of ideas,” Dr. Ross McKinney Jr., chief scientific officer of the Association of American Medical Colleges, said. “It’s an escalation over most of what we’ve been seeing.”
Thankfully, Customs and Border Protection had been warned that Zheng represented “a high risk for possibly exporting biological undeclared biological material.”
When confronted, he claimed the vials were unimportant to his research, according to the DOJ. When that line didn’t work, he said a friend had given them to him.
“Zheng could not explain why he was attempting to leave the United States with the vials concealed in a sock in his checked bag,” Kara Spice, the FBI special agent assigned to the case, said in a statement.
Prosecutors said this theft “was not an isolated incident.”
“Rather, it appears to have been a coordinated crime, with likely involvement by the Chinese government, as two other Chinese nationals working in the same lab have also stolen biological materials and smuggled them out of the United States,” they said in a statement asking for bail to be denied.
So, where’s this story being amplified?
It doesn’t have to do with the virus directly, unless a Chinese foreign minister decides to try to use this as evidence that the virus was really smuggled out of an American lab by one of these researchers that the government deliberately let through. This isn’t out of the realm of possibility, of course.
Instead, it has to do with the virus indirectly — especially when it comes to the role that the Chinese government plays as an unreliable and dishonest actor on the world stage.
The Chinese government lied about the spread of COVID-19. It jailed doctors who dared speak out about the virus. If it had acted three weeks earlier, according to one study, 95 percent of cases could have been precluded.
This shouldn’t have been a surprise, though, not when the Chinese government has allowed massive IP theft like the one Zheng is alleged to have taken part in. And yet, this case mostly disappeared as impeachment ramped up and then coronavirus hit.
Trump is right. The Chinese aren’t our friends and we can’t deal with them as such — not when the stakes are so high.
Perhaps instead of discussing how “Chinese virus” is racist, we ought to spend more time discussing that.
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westernjournal--2020-03-25--After Cuomo Attacks, Trump Exposes How NY’s Ventilator Shortage Is Traced Straight to Cuomo Himself

New York state is being slammed by coronavirus .
The New York Times published the staggering statistics on Tuesday that reveal 25,665 infections and 210 deaths so far in the state .
While the Trump administration is directing resources to the state , New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is predictably using the crisis for his own political posturing by complaining about the state ’ s lack of ventilators .
The problem is , Cuomo didn ’ t prepare his state when he had the chance — but he ’ s blaming the Trump administration ’ s supposed lack of response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the federal government is going to build four emergency hospitals , station one navy hospital ship offshore to help , and has already mobilized the National Guard and sent necessary equipment to the state , the New York Post confirmed Sunday .
Despite the Trump administration ’ s swift and thorough response , Cuomo complained in a news conference Tuesday about his state ’ s lack of ventilators , which are vital to patients with acute respiratory distress caused by coronavirus infection .
Cuomo decried the government ’ s reluctance to enact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would compel companies to adapt their manufacturing processes to fit the government ’ s needs , in this case by producing ventilators .
Of course , that is unnecessary since companies such as Ford are already innovating ways to use their existing equipment and parts to manufacture ventilators and masks .
President Donald Trump reiterated on Tuesday that it simply is not necessary to use the power of the federal government to compel companies to do what they ’ re already doing .
“ The Defense Production Act is in full force , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it because no one has said NO !
” Trump said on Twitter Tuesday .
“ Millions of masks coming as back up to States.
” The dirty little secret is that Cuomo knows this , yet still complained that ventilators can ’ t be made fast enough to meet the coming need for his state for one important reason : it is his fault that the state has a shortfall in the first place .
Trump was eager to rebut Cuomo ’ s charge with the cold , hard facts about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he had the chance .
RELATED : Dr. Fauci Answer Busts Media 's Anti-Trump Narrative , Says 'Of Course ' He 'd Prescribe Chloroquine The president explained during Fox News ’ virtual town hall with Bill Hemmer that Cuomo “ rejected buying recommended 16,000 ventilators in 2015 for [ a ] pandemic , ” but “ established death panels and lotteries instead.
” Trump is not to be trifled with in matters regarding his team ’ s COVID-19 response , which the American people heartily support .
His factual rebuttal to Cuomo was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refuses to take responsibility , and since the governor failed do his job in 2015 , the people of New York are at greater risk .
Democratic politicians such as Cuomo love to empty the coffers for pet projects , but suddenly become penny pinchers when a useful expenditure comes their way .
Now that his chance has come and gone , Cuomo has nothing left to do but point his finger at someone else .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards @

New York state is being slammed by coronavirus. The New York Times published the staggering statistics on Tuesday that reveal 25,665 infections and 210 deaths so far in the state.
While the Trump administration is directing resources to the state, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is predictably using the crisis for his own political posturing by complaining about the state’s lack of ventilators.
The problem is, Cuomo didn’t prepare his state when he had the chance — but he’s blaming the Trump administration’s supposed lack of response.
To aid Cuomo and his constituents, the federal government is going to build four emergency hospitals, station one navy hospital ship offshore to help, and has already mobilized the National Guard and sent necessary equipment to the state, the New York Post confirmed Sunday.
Despite the Trump administration’s swift and thorough response, Cuomo complained in a news conference Tuesday about his state’s lack of ventilators, which are vital to patients with acute respiratory distress caused by coronavirus infection.
Cuomo decried the government’s reluctance to enact the federal Defense Production Act, which would compel companies to adapt their manufacturing processes to fit the government’s needs, in this case by producing ventilators.
Of course, that is unnecessary since companies such as Ford are already innovating ways to use their existing equipment and parts to manufacture ventilators and masks.
President Donald Trump reiterated Tuesday that it simply is not necessary to use the power of the federal government to compel companies to do what they’re already doing.
“The Defense Production Act is in full force, but haven’t had to use it because no one has said NO!” Trump said on Twitter Tuesday. “Millions of masks coming as back up to States.”
The Defense Production Act is in full force, but haven’t had to use it because no one has said NO! Millions of masks coming as back up to States. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 24, 2020
The dirty little secret is that Cuomo knows this, yet still complained that ventilators can’t be made fast enough to meet the coming need for his state for one important reason: it is his fault that the state has a shortfall in the first place.
Trump was eager to rebut Cuomo’s charge with the cold, hard facts about the governor’s failure to prepare when he had the chance.
The president explained during Fox News’ virtual town hall with Bill Hemmer that Cuomo “rejected buying recommended 16,000 ventilators in 2015 for [a] pandemic,” but “established death panels and lotteries instead.”
While Trump’s source for the number of ventilators is unclear, Fox News reported that in 2015, health officials in New York established a task force to look into the state’s lack of ventilators.
The task force discovered there were 8,991 ventilators in the state including a stockpile of 1,750, with most already in use, leaving just over 2,800 of them available. The report explained that in the case of a severe health pandemic, “many more patients will require the use of ventilators than can be accommodated with current supplies,” with a peak of over 18,600 potential ventilators needed in a case like the 1918 flu pandemic.
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“If an influenza pandemic on the scale of the 1918 pandemic were to occur, it is possible that New York would face a significant shortage of ventilators,” the task force report continued.
“Because influenza pandemics are unpredictable and their impact unknown in advance of the pandemic, officials must consider and plan for a worst-case scenario.”
Instead of buying additional ventilators with the potential to not have trained staff available to operate them, the report explained that keeping only a limited stockpile would balance the state’s need to prepare for a pandemic against its need “to maintain adequate funding for current and ongoing healthcare expenses.”
According to Fox News, instead of purchasing the additional ventilators, the task force created a system to determine who would be put on a ventilator based on priority.
Trump is not to be trifled with in matters regarding his team’s COVID-19 response, which the American people heartily support.
Cuomo is a coward who refuses to take responsibility, and since the governor failed to act in 2015, the people of New York are at greater risk.
Democratic politicians such as Cuomo love to empty the coffers for pet projects, but suddenly become penny pinchers when a useful expenditure comes their way. Now that his chance has come and gone, Cuomo has nothing left to do but point his finger at someone else.
UPDATE, March 25, 2020: This article has been updated to include additional information regarding the number of ventilators in the state of New York and warnings from health officials in 2015 about the lack of ventilators available in the case of a severe pandemic.
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westernjournal--2020-03-25--Ilhan Omar Hammered for Proposing Govt. Takeover of All Private Hospitals

For any American who doubts Democrats in power would be a disaster for the United States , there ’ s always Ilhan Omar .
The Minnesota representative , much better known for a tangled personal life and ridiculously radical politics than any actual achievements , took to Twitter on Tuesday to float a proposal that would be the death knell of health care in the U.S. And she did it , naturally enough , with no apparent thinking beforehand .
“ Here is maybe a radical idea to deal with some of the pressures our healthcare system is facing : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the duration of the virus , ” she wrote .
It ’ s a classically Omar proposal — one that tries to play on American fears to achieve a leftist end without offering even a half-baked justification for why it might be a good idea for the finest health care facilities in the world to be suddenly placed under the rigid control of an ignorant bureaucracy .
For Omar and her fellow travelers like Sen. Bernie Sanders , the Vermont socialist and still-running contender for the Democratic presidential nomination , the long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries that have adopted socialist governments and health care systems seems irrelevant .
As to the fact that private hospitals are , by definition , private property , that doesn ’ t enter into it at all .
Naturally , Omar had more than a few individuals who are either intellectually or morally stunted enough to endorse an idea like that ( there ’ s a reason Hillary Clinton got 66 million votes in the 2016 election ) , but the vast majority of responses on Twitter called out the idea for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asks a question that makes the point perfectly : Omar is doing what leftists have a history of doing — trying to not let a crisis go to waste .
They know that sane people living in normal times would never go for their totalitarian ideas that have bred nothing but misery throughout world , but they also know that a time of turmoil is the time to strike .
“ That ’ s the ticket , make major changes and further confuse things while hospitals and healthcare professionals are already scrambling during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ What is wrong with you ?
” What ’ s wrong with her is what ’ s wrong with all far-left Democrats like New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the faltering presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders .
They peddle the lie that the awesome of the state approaches omnipotence , capable of taking care of every individual from cradle to grave .
But the end goal is actually power over every individual from cradle to grave — the kind of thinking that the United States has repeatedly fought , and usually defeated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hot spots throughout the world , and in the Cold War .
That ’ s the socialist rule the modern Democratic Party is pursuing — Omar ’ s Twitter post just makes that clear .
And it would be a disaster if they succeed .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

For any American who doubts Democrats in power would be a disaster for the United States, there’s always Ilhan Omar.
The Minnesota representative, much better known for a tangled personal life and ridiculously radical politics than any actual achievements, took to Twitter on Tuesday to float a proposal that would be the death knell of health care in the U.S.
And she did it, naturally enough, with no apparent thinking beforehand.
“Here is maybe a radical idea to deal with some of the pressures our healthcare system is facing: All private hospitals should be made public for the duration of the virus,” she wrote.
Here is maybe a radical idea to deal with some of the pressures our healthcare system is facing: All private hospitals should be made public for the duration of the virus. — Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) March 25, 2020
It’s a classically Omar proposal — one that tries to play on American fears to achieve a leftist end without offering even a half-baked justification for why it might be a good idea for the finest health care facilities in the world to be suddenly placed under the rigid control of an ignorant bureaucracy.
For Omar and her fellow travelers like Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont socialist and still-running contender for the Democratic presidential nomination, the long and documented record of cruel failure among countries that have adopted socialist governments and health care systems seems irrelevant.
As to the fact that private hospitals are, by definition, private property, that doesn’t enter into it at all.
Naturally, Omar had more than a few individuals who are either intellectually or morally stunted enough to endorse an idea like that (there’s a reason Hillary Clinton got 66 million votes in the 2016 election), but the vast majority of responses on Twitter called out the idea for the insanity it is:
I would rather go to a private, not-for-profit hospital over a government-run hospital any day of the week, and anybody who thinks otherwise is insane. — Denny Loggins (@DennyLoggins) March 25, 2020
Nothing like good ole National Socialism — the Pilgrim (@ColdLordQuietus) March 25, 2020
“We aren’t Communists!”
…
“But yeah, let’s seize the means of production by authoritarian force” — Ted Fong (@TheRealTedFong) March 25, 2020
Yes! So we can make them less efficient, lower their quality of care, and dump several more layers of bureaucracy on them! This will be good! — Duke Silver (@DukeArgentum) March 25, 2020
And this one asks a question that makes the point perfectly:
That’s the ticket, make major changes and further confuse things while hospitals and healthcare professionals are already scrambling during this pandemic. What is wrong with you? — Sheena Queen of the Jungle (@texdakota) March 25, 2020
Omar is doing what leftists have a history of doing — trying to not let a crisis go to waste.
They know that sane people living in normal times would never go for their totalitarian ideas that have bred nothing but misery throughout world, but they also know that a time of turmoil is the time to strike.
Would Americans ever stand for Omar's proposal to become reality? Yes No
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“That’s the ticket, make major changes and further confuse things while hospitals and healthcare professionals are already scrambling during this pandemic,” the user wrote. “What is wrong with you?”
What’s wrong with her is what’s wrong with all far-left Democrats like New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the faltering presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders. They peddle the lie that the awesome of the state approaches omnipotence, capable of taking care of every individual from cradle to grave.
But the end goal is actually power over every individual from cradle to grave — the kind of thinking that the United States has repeatedly fought, and usually defeated, in World War II, in hot spots throughout the world, and in the Cold War.
That’s the socialist rule the modern Democratic Party is pursuing — Omar’s Twitter post just makes that clear.
And it would be a disaster if they succeed.
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