westernjournal--2020-04-17--Teen Files Lawsuit After Sheriff Threatens Family with Arrest Over COVID-19 Instagram Post

A Wisconsin teen is suing her county ’ s sheriff after she says a law enforcement officer pressured her to delete a social media post alerting people that she had the coronavirus , going so far as to threaten to arrest her .
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Thursday that Amyiah Cohoon , a high school sophomore in Marquette County , filed a lawsuit alleging she was coerced into deleting Instagram posts about her COVID-19 recovery .
The 16-year-old Cohoon reportedly went on a spring break trip to Florida with her school ’ s marching band in March along with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to cut their trip short and return home over fears about the spread of the coronavirus .
According to the Journal Sentinel , Cohoon showed symptoms of the virus upon returning and was advised to self-quarantine and recover from home after she tested negative but was presumed to be positive with COVID-19 by health care workers .
The teen posted about her belief she had the illness on Instagram — and said she received a visit from the Marquette County Sheriff ’ s Office not long after making it public .
TRENDING : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tested Positive to Coronavirus Death Count The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty , a nonprofit legal assistance group , is helping Cohoon with her lawsuit , which accuses Marquette County Sheriff Joseph Konrath and Patrol Sgt .
Cameron Klump of violating the teen ’ s civil liberties by forcing her to delete a post under the threat of arrest .
“ Rick and Angela Cohoon ’ s teen daughter Amyiah developed a severe respiratory illness in March after a spring break trip to Florida .
After one visit to a local hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up at a hospital in Madison , ” WILL wrote in a brief about the lawsuit .
“ Amyiah tested negative for COVID-19 in Madison , but doctors told her that she likely had the virus but had missed the testing window , ” WILL added .
“ Amyiah posted updates to Instagram about this experience , including a post after she returned from the hospital that she had ‘ beaten the coronavirus . '
” Teenager Lawsuit Against Sh… by The Western Journal on Scribd WILL said that on March 27 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to begin making arrests for disorderly conduct if the post in question was not deleted .
In the lawsuit , Cohoon and WILL allege that the visit from the sergeant was initiated after an official at Cohoon ’ s school district complained to the sheriff about one of the social media posts .
“ Hey guys… sorry I ’ ve been on a long break..
I wont be back for a while longer due to me no [ w ] having the COVID-19 virus… I don ’ t want the attention its just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quarantine and am not allow [ e ] d to leave my room and have an inhaler since they said to go home… best of wishes .
love you guys , ” the teen posted on Instagram .
RELATED : Florida Man Accused of Murder After Estranged Wife Sends Odd COVID Texts , Goes Missing In another post showing Cohoon in the hospital , the teen wrote , “ I am finally home after being hospitalized for a day and a half .
I am still on breathing treatment but have beaten the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” According to the lawsuit , Klump wrote in an incident report that he demanded a post be deleted and made the threat of arrest while acting on orders from Konrath .
He further stated the sheriff wanted one of the posts taken down because “ there were no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the county at that time , ” the lawsuit states .
School officials , before the incident with law enforcement , sent out a letter , presumably about Cohoon , that accused a student of attempting to get attention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the teen ’ s family .
“ It was brought to my attention today that there was a rumor floating out there that one of our students contracted Covid-19 while on the band trip to Florida two weeks ago .
Let me assure you there is NO truth to this .
This was a foolish means to get attention and the source of the rumor has been addressed , ” the correspondence sent to parents from a school official read , as documented in the lawsuit .
WILL said it requested an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the family ’ s constitutional rights before filing the lawsuit .
“ WILL issued a demand letter to Marquette County Sheriff Joseph Konrath on April 3 , requesting an apology and acknowledgement that the Cohoons have a First Amendment right to freely express themselves on social media .
Sheriff Konrath has not met either demand , ” the nonprofit group wrote .
Cohoon and WILL accuse the sheriff of violating the teen ’ s First and 14th Amendment rights in the lawsuit , which asks a federal court for constitutional protection from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and other unspecified relief .
“ There are no circumstances that would allow law enforcement to police social media in this way , ” deputy counsel Luke Berg said in a statement .
“ At a moment when civil liberties need to be guarded most , the Marquette County Sheriff must be held accountable.
” Sam Hall , an attorney for Konrath , said Cohoon ’ s Instagram posts “ caused distress and panic ” among the parents of other students , according to the Journal Sentinel .
“ This case is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ screaming fire in a crowded theater , ” Hall said , adding that he plans “ to mount an aggressive defense to this lawsuit.
” “ It is unfortunate that the plaintiff brings this lawsuit now , while law enforcement should be able to focus solely on the public health crisis that we currently face , ” he said .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

A Wisconsin teen is suing her county’s sheriff after she says a law enforcement officer pressured her to delete a social media post alerting people that she had the coronavirus, going so far as to threaten to arrest her.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Thursday that Amyiah Cohoon, a high school sophomore in Marquette County, filed a lawsuit alleging she was coerced into deleting Instagram posts about her COVID-19 recovery.
The 16-year-old Cohoon reportedly went on a spring break trip to Florida with her school’s marching band in March along with her family, but the family decided to cut their trip short and return home over fears about the spread of the coronavirus.
According to the Journal Sentinel, Cohoon showed symptoms of the virus upon returning and was advised to self-quarantine and recover from home after she tested negative but was presumed to be positive with COVID-19 by health care workers.
The teen posted about her belief she had the illness on Instagram — and said she received a visit from the Marquette County Sheriff’s Office not long after making it public.
The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, a nonprofit legal assistance group, is helping Cohoon with her lawsuit, which accuses Marquette County Sheriff Joseph Konrath and Patrol Sgt. Cameron Klump of violating the teen’s civil liberties by forcing her to delete a post under the threat of arrest.
“Rick and Angela Cohoon’s teen daughter Amyiah developed a severe respiratory illness in March after a spring break trip to Florida. After one visit to a local hospital, her symptoms worsened and she ended up at a hospital in Madison,” WILL wrote in a brief about the lawsuit.
“Amyiah tested negative for COVID-19 in Madison, but doctors told her that she likely had the virus but had missed the testing window,” WILL added. “Amyiah posted updates to Instagram about this experience, including a post after she returned from the hospital that she had ‘beaten the coronavirus.'”
Teenager Lawsuit Against Sh… by The Western Journal on Scribd
WILL said that on March 27, Klump visited the Cohoon home and threatened to begin making arrests for disorderly conduct if the post in question was not deleted.
In the lawsuit, Cohoon and WILL allege that the visit from the sergeant was initiated after an official at Cohoon’s school district complained to the sheriff about one of the social media posts.
“Hey guys… sorry I’ve been on a long break.. I wont be back for a while longer due to me no[w] having the COVID-19 virus… I don’t want the attention its just the truth… I am now in self quarantine and am not allow[e]d to leave my room and have an inhaler since they said to go home… best of wishes. love you guys,” the teen posted on Instagram.
This is the heartfelt #COVIDー19 Instagram post by a teenage girl that her school found so dangerous she was ordered to remove it or possibly see her father go to jail. More on @WILawLiberty’s #FirstAmendment fight on her behalf in @journalsentinel: https://t.co/jljMpzhOta pic.twitter.com/Xbzh3bUkZ1 — Brian Reisinger (@BrianJReisinger) April 17, 2020
In another post showing Cohoon in the hospital, the teen wrote, “I am finally home after being hospitalized for a day and a half. I am still on breathing treatment but have beaten the coronavirus. Stay home and be safe.”
Cohoon chose to delete both social media posts.
According to the lawsuit, Klump wrote in an incident report that he demanded a post be deleted and made the threat of arrest while acting on orders from Konrath.
He further stated the sheriff wanted one of the posts taken down because “there were no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the county at that time,” the lawsuit states.
School officials, before the incident with law enforcement, sent out a letter, presumably about Cohoon, that accused a student of attempting to get attention by claiming a coronavirus diagnosis, according to the teen’s family.
“It was brought to my attention today that there was a rumor floating out there that one of our students contracted Covid-19 while on the band trip to Florida two weeks ago. Let me assure you there is NO truth to this. This was a foolish means to get attention and the source of the rumor has been addressed,” the correspondence sent to parents from a school official read, as documented in the lawsuit.
WILL said it requested an apology from Konrath and an acknowledgment of the family’s constitutional rights before filing the lawsuit.
Do you think some public officials have acted outside their authority to enforce social distancing orders? 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: 98% (1348 Votes) No: 2% (24 Votes)
“WILL issued a demand letter to Marquette County Sheriff Joseph Konrath on April 3, requesting an apology and acknowledgement that the Cohoons have a First Amendment right to freely express themselves on social media. Sheriff Konrath has not met either demand,” the nonprofit group wrote.
Cohoon and WILL accuse the sheriff of violating the teen’s First and 14th Amendment rights in the lawsuit, which asks a federal court for constitutional protection from the sheriff in addition to “nominal damages” and other unspecified relief.
“There are no circumstances that would allow law enforcement to police social media in this way,” deputy counsel Luke Berg said in a statement. “At a moment when civil liberties need to be guarded most, the Marquette County Sheriff must be held accountable.”
Sam Hall, an attorney for Konrath, said Cohoon’s Instagram posts “caused distress and panic” among the parents of other students, according to the Journal Sentinel.
“This case is nothing more than a 2020 version of screaming fire in a crowded theater,” Hall said, adding that he plans “to mount an aggressive defense to this lawsuit.”
“It is unfortunate that the plaintiff brings this lawsuit now, while law enforcement should be able to focus solely on the public health crisis that we currently face,” he said.
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westernjournal--2020-04-17--Doctor Who Discovered HIV Confident COVID-19 Was Created in a Lab

Professor Luc Montagnier , a central member of the team that identified HIV during the early days of the AIDS epidemic , is now bucking the media consensus on the novel coronavirus by claiming the pathogen was at least partially edited in a laboratory .
Montagnier revealed his reasoning on a French medical podcast Thursday , according to the French newspaper Le Parisien .
According to research performed by Montagnier , a Nobel Prize winner , and his mathematician partner Jean-Claude Perez , SARS-CoV-2 contains sequences of the human immunodeficiency virus — HIV .
The medical legend took his claims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the virus was pieced together in a Wuhan , China , biolab .
Montagnier said researchers from India published their findings after stumbling over the HIV link , but were forced to retract after “ enormous pressure , ” according to a translated version of the Le Parisien story .
TRENDING : NYC Adds Thousands of People Who Never Tested Positive to Coronavirus Death Count Anne Goffard , a professor at France ’ s Faculty of Pharmacy in Lille , disputes the link exists at all .
“ The study of Indian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which , by looking at the computer study of the genome , proved that there was no HIV sequence , ” Goffard told the paper .
While Goffard maintains the Indian researchers withdrew their publication due to errors and pressure from the scientific community , Montagnier ’ s team is not convinced .
“ This is the work of a watchmaker ’ s precision , ” mathematician Perez told Le Parisien .
“ The presence of pieces of HIV can not be natural.
” American media has been swift to condemn anyone seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to biological engineering .
Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas found himself at the center of negative media attention and faulty fact checks after simply suggesting the Wuhan Institute of Virology needed a thorough investigation .
While the overwhelming scientific consensus points to COVID-19 being natural in origin instead of man-made , that expert agreement in no way absolves the Wuhan biolab .
RELATED : UK Cops Threaten Journalist Who Caught Them Dragging Woman Out of Park for 'Not Exercising' It ’ s already been proven that the lab worked with coronaviruses likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bat populations in China .
Although the specific details are unknown thanks to China ’ s secrecy , it ’ s assumed that scientists were working to compete against the United States in the field of virology .
To do so , the researchers would likely isolate and study some of the nastiest pathogens available to them .
One unwashed hand or sloppy decontamination procedure is all it would take for a virus like SARS-CoV-2 to escape .
If Nobel Prize winner Montagnier is wrong about the virus being a human creation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s nothing to worry about .
Natural selection is insidious in its efficiency and has given humanity the Black Death , the Spanish Flu and now , possibly , the novel coronavirus .
While China may not have been editing the biological code of viruses in the Wuhan lab , the country ’ s shocking lies have already cost the world dearly .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

RETRACTION, Apr. 24, 2020: The Western Journal has retracted this commentary after a fact check by Health Feedback determined that the claims by Nobel laureate Luc Montagnier were inaccurate. “Genomic analyses indicate that the virus has a natural origin, and was not engineered. The so-called ‘unique’ protein sequence insertions found in the 2019 novel coronavirus can be found in many other organisms, not just HIV,” according to the fact check.
In addition, while the commentary as published did point out that “the overwhelming scientific consensus points to COVID-19 being natural in origin instead of man-made,” the headline did not allude to this fact, potentially leading some readers to believe the opposite, which was not our intention.
Professor Luc Montagnier, a central member of the team that identified HIV during the early days of the AIDS epidemic, is now bucking the media consensus on the novel coronavirus by claiming the pathogen was at least partially edited in a laboratory.
Montagnier revealed his reasoning on a French medical podcast Thursday, according to the French newspaper Le Parisien.
According to research performed by Montagnier, a Nobel Prize winner, and his mathematician partner Jean-Claude Perez, SARS-CoV-2 contains sequences of the human immunodeficiency virus — HIV.
The medical legend took his claims a step further and asserted his confidence that the virus was pieced together in a Wuhan, China, biolab.
Montagnier said researchers from India published their findings after stumbling over the HIV link, but were forced to retract after “enormous pressure,” according to a translated version of the Le Parisien story.
Anne Goffard, a professor at France’s Faculty of Pharmacy in Lille, disputes the link exists at all.
“The study of Indian biomathematicians was quickly invalidated by other work which, by looking at the computer study of the genome, proved that there was no HIV sequence,” Goffard told the paper.
While Goffard maintains the Indian researchers withdrew their publication due to errors and pressure from the scientific community, Montagnier’s team is not convinced.
“This is the work of a watchmaker’s precision,” mathematician Perez told Le Parisien. “The presence of pieces of HIV cannot be natural.”
Do you think the virus escaped from a Chinese biolab? 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: 97% (3419 Votes) No: 3% (92 Votes)
American media has been swift to condemn anyone seen as even remotely linking the novel coronavirus to biological engineering.
Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas found himself at the center of negative media attention and faulty fact checks after simply suggesting the Wuhan Institute of Virology needed a thorough investigation.
China claimed—for almost two months—that coronavirus had originated in a Wuhan seafood market. That is not the case. @TheLancet published a study demonstrating that of the original 40 cases, 14 of them had no contact with the seafood market, including Patient Zero. pic.twitter.com/PdgqgHjkGy — Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) January 30, 2020
While the overwhelming scientific consensus points to COVID-19 being natural in origin instead of man-made, that expert agreement in no way absolves the Wuhan biolab.
It’s already been proven that the lab worked with coronaviruses likely taken from the most exotic and remote bat populations in China.
Although the specific details are unknown thanks to China’s secrecy, it’s assumed that scientists were working to compete against the United States in the field of virology. To do so, the researchers would likely isolate and study some of the nastiest pathogens available to them.
One unwashed hand or sloppy decontamination procedure is all it would take for a virus like SARS-CoV-2 to escape.
If Nobel Prize winner Montagnier is wrong about the virus being a human creation, it doesn’t mean there’s nothing to worry about. Natural selection is insidious in its efficiency and has given humanity the Black Death, the Spanish Flu and now, possibly, the novel coronavirus.
While China may not have been editing the biological code of viruses in the Wuhan lab, the country’s shocking lies have already cost the world dearly.
Truth and Accuracy Submit a Correction → * Name
* Email
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* All fields are required. Success! We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.


westernjournal--2020-04-17--Governor Bucks Trend by Refusing To Issue Stay-at-Home Order: ‘I Believe in Our Freedoms and Liberti

Governor Bucks Trend by Refusing To Issue Stay-at-Home Order: ‘I Believe in Our Freedoms and Liberties’

South Dakota Gov .
Kristi Noem , one of the few governors who has yet to issue a stay-at-home order during the coronavirus pandemic , defended her decision Thursday to leave social distancing up to her constituents .
The Republican governor joined Fox News ‘ “ The Ingraham Angle ” to discuss her decision to keep South Dakota open , as well as the criticism she is facing from Democrats and the establishment media calling for her to immediately shut down the state ’ s economy .
“ I took an oath to uphold the Constitution of our state , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oath when I was in congress , obviously , to uphold the constitution of the United States .
I believe in our freedoms and liberties , ” Noem told Fox News host Laura Ingraham .
“ What I ’ ve seen across the country is so many people give up their liberties for just a little bit of security .
And they don ’ t have to do that , ” she said .
“ If a leader will take too much power in a time of crisis , that is how we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like I ’ ve had to use every single opportunity to talk about why we slow things down , we make decisions based on science and facts and make sure that we are not letting emotion grab a hold of the situation , ” Noem continued .
TRENDING : NYC Adds Thousands of People Who Never Tested Positive to Coronavirus Death Count The governor has become a target of the establishment media over her refusal to shut down the state ’ s economy , even in the face of a COVID-19 outbreak at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ largest pork processor , Smithfield Foods , in Sioux Falls .
Nearly 600 of the company ’ s employees have tested positive for the coronavirus , while 135 more confirmed cases are directly related to the plant , USA Today reported .
The plant , which employs 54,000 people , according to Forbes , is now closed temporarily and cases related to the Smithfield plant make up just over half of cases statewide in South Dakota .
According to data from Johns Hopkins , South Dakota has a total of 1,311 COVID-19 cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media and politicians such as Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren criticizing her handling of the outbreak at the processing plant , Gov .
Noem said the pork plant would have remained open whether there was a shutdown or not .
“ What they are neglecting to tell folks is that this processing plant is critical infrastructure .
Regardless of a shelter-in-place order or not , it would have been up and running because it ’ s an important part of our nation ’ s food supply , ” Noem said .
“ So that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the national level , is they ’ ve been not telling all the facts behind this , ” the governor told Ingraham .
“ We are addressing the one hot spot that we do have and aggressively testing in that area , ” she said .
“ And South Dakotans are doing a fantastic job following my recommendations.
” Noem added that she has been able to keep South Dakota open for business while allowing people to “ take on some personal responsibility.
” “ The people of South Dakota can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have common sense .
That ’ s why people want to live here , and that ’ s why I love living here , ” Noem said .
Noem took to Twitter this week to defend her decision not to shut down her entire state over the cases linked to Smithfield .
Noem has become a target of liberal MSNBC host Rachel Maddow .
“ The governor just lets this problem get bigger and bigger and bigger , and wants to think that she can pretend it out of existence , ” Warren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Dakota joins Arkansas , Iowa , Nebraska , North Dakota , Oklahoma , Utah and Wyoming in not having a statewide stay-at-home order in place .
Every state without an order mandating citizens to stay at home is run by a Republican governor .
Six out of eight of those states without stay-at-home orders are in the top 10 in the country with regard to the lowest unemployment , according to CNN Money .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, one of the few governors who has yet to issue a stay-at-home order during the coronavirus pandemic, defended her decision Thursday to leave social distancing up to her constituents.
The Republican governor joined Fox News‘ “The Ingraham Angle” to discuss her decision to keep South Dakota open, as well as the criticism she is facing from Democrats and the establishment media calling for her to immediately shut down the state’s economy.
“I took an oath to uphold the Constitution of our state, of South Dakota. I took an oath when I was in congress, obviously, to uphold the constitution of the United States. I believe in our freedoms and liberties,” Noem told Fox News host Laura Ingraham.
“What I’ve seen across the country is so many people give up their liberties for just a little bit of security. And they don’t have to do that,” she said.
“If a leader will take too much power in a time of crisis, that is how we lose our country. So I felt like I’ve had to use every single opportunity to talk about why we slow things down, we make decisions based on science and facts and make sure that we are not letting emotion grab a hold of the situation,” Noem continued.
Watch the latest video at foxnews.com
The governor has become a target of the establishment media over her refusal to shut down the state’s economy, even in the face of a COVID-19 outbreak at a plant of the nation’s largest pork processor, Smithfield Foods, in Sioux Falls.
Nearly 600 of the company’s employees have tested positive for the coronavirus, while 135 more confirmed cases are directly related to the plant, USA Today reported.
The plant, which employs 3,700 people, is now closed temporarily and cases related to the Smithfield plant make up just over half of cases statewide in South Dakota.
Do you agree with Gov. Noem's decision to keep South Dakota open amid the coronavirus pandemic? 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: 89% (1246 Votes) No: 11% (152 Votes)
According to data from Johns Hopkins, South Dakota has a total of 1,311 COVID-19 cases with seven deaths.
Regarding the establishment media and politicians such as Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren criticizing her handling of the outbreak at the processing plant, Gov. Noem said the pork plant would have remained open whether there was a shutdown or not.
“What they are neglecting to tell folks is that this processing plant is critical infrastructure. Regardless of a shelter-in-place order or not, it would have been up and running because it’s an important part of our nation’s food supply,” Noem said.
“So that’s what’s been happening on the national level, is they’ve been not telling all the facts behind this,” the governor told Ingraham.
“We are addressing the one hot spot that we do have and aggressively testing in that area,” she said. “And South Dakotans are doing a fantastic job following my recommendations.”
Noem added that she has been able to keep South Dakota open for business while allowing people to “take on some personal responsibility.”
“The people of South Dakota can be trusted to make good decisions. We have common sense. That’s why people want to live here, and that’s why I love living here,” Noem said.
Noem took to Twitter this week to defend her decision not to shut down her entire state over the cases linked to Smithfield.
Let’s be perfectly clear: a shelter-in-place order would NOT have prevented Smithfield from happening. They are a critical infrastructure business. They are part of the nation’s food supply chain and contribute to South Dakota’s role feeding the country and the world. (2/4) — Governor Kristi Noem (@govkristinoem) April 15, 2020
Stay strong South Dakota. Together, we will get through this. — Governor Kristi Noem (@govkristinoem) April 15, 2020
Noem has become a target of liberal MSNBC host Rachel Maddow.
On South Dakota… “South Dakota is currently experiencing one of the highest rates of new COVID-19 cases in the US. From Monday 4/6 to Sunday 4/12, the state saw a 154% increase over the week.” (that’s before the large number of new cases since Sunday)https://t.co/VAAZ75rCsZ — Rachel Maddow MSNBC (@maddow) April 16, 2020
“Governor Noem also said she would still not consider placing a moratorium on evictions during the pandemic: ‘I will not be taking any action to stop those types of evictions’.”https://t.co/FZGQitimdO — Rachel Maddow MSNBC (@maddow) April 16, 2020
“The governor just lets this problem get bigger and bigger and bigger, and wants to think that she can pretend it out of existence,” Warren told Maddow in a Wednesday interview.
South Dakota joins Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Utah and Wyoming in not having a statewide stay-at-home order in place.
Every state without an order mandating citizens to stay at home is run by a Republican governor.
Six out of eight of those states without stay-at-home orders are in the top 10 in the country with regard to the lowest unemployment, according to CNN Money.
CORRECTION, April 28, 2020: This article previously misstated the number of people employed at the Sioux Falls plant. Smithfield Foods employs 54,000 people worldwide, and 3,700 people at its Sioux Falls plant.
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westernjournal--2020-04-17--FBI: Coronavirus-Related Research Hacked by Foreign Governments

The Federal Bureau of Investigation said Thursday that foreign government hackers have broken into U.S. companies conducting research into treating COVID-19 .
In an online panel discussion hosted by the Aspen Institute , FBI Deputy Assistant Director Tonya Ugoretz said the FBI has observed state-backed hackers accessing information from health care and research institutes , Reuters reported .
“ We certainly have seen reconnaissance activity , and some intrusions , into some of those institutions , especially those that have publicly identified themselves as working on COVID-related research , ” she said .
Although the biopharmaceutical industry has often been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have increased during the coronavirus pandemic .
The companies that have made it publicly known they are working on treatments and vaccines to fight the coronavirus have made themselves targets for state-backed hackers .
TRENDING : NYC Adds Thousands of People Who Never Tested Positive to Coronavirus Death Count “ The sad flipside is that it kind of makes them a mark for other nation-states that are interested in gleaning details about what exactly they ’ re doing and maybe even stealing proprietary information that those institutions have , ” Ugoretz said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ organizations , the director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center cautioned all institutes conducting research to step up efforts to protect any sensitive data .
“ Medical research organizations and those who work for them should be vigilant against threat actors seeking to steal intellectual property or other sensitive data related to America ’ s response to the COVID19 pandemic , ” director Bill Evanina said .
“ Now is the time to protect the critical research you ’ re conducting.
” According to The Wall Street Journal , over 140 therapies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worldwide including from pharmaceutical company Pfizer Inc. and Gilead Sciences .
Early research from Pfizer identified a drug candidate earlier this month that could keep the novel coronavirus from replicating .
The company hopes to start testing on humans this summer to prove the early findings that the experimental drug could slow or stop the spread of the virus in patients .
Pfizer is also working with BioNTech on developing a vaccine based on messenger RNA technology .
The company has invested $ 185 million upfront and can boost its total investment to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report from Stat described how coronavirus patients treated with Gilead Sciences ’ antiviral medicine remdesivir in a clinical trial at a Chicago hospital have made quick recoveries in terms of their fever and respiratory symptoms .
Remdesivir was one of the first antiviral drugs identified as having a possible impact on SARS-CoV-2 , the virus that leads to COVID-19 .
Gilead is currently conducting seven clinical trials around the world to determine if the drug is safe and effective in treating COVID-19 , the company ’ s CEO , Daniel O ’ Day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As of Friday morning , there were more than 2.1 million cases of coronavirus worldwide , according to Johns Hopkins .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

The Federal Bureau of Investigation said Thursday that foreign government hackers have broken into U.S. companies conducting research into treating COVID-19.
In an online panel discussion hosted by the Aspen Institute, FBI Deputy Assistant Director Tonya Ugoretz said the FBI has observed state-backed hackers accessing information from health care and research institutes, Reuters reported.
“We certainly have seen reconnaissance activity, and some intrusions, into some of those institutions, especially those that have publicly identified themselves as working on COVID-related research,” she said.
Although the biopharmaceutical industry has often been targeted by hackers, Ugoretz said efforts have increased during the coronavirus pandemic.
The companies that have made it publicly known they are working on treatments and vaccines to fight the coronavirus have made themselves targets for state-backed hackers.
“The sad flipside is that it kind of makes them a mark for other nation-states that are interested in gleaning details about what exactly they’re doing and maybe even stealing proprietary information that those institutions have,” Ugoretz said.
Although Ugoretz did not identify the targeted organizations, the director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center cautioned all institutes conducting research to step up efforts to protect any sensitive data.
“Medical research organizations and those who work for them should be vigilant against threat actors seeking to steal intellectual property or other sensitive data related to America’s response to the COVID19 pandemic,” director Bill Evanina said.
“Now is the time to protect the critical research you’re conducting.”
Are you concerned that foreign hackers are trying to access sensitive research? 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: 97% (185 Votes) No: 3% (5 Votes)
According to The Wall Street Journal, over 140 therapies and vaccines for COVID-19 are in development worldwide including from pharmaceutical company Pfizer Inc. and Gilead Sciences.
Early research from Pfizer identified a drug candidate earlier this month that could keep the novel coronavirus from replicating.
The company hopes to start testing on humans this summer to prove the early findings that the experimental drug could slow or stop the spread of the virus in patients.
Pfizer is also working with BioNTech on developing a vaccine based on messenger RNA technology. The company has invested $185 million upfront and can boost its total investment to nearly $750 million.
A Thursday report from Stat described how coronavirus patients treated with Gilead Sciences’ antiviral medicine remdesivir in a clinical trial at a Chicago hospital have made quick recoveries in terms of their fever and respiratory symptoms.
Remdesivir was one of the first antiviral drugs identified as having a possible impact on SARS-CoV-2, the virus that leads to COVID-19.
Gilead is currently conducting seven clinical trials around the world to determine if the drug is safe and effective in treating COVID-19, the company’s CEO, Daniel O’Day, wrote in an open letter.
As of Friday morning, there were more than 2.1 million cases of coronavirus worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins.
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westernjournal--2020-04-17--Dem Operative Carville Preemptively Accuses GOP of Stealing 2020 Election

Republicans are bad people with the worst motives .
Well , according to Democratic political consultant James Carville , anyway .
On Monday , Carville wrote an Op-Ed for NBC News that discussed old elections conspiracies and myths .
He claimed the Supreme Court stole Florida ’ s electoral votes from Democratic candidate Al Gore in 2000 to give George W. Bush the presidency — despite plenty of evidence to the contrary .
Carville also asserted that only Russian interference prevented Democrat Hillary Clinton from defeating Donald Trump in 2016 .
We ’ ve heard it all before .
Ad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new this time ?
TRENDING : NYC Adds Thousands of People Who Never Tested Positive to Coronavirus Death Count Well , Carville has added a new diabolical plan to the GOP ’ s 2020 election strategy : COVID-19 .
According to Carville , the only possible way President Donald Trump can win re-election is to suppress voter turnout .
“ It ’ s plain as day : Republicans can only win by chilling the right to vote .
If all elections were fair , there wouldn ’ t have been a Republican president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote .
Carville ’ s ludicrous claims fall flat , especially when viewed in the prism of Electoral College consistency .
Maybe , just maybe , voters outside of Massachusetts , New York and California subscribe to a more conservative ideology .
And what if a handful of these other states remain competitive across multiple presidential elections ?
Sabato ’ s Crystal Ball illustrates that the swing states in the 2016 election remain competitive today .
Quite simply , these ratings speak to Trump ’ s appeal among Rust Belt voters .
RELATED @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Now Rep 's Trying To Save Him from His Own Gaffes by Canceling Debates The consistency between the 2016 results and the 2020 projections highlights demographics .
Political science fosters this “ electoral consistency ” — not Russian interference or voter suppression .
Ohio and Florida continue to lean more Republican than the national popular vote .
Likewise , Wisconsin and Pennsylvania remain toss-ups .
Just as Virginia has shifted from red to blue , Ohio and Iowa have moved Republican .
Acknowledging this rightward move , former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Op-Ed itself demonstrates the risk that comes with taking stock in springtime presidential election polls .
He included a Real Clear Politics link for North Carolina polls , listing the state among those that show a Trump deficit .
However , the website linked in Monday ’ s Op-Ed has added a Civitas Poll showing the president up by 7 percentage points .
In just a few days , RCP updated its North Carolina polling aggregate , nudging the president back into the red at plus 1.3 percent .
When it comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take when he mentions the state only in reference to the 2000 election .
In 2004 , 52 percent of voters cast a ballot to re-elect George W. Bush , a percentage that has exceeded every subsequent general election candidate .
To Carville , the way to stop the GOP ’ s vote-suppression schemes is to institute something most Republicans view as a danger to democracy — universal mail-in voting .
“ Democrats now have power in their hands to fight back , ” he wrote .
“ Democrats : Do not duck @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ PR machine .
Rather , make expansive voting rights measures a requirement of the next stimulus bill .
… “ Coronavirus distancing protocols are likely to extend far longer than imagined — which makes measures like universal vote-by-mail critical.
” “ This is ultimately a Trojan horse to try and create new laws where you require no identification to vote , ” Crowder said .
We ’ re now witnessing a decline in the number of new coronavirus cases .
We ’ re also shedding new light on COVID-19 ’ s origin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if Trump wins re-election in November , the Democrats will recycle excuses .
Or perhaps they ’ ll just introduce a new one altogether .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Republicans are bad people with the worst motives.
Well, according to Democratic political consultant James Carville, anyway. On Monday, Carville wrote an Op-Ed for NBC News that discussed old elections conspiracies and myths.
He claimed the Supreme Court stole Florida’s electoral votes from Democratic candidate Al Gore in 2000 to give George W. Bush the presidency — despite plenty of evidence to the contrary.
Carville also asserted that only Russian interference prevented Democrat Hillary Clinton from defeating Donald Trump in 2016.
We’ve heard it all before. Ad nauseam. So, what’s new this time?
Well, Carville has added a new diabolical plan to the GOP’s 2020 election strategy: COVID-19.
According to Carville, the only possible way President Donald Trump can win re-election is to suppress voter turnout.
“It’s plain as day: Republicans can only win by chilling the right to vote. If all elections were fair, there wouldn’t have been a Republican president since before Bill Clinton,” he wrote.
Carville’s ludicrous claims fall flat, especially when viewed in the prism of Electoral College consistency.
Maybe, just maybe, voters outside of Massachusetts, New York and California subscribe to a more conservative ideology.
And what if a handful of these other states remain competitive across multiple presidential elections?
Sabato’s Crystal Ball illustrates that the swing states in the 2016 election remain competitive today.
Crystal Ball Electoral College ratings changes today CO Leans D > Likely D
ME Leans D > Likely D
NC Leans R > Toss-uphttps://t.co/wbLyYvSV0d pic.twitter.com/Z7jH8zyXLu — Kyle Kondik (@kkondik) April 2, 2020
Quite simply, these ratings speak to Trump’s appeal among Rust Belt voters.
The consistency between the 2016 results and the 2020 projections highlights demographics.
Political science fosters this “electoral consistency” — not Russian interference or voter suppression.
Ohio and Florida continue to lean more Republican than the national popular vote. Likewise, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania remain toss-ups.
Just as Virginia has shifted from red to blue, Ohio and Iowa have moved Republican. Acknowledging this rightward move, former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang expressed his concern:
One thing that haunts me – swing states like Iowa and Ohio are turning red and many Democrats aren’t even trying to understand why. If you solve for that you beat Trump. — Andrew Yang??? (@AndrewYang) February 7, 2020
Carville’s Op-Ed itself demonstrates the risk that comes with taking stock in springtime presidential election polls.
He included a Real Clear Politics link for North Carolina polls, listing the state among those that show a Trump deficit.
However, the website linked in Monday’s Op-Ed has added a Civitas Poll showing the president up by 7 percentage points.
In just a few days, RCP updated its North Carolina polling aggregate, nudging the president back into the red at plus 1.3 percent.
When it comes to Florida, Carville presents a disingenuous take when he mentions the state only in reference to the 2000 election.
In 2004, 52 percent of voters cast a ballot to re-elect George W. Bush, a percentage that has exceeded every subsequent general election candidate.
To Carville, the way to stop the GOP’s vote-suppression schemes is to institute something most Republicans view as a danger to democracy — universal mail-in voting.
“Democrats now have power in their hands to fight back,” he wrote. “Democrats: Do not duck your tails and run scared of Republicans’ PR machine. Rather, make expansive voting rights measures a requirement of the next stimulus bill. …
Do you think states should institute universal mail-in voting? 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: 3% (17 Votes) No: 97% (655 Votes)
“Coronavirus distancing protocols are likely to extend far longer than imagined — which makes measures like universal vote-by-mail critical.”
BlazeTV’s Steven Crowder devoted a segment to Trump’s opposition to mail-in-ballot plans.
“This is ultimately a Trojan horse to try and create new laws where you require no identification to vote,” Crowder said.
We’re now witnessing a decline in the number of new coronavirus cases. We’re also shedding new light on COVID-19’s origin in Wuhan, China.
And, if Trump wins re-election in November, the Democrats will recycle excuses.
Supreme Court.
Russia.
Voter suppression.
Or perhaps they’ll just introduce a new one altogether.
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westernjournal--2020-04-17--FDA Approves New Drug To Treat Aggressive Breast Cancer: ‘A Significant Advance’

U.S. regulators on Friday approved a new drug for an aggressive type of breast cancer that spreads throughout the body — including into the brain , where it ’ s especially tough to treat .
The Food and Drug Administration said Tukysa , a twice-daily pill developed by Seattle Genetics , is for people with what ’ s known as HER2-positive breast cancer that has spread and resisted multiple other medicines .
This type of cancer is driven by an overactive gene that makes too much of the HER2 protein , which promotes cancer growth .
Each year , about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with HER2-positive breast cancer .
It ’ s usually curable , but when it spreads it kills most patients .
TRENDING : NYC Adds Thousands of People Who Never Tested Positive to Coronavirus Death Count In up to half of them , the cancer reaches the brain , giving that group such a poor prognosis that they have rarely been included in tests of new drugs .
Tukysa , pronounced too-KYE ’ -sah and also known as tucatinib , works by attacking cancer cells from inside and outside to block production of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taking the ammunition out of that weapon , ” said Dr. Eric Winer , a Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researcher who helped lead the key patient study and consults for Seattle Genetics and other drugmakers .
In that company-funded study , half the 612 participants got Tukysa along with standard cancer drugs Herceptin and Xeloda .
The other half got the two standard drugs and a dummy pill .
In the group getting Tukysa , 45 percent survived at least two years , compared with 27 percent in the placebo group .
Among the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 25 percent were alive after a year versus none in the placebo group .
Tukysa has a list price of $ 18,500 per month , or roughly $ 111,000 for an average course of treatment , without insurance .
RELATED : Governor Bucks Trend by Refusing To Issue Stay-at-Home Order : ' I Believe in Our Freedoms and Liberties' Most patients don ’ t pay that , and Seattle Genetics plans to offer financial aid .
Tukysa should be available almost immediately .
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .
The Associated Press contributed to this report .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

U.S. regulators on Friday approved a new drug for an aggressive type of breast cancer that spreads throughout the body — including into the brain, where it’s especially tough to treat.
The Food and Drug Administration said Tukysa, a twice-daily pill developed by Seattle Genetics, is for people with what’s known as HER2-positive breast cancer that has spread and resisted multiple other medicines.
This type of cancer is driven by an overactive gene that makes too much of the HER2 protein, which promotes cancer growth.
Each year, about 50,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with HER2-positive breast cancer.
It’s usually curable, but when it spreads it kills most patients.
In up to half of them, the cancer reaches the brain, giving that group such a poor prognosis that they have rarely been included in tests of new drugs.
Tukysa, pronounced too-KYE’-sah and also known as tucatinib, works by attacking cancer cells from inside and outside to block production of the HER2 protein.
“This is basically taking the ammunition out of that weapon,” said Dr. Eric Winer, a Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researcher who helped lead the key patient study and consults for Seattle Genetics and other drugmakers.
In that company-funded study, half the 612 participants got Tukysa along with standard cancer drugs Herceptin and Xeloda. The other half got the two standard drugs and a dummy pill.
Does this drug sound promising? 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: 100% (41 Votes) No: 0% (0 Votes)
In the group getting Tukysa, 45 percent survived at least two years, compared with 27 percent in the placebo group.
Among the participants whose cancer spread to the brain, 25 percent were alive after a year versus none in the placebo group.
“It’s a significant advance,” Winer said.
Common side effects included diarrhea, fatigue, vomiting and liver function changes.
Tukysa has a list price of $18,500 per month, or roughly $111,000 for an average course of treatment, without insurance.
Most patients don’t pay that, and Seattle Genetics plans to offer financial aid.
Tukysa should be available almost immediately.
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
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--2020-04-17--After Biden Allegations, WaPo Columnist Who Took on Kavanaugh Decides ‘Believe All Women’ Was ‘Dumb’

Washington Post columnist and author Ruth Marcus , who literally wrote the book on believing allegations of sexual assault leveled against then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh by accuser Christine Blasey Ford , now says that the concept of “ # BelieveAllWomen ” is dumb .
“ Reflexive acceptance of any and all allegations of sexual misconduct against any man is not staunch feminism — it is dangerous credulity that risks doing terrible injustice to the accused , ” Marcus wrote in Washington Post Op-Ed on Wednesday .
Marcus conceded that “ # BelieveAllWomen was a dumb hashtag and a dumber @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The reason for this about-face has to do with the recent allegations against former Vice President Joe Biden , the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee .
According to The New York Times , former Biden aide Tara Reade , who was employed for a short time in his Senate office , alleged during a March 25 podcast interview that Biden pinned her against a wall and sexually assaulted her in 1993 .
TRENDING : NYC Adds Thousands of People Who Never Tested Positive to Coronavirus Death Count Marcus ’ publication took three weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and her own lopsided treatment of the accusations against Biden versus those against Kavanaugh remains apparent .
Mollie Hemingway , a senior editor at The Federalist and Fox News contributor who wrote her own book about Kavanaugh ’ s Supreme Court confirmation fight , highlighted the double standard Thursday .
“ Ruth Marcus , author of the two dramatically different pieces below , along with an anti-Kavanaugh book , was a major leader of the Washington Post ’ s all-hands-on-deck effort to destroy Brett Kavanaugh ’ s life using allegations that were far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe Biden , ” Hemingway tweeted .
Hemingway retweeted an image that contrasts the headline for one of Marcus ’ pieces on Kavanaugh — “ Does it matter what Kavanaugh did in high school ?
Well , yes.
” — juxtaposed with the more meek headline for Wednesday ’ s Op-Ed on Biden ’ s accuser : “ Assessing Tara Reade ’ s allegations.
” Marcus even acknowledged Wednesday that “ Outrage over misbehavior only by those with whom we have ideological differences is not righteous — it is hypocritical.
” Marcus compared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but only found Reade more credible in one regard — that Reade told others about her claims around the time of the alleged assault .
Yet Marcus also made sure to point out that “ Ford said she took pains not to let family and friends know about the alleged assault.
” Despite the moment of clarity at the beginning of the piece , Marcus circled back to the conclusion that “ The likelihood of definitive proof one way or another seems frustratingly low .
My gut says that what Reade alleges did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contrast to how she treated the Kavanaugh allegations , with Marcus even conceding that she “ wrote a book that concluded [ Ford ] was telling the truth.
” Although Marcus pointed out that she knows there ’ s a possibility Reade is telling the truth , she made sure to conclude with this admonishment to Reade ’ s supporters : “ Double standards work in both directions.
” Marcus is not the only pundit to express support for Ford , only to do an about-face when it came to believing Reade ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alyssa Milano was an outspoken supporter of Ford in the midst of the Kavanaugh confirmation process .
Now that Biden , who she has endorsed for president , faces allegations of sexual assault , Milano suddenly wants to talk about the importance of due process for the accused .
“ I explained my silence on the allegations against Joe Biden in this clip , ” she tweeted earlier this month .
“ I am still endorsing @ JoeBiden .
Listen to this clip to find out why.
” “ Really , we have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to believing women , but that does not mean at the expense of not giving men their due process , ” she told talk show host Andy Cohen in the attached clip .
“ I just don ’ t feel comfortable throwing away a decent man that I ’ ve known for 15 years in this time of complete chaos without there being a thorough investigation.
” It ’ s nice to see that due process is back in fashion again , but it ’ s highly questionable whether it will stick around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her Op-Ed , Marcus reiterated a quote from her book , “ Supreme Ambition : Brett Kavanaugh and the Conservative Takeover , ” claiming that Kavanaugh ’ s Supreme Court term “ will forever have an asterisk attached.
” Maybe she should reserve the asterisk for # BelieveAllWomen , because despite her current moment of clarity , her past actions demonstrate that the standard only applies to women who accuse men on the political right .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards @

Washington Post columnist and author Ruth Marcus, who literally wrote the book on believing allegations of sexual assault leveled against then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh by accuser Christine Blasey Ford, now says that the concept of “#BelieveAllWomen” is dumb.
“Reflexive acceptance of any and all allegations of sexual misconduct against any man is not staunch feminism — it is dangerous credulity that risks doing terrible injustice to the accused,” Marcus wrote in Washington Post Op-Ed on Wednesday.
Marcus conceded that “#BelieveAllWomen was a dumb hashtag and a dumber approach to inevitably complex, fact-bound situations.”
The reason for this about-face has to do with the recent allegations against former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.
According to The New York Times, former Biden aide Tara Reade, who was employed for a short time in his Senate office, alleged during a March 25 podcast interview that Biden pinned her against a wall and sexually assaulted her in 1993.
Marcus’ publication took three weeks to even report on the allegations, and her own lopsided treatment of the accusations against Biden versus those against Kavanaugh remains apparent.
Mollie Hemingway, a senior editor at The Federalist and Fox News contributor who wrote her own book about Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court confirmation fight, highlighted the double standard Thursday.
“Ruth Marcus, author of the two dramatically different pieces below, along with an anti-Kavanaugh book, was a major leader of the Washington Post’s all-hands-on-deck effort to destroy Brett Kavanaugh’s life using allegations that were far weaker than Tara Reade’s against Joe Biden,” Hemingway tweeted.
Ruth Marcus, author of the two dramatically different pieces below, along with an anti-Kavanaugh book, was a major leader of the Washington Post’s all-hands-on-deck effort to destroy Brett Kavanaugh’s life using allegations that were far weaker than Tara Reade’s against Joe Biden https://t.co/TCXINh4cJ0 — Mollie (@MZHemingway) April 16, 2020
Do you think Ruth Marcus' newfound respect for due process will remain the next time a conservative man is accused of sexual assault? 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: 3% (18 Votes) No: 97% (500 Votes)
Hemingway retweeted an image that contrasts the headline for one of Marcus’ pieces on Kavanaugh — “Does it matter what Kavanaugh did in high school? Well, yes.” — juxtaposed with the more meek headline for Wednesday’s Op-Ed on Biden’s accuser: “Assessing Tara Reade’s allegations.”
Marcus even acknowledged Wednesday that “Outrage over misbehavior only by those with whom we have ideological differences is not righteous — it is hypocritical.”
Marcus compared the arguments from Ford and Reade, but only found Reade more credible in one regard — that Reade told others about her claims around the time of the alleged assault. Yet Marcus also made sure to point out that “Ford said she took pains not to let family and friends know about the alleged assault.”
Despite the moment of clarity at the beginning of the piece, Marcus circled back to the conclusion that “The likelihood of definitive proof one way or another seems frustratingly low. My gut says that what Reade alleges did not happen.”
This stands in stark contrast to how she treated the Kavanaugh allegations, with Marcus even conceding that she “wrote a book that concluded [Ford] was telling the truth.”
Although Marcus pointed out that she knows there’s a possibility Reade is telling the truth, she made sure to conclude with this admonishment to Reade’s supporters: “Double standards work in both directions.”
Marcus is not the only pundit to express support for Ford, only to do an about-face when it came to believing Reade’s allegations.
Actress and liberal activist Alyssa Milano was an outspoken supporter of Ford in the midst of the Kavanaugh confirmation process.
Now that Biden, who she has endorsed for president, faces allegations of sexual assault, Milano suddenly wants to talk about the importance of due process for the accused.
“I explained my silence on the allegations against Joe Biden in this clip,” she tweeted earlier this month. “I am still endorsing @JoeBiden. Listen to this clip to find out why.”
I explained my silence on the allegations against Joe Biden in this clip. I am still endorsing @JoeBiden. Listen to this clip to find out why. #MeToo #TimesUp https://t.co/6v7udELEzv — Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) April 6, 2020
“Really, we have to sort of societally change that mindset to believing women, but that does not mean at the expense of not giving men their due process,” she told talk show host Andy Cohen in the attached clip.
“I just don’t feel comfortable throwing away a decent man that I’ve known for 15 years in this time of complete chaos without there being a thorough investigation.”
It’s nice to see that due process is back in fashion again, but it’s highly questionable whether it will stick around for the next accused conservative.
In her Op-Ed, Marcus reiterated a quote from her book, “Supreme Ambition: Brett Kavanaugh and the Conservative Takeover,” claiming that Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court term “will forever have an asterisk attached.”
Maybe she should reserve the asterisk for #BelieveAllWomen, because despite her current moment of clarity, her past actions demonstrate that the standard only applies to women who accuse men on the political right.
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westernjournal--2020-04-17--Michigan Governor Threatens Protesters with Extended Stay-at-Home Order

Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer said Thursday night that the actions of protesters outside of the state capitol building might cause her to extend the stay-at-home orders for the state of Michigan .
“ I think the thing that I ’ m concerned most about — and I think my other fellow governors are as well — is a resurgence , ” the Democratic governor told MSNBC .
She pointed to the protest on Wednesday , which she labeled a “ political rally , ” where people were gathered together but not wearing masks .
“ You know that that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of disease drag out and expose more people .
People came and converged together in Lansing and then they went out back to their homes across the state of Michigan .
The odds are very high that they are spreading COVID-19 along with it , ” Whitmer said .
“ And so it ’ s that kind of irresponsible action that puts us in this situation where we might have to actually think about extending stay-at-home orders , which is supposedly what they were protesting.
” TRENDING : NYC Adds Thousands of People @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Count Thousands of protesters gathered in Lansing on Wednesday to oppose the extended stay-at-home order Whitmer announced last week .
The protest , called “ Operation Gridlock , ” was organized by the Michigan Conservative Coalition and the Michigan Freedom Fund .
Although the Facebook event told people to stay in their cars and protest with signs , many people gathered on the steps of the Michigan State Capitol building .
“ I came out here to support the Michigan businesses and stand up for the rights of Michiganders , ” protester Joseph @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the governor has overreached and overstepped her rights with our freedoms.
” Protesters say that the governor ’ s mandates are excessive .
“ People are basically being told what they can and can ’ t buy at stores , ” Matt Seely with the Michigan Conservative Coalition told WOOD earlier this week .
RELATED : Florida Man Accused of Murder After Estranged Wife Sends Odd COVID Texts , Goes Missing “ Nothing makes sense .
You can buy a bottle of liquor , but you can ’ t buy a gallon of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Good Morning America , ” Whitmer defended her decisions , saying it ’ s better to be “ six feet apart right now than six feet under.
” “ If it makes people feel better to take their frustrations out on me , that ’ s fine .
All I ask is let ’ s not get overly political here , let ’ s focus on the public health , ” she said .
As of Friday morning , there were 28,301 cases of COVID-19 in Michigan , according to data from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Thursday night that the actions of protesters outside of the state capitol building might cause her to extend the stay-at-home orders for the state of Michigan.
“I think the thing that I’m concerned most about — and I think my other fellow governors are as well — is a resurgence,” the Democratic governor told MSNBC.
She pointed to the protest on Wednesday, which she labeled a “political rally,” where people were gathered together but not wearing masks.
“You know that that’s precisely what makes this kind of disease drag out and expose more people. People came and converged together in Lansing and then they went out back to their homes across the state of Michigan. The odds are very high that they are spreading COVID-19 along with it,” Whitmer said.
“And so it’s that kind of irresponsible action that puts us in this situation where we might have to actually think about extending stay-at-home orders, which is supposedly what they were protesting.”
WATCH: Gov. Whitmer tells @Maddow that Wednesday’s protest at Michigan’s Capitol is the “kind of irresponsible action that puts us in this situation where we might have to actually think about extending stay-at-home orders, which is supposedly what they protesting.” pic.twitter.com/WxVtTVEeia — MSNBC (@MSNBC) April 17, 2020
Thousands of protesters gathered in Lansing on Wednesday to oppose the extended stay-at-home order Whitmer announced last week.
The protest, called “Operation Gridlock,” was organized by the Michigan Conservative Coalition and the Michigan Freedom Fund.
Do you think Michigan's governor is abusing her power? 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: 96% (1018 Votes) No: 4% (41 Votes)
Although the Facebook event told people to stay in their cars and protest with signs, many people gathered on the steps of the Michigan State Capitol building.
“I came out here to support the Michigan businesses and stand up for the rights of Michiganders,” protester Joseph Dickson told WOOD-TV.
“We believe the governor has overreached and overstepped her rights with our freedoms.”
Protesters say that the governor’s mandates are excessive.
“People are basically being told what they can and can’t buy at stores,” Matt Seely with the Michigan Conservative Coalition told WOOD earlier this week.
“Nothing makes sense. You can buy a bottle of liquor, but you can’t buy a gallon of paint.”
In a Friday appearance on “Good Morning America,” Whitmer defended her decisions, saying it’s better to be “six feet apart right now than six feet under.”
“If it makes people feel better to take their frustrations out on me, that’s fine. All I ask is let’s not get overly political here, let’s focus on the public health,” she said.
As of Friday morning, there were 28,301 cases of COVID-19 in Michigan, according to data from Johns Hopkins.
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westernjournal--2020-04-17--Gov. Cuomo Shatters Media Narrative on Trump COVID Deaths: We Haven’t Lost 1 Patient for Lack of Equ

Gov. Cuomo Shatters Media Narrative on Trump COVID Deaths: We Haven’t Lost 1 Patient for Lack of Equipment

In the chaotic early days of the COVID crisis , there was one fact we knew for certain about the situation in New York state : The ventilators just weren ’ t there .
Democratic New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo would rail at the federal government during his coronavirus media briefings .
Ventilators were needed !
Without thousands of ventilators , people would die !
The Trump administration isn ’ t getting Cuomo those ventilators !
The governor ’ s rhetoric on the issue was just as overheated as the media coverage was .
He ’ s emerged as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic , if just because the same cable channels who bleat about having to play host to President Donald Trump ’ s media briefings every afternoon had no problem airing Cuomo ’ s .
They also didn ’ t particularly challenge anything he said , so the assumption — a good one , given what everyone was saying — was that people were dying for lack of the mechanical ventilation devices .
Splitting ventilators became a top story on the news , more sad proof of our woeful unpreparedness to face the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of People Who Never Tested Positive to Coronavirus Death Count The Trump administration was lambasted for its inability to provide ventilators to the city .
The Chinese government , which mismanaged coronavirus containment from day one — and through malfeasance , mind you , not just administrative bungling — was feted by both the governor and the media after Chinese billionaires gave the state ventilators .
The devices were , in effect , the entire ballgame — which is why I was slightly confused to run across this clip from the Trump War @ @ @ @ @ @ @ account : “ Have we saved everyone ?
No , ” Cuomo said on April 6 .
“ But have we lost anyone because we didn ’ t have a bed or we didn ’ t have a ventilator or we didn ’ t have health care staff ?
No , ” he said .
“ The people we lost are the people we couldn ’ t save.
” I wondered if this were out of context .
It wasn ’ t .
According to a transcript from Rev , it came during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he discussed the amount of control the New York state government apparatus had over whether an individual lived or died from COVID-19 .
“ We like to think that we can control everything .
We can ’ t .
We like to think that we can fix everything and fix all the problems for people .
We can ’ t , ” Cuomo said .
“ The undeniable truth here is that this virus is a deadly enemy and we will lose and we are losing people who are vulnerable to the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that can ’ t be fixed .
Why ?
That ’ s mother nature .
That ’ s a question that God can only answer .
RELATED : UK Cops Threaten Journalist Who Caught Them Dragging Woman Out of Park for 'Not Exercising' “ But control what you can , do what you can .
The challenge is to make sure that we don ’ t lose anyone who could have been saved if our healthcare system was operating fully .
Don ’ t lose anyone who you could save .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government.
” However , if his government hasn ’ t lost anyone because it didn ’ t have the ventilators , doesn ’ t it also follow that the Trump administration , at the very least , helped meet that “ legitimate , ambitious goal ” ?
To the extent this quote was highlighted when it happened , it was as part of the fact that New York was approaching the peak of the coronavirus curve .
This peak , by the way , required far fewer resources than models had anticipated , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than were anticipated .
Why wasn ’ t it reported more widely ?
I suppose we can brainstorm and come up with a whole host of reasons .
The Orange Man Bad storyline plays better than reporting the government and the administration did their jobs and that there was nothing to see here .
There was admitting the models had been as overheated as the coverage itself .
And then there ’ s the fact their new superstar himself played a role in New York ’ s ventilator shortage , having failed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ force report saying that in the event of a pandemic like the 1918 flu , New York would need almost 10,000 more of the devices .
The bottom line is that none of that matters .
It ’ s a good thing that New York had enough ventilators .
It ’ d also be a good thing if we acknowledged they did .
The president has not caused COVID-19 deaths in the state of New York by depriving people of ventilators — and the lingering idea he ’ s responsible for that is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

In the chaotic early days of the COVID crisis, there was one fact we knew for certain about the situation in New York state: The ventilators just weren’t there.
Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo would rail at the federal government during his coronavirus media briefings. Ventilators were needed! Without thousands of ventilators, people would die! The Trump administration isn’t getting Cuomo those ventilators!
The governor’s rhetoric on the issue was just as overheated as the media coverage was. He’s emerged as one of the political stars of the pandemic, if just because the same cable channels who bleat about having to play host to President Donald Trump’s media briefings every afternoon had no problem airing Cuomo’s.
They also didn’t particularly challenge anything he said, so the assumption — a good one, given what everyone was saying — was that people were dying for lack of the mechanical ventilation devices.
Splitting ventilators became a top story on the news, more sad proof of our woeful unpreparedness to face the coronavirus crisis.
The Trump administration was lambasted for its inability to provide ventilators to the city.
The Chinese government, which mismanaged coronavirus containment from day one — and through malfeasance, mind you, not just administrative bungling — was feted by both the governor and the media after Chinese billionaires gave the state ventilators.
The devices were, in effect, the entire ballgame — which is why I was slightly confused to run across this clip from the Trump War Room, an official Trump social media account:
Democrat Governor of New York: “Have we saved everyone? No. But have we lost anyone because we didn’t have a bed, or we didn’t have a ventilator, or we didn’t have health care staff? No. People we lost are the people we couldn’t save.”pic.twitter.com/eONgDhWFGi — Trump War Room – Text TRUMP to 88022 (@TrumpWarRoom) April 14, 2020
“Have we saved everyone? No,” Cuomo said on April 6.
“But have we lost anyone because we didn’t have a bed or we didn’t have a ventilator or we didn’t have health care staff? No,” he said. “The people we lost are the people we couldn’t save.”
I wondered if this were out of context. It wasn’t. According to a transcript from Rev, it came during a portion of the media briefing where he discussed the amount of control the New York state government apparatus had over whether an individual lived or died from COVID-19.
“We like to think that we can control everything. We can’t. We like to think that we can fix everything and fix all the problems for people. We can’t,” Cuomo said.
“The undeniable truth here is that this virus is a deadly enemy and we will lose and we are losing people who are vulnerable to the virus. That can’t be controlled, that can’t be fixed. Why? That’s mother nature. That’s a question that God can only answer.
“But control what you can, do what you can. The challenge is to make sure that we don’t lose anyone who could have been saved if our healthcare system was operating fully. Don’t lose anyone who you could save. That is a legitimate, ambitious goal of government.”
However, if his government hasn’t lost anyone because it didn’t have the ventilators, doesn’t it also follow that the Trump administration, at the very least, helped meet that “legitimate, ambitious goal”?
To the extent this quote was highlighted when it happened, it was as part of the fact that New York was approaching the peak of the coronavirus curve. This peak, by the way, required far fewer resources than models had anticipated, including over 75 percent fewer hospital beds than were anticipated.
Has President Trump done a good job tackling the coronavirus pandemic? Yes No
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Why wasn’t it reported more widely? I suppose we can brainstorm and come up with a whole host of reasons. The Orange Man Bad storyline plays better than reporting the government and the administration did their jobs and that there was nothing to see here. There was admitting the models had been as overheated as the coverage itself. And then there’s the fact their new superstar himself played a role in New York’s ventilator shortage, having failed to heed the recommendations in a 2015 task force report saying that in the event of a pandemic like the 1918 flu, New York would need almost 10,000 more of the devices.
The bottom line is that none of that matters. It’s a good thing that New York had enough ventilators. It’d also be a good thing if we acknowledged they did.
The president has not caused COVID-19 deaths in the state of New York by depriving people of ventilators — and the lingering idea he’s responsible for that is totally fact-free.
Just ask Andrew Cuomo.
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westernjournal--2020-04-17--Hope Abounds as Antiviral Drug Helps Most Coronavirus Patients Quickly Recover

Coronavirus patients treated with Gilead Sciences ’ antiviral medicine remdesivir in a clinical trial at a Chicago hospital have made quick recoveries in terms of their fever and respiratory symptoms , according to a new report .
The Thursday report from STAT News said that nearly all patients treated with remdesivir were discharged within a week .
Remdesivir was one of the first antiviral drugs identified as having a possible impact on SARS-CoV-2 , the virus that leads to COVID-19 .
Gilead is currently conducting seven clinical trials around the world to determine if the drug is safe and effective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open letter from the company ’ s CEO , Daniel O ’ Day .
“ We know that there is tremendous interest around when the data from these trials will be available and what they will tell us about remdesivir .
We feel the urgency as we wait for the science to speak , ” the letter reads .
TRENDING : NYC Adds Thousands of People Who Never Tested Positive to Coronavirus Death Count One hundred twenty-five patients with COVID-19 were recruited for the University of Chicago Medicine trial , in which they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , STAT News reported .
Of those patients , 113 had severe symptoms from the disease .
“ The best news is that most of our patients have already been discharged , which is great , ” Kathleen Mullane , a University of Chicago infectious disease specialist , said in a video obtained by STAT News .
“ We ’ ve only had two patients perish.
” Although remdesivir and other drugs are not yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration , the latest data is encouraging .
“ It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start [ the ] drug , we see fever curves falling , ” Mullane said , adding that the trial does not include a placebo group .
“ Fever is now not a requirement for people to go on trial , we do see when patients do come in with high fevers , they do [ reduce ] quite quickly .
We have seen people come off ventilators a day after starting therapy .
So , in that realm , overall our patients have done very well.
” Most of the patients in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 days .
According to The Wall Street Journal , over 140 therapies and vaccines for COVID-19 are in development worldwide .
However , one doctor who has memories of untested drugs being given to suffering Ebola patients between 2014 to 2016 is advising people to slow down .
“ Many drugs we believed were fantastic ended up killing people , ” Dr. Andre Kalil told The New York Times .
“ It is so hard to keep explaining that.
” One patient of the University of Chicago ’ s remdesivir trial called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to STAT News .
“ My fever dropped almost immediately and I started to feel better , ” Slawomir Michalak said of his first infusion .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Coronavirus patients treated with Gilead Sciences’ antiviral medicine remdesivir in a clinical trial at a Chicago hospital have made quick recoveries in terms of their fever and respiratory symptoms, according to a new report.
The Thursday report from STAT News said that nearly all patients treated with remdesivir were discharged within a week.
Remdesivir was one of the first antiviral drugs identified as having a possible impact on SARS-CoV-2, the virus that leads to COVID-19.
Gilead is currently conducting seven clinical trials around the world to determine if the drug is safe and effective in treating COVID-19, according to an open letter from the company’s CEO, Daniel O’Day.
“We know that there is tremendous interest around when the data from these trials will be available and what they will tell us about remdesivir. We feel the urgency as we wait for the science to speak,” the letter reads.
One hundred twenty-five patients with COVID-19 were recruited for the University of Chicago Medicine trial, in which they were treated with daily infusions of remdesivir, STAT News reported. Of those patients, 113 had severe symptoms from the disease.
“The best news is that most of our patients have already been discharged, which is great,” Kathleen Mullane, a University of Chicago infectious disease specialist, said in a video obtained by STAT News.
“We’ve only had two patients perish.”
Although remdesivir and other drugs are not yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration, the latest data is encouraging.
Are you hopeful that an antiviral drug will be approved in time to fight coronavirus? Yes No
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“It’s always hard … but certainly when we start [the] drug, we see fever curves falling,” Mullane said, adding that the trial does not include a placebo group.
“Fever is now not a requirement for people to go on trial, we do see when patients do come in with high fevers, they do [reduce] quite quickly. We have seen people come off ventilators a day after starting therapy. So, in that realm, overall our patients have done very well.”
Most of the patients in the study were discharged within six and 10 days.
According to The Wall Street Journal, over 140 therapies and vaccines for COVID-19 are in development worldwide.
However, one doctor who has memories of untested drugs being given to suffering Ebola patients between 2014 to 2016 is advising people to slow down.
“Many drugs we believed were fantastic ended up killing people,” Dr. Andre Kalil told The New York Times. “It is so hard to keep explaining that.”
One patient of the University of Chicago’s remdesivir trial called the drug “a miracle,” according to STAT News.
“My fever dropped almost immediately and I started to feel better,” Slawomir Michalak said of his first infusion.
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westernjournal--2020-04-17--Mayor Backs Off Drive-In Church Ban After DOJ Supports Lawsuit

There are no shortage of politicians who view in-person religious services as nonessential and dangerous in the time of a pandemic .
We can argue over the constitutional niceties of this , but you can certainly see their logic : There ’ s a real danger there , and even if the act of going to church , synagogue or mosque in these times is constitutionally protected , it ’ s also profoundly foolhardy .
I ’ m not quite sure what to make of the kind of politician , however , who would ban a drive-in church service .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Greenville , Mississippi .
For a mayor in the heart of the Bible Belt , Simmons is unusually unconvinced that religion provides much of a salve in our pandemic-stricken hour , even if that salve is applied from inside your own car .
Simmons banned drive-in services in his town in an April 7 executive order and , when members of Temple Baptist Church refused to break one up , congregants were slapped with $ 500 fines .
TRENDING : NYC Adds Thousands of People Who Never Tested Positive to Coronavirus Death Count @ @ @ @ @ @ @ citations during a massive economic downturn apparently weren ’ t questioned by Mayor Simmons until multiple lawsuits , including one supported by the Justice Department , hit the town and the state ’ s Republican governor intervened .
On Wednesday , Simmons announced he ’ d come to the conclusion that yes , you could stay in your car without spreading the novel coronavirus .
“ Today , given the definitive guidance from the governor , in the city of Greenville we will allow drive-in and parking lot services in the city – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cars with windows up , ” Simmons said in a briefing over Facebook Live .
Simmons , a Democrat ( quelle surprise ) , was referring to a call with mayors across Mississippi hosted by Republican Gov .
Tate Reeves .
During the call , Reeves said that the services “ are safe ” given the windows are up and social distancing guidelines are followed .
I don ’ t think the lawsuit from Temple Baptist Church and the Alliance Defending Freedom hurt either , especially since the DOJ decided to get involved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department filed a Statement of Interest in support of a church in Mississippi that allegedly sought to hold parking lot worship services , in which congregants listened to their pastor preach over their car radios , while sitting in their cars in the church parking lot with their windows rolled up , ” Attorney General William Barr said in a news release .
“ The City of Greenville fined congregants $ 500 per person for attending these parking lot services – while permitting citizens to attend nearby drive-in restaurants , even with their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have thereby singled churches out as the only essential service ( as designated by the state of Mississippi ) that may not operate despite following all CDC and state recommendations regarding social distancing , ” Barr added .
Barr went on to note that “ [ e ] ven in times of emergency , when reasonable and temporary restrictions are placed on rights , the First Amendment and federal statutory law prohibit discrimination against religious institutions and religious believers.
” RELATED : UK Cops Threaten Journalist Who Caught Them Dragging Woman Out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reeves signaled his support for the DOJ ’ s move via a tweet : On Wednesday , a second lawsuit — this one filed by the First Liberty Institute on behalf of King James Bible Baptist Church — hit Greenville .
Under Simmons ’ new executive order , not only can churches meet in a drive-in fashion but up to 10 people can be inside a church at a given time — something that pastors , musicians and the media team will no doubt appreciate .
However , the mayor still advised against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still strongly encouraged to hold services via Facebook Live , Zoom , Free Conference Call and any and all other electronic , social media , streaming telephonic platforms available for the safety and protection of life , ” Simmons said .
The question raises itself , however : If Simmons was so sure his original order was both in the interests of his constituents and entirely legal , why not fight the lawsuit ?
It ’ s not as if his administration didn ’ t have time to consult lawyers on the constitutional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Public health experts could have attested to the risk ( or arrant lack thereof ) of holding drive-in services .
Simmons had a whole eight days between when the executive order was put into place and when it was lifted to examine this policy and whether or not it was legal and beneficial .
One would also hope he ’ d sought out this advice before the ban was enacted , as well .
So , why lift it now ?
I doubt anyone is terribly convinced the Wednesday guidance from the governor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact the governor had made it perfectly clear what he thought about the policy the day before .
Was the ban just a result of unthinking panic ?
Did Mayor Simmons even care whether this was legal in the first place ?
Was he under the misapprehension no one was going to challenge his authority during a time of pandemic ?
Whatever the case , the drive-in church ban policy was over-officious , unconstitutional and counterproductive from day one .
It wouldn ’ t have saved a single life if it had survived @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city .
This was a waste of police and judicial resources , and one hopes the residents of Greenville remember that waste when Mayor Simmons next appears at the ballot box .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

There are no shortage of politicians who view in-person religious services as nonessential and dangerous in the time of a pandemic.
We can argue over the constitutional niceties of this, but you can certainly see their logic: There’s a real danger there, and even if the act of going to church, synagogue or mosque in these times is constitutionally protected, it’s also profoundly foolhardy.
I’m not quite sure what to make of the kind of politician, however, who would ban a drive-in church service.
Meet Errick Simmons, the mayor of Greenville, Mississippi. For a mayor in the heart of the Bible Belt, Simmons is unusually unconvinced that religion provides much of a salve in our pandemic-stricken hour, even if that salve is applied from inside your own car.
Simmons banned drive-in services in his town in an April 7 executive order and, when members of Temple Baptist Church refused to break one up, congregants were slapped with $500 fines.
The merits of giving churchgoers $500 citations during a massive economic downturn apparently weren’t questioned by Mayor Simmons until multiple lawsuits, including one supported by the Justice Department, hit the town and the state’s Republican governor intervened.
On Wednesday, Simmons announced he’d come to the conclusion that yes, you could stay in your car without spreading the novel coronavirus.
“Today, given the definitive guidance from the governor, in the city of Greenville we will allow drive-in and parking lot services in the city – so long as families stay in their cars with windows up,” Simmons said in a briefing over Facebook Live.
Simmons, a Democrat (quelle surprise), was referring to a call with mayors across Mississippi hosted by Republican Gov. Tate Reeves. During the call, Reeves said that the services “are safe” given the windows are up and social distancing guidelines are followed.
Should drive-in church services be banned? Yes No
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I don’t think the lawsuit from Temple Baptist Church and the Alliance Defending Freedom hurt either, especially since the DOJ decided to get involved on Tuesday.
“Today, the Department filed a Statement of Interest in support of a church in Mississippi that allegedly sought to hold parking lot worship services, in which congregants listened to their pastor preach over their car radios, while sitting in their cars in the church parking lot with their windows rolled up,” Attorney General William Barr said in a news release.
“The City of Greenville fined congregants $500 per person for attending these parking lot services – while permitting citizens to attend nearby drive-in restaurants, even with their windows open.”
“The City appears to have thereby singled churches out as the only essential service (as designated by the state of Mississippi) that may not operate despite following all CDC and state recommendations regarding social distancing,” Barr added.
Barr went on to note that “[e]ven in times of emergency, when reasonable and temporary restrictions are placed on rights, the First Amendment and federal statutory law prohibit discrimination against religious institutions and religious believers.”
Gov. Reeves signaled his support for the DOJ’s move via a tweet:
Thank you to the Trump administration and Attorney General Bill Barr for this strong stand in support of religious liberty. The government cannot shut down churches. Mississippi is not China. This is still America. We will help support this any way we can. https://t.co/a2cc5s3oXe — Tate Reeves (@tatereeves) April 14, 2020
On Wednesday, a second lawsuit — this one filed by the First Liberty Institute on behalf of King James Bible Baptist Church — hit Greenville.
Under Simmons’ new executive order, not only can churches meet in a drive-in fashion but up to 10 people can be inside a church at a given time — something that pastors, musicians and the media team will no doubt appreciate. However, the mayor still advised against gathering in person.
“Churches are still strongly encouraged to hold services via Facebook Live, Zoom, Free Conference Call and any and all other electronic, social media, streaming telephonic platforms available for the safety and protection of life,” Simmons said.
The question raises itself, however: If Simmons was so sure his original order was both in the interests of his constituents and entirely legal, why not fight the lawsuit?
It’s not as if his administration didn’t have time to consult lawyers on the constitutional ramifications of what he was doing.
Public health experts could have attested to the risk (or arrant lack thereof) of holding drive-in services.
Simmons had a whole eight days between when the executive order was put into place and when it was lifted to examine this policy and whether or not it was legal and beneficial.
One would also hope he’d sought out this advice before the ban was enacted, as well.
So, why lift it now?
I doubt anyone is terribly convinced the Wednesday guidance from the governor was what swayed him, given the fact the governor had made it perfectly clear what he thought about the policy the day before.
Was the ban just a result of unthinking panic? Did Mayor Simmons even care whether this was legal in the first place? Was he under the misapprehension no one was going to challenge his authority during a time of pandemic?
Whatever the case, the drive-in church ban policy was over-officious, unconstitutional and counterproductive from day one. It wouldn’t have saved a single life if it had survived the legal challenges that lay ahead for the city.
This was a waste of police and judicial resources, and one hopes the residents of Greenville remember that waste when Mayor Simmons next appears at the ballot box.
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