westernjournal--2020-04-18--Marco Rubio: Coronavirus Outbreak Is China’s Chernobyl

Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida said this week China ’ s reputation has been permanently damaged by its actions in the coronavirus pandemic .
During an interview Thursday on the Fox News program “ The Story , ” Rubio addressed the possibility that , as alleged in a new report , U.S. officials are investigating whether the virus escaped from a testing lab in the Chinese city of Wuhan .
“ It would be a dramatic , earth-shattering revelation if , in fact , it turns out to be the case .
And that would be the case for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s ] one thing that someone became infected at a lab and they infected some other people .
That ’ s concerning that the safety standards there are not high , ” Rubio said .
The possibility of a cover-up is even more troubling than China ’ s lax standards , he said .
“ But another thing completely is that a government , when they learn of it , would actively attempt to cover it up as they have , if that ’ s the case , ” Rubio said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of TP and Hand Sanitizer , Unamused Manager Tells Him Off “ You know , from the very beginning of this crisis , the Chinese have been less than transparent.
” “ If that is what happened , and we ’ ve got to wait and see if that is in fact what happened , there is no doubt that China will be held accountable not just by the United States but by the world , ” he said .
“ China covered up essential facts about this and set the world back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its response.
” Contrasting China ’ s secretive ways with the open society of the United States , Rubio predicted during his interview on “ The Story ” that the investigation into the beginning of the virus , its reported roots in a Chinese lab and any Chinese government cover-up will result in a “ tremendous global scandal , one of the most outrageous things that has happened in the modern history of the world if that were to turn out to be true.
” Rubio said China ’ s alleged attempts to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ reminiscent somewhat of Chernobyl , ” referring to the actions by the then-Soviet government to minimize the extent of the nuclear power plant accident in Ukraine , costing it the trust of its people and nations around the world .
Some nations , particularly in Africa , are calling for China to put money in a fund for global reparations , the Florida Republican said .
“ There will be some tough conversations throughout the world about what needs to be done in regards to this , ” Rubio said .
RELATED @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 24 Hours To Get Boot from White House “ Here ’ s the truth : China ’ s reputation globally has already been badly damaged , ” he said .
“ There are plenty of countries out there that know exactly how China mishandled this , irrespective of whether this came out of that lab or not , ” Rubio added .
“ They ’ re not out there talking about it because their economies are not big enough take China on directly .
But the damage that China has suffered to its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ways irreparable.
” Rubio also discussed the fact that the pandemic has revealed to the nation that most of America ’ s pharmaceuticals are made in China .
“ There are some things that even if they are cheaper to make somewhere else , we have to be able to make in our own country for our own security , ” Rubio said , noting that he has called in the past for the U.S. to reduce its reliance on Chinese-made medicines .
“ The world is overly dependent upon China , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ afford , from an economic and national security standpoint , to not have the industrial capacity to do things.
” We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida said this week China’s reputation has been permanently damaged by its actions in the coronavirus pandemic.
During an interview Thursday on the Fox News program “The Story,” Rubio addressed the possibility that, as alleged in a new report, U.S. officials are investigating whether the virus escaped from a testing lab in the Chinese city of Wuhan.
“It would be a dramatic, earth-shattering revelation if, in fact, it turns out to be the case. And that would be the case for two reasons. Number one, [it’s] one thing that someone became infected at a lab and they infected some other people. That’s concerning that the safety standards there are not high,” Rubio said.
The possibility of a cover-up is even more troubling than China’s lax standards, he said.
“But another thing completely is that a government, when they learn of it, would actively attempt to cover it up as they have, if that’s the case,” Rubio said.
“You know, from the very beginning of this crisis, the Chinese have been less than transparent.”
Rubio made a similar comment in a Fox Business interview this week.
“If that is what happened, and we’ve got to wait and see if that is in fact what happened, there is no doubt that China will be held accountable not just by the United States but by the world,” he said.
Did China cover up the truth about the virus? Yes No
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“China covered up essential facts about this and set the world back by days and weeks in terms of its response.”
Contrasting China’s secretive ways with the open society of the United States, Rubio predicted during his interview on “The Story” that the investigation into the beginning of the virus, its reported roots in a Chinese lab and any Chinese government cover-up will result in a “tremendous global scandal, one of the most outrageous things that has happened in the modern history of the world if that were to turn out to be true.”
Rubio said China’s alleged attempts to downplay the extent of the pandemic was “reminiscent somewhat of Chernobyl,” referring to the actions by the then-Soviet government to minimize the extent of the nuclear power plant accident in Ukraine, costing it the trust of its people and nations around the world.
Some nations, particularly in Africa, are calling for China to put money in a fund for global reparations, the Florida Republican said.
“There will be some tough conversations throughout the world about what needs to be done in regards to this,” Rubio said.
“Here’s the truth: China’s reputation globally has already been badly damaged,” he said.
“There are plenty of countries out there that know exactly how China mishandled this, irrespective of whether this came out of that lab or not,” Rubio added.
“They’re not out there talking about it because their economies are not big enough take China on directly. But the damage that China has suffered to its perception around the world is in many ways irreparable.”
Rubio also discussed the fact that the pandemic has revealed to the nation that most of America’s pharmaceuticals are made in China.
“There are some things that even if they are cheaper to make somewhere else, we have to be able to make in our own country for our own security,” Rubio said, noting that he has called in the past for the U.S. to reduce its reliance on Chinese-made medicines.
The U.S. is dependent on China for 95% of ibuprofen, 70% of acetaminophen, and more than 40% of penicillin, in addition to medical devices. @MarcoRubio has introduced legislation to change that.https://t.co/Ra21CjxNAx — Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) April 13, 2020
“The world is overly dependent upon China,” he said. “We cannot afford, from an economic and national security standpoint, to not have the industrial capacity to do things.”
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westernjournal--2020-04-18--Harry and Meghan Spotted Reportedly Feeding the Needy in First Sighting Since Moving to LA

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were spotted in West Hollywood on Wednesday , dressed in casual clothing while delivering food to residents in a low-income housing complex .
Video footage obtained by TMZ showed the Duke and Duchess of Sussex standing outside the Sierra Bonita Apartments , holding blue bags containing meals from Project Angel Food .
The sighting is believed to be the first time the couple has been seen in public since reportedly relocating to Los Angeles in recent weeks .
TRENDING : Man Tries Returning Hoard of TP and Hand Sanitizer , Unamused Manager Tells Him Off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news outlet , one of the recipients of the food was resident Dan Tyrell , who at first did not recognize the famed couple in their baseball caps and face masks .
“ They were both nice and very down-to-earth people , ” Tyrell said .
“ They had masks on , and they were dressed down with jeans , but very nice jeans.
” “ I thought that tall , red-headed guy looked pretty familiar , and that girl was very pretty , ” he continued .
When Tyrell noticed a security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was indeed Prince Harry and Meghan Markle .
“ Then I saw the large black SUVs with the security guards behind them , ” Tyrell said .
He jokes that if he had known that royalty would be at his doorstep , he would have worn a tiara .
According to Harper ’ s Bazaar , Harry and Meghan first volunteered with Project Angel Food on Easter Sunday , helping to deliver a week ’ s worth of prepared food and emergency kits to people not healthy enough to shop or cook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Set To Debut Memoir Just Before 80th Birthday Project Angel Food is an L.A.-based nonprofit that regularly prepares and delivers diet-specific food to people dealing with chronic illnesses .
The nonprofit has been overwhelmed in recent weeks , trying to keep up with higher demand due to the coronavirus pandemic , Harper ’ s Bazaar reported .
Project Angel Food ’ s executive director , Richard Ayoub , told WEHOville he was thrilled to have Harry and Meghan ’ s help during such a stressful time .
“ They wanted to help us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workload … so they made deliveries in West Hollywood today , ” Ayoub said , adding that he had not intended for the effort to become public .
“ It ’ s really , really amazing .
We loved having them and they are the most down-to-earth people.
” The couple reportedly made 20 deliveries on Wednesday , eager to lighten the workload for delivery drivers who have worked nonstop to bring food to some of the area ’ s most vulnerable residents .
“ In many places , volunteers — which are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serving incredibly long hours to support others , ” a source close to the Duke and Duchess told Harper ’ s Bazaar .
“ The couple is grateful for all of those volunteers , and inspired by the frontline workers , essential workers , and people everywhere who are committed to responding to needs of their communities in this crisis.
” We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were spotted in West Hollywood on Wednesday, dressed in casual clothing while delivering food to residents in a low-income housing complex.
Video footage obtained by TMZ showed the Duke and Duchess of Sussex standing outside the Sierra Bonita Apartments, holding blue bags containing meals from Project Angel Food.
The sighting is believed to be the first time the couple has been seen in public since reportedly relocating to Los Angeles in recent weeks.
Video shows the dressed-down Duke and Duchess of Sussex making the rounds for Project Angel Food. https://t.co/fTdu6RrVEN — HuffPost Ent (@HuffPostEnt) April 17, 2020
According to WEHOville, a West Hollywood news outlet, one of the recipients of the food was resident Dan Tyrell, who at first did not recognize the famed couple in their baseball caps and face masks.
“They were both nice and very down-to-earth people,” Tyrell said.
“They had masks on, and they were dressed down with jeans, but very nice jeans.”
“I thought that tall, red-headed guy looked pretty familiar, and that girl was very pretty,” he continued.
When Tyrell noticed a security team accompanying the couple, he realized it was indeed Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
“Then I saw the large black SUVs with the security guards behind them,” Tyrell said.
He jokes that if he had known that royalty would be at his doorstep, he would have worn a tiara.
According to Harper’s Bazaar, Harry and Meghan first volunteered with Project Angel Food on Easter Sunday, helping to deliver a week’s worth of prepared food and emergency kits to people not healthy enough to shop or cook for themselves.
Project Angel Food is an L.A.-based nonprofit that regularly prepares and delivers diet-specific food to people dealing with chronic illnesses.
The nonprofit has been overwhelmed in recent weeks, trying to keep up with higher demand due to the coronavirus pandemic, Harper’s Bazaar reported.
Project Angel Food’s executive director, Richard Ayoub, told WEHOville he was thrilled to have Harry and Meghan’s help during such a stressful time.
“They wanted to help us relieve some of the drivers from their workload … so they made deliveries in West Hollywood today,” Ayoub said, adding that he had not intended for the effort to become public.
“It’s really, really amazing. We loved having them and they are the most down-to-earth people.”
The couple reportedly made 20 deliveries on Wednesday, eager to lighten the workload for delivery drivers who have worked nonstop to bring food to some of the area’s most vulnerable residents.
“In many places, volunteers — which are needed now more than ever — are serving incredibly long hours to support others,” a source close to the Duke and Duchess told Harper’s Bazaar.
“The couple is grateful for all of those volunteers, and inspired by the frontline workers, essential workers, and people everywhere who are committed to responding to needs of their communities in this crisis.”
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westernjournal--2020-04-19--Disease Expert: ‘Herd Immunity’ Only Way To Defeat Virus Without Vaccine

The United States ’ short-term effort to minimize the damage from the coronavirus is not going to win the long-term war against the disease , according to one expert .
Currently , the country is relying on social distancing and various forms of restrictions that have closed businesses , churches and schools .
The theory behind those actions is that if Americans are not gathered together , the virus can not zoom through the population .
What that does is buy time , and should not be confused with finding the final answer to fighting the virus , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center in Connecticut , according to Fox News .
Katz noted that stopping the spread of the virus through social distancing may reduce its impact now , but it can not be the ultimate answer because unless current restrictions remain in place forever — an economically , socially and politically untenable proposition — the virus will spread sooner or later .
TRENDING : Bill Maher Sends Warning to Media : Keep up Dishonest Virus Reporting , and Trump Will Win 2020 Katz said a long period of shutdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spreads .
“ That ’ s what will happen if you lock everybody away from everybody else and kind of wait until things get better and then let everybody out into the world , ” Katz said during Mark Levin ’ s “ Life , Liberty & Levin ” show in an interview airing Sunday .
“ The virus is still out there .
We don ’ t have antibodies .
We ’ ll just get it later , ” he said .
Katz said communicable diseases lose their power once a population @ @ @ @ @ @ @ known as “ herd immunity , ” the collective resistance to a virus that grows naturally by many people having the disease , recovering , and developing antibodies .
“ [ I ] f all you do is flatten the curve , you don ’ t prevent deaths or severe cases .
You just change the dates .
We don ’ t want to do that , ” Katz said .
Katz said the two ways to deal with the virus are to develop a vaccine — a process that could easily take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nation ’ s herd immunity by weaning America off of most restrictions currently in place .
If enough people develop antibodies , the spread of the virus is halted by what Katz termed “ dead ends ” that stop it from spreading .
“ It finds it harder to get to a host where it can survive and it dies out , ” he said .
“ That ’ s herd immunity.
” Katz said the virus is so new that there is no data yet to determine what percentage of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and recover before the virus loses its collective punch .
“ The numbers of us that need to have antibodies vary with the properties of a given contagion .
And we ’ re learning what the properties of this particular contagion are .
That also needs to come from data , ” he said .
Katz said that , for example , if he were immune to the virus , he could visit his elderly mother without worrying about spreading the disease .
“ My mother doesn ’ t want to get coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t want to die of something else before ever again being able to hug her grandchildren because she ’ s still waiting for a vaccine , ” Katz said .
“ Herd immunity gives us [ a ] much more proximal way to get back to life in the world as we knew it.
” We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

The United States’ short-term effort to minimize the damage from the coronavirus is not going to win the long-term war against the disease, according to one expert.
Currently, the country is relying on social distancing and various forms of restrictions that have closed businesses, churches and schools. The theory behind those actions is that if Americans are not gathered together, the virus cannot zoom through the population.
What that does is buy time, and should not be confused with finding the final answer to fighting the virus, according to Dr. David Katz, the founding director of the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center in Connecticut, according to Fox News.
Katz noted that stopping the spread of the virus through social distancing may reduce its impact now, but it cannot be the ultimate answer because unless current restrictions remain in place forever — an economically, socially and politically untenable proposition — the virus will spread sooner or later.
Katz cited the case of some Asian nations who appeared to stop the spread with lockdown-style mitigation strategies, only to see an increase in cases once restrictions were relaxed.https://t.co/kDXYUwBZsT — Rodrigo Constantino (@Rconstantino) April 19, 2020
Katz said a long period of shutdown only prolongs the time until the virus spreads.
“That’s what will happen if you lock everybody away from everybody else and kind of wait until things get better and then let everybody out into the world,” Katz said during Mark Levin’s “Life, Liberty & Levin” show in an interview airing Sunday.
“The virus is still out there. We don’t have antibodies. We’ll just get it later,” he said.
Is it time to lift restrictions and re-open businesses? Yes No
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Katz said communicable diseases lose their power once a population they would prey upon develops what is known as “herd immunity,” the collective resistance to a virus that grows naturally by many people having the disease, recovering, and developing antibodies.
“[I]f all you do is flatten the curve, you don’t prevent deaths or severe cases. You just change the dates. We don’t want to do that,” Katz said.
Katz said the two ways to deal with the virus are to develop a vaccine — a process that could easily take a year at best — or build the nation’s herd immunity by weaning America off of most restrictions currently in place.
If enough people develop antibodies, the spread of the virus is halted by what Katz termed “dead ends” that stop it from spreading.
“It finds it harder to get to a host where it can survive and it dies out,” he said. “That’s herd immunity.”
Katz said the virus is so new that there is no data yet to determine what percentage of the population might need to contract the disease and recover before the virus loses its collective punch.
“The numbers of us that need to have antibodies vary with the properties of a given contagion. And we’re learning what the properties of this particular contagion are. That also needs to come from data,” he said.
Katz said that, for example, if he were immune to the virus, he could visit his elderly mother without worrying about spreading the disease.
“My mother doesn’t want to get coronavirus and die. She also doesn’t want to die of something else before ever again being able to hug her grandchildren because she’s still waiting for a vaccine,” Katz said. “Herd immunity gives us [a] much more proximal way to get back to life in the world as we knew it.”
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westernjournal--2020-04-19--CDC Chief Says 20 US States May Be Able to Re-Open Within 14 Days

With the nation nearing a long-awaited peak in the coronavirus pandemic , U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Dr. Robert Redfield said Wednesday that a number of the more mildly affected states may be in a good position to re-open come months ’ end .
According to Reuters , Redfield told the hosts of ABC ’ s “ Good Morning America ” that major regional differences in coronavirus transmission have been recorded , leading him to believe federal officials could be working as early as May 1 to advise executive branch leadership in nearly 20 states on their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guidelines .
Which states will truly be prepared to take such steps by that soft deadline remain unknown .
John Hopkins data , however , however , suggested as of Thursday that ( in ascending order of their case numbers ) Wyoming ( with 309 ) , Alaska , North Dakota , Hawaii , West Virginia , Vermont , Maine , Nebraska , New Hampshire , South Dakota , Idaho , New Mexico , Arkansas , Kansas , Oregon , Minnesota , Delaware , Oklahoma , Iowa and Kentucky ( with 2,707 ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nation .
“ There are a number of counties within this country that have not experienced really any coronavirus despite testing , ” Redfield said .
TRENDING : Bill Maher Sends Warning to Media : Keep up Dishonest Virus Reporting , and Trump Will Win 2020 “ There are a number of states — 19 , 20 states — that really have had limited impact from it .
So I think we will see some states that are , the governors feel that they ’ re ready , we ’ re poised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The news comes less than one month after Democratic California Gov .
Gavin Newsom on March 19 announced introduction of the nation ’ s first official stay-at-home order , mandating closure of so-called non-essential business , barring large gatherings and encouraging decreased public activity for state residents .
Quickly taken up by 41 more states nationwide , similar stay-at-home orders would apply the brakes to a booming U.S. economy , as Fox News reported , prompting the loss of more than 22 million jobs almost overnight .
Congress acted on a bipartisan basis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of economic fallout , passing a historic $ 2.2 trillion relief package meant to bolster the finances of struggling American families , companies and government response efforts .
President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans , however , have been adamant in suggesting legislated economic relief would only serve as a short-term band-aid for economic losses suffered amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak .
For the economy to be revived , Trump and his allies argued , it would sooner or later be required that the nation re-open for business in a more rapid fashion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workforce could serve as a much-needed jolt of a defibrillator to bring the economy back to life .
RELATED : Sciascia : Dems ' Callousness Toward Capitalism on Display as Small Business Loans Dry Up But the idea was not received warmly — and , as USA Today reported , Trump ’ s claims of “ total ” federal government authority over economic re-opening were met with fierce opposition .
Changing his tune Thursday , however , Trump returned to the table with a tranched plan to re-open the U.S. economy in three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and their public health advisers felt the time was right for their respective states .
Despite the president — and a work-insecure America — having high hopes for a “ big bang ” re-opening of the economy dramatically reined in this week , Redfield ’ s Wednesday remarks do invite further optimism .
With roughly half of states reporting low quadruple-digit case totals — far less than was initially estimated — non-essential business owners and laborers could soon see substantial steps toward recovery on the horizon , with those in harder-hit states lagging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right direction by mid-May .
And is that not the beauty of federalism ?
A nation as large as the U.S. has never been equipped for one-size-fits all solution , whether they be put in place for the purposes of mitigating public health emergencies or facilitating economic recoveries .
One of many brilliant gems of the American founding , however , is that the nation was never built to demand such blanket solutions either .
Instead , we have been gifted an empowered system of independent states , enabled to institute solutions in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Now , it ’ s time we put that system to use in order to protect at-risk Americans and get the rest of the nation back on its feet .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

With the nation nearing a long-awaited peak in the coronavirus pandemic, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Dr. Robert Redfield said Wednesday that a number of the more mildly affected states may be in a good position to re-open come months’ end.
According to Reuters, Redfield told the hosts of ABC’s “Good Morning America” that major regional differences in coronavirus transmission have been recorded, leading him to believe federal officials could be working as early as May 1 to advise executive branch leadership in nearly 20 states on their efforts to relax economically taxing social distancing guidelines.
Which states will truly be prepared to take such steps by that soft deadline remain unknown.
Johns Hopkins data, however, suggested as of Thursday that (in ascending order of their case numbers) Wyoming (with 309), Alaska, Montana, North Dakota, Hawaii, West Virginia, Vermont, Maine, Nebraska, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Idaho, New Mexico, Arkansas, Kansas, Oregon, Minnesota, Delaware, Oklahoma, Iowa and Kentucky (with 2,707) have accounted for the lowest totals in the nation.
“There are a number of counties within this country that have not experienced really any coronavirus despite testing,” Redfield said.
“There are a number of states — 19, 20 states — that really have had limited impact from it. So I think we will see some states that are, the governors feel that they’re ready, we’re poised to assist them with that reopening.”
“I think there’s a number of jurisdictions that are very close to having that capability.” –@CDCDirector on the status of aggressive coronavirus testing in the United States. pic.twitter.com/7K386zunE3 — TODAY (@TODAYshow) April 17, 2020
The news comes less than one month after Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom on March 19 announced introduction of the nation’s first official stay-at-home order, mandating closure of so-called non-essential business, barring large gatherings and encouraging decreased public activity for state residents.
Do you think it's time to re-open America? Yes No
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Quickly taken up by 41 more states nationwide, similar stay-at-home orders would apply the brakes to a booming U.S. economy, as Fox News reported, prompting the loss of more than 22 million jobs almost overnight.
Congress acted on a bipartisan basis on March 27 to stem the tides of economic fallout, passing a historic $2.2 trillion relief package meant to bolster the finances of struggling American families, companies and government response efforts.
President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans, however, have been adamant in suggesting legislated economic relief would only serve as a short-term band-aid for economic losses suffered amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
For the economy to be revived, Trump and his allies argued, it would sooner or later be required that the nation re-open for business in a more rapid fashion. Labor’s re-entry into the workforce could serve as a much-needed jolt of a defibrillator to bring the economy back to life.
Breaking: Trump says 20 states in ‘extremely good shape’ on coronavirus, could reopen before May 1 https://t.co/HqsRRfIVxp — John Solomon (@jsolomonReports) April 14, 2020
But the idea was not received warmly — and, as USA Today reported, Trump’s claims of “total” federal government authority over economic re-opening were met with fierce opposition.
Changing his tune Thursday, however, Trump returned to the table with a tranched plan to re-open the U.S. economy in three phases, each carried out when governors and their public health advisers felt the time was right for their respective states.
First phase for individuals: ? Vulnerable individuals shelter in place
? Maximize social distancing in public
? Avoid groups of 10+
? Minimize non-essential travelhttps://t.co/gdCIY9wJP8 pic.twitter.com/Fmb56oEIDA — The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 17, 2020
We have detailed recommendations for states to follow before they should reopen:
•14-day consistent decline in #COVID19 cases
•Ability to do rapid testing for new case identification &
contact tracing It will be a step-by-step prudent process. https://t.co/4xaRLocVBz — Dr. Robert R. Redfield (@CDCDirector) April 17, 2020
Despite the president — and a work-insecure America — having high hopes for a “big bang” re-opening of the economy dramatically reined in this week, Redfield’s Wednesday remarks do invite further optimism.
With roughly half of states reporting low quadruple-digit case totals — far less than was initially estimated — non-essential business owners and laborers could soon see substantial steps toward recovery on the horizon, with those in harder-hit states lagging a bit behind but moving in the right direction by mid-May.
And is that not the beauty of federalism?
A nation as large as the U.S. has never been equipped for one-size-fits all solution, whether they be put in place for the purposes of mitigating public health emergencies or facilitating economic recoveries. One of many brilliant gems of the American founding, however, is that the nation was never built to demand such blanket solutions either.
Instead, we have been gifted an empowered system of independent states, enabled to institute solutions in their time and on their terms. Now, it’s time we put that system to use in order to protect at-risk Americans and get the rest of the nation back on its feet.
UPDATE, April 20, 2020: When originally published, this article left Montana off the list of states with fewest reported coronavirus cases. As of Monday, Montana had 433 reported cases, according to The New York Times
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westernjournal--2020-04-19--WHO Board Member Republishes Anti-Trump Clip, Calls POTUS Supporters ‘Future Patients’

A board member of the World Health Organization on Saturday published a Twitter post calling supporters of President Donald Trump “ future patients ” while also sharing an anti-Trump video .
The post by Gualtiero Walter Ricciardi , a professor of public health at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore ( Catholic University of the Sacred Heart ) in Milan , Italy , and member of the executive board of WHO for Europe , left no doubt how he felt about Americans who back the president .
“ triste : futuri pazienti che chiedono di licenziare chi vuole proteggere la @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which Google Translate renders in English , “ sad : future patients who ask to lay off those who want to protect their health.
” TRENDING : Bill Maher Sends Warning to Media : Keep up Dishonest Virus Reporting , and Trump Will Win 2020 The tweet showed a video of protesters , many wearing pro-Trump gear , calling for the ouster of infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci , who has become one of the most prominent members of Trump ’ s White House Coronavirus Task Force .
Fauci has advocated strict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ damage from the coronavirus .
Ricciardi also retweeted a Twitter post from anti-Trump filmmaker Michael Moore that showed a video in which a mannequin figure of Trump is repeatedly attacked and knocked over , with a reference to the upcoming presidential election as a time for Moore ’ s celebration to begin .
As a result , former Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini fired off a salvo at Ricciardi , tweeting “ Non ne ha azzeccata una sul Virus e adesso insulta pure Trump !
Che il governo lo cacci e chieda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stanno mandando aiuti per decine di milioni di euro , ” which The Gateway Pundit translated as “ ( Ricciardi ) is insulting President Trump .
Italian Government must dismiss him and apologize to the USA , which is helping Italy with millions of euros.
” Although Ricciardi later deleted the retweet , professor Enzo Penetta , founder of the conservative Italian website Critica Scientifica , website tweeted , in Italian , “ Anche Ricciardi si cimenta nella terza legge .
In più il ‘ vergognati ’ prende più like.
” Google Translate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ventures into the third law .
In addition , the ‘ shameful ’ takes more likes.
” Ricciardi made a response before deleting the tweet — apparently saying the post was being taken too literally and he was merely commenting sarcastically on how much Trump is disliked .
He also appeared to emphasize that he doesn ’ t condone violence — even if it ’ s just against a puppet .
“ questo retweet e sbagliato il senso era guardate quanto è amato ( beloved ) Ma nessun messagio equivoco puo essere dato @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pupazzo .
Procedo a cancellarlo , ” he tweeted , which translates to , “ this retweet is wrong the sense was look how much he is loved ( beloved ) But no equivocal message can be given on violent gestures even if towards a puppet .
I proceed to delete it.
” Trump has shown his disdain for the WHO in recent days , and on Wednesday froze U.S. funding to the group because of its actions in the early days of the coronavirus epidemic .
Ricciardi has criticized Trump in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Independent .
When he quit his post at Italy ’ s National Institute of Health in January 2019 , he likened Italian government ministers attitudes toward immigrants to Trump ’ s , The Independent reported .
“ Saying repeatedly that migrants carry diseases is groundless and it forces self-censorship in order not to contradict the political line , ” he said after being forced out of his former post as Italy ’ s chief health minister .
“ Yet these are key issues for health prevention and public health.
” “ All @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s recommendation to the National Institutes of Health Institute to no longer use the term ‘ evidence-based ’ , ” he said .
“ It ’ s an approach taken by populists , who have great difficulty in interacting with science.
” We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

A board member of the World Health Organization on Saturday published a Twitter post calling supporters of President Donald Trump “future patients” while also sharing an anti-Trump video.
The post by Gualtiero Walter Ricciardi, a professor of public health at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (Catholic University of the Sacred Heart) in Milan, Italy, and member of the executive board of WHO for Europe, left no doubt how he felt about Americans who back the president.
“triste: futuri pazienti che chiedono di licenziare chi vuole proteggere la loro salu,” he wrote, which Google Translate renders in English, “sad: future patients who ask to lay off those who want to protect their health.”
triste: futuri pazienti che chiedono di licenziare chi vuole proteggere la loro salute https://t.co/cHaNqvR5h1 — Walter Ricciardi (@WRicciardi) April 18, 2020
The tweet showed a video of protesters, many wearing pro-Trump gear, calling for the ouster of infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci, who has become one of the most prominent members of Trump’s White House Coronavirus Task Force. Fauci has advocated strict restrictions as the way of limiting the damage from the coronavirus.
Ricciardi also retweeted a Twitter post from anti-Trump filmmaker Michael Moore that showed a video in which a mannequin figure of Trump is repeatedly attacked and knocked over, with a reference to the upcoming presidential election as a time for Moore’s celebration to begin.
As a result, former Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini fired off a salvo at Ricciardi, tweeting “Non ne ha azzeccata una sul Virus e adesso insulta pure Trump! Che il governo lo cacci e chieda scusa agli Stati Uniti, che peraltro stanno mandando aiuti per decine di milioni di euro,” which The Gateway Pundit translated as “(Ricciardi) is insulting President Trump. Italian Government must dismiss him and apologize to the USA, which is helping Italy with millions of euros.”
Non ne ha azzeccata una sul Virus e adesso insulta pure Trump!
Che il governo lo cacci e chieda scusa agli Stati Uniti, che peraltro stanno mandando aiuti per decine di milioni di euro. pic.twitter.com/zP5ut6EgVy — Matteo Salvini (@matteosalvinimi) April 19, 2020
Does this show what the president is up against? 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: 99% (975 Votes) No: 1% (9 Votes)
Although Ricciardi later deleted the retweet, professor Enzo Penetta, founder of the conservative Italian website Critica Scientifica, website tweeted, in Italian, “Anche Ricciardi si cimenta nella terza legge. In più il ‘vergognati’ prende più like.” Google Translate renders that as, “Ricciardi also ventures into the third law. In addition, the ‘shameful’ takes more likes.”
Ricciardi made a response before deleting the tweet — apparently saying the post was being taken too literally and he was merely commenting sarcastically on how much Trump is disliked. He also appeared to emphasize that he doesn’t condone violence — even if it’s just against a puppet.
“questo retweet e sbagliato il senso era guardate quanto è amato (beloved) Ma nessun messagio equivoco puo essere dato su gesti violenti anche se verso un pupazzo. Procedo a cancellarlo,” he tweeted, which translates to, “this retweet is wrong the sense was look how much he is loved (beloved) But no equivocal message can be given on violent gestures even if towards a puppet. I proceed to delete it.”
E gnente… oggi è una giornataccia per Ricciardi, fa un tweet in cui mette una toppa al precedente e incappa nuovamente nella terza legge.#lassaperde pic.twitter.com/zbFDK2f9Sp — Enzo Pennetta (@CriticaScient) April 19, 2020
Trump has shown his disdain for the WHO in recent days, and on Wednesday froze U.S. funding to the group because of its actions in the early days of the coronavirus epidemic.
Ricciardi has criticized Trump in the past, according to Britain’s The Independent. When he quit his post at Italy’s National Institute of Health in January 2019, he likened Italian government ministers attitudes toward immigrants to Trump’s, The Independent reported.
“Saying repeatedly that migrants carry diseases is groundless and it forces self-censorship in order not to contradict the political line,” he said after being forced out of his former post as Italy’s chief health minister. “Yet these are key issues for health prevention and public health.”
“All this reminds me of Donald Trump’s recommendation to the National Institutes of Health Institute to no longer use the term ‘evidence-based’,” he said. “It’s an approach taken by populists, who have great difficulty in interacting with science.”
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westernjournal--2020-04-19--Docs in Aussie State Banned from Prescribing Drug Trump Mentioned for COVID, Face a Hefty Fine

If you ’ re a doctor Down Under , you could now face a $ 13,000 fine for prescribing hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 patients — and you can probably guess the genesis of this .
According to the Brisbane Times , doctors in the Australian state of Queensland are now banned from prescribing the anti-malarial drug for coronavirus patients as of Tuesday .
The drugs can only be dispensed to patients who take it for one of its other approved uses or who are part of a clinical trial .
Failure to comply ?
A fine of $ 13,000 Australian dollars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American .
It ’ s not just doctors , either .
TRENDING : Bill Maher Sends Warning to Media : Keep up Dishonest Virus Reporting , and Trump Will Win 2020 “ The new law , introduced under public health powers granted to the state ’ s top doctor , Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young , is also aimed at stopping pharmacies and GP clinics from stockpiling the medication , ” the Brisbane Times reported .
“ Under the public health order , only some specialists are allowed to prescribe the drug and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a chronic disease or as part of a clinical trial.
” The health minister in Australia , Greg Hunt , has said that the drug has shown “ some promising research so far.
” That said , trials are mixed — but the drug does a very good job stopping the virus in test tubes .
Professor David Paterson , an infectious diseases expert at the University of Queensland — where a large-scale clinical trial is about to begin — said that the drug showed promise on a very small scale when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prior to the clinical trials going ahead , the medications were given to some of the first patients in Australia infected with COVID-19 , and all have completely recovered without any trace of the virus left in their system , ” he said .
“ However , we know that most people with COVID-19 recover completely , thanks to their immune system , so random anecdotal experiences of some people need to be replaced by rigorous clinical trials.
” In addition to antiviral drug Remdesivir , hydroxychloroquine ( and its older relative , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more promising routes of treatment for coronavirus patients .
That doesn ’ t mean there aren ’ t risks , but coronavirus is a serious risk .
So why stop doctors from prescribing it in certain cases ?
Officially , it ’ s because hydroxychloroquine is used to treat patients suffering from autoimmune conditions , including lupus and rheumatoid arthritis .
Demand for the drug as a treatment for COVID-19 could make it difficult for patients who need it for those conditions to get it — at least that ’ s how the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the implicit blaming of Trump , and the implication that he ’ s hyping the drug without any foundation , gives the game away .
RELATED : CDC Chief Says 20 US States May Be Able to Re-Open Within 14 Days The Brisbane Times ’ article included a bit that should have told you what you needed to know in terms of that : “ Worldwide shortages were caused after US President Donald Trump tweeted about the drug ’ s potential last month , ” they noted .
“ Mr Trump [ promoted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and urged Americans to take it despite a lack of strong evidence the medication is safe to use in COVID-19 patients.
” Ah yes — him .
It ’ s not just the Brisbane Times , either .
Here ’ s the first sentence in a March 23 article from the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners about hydroxychloroquine : “ After US President Donald Trump touted hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine as a possible ‘ cure ’ for coronavirus , there has been a rush for the drugs – even though the top US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cautioned evidence is minimal.
” First sentence .
They literally couldn ’ t even describe why hydroxychloroquine was being tested as a possible treatment for COVID-19 before mentioning Trump .
They just jumped right in .
It ’ s almost as if he just came up with this drug on his own .
And knowing how people in the media tend to feel about the president , of course he didn ’ t come up with this through research .
Here ’ s what they feel would be a more plausible explanation for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fauci was off doing some TV spot , Trump broke into his office and ganked Fauci ’ s Physicians ’ Desk Reference .
He then dropped it on the Oval Office floor , letting it open to a random page .
From behind the Resolute Desk , he blindfolded himself and threw darts at it until he heard the thwack of one hitting its target .
He then picked it up and looked at which drug it hit .
“ Hydra … hybri … .
hydro … Jared !
Get in here and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” the president yelled .
“ Hydroxychloroquine ?
” Jared Kushner said .
“ That ’ s an anti-malarial drug .
Why are you– “ “ Don ’ t you worry your little head off about it , ” Trump said , leaving the room .
You may not be surprised that didn ’ t happen .
Researchers looked at a plethora of drugs , and the science and test-tube results behind chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine appeared to be the most promising .
The science goes like this : Viruses replicate by entering host @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work as virus factories .
In terms of the novel coronavirus , the theory is that they enter it through an acidic compartment .
Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine change the acidity of that compartment , making it more difficult to enter , according to TheScientist.com .
That ’ s the theory .
Hydroxychloroquine may not work as well as everyone , including President Trump , hopes .
Recent studies have tempered hopes somewhat , but we ’ re still dealing with one of the more promising treatments .
Remdesivir is another one ; it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has also worked in small-scale studies like hydroxychloroquine has , something which has many calling for authorities to allow compassionate use of treatment .
We don ’ t know Remdesivir ’ s safety profile , given that it ’ s an investigational drug and not one approved for use .
It would have to be rushed into production and may come with significant side effects .
It can ’ t be used off-label .
And yet , nobody seems particularly concerned about all of that .
Watch Trump start touting it , though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s an outcry .
There are ways to handle shortages and stockpiling of hydroxychloroquine that don ’ t involve making it so that people with COVID-19 can ’ t be prescribed the drug if their doctor thinks the benefit outweighs the risks .
We ’ re all dealing with terra nova here .
This isn ’ t helping .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

If you’re a doctor Down Under, you could now face a $13,000 fine for prescribing hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 patients — and you can probably guess the genesis of this.
According to the Brisbane Times, doctors in the Australian state of Queensland are now banned from prescribing the anti-malarial drug for coronavirus patients as of Tuesday.
The drugs can only be dispensed to patients who take it for one of its other approved uses or who are part of a clinical trial.
Failure to comply? A fine of $13,000 Australian dollars, which translates to about $8,300 American.
It’s not just doctors, either.
“The new law, introduced under public health powers granted to the state’s top doctor, Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young, is also aimed at stopping pharmacies and GP clinics from stockpiling the medication,” the Brisbane Times reported.
“Under the public health order, only some specialists are allowed to prescribe the drug and it must be for the ongoing treatment of a chronic disease or as part of a clinical trial.”
The health minister in Australia, Greg Hunt, has said that the drug has shown “some promising research so far.” That said, trials are mixed — but the drug does a very good job stopping the virus in test tubes.
Professor David Paterson, an infectious diseases expert at the University of Queensland — where a large-scale clinical trial is about to begin — said that the drug showed promise on a very small scale when the disease first hit Australia.
Does it make sense to fine doctors for prescribing hydroxychloroquine to treat infection by the coronavirus? Yes No
Completing this poll entitles you to The Western Journal news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use Yes: 4% (57 Votes) No: 96% (1306 Votes)
“Prior to the clinical trials going ahead, the medications were given to some of the first patients in Australia infected with COVID-19, and all have completely recovered without any trace of the virus left in their system,” he said.
“However, we know that most people with COVID-19 recover completely, thanks to their immune system, so random anecdotal experiences of some people need to be replaced by rigorous clinical trials.”
In addition to antiviral drug Remdesivir, hydroxychloroquine (and its older relative, chloroquine) has been one of the more promising routes of treatment for coronavirus patients. That doesn’t mean there aren’t risks, but coronavirus is a serious risk. So why stop doctors from prescribing it in certain cases?
Officially, it’s because hydroxychloroquine is used to treat patients suffering from autoimmune conditions, including lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. Demand for the drug as a treatment for COVID-19 could make it difficult for patients who need it for those conditions to get it — at least that’s how the argument is most often presented.
But the implicit blaming of Trump, and the implication that he’s hyping the drug without any foundation, gives the game away.
The Brisbane Times’ article included a bit that should have told you what you needed to know in terms of that: “Worldwide shortages were caused after US President Donald Trump tweeted about the drug’s potential last month,” they noted.
“Mr Trump [promoted] the drug again at the weekend and urged Americans to take it despite a lack of strong evidence the medication is safe to use in COVID-19 patients.”
Ah yes — him. It’s not just the Brisbane Times, either. Here’s the first sentence in a March 23 article from the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners about hydroxychloroquine: “After US President Donald Trump touted hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine as a possible ‘cure’ for coronavirus, there has been a rush for the drugs – even though the top US infectious diseases expert Dr Anthony Fauci has cautioned evidence is minimal.”
First sentence. They literally couldn’t even describe why hydroxychloroquine was being tested as a possible treatment for COVID-19 before mentioning Trump. They just jumped right in.
It’s almost as if he just came up with this drug on his own. And knowing how people in the media tend to feel about the president, of course he didn’t come up with this through research.
Here’s what they feel would be a more plausible explanation for it: One day, while Dr. Fauci was off doing some TV spot, Trump broke into his office and ganked Fauci’s Physicians’ Desk Reference. He then dropped it on the Oval Office floor, letting it open to a random page. From behind the Resolute Desk, he blindfolded himself and threw darts at it until he heard the thwack of one hitting its target. He then picked it up and looked at which drug it hit.
“Hydra … hybri …. hydro … Jared! Get in here and tell your father-in-law what this means,” the president yelled.
“Hydroxychloroquine?” Jared Kushner said. “That’s an anti-malarial drug. Why are you–“
“Don’t you worry your little head off about it,” Trump said, leaving the room.
You may not be surprised that didn’t happen. Researchers looked at a plethora of drugs, and the science and test-tube results behind chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine appeared to be the most promising.
The science goes like this: Viruses replicate by entering host cells, which they take over to work as virus factories. In terms of the novel coronavirus, the theory is that they enter it through an acidic compartment. Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine change the acidity of that compartment, making it more difficult to enter, according to TheScientist.com.
That’s the theory. Hydroxychloroquine may not work as well as everyone, including President Trump, hopes. Recent studies have tempered hopes somewhat, but we’re still dealing with one of the more promising treatments.
Remdesivir is another one; it’s an investigational antiviral drug which has also worked in small-scale studies like hydroxychloroquine has, something which has many calling for authorities to allow compassionate use of treatment.
We don’t know Remdesivir’s safety profile, given that it’s an investigational drug and not one approved for use. It would have to be rushed into production and may come with significant side effects. It can’t be used off-label. And yet, nobody seems particularly concerned about all of that. Watch Trump start touting it, though, and see how quickly there’s an outcry.
There are ways to handle shortages and stockpiling of hydroxychloroquine that don’t involve making it so that people with COVID-19 can’t be prescribed the drug if their doctor thinks the benefit outweighs the risks. We’re all dealing with terra nova here. This isn’t helping.
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westernjournal--2020-04-19--Sciascia: Dems’ Callousness Toward Capitalism on Display as Small Business Loans Dry Up

After weeks of debate , the well ran dry Thursday for the roughly $ 350 billion Paycheck Protection Program , leaving small businesses across the United States in the lurch with regard to much-needed financial relief amid ongoing coronavirus-related closures .
A popular component of the historic $ 2.2 trillion CARES Act , the PPP had been setting up struggling businesses of 500 employees or fewer with emergency bridge loans for just 13 days when the U.S. Small Business Administration was forced to stop accepting applications , PBS NewsHour reported .
With the economy bleeding more than 22 million jobs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end to de facto national lockdown only potentially in view for the month of May , the only thing standing between a great deal of Main Street mom-and-pops and a permanent “ closed ” sign had run out of money itself .
TRENDING : Bill Maher Sends Warning to Media : Keep up Dishonest Virus Reporting , and Trump Will Win 2020 Widely expected to see high demand , the PPP was a serious point of concern among Republican lawmakers and members of the Trump administration as the third phase of coronavirus relief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forced in the early days of the pandemic to process more loan dollars than its administrative agency had doled out in the entirety of the 2019 fiscal year , Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said — a premise that reportedly led Secretary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin to advocate legislative action to replenish the funding stream less than two weeks after the inking of the CARES Act .
Democrats on the Hill were not interested , however , when Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell took to the Senate floor on April 9 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a pork-free bill meant to allocate another $ 251 billion to the program .
Objecting to rapid passage of the replenishment measure , Maryland Sens .
Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen , both Democrats , referred to the legislative effort as a “ political stunt , ” demanding considerations be made for additional provisions pushed by Democratic leaders like Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi .
Alterations to the small business loan program itself were not the only demands brought to the table , however .
Also floated by Democratic lawmakers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government response to the pandemic , as well as further federal procurement of supplies for the nation ’ s hospitals .
The CARES Act , of course , had already provided for such things , and the hundreds of billions of federal dollars previously allocated to those matters were far from flying out the door .
Still , Democrats would gamble the success of the PPP on those policy items , later tying in partisan projects like an additional $ 2 million in federal vote-by-mail funds as well .
RELATED : CDC Chief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Re-Open Within 14 Days What was the GOP ’ s hurry with regard to small business loans anyway ?
Democrats began to ask .
According to The Federalist , Pelosi would go so far as to tell reporters there was “ no data ” to support claims the PPP was on track for lowered levels of liquidity .
With liquidity now entirely lost after days of Democratic stonewalling , however , I can hardly think of a statement that has aged worse than that one .
But let ’ s put that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to know is , since when do Democrats require data or evidence of need in order to support a government expenditure ?
For as long as most Americans can remember , the Democratic Party has been unable to find a big-spending government program it doesn ’ t support .
And that is exactly the problem .
The Democrats are no strangers to spending but , in their heart of hearts , they have no love for the people whose money they are working with or the capitalist venture that made that money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to leverage the little guy in order to fund their partisan pet projects and big government bureaucracies , liberals always will .
It will never matter how much they already have squirreled away for a rainy day .
No matter how often they claim to support the common man — to be pro-Main Street , but anti-Wall Street — you can never trust them .
Because when the chips were down last week for the 48 percent of Americans employed by small business , Democrats placed all their bets on the state and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t be needed and the electoral experiments they ’ ve so desperately been wanting .
On Sunday , Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin told CNN ’ s “ State of the Union ” that he ’ s “ hopeful ” a deal can be made Monday or Tuesday , according to the Washington Examiner .
Pelosi , meanwhile , told ABC ’ s “ This Week ” that a deal might be within reach .
“ We ’ re very close to agreement , ” she said told anchor George Stephanopoulos .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the coming days , Democrats have made their priorities clear , and small businesses are clearly not at the top of the list .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

After weeks of debate, the well ran dry Thursday for the roughly $350 billion Paycheck Protection Program, leaving small businesses across the United States in the lurch with regard to much-needed financial relief amid ongoing coronavirus-related closures.
A popular component of the historic $2.2 trillion CARES Act, the PPP had been setting up struggling businesses of 500 employees or fewer with emergency bridge loans for just 13 days when the U.S. Small Business Administration was forced to stop accepting applications, PBS NewsHour reported.
The program’s limited funding stream had officially evaporated.
With the economy bleeding more than 22 million jobs, according to Forbes, and an end to de facto national lockdown only potentially in view for the month of May, the only thing standing between a great deal of Main Street mom-and-pops and a permanent “closed” sign had run out of money itself.
The American people should know the truth about why #PPP funding is running dry today: Democrats picked politics over hardworking families. Instead of providing $3.5 billion per hour in relief, loans will stop thanks to Democrats. This is unacceptable.https://t.co/BxzzpgM00g — Senator Kelly Loeffler (@SenatorLoeffler) April 15, 2020
.@GOPLeader on failed attempt to add $250 billion to the Paycheck Protection Program in the Senate: “I’m very disappointed. I do not think people should play politics with the pandemic.” pic.twitter.com/V71Zm6zzmh — CSPAN (@cspan) April 9, 2020
Widely expected to see high demand, the PPP was a serious point of concern among Republican lawmakers and members of the Trump administration as the third phase of coronavirus relief legislation was crafted.
The SBA was forced in the early days of the pandemic to process more loan dollars than its administrative agency had doled out in the entirety of the 2019 fiscal year, Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said — a premise that reportedly led Secretary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin to advocate legislative action to replenish the funding stream less than two weeks after the inking of the CARES Act.
Democrats on the Hill were not interested, however, when Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell took to the Senate floor on April 9 to introduce, for passage by unanimous consent, a pork-free bill meant to allocate another $251 billion to the program.
Objecting to rapid passage of the replenishment measure, Maryland Sens. Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, both Democrats, referred to the legislative effort as a “political stunt,” demanding considerations be made for additional provisions pushed by Democratic leaders like Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.
Alterations to the small business loan program itself were not the only demands brought to the table, however. Also floated by Democratic lawmakers were funding increases for local and state government response to the pandemic, as well as further federal procurement of supplies for the nation’s hospitals.
The CARES Act, of course, had already provided for such things, and the hundreds of billions of federal dollars previously allocated to those matters were far from flying out the door.
Still, Democrats would gamble the success of the PPP on those policy items, later tying in partisan projects like an additional $2 million in federal vote-by-mail funds as well.
Do you think Democrats should stop blocking funds to the Paycheck Protection Program? 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% (324 Votes) No: 2% (6 Votes)
What was the GOP’s hurry with regard to small business loans anyway? Democrats began to ask.
According to The Federalist, Pelosi would go so far as to tell reporters there was “no data” to support claims the PPP was on track for lowered levels of liquidity.
With liquidity now entirely lost after days of Democratic stonewalling, however, I can hardly think of a statement that has aged worse than that one. But let’s put that aside for a second.
What I want to know is, since when do Democrats require data or evidence of need in order to support a government expenditure?
For as long as most Americans can remember, the Democratic Party has been unable to find a big-spending government program it doesn’t support.
Nancy Pelosi on opposing more small business coronavirus relief: “no data as to why we need it”https://t.co/Pv5WO83juJ pic.twitter.com/XJwwEdisBo — RNC Research (@RNCResearch) April 9, 2020
More money is needed to help America’s small businesses. Democrats are working to ensure the small businesses that enliven our neighborhoods and are the lifeblood of our economy get their share of these funds to sustain them through this crisis. #PPP #TruthMatters pic.twitter.com/UQbB7Y1LEh — Nancy Pelosi (@TeamPelosi) April 18, 2020
And that is exactly the problem.
The Democrats are no strangers to spending but, in their heart of hearts, they have no love for the people whose money they are working with or the capitalist venture that made that money to begin with.
Given the opportunity to leverage the little guy in order to fund their partisan pet projects and big government bureaucracies, liberals always will. It will never matter how much they already have squirreled away for a rainy day.
No matter how often they claim to support the common man — to be pro-Main Street, but anti-Wall Street — you can never trust them.
Because when the chips were down last week for the 48 percent of Americans employed by small business, Democrats placed all their bets on the state and local government emergency funds that likely won’t be needed and the electoral experiments they’ve so desperately been wanting.
On Sunday, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin told CNN’s “State of the Union” that he’s “hopeful” a deal can be made Monday or Tuesday, according to the Washington Examiner.
Pelosi, meanwhile, told ABC’s “This Week” that a deal might be within reach.
“We’re very close to agreement,” she said told anchor George Stephanopoulos.
But no matter what happens with the PPP in the coming days, Democrats have made their priorities clear, and small businesses are clearly not at the top of the list.
Truth and Accuracy Submit a Correction → * Name
* Email
* Message
* All fields are required. Success! We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.


westernjournal--2020-04-19--Researchers Release Report Claiming China’s Outbreak May Have Started in September

A new study estimates that the first human cases of COVID-19 in China may have occurred as early as September .
China has admitted that the disease was present in Wuhan , the capital of its Hubei Province , in December , although for weeks into January it denied that human-to-human transmission had already taken place .
Some reports have said that , according to internal Chinese documents not shared with the West , cases of the virus existed as early as November .
But now , according to the U.K. Daily Star , a University of Cambridge geneticist and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ timetable could be off by as much as two months .
All viruses mutate .
Cambridge geneticist Peter Forster has been tracking the subtle mutations of the novel coronavirus , hoping to find — based on the DNA of the virus in those who were infected in December — how far back the trail of mutations will lead him .
TRENDING : Bill Maher Sends Warning to Media : Keep up Dishonest Virus Reporting , and Trump Will Win 2020 “ The virus may have mutated into its final ‘ human-efficient ’ form @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bat or other animal or even human for several months without infecting other individuals , ” Forster said , according to the Daily Star .
“ Then , it started infecting and spreading among humans between September 13 and December 7 , ” he said .
“ The viral network we have detailed is a snapshot of the early stages of an epidemic , before the evolutionary paths of COVID-19 become obscured by vast numbers of mutations .
It ’ s like catching an incipient supernova in the act , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Cambridge ’ s website .
Forster ’ s work uses what ’ s known as phylogenetic network , which maps the global movement of any living thing through the mutation of its genes .
Such a network can “ reconstruct infection paths where they are unknown and pose a public health risk , ” the study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences said .
The study found that “ the first virus genome that was sampled on 24 December 2019 already is distant from the root type according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it said .
“ What we reconstruct in the network is the first significant spread among humans , ” Forster said .
He estimates that by the time the virus reached humans , it had already gone through hundreds of mutations , which leads him to believe that the virus was prevalent in animals for years before it infected humans .
Forster said that based on his research , the virus might not have originated in Wuhan .
“ If I am pressed for an answer , I would say the original spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Wuhan , ” Forster said .
“ But proof can only come from analyzing more bats , possibly other potential host animals , and preserved tissue samples in Chinese hospitals stored between September and December .
This kind of research project would help us understand how the transmission happened , and help us prevent similar instances in the future , ” he said .
The study was a unique use of the research tools that can trace mutations , Forster said .
“ There are too many rapid mutations to neatly trace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a mathematical network algorithm to visualize all the plausible trees simultaneously , ” he said .
“ These techniques are mostly known for mapping the movements of prehistoric human populations through DNA .
We think this is one of the first times they have been used to trace the infection routes of a coronavirus like COVID-19 , ” he said .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

'It’s like catching an incipient supernova in the act.'

A new study estimates that the first human cases of COVID-19 in China may have occurred as early as September.
China has admitted that the disease was present in Wuhan, the capital of its Hubei Province, in December, although for weeks into January it denied that human-to-human transmission had already taken place.
Some reports have said that, according to internal Chinese documents not shared with the West, cases of the virus existed as early as November.
But now, according to the U.K. Daily Star, a University of Cambridge geneticist and his research team are arguing even that timetable could be off by as much as two months.
All viruses mutate. Cambridge geneticist Peter Forster has been tracking the subtle mutations of the novel coronavirus, hoping to find — based on the DNA of the virus in those who were infected in December — how far back the trail of mutations will lead him.
“The virus may have mutated into its final ‘human-efficient’ form months ago, but stayed inside a bat or other animal or even human for several months without infecting other individuals,” Forster said, according to the Daily Star.
“Then, it started infecting and spreading among humans between September 13 and December 7,” he said.
“The viral network we have detailed is a snapshot of the early stages of an epidemic, before the evolutionary paths of COVID-19 become obscured by vast numbers of mutations. It’s like catching an incipient supernova in the act,” he said according to a report on the University of Cambridge’s website.
Forster’s work uses what’s known as phylogenetic network, which maps the global movement of any living thing through the mutation of its genes.
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Such a network can “reconstruct infection paths where they are unknown and pose a public health risk,” the study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences said.
The study found that “the first virus genome that was sampled on 24 December 2019 already is distant from the root type according to the bat coronavirus outgroup rooting,” it said.
“What we reconstruct in the network is the first significant spread among humans,” Forster said.
He estimates that by the time the virus reached humans, it had already gone through hundreds of mutations, which leads him to believe that the virus was prevalent in animals for years before it infected humans.
Forster said that based on his research, the virus might not have originated in Wuhan.
“If I am pressed for an answer, I would say the original spread started more likely in southern China than in Wuhan,” Forster said.
“But proof can only come from analyzing more bats, possibly other potential host animals, and preserved tissue samples in Chinese hospitals stored between September and December. This kind of research project would help us understand how the transmission happened, and help us prevent similar instances in the future,” he said.
The study was a unique use of the research tools that can trace mutations, Forster said.
“There are too many rapid mutations to neatly trace a COVID-19 family tree. We used a mathematical network algorithm to visualize all the plausible trees simultaneously,” he said.
“These techniques are mostly known for mapping the movements of prehistoric human populations through DNA. We think this is one of the first times they have been used to trace the infection routes of a coronavirus like COVID-19,” he said.
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westernjournal--2020-04-19--Trump, Birx Slam China’s Official Numbers as ‘Unrealistic’

President Donald Trump and Dr. Deborah Birx , coordinator of the White House Coronavirus Task Force , both jabbed at China on Saturday over the official fatality rate of coronavirus victims that China has reported .
China , where the virus was first reported in December , has said that it had 83,805 confirmed cases , according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center .
China has reported 4,636 deaths .
Late last week , after insisting for weeks its numbers were accurate , China increased the death toll in the city of Wuhan by 1,290 to 3,869 — a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previous reporting .
China ’ s reporting came to the fore during Saturday ’ s media briefing as Birx showed a chart contrasting the U.S. death rate with that of other nations .
( 35:14 ) “ The president talked about the case fatality rates , and we really , we ’ ve lost a lot of Americans to this disease , and we pray and hope for each one of them that are in the hospitals , they get excellent care , ” she said .
“ What does this graph illustrate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people to really adhere to social distancing .
This was nothing we had ever attempted to do as a nation , and the world hadn ’ t attempted to do .
But they were able to decrease the number of cases so that in general , most of the metro areas never had an issue of complete crisis care of all of their hospitals in a region .
So you can see our case fatality rate is about half to a third of many of the other countries.
” TRENDING : Bill Maher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dishonest Virus Reporting , and Trump Will Win 2020 Trump then interjected his opinion of China ’ s mortality rate , which at .33 per 100,000 people is a fraction of the rate reported by any other nation .
“ Excuse me .
Does anybody really believe this number ?
Does anybody really believe this number ?
” Trump said Birx then explained why China ’ s official number was so implausible .
“ I put China on there so you could see how basically unrealistic this could be , ” she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delivery systems of the United Kingdom , and France , and Belgium , and Italy , and Spain , with extraordinary doctors and nurses and equipment have case fatality rates in the 20s , up to 45 , and Belgium is extraordinarily competent health care delivery system , and then China at 0.33 , you realize that these numbers , even , and this includes the doubled number out of Wuhan , ” she said .
“ So I want really to put it in perspective , but I wanted you also to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for every American that has been hospitalized , ” Birx said .
Trump then criticized the reporting coming out of China and Iran .
“ Also , the number for Iran .
Does anybody really believe that number ?
” he said about the 37-minute mark of the video , gesturing to the 6.06 per 100,000 fatality rate reported by the Islamic Republic .
“ You see what ’ s going on .
Put that slide back , if you would .
Does anybody believe this number ?
Does anybody believe this number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than that , ” Trump said .
RELATED : Researchers Release Report Claiming China 's Outbreak May Have Started in September Birx then made the point that hiding the truth threatens lives around the world .
“ This is why the reporting is so important .
And I think you remember almost six weeks ago , maybe a month ago , I was telling you what Italy was showing to us , and what France was telling to us .
And the warnings that they gave to us , and said , ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an extraordinary high mortality among people with preexisting conditions.
’ And we used their information to bring that to the American people .
That came , that alert , that alert before we even had significant cases , came from our European colleagues on the front line , ” she said .
“ And so there is never an excuse to not share information , ” she said about the 38:25-mark of the video .
“ When you are the first country to have an outbreak , you really have a moral obligation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about it , but provide that information that ’ s critical to the rest of the world to really respond to this credibly.
” Trump noted that “ if it was stopped very early on at the source , before it started blowing into these proportions , we have 184 countries that would have been in a lot better shape.
” When asked about his interpretation of the data flowing from China , Trump went on the offensive .
“ Well , you tell me , do you think that data is good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think that ’ s correct , OK ?
Do you honestly believe that ’ s correct ?
” he said , about the 45:47-mark of the video .
Trump was later asked if China should face some consequence for its actions .
“ Well if they were knowingly responsible , certainly .
If it was a mistake , a mistake is a mistake .
But if they were knowingly responsible ?
Yeah .
Then there should be consequences , ” Trump said .
“ The question was asked , would you be angry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the 1:01:38 mark .
“ Well , the answer might very well be a very resounding yes , but it depends .
Was it a mistake that got out of control or was it done deliberately ?
OK.
There ’ s a big difference between those two .
In either event , they should have let us go in .
We asked to go in very early and they didn ’ t want us in .
I think they were embarrassed .
I think they knew it was something bad and I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

President Donald Trump and Dr. Deborah Birx, coordinator of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, both jabbed at China on Saturday over the official fatality rate of coronavirus victims that China has reported.
China, where the virus was first reported in December, has said that it had 83,805 confirmed cases, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. China has reported 4,636 deaths. Late last week, after insisting for weeks its numbers were accurate, China increased the death toll in the city of Wuhan by 1,290 to 3,869 — a jump of nearly 50 percent from its previous reporting.
China’s reporting came to the fore during Saturday’s media briefing as Birx showed a chart contrasting the U.S. death rate with that of other nations. (35:14)
“The president talked about the case fatality rates, and we really, we’ve lost a lot of Americans to this disease, and we pray and hope for each one of them that are in the hospitals, they get excellent care,” she said.
“What does this graph illustrate is the amazing work of the American people to really adhere to social distancing. This was nothing we had ever attempted to do as a nation, and the world hadn’t attempted to do. But they were able to decrease the number of cases so that in general, most of the metro areas never had an issue of complete crisis care of all of their hospitals in a region. So you can see our case fatality rate is about half to a third of many of the other countries.”
Trump then interjected his opinion of China’s mortality rate, which at .33 per 100,000 people is a fraction of the rate reported by any other nation.
“Excuse me. Does anybody really believe this number? Does anybody really believe this number?” Trump said
Birx then explained why China’s official number was so implausible.
Should China be punished for its deception? Yes No
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“I put China on there so you could see how basically unrealistic this could be,” she said.
“When highly developed health care delivery systems of the United Kingdom, and France, and Belgium, and Italy, and Spain, with extraordinary doctors and nurses and equipment have case fatality rates in the 20s, up to 45, and Belgium is extraordinarily competent health care delivery system, and then China at 0.33, you realize that these numbers, even, and this includes the doubled number out of Wuhan,” she said.
“So I want really to put it in perspective, but I wanted you also to see how great the care has been for every American that has been hospitalized,” Birx said.
Trump then criticized the reporting coming out of China and Iran.
“Also, the number for Iran. Does anybody really believe that number?” he said about the 37-minute mark of the video, gesturing to the 6.06 per 100,000 fatality rate reported by the Islamic Republic. “You see what’s going on. Put that slide back, if you would. Does anybody believe this number? Does anybody believe this number? You saw more bags on television than that,” Trump said.
Birx then made the point that hiding the truth threatens lives around the world.
“This is why the reporting is so important. And I think you remember almost six weeks ago, maybe a month ago, I was telling you what Italy was showing to us, and what France was telling to us. And the warnings that they gave to us, and said, ‘Be very careful. There’s an extraordinary high mortality among people with preexisting conditions.’ And we used their information to bring that to the American people. That came, that alert, that alert before we even had significant cases, came from our European colleagues on the front line,” she said.
Birx later criticized China.
“And so there is never an excuse to not share information,” she said about the 38:25-mark of the video. “When you are the first country to have an outbreak, you really have a moral obligation to the world to not only talk about it, but provide that information that’s critical to the rest of the world to really respond to this credibly.”
Trump noted that “if it was stopped very early on at the source, before it started blowing into these proportions, we have 184 countries that would have been in a lot better shape.”
When asked about his interpretation of the data flowing from China, Trump went on the offensive.
“Well, you tell me, do you think that data is good when you see that? Do you think that’s correct, OK? Do you honestly believe that’s correct?” he said, about the 45:47-mark of the video.
Trump was later asked if China should face some consequence for its actions.
“Well if they were knowingly responsible, certainly. If it was a mistake, a mistake is a mistake. But if they were knowingly responsible? Yeah. Then there should be consequences,” Trump said.
“The question was asked, would you be angry at China?” he said, about the 1:01:38 mark.
“Well, the answer might very well be a very resounding yes, but it depends. Was it a mistake that got out of control or was it done deliberately? OK. There’s a big difference between those two. In either event, they should have let us go in. We asked to go in very early and they didn’t want us in. I think they were embarrassed. I think they knew it was something bad and I think they were embarrassed.”
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westernjournal--2020-04-19--Facebook Slaps Op-Ed as ‘False’ for Pointing to Wuhan Lab, Rolls Over When News of Censorship Explod

Facebook Slaps Op-Ed as ‘False’ for Pointing to Wuhan Lab, Rolls Over When News of Censorship Explodes

On Feb. 23 , Steven Mosher , president of the conservative Population Research Institute , had a commentary piece published in the New York Post regarding the origins of the novel coronavirus in China .
He wasn ’ t entirely convinced of the official origin story , infected bats being sold or eaten at a wet market in the Chinese city of Wuhan .
Instead , in the piece , he argued that the origin of the virus might be from an accident or unauthorized leak from a laboratory in Wuhan .
As the Post noted in an editorial published @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of suggestive facts , including urgent government directives , the sudden trip of China ’ s top biowar expert to Wuhan and that nation ’ s shoddy record of lab safety — as well as gaping holes in the wet-market explanation , such as the fact that the market in question doesn ’ t sell bats , the animal from which the bug supposedly jumped.
” This was fairly persuasive stuff , presented weeks before the rest of the media started covering it — and not just the conservative outlets , which we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It was an opinion column , albeit one written by a persuasive individual who knew quite a bit about the subject .
What could be wrong with that ?
TRENDING : Bill Maher Sends Warning to Media : Keep up Dishonest Virus Reporting , and Trump Will Win 2020 Plenty , at least to Facebook , which made sure the story ’ s distribution was cut way down .
“ The social media giant ’ s ‘ fact-checkers ’ decided this was not a valid opinion .
If you tried to share @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the social network stuck a ‘ False Information ’ alert on top , saying that finding was ‘ checked by independent fact-checkers ’ and preventing your friends from clicking to connect to the original article to see for themselves , ” the Post editorial board wrote in Friday ’ s piece , describing what can only be called censorship by the social media giant .
“ Again , this was an opinion column , not a news report , ” the editorial continued .
“ How , exactly , did Facebook determine that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ False information ’ ?
Well , in fact , it didn ’ t so determine : Rather , it was an ‘ independent fact-checker.
’ ” That independent fact-checker ’ s piece , rather unbelievably , used information from an individual who “ had a clear conflict of interest : She has regularly worked with Wuhan ’ s researchers , and even done her own experiments there , ” the Post wrote .
“ Danielle E. Anderson , assistant professor , Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore , personally attested to the lab ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ “ Anderson did admit , however , that Mosher was correct when he mentioned that SARS did twice escape a Beijing research lab in 2004 , ” the Post editorial added .
See if you can spot the problem in the evaluation of things by the second expert cited in the “ fact-check ” piece .
This expert was disputing Mosher ’ s suggestion that the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology ’ s directive to labs to increase security measures amid the coronavirus outbreak might be evidence that the government knew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s origins .
“ Any responsible government would strengthen safety and security procedures in high-containment labs that will and should be working with the novel coronavirus to develop countermeasures and diagnostics , ” the expert told the fact-checker .
RELATED : While Left Cries 'Racist , ' Parrots Chinese Talking Points , They Ignore Actual Alleged Racism in China The Post was having none of that .
“ Well , yes , any responsible government would , ” the editorial board shot back .
The Post is right , and the evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ piece might have been just as correct .
Other outlets have started to cover this story , too — some which aren ’ t necessarily predisposed to a conservative point of view .
As early as the beginning of April , Washington Post colunist David Ignatius — who is no friend of the Trump administration — ran a piece saying that the “ initial origin story ” behind the coronavirus outbreak was “ shaky ” and noted the fact that the Wuhan Institute of Virology had been working with bats and coronaviruses and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has shut down the world ’ s economy and killed more than 160,000 as of Sunday morning , according to Johns Hopkins University data , started with a leak from the lab .
At least twice last week , The Washington Post mentioned the Wuhan Institute of Virology theory without dismissing it .
On Tuesday , the paper reported that U.S. Embassy officials which had visited the laboratory had cabled back on several occasions — including two official warnings — regarding inadequate safety procedures there .
And then on Saturday , the paper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a piece about how China ’ s dictatorial regime made things worse : “ A more troubling explanation is that the coronavirus was inadvertently spread from the Wuhan Institute of Virology , which had carried out research on bat coronaviruses and possessed a biosafety level 4 facility , the most secure for handling highly pathogenic and infectious diseases .
It is not beyond possibility that an accident or spill occurred.
” [ Emphasis ours . ]
On Friday , meanwhile , Fox News reported the United States was conducting an investigation into whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Over the preceding few days , it had been reported that U.S. intelligence agencies were becoming increasingly convinced the virus had escaped from the facility .
So , no , this wasn ’ t fake news and hadn ’ t been for quite some time .
That didn ’ t lead Facebook to reverse its decision until it quietly caved late last week .
The reason , according to Post Op-ed Editor Sohrab Ahmari , was that Facebook simply rolled over once news of the censorship began leaking out : “ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get Facebook to un-block the Mosher article , ” the paper ’ s editorial board wrote .
“ On Friday , the social network finally did so , though without acknowledging that it had been wrong all along.
” I wouldn ’ t be waiting for that apology .
The only reason Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg ’ s minions reversed course that is because it became clear the company had censored legitimate commentary from a trusted publication .
In a better world , we could assume that social media giants would not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public interest that have evidence to back them up .
The original Mosher piece was both of those things and it still got nixed — presumably because angering China doesn ’ t go over well for tech giants .
Neither does censorship , however .
Will Facebook learn its lesson ?
Probably not .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

On Feb. 23, Steven Mosher, president of the conservative Population Research Institute, had a commentary piece published in the New York Post regarding the origins of the novel coronavirus in China.
He wasn’t entirely convinced of the official origin story, infected bats being sold or eaten at a wet market in the Chinese city of Wuhan.
Instead, in the piece, he argued that the origin of the virus might be from an accident or unauthorized leak from a laboratory in Wuhan.
As the Post noted in an editorial published Friday, “Mosher cited a host of suggestive facts, including urgent government directives, the sudden trip of China’s top biowar expert to Wuhan and that nation’s shoddy record of lab safety — as well as gaping holes in the wet-market explanation, such as the fact that the market in question doesn’t sell bats, the animal from which the bug supposedly jumped.”
This was fairly persuasive stuff, presented weeks before the rest of the media started covering it — and not just the conservative outlets, which we’ll get to in a bit. It was an opinion column, albeit one written by a persuasive individual who knew quite a bit about the subject. What could be wrong with that?
Plenty, at least to Facebook, which made sure the story’s distribution was cut way down.
“The social media giant’s ‘fact-checkers’ decided this was not a valid opinion. If you tried to share Mosher’s column on Facebook, the social network stuck a ‘False Information’ alert on top, saying that finding was ‘checked by independent fact-checkers’ and preventing your friends from clicking to connect to the original article to see for themselves,” the Post editorial board wrote in Friday’s piece, describing what can only be called censorship by the social media giant.
“Again, this was an opinion column, not a news report,” the editorial continued.
“How, exactly, did Facebook determine that Mosher’s reasoned arguments constituted ‘False information’? Well, in fact, it didn’t so determine: Rather, it was an ‘independent fact-checker.’”
Did you think the coronavirus outbreak started with a lab leak? Yes No
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That independent fact-checker’s piece, rather unbelievably, used information from an individual who “had a clear conflict of interest: She has regularly worked with Wuhan’s researchers, and even done her own experiments there,” the Post wrote.
“Danielle E. Anderson, assistant professor, Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore, personally attested to the lab’s ‘strict control and containment measures.’
“Anderson did admit, however, that Mosher was correct when he mentioned that SARS did twice escape a Beijing research lab in 2004,” the Post editorial added.
See if you can spot the problem in the evaluation of things by the second expert cited in the “fact-check” piece. This expert was disputing Mosher’s suggestion that the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology’s directive to labs to increase security measures amid the coronavirus outbreak might be evidence that the government knew sloppiness played a role in the outbreak’s origins.
“Any responsible government would strengthen safety and security procedures in high-containment labs that will and should be working with the novel coronavirus to develop countermeasures and diagnostics,” the expert told the fact-checker.
The Post was having none of that.
“Well, yes, any responsible government would,” the editorial board shot back.
The Post is right, and the evidence is building that Mosher’s original piece might have been just as correct.
Other outlets have started to cover this story, too — some which aren’t necessarily predisposed to a conservative point of view.
As early as the beginning of April, Washington Post colunist David Ignatius — who is no friend of the Trump administration — ran a piece saying that the “initial origin story” behind the coronavirus outbreak was “shaky” and noted the fact that the Wuhan Institute of Virology had been working with bats and coronaviruses and raising the possibility that the coronavirus that has shut down the world’s economy and killed more than 160,000 as of Sunday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University data, started with a leak from the lab.
At least twice last week, The Washington Post mentioned the Wuhan Institute of Virology theory without dismissing it.
On Tuesday, the paper reported that U.S. Embassy officials which had visited the laboratory had cabled back on several occasions — including two official warnings — regarding inadequate safety procedures there.
And then on Saturday, the paper’s editorial board wrote this in a piece about how China’s dictatorial regime made things worse:
“A more troubling explanation is that the coronavirus was inadvertently spread from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which had carried out research on bat coronaviruses and possessed a biosafety level 4 facility, the most secure for handling highly pathogenic and infectious diseases. It is not beyond possibility that an accident or spill occurred.” [Emphasis ours.]
On Friday, meanwhile, Fox News reported the United States was conducting an investigation into whether the virus originated at the Wuhan laboratory. Over the preceding few days, it had been reported that U.S. intelligence agencies were becoming increasingly convinced the virus had escaped from the facility.
So, no, this wasn’t fake news and hadn’t been for quite some time. That didn’t lead Facebook to reverse its decision until it quietly caved late last week. The reason, according to Post Op-ed Editor Sohrab Ahmari, was that Facebook simply rolled over once news of the censorship began leaking out:
POSTSCRIPT: After we raised the alarm, Facebook uncensored that Steve Mosher oped about the origins of the Wuhan virus. But the company didn’t apologize to the NYPost or offer any explanation/accountability. https://t.co/E9AhrFS9zz — Sohrab Ahmari (@SohrabAhmari) April 18, 2020
“The New York Post has asked for weeks to get Facebook to un-block the Mosher article,” the paper’s editorial board wrote. “On Friday, the social network finally did so, though without acknowledging that it had been wrong all along.”
I wouldn’t be waiting for that apology. The only reason Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s minions reversed course that is because it became clear the company had censored legitimate commentary from a trusted publication.
In a better world, we could assume that social media giants would not censor opinions that are on topics of public interest that have evidence to back them up. The original Mosher piece was both of those things and it still got nixed — presumably because angering China doesn’t go over well for tech giants.
Neither does censorship, however. Will Facebook learn its lesson? Probably not.
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