hotair--2020-02-28--Coronavirus toll in Italy: 14 dead, 528 ill

Over a dozen people are dead in Italy and around 530 more sick from the coronavirus .
Italian officials revealed the new details today although it was noted everything is expected to change .
Via ANSA : [ T ] he death toll was provisional as the Higher Health Institute was still running checks on some of those cases .
The civil protection department said 305 positive cases were in Lombardy , 98 in Veneto , 97 in Emilia-Romagna , 11 in Liguria , three in Sicily , Lazio and Marche , two in Tuscany , Campania and Piedmont and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Borrelli said that good news had come from Lombardy , the region hit hardest by the virus , as 37 people who contracted the disease there have recovered .
The Lazio cases , a couple of Chinese tourist and an Italian researcher who was brought back from Wuhan , have all been cured too after treatment at Rome ’ s Spallanzani hospital for infective diseases .
Two people with the virus in Sicily have also recovered .
The spread of the virus across Italy appeared to be connected with one person near @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was sick , according to Swiss newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung ( via Google Translate ) .
At first it was thought that a returnee from Shanghai infected him .
However , it has now emerged that this alleged “ patient 0 ” is not the carrier of the coronavirus , it did not carry the virus from China , the infection did not originate from it .
“ Patient 1 ” was the carrier of the virus for three weeks without the disease breaking out .
He led an active social life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He infected about twenty people without knowing that he was a danger to others .
Talk about your worst-case scenario and something straight from Hollywood .
“ Patient 1 ” later got treatment at a hospital but no one believed it was coronavirus until it was too late .
Now , hundreds are infected .
It does not mean people need to live in fear about every sneeze or cough , although it ’ s smart to self-isolate if someone is under the weather .
The BBC reported the bigger problem in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but how people are overreacting .
Italy ’ s Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio told reporters that an “ infodemic ” of misleading news abroad was damaging Italy ’ s economy and reputation .
He said all the infections in Italy could be traced back to the two outbreaks in the north .
Lombardy governor Attilio Fontana put himself into self-isolation after a member of his team tested positive .
On Facebook he said he and the rest of his team had tested negative so far , but would remain in quarantine for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ association Assoturismo says March accommodation bookings are down by at least €200m ( £170m ; $ 219m ) because of the virus .
Di Maio also said children were going to school and not even a dozen towns were dealing with an outbreak of coronavirus .
However , people living in northern Italy were told to not even bother going south which shows the government has at least a bit of concern .
There is one thing to consider in all this coronavirus panic circling the area ( something Jim Geraghty touched on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overall health is the key factor .
The elderly seem more affected by the virus , while the younger more than likely fight it off and survive .
It , again , doesn ’ t mean you ignore being sick ( if you ’ re sick , stay home ) but this idea coronavirus is going to break down civilization is probably a little overblown .
Still pretty creepy seeing images of empty streets and fashionistas wearing designer masks in public in Italy , though .

Over a dozen people are dead in Italy and around 530 more sick from the coronavirus. Italian officials revealed the new details today although it was noted everything is expected to change. Via ANSA:
[T]he death toll was provisional as the Higher Health Institute was still running checks on some of those cases. The civil protection department said 305 positive cases were in Lombardy, 98 in Veneto, 97 in Emilia-Romagna, 11 in Liguria, three in Sicily, Lazio and Marche, two in Tuscany, Campania and Piedmont and one in Trentino Alto Adige and Abruzzo. Borrelli said that good news had come from Lombardy, the region hit hardest by the virus, as 37 people who contracted the disease there have recovered. The Lazio cases, a couple of Chinese tourist and an Italian researcher who was brought back from Wuhan, have all been cured too after treatment at Rome’s Spallanzani hospital for infective diseases. Two people with the virus in Sicily have also recovered.
The spread of the virus across Italy appeared to be connected with one person near Milan who didn’t even know he was sick, according to Swiss newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung (via Google Translate).
At first it was thought that a returnee from Shanghai infected him. However, it has now emerged that this alleged “patient 0” is not the carrier of the coronavirus, it did not carry the virus from China, the infection did not originate from it. “Patient 1” was the carrier of the virus for three weeks without the disease breaking out. He led an active social life, including taking part in two races. He infected about twenty people without knowing that he was a danger to others.
Talk about your worst-case scenario and something straight from Hollywood. “Patient 1” later got treatment at a hospital but no one believed it was coronavirus until it was too late. Now, hundreds are infected.
It does not mean people need to live in fear about every sneeze or cough, although it’s smart to self-isolate if someone is under the weather. The BBC reported the bigger problem in Italy may not be the virus itself but how people are overreacting.
Italy’s Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio told reporters that an “infodemic” of misleading news abroad was damaging Italy’s economy and reputation. He said all the infections in Italy could be traced back to the two outbreaks in the north. Lombardy governor Attilio Fontana put himself into self-isolation after a member of his team tested positive. On Facebook he said he and the rest of his team had tested negative so far, but would remain in quarantine for 14 days. Italy’s tourism association Assoturismo says March accommodation bookings are down by at least €200m (£170m; $219m) because of the virus.
Di Maio also said children were going to school and not even a dozen towns were dealing with an outbreak of coronavirus. However, people living in northern Italy were told to not even bother going south which shows the government has at least a bit of concern.
There is one thing to consider in all this coronavirus panic circling the area (something Jim Geraghty touched on at National Review): age and overall health is the key factor. The elderly seem more affected by the virus, while the younger more than likely fight it off and survive. It, again, doesn’t mean you ignore being sick (if you’re sick, stay home) but this idea coronavirus is going to break down civilization is probably a little overblown.
Still pretty creepy seeing images of empty streets and fashionistas wearing designer masks in public in Italy, though.


hotair--2020-02-28--Transgender book readings scheduled in Virginia elementary schools

The normalization of the transgender agenda hits public schools in Virginia and other states this week .
Activists in the Human Rights Campaign ( HRC ) and the National Education Association ( NEA ) team up to encourage a day set aside to celebrate transgenderism .
Volunteers will read three books chosen to help young children understand a very adult topic .
The event is called Jazz & Friends National Day of School & Community readings .
The three books chosen for this year ’ s indoctrination are : “ Julian is a Mermaid ” , “ I am Jazz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Me : Free to Be !
” Family Research Council ( FRC ) is encouraging parents to keep their children home from school .
There is a post on FRC ’ s website that suggests it may be a good day to take children to a museum or some such activity instead of attending school .
Do you want your child to be psychologically manipulated at school on Thursday ?
Might be a good day for a Mommy Date at the museum !
The anti-Christian Human Rights Campaign and their pals at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schools to recognize this Thursday as “ Jazz and Friends National Day of School & Community Readings.
” One of the books they are promoting is I Am Jazz , a transgender propaganda book designed for children .
It is based on the real-life story of “ Jazz , ” a child who was convinced that he was born in the wrong body .
As a child he was injected with hormones to block his normal sexual development , and recently he had radical surgery to complete his “ transition ” to another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is impossible .
Activists groups are trying to make the reading of this book an annual event .
The day will be used to promote gender deviance and LGBT politics to vulnerable children .
Not all schools are doing it .
Yet .
But some are .
In one Arlington , Va. school , “ mystery readers ” are scheduled to come and read to the children .
The school has not revealed to parents who they are and what they will read .
Wow .
There is an opt-out option , using @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Arlington Parent Coalition .
The organization released a statement , part of which reads as follows : The Arlington Parent Coalition recommends that if parents are not comfortable with children being taught that biology has no bearing on one ’ s sex , and that “ anyone can be anything , ” and that “ God makes mistakes sometimes , ” and that “ you may not be the gender your parents said you are , ” parents might want to have their children take a sick day on Thursday , February @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not yet submitted a Universal Opt-Out Letter to prevent your child from receiving lessons around this kind of dangerous nonsense , we recommend that you do so immediately .
If you have submitted an opt-out , your child should not be exposed to this cause célèbre on February 27 or any other day .
However , in our experience Arlington Public Schools remains consistently unconcerned with either parental permission or children ’ s protections .
So please plan accordingly on Thursday .
The event this year includes the story of Jazz Jennings , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ am Jazz ” is her story .
She was born a boy and by the age of three , she told her parents she was a girl living in a boy ’ s body .
Since then , her parents and family embraced life with a transgender child .
She is a celebrity in the LGBTQ community .
I know her story because I have covered the family ’ s reality show on TLC for NewsBusters the last several years .
( Jennings is not their real name . )
Last season was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ celebration of the surgery included a “ Farewell to Penis ” party .
That surgery , by the way , has led to complications that have required additional surgeries .
Human biology is real , no matter the feelings around it .
Make no mistake about the transgender agenda – it is political .
The push to indoctrinate children , even elementary school-aged children , is real .
Jazz ’ s book is written in the voice of a four-year-old child .
The gender-is-fluid crowd is relentless in promoting their agenda and people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the mental health area are mocked and canceled .
When I watch Jazz ’ s show , I find it both depressing and distressing .
Her mom is completely on board , as are her siblings .
Her father is more hesitant but does go along with the whole thing .
It is as though the whole family ’ s life revolves around one young person ’ s sexual identity .
The show has been broadcast on TLC for several years .
Jazz has monetized social media and written books .
The reality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It all seems very exploitative .
She has been admitted to Harvard University – did her celebrity play a part in that decision ?
Jazz and her mother are very active in promoting the LGBTQ agenda .
It is no surprise to me that incorporating her book into a story-reading event for school children is happening .
Apparently this is the fifth year for a day designated for reading about transgenderism in schools .
The Family Research Council is getting the word out and letting parents know that there is an option @ @ @

The normalization of the transgender agenda hits public schools in Virginia and other states this week. Activists in the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and the National Education Association (NEA) team up to encourage a day set aside to celebrate transgenderism. Volunteers will read three books chosen to help young children understand a very adult topic.
The event is called Jazz & Friends National Day of School & Community readings. The three books chosen for this year’s indoctrination are: “Julian is a Mermaid”, “I am Jazz”, and “They She He Me: Free to Be!” Family Research Council (FRC) is encouraging parents to keep their children home from school. There is a post on FRC’s website that suggests it may be a good day to take children to a museum or some such activity instead of attending school.
Do you want your child to be psychologically manipulated at school on Thursday? Might be a good day for a Mommy Date at the museum! The anti-Christian Human Rights Campaign and their pals at the powerful National Education Association are pushing public schools to recognize this Thursday as “Jazz and Friends National Day of School & Community Readings.” One of the books they are promoting is I Am Jazz, a transgender propaganda book designed for children. It is based on the real-life story of “Jazz,” a child who was convinced that he was born in the wrong body. As a child he was injected with hormones to block his normal sexual development, and recently he had radical surgery to complete his “transition” to another sex. Which, of course, is impossible. Activists groups are trying to make the reading of this book an annual event. The day will be used to promote gender deviance and LGBT politics to vulnerable children. Not all schools are doing it. Yet. But some are. In one Arlington, Va. school, “mystery readers” are scheduled to come and read to the children. The school has not revealed to parents who they are and what they will read. Wow.
There is an opt-out option, using a National Opt-Out Letter, provided by the Arlington Parent Coalition. The organization released a statement, part of which reads as follows:
The Arlington Parent Coalition recommends that if parents are not comfortable with children being taught that biology has no bearing on one’s sex, and that “anyone can be anything,” and that “God makes mistakes sometimes,” and that “you may not be the gender your parents said you are,” parents might want to have their children take a sick day on Thursday, February 27, 2020. If you have not yet submitted a Universal Opt-Out Letter to prevent your child from receiving lessons around this kind of dangerous nonsense, we recommend that you do so immediately. If you have submitted an opt-out, your child should not be exposed to this cause célèbre on February 27 or any other day. However, in our experience Arlington Public Schools remains consistently unconcerned with either parental permission or children’s protections. So please plan accordingly on Thursday.
The event this year includes the story of Jazz Jennings, a reality television star. “I am Jazz” is her story. She was born a boy and by the age of three, she told her parents she was a girl living in a boy’s body. Since then, her parents and family embraced life with a transgender child. She is a celebrity in the LGBTQ community. I know her story because I have covered the family’s reality show on TLC for NewsBusters the last several years. (Jennings is not their real name.) Last season was all about her big surgery. A celebration of the surgery included a “Farewell to Penis” party. That surgery, by the way, has led to complications that have required additional surgeries. Human biology is real, no matter the feelings around it.
Make no mistake about the transgender agenda – it is political. The push to indoctrinate children, even elementary school-aged children, is real. Jazz’s book is written in the voice of a four-year-old child. The gender-is-fluid crowd is relentless in promoting their agenda and people who think that the subject falls within the mental health area are mocked and canceled.
When I watch Jazz’s show, I find it both depressing and distressing. Her mom is completely on board, as are her siblings. Her father is more hesitant but does go along with the whole thing. It is as though the whole family’s life revolves around one young person’s sexual identity. The show has been broadcast on TLC for several years. Jazz has monetized social media and written books. The reality show alone provides some income, too. It all seems very exploitative. She has been admitted to Harvard University – did her celebrity play a part in that decision?
Jazz and her mother are very active in promoting the LGBTQ agenda. It is no surprise to me that incorporating her book into a story-reading event for school children is happening. Apparently this is the fifth year for a day designated for reading about transgenderism in schools. The Family Research Council is getting the word out and letting parents know that there is an option to opt-out.


hotair--2020-02-28--"We had just lost 3,000 people": Bloomberg defends post-9/11 surveillance of Muslims

“ Of course we ’ re supposed to do that , ” Michael Bloomberg tells PBS Newshour host Judy Woodruff , but it ’ s an open guess how many Democrats will agree .
In the years after 9/11 , Bloomberg ordered the surveillance of Islamic mosques in New York City and shared the intel it generated with federal and local authorities in the region .
Woodruff argues that no arrests ever came from the program , which got halted in a 2014 legal settlement , to which Bloomberg declares , “ Good , ” and also argues that his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ always obey the law.
” Would Bloomberg order the same kind of surveillance after a similar terror attack as president ?
Bloomberg doesn ’ t exactly go the full Jack Nicholson , but still manages to leave the solid impression that you need him on that wall , you want him on that wall : Michael Bloomberg : Number one , remember , you ’ re talking about right after 9/11 , when everybody was petrified about another terrorist attack .
We were super careful to always obey the law .
Number one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do , and , number two , you knew people would be looking at it .
We went — we sent some officers into some mosques to listen to the sermon that the imam gave .
The courts ruled it was exactly within the law .
And that ’ s the kind of thing we should be doing .
I don ’ t remember the rafting trip story whatsoever , but I do remember that .
And we were very careful .
And the authorities that looked at us said , yes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we had every intention of going every place we could legally to get as much information to protect this country .
We had just lost 3,000 people at 9/11 .
Of course we ’ re supposed to do that .
Judy Woodruff : Do you think it was necessary to single out Muslim Americans that way ?
And would you do that as president ?
Michael Bloomberg : Whether — whether or not we looked elsewhere , there were lots of places we looked .
We have an intelligence department in the police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , one of the finest in the world .
I assume it still is .
I have been away from it now for three , four years .
But we put an enormous amount of work into — and coordinating with federal intelligence agencies and state intelligence agencies to try to keep this country safe .
And there ’ s no question about where the people who committed the terrible atrocities of the three airplane crashes and all the people getting killed , where they came from .
And it ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But , remember , I was the one that defended building a mosque in New York City , which I got a lot of grief for , but I ’ m a believer in freedom of religion .
And we certainly continue to this day , I assume , to keep our eyes and ears open and look wherever you can legally to make sure nothing that like this is going to happen again .
These are lives we ’ re talking about .
Judy Woodruff : One other thing I want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clarify quickly on that , you ’ re saying it ’ s OK to target Muslim Americans , as a religion ?
Michael Bloomberg : No , it ’ s OK to go where you think there might be information that would be useful in keeping us safe .
And there were imams who publicly at that time were urging the terrorism .
And , so of course that ’ s where you ’ re going to go .
Judy Woodruff : Last thing I want to ask you about , the… Michael @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incidentally , mean that all Muslims are terrorists or all terrorists are Muslim .
But there was — the people that flew those airplanes came from the Middle East .
And some of the imams were urging more of the same .
And so , of course , we sent the police officers in .
And we were so super careful , because you knew people would look at it , and I didn ’ t want anybody to think we ’ re targeting an ethnicity .
We were just targeting a group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if you — we went to listen to the imams who reputedly were stirring things up .
That ’ s what you — that ’ s what intelligence is all about .
You have to keep the — you have to step back , Judy , and understand we had 3,000 people killed in one — a few minutes .
Judy Woodruff : But it wasn ’ t a religion that killed them .
Michael Bloomberg : No , but all of the people came from the same place .
And all that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happened to be one religion .
And if they had been another religion , we would have done the same thing .
Is that true ?
Probably , but that would be difficult to prove .
The FBI does domestic counter-terrorism surveillance on violent white supremacists that likely includes surveillance on their churches , around which some of those groups organize .
That wouldn ’ t be on the same scale as what Bloomberg did in NYC after 9/11 , but let ’ s not forget that it wasn ’ t just 9/11 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ World Trade Center was locally organized and carried out , led by the radical imam Omar Abdel-Rahman , the “ Blind Sheikh ” who put together the plot through people radicalized at three mosques where Abdel-Rahman preached about war against the West .
That was probably more the reason for the NYPD surveillance , but 9/11 would have ramped up the impetus exponentially .
Unlike some of the issues Bloomberg has , this one is probably a wash in a general election .
He and Donald Trump would try to outmuscle each other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but Bloomberg ’ s big problem with this is the Democratic primaries and his opponents in them .
Which of these candidates will stand up to defend the surveillance program ?
Exactly zero of them .
They are already calling Bloomberg an oligarch for buying his way into the process and an authoritarian over stop-and-frisk policies ; they might think they can have a feast on this interview .
If so , though , Bloomberg appears ready to fight on this issue .
Note that he doesn ’ t sound at all regretful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , for which he has now repeatedly apologized .
It ’ s tough to predict how this will play with voters , even in a primary .
Have we gotten far enough past 9/11 to where this looks entirely like bigotry , or was 9/11 traumatic enough for most Americans to recall that this seemed like a pretty good idea at the time ?
In a general election , the Jack Nicholson routine might play well — and it ’ s not at all a certainty that it won ’ t in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidates on the ballot might want to be veeerrrrry careful about making this a campaign issue .

“Of course we’re supposed to do that,” Michael Bloomberg tells PBS Newshour host Judy Woodruff, but it’s an open guess how many Democrats will agree. In the years after 9/11, Bloomberg ordered the surveillance of Islamic mosques in New York City and shared the intel it generated with federal and local authorities in the region. Woodruff argues that no arrests ever came from the program, which got halted in a 2014 legal settlement, to which Bloomberg declares, “Good,” and also argues that his mayoral administration was “super careful to always obey the law.”
Would Bloomberg order the same kind of surveillance after a similar terror attack as president? Bloomberg doesn’t exactly go the full Jack Nicholson, but still manages to leave the solid impression that you need him on that wall, you want him on that wall:
Michael Bloomberg: Number one, remember, you’re talking about right after 9/11, when everybody was petrified about another terrorist attack. We were super careful to always obey the law. Number one, it was the right thing to do, and, number two, you knew people would be looking at it. We went — we sent some officers into some mosques to listen to the sermon that the imam gave. The courts ruled it was exactly within the law. And that’s the kind of thing we should be doing. I don’t remember the rafting trip story whatsoever, but I do remember that. And we were very careful. And the authorities that looked at us said, yes, you complied with the law. But we had every intention of going every place we could legally to get as much information to protect this country. We had just lost 3,000 people at 9/11. Of course we’re supposed to do that. Judy Woodruff: Do you think it was necessary to single out Muslim Americans that way? And would you do that as president? Michael Bloomberg: Whether — whether or not we looked elsewhere, there were lots of places we looked. We have an intelligence department in the police department, which is, I think, one of the finest in the world. I assume it still is. I have been away from it now for three, four years. But we put an enormous amount of work into — and coordinating with federal intelligence agencies and state intelligence agencies to try to keep this country safe. And there’s no question about where the people who committed the terrible atrocities of the three airplane crashes and all the people getting killed, where they came from. And it’s a natural place to go, yes. But, remember, I was the one that defended building a mosque in New York City, which I got a lot of grief for, but I’m a believer in freedom of religion. And we certainly continue to this day, I assume, to keep our eyes and ears open and look wherever you can legally to make sure nothing that like this is going to happen again. These are lives we’re talking about. Judy Woodruff: One other thing I want to ask you about, but just to clarify quickly on that, you’re saying it’s OK to target Muslim Americans, as a religion? Michael Bloomberg: No, it’s OK to go where you think there might be information that would be useful in keeping us safe. And there were imams who publicly at that time were urging the terrorism. And, so of course that’s where you’re going to go. Judy Woodruff: Last thing I want to ask you about, the… Michael Bloomberg: It doesn’t, incidentally, mean that all Muslims are terrorists or all terrorists are Muslim. But there was — the people that flew those airplanes came from the Middle East. And some of the imams were urging more of the same. And so, of course, we sent the police officers in. And we were so super careful, because you knew people would look at it, and I didn’t want anybody to think we’re targeting an ethnicity. We were just targeting a group where it’s more likely, if you — we went to listen to the imams who reputedly were stirring things up. That’s what you — that’s what intelligence is all about. You have to keep the — you have to step back, Judy, and understand we had 3,000 people killed in one — a few minutes. Judy Woodruff: But it wasn’t a religion that killed them. Michael Bloomberg: No, but all of the people came from the same place. And all that came were from a place. They happened to be one religion. And if they had been another religion, we would have done the same thing.
Is that true? Probably, but that would be difficult to prove. The FBI does domestic counter-terrorism surveillance on violent white supremacists that likely includes surveillance on their churches, around which some of those groups organize. That wouldn’t be on the same scale as what Bloomberg did in NYC after 9/11, but let’s not forget that it wasn’t just 9/11 either. The 1993 attack on the World Trade Center was locally organized and carried out, led by the radical imam Omar Abdel-Rahman, the “Blind Sheikh” who put together the plot through people radicalized at three mosques where Abdel-Rahman preached about war against the West. That was probably more the reason for the NYPD surveillance, but 9/11 would have ramped up the impetus exponentially.
Unlike some of the issues Bloomberg has, this one is probably a wash in a general election. He and Donald Trump would try to outmuscle each other on this issue at every turn, but Bloomberg’s big problem with this is the Democratic primaries and his opponents in them. Which of these candidates will stand up to defend the surveillance program? Exactly zero of them. They are already calling Bloomberg an oligarch for buying his way into the process and an authoritarian over stop-and-frisk policies; they might think they can have a feast on this interview.
If so, though, Bloomberg appears ready to fight on this issue. Note that he doesn’t sound at all regretful about it, unlike the stop-and-frisk issue, for which he has now repeatedly apologized. It’s tough to predict how this will play with voters, even in a primary. Have we gotten far enough past 9/11 to where this looks entirely like bigotry, or was 9/11 traumatic enough for most Americans to recall that this seemed like a pretty good idea at the time? In a general election, the Jack Nicholson routine might play well — and it’s not at all a certainty that it won’t in the Democratic primaries, either. The other candidates on the ballot might want to be veeerrrrry careful about making this a campaign issue.


hotair--2020-02-28--Disgraced Baltimore ex-mayor sentenced for corruption

This story has been several years in the making , but this week it appears to have drawn to a close .
Former Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh resigned in disgrace after being charged on a variety of corruption charges , including conspiracy , wire fraud and tax evasion .
She previously pleaded guilty to four counts and awaited sentencing .
That ’ s now happened .
Pugh has been given three years in prison plus another three years of supervised release , along with some hefty financial hits .
While her attorneys are complaining about the sentence , it actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nature of the long-running grifting scam she ’ d been pulling off .
( NBC News ) Former Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh was sentenced on Thursday to three years in prison for a children ’ s book scam that funneled money into her personal accounts and campaign coffers .
Pugh , 69 , will also have to serve three years of supervised release once she ’ s out of prison , according to the sentence handed down by U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow .
The disgraced former mayor was also ordered to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forfeit $ 669,688 , including property on Ellamont Road in Baltimore and $ 17,800 from her Committee to Re-elect Catherine Pugh .
When the prosecutors and the defense were wrangling over the sentence , I made a guess that she would probably get two years .
The defense had asked for one year and one day , while prosecutors requested 57 months .
In the end , the judge went a little bit heavier than even I had expected , but not by much .
Plus , the fines are fairly steep , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least $ 800,000 she grifted out of the system for her “ Healthy Holly ” children ’ s books .
Pugh ’ s lead defense attorney carped that Pugh had committed “ victimless crimes.
” But the U.S. Attorney prosecuting the case was having none of it .
Robert Hur told the press that the victims in this case were “ all of us.
” As many of us , including yours truly , have said from the beginning , it ’ s shocking that it took so long for the law to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such an obvious case of grifting with no logical alternative to explain her actions that it boggles the mind .
She was selling copies of her self-published children ’ s books by the truckload to people and organizations who had contracts with the University of Maryland Medical System , where Pugh sat on the board .
Many of the “ sales ” were for books that were never even printed .
She just cashed the checks and flushed the money into her campaign fund , her personal bank accounts and renovations on her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly a million dollars .
Pugh released a statement that sounds like something out of the diary of a crazy person , sounding something like an apology without ever admitting any wrongdoing .
What does that even mean ?
It ’ s “ not what you intend to do ” but it ’ s “ what you do ?
” You made people who wanted contracts with the UMMS buy imaginary copies of your book for hundreds of thousands of dollars .
What are we supposed to believe that you “ intended ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sad chapter in the history of Baltimore ’ s corrupt government that ’ s hopefully drawn to a close .
But perhaps not .
Pugh dropped into the habit of speaking about herself in the third person , saying “ I don ’ t think this is the last chapter for Catherine Pugh.
” Who knows ?
Perhaps she ’ s right .
One of her predecessors , Sheila Dixon , was similarly driven from office after pleading guilty to embezzlement .
She came back and ran against Pugh in the primary and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winning .
Apparently , the citizens of Baltimore don ’ t find such actions by their elected leaders all that troubling .
And if that ’ s the case , they ’ re getting exactly what they deserve .

This story has been several years in the making, but this week it appears to have drawn to a close. Former Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh resigned in disgrace after being charged on a variety of corruption charges, including conspiracy, wire fraud and tax evasion. She previously pleaded guilty to four counts and awaited sentencing. That’s now happened. Pugh has been given three years in prison plus another three years of supervised release, along with some hefty financial hits. While her attorneys are complaining about the sentence, it actually sounds rather light when you consider the nature of the long-running grifting scam she’d been pulling off. (NBC News)
Former Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh was sentenced on Thursday to three years in prison for a children’s book scam that funneled money into her personal accounts and campaign coffers. Pugh, 69, will also have to serve three years of supervised release once she’s out of prison, according to the sentence handed down by U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow. The disgraced former mayor was also ordered to pay $411,948 in restitution and to forfeit $669,688, including property on Ellamont Road in Baltimore and $17,800 from her Committee to Re-elect Catherine Pugh.
When the prosecutors and the defense were wrangling over the sentence, I made a guess that she would probably get two years. The defense had asked for one year and one day, while prosecutors requested 57 months. In the end, the judge went a little bit heavier than even I had expected, but not by much. Plus, the fines are fairly steep, wiping out virtually all of the at least $800,000 she grifted out of the system for her “Healthy Holly” children’s books.
Pugh’s lead defense attorney carped that Pugh had committed “victimless crimes.” But the U.S. Attorney prosecuting the case was having none of it. Robert Hur told the press that the victims in this case were “all of us.”
As many of us, including yours truly, have said from the beginning, it’s shocking that it took so long for the law to catch up to Pugh. It was such an obvious case of grifting with no logical alternative to explain her actions that it boggles the mind. She was selling copies of her self-published children’s books by the truckload to people and organizations who had contracts with the University of Maryland Medical System, where Pugh sat on the board. Many of the “sales” were for books that were never even printed. She just cashed the checks and flushed the money into her campaign fund, her personal bank accounts and renovations on her home. And it added up to nearly a million dollars.
Pugh released a statement that sounds like something out of the diary of a crazy person, sounding something like an apology without ever admitting any wrongdoing.
“Sometimes when you think you’re doing one thing, as my mother used to say, ‘It’s not what you intend to do, it is what you do,'” Pugh said. “And all of us pay the price for the things that don’t turn out the way that they should turn out.”
What does that even mean? It’s “not what you intend to do” but it’s “what you do?” You made people who wanted contracts with the UMMS buy imaginary copies of your book for hundreds of thousands of dollars. What are we supposed to believe that you “intended” in doing that?
This is another sad chapter in the history of Baltimore’s corrupt government that’s hopefully drawn to a close. But perhaps not. Pugh dropped into the habit of speaking about herself in the third person, saying “I don’t think this is the last chapter for Catherine Pugh.” Who knows? Perhaps she’s right. One of her predecessors, Sheila Dixon, was similarly driven from office after pleading guilty to embezzlement. She came back and ran against Pugh in the primary and came within a handful of points of winning.
Apparently, the citizens of Baltimore don’t find such actions by their elected leaders all that troubling. And if that’s the case, they’re getting exactly what they deserve.


hotair--2020-02-27--Fareed Zakaria: Bernie Sanders' Scandinavian ideal is a fantasy

Back in 2018 the Washington Post published an opinion piece by Elizabeth Bruenig with the amusing title , “ It ’ s time to give socialism a try.
” It ’ s amusing because it plays into the oft-heard observation that no matter how many times socialism has been tried , there are always socialist around who will claim real socialism has never been tried .
What is real socialism ?
It ’ s usually clarified that this means “ Democratic Socialism ” as opposed to the non-Democratic type that exists in places like China , Cuba and Venezuela .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ her piece .
So no matter how many times socialism is tried , there ’ s always some socialist out there saying , ‘ Hey , maybe it ’ s time to give socialism a try.
’ That , in essence , is the pitch Bernie Sanders is making to the Democratic Party .
Today , Fareed Zakaria points out that socialism , the real Democratic kind Sanders says he supports , has been tried .
It was tried in Scandinavia in the 1970s and 80s and it was a disaster [ emphasis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Scandinavian countries , as with much of his ideology , seems to be stuck in the 1960s and 1970s , a period when these countries were indeed pioneers in creating a social market economy .
In Sweden , government spending as a percentage of gross domestic product doubled from 1960 to 1980 , going from approximately 30 percent to 60 percent .
But as Swedish commentator Johan Norberg points out , this experiment in Sanders-style democratic socialism tanked the Swedish economy .
Between 1970 and 1995 , he notes , Sweden did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the private sector .
In 1991 , a free-market prime minister , Carl Bildt , initiated a series of reforms to kick-start the economy .
By the mid-2000s , Sweden had cut the size of its government by a third and emerged from its long economic slump .
Zakaria points out that having abandoned this kind of socialism , Scandinavia today is in some ways considerably to the right of Bernie Sanders ’ regular stump speech : Take billionaires .
Sanders has been clear on the topic : “ Billionaires should not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have more billionaires per capita than the United States — Sweden almost twice as many .
Not only that , these billionaires are able to pass on their wealth to their children tax-free .
Inheritance taxes in Sweden and Norway are zero , and in Denmark 15 percent .
The United States , by contrast , has the fourth-highest estate taxes in the industrialized world at 40 percent .
Another difference Zakaria doesn ’ t mention : About 40 percent of Sweden ’ s electric power comes from nuclear plants .
In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent and Sanders has said he wants to phase that out even as we get rid of all fossil fuel power plants .
Sanders routinely makes it sound as if taxes on billionaires and corporations will fund his $ 50 to $ 100 trillion in new spending on things like free tuition and Medicare for All .
But that ’ s not how it works in Scandinavia .
In fact , on a percentage basis the poor and middle class in Scandinavia pay far more of the tab ( and rich pay far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It is true that these countries have a generous safety net and , in order to fund it , high taxes .
What is not often pointed out , however , is that in order to raise enough revenue , these taxes fall disproportionately on the poor , middle and upper middle class .
Denmark has one of the highest top income tax rates in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development , 55.9 percent , but that rate is applied to anyone making 1.3 times the average national income .
In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any income above $ 65,000 would be taxed at the rate of 55.9 percent .
In fact , the highest tax rate in the United States , 43 percent , applies to income that is 9.3 times the national average , which means that only those with incomes over approximately $ 500,000 pay this rate… A 2008 OECD report found that the top 10 percent in the United States pay 45 percent of all income taxes , while the top 10 percent in Denmark pay 26 percent and in Sweden 27 percent .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 32 percent .
The basic point is worth underlining because the American left seems largely unaware of it , and it has only become more true over the past decade : The United States has a significantly more progressive tax code than Europe , and its top 10 percent pays a vastly greater share of the country ’ s taxes than their European counterparts .
Sanders ’ vision of socialism is one that has been tried and failed .
If he wants to argue the US should be more like Norway or Sweden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accord with what Scandinavia is , not what it used to be 40 years ago .
Can you even imagine Sanders embracing lower tax rates on the rich , higher tax rates on the poor , more nuclear power and the existence of billionaires ?
Neither can I .

Back in 2018 the Washington Post published an opinion piece by Elizabeth Bruenig with the amusing title, “It’s time to give socialism a try.” It’s amusing because it plays into the oft-heard observation that no matter how many times socialism has been tried, there are always socialist around who will claim real socialism has never been tried.
What is real socialism? It’s usually clarified that this means “Democratic Socialism” as opposed to the non-Democratic type that exists in places like China, Cuba and Venezuela. Indeed, Bruenig makes this distinction in her piece. So no matter how many times socialism is tried, there’s always some socialist out there saying, ‘Hey, maybe it’s time to give socialism a try.’ That, in essence, is the pitch Bernie Sanders is making to the Democratic Party.
Today, Fareed Zakaria points out that socialism, the real Democratic kind Sanders says he supports, has been tried. It was tried in Scandinavia in the 1970s and 80s and it was a disaster [emphasis added]:
Sanders’s vision of Scandinavian countries, as with much of his ideology, seems to be stuck in the 1960s and 1970s, a period when these countries were indeed pioneers in creating a social market economy. In Sweden, government spending as a percentage of gross domestic product doubled from 1960 to 1980, going from approximately 30 percent to 60 percent. But as Swedish commentator Johan Norberg points out, this experiment in Sanders-style democratic socialism tanked the Swedish economy. Between 1970 and 1995, he notes, Sweden did not create a single net new job in the private sector. In 1991, a free-market prime minister, Carl Bildt, initiated a series of reforms to kick-start the economy. By the mid-2000s, Sweden had cut the size of its government by a third and emerged from its long economic slump.
Zakaria points out that having abandoned this kind of socialism, Scandinavia today is in some ways considerably to the right of Bernie Sanders’ regular stump speech:
Take billionaires. Sanders has been clear on the topic: “Billionaires should not exist.” But Sweden and Norway both have more billionaires per capita than the United States — Sweden almost twice as many. Not only that, these billionaires are able to pass on their wealth to their children tax-free. Inheritance taxes in Sweden and Norway are zero, and in Denmark 15 percent. The United States, by contrast, has the fourth-highest estate taxes in the industrialized world at 40 percent.
Another difference Zakaria doesn’t mention: About 40 percent of Sweden’s electric power comes from nuclear plants. In the US the figure is closer to 20 percent and Sanders has said he wants to phase that out even as we get rid of all fossil fuel power plants.
Sanders routinely makes it sound as if taxes on billionaires and corporations will fund his $50 to $100 trillion in new spending on things like free tuition and Medicare for All. But that’s not how it works in Scandinavia. In fact, on a percentage basis the poor and middle class in Scandinavia pay far more of the tab (and rich pay far less) than they do here:
It is true that these countries have a generous safety net and, in order to fund it, high taxes. What is not often pointed out, however, is that in order to raise enough revenue, these taxes fall disproportionately on the poor, middle and upper middle class. Denmark has one of the highest top income tax rates in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, 55.9 percent, but that rate is applied to anyone making 1.3 times the average national income. In the United States, this would mean that any income above $65,000 would be taxed at the rate of 55.9 percent. In fact, the highest tax rate in the United States, 43 percent, applies to income that is 9.3 times the national average, which means that only those with incomes over approximately $500,000 pay this rate… A 2008 OECD report found that the top 10 percent in the United States pay 45 percent of all income taxes, while the top 10 percent in Denmark pay 26 percent and in Sweden 27 percent. Among wealthy countries, the average is 32 percent. The basic point is worth underlining because the American left seems largely unaware of it, and it has only become more true over the past decade: The United States has a significantly more progressive tax code than Europe, and its top 10 percent pays a vastly greater share of the country’s taxes than their European counterparts.
Sanders’ vision of socialism is one that has been tried and failed. If he wants to argue the US should be more like Norway or Sweden then he ought to offer proposals that accord with what Scandinavia is, not what it used to be 40 years ago. Can you even imagine Sanders embracing lower tax rates on the rich, higher tax rates on the poor, more nuclear power and the existence of billionaires? Neither can I.


hotair--2020-02-27--What will Democrats do if there's a major coronavirus outbreak in the middle of the primaries?

I have no deep thoughts about what the contingency plans might or should look like .
Just thought it ’ d be worth asking the question in light of this BuzzFeed piece from a few days ago noting that in-person primary voting for American expats has already been canceled in China and South Korea .
When the disease finally starts spreading aggressively here — and it does seem to be a “ when , ” not an “ if ” now — events that concentrate large groups of people will be a death trap .
Japan has already closed schools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the disease ’ s spread ; we might see some American cities do the same thing , along with formal closings or popular boycotts of sporting events , movie theaters , restaurants , and , er , polling places .
Polling places might be especially dangerous , in fact , given older Americans ’ habit of high turnout .
Based on the evidence thus far , COVID-19 is especially lethal to seniors .
Super Tuesday is days away and then another large-ish slate of states votes a week later .
Democrats will bank @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worry about this .
But let ’ s say cases are beginning to multiply rapidly by March 15 .
Fully 30 jurisdictions will remain on the calendar at that point .
If you ’ re the leader of a state Democratic party , what do you do ?
BuzzFeed : The closing of the two voting centers in China , one in Shanghai and another in Beijing , was announced on February 18 in response to local ordinances restricting travel and public events , as well as a State Department recommendation to US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to Maya Hixson , a Democratic National Committee spokesperson .
Democrats Abroad announced on February 26 in-person voting was cancelled in South Korea , too… “ People can absolutely vote from home !
With this recent outbreak , we are encouraging people to do this more than ever , ” Angela Sittaro , a Democrats Abroad Italy organizer , told BuzzFeed News in a Facebook message… There are ways of handling the risk , according to Irwin Redlener , director of Columbia University ’ s National Center for Disaster Preparedness .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ as extending voting over several days to thin out the crowds , regularly wiping down voting surfaces , or using disposal covers .
“ I don ’ t see us having to cancel the normal political process , but we may have to make changes , ” Redlener told BuzzFeed News .
One thing they could do is just proceed as scheduled and count on voters to weigh the risk of showing up to vote .
Turnout would plunge ; high-enthusiasm candidates like Bernie would probably benefit , as their fans might be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cause .
But the “ keep calm and carry on ” approach is dodgy since the party would still need lots of volunteers to man polling stations on Election Day .
Show of hands : Who wants to stand around in a confined space being visited by hundreds of strangers while there ’ s a deadly virus circulating ?
Another possibility is letting people somehow vote from home , as the Democrats Abroad suggested .
Er , how ?
Set up a website on the fly , maybe , and then allow Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a ballot ?
That would be a security nightmare , starting with the task of somehow ensuring that the person logging in really is the person they say they are .
And Democrats ’ recent history with election technology is not great .
Spreading voting out over several days , as proposed in the excerpt , would also reduce the concentration of voters .
But again — confined space , lots of older people , and momentarily lots of uncertainty about how precisely this disease is spread .
Who wants to risk it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to hold unplanned multi-day voting ?
How many election volunteers are willing and able to suddenly devote days to the effort ?
One drastic possibility would be to take stock of where the race is once a state party decides that holding the election as scheduled would be too risky .
If Bernie pulls the upset in South Carolina on Saturday and then wins big on Super Tuesday , his nomination will seem like a foregone conclusion .
It ’ d be silly to put people ’ s lives at risk to carry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certain .
Just one problem : Joementum appears to be alive and well in SC and Florida , and it might produce a bunch of southern wins for Biden next Tuesday .
There may soon be a real race for the nomination .
How do you cancel primaries when the outcome is in doubt ?
Another drastic possibility is to cancel individual primaries as needed and allow some small delegation of Democrats from the state to choose a candidate instead .
Either the state party leadership could choose , or it could hold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Party chairmen from around the state and take a vote that way .
You can already see the problem with that approach , though : Democratic leaders tend to prefer moderate candidates like Biden to radicals like Bernie .
Imagine the reaction from Berniebros if Sanders was ahead in delegates before primary voting was suspended due to the virus and then ended up losing the nomination because a series of state party establishmentarians preferred Joe .
An extremely outside-the-box suggestion : The DNC could fund official polls of each state and award delegates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Better yet , if they can afford it , they could hire multiple pollsters to conduct the same poll of the same state and then average the results to reduce the risk of an outlier .
This would be an imperfect alternative to voting , to put it mildly , as we all know how Election Day results can deviate from pollsters ’ predictions .
But it ’ d be more democratic than letting state party leaders choose a winner .
The polling in the three early states thus far has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I ’ m open to suggestions .
Meanwhile , another thing to consider : At what point do the actual candidates stop holding events and cutting back on personal appearances to protect their own health and the health of their supporters ?
These big Bernie and Trump rallies are impressive and all but they ’ ll be heinously dangerous once COVID-19 is on the move .
Among the group of four people from which the next president is all but certain to be drawn , the youngest is Trump at age 73 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanders and Mike Bloomberg at age 78 .
Contracting coronavirus would be a mortal threat to any of them given their age .
For their own safety and the safety of their fans , campaigning this year will need to be done differently .
And then there ’ s the general election in November — which , let ’ s not think about it .
Not yet , at least .

I have no deep thoughts about what the contingency plans might or should look like. Just thought it’d be worth asking the question in light of this BuzzFeed piece from a few days ago noting that in-person primary voting for American expats has already been canceled in China and South Korea. When the disease finally starts spreading aggressively here — and it does seem to be a “when,” not an “if” now — events that concentrate large groups of people will be a death trap. Japan has already closed schools for a month to try to arrest the disease’s spread; we might see some American cities do the same thing, along with formal closings or popular boycotts of sporting events, movie theaters, restaurants, and, er, polling places.
Polling places might be especially dangerous, in fact, given older Americans’ habit of high turnout. Based on the evidence thus far, COVID-19 is especially lethal to seniors.
Super Tuesday is days away and then another large-ish slate of states votes a week later. Democrats will bank plenty of votes before they need to worry about this. But let’s say cases are beginning to multiply rapidly by March 15. Fully 30 jurisdictions will remain on the calendar at that point. If you’re the leader of a state Democratic party, what do you do? BuzzFeed:
The closing of the two voting centers in China, one in Shanghai and another in Beijing, was announced on February 18 in response to local ordinances restricting travel and public events, as well as a State Department recommendation to US citizens in the country to stay indoors, according to Maya Hixson, a Democratic National Committee spokesperson. Democrats Abroad announced on February 26 in-person voting was cancelled in South Korea, too… “People can absolutely vote from home! With this recent outbreak, we are encouraging people to do this more than ever,” Angela Sittaro, a Democrats Abroad Italy organizer, told BuzzFeed News in a Facebook message… There are ways of handling the risk, according to Irwin Redlener, director of Columbia University’s National Center for Disaster Preparedness. You can separate people more, such as extending voting over several days to thin out the crowds, regularly wiping down voting surfaces, or using disposal covers. “I don’t see us having to cancel the normal political process, but we may have to make changes,” Redlener told BuzzFeed News.
One thing they could do is just proceed as scheduled and count on voters to weigh the risk of showing up to vote. Turnout would plunge; high-enthusiasm candidates like Bernie would probably benefit, as their fans might be more likely to brave contagion for the cause. But the “keep calm and carry on” approach is dodgy since the party would still need lots of volunteers to man polling stations on Election Day. Show of hands: Who wants to stand around in a confined space being visited by hundreds of strangers while there’s a deadly virus circulating?
Another possibility is letting people somehow vote from home, as the Democrats Abroad suggested. Er, how? Set up a website on the fly, maybe, and then allow Democratic voters to log in remotely and cast a ballot? That would be a security nightmare, starting with the task of somehow ensuring that the person logging in really is the person they say they are. And Democrats’ recent history with election technology is not great.
Spreading voting out over several days, as proposed in the excerpt, would also reduce the concentration of voters. But again — confined space, lots of older people, and momentarily lots of uncertainty about how precisely this disease is spread. Who wants to risk it? And how many precincts are available to hold unplanned multi-day voting? How many election volunteers are willing and able to suddenly devote days to the effort?
One drastic possibility would be to take stock of where the race is once a state party decides that holding the election as scheduled would be too risky. If Bernie pulls the upset in South Carolina on Saturday and then wins big on Super Tuesday, his nomination will seem like a foregone conclusion. It’d be silly to put people’s lives at risk to carry out a process whose ending now seems certain. Just one problem: Joementum appears to be alive and well in SC and Florida, and it might produce a bunch of southern wins for Biden next Tuesday. There may soon be a real race for the nomination. How do you cancel primaries when the outcome is in doubt?
Another drastic possibility is to cancel individual primaries as needed and allow some small delegation of Democrats from the state to choose a candidate instead. Either the state party leadership could choose, or it could hold a conference call with the local Democratic Party chairmen from around the state and take a vote that way. You can already see the problem with that approach, though: Democratic leaders tend to prefer moderate candidates like Biden to radicals like Bernie. Imagine the reaction from Berniebros if Sanders was ahead in delegates before primary voting was suspended due to the virus and then ended up losing the nomination because a series of state party establishmentarians preferred Joe.
An extremely outside-the-box suggestion: The DNC could fund official polls of each state and award delegates proportionately to the results of the poll. Better yet, if they can afford it, they could hire multiple pollsters to conduct the same poll of the same state and then average the results to reduce the risk of an outlier. This would be an imperfect alternative to voting, to put it mildly, as we all know how Election Day results can deviate from pollsters’ predictions. But it’d be more democratic than letting state party leaders choose a winner. The polling in the three early states thus far has been pretty good in anticipating the actual outcomes.
I’m open to suggestions. Meanwhile, another thing to consider: At what point do the actual candidates stop holding events and cutting back on personal appearances to protect their own health and the health of their supporters? These big Bernie and Trump rallies are impressive and all but they’ll be heinously dangerous once COVID-19 is on the move. Among the group of four people from which the next president is all but certain to be drawn, the youngest is Trump at age 73, then Biden at 77, then Sanders and Mike Bloomberg at age 78. Contracting coronavirus would be a mortal threat to any of them given their age. For their own safety and the safety of their fans, campaigning this year will need to be done differently. And then there’s the general election in November — which, let’s not think about it. Not yet, at least.


hotair--2020-02-27--University of Tennessee professor arrested for hiding connections with China

Last month a professor at Harvard University was arrested for failing to disclose that he ’ d been receiving $ 50,000 per month from China .
Dr. Charles Lieber had been recruited by something called the Thousand Talents Plan which pays foreign experts to share their knowledge at Chinese universities .
However , professors are not allowed to accept research grants from federal agencies while also teaching in China .
Lieber allegedly hid his China connections when applying for grants from the National Institutes of Health .
Today , a professor in Tennessee has been charged for hiding similar connections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ associate professor in the department of mechanical , aerospace and biomedical engineering at the university ’ s flagship Knoxville campus , was charged with three counts of wire fraud and three counts of making false statements… Prosecutors say Hu defrauded the National Aeronautics and Space Administration by failing to disclose the fact that he was also a professor at the Beijing University of Technology in China .
Under federal law , NASA can not fund or give grant money to Chinese-owned companies or universities .
According to the indictment , as the University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proposal on Hu ’ s behalf for a NASA-funded project , Hu provided false assurances to the school that he was not part of any business collaboration involving China .
Knox News reports that Hu was hired by UT in 2013 , having left his association with the Chinese university off his CV .
In the resumé he submitted with his application , Hu failed to mention he worked at the Beijing University of Technology ’ s Institute of Laser Engineering , according to a federal indictment .
He also didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tenure .
In the years after being hired at UT , Hu continued to work with the Beijing university .
Between March 2015 and January 2020 , the indictment states , Hu was listed as an author or co-author on at least six published researched papers that identified him as being affiliated with the Beijing university .
Between September 2015 and December 2018 , he was identified as the inventor on 12 patent applications filed in China .
As I pointed out last month , in addition to Dr. Lieber at least two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ circumstances , one from the University of Kansas and one at Emory University .
China ’ s interest in hiring US professors to share their expertise is self-evident .
What ’ s less clear to me is why these professors agreed to be involved .
The fact that all of these professors appear to be intentionally deceiving US agencies suggests they knew what they were doing was illegal .
Obviously being offered $ 50,000 per month is a pretty big incentive to risk breaking the law , but is this just about individuals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to it ?
I can ’ t help wondering if there is an ideological component to this but I don ’ t see any clear indications of that in the reporting .

Last month a professor at Harvard University was arrested for failing to disclose that he’d been receiving $50,000 per month from China. Dr. Charles Lieber had been recruited by something called the Thousand Talents Plan which pays foreign experts to share their knowledge at Chinese universities. However, professors are not allowed to accept research grants from federal agencies while also teaching in China. Lieber allegedly hid his China connections when applying for grants from the National Institutes of Health. Today, a professor in Tennessee has been charged for hiding similar connections to China:
Anming Hu, an associate professor in the department of mechanical, aerospace and biomedical engineering at the university’s flagship Knoxville campus, was charged with three counts of wire fraud and three counts of making false statements… Prosecutors say Hu defrauded the National Aeronautics and Space Administration by failing to disclose the fact that he was also a professor at the Beijing University of Technology in China. Under federal law, NASA cannot fund or give grant money to Chinese-owned companies or universities. According to the indictment, as the University of Tennessee last December was preparing a proposal on Hu’s behalf for a NASA-funded project, Hu provided false assurances to the school that he was not part of any business collaboration involving China.
Knox News reports that Hu was hired by UT in 2013, having left his association with the Chinese university off his CV.
In the resumé he submitted with his application, Hu failed to mention he worked at the Beijing University of Technology’s Institute of Laser Engineering, according to a federal indictment. He also didn’t disclose the position when he applied for tenure. In the years after being hired at UT, Hu continued to work with the Beijing university. Between March 2015 and January 2020, the indictment states, Hu was listed as an author or co-author on at least six published researched papers that identified him as being affiliated with the Beijing university. Between September 2015 and December 2018, he was identified as the inventor on 12 patent applications filed in China.
As I pointed out last month, in addition to Dr. Lieber at least two other professors have been arrested under similar circumstances, one from the University of Kansas and one at Emory University.
China’s interest in hiring US professors to share their expertise is self-evident. What’s less clear to me is why these professors agreed to be involved. The fact that all of these professors appear to be intentionally deceiving US agencies suggests they knew what they were doing was illegal. Obviously being offered $50,000 per month is a pretty big incentive to risk breaking the law, but is this just about individuals looking for cash or is there more to it? I can’t help wondering if there is an ideological component to this but I don’t see any clear indications of that in the reporting.


hotair--2020-02-27--Are you ready for a <i>Bloomberg/Yang ticket?</i>

What the hell is this ?
Ted Cruz at least waited until he was facing dire straits against Trump before pulling a panicky stunt involving an early VP selection .
Bloomberg hasn ’ t even officially competed anywhere yet .
If this really happened , I bet it was less an earnest attempt to feel out Yang on the VP slot than it was a bit of half-hearted sweet talk to try to earn his endorsement .
“ Back Mike and your name will be entered into our official vice-presidential raffle.
” Michael Bloomberg ’ s presidential campaign has made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the former candidate ’ s endorsement and floating the possibility of Mr. Yang becoming his running mate , according to two people familiar with the discussions .
Aides to the former New York City mayor reached out to discuss ways the two entrepreneurs-turned-politicians could work together as Mr. Bloomberg seeks the Democratic nomination , these people said .
Mr. Yang , who dropped out of the race earlier this month , didn ’ t commit to join forces , as he considers his own political future , a third person familiar with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t immediately respond to a request for comment .
A senior Bloomberg aide said Mr. Yang wasn ’ t being seriously considered to be the former mayor ’ s running mate if he secured the nomination .
Yang got just five percent on the first alignment in Iowa and not quite three percent in New Hampshire , spurring him to throw in the towel and become … a CNN contributor , surely the most dismal of fates for a former presidential contender .
His endorsement wouldn ’ t do much to reverse Bloomberg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personally likable as Yang is , I wouldn ’ t consider it a selling point for a 78-year-old presidential candidate to have a guy one heartbeat away who ’ s never held office of any kind and whose signature proposal is to somehow give every American $ 1,000 per month .
Which is a long way of saying : Why does Bloomberg even want Yang ’ s support ?
Is he just desperate for a vote of confidence right now , even from someone with only a small-ish political following ?
Conceivably he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the same reason he ’ s been reaching out to Joe Biden ’ s donors and seeking their backing — not because he needs it ( certainly he doesn ’ t need donations ) but because he ’ s looking to deprive the rest of the field of it .
From Bloomberg ’ s perspective , if Yang ’ s eventually going to endorse , better that he endorse Mike than anyone else .
If there ’ s anything more to it than that , I suspect he ’ s eager to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now that the race is opening up into multistate election days .
Every other serious candidate who ’ s running has friends and endorsers whom they can dispatch to rally voters in states where they can ’ t be : Bernie has AOC , Warren has Julian Castro , and so on .
Bloomberg has no one like that .
Yang is also an old pro at barnstorming by now , having just wrapped a national campaign of his own , so he wouldn ’ t miss a beat getting back on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a reasonably good fit for Bloomberg ’ s “ brand ” too , a guy who made his bones outside politics and who ran more as a problem-solver than an ideologue .
One thing about this idea does intrigue me , though .
After Yang flamed out of the race , rumors started circulating that there ’ s another job he might have his eye on .
One which Mike Bloomberg would know something about .
Shortly after Yang dropped his long-shot presidential bid , Democratic consultants and other operatives throughout the Big @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for New York City mayor in 2021 .
“ @ AndrewYang would make a very interesting candidate for NYC Mayor in 21 , ” tweeted Howard Wolfson , a top adviser to presidential candidate and former Mayor Michael Bloomberg .
“ It ’ s a natural next step , ” a city-based Democratic consultant told The Post when asked about a potential Yang mayoral candidacy .
“ With the notoriety and following he ’ s gathered , he has to be taken seriously.
” Apart from pure name recognition , I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Big Idea is UBI is an intriguing candidate for mayor of New York , but lord knows he can only be an improvement over the tool who has the job now .
I think that ’ s what ’ s really in it for Yang if he decides to back Bloomberg — not the VP slot but lots of goodwill from a thrice-elected mayor of NYC and his gigantic network of friends and advisors , all of whom would be helpful in building a mayoral campaign next year .
If Bloomy was headed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it might even make sense for Yang to hop aboard at this point : Even if the mayoral idea doesn ’ t pan out , he ’ d be in line for some sort of federal government position if Bloomberg won .
As it is , it ’ s an open question at the moment how much longer Bloomberg will be in the race if he disappoints next Tuesday and continues to slide in polling afterward .
Yang may want to hold back , see how the vote goes next week , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worth endorsing .

What the hell is this?
Ted Cruz at least waited until he was facing dire straits against Trump before pulling a panicky stunt involving an early VP selection. Bloomberg hasn’t even officially competed anywhere yet.
If this really happened, I bet it was less an earnest attempt to feel out Yang on the VP slot than it was a bit of half-hearted sweet talk to try to earn his endorsement. “Back Mike and your name will be entered into our official vice-presidential raffle.”
Michael Bloomberg’s presidential campaign has made overtures to Democrat Andrew Yang, courting the former candidate’s endorsement and floating the possibility of Mr. Yang becoming his running mate, according to two people familiar with the discussions. Aides to the former New York City mayor reached out to discuss ways the two entrepreneurs-turned-politicians could work together as Mr. Bloomberg seeks the Democratic nomination, these people said. Mr. Yang, who dropped out of the race earlier this month, didn’t commit to join forces, as he considers his own political future, a third person familiar with the discussions said. Mr. Yang didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. A senior Bloomberg aide said Mr. Yang wasn’t being seriously considered to be the former mayor’s running mate if he secured the nomination.
Yang got just five percent on the first alignment in Iowa and not quite three percent in New Hampshire, spurring him to throw in the towel and become … a CNN contributor, surely the most dismal of fates for a former presidential contender. His endorsement wouldn’t do much to reverse Bloomberg’s downward trajectory. And as personally likable as Yang is, I wouldn’t consider it a selling point for a 78-year-old presidential candidate to have a guy one heartbeat away who’s never held office of any kind and whose signature proposal is to somehow give every American $1,000 per month.
Which is a long way of saying: Why does Bloomberg even want Yang’s support? Is he just desperate for a vote of confidence right now, even from someone with only a small-ish political following? Conceivably he’s seeking Yang’s support for the same reason he’s been reaching out to Joe Biden’s donors and seeking their backing — not because he needs it (certainly he doesn’t need donations) but because he’s looking to deprive the rest of the field of it. From Bloomberg’s perspective, if Yang’s eventually going to endorse, better that he endorse Mike than anyone else.
If there’s anything more to it than that, I suspect he’s eager to have surrogates on the trail for him now that the race is opening up into multistate election days. Every other serious candidate who’s running has friends and endorsers whom they can dispatch to rally voters in states where they can’t be: Bernie has AOC, Warren has Julian Castro, and so on. Bloomberg has no one like that. Yang is also an old pro at barnstorming by now, having just wrapped a national campaign of his own, so he wouldn’t miss a beat getting back on the trail for Mike. He’s a reasonably good fit for Bloomberg’s “brand” too, a guy who made his bones outside politics and who ran more as a problem-solver than an ideologue.
But VP? C’mon.
One thing about this idea does intrigue me, though. After Yang flamed out of the race, rumors started circulating that there’s another job he might have his eye on. One which Mike Bloomberg would know something about.
Shortly after Yang dropped his long-shot presidential bid, Democratic consultants and other operatives throughout the Big Apple were buzzing about him potentially running for New York City mayor in 2021. “@AndrewYang would make a very interesting candidate for NYC Mayor in 21,” tweeted Howard Wolfson, a top adviser to presidential candidate and former Mayor Michael Bloomberg. “It’s a natural next step,” a city-based Democratic consultant told The Post when asked about a potential Yang mayoral candidacy. “With the notoriety and following he’s gathered, he has to be taken seriously.”
Apart from pure name recognition, I’m not sure why a guy whose One Big Idea is UBI is an intriguing candidate for mayor of New York, but lord knows he can only be an improvement over the tool who has the job now. I think that’s what’s really in it for Yang if he decides to back Bloomberg — not the VP slot but lots of goodwill from a thrice-elected mayor of NYC and his gigantic network of friends and advisors, all of whom would be helpful in building a mayoral campaign next year. If Bloomy was headed up in the polls instead of down, it might even make sense for Yang to hop aboard at this point: Even if the mayoral idea doesn’t pan out, he’d be in line for some sort of federal government position if Bloomberg won. As it is, it’s an open question at the moment how much longer Bloomberg will be in the race if he disappoints next Tuesday and continues to slide in polling afterward. Yang may want to hold back, see how the vote goes next week, and then see if it’s worth endorsing.


hotair--2020-02-27--Whistleblower: HHS workers interacted with coronavirus evacuees without safety training, protective

Whistleblower: HHS workers interacted with coronavirus evacuees without safety training, protective gear

This is at least the third major error by HHS in the past few weeks that ’ s inadvertently increased the risk that the disease will spread inside the U.S. One was the flaw in the original coronavirus test kit that was sent by the CDC to local labs that produced inconclusive results , slowing down the speed at which patients could be accurately tested .
The second was the CDC following guidelines for at-risk patients that were too narrow given the threat of community spread here in the U.S. , leading to the situation last week in California in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disease went days without being tested .
Now here ’ s a whistleblower claiming that employees from HHS ’ s Administration for Children and Families were sent to U.S. air bases to help process evacuees from China .
The problem is that they ’ re not trained to do that .
ACF deals with “ supporting people recovering from natural disasters , such as floods and fires , and helping victims apply for temporary assistance , ” per WaPo .
Evidently they were repurposed for this task in the belief that coronavirus was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it certainly is .
But sending in employees without safety training — and without safety gear — and without thoroughly screening them afterwards for exposure to the virus before sending them on their merry way across the country obviously risks making the problem much , much worse .
The senior HHS employee claiming all of this says she was reassigned recently in an obvious act of retaliation for sounding alarms about it .
Either she ’ s lying now to prevent that reassignment and this is the most cynical false report of official @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s telling the truth and HHS is trying to suppress information that its own negligence may have contributed to community spread of coronavirus inside the United States .
That ’ s not a pure hypothetical either : Right now the CDC is trying to figure out how a woman in Solano County , California , contracted COVID-19 despite not traveling to China or knowingly coming into contact with anyone who was sick .
But one of the air bases where ACF was sent , Travis AFB , is located in Solano County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that an ACF employee contracted the disease during their ill-prepared encounter with the evacuees , remained asymptomatic , then went out into the local community and unwittingly spread it .
The staff members were sent to Travis Air Force Base and March Air Reserve Base and were ordered to enter quarantined areas , including a hangar where coronavirus evacuees were being received .
They were not provided training in safety protocols until five days later , the person said .
Without proper training or equipment , some of the exposed staff members moved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with at least one person staying in a nearby hotel and leaving California on a commercial flight .
Many were unaware of the need to test their temperature three times a day… The whistle-blower said they complained to Charles Keckler , an associate deputy secretary at Health and Human Services , in an email on Feb. 10 .
After the email , the complaint said , top officials , including Lynn Johnson , the assistant secretary for the Administration for Children and Families , “ admitted that they did not understand their mission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broke protocols ” because of the “ unprecedented crisis ” and an “ ‘ all hands on deck ’ call to action ” by Dr. Robert Kadlec , the top official for public health emergencies and disasters .
Supposedly when staffers complained to higher-ups about health concerns , they had their “ mental health and emotional stability questioned ” and were accused of not being team players who were bad for morale .
Alex Azar , the head of HHS , was grilled about this by a Democrat yesterday and said he wasn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quarantine or isolation protocols , but according to the Times there isn ’ t even a uniform set of protocols within HHS .
The CDC follows one set of guidelines , other parts of HHS follow another .
WaPo has more details from the whistleblower complaint : The workers were in contact with passengers in an airplane hangar where evacuees were received and on two other occasions : when they helped distribute keys for room assignments and hand out colored ribbons for identification purposes… After their deployments , the workers returned to their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flights to return to their offices around the country , the lawyers said… Some workers expressed concern about the lack of protective gear to the ACF team leader on the ground .
That person joined ACF in September and had “ no training or experience in any federal emergency management , public health emergency response , or safety or operational protocols to run the mission , ” the complaint states .
The whistleblower ’ s lawyers claim she received two HHS awards last year from Azar and has the highest performance evaluations .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ mind , the CDC didn ’ t even want some of these evacuees back in the United States .
After 14 of the passengers from the Diamond Princess cruise tested positive for coronavirus shortly before they were due to fly home , the State Department decided to let them board and segregated them from passengers who weren ’ t sick via some sort of plastic enclosure .
The CDC objected so vehemently that they insisted the agency not be included on the press release afterward explaining the decision to let the infected patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the first place ?
Are we so unprepared even when the number of infected Americans is in the dozens that we can ’ t mount a professional containment response ?
Maybe not : A top official in the State Department ’ s medical services bureau told a House committee today that he was personally part of various coronavirus evacuation missions and never once saw someone operating with less than adequate protective equipment .
It ’ s worth noting , though , that WaPo has a source separate from the whistleblower who claims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sending the ACF people to handle evacuees .
And a second source admits that they weren ’ t tested for COVID-19 afterward , as the protocol at the time was to test only if they showed symptoms .
This won ’ t be the last damaging leak related to coronavirus .
The Times reported earlier today that government scientists and health officials are now being told to route all public messaging through Mike Pence ’ s office .
That ’ s supposed to ensure that everyone ’ s on the same page and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But thus far it ’ s Trump and cronies like Larry Kudlow who are contradicting the doctors with happy talk more so than the doctors are contradicting each other , for the obvious reason that the president has developed a complex about the day-to-day fate of the stock market .
He ’ s spent the last few years insisting that we owe our record-breaking Dow to him ; if the Dow tanks , as it ’ s been doing all week due to pandemic fears , that idea of an invincible bull market @ @ @ @ @ @ @ away .
Which makes me think the gag order being imposed on scientists isn ’ t to guarantee message coordination so much as it ’ s to guarantee that no one says anything truthful but alarming that sends the Dow down further and gives Trump another election-related panic attack in the process .
There ’ ll be more leaks to the media if bad news that the public needs to know is being bottled up for electoral reasons .
Exit quotation : “ Dr .
Anthony S. Fauci , one of the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , told associates that the White House had instructed him not to say anything else without clearance .
”

This is at least the third major error by HHS in the past few weeks that’s inadvertently increased the risk that the disease will spread inside the U.S. One was the flaw in the original coronavirus test kit that was sent by the CDC to local labs that produced inconclusive results, slowing down the speed at which patients could be accurately tested. The second was the CDC following guidelines for at-risk patients that were too narrow given the threat of community spread here in the U.S., leading to the situation last week in California in which a patient suspected of having the disease went days without being tested.
Now here’s a whistleblower claiming that employees from HHS’s Administration for Children and Families were sent to U.S. air bases to help process evacuees from China. The problem is that they’re not trained to do that. ACF deals with “supporting people recovering from natural disasters, such as floods and fires, and helping victims apply for temporary assistance,” per WaPo. Evidently they were repurposed for this task in the belief that coronavirus was an all-hands-on-deck situation for HHS, which it certainly is. But sending in employees without safety training — and without safety gear — and without thoroughly screening them afterwards for exposure to the virus before sending them on their merry way across the country obviously risks making the problem much, much worse.
The senior HHS employee claiming all of this says she was reassigned recently in an obvious act of retaliation for sounding alarms about it. Either she’s lying now to prevent that reassignment and this is the most cynical false report of official wrongdoing in modern American history or she’s telling the truth and HHS is trying to suppress information that its own negligence may have contributed to community spread of coronavirus inside the United States. That’s not a pure hypothetical either: Right now the CDC is trying to figure out how a woman in Solano County, California, contracted COVID-19 despite not traveling to China or knowingly coming into contact with anyone who was sick. But one of the air bases where ACF was sent, Travis AFB, is located in Solano County. There’s now a possibility that an ACF employee contracted the disease during their ill-prepared encounter with the evacuees, remained asymptomatic, then went out into the local community and unwittingly spread it.
The Times reports:
The staff members were sent to Travis Air Force Base and March Air Reserve Base and were ordered to enter quarantined areas, including a hangar where coronavirus evacuees were being received. They were not provided training in safety protocols until five days later, the person said. Without proper training or equipment, some of the exposed staff members moved freely around and off the bases, with at least one person staying in a nearby hotel and leaving California on a commercial flight. Many were unaware of the need to test their temperature three times a day… The whistle-blower said they complained to Charles Keckler, an associate deputy secretary at Health and Human Services, in an email on Feb. 10. After the email, the complaint said, top officials, including Lynn Johnson, the assistant secretary for the Administration for Children and Families, “admitted that they did not understand their mission,” and that her agency “broke protocols” because of the “unprecedented crisis” and an “‘all hands on deck’ call to action” by Dr. Robert Kadlec, the top official for public health emergencies and disasters.
Supposedly when staffers complained to higher-ups about health concerns, they had their “mental health and emotional stability questioned” and were accused of not being team players who were bad for morale. Alex Azar, the head of HHS, was grilled about this by a Democrat yesterday and said he wasn’t aware of any violation of quarantine or isolation protocols, but according to the Times there isn’t even a uniform set of protocols within HHS. The CDC follows one set of guidelines, other parts of HHS follow another.
WaPo has more details from the whistleblower complaint:
The workers were in contact with passengers in an airplane hangar where evacuees were received and on two other occasions: when they helped distribute keys for room assignments and hand out colored ribbons for identification purposes… After their deployments, the workers returned to their normal duties, some taking commercial airline flights to return to their offices around the country, the lawyers said… Some workers expressed concern about the lack of protective gear to the ACF team leader on the ground. That person joined ACF in September and had “no training or experience in any federal emergency management, public health emergency response, or safety or operational protocols to run the mission,” the complaint states.
The whistleblower’s lawyers claim she received two HHS awards last year from Azar and has the highest performance evaluations. We’ll see. Bear in mind, the CDC didn’t even want some of these evacuees back in the United States. After 14 of the passengers from the Diamond Princess cruise tested positive for coronavirus shortly before they were due to fly home, the State Department decided to let them board and segregated them from passengers who weren’t sick via some sort of plastic enclosure. The CDC objected so vehemently that they insisted the agency not be included on the press release afterward explaining the decision to let the infected patients board.
Why were ACF employees involved in the first place? Are we so unprepared even when the number of infected Americans is in the dozens that we can’t mount a professional containment response? Maybe not: A top official in the State Department’s medical services bureau told a House committee today that he was personally part of various coronavirus evacuation missions and never once saw someone operating with less than adequate protective equipment. It’s worth noting, though, that WaPo has a source separate from the whistleblower who claims objections were raised within HHS itself to sending the ACF people to handle evacuees. And a second source admits that they weren’t tested for COVID-19 afterward, as the protocol at the time was to test only if they showed symptoms.
This won’t be the last damaging leak related to coronavirus. The Times reported earlier today that government scientists and health officials are now being told to route all public messaging through Mike Pence’s office. That’s supposed to ensure that everyone’s on the same page and not contradicting each other in public. But thus far it’s Trump and cronies like Larry Kudlow who are contradicting the doctors with happy talk more so than the doctors are contradicting each other, for the obvious reason that the president has developed a complex about the day-to-day fate of the stock market. He’s spent the last few years insisting that we owe our record-breaking Dow to him; if the Dow tanks, as it’s been doing all week due to pandemic fears, that idea of an invincible bull market sustained by Trump’s leadership melts away. Which makes me think the gag order being imposed on scientists isn’t to guarantee message coordination so much as it’s to guarantee that no one says anything truthful but alarming that sends the Dow down further and gives Trump another election-related panic attack in the process. There’ll be more leaks to the media if bad news that the public needs to know is being bottled up for electoral reasons. Exit quotation: “Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, one of the country’s leading experts on viruses and the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told associates that the White House had instructed him not to say anything else without clearance.”