hotair--2020-05-12--Kevin James' short film mocks coronavirus minders

Actor Kevin James has released a short film mocking some of the extremes of the lock down lifestyle .
The official title is “ Out of Touch ” and the subheading on YouTube reads , “ Run for your life.
” Here ’ s the short , which is about 2 minutes long : It seems like it was intended as a response to the “ Karen ” phenomenon that is being mocked online , i.e .
the petty tyrants who seem to get a real kick out of demanding everyone else follow the new rules ( or else ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for comedy : I was contacted by a friend yesterday who pointed out that what we ’ re seeing with the “ Karen ” phenomenon is something I ’ ve written about before : Altruistic punishment .
The idea , very simply , is that we ’ re all wired to take some pleasure from punishing people who are free-riders .
This is something the probably evolved as part of out social make-up to prevent a few people from dragging down an entire community by doing nothing .
And you can see how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ small group of hunter-gatherers where everyone needed to work to help the group survive .
The modern day version of altruistic punishment happens on Twitter and other social media sites .
It ’ s best exemplified by the mobs of social justice warriors you see ganging up to cancel someone for a bad joke or a statement that ’ s not sufficiently woke .
The secret of altruistic punishment is that there ’ s a small psychic reward for the people who engage in it .
It feels good , which is how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What the coronavirus has done is , over a very brief period of time , create a bunch of new rules with life or death consequences .
That has brought out the Karen in many people .
In fact it ’ s not just happening online now , it ’ s happening in the real world .
People are getting into shouting matches over other people refusing to wear masks .
You ’ ve probably seen some of the clips .
To be clear , there are real consequences to this and I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I wear a mask when I go out .
But the Karen phenomenon , shaming strangers online or in real life , goes beyond discussions of what we should do to taking pleasure in calling out those who aren ’ t meeting our expectations .
It ’ s really a distinct thing and not a good one .
The film above is one of several shorts that have starred Kevin James recently , many of which were created and filmed by a group called the Kinnane Brothers , an independent film company founded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group of brothers .
James actually has a new film which was just released today , also produced by the Kinnane Brothers , called “ I miss baseball.
” This one is also mock-serious at the beginning but I think it ’ s funnier .

Actor Kevin James has released a short film mocking some of the extremes of the lock down lifestyle. The official title is “Out of Touch” and the subheading on YouTube reads, “Run for your life.” Here’s the short, which is about 2 minutes long:
It seems like it was intended as a response to the “Karen” phenomenon that is being mocked online, i.e. the petty tyrants who seem to get a real kick out of demanding everyone else follow the new rules (or else). Others are mining this same territory for comedy:
Facebook Introduces Karen Reaction Button pic.twitter.com/5Hk59QkfLx — The Babylon Bee (@TheBabylonBee) May 12, 2020
I was contacted by a friend yesterday who pointed out that what we’re seeing with the “Karen” phenomenon is something I’ve written about before: Altruistic punishment. The idea, very simply, is that we’re all wired to take some pleasure from punishing people who are free-riders. This is something the probably evolved as part of out social make-up to prevent a few people from dragging down an entire community by doing nothing. And you can see how that would have made sense in a small group of hunter-gatherers where everyone needed to work to help the group survive.
The modern day version of altruistic punishment happens on Twitter and other social media sites. It’s best exemplified by the mobs of social justice warriors you see ganging up to cancel someone for a bad joke or a statement that’s not sufficiently woke. The secret of altruistic punishment is that there’s a small psychic reward for the people who engage in it. It feels good, which is how these outrage mobs form so easily.
What the coronavirus has done is, over a very brief period of time, create a bunch of new rules with life or death consequences. That has brought out the Karen in many people. In fact it’s not just happening online now, it’s happening in the real world. People are getting into shouting matches over other people refusing to wear masks. You’ve probably seen some of the clips.
To be clear, there are real consequences to this and I think everyone should wear a mask. I wear a mask when I go out. But the Karen phenomenon, shaming strangers online or in real life, goes beyond discussions of what we should do to taking pleasure in calling out those who aren’t meeting our expectations. It’s really a distinct thing and not a good one.
The film above is one of several shorts that have starred Kevin James recently, many of which were created and filmed by a group called the Kinnane Brothers, an independent film company founded by, you guessed it, a group of brothers. James actually has a new film which was just released today, also produced by the Kinnane Brothers, called “I miss baseball.” This one is also mock-serious at the beginning but I think it’s funnier.


hotair--2020-05-12--Carlson to Gowdy: Why didn't you Republicans put a stop to "the FBI's Russia hoax"?

Fair question ?
Trey Gowdy objects to it , but only in part , defending Devin Nunes while more self-effacingly admitting to initially considering FBI statements too credible .
Tucker Carlson wants to know why Republicans in control of both the House and Senate didn ’ t expose what Carlson calls the “ Russia hoax ” when it first launched .
Just to make sure no one missed Carlson ’ s point , Fox put a chyron up while Gowdy spoke that read , “ Republican lawmakers like Graham and Burr failed to do proper oversight of the FBI ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everything related to Russia in the 2016 election was a hoax , but he does offer a limited mea culpa for having misunderstood the situation at first .
“ I made a lot of mistakes in life , ” Gowdy half-jokes , and trusting the FBI was one of them : GOWDY : I made a lot of mistakes in life .
Relying on briefings and not insisting on the documents.It took me about three weeks .
I went to the Department of Justice .
I sat there for four hours .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually initiated and approved Crossfire Hurricane .
That is when I saw the exculpatory information on George Papadopoulos .
That is when I saw for the very first time that it was the Trump campaign mentioned in that predicate document .
They had been telling us all along Trump ’ s not the target , the campaign ’ s not the target .
So yes , my mistake was relying on the word of the FBI and the DoJ and not insisting on the documents .
Luckily it took me three weeks to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continues , don ’ t confuse the FBI ’ s political hit job as some sort of exoneration of Russia .
Their operations to interfere in the election were real , even if they weren ’ t exactly spectacular .
“ I am convinced Russia tried to interfere with the fundamentals of our democracy , ” Gowdy tells Carlson .
That is separate from the hack of the DNC server and John Podesta ’ s e-mails , which Gowdy describes as “ two separate inquiries , ” but the point is that Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I don ’ t think they impacted the results of the election at all , ” Gowdy says .
“ Donald Trump won fair and square.
” Furthermore , Gowdy says , it ’ s not as if Republicans didn ’ t do anything in response to this .
Nunes tried to blow the whistle on it , but faced a firestorm whenever he pointed out what has now been established about Crossfire Hurricane .
“ Am I defensive of Devin ?
I am , ” Gowdy says , “ because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He wrapped up his investigation a lot quicker than Bob Mueller did , and with a lot less help from the witnesses.
” The problem was that few were listening and those who did accused Nunes of lying for Trump .
He ’ s being vindicated now , but it ’ s not as though Nunes wasn ’ t trying to put an end to the matter when he ran the House Intelligence Committee , Gowdy argues .
Carlson agrees , but later in the segment we see the chyron declare , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Russia probe hoax.
” Let ’ s just say that there is a great deal of skepticism that Gowdy and others will be facing as these transcripts and other documents get declassified and released .
Maybe when it comes to the FBI , the only legit answer is the Flounder Defense ( NSFW ) :

Fair question? Trey Gowdy objects to it, but only in part, defending Devin Nunes while more self-effacingly admitting to initially considering FBI statements too credible. Tucker Carlson wants to know why Republicans in control of both the House and Senate didn’t expose what Carlson calls the “Russia hoax” when it first launched. Just to make sure no one missed Carlson’s point, Fox put a chyron up while Gowdy spoke that read, “Republican lawmakers like Graham and Burr failed to do proper oversight of the FBI’s Russia hoax.”
Gowdy disputes that everything related to Russia in the 2016 election was a hoax, but he does offer a limited mea culpa for having misunderstood the situation at first. “I made a lot of mistakes in life,” Gowdy half-jokes, and trusting the FBI was one of them:
GOWDY: I made a lot of mistakes in life. Relying on briefings and not insisting on the documents.It took me about three weeks. I went to the Department of Justice. I sat there for four hours. That is when I saw that Peter Strzok actually initiated and approved Crossfire Hurricane. That is when I saw the exculpatory information on George Papadopoulos. That is when I saw for the very first time that it was the Trump campaign mentioned in that predicate document. They had been telling us all along Trump’s not the target, the campaign’s not the target. So yes, my mistake was relying on the word of the FBI and the DoJ and not insisting on the documents. Luckily it took me three weeks to correct that mistake.
However, Gowdy continues, don’t confuse the FBI’s political hit job as some sort of exoneration of Russia. Their operations to interfere in the election were real, even if they weren’t exactly spectacular. “I am convinced Russia tried to interfere with the fundamentals of our democracy,” Gowdy tells Carlson. That is separate from the hack of the DNC server and John Podesta’s e-mails, which Gowdy describes as “two separate inquiries,” but the point is that Russia didn’t succeed in its project. “I don’t think they impacted the results of the election at all,” Gowdy says. “Donald Trump won fair and square.”
Furthermore, Gowdy says, it’s not as if Republicans didn’t do anything in response to this. Nunes tried to blow the whistle on it, but faced a firestorm whenever he pointed out what has now been established about Crossfire Hurricane. “Am I defensive of Devin? I am,” Gowdy says, “because he had an incredibly difficult 2017. He wrapped up his investigation a lot quicker than Bob Mueller did, and with a lot less help from the witnesses.” The problem was that few were listening and those who did accused Nunes of lying for Trump. He’s being vindicated now, but it’s not as though Nunes wasn’t trying to put an end to the matter when he ran the House Intelligence Committee, Gowdy argues.
Carlson agrees, but later in the segment we see the chyron declare, “Dithering GOP allowed Dems to wreak havoc with Russia probe hoax.” Let’s just say that there is a great deal of skepticism that Gowdy and others will be facing as these transcripts and other documents get declassified and released.
Maybe when it comes to the FBI, the only legit answer is the Flounder Defense (NSFW):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOXtWxhlsUg


hotair--2020-05-12--Wuhan to test all 11 million residents after six new coronavirus cases are identified

There were reports yesterday that a cluster of six new cases had been identified in Wuhan .
Unlike previous new cases in the area , the people identified this week were not foreigners who had imported the virus from somewhere else , they were a group of Chinese people living in the same Wuhan apartment building : “ An 89-year-old Wuhan man tested positive for COVID-19 this week , ” NPR ’ s Emily Feng reports from Beijing , adding that the man ’ s wife and several other people who lived in the same residential community also tested positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ symptoms of the disease .
“ The rise of such hard-to-detect asymptomatic cases has alarmed public health authorities in China , who have ramped up contact tracing and testing efforts , ” Feng says .
A local Communist Party official was swiftly fired over the new cases in Wuhan , with officials accusing Zhang Yuxin of “ poor management over the closing-off and control of the Sanmin residential community , ” according to the state-run People ’ s Daily .
The immediate response of the Chinese government , after firing the local guy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to test all 11 million residents of the city in 10 days .
In fact , they are calling this a “ 10 days of mass battle ” to test the entire city .
Yahoo News reports that several million of them have already been tested which leaves about 6-7 million more to go .
What ’ s most interesting about this is that the doctors Yahoo News spoke with don ’ t seem to think this is necessary or helpful [ emphasis added ] : Peng Zhiyong , director of the intensive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wuhan University , told the state-run Global Times that he has not received the details of the testing plan… Yang Zhanqiu , deputy director of the pathogen biology department at the Wuhan University , expanded the scale of its testing in April and tested targeted groups of people .
‘ About three to five million residents have been tested and proved healthy , and thus Wuhan is capable to test the remaining 6 to 8 million in 10 days.
’ Yang believes the city-wide test may be unnecessary as ‘ you ’ ll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing negative.
’ So ‘ It ’ s essentially an epidemiological investigation to determine the current situation.
’ Wu Zunyou , an epidemiologist from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention , said that large-scale screening and testing is unnecessary .
Wu told state television CCTV that he believes the main battlefields are in key communities and certain groups of people .
But the Communist Party person in charge of Wuhan , who is not a doctor , things it ’ s very necessary : Testing 7 million people because of 6 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like overkill .
So why is China going all in on an expensive plan like this now ?
I ’ m going to speculate so take this with a big grain of salt .
Yesterday , President Trump was asked about why he often frames testing as a competition among nations .
He responded by saying the reporter should “ ask China ” that question .
The reporter in question , who was born in China but grew up in the U.S. , made a point of suggesting his response was racist , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and many others were quick to amplify .
This was everywhere on Twitter yesterday afternoon .
Trump had set up a kind of competition between our testing and testing everywhere else , especially in China .
And today , China announced “ 10 days of mass battle ” to test every resident in a city of 11 million people in 10 days .
Remember the hospital they built in 10 days ?
That was an early PR coup for the government .
Now there is a new 10 day mission to demonstrate China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ glance it seems odd that the doctors in Wuhan don ’ t know what the testing plan is yet and seem to think this is unnecessary even after it was announced .
But this isn ’ t primarily about public health , it ’ s about PR .
This is coming down from above .
The doctors will soon be told to fall in line or else .
If you ’ ve ever seen those displays of thousands of tightly-choreographed dancers in North Korea who are dancing for the glory of the regime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with health professionals .
This is China showing off and making the case that they are the world ’ s leader on coronavirus testing .
And when it ’ s done they ’ ll release a video with swelling music…

There were reports yesterday that a cluster of six new cases had been identified in Wuhan. Unlike previous new cases in the area, the people identified this week were not foreigners who had imported the virus from somewhere else, they were a group of Chinese people living in the same Wuhan apartment building:
“An 89-year-old Wuhan man tested positive for COVID-19 this week,” NPR’s Emily Feng reports from Beijing, adding that the man’s wife and several other people who lived in the same residential community also tested positive — although they had displayed no clinical symptoms of the disease. “The rise of such hard-to-detect asymptomatic cases has alarmed public health authorities in China, who have ramped up contact tracing and testing efforts,” Feng says. A local Communist Party official was swiftly fired over the new cases in Wuhan, with officials accusing Zhang Yuxin of “poor management over the closing-off and control of the Sanmin residential community,” according to the state-run People’s Daily.
The immediate response of the Chinese government, after firing the local guy in charge, was to announce plans to test all 11 million residents of the city in 10 days. In fact, they are calling this a “10 days of mass battle” to test the entire city. Yahoo News reports that several million of them have already been tested which leaves about 6-7 million more to go. What’s most interesting about this is that the doctors Yahoo News spoke with don’t seem to think this is necessary or helpful [emphasis added]:
Peng Zhiyong, director of the intensive care unit of the Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, told the state-run Global Times that he has not received the details of the testing plan… Yang Zhanqiu, deputy director of the pathogen biology department at the Wuhan University, expanded the scale of its testing in April and tested targeted groups of people. ‘About three to five million residents have been tested and proved healthy, and thus Wuhan is capable to test the remaining 6 to 8 million in 10 days.’ Yang believes the city-wide test may be unnecessary as ‘you’ll never know if people were infected after testing negative.’ So ‘It’s essentially an epidemiological investigation to determine the current situation.’ Wu Zunyou, an epidemiologist from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said that large-scale screening and testing is unnecessary. Wu told state television CCTV that he believes the main battlefields are in key communities and certain groups of people.
But the Communist Party person in charge of Wuhan, who is not a doctor, things it’s very necessary:
Wang Zhonglin, the head of the ruling Communist Party unit in Wuhan, said learning from recent new cases will prevent a rebound and is the best way to ensure people’s health and safety.
Testing 7 million people because of 6 new cases in one apartment building seems like overkill. So why is China going all in on an expensive plan like this now? I’m going to speculate so take this with a big grain of salt.
Yesterday, President Trump was asked about why he often frames testing as a competition among nations. He responded by saying the reporter should “ask China” that question. The reporter in question, who was born in China but grew up in the U.S., made a point of suggesting his response was racist, something which CNN’s Brian Stelter and many others were quick to amplify. This was everywhere on Twitter yesterday afternoon. Trump had set up a kind of competition between our testing and testing everywhere else, especially in China.
And today, China announced “10 days of mass battle” to test every resident in a city of 11 million people in 10 days. Remember the hospital they built in 10 days? That was an early PR coup for the government. Now there is a new 10 day mission to demonstrate China’s testing superiority.
At first glance it seems odd that the doctors in Wuhan don’t know what the testing plan is yet and seem to think this is unnecessary even after it was announced. But this isn’t primarily about public health, it’s about PR. This is coming down from above. The doctors will soon be told to fall in line or else.
If you’ve ever seen those displays of thousands of tightly-choreographed dancers in North Korea who are dancing for the glory of the regime, well…this is the same thing but with health professionals. This is China showing off and making the case that they are the world’s leader on coronavirus testing. And when it’s done they’ll release a video with swelling music…


hotair--2020-05-12--Strip club owner sues NY Governor over shutdown

Lots of businesses have been hit hard by executive shutdown orders and that ’ s particularly true of those that don ’ t qualify for federal relief grants or loans .
Falling into that category are strip clubs and other “ sex work ” business operations .
The owner of one such “ gentleman ’ s club ” on Long Island has reached the end of his ropes ( or poles , as the case may be ) and is taking Governor Andrew Cuomo to court for causing him “ immediate and irreparable harm and actual and undue hardship.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some compassionate relief so that the scantily clad workers there can go back to dancing for dollars ?
I ’ m going to go out on a limb here and say it ’ s unlikely .
( NY Post ) The owner of a Long Island jiggle joint was stripped of his constitutional right to put skin on display thanks to Gov .
Andrew Cuomo ’ s coronavirus shutdown , a new lawsuit claims .
Sean McCarthy , who ’ s run the Blush Gentleman ’ s Club in Commack since 1997 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ orders shuttering non-essential businesses amid the pandemic .
“ Governor Cuomo is engaged in a huge overstep of executive power , ” said Joe Murray , an attorney for McCarthy .
“ He is infringing on people ’ s fundamental civil rights far beyond the least restrictive means allowable under the constitution .
“ Someone should remind him he is the governor and not the king.
” Thus far the Governor ’ s office hasn ’ t returned any requests for comment on the lawsuit .
As you ’ ve probably gathered by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of business owners who are bristling at the authoritarian nature of many of these executive orders , particularly when they don ’ t seem to be applied evenly across the board .
But when it comes to strip clubs , even I am left with more than a few questions .
One of the primary requirements for businesses wishing to open back up is that the employers ensure that new social distancing and sanitation protocols are put into place .
For his part , Sean McCarthy is saying that his business “ can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hygiene by staff.
” Really ?
Look , I ’ m no expert on the comings and goings at strip clubs ( *cough* ) but it ’ s rather hard to imagine what that experience would be like .
I suppose you could force all of the customers gathered around the edge of the stage to wear masks , though I ’ d imagine that would be kind of weird .
And the bartenders and bouncers could probably wear masks as well .
But what about the dancers ?
How effective is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( or nearly so ) in terms of the rest of your body ?
And even if you ’ re wiping down the poles between every performance , you ’ re asking that bottle of sanitizer to do an awful lot of heavy lifting .
And then there are the normal interactions between the patrons and the performers that allow the women to earn their living .
Sticking cash into the dancer ’ s garter or wherever else she might want it ?
Forget it .
That ’ s totally breaking the six-foot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the stage for her to pick up is risky because money is notoriously filthy at the best of times and the virus can live for days on porous surfaces like a five-dollar bill .
And then there are the special rooms where the dancers offer “ private dances ” for big spenders .
That ’ s where many of them make their best income ( or… so I ’ m told ) .
There ’ s nothing going on in those rooms that ’ s going to be in compliance with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is , if you ’ re going to operate a strip joint where physical contact is verboten and even the exchange of cash is considered off-limits , who is going to show up to watch the dancers ?
More to the point , why would the women show up for work if their ability to earn a decent amount of money is being effectively eliminated ?
It just doesn ’ t make any sense .
And if you ’ re not going to enforce rules like the ones I just described , then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will likely be subject to being shut down again anyway .
While it pains me to say it , the governors may have made the right call on this subject .
I ’ m sure some of you think that these sorts of clubs are “ essential businesses ” every bit as much as liquor stores .
( And liquor stores definitely are . )
But we may be getting ready to chalk this up as yet another way that the novel coronavirus is changing American society .
Strip clubs may be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Lots of businesses have been hit hard by executive shutdown orders and that’s particularly true of those that don’t qualify for federal relief grants or loans. Falling into that category are strip clubs and other “sex work” business operations. The owner of one such “gentleman’s club” on Long Island has reached the end of his ropes (or poles, as the case may be) and is taking Governor Andrew Cuomo to court for causing him “immediate and irreparable harm and actual and undue hardship.” Will the Governor be moved to offer some compassionate relief so that the scantily clad workers there can go back to dancing for dollars? I’m going to go out on a limb here and say it’s unlikely. (NY Post)
The owner of a Long Island jiggle joint was stripped of his constitutional right to put skin on display thanks to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s coronavirus shutdown, a new lawsuit claims. Sean McCarthy, who’s run the Blush Gentleman’s Club in Commack since 1997, filed suit against Cuomo over his executive orders shuttering non-essential businesses amid the pandemic. “Governor Cuomo is engaged in a huge overstep of executive power,” said Joe Murray, an attorney for McCarthy. “He is infringing on people’s fundamental civil rights far beyond the least restrictive means allowable under the constitution. “Someone should remind him he is the governor and not the king.”
Thus far the Governor’s office hasn’t returned any requests for comment on the lawsuit.
As you’ve probably gathered by now, I’m generally supportive of business owners who are bristling at the authoritarian nature of many of these executive orders, particularly when they don’t seem to be applied evenly across the board. But when it comes to strip clubs, even I am left with more than a few questions.
One of the primary requirements for businesses wishing to open back up is that the employers ensure that new social distancing and sanitation protocols are put into place. For his part, Sean McCarthy is saying that his business “can run safely through social distancing and strict hygiene by staff.” Really?
Look, I’m no expert on the comings and goings at strip clubs (*cough*) but it’s rather hard to imagine what that experience would be like. I suppose you could force all of the customers gathered around the edge of the stage to wear masks, though I’d imagine that would be kind of weird. And the bartenders and bouncers could probably wear masks as well. But what about the dancers? How effective is a mask if you’re basically naked (or nearly so) in terms of the rest of your body? And even if you’re wiping down the poles between every performance, you’re asking that bottle of sanitizer to do an awful lot of heavy lifting.
And then there are the normal interactions between the patrons and the performers that allow the women to earn their living. Sticking cash into the dancer’s garter or wherever else she might want it? Forget it. That’s totally breaking the six-foot rule. Even tossing the money up on the stage for her to pick up is risky because money is notoriously filthy at the best of times and the virus can live for days on porous surfaces like a five-dollar bill.
And then there are the special rooms where the dancers offer “private dances” for big spenders. That’s where many of them make their best income (or… so I’m told). There’s nothing going on in those rooms that’s going to be in compliance with the new social distancing rules.
The point is, if you’re going to operate a strip joint where physical contact is verboten and even the exchange of cash is considered off-limits, who is going to show up to watch the dancers? More to the point, why would the women show up for work if their ability to earn a decent amount of money is being effectively eliminated? It just doesn’t make any sense. And if you’re not going to enforce rules like the ones I just described, then you’re not in compliance and will likely be subject to being shut down again anyway.
While it pains me to say it, the governors may have made the right call on this subject. I’m sure some of you think that these sorts of clubs are “essential businesses” every bit as much as liquor stores. (And liquor stores definitely are.) But we may be getting ready to chalk this up as yet another way that the novel coronavirus is changing American society. Strip clubs may be a thing of the past… possibly permanently.


hotair--2020-05-12--Fauci: School in the fall? Not so fast ...

The good news thus far from Dr. Anthony Fauci ’ s testimony in a virtual Senate hearing today ?
The head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease sees the possibility of multiple human clinical trials of potential vaccines concluding as soon as “ late fall , early winter.
” The bad news ?
That means people shouldn ’ t necessary assume the schools will reopen in September , Fauci testified .
At the very least , there won ’ t be a vaccine to deal with the disease at that point , which means that reopening might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That doesn ’ t mean schools won ’ t reopen in the fall , but they had better prepare for what that will entail .
Don ’ t expect a return to business as usual , Fauci warns , and the risks are very significant still : He said that schools and businesses hoping to open their doors any time soon should not count on therapeutics or vaccines , saying that public safety hinges on the nation ’ s ability to regularly test Americans .
“ The idea of having treatments available or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students into the fall term would be something that would be a bit of a bridge too far , ” he said .
Rather than focus on vaccines or “ cures ” for those choices , though , Fauci says that the path for reopening has to be increased testing to spot outbreaks and halt the spread of disease when they occur : Dr. Anthony Fauci , the U.S. government ’ s leading infectious diseases doctor , warned that the country faces “ needless suffering and death ” if the nation reopens too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ top health officials emphasized in Senate testimony on Tuesday the need to move with caution and expand testing .
Dr. Fauci ’ s stark comments , made ahead of Tuesday ’ s hearing , and the comments from other health officials in the Trump administration in prepared Senate testimony , come as most states begin tentatively reopening after weeks of being shut down amid the pandemic .
More than 1.3 million cases have arisen since the first person was diagnosed about 100 days ago .
Fauci told the New York Times separately that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the metrics of the plan developed by the Trump administration .
That means lots of tests and a clear downward curve in diagnosed cases , along with contact tracing .
Until then , widespread reopening could generate a deadly second wave and create an even bigger economic catastrophe : Fauci , in a statement to The New York Times , warned that officials should adhere to federal guidelines for a phased reopening , including a “ downward trajectory ” of positive tests or documented cases of coronavirus over two weeks , robust @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing of asymptomatic people in vulnerable populations , such as nursing homes .
“ If we skip over the checkpoints in the guidelines … then we risk the danger of multiple outbreaks throughout the country , ” Fauci wrote .
“ This will not only result in needless suffering and death , but would actually set us back on our quest to return to normal.
” The problem for the White House is that schools have to open in order for the economy to fully re-engage .
Parents with children whose schools are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ return to work , and the normal backstops — grandparents or other older family members — might be more at risk from close and constant contact with school-age kids .
That is one reason why politicians are pressing for some form of school reopening , and soon .
Fauci ’ s hearing is continuing now , so expect more news later in the day .
Here ’ s one last piece of bad news , if expected : Fauci warned Congress that the death toll of 80,000 so far from COVID-19 is almost @ @ @ @

The good news thus far from Dr. Anthony Fauci’s testimony in a virtual Senate hearing today? The head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease sees the possibility of multiple human clinical trials of potential vaccines concluding as soon as “late fall, early winter.” The bad news? That means people shouldn’t necessary assume the schools will reopen in September, Fauci testified. At the very least, there won’t be a vaccine to deal with the disease at that point, which means that reopening might bring “needless suffering and death.”
That doesn’t mean schools won’t reopen in the fall, but they had better prepare for what that will entail. Don’t expect a return to business as usual, Fauci warns, and the risks are very significant still:
NEW: Dr. Fauci on the prospect of students returning to school this fall: “The idea of having treatments available or a vaccine to facilitate the re-entry of students into the fall term would be something that would be a bit of a bridge too far.” pic.twitter.com/wGpDI1X78P — NBC News (@NBCNews) May 12, 2020
He said that schools and businesses hoping to open their doors any time soon should not count on therapeutics or vaccines, saying that public safety hinges on the nation’s ability to regularly test Americans. “The idea of having treatments available or a vaccine to facilitate the reentry of students into the fall term would be something that would be a bit of a bridge too far,” he said.
Rather than focus on vaccines or “cures” for those choices, though, Fauci says that the path for reopening has to be increased testing to spot outbreaks and halt the spread of disease when they occur:
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. government’s leading infectious diseases doctor, warned that the country faces “needless suffering and death” if the nation reopens too early during the coronavirus pandemic, as top health officials emphasized in Senate testimony on Tuesday the need to move with caution and expand testing. Dr. Fauci’s stark comments, made ahead of Tuesday’s hearing, and the comments from other health officials in the Trump administration in prepared Senate testimony, come as most states begin tentatively reopening after weeks of being shut down amid the pandemic. More than 1.3 million cases have arisen since the first person was diagnosed about 100 days ago.
Fauci told the New York Times separately that these kinds of questions should be governed by the metrics of the plan developed by the Trump administration. That means lots of tests and a clear downward curve in diagnosed cases, along with contact tracing. Until then, widespread reopening could generate a deadly second wave and create an even bigger economic catastrophe:
Fauci, in a statement to The New York Times, warned that officials should adhere to federal guidelines for a phased reopening, including a “downward trajectory” of positive tests or documented cases of coronavirus over two weeks, robust contact tracing and “sentinel surveillance” testing of asymptomatic people in vulnerable populations, such as nursing homes. “If we skip over the checkpoints in the guidelines … then we risk the danger of multiple outbreaks throughout the country,” Fauci wrote. “This will not only result in needless suffering and death, but would actually set us back on our quest to return to normal.”
The problem for the White House is that schools have to open in order for the economy to fully re-engage. Parents with children whose schools are closed won’t be able to return to work, and the normal backstops — grandparents or other older family members — might be more at risk from close and constant contact with school-age kids. That is one reason why politicians are pressing for some form of school reopening, and soon.
Fauci’s hearing is continuing now, so expect more news later in the day. Here’s one last piece of bad news, if expected: Fauci warned Congress that the death toll of 80,000 so far from COVID-19 is almost certainly an underestimate.


hotair--2020-05-12--Poll: Biden's favorability drops amid Tara Reade coverage

I mean , there ’ s a reason the media doesn ’ t want to cover the story .
And it ain ’ t just the awkward implicit comparison between the strength of Reade ’ s case and Christine Blasey Ford ’ s .
It figures that after I flagged data last night showing how remarkably stable the polling gap is between Trump and Biden that new data would emerge suggesting the gap might not be so stable now .
Reade probably won ’ t cost Biden the popular vote , but could she cost him the electoral college ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ true : Men are more sour on Biden lately amid the Reade coverage than women are .
Although maybe that ’ s not so weird when you remember that women skew Democratic and men skew Republican .
For some voters , including right-wing men and Biden-skeptic Berniebros , the Reade matter may be less about believing Biden ’ s guilty of sexual assault than discovering a new reason to reinforce one ’ s preexisting dislike of him .
Also , the graph shows that Biden ’ s lost more support with women lately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) than he has with men ( down four points ) , which is a big deal .
Morning Consult notes that women age 30-65 were the key bloc in Democrats ’ midterm takeover of the House .
If they fade on Joe , Dem hopes of total control of government next year will likely fade with them .
Biden ’ s ( presumably ) Reade-related slide is also showing up in the head-to-head polling with Trump .
RCP : His lead over Trump has been in the six-point range since the start @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exception in late February after he ’ d lost the primaries Iowa , New Hampshire , and Nevada .
But lately that ’ s changed .
Around two weeks ago , when the Reade story finally broke through , he slipped a point .
Then , after holding a lead in the five-point range , he slipped another .
His lead today is 4.4 points , the lowest since February 26 .
One wonders what the race would look like if Trump had gotten the same robust bounce that many other world leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ handling of the coronavirus crisis .
The president ’ s rating on that may be the only thing propping up Biden ’ s lead right now .
Biden still has two aces up his sleeve .
I wrote about one of them , the shift among senior citizens from red in 2016 to blue this year , last night .
The other is the shift among what Joshua Green calls “ double haters , ” the voters who dislike both candidates but in the end opt for one over the other .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago , winning it by 17 points , which may have been decisive on Election Day .
“ Double haters ” accounted for nearly 20 percent ( ! )
of the electorate that year .
Four years later , that same group — including a mix of Bernie Sanders supporters , other Democrats , disaffected Republicans and independents — strongly prefers Biden , the polling shows .
The former vice president leads Trump by more than 40 percentage points among that group , which accounts for nearly a quarter of registered voters , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week .
“ It ’ s a huge difference , ” said Patrick Murray , who oversees the Monmouth poll .
“ That ’ s a group that if you don ’ t like either one of them , you will vote against the status quo .
And in the 2016 election , Hillary Clinton represented more of the status quo than Trump did .
In this current election , the status quo is Donald Trump.
” … “ People like that choose the devil they don ’ t know , ” [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rejecting Clinton as a de facto incumbent and instead taking their chances with Trump .
Morning Consult polled the “ double haters ” in their survey today as well .
Biden leads them 46/14 , a huge advantage relative to the narrow three-point lead he currently enjoys over Trump across the whole electorate .
Considering how this voting bloc could tilt the election , Team Trump should do everything they can to hype the Reade allegations notwithstanding how it might renew the focus on Trump ’ s own accusers .
The campaign will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to like him now , but if they can sour some of the “ double haters ” on Biden they might convince more of those people to stay home or to opt for Trump as the lesser of two evils , a tactic that won him the presidency in 2016 .
The question is whether that group is truly susceptible to persuasion at all .
Are they carefully considering which candidate they dislike least or are the people quoted in the excerpt correct that “ double haters ” are mainly just voting against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there ’ s not much Trump can do to win them back ?
If so then Biden ’ s “ strategy ” of hiding out in his basement makes good sense .
The more the election is a referendum on Trump rather than a choice between Trump and Biden , the more the “ double haters ” might express their dislike for the president by pulling the lever for his opponent .
Exit quotation from Biden himself in his interview with GMA this morning : “ Everybody says , you know , ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I tell you something , we ’ re doing very well… We ’ re winning , if you look at all the polling data .
I ’ m not saying that ’ s going to last until November , I don ’ t know , but right now the idea that somehow we are being hurt by my keeping to the rules and following the instructions that are put forward by the docs is absolutely bizarre .
”

I mean, there’s a reason the media doesn’t want to cover the story. And it ain’t just the awkward implicit comparison between the strength of Reade’s case and Christine Blasey Ford’s.
It figures that after I flagged data last night showing how remarkably stable the polling gap is between Trump and Biden that new data would emerge suggesting the gap might not be so stable now.
Reade probably won’t cost Biden the popular vote, but could she cost him the electoral college? New from Morning Consult:
Weird but true: Men are more sour on Biden lately amid the Reade coverage than women are. Although maybe that’s not so weird when you remember that women skew Democratic and men skew Republican. For some voters, including right-wing men and Biden-skeptic Berniebros, the Reade matter may be less about believing Biden’s guilty of sexual assault than discovering a new reason to reinforce one’s preexisting dislike of him. Also, the graph shows that Biden’s lost more support with women lately (down six points since late April) than he has with men (down four points), which is a big deal. Morning Consult notes that women age 30-65 were the key bloc in Democrats’ midterm takeover of the House. If they fade on Joe, Dem hopes of total control of government next year will likely fade with them.
Biden’s (presumably) Reade-related slide is also showing up in the head-to-head polling with Trump. RCP:
His lead over Trump has been in the six-point range since the start of this year, with a brief exception in late February after he’d lost the primaries Iowa, New Hampshire, and Nevada. But lately that’s changed. Around two weeks ago, when the Reade story finally broke through, he slipped a point. Then, after holding a lead in the five-point range, he slipped another. His lead today is 4.4 points, the lowest since February 26. One wonders what the race would look like if Trump had gotten the same robust bounce that many other world leaders and U.S. governors have received from their handling of the coronavirus crisis. The president’s rating on that may be the only thing propping up Biden’s lead right now.
Biden still has two aces up his sleeve. I wrote about one of them, the shift among senior citizens from red in 2016 to blue this year, last night. The other is the shift among what Joshua Green calls “double haters,” the voters who dislike both candidates but in the end opt for one over the other. Trump cleaned up with that group four years ago, winning it by 17 points, which may have been decisive on Election Day. “Double haters” accounted for nearly 20 percent(!) of the electorate that year.
This year? Advantage: Biden.
Four years later, that same group — including a mix of Bernie Sanders supporters, other Democrats, disaffected Republicans and independents — strongly prefers Biden, the polling shows. The former vice president leads Trump by more than 40 percentage points among that group, which accounts for nearly a quarter of registered voters, according to a Monmouth University poll last week. “It’s a huge difference,” said Patrick Murray, who oversees the Monmouth poll. “That’s a group that if you don’t like either one of them, you will vote against the status quo. And in the 2016 election, Hillary Clinton represented more of the status quo than Trump did. In this current election, the status quo is Donald Trump.”… “People like that choose the devil they don’t know,” [Republican consultant Christopher] Nicholas said, rejecting Clinton as a de facto incumbent and instead taking their chances with Trump.
Morning Consult polled the “double haters” in their survey today as well. Biden leads them 46/14, a huge advantage relative to the narrow three-point lead he currently enjoys over Trump across the whole electorate. Considering how this voting bloc could tilt the election, Team Trump should do everything they can to hype the Reade allegations notwithstanding how it might renew the focus on Trump’s own accusers. The campaign will never convince voters who dislike the president to like him now, but if they can sour some of the “double haters” on Biden they might convince more of those people to stay home or to opt for Trump as the lesser of two evils, a tactic that won him the presidency in 2016.
The question is whether that group is truly susceptible to persuasion at all. Are they carefully considering which candidate they dislike least or are the people quoted in the excerpt correct that “double haters” are mainly just voting against the status quo, in which case there’s not much Trump can do to win them back? If so then Biden’s “strategy” of hiding out in his basement makes good sense. The more the election is a referendum on Trump rather than a choice between Trump and Biden, the more the “double haters” might express their dislike for the president by pulling the lever for his opponent.
If you believe in making the race a referendum on the incumbent — as most strategists do — you can’t do much better than the president holding daily pressers while his challenger hides out in a basement. https://t.co/90fXrfdu0l — Tim Alberta (@TimAlberta) May 12, 2020
Exit quotation from Biden himself in his interview with GMA this morning: “Everybody says, you know, ‘Biden’s hiding,’ but I tell you something, we’re doing very well… We’re winning, if you look at all the polling data. I’m not saying that’s going to last until November, I don’t know, but right now the idea that somehow we are being hurt by my keeping to the rules and following the instructions that are put forward by the docs is absolutely bizarre.”


hotair--2020-05-12--Reporter starts fight with Trump, he finishes it

President Trump held a press briefing at the White House Monday to deliver an update on the administration ’ s efforts in the battle against the coronavirus pandemic .
It was all pretty basic back-and-forth between Trump and the White House correspondents present , until toward the end .
As happens , one reporter tried to make an answer from Trump into a personal affront against her specifically because of her ethnicity .
It didn ’ t end well .
CBS News White House correspondent Weijia Jiang tried to pick a fight with the president after he responded to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time to put him on the spot with a pointed , personal question .
Addressing his way of speaking when he updates the press on efforts being made by the White House coronavirus task force , she wanted to know why he used language that sounds competitive against other countries .
He often says the United States is doing more testing than any other country , for example .
She pressed the issue and asked , “ Why does that matter ?
Why is this a global competition to you if every day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Trump turned the question back on her and suggested she ask China about results .
Jiang is an Asian American , born in China and raised in West Virginia .
She was two years old when her family immigrated to the United States .
She didn ’ t like that answer and took it personally .
She was determined to turn his answer into a racist comment .
She lowered her face mask so that her face was exposed and shot back , “ Sir , why are you saying that to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ask China ?
” Trump responded by saying , “ I ’ m not saying it specifically to anybody.
” I ’ m saying it to anybody that would ask a nasty question like that.
” Jiang argued that is was not a “ nasty question ” and again asked why it matters .
Bored with the exchange by then , Trump called on CNN ’ s Kaitlan Collins who was sitting near Jiang .
Collins did what is now something the agitators in the White House press corps do – she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to continue the line of questioning .
So , since she wasn ’ t doing her job , Trump started to skip her and move on to yet another reporter but Collins pushed back , saying it was her turn .
There was a little pushback from Trump as he said she missed her turn .
Then , he ’ d finally had enough and ended the press briefing and left the podium .
Keep in mind that Trump was literally standing by a large sign that read “ AMERICA LEADS THE WORLD @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was the focus of the press briefing .
Trump made a point of telling reporters that anyone who wants a test can get a test .
The line of questioning by Jiang appeared to be much like her usual questioning of Trump .
She has a chip on her shoulder that is frequently on display – at least when the cameras are rolling .
She is , frankly , often quite rude when she addresses the president .
She jabs her finger in his direction when she escalates her tone and often refers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Trump .
While Jiang took a cheap shot and tried to make it a racial thing against Trump , as his opposition is fond of doing , Trump also referenced China with a dismissive answer to a reporter before Jiang had her turn .
Chinese hackers may be targeting technology related to vaccine research , Trump was told by another reporter earlier in the press briefing .
Trump responded with , “ What else is new ?
” And , when asked if he was interested in sitting down with Chinese officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China is now reported to be pushing for , by yet another reporter , Trump made it clear he is not .
There was no question during Monday ’ s press briefing – Trump is not happy with China .
Trump ’ s opponents in the media and in the Washington swamp were quick to jump on him for his tiff with Jiang .
Instead of being pleased that Trump is holding China accountable for the lack of transparency and lies spread about the coronavirus pandemic which originated in that country , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This isn ’ t the first time that Jiang has taken the spotlight .
Much like CNN reporters Jim Acosta and Kaitlan Collins , she plays the part of an agitator , not a reporter .
She and Trump have a history .
Back in 2018 , you may remember that he told Jiang to “ sit down ” during a Sept. 26 press conference that year .
She was refusing to relinquish the microphone and continued talking when Trump tried to move on .
So , on September 30 , 2018 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took a shot at Trump .
That ’ s right – she politicized her pregnancy announcement on social media .
Jiang is the reporter who asked about the label of “ Kung Fu Flu ” that she claimed was going around the White House .
Why just paint Trump as a racist if you can paint everyone in the White House with the same broad brush ?
In April of this year , she asked Trump about his criticism of China ’ s response to the coronavirus .
It ended with him instructing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” as she raised her voice to him .
Weijia Jiang is going the route of Jim Acosta – trying to make a name for herself not by showing professionalism as a White House reporter but as an agitator .
She shows little respect for the office of the presidency because of the occupant .
She isn ’ t interested in gathering information , she is more interested in publicly fighting with the most powerful man on earth .
President Trump speaks in competitive terms because he is a businessman , not a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for him , he did it long before the coronavirus pandemic became news .
He prefers to tout the United States in the best light , as opposed to the press ( and anti-Trumpers in Washington ) who are happy to spread Chinese propaganda if it shows the Trump administration in a bad light .
It doesn ’ t matter if the reporter is white , Asian American , male , or female .

President Trump held a press briefing at the White House Monday to deliver an update on the administration’s efforts in the battle against the coronavirus pandemic. It was all pretty basic back-and-forth between Trump and the White House correspondents present, until toward the end. As happens, one reporter tried to make an answer from Trump into a personal affront against her specifically because of her ethnicity. It didn’t end well.
CBS News White House correspondent Weijia Jiang tried to pick a fight with the president after he responded to a question she asked. She used her time to put him on the spot with a pointed, personal question. Addressing his way of speaking when he updates the press on efforts being made by the White House coronavirus task force, she wanted to know why he used language that sounds competitive against other countries. He often says the United States is doing more testing than any other country, for example. She pressed the issue and asked, “Why does that matter? Why is this a global competition to you if every day Americans are still losing their lives?”
Trump turned the question back on her and suggested she ask China about results. Jiang is an Asian American, born in China and raised in West Virginia. She was two years old when her family immigrated to the United States.
“Well, they’re losing their lives everywhere in the world. And maybe that’s a question you should ask China,” Trump said. “Don’t ask me. Ask China that question. OK? When you ask them that question, you may get a very unusual answer.”
She didn’t like that answer and took it personally. She was determined to turn his answer into a racist comment. She lowered her face mask so that her face was exposed and shot back, “Sir, why are you saying that to me, specifically — that I should ask China?” Trump responded by saying, “I’m not saying it specifically to anybody.” I’m saying it to anybody that would ask a nasty question like that.” Jiang argued that is was not a “nasty question” and again asked why it matters. Bored with the exchange by then, Trump called on CNN’s Kaitlan Collins who was sitting near Jiang. Collins did what is now something the agitators in the White House press corps do – she said she’d give time to Jiang to continue the line of questioning. So, since she wasn’t doing her job, Trump started to skip her and move on to yet another reporter but Collins pushed back, saying it was her turn. There was a little pushback from Trump as he said she missed her turn. Then, he’d finally had enough and ended the press briefing and left the podium.
Keep in mind that Trump was literally standing by a large sign that read “AMERICA LEADS THE WORLD IN TESTING”. Clearly, this was the focus of the press briefing. Trump made a point of telling reporters that anyone who wants a test can get a test.
The line of questioning by Jiang appeared to be much like her usual questioning of Trump. She has a chip on her shoulder that is frequently on display – at least when the cameras are rolling. She is, frankly, often quite rude when she addresses the president. She jabs her finger in his direction when she escalates her tone and often refers to him as Mr. Trump, not President Trump.
While Jiang took a cheap shot and tried to make it a racial thing against Trump, as his opposition is fond of doing, Trump also referenced China with a dismissive answer to a reporter before Jiang had her turn. Chinese hackers may be targeting technology related to vaccine research, Trump was told by another reporter earlier in the press briefing. Trump responded with, “What else is new?” And, when asked if he was interested in sitting down with Chinese officials and renegotiating a trade deal, as China is now reported to be pushing for, by yet another reporter, Trump made it clear he is not. There was no question during Monday’s press briefing – Trump is not happy with China.
Trump’s opponents in the media and in the Washington swamp were quick to jump on him for his tiff with Jiang. Instead of being pleased that Trump is holding China accountable for the lack of transparency and lies spread about the coronavirus pandemic which originated in that country, the anti-Trump forces prefer to stoke distractions.
This isn’t the first time that Jiang has taken the spotlight. Much like CNN reporters Jim Acosta and Kaitlan Collins, she plays the part of an agitator, not a reporter. She and Trump have a history. Back in 2018, you may remember that he told Jiang to “sit down” during a Sept. 26 press conference that year. She was refusing to relinquish the microphone and continued talking when Trump tried to move on. So, on September 30, 2018, when she announced her pregnancy, she took a shot at Trump. That’s right – she politicized her pregnancy announcement on social media.
Personal news: She made a very public debut during this presser, so it’s a good time to share my husband and I are thrilled to meet our baby girl in January! Can’t wait to teach her when a man orders you to “sit down” because he doesn’t like what you’re saying, do anything but 🙂 pic.twitter.com/dZ7QiUYhlt — Weijia Jiang (@weijia) October 1, 2018
Jiang is the reporter who asked about the label of “Kung Fu Flu” that she claimed was going around the White House. Why just paint Trump as a racist if you can paint everyone in the White House with the same broad brush? In April of this year, she asked Trump about his criticism of China’s response to the coronavirus. It ended with him instructing her, “voice down, please” as she raised her voice to him.
Trump previously berated Jiang and her network during a separate press conference in April. During the exchange, Trump expressed frustration at China’s coronavirus response and said: “It should have been told to us early.” Jiang focused in on the administration’s response to the pandemic, adding that when Trump issued travel restrictions, “the virus was already here” in the US. “How many cases were in the United States when I did my ban?” Trump asked. As Jiang attempted to respond, Trump told her to keep her “voice down, please.”
Weijia Jiang is going the route of Jim Acosta – trying to make a name for herself not by showing professionalism as a White House reporter but as an agitator. She shows little respect for the office of the presidency because of the occupant. She isn’t interested in gathering information, she is more interested in publicly fighting with the most powerful man on earth.
President Trump speaks in competitive terms because he is a businessman, not a politician. It’s nothing new for him, he did it long before the coronavirus pandemic became news. He prefers to tout the United States in the best light, as opposed to the press (and anti-Trumpers in Washington) who are happy to spread Chinese propaganda if it shows the Trump administration in a bad light. It doesn’t matter if the reporter is white, Asian American, male, or female.


hotair--2020-05-12--PA Gov: Stay shut down or no federal funding for you

Don ’ t make Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf angry .
You won ’ t like him when he ’ s angry .
But that ’ s precisely what some counties around the Keystone State are preparing to do if they decide to reopen nonessential businesses ahead of the state ’ s planned schedule .
And some of them , particularly in the rural areas with few cases of COVID-19 are considering doing so .
That ’ s not going to sit well with the Governor and he took to Twitter to let them know that there would be “ consequences @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
( The Hill ) Pennsylvania Gov .
Tom Wolf ( D ) warned Monday that counties that disobey state directives and allow businesses to reopen would face consequences .
In a series of tweets , the governor said county officials who nonessential businesses to reopen would lose access to federal stimulus funding , while individual businesses that disobeyed the state orders risked citations .
“ I won ’ t sit back and watch residents who live in counties under Stay at Home orders get sick because local leaders can not see the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reopen prematurely , ” he tweeted .
“ Today I am announcing consequences for counties that do not abide by the law to remain closed.
” “ Counties that do not abide by the law ?
” First of all , we should point out that these aren ’ t exactly “ laws ” we ’ re talking about here .
They ’ re executive orders put in place by one person with no official input from the legislature .
But be that as it may , what are the “ consequences ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would make noncompliant counties ineligible for federal stimulus discretionary funds .
On top of that , any dine-in restaurants that opened before receiving the state ’ s blessings would be hit with citations , leading to not only fines but the possible loss of their liquor licenses .
Ouch .
But wait a minute .
I thought threatening to withhold federal funding for failure to follow orders was a bad thing .
It ’ s even “ racist ” to do so , as I recall .
I ’ m sure I heard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comes to federal grants for sanctuary cities .
Oh , that ’ s right .
I heard it from Tom Wolf .
This is far from the first case we ’ ve seen where executives are using a heavy hand to swat down local officials who consider charting their own course .
And the threat to use the power of the state to end someone ’ s livelihood by taking away a state-mandated license isn ’ t new either .
New York and Rhode Island have issued similar threats in recent weeks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an interesting political angle to this as well .
As I mentioned above , many of the counties that are looking at opening earlier are the ones that never developed a serious outbreak of novel coronavirus cases .
They feel they have the situation under control and are ready to carefully begin opening back up while keeping social distancing and sterilization protocols in place .
They also happen to largely be the more rural , conservative counties that generally didn ’ t vote for the Democratic governor .
( His support largely comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Pittsburgh . )
Funny how that works out , huh ?
This spat highlights once again the problems we ’ re seeing with these one-size-fits-all approaches to dealing with the pandemic .
Pennsylvania ’ s cities have taken the brunt of the damage from the virus and they will obviously need to be more cautious about restarting business in those densely populated locations .
But why not just let the rural counties decide for themselves ?
The county executives have a better handle on the specific conditions where they live than the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our way out of this mess , much of the history of this pandemic won ’ t be written about the virus itself and all of the sickness and death that swept the land .
It will be about the aggressive , authoritarian moves being taken by elected executive branch officials .
And not all of these actors will be painted in a good light .

Don’t make Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf angry. You won’t like him when he’s angry.
But that’s precisely what some counties around the Keystone State are preparing to do if they decide to reopen nonessential businesses ahead of the state’s planned schedule. And some of them, particularly in the rural areas with few cases of COVID-19 are considering doing so. That’s not going to sit well with the Governor and he took to Twitter to let them know that there would be “consequences” for their actions if they do. (The Hill)
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D) warned Monday that counties that disobey state directives and allow businesses to reopen would face consequences. In a series of tweets, the governor said county officials who nonessential businesses to reopen would lose access to federal stimulus funding, while individual businesses that disobeyed the state orders risked citations. “I won’t sit back and watch residents who live in counties under Stay at Home orders get sick because local leaders cannot see the risks of #COVID19 and push to reopen prematurely,” he tweeted. “Today I am announcing consequences for counties that do not abide by the law to remain closed.”
Dine-in restaurants that open in counties that have not been authorized to reopen will risk receiving a citation. These citations can ultimately lead to the loss of a restaurant’s liquor license. — Governor Tom Wolf (@GovernorTomWolf) May 11, 2020
“Counties that do not abide by the law?” First of all, we should point out that these aren’t exactly “laws” we’re talking about here. They’re executive orders put in place by one person with no official input from the legislature. But be that as it may, what are the “consequences” being threatened?
Wolf said that he would make noncompliant counties ineligible for federal stimulus discretionary funds. On top of that, any dine-in restaurants that opened before receiving the state’s blessings would be hit with citations, leading to not only fines but the possible loss of their liquor licenses. Ouch.
But wait a minute. I thought threatening to withhold federal funding for failure to follow orders was a bad thing. It’s even “racist” to do so, as I recall. I’m sure I heard that somewhere before, particularly when it comes to federal grants for sanctuary cities. Oh, that’s right. I heard it from Tom Wolf.
This is far from the first case we’ve seen where executives are using a heavy hand to swat down local officials who consider charting their own course. And the threat to use the power of the state to end someone’s livelihood by taking away a state-mandated license isn’t new either. New York and Rhode Island have issued similar threats in recent weeks, among others.
There’s also an interesting political angle to this as well. As I mentioned above, many of the counties that are looking at opening earlier are the ones that never developed a serious outbreak of novel coronavirus cases. They feel they have the situation under control and are ready to carefully begin opening back up while keeping social distancing and sterilization protocols in place. They also happen to largely be the more rural, conservative counties that generally didn’t vote for the Democratic governor. (His support largely comes from the major urban centers of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.) Funny how that works out, huh?
This spat highlights once again the problems we’re seeing with these one-size-fits-all approaches to dealing with the pandemic. Pennsylvania’s cities have taken the brunt of the damage from the virus and they will obviously need to be more cautious about restarting business in those densely populated locations. But why not just let the rural counties decide for themselves? The county executives have a better handle on the specific conditions where they live than the state government does.
Assuming we make our way out of this mess, much of the history of this pandemic won’t be written about the virus itself and all of the sickness and death that swept the land. It will be about the aggressive, authoritarian moves being taken by elected executive branch officials. And not all of these actors will be painted in a good light.


hotair--2020-05-12--Biden: When I say women should be believed, I mean the media should try them, or something

How does Joe Biden reconcile his previous “ Believe All Women ” standard with his categorical denial of Tara Reade ’ s accusation of sexual assault ?
Biden and his campaign has been trying to square that circle for weeks .
After getting reamed out by Mika Brzezinski eleven days ago over his double standard , Biden has retooled his argument a bit .
Today , Biden tells George Stephanopoulos that women should be believed — but only if vetted by the media .
STEPHANOPOULOS : On these allegations from Tara Reade , I know you deny them , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should be believed .
So what do you say to Americans who believe Tara Reade and won ’ t vote for you because of it ?
BIDEN : Well , that ’ s their right .
Look here , look , I think women should be believed .
They should have an opportunity to have their case and state it just forthrightly , what their case is .
Then it ’ s the responsibility of responsible journalists like you and everyone else to go out and investigate those .
The end of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That ’ s what should prevail .
And the truth is this never happened .
This never happened , I assure you .
That ’ s the truth .
Soooo … “ women ” should be believed , but this particular one ’ s lying ?
A woman should be believed unless the man accused says the magic words , “ I assure you ” ?
Or is it just that Biden ’ s declared standard during the Brett Kavanaugh hearing doesn ’ t apply to those with the magic ( D @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re still left with Brzezinski ’ s damning question — “ Are women to be believed , unless it pertains to you ?
” On top of that , the notion that reporters should dissect their testimony to reach a conclusion about their veracity is completely nuts .
I ’ d expect a due process argument , but due process doesn ’ t include media investigations .
In fact , media investigations tend to interfere with actual due process , which is why actual investigators tend to keep media at arms ’ length @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media as a shield because he thinks — correctly , almost assuredly — that the media won ’ t take these allegations nearly as credulously as those lodged against Republicans .
All we need to do is look at the vast difference in media coverage between Christine Blasey Ford and Reade to grasp why Biden makes this proposal .
( Or for that matter , contrast Reade ’ s coverage with that of Deborah Ramirez or even Julie Swetnick . )
Still , Biden ’ s argument here boils down to this : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the national media trash you for a while .
And then , according to the new Biden standard , be prepared to shut up and be ignored if the man says “ This never happened , I assure you.
” That ’ s a very far cry from “ Believe All Women , ” the standard Biden proclaimed in the middle of the Kavanaugh hearing : “ For a woman to come forward in the glaring lights of focus , nationally , you ’ ve got to start off with the presumption that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s talking about is real , whether or not she forgets facts , whether or not it ’ s been made worse or better over time .
But nobody fails to understand that this is like jumping into a cauldron.
” In other words , kangaroo courts and Salem witch hunts are all fun and games until you ’ re the one in the dock .
That is precisely why American jurisprudence is built around due process and the prosecutorial burden of proof .
If Biden would belatedly defend those principles and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the kangaroo court of the Kavanaugh hearing , at least that would be coherent .
Instead , the only standard Biden offers now is ubi est mea .

How does Joe Biden reconcile his previous “Believe All Women” standard with his categorical denial of Tara Reade’s accusation of sexual assault? Biden and his campaign has been trying to square that circle for weeks. After getting reamed out by Mika Brzezinski eleven days ago over his double standard, Biden has retooled his argument a bit. Today, Biden tells George Stephanopoulos that women should be believed — but only if vetted by the media.
Huh?
.@JoeBiden to @GStephanopoulos on Tara Reade: "I think women should be believed. They should have an opportunity to have their case…then it's the responsibility of responsible journalists like you and everyone else to go out and investigate those." pic.twitter.com/5Go69jQKzj — Good Morning America (@GMA) May 12, 2020
STEPHANOPOULOS: On these allegations from Tara Reade, I know you deny them, but you’ve also said that women should be believed. So what do you say to Americans who believe Tara Reade and won’t vote for you because of it? BIDEN: Well, that’s their right. Look here, look, I think women should be believed. They should have an opportunity to have their case and state it just forthrightly, what their case is. Then it’s the responsibility of responsible journalists like you and everyone else to go out and investigate those. The end of the day, the truth is the truth. That’s what should prevail. And the truth is this never happened. This never happened, I assure you. That’s the truth.
Soooo … “women” should be believed, but this particular one’s lying? A woman should be believed unless the man accused says the magic words, “I assure you”? Or is it just that Biden’s declared standard during the Brett Kavanaugh hearing doesn’t apply to those with the magic (D) after their names? We’re still left with Brzezinski’s damning question — “Are women to be believed, unless it pertains to you?”
On top of that, the notion that reporters should dissect their testimony to reach a conclusion about their veracity is completely nuts. I’d expect a due process argument, but due process doesn’t include media investigations. In fact, media investigations tend to interfere with actual due process, which is why actual investigators tend to keep media at arms’ length during legitimate investigations. Biden wants the media as a shield because he thinks — correctly, almost assuredly — that the media won’t take these allegations nearly as credulously as those lodged against Republicans. All we need to do is look at the vast difference in media coverage between Christine Blasey Ford and Reade to grasp why Biden makes this proposal. (Or for that matter, contrast Reade’s coverage with that of Deborah Ramirez or even Julie Swetnick.)
Still, Biden’s argument here boils down to this: Women, come forward — and let the national media trash you for a while. And then, according to the new Biden standard, be prepared to shut up and be ignored if the man says “This never happened, I assure you.” That’s a very far cry from “Believe All Women,” the standard Biden proclaimed in the middle of the Kavanaugh hearing:
“For a woman to come forward in the glaring lights of focus, nationally, you’ve got to start off with the presumption that at least the essence of what she’s talking about is real, whether or not she forgets facts, whether or not it’s been made worse or better over time. But nobody fails to understand that this is like jumping into a cauldron.”
In other words, kangaroo courts and Salem witch hunts are all fun and games until you’re the one in the dock. That is precisely why American jurisprudence is built around due process and the prosecutorial burden of proof. If Biden would belatedly defend those principles and admit he was wrong earlier to egg on the kangaroo court of the Kavanaugh hearing, at least that would be coherent. Instead, the only standard Biden offers now is ubi est mea.


hotair--2020-05-12--NBC News: Hey, sorry about butchering that Bill Barr video

When Ed wrote about the NBC News non-apology for deceptive editing on Meet the Press this weekend , he covered most of the bases .
But today I wanted to dig a little further into how this failed sleight of media hand trick wound up making it onto the air and blowing up in their faces .
Just to refresh your memory , Chuck Todd was hosting Meet the Press on Sunday when he played a clip from an interview Attorney General William Barr did with CBS News ’ Catherine Herridge a few days earlier .
She had asked him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to drop the Flynn case and gotten what began as a rather tone-deaf response from the AG .
Todd was quick to jump on Barr , describing him as being “ cynical ” and suggesting that he wasn ’ t upholding the rule of law .
But only a small amount of digging revealed that the clip had been very deceptively edited to make Barr look bad .
After this had been pointed out by multiple people , NBC News took the rare step of actually issuing an apology .
( Associated Press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” cutting a portion of an interview with Attorney General William Barr that left a false impression with viewers of “ Meet the Press.
” The apology didn ’ t satisfy President Donald Trump , who tweeted both Sunday and Monday that “ Meet the Press ” moderator Chuck Todd should be fired… “ Earlier today , we inadvertently and inaccurately cut short a video clip of an interview with AG Barr before offering commentary and analysis .
The remaining clip included important remarks from the attorney general that we missed , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mentioned above , Barr did start off his answer in an awkward way at best .
He said , “ history is written by the winner .
So it largely depends on who ’ s writing the history.
” And if that had been his entire answer , you could almost excuse Chuck Todd for saying that Barr had admitted that this was a political decision rather than one based on accepted legal practices .
But as we now know , that was far from all Barr said .
He ’ d gone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say “ I think a fair history would say that it was a good decision because it upheld the rule of law .
It upheld the standards of the Department of Justice , and it undid what was an injustice.
” So this wasn ’ t a case of two people having different interpretations of what a statement meant or even implied .
Keep in mind that Chuck Todd said , “ He didn ’ t make the case that he was upholding the rule of law .
He was almost admitting that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ job.
” But that was exactly what Barr had said during the interview .
So who was at fault here ?
Is it possible that Chuck Todd didn ’ t see the original interview in its entirety and was just handed an abbreviated clip by a producer and commented on it without checking ?
If that ’ s the case , it ’ s still Todd ’ s responsibility as the host to make sure he ’ s presenting accurate information .
If anyone needs to be fired in that scenario it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clip and gave it to him .
They may have thought they were getting in a good dig at a member of the Trump administration , but all they succeeded in doing was hanging their boss out to dry .
The only other possibility here is that Todd selected the clip himself and knew that the longer version would have painted Barr in a much better light .
If that ’ s the case , then he takes the fall by himself .
It ’ s not plausible to expect us to believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years of experience could have accidentally edited down Barr ’ s answer in that fashion without realizing it dramatically altered what the Attorney General had said .
And if he honestly didn ’ t realize it , particularly considering that he based his commentary entirely on the edited version , that would suggest a level of incompetence too great for someone holding one of the network ’ s prime news seats .
It makes you wonder how much of this goes on that we don ’ t manage to catch .
And it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ either .
I ’ m sure many of you remember when Katie Couric ( who also worked in the NBC stable for well over a decade ) deceptively edited part of her “ Under the Gun ” special to make a group of gun rights advocates look stupid .
Couric never offered more than a halfhearted non-apology for that fiasco and she ’ s still working in the industry to this day .
Also worth noting is the fact that this week ’ s apology didn ’ t come from Chuck Todd himself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Press Twitter feed .
At this point , I ’ m assuming that it ’ s all being flushed down the memory hole over at NBC .

When Ed wrote about the NBC News non-apology for deceptive editing on Meet the Press this weekend, he covered most of the bases. But today I wanted to dig a little further into how this failed sleight of media hand trick wound up making it onto the air and blowing up in their faces.
Just to refresh your memory, Chuck Todd was hosting Meet the Press on Sunday when he played a clip from an interview Attorney General William Barr did with CBS News’ Catherine Herridge a few days earlier. She had asked him about the Justice Department’s decision to drop the Flynn case and gotten what began as a rather tone-deaf response from the AG. Todd was quick to jump on Barr, describing him as being “cynical” and suggesting that he wasn’t upholding the rule of law. But only a small amount of digging revealed that the clip had been very deceptively edited to make Barr look bad. After this had been pointed out by multiple people, NBC News took the rare step of actually issuing an apology. (Associated Press)
NBC has apologized for “inaccurately” cutting a portion of an interview with Attorney General William Barr that left a false impression with viewers of “Meet the Press.” The apology didn’t satisfy President Donald Trump, who tweeted both Sunday and Monday that “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd should be fired… “Earlier today, we inadvertently and inaccurately cut short a video clip of an interview with AG Barr before offering commentary and analysis. The remaining clip included important remarks from the attorney general that we missed, and we regret the error.
You’re correct. Earlier today, we inadvertently and inaccurately cut short a video clip of an interview with AG Barr before offering commentary and analysis. The remaining clip included important remarks from the attorney general that we missed, and we regret the error. — Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) May 10, 2020
As I mentioned above, Barr did start off his answer in an awkward way at best. He said, “history is written by the winner. So it largely depends on who’s writing the history.” And if that had been his entire answer, you could almost excuse Chuck Todd for saying that Barr had admitted that this was a political decision rather than one based on accepted legal practices.
But as we now know, that was far from all Barr said. He’d gone on (without a break) to say “I think a fair history would say that it was a good decision because it upheld the rule of law. It upheld the standards of the Department of Justice, and it undid what was an injustice.”
So this wasn’t a case of two people having different interpretations of what a statement meant or even implied. Keep in mind that Chuck Todd said, “He didn’t make the case that he was upholding the rule of law. He was almost admitting that, yeah, this is a political job.” But that was exactly what Barr had said during the interview.
So who was at fault here? Is it possible that Chuck Todd didn’t see the original interview in its entirety and was just handed an abbreviated clip by a producer and commented on it without checking? If that’s the case, it’s still Todd’s responsibility as the host to make sure he’s presenting accurate information. If anyone needs to be fired in that scenario it’s the production person who edited the clip and gave it to him. They may have thought they were getting in a good dig at a member of the Trump administration, but all they succeeded in doing was hanging their boss out to dry.
The only other possibility here is that Todd selected the clip himself and knew that the longer version would have painted Barr in a much better light. If that’s the case, then he takes the fall by himself. It’s not plausible to expect us to believe that a news anchor with that many years of experience could have accidentally edited down Barr’s answer in that fashion without realizing it dramatically altered what the Attorney General had said. And if he honestly didn’t realize it, particularly considering that he based his commentary entirely on the edited version, that would suggest a level of incompetence too great for someone holding one of the network’s prime news seats.
It makes you wonder how much of this goes on that we don’t manage to catch. And it’s not all that infrequent, either. I’m sure many of you remember when Katie Couric (who also worked in the NBC stable for well over a decade) deceptively edited part of her “Under the Gun” special to make a group of gun rights advocates look stupid. Couric never offered more than a halfhearted non-apology for that fiasco and she’s still working in the industry to this day.
Also worth noting is the fact that this week’s apology didn’t come from Chuck Todd himself. It was on the Meet the Press Twitter feed. At this point, I’m assuming that it’s all being flushed down the memory hole over at NBC.


hotair--2020-05-13--VIP Gold Chat live at 5: Kurt Schlichter, Stephen Kruiser, and Ed Morrissey!

Don ’ t miss today ’ s tremendous live , interactive VIP Gold chat with Townhall ’ s Kurt Schlicher , PJ Media ’ s Stephen Kruiser , and HotAir ’ s Ed Morrissey !
It airs at 5 pm ET today , and the trio will take your questions and comments and give an in-depth analysis of the top topics of the day .
If you are not a VIP Gold member , you can join at this link — and use the promo code WUHAN to get 25 % off !
Stephen covers all of the news with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his A-game on liberty issues and makes sure to keep it real along the way .
Ed has kept pace with developments abroad and at home at the local level as well .
We had plenty to discuss today , and lots of time to take your questions .
The hot topics were : • The curtain pulling back on the FBI/DoJ Russiagate scandal With all the fast-moving developments , our VIP Gold members can get the latest as it happens from Kurt , Stephen , and Ed .
The live chat will @ @ @ @ @ @

Did you miss today’s tremendous live, interactive VIP Gold chat with Townhall’s Kurt Schlicher, PJ Media’s Stephen Kruiser, and HotAir’s Ed Morrissey? If so, no worries! A replay event will be available shortly! The trio took your questions and comments and gave an in-depth analysis of the top topics of the day.
If you are not a VIP Gold member, you can join at this link so you can watch what you missed and participate in future chats!
Stephen covers all of the news with his own sharp wit. Kurt brings his A-game on liberty issues and makes sure to keep it real along the way. Ed has kept pace with developments abroad, at home and at the local level as well.
We had plenty to discuss today, and lots of time to take your questions. The hot topics were:
The curtain pulling back on the FBI/DoJ Russiagate scandal
Joe Biden’s continuing Tara Reade scandal
COVID-19 developments, and economic meltdown
The 2020 national election
With all the fast-moving developments, our VIP Gold members can get the latest as it happens from Kurt, Stephen, and Ed. The live chat will be available for replay shortly.