hotair--2020-10-12--Stop the lockdowns, says ... WHO?

Stop the lockdowns, says ... WHO?

Has the World Heath Organization “ changed its mind ” on lockdowns as a strategy against COVID-19 ?
Dr. Andy Nabarro , WHO ’ s special envoy on the pandemic , told The Spectator that lockdowns have created a parallel disaster , especially for the working class and the poor .
Instead , Nabarro says that WHO wants a “ middle way ” on preventing the spread of COVID-19 — a strategy that will sound pretty familiar .
This picks up at the 15-minute mark : The World Health Organisation has backflipped on its original COVID-19 stance after calling for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries and economies .
Dr. David Nabarro from the WHO appealed to world leaders yesterday , telling them to stop “ using lockdowns as your primary control method ” of the coronavirus .
He also claimed that the only thing lockdowns achieved was poverty – with no mention of the potential lives saved .
“ Lockdowns just have one consequence that you must never ever belittle , and that is making poor people an awful lot poorer , ” he said .
The British newspaper Metro calls this a change from the summer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be the only option : Dr. David Nabarro , a Special Envoy of the WHO ’ s director-general on Covid-19 has argued ‘ too many restrictions damage people ’ s livelihoods and provoke resentment.
’ Furthermore , he told The Spectator that ‘ we in the World Health Organisation do not advocate lockdowns as the primary means of control of this virus.
’ Which is a bit of a change in tone from the summer , when Dr. Michael Ryan , executive director of WHO ’ s Health Emergencies Program , said lockdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We all want to avoid whole countries going back into total lockdown , ’ he said during a press conference .
‘ That is not a desire that anybody has .
But there may be situations in which that is the only option.
’ So what is the “ middle path ” ?
Nabarro laid it out at his own site , saying it was a balance against imposing restrictions and just letting the virus run wild .
The middle path requires robust and timely testing , subsidiarity , and a recognition that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s not just going away , either : a ) People are encouraged to adopt all precautions all the time .
As Tedros of WHO says : ‘ Do it All ’ : physical distancing , proper face-masking , hand/cough/surface hygiene , self-isolating when ill and shielding those most at risk .
There should be no exceptions anywhere .
This is best achieved through engaging people and trusting them rather than coercion if at all possible .
b ) Public health services are organized to offer locally-integrated support for interrupting transmission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ services everywhere , with clearly justified performance metrics .
It is important there is enough testing capacity to pick up where the virus is , to detect spikes and manage surges .
From time to time it will be necessary briefly to restrict movement locally to enable suppression of outbreaks .
[ NB Building public health capacity is not the same as implementing lockdowns .
It is about building up the capability of public health services to interrupt transmission in localities .
Experience around the world shows that this capability is key to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ freeze the virus in pace they do not lead to elimination ] .
c ) Messaging is consistent and clear within and between nations .
If leaders are not consistent in their requests and advocacy , their people will be confused , perhaps frustrated .
In that context the virus is unforgiving and may well spread massively .
The reality is that the virus is a common foe : it is here to stay , and we all have roles to play in keeping it at bay .
If this sounds oddly familiar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resembles the proposed plan after the initial lockdowns in the US .
Our testing capacity has still not developed well enough to meet Nabarro ’ s standard , but otherwise , this is exactly how we were planning to deal with the issue in the US — social distancing , hygiene , testing , and curbing outbreaks on the local level .
The CDC made a huge error when they initially denigrated face masks , an idiotic “ noble lie ” for which they have paid ever since .
But otherwise , this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ 15 Days to Slow the Spread , ” and even on its 30-day extension .
Even at that time , voices warned that lockdowns would only extend the transmission cycle and lead to economic devastation that had health impacts all its own .
COVID-19 will do what viruses do — spread , either sooner or later .
The initial lockdowns were intended as a pause allowing us to get resources in place to deal with it , not as a strategy to make it disappear .
As Nabarro says , it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so we have to figure out how to live with it — perhaps until vaccines can truly slow down or even halt the transmission , or at least allow us to develop specific antibodies that will make this an entirely survivable flu-like condition .
Does the WHO actually agree with Nabarro , though ?
He ’ s speaking officially here , but it ’ s curious that Nabarro ’ s “ middle way ” essay isn ’ t hosted on WHO ’ s official website .
That might be a good question for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ d have to cover Nabarro ’ s remarks .
So far , no major US outlet is picking them up .

Has the World Heath Organization “changed its mind” on lockdowns as a strategy against COVID-19? Dr. Andy Nabarro, WHO’s special envoy on the pandemic, told The Spectator that lockdowns have created a parallel disaster, especially for the working class and the poor. Instead, Nabarro says that WHO wants a “middle way” on preventing the spread of COVID-19 — a strategy that will sound pretty familiar.
This picks up at the 15-minute mark:
The World Health Organisation has backflipped on its original COVID-19 stance after calling for world leaders to stop locking down their countries and economies. Dr. David Nabarro from the WHO appealed to world leaders yesterday, telling them to stop “using lockdowns as your primary control method” of the coronavirus. He also claimed that the only thing lockdowns achieved was poverty – with no mention of the potential lives saved. “Lockdowns just have one consequence that you must never ever belittle, and that is making poor people an awful lot poorer,” he said.
The British newspaper Metro calls this a change from the summer, when WHO suggested that lockdowns might be the only option:
Dr. David Nabarro, a Special Envoy of the WHO’s director-general on Covid-19 has argued ‘too many restrictions damage people’s livelihoods and provoke resentment.’ Furthermore, he told The Spectator that ‘we in the World Health Organisation do not advocate lockdowns as the primary means of control of this virus.’ Which is a bit of a change in tone from the summer, when Dr. Michael Ryan, executive director of WHO’s Health Emergencies Program, said lockdown may be the only option. ‘We all want to avoid whole countries going back into total lockdown,’ he said during a press conference. ‘That is not a desire that anybody has. But there may be situations in which that is the only option.’
So what is the “middle path”? Nabarro laid it out at his own site, saying it was a balance against imposing restrictions and just letting the virus run wild. The middle path requires robust and timely testing, subsidiarity, and a recognition that the virus is dangerous — but that it’s not just going away, either:
a) People are encouraged to adopt all precautions all the time. As Tedros of WHO says: ‘Do it All’: physical distancing, proper face-masking, hand/cough/surface hygiene, self-isolating when ill and shielding those most at risk. There should be no exceptions anywhere. This is best achieved through engaging people and trusting them rather than coercion if at all possible. b) Public health services are organized to offer locally-integrated support for interrupting transmission and suppressing clusters. This means test-trace-isolate-protect services everywhere, with clearly justified performance metrics. It is important there is enough testing capacity to pick up where the virus is, to detect spikes and manage surges. From time to time it will be necessary briefly to restrict movement locally to enable suppression of outbreaks. [NB Building public health capacity is not the same as implementing lockdowns. It is about building up the capability of public health services to interrupt transmission in localities. Experience around the world shows that this capability is key to a successful COVID responses. Lockdowns just freeze the virus in pace they do not lead to elimination]. c) Messaging is consistent and clear within and between nations. If leaders are not consistent in their requests and advocacy, their people will be confused, perhaps frustrated. In that context the virus is unforgiving and may well spread massively. The reality is that the virus is a common foe: it is here to stay, and we all have roles to play in keeping it at bay.
If this sounds oddly familiar, it’s because it closely resembles the proposed plan after the initial lockdowns in the US. Our testing capacity has still not developed well enough to meet Nabarro’s standard, but otherwise, this is exactly how we were planning to deal with the issue in the US — social distancing, hygiene, testing, and curbing outbreaks on the local level. The CDC made a huge error when they initially denigrated face masks, an idiotic “noble lie” for which they have paid ever since.
But otherwise, this is the plan that sold Americans on “15 Days to Slow the Spread,” and even on its 30-day extension. Even at that time, voices warned that lockdowns would only extend the transmission cycle and lead to economic devastation that had health impacts all its own. COVID-19 will do what viruses do — spread, either sooner or later. The initial lockdowns were intended as a pause allowing us to get resources in place to deal with it, not as a strategy to make it disappear. As Nabarro says, it’s not going to simply vanish, so we have to figure out how to live with it — perhaps until vaccines can truly slow down or even halt the transmission, or at least allow us to develop specific antibodies that will make this an entirely survivable flu-like condition.
Does the WHO actually agree with Nabarro, though? He’s speaking officially here, but it’s curious that Nabarro’s “middle way” essay isn’t hosted on WHO’s official website. That might be a good question for American media to ask, but first they’d have to cover Nabarro’s remarks. So far, no major US outlet is picking them up.


hotair--2020-10-12--Louisville cops collected "negative information" on Breonna Taylor's boyfriend

To their credit , the Louisville Police Department continues to open the bag and release information to the press regarding the investigation into the shooting death of Breonna Taylor and the findings of the grand jury .
This is largely being done in a likely futile effort to quell the protests and rioting that followed the decision not to charge any of the officers involved in the raid with crimes directly related to her death .
One of the latest details to emerge , however , is being played up in the press in a way that seems destined to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s been revealed that in the weeks following the shooting , the police were looking into the activities of Taylor ’ s boyfriend , Kenneth Walker .
This is being described as a situation where the cops were “ searching for a justification ” for Taylor ’ s shooting .
( NBC News ) Newly released documents from the internal investigation by Louisville , Kentucky , police of the shooting death of Breonna Taylor show that even after protests erupted nationwide and the case had been turned over to a special prosecutor , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information about Taylor ’ s boyfriend .
The Louisville Metro Police Department was pursuing the information about the man , Kenneth Walker , while it was also investigating its own officers for shooting and killing Taylor .
The documents , part of thousands of pages and hundreds of hours of audio and video released to the public Wednesday , also show that an officer involved in the raid continued to search for a justification for it after Taylor ’ s death .
The press appears to be joining in with Walker ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Walker ’ s activities is a “ cover-up ” intended to “ smear ” Walker ’ s name as he proceeds with a civil suit against the city .
But does that really make any sense ?
Despite the tragic and clearly accidental death of Breonna Taylor , this was still an ongoing investigation and Walker had clearly become part of it .
After all , whether it was a misunderstanding or not , Walker did shoot a police officer .
That sort of puts him on the field of play .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigation didn ’ t reveal anything .
Keep in mind that the raids conducted by the police on that night primarily focused on Taylor ’ s former boyfriend , Jamarcus Glover , who was suspected of running a drug-dealing operation .
It was believed that Taylor may have in some way assisted Glover in that endeavor .
And Walker ’ s phone records indicated that he had been involved in the illegal sale of both marijuana and pills .
Was it really such a leap for the police to wonder whether Walker was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
On top of that , pictures on Walker ’ s phone showed him and Taylor holding an AR-15 , raising additional questions .
( Walker later told police that he had legally owned and sold the rifle because he was experiencing financial difficulties . )
Walker also admitted to smoking marijuana , including on the day of the shooting , but had recently kicked the habit because he ’ d applied for a job with the Post Office .
None of that adds up to a serious case against Walker ( aside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trafficking ) , but it certainly looks like enough smoke to justify the police checking into the situation to see if it led to any fire .
But that just seems like part of the normal investigatory process .
The fact that they were checking into his activities wouldn ’ t have made the police shooting any more or less valid given all of the other information that ’ s come to light .
Accusing the cops of trying to use additional information on Walker to “ excuse ” Taylor ’ s shooting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ totally clueless .
And since there apparently aren ’ t going to be any more charges filed against the officers involved in the shooting , these sorts of stories aren ’ t doing anything but further inflaming the already riled up crowds of protesters .

To their credit, the Louisville Police Department continues to open the bag and release information to the press regarding the investigation into the shooting death of Breonna Taylor and the findings of the grand jury. This is largely being done in a likely futile effort to quell the protests and rioting that followed the decision not to charge any of the officers involved in the raid with crimes directly related to her death. One of the latest details to emerge, however, is being played up in the press in a way that seems destined to inflame the situation further. It’s been revealed that in the weeks following the shooting, the police were looking into the activities of Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker. This is being described as a situation where the cops were “searching for a justification” for Taylor’s shooting. (NBC News)
Newly released documents from the internal investigation by Louisville, Kentucky, police of the shooting death of Breonna Taylor show that even after protests erupted nationwide and the case had been turned over to a special prosecutor, the police department was actively gathering negative information about Taylor’s boyfriend. The Louisville Metro Police Department was pursuing the information about the man, Kenneth Walker, while it was also investigating its own officers for shooting and killing Taylor. The documents, part of thousands of pages and hundreds of hours of audio and video released to the public Wednesday, also show that an officer involved in the raid continued to search for a justification for it after Taylor’s death.
The press appears to be joining in with Walker’s attorney, saying that the investigation into Walker’s activities is a “cover-up” intended to “smear” Walker’s name as he proceeds with a civil suit against the city. But does that really make any sense? Despite the tragic and clearly accidental death of Breonna Taylor, this was still an ongoing investigation and Walker had clearly become part of it. After all, whether it was a misunderstanding or not, Walker did shoot a police officer. That sort of puts him on the field of play.
And it’s not as if the investigation didn’t reveal anything. Keep in mind that the raids conducted by the police on that night primarily focused on Taylor’s former boyfriend, Jamarcus Glover, who was suspected of running a drug-dealing operation. It was believed that Taylor may have in some way assisted Glover in that endeavor. And Walker’s phone records indicated that he had been involved in the illegal sale of both marijuana and pills. Was it really such a leap for the police to wonder whether Walker was also involved in Glover’s operation?
On top of that, pictures on Walker’s phone showed him and Taylor holding an AR-15, raising additional questions. (Walker later told police that he had legally owned and sold the rifle because he was experiencing financial difficulties.) Walker also admitted to smoking marijuana, including on the day of the shooting, but had recently kicked the habit because he’d applied for a job with the Post Office.
None of that adds up to a serious case against Walker (aside from the possibility of some low-level drug trafficking), but it certainly looks like enough smoke to justify the police checking into the situation to see if it led to any fire. But that just seems like part of the normal investigatory process. The fact that they were checking into his activities wouldn’t have made the police shooting any more or less valid given all of the other information that’s come to light. Accusing the cops of trying to use additional information on Walker to “excuse” Taylor’s shooting seems nonsensical unless the Louisville Police are totally clueless. And since there apparently aren’t going to be any more charges filed against the officers involved in the shooting, these sorts of stories aren’t doing anything but further inflaming the already riled up crowds of protesters.


hotair--2020-10-13--Denver Patriot Rally shooter pleading self-defense

When we first learned the identities of both the shooter and the victim from the killing at the Patriot Rally in Denver on Saturday , the picture of what really happened remained far from clear .
But as of this morning , a few new details have emerged .
While some witnesses described it as nothing but an ambush or a cold-blooded murder , photos from the event revealed that Lee Keltner had slapped the shooter , Matthew Dolloff , in the face and was deploying a can of mace in his direction when he was shot .
This led @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not be as much of a slam-dunk as one might suspect .
Sure enough , Dolloff now has an attorney and he ’ s indicating that his client is pleading not guilty .
Their claim is that the shooting was a case of self-defense , and as I predicted yesterday , Dolloff will claim that he was in fear for his life .
( Associated Press ) An armed security guard for a television station who is suspected of fatally shooting a man following an altercation after opposing protests was acting in self-defense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ representing his family said Monday .
Matthew Dolloff , 30 , was being held in jail for investigation of first-degree murder following Saturday afternoon ’ s shooting near Civic Center Park as protesters filed out of the park following the demonstrations — a “ Patriot Muster ” and a “ BLM-Antifa Soup Drive ” counterprotest .
Doug Richards , who said he is representing Dolloff ’ s family , said the man who was shot reached into his shirt which made Dolloff fear for his safety , leading him to shoot .
Saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safety ” in a situation like that isn ’ t totally unreasonable .
Keltner had already slapped him in the face and was spraying mace in his direction .
But does that rise to the level of literally fearing that his life was in danger ?
The attorney went on to attempt to bolster Dolloff ’ s claim further by saying that he ’ d seen Keltner “ reach into his shirt.
” That ’ s a curious claim to make because the pictures from the scene of the shooting clearly show that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ How do you “ reach into ” a t-shirt ?
If it was a button-down shirt , I suppose you might conceivably fear that he had a shoulder holster under it , but a t-shirt ?
You ’ re not going to be able to quickly pull anything out by reaching down past your neck .
He might have meant to say reaching “ under ” the shirt , which could imply going for something tucked into his pants .
That possibility could tie into the next new item in the report .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a can of mace and two handguns at the scene .
Does that mean that Keltner actually had a firearm on him and he was in the process of drawing it when Dolloff fired ?
If that ’ s the case , then the defense ’ s case suddenly gets a lot stronger .
Of course , it ’ s not impossible that Dolloff was packing two weapons or someone else at the scene had one and simply ditched it when law enforcement arrived .
The other question hanging over this encounter was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The local television station confirmed that they had hired Dolloff to work security during the event , but there was no indication that he was licensed to work as a security guard .
As it turns out , he wasn ’ t .
CBS Denver reports that Dolloff “ did not have a license to work as a security guard in the city.
” However , Pinkerton confirmed that he had been contracted through their agency , but as a contractor and not an employee of their agency .
Still , it sounds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the blame for not vetting him properly to ensure he had all of the required credentials .
As of this morning , Dolloff is still being held in jail while being investigated for possible first-degree murder charges .
Whether or not those charges are officially made , are lowered to something else or dropped entirely remains to be seen .

When we first learned the identities of both the shooter and the victim from the killing at the Patriot Rally in Denver on Saturday, the picture of what really happened remained far from clear. But as of this morning, a few new details have emerged. While some witnesses described it as nothing but an ambush or a cold-blooded murder, photos from the event revealed that Lee Keltner had slapped the shooter, Matthew Dolloff, in the face and was deploying a can of mace in his direction when he was shot. This led me to wonder if prosecuting Dolloff might not be as much of a slam-dunk as one might suspect.
Sure enough, Dolloff now has an attorney and he’s indicating that his client is pleading not guilty. Their claim is that the shooting was a case of self-defense, and as I predicted yesterday, Dolloff will claim that he was in fear for his life. (Associated Press)
An armed security guard for a television station who is suspected of fatally shooting a man following an altercation after opposing protests was acting in self-defense when he opened fire, a lawyer representing his family said Monday. Matthew Dolloff, 30, was being held in jail for investigation of first-degree murder following Saturday afternoon’s shooting near Civic Center Park as protesters filed out of the park following the demonstrations — a “Patriot Muster” and a “BLM-Antifa Soup Drive” counterprotest. Doug Richards, who said he is representing Dolloff’s family, said the man who was shot reached into his shirt which made Dolloff fear for his safety, leading him to shoot.
Saying that Dolloff felt “fear for his safety” in a situation like that isn’t totally unreasonable. Keltner had already slapped him in the face and was spraying mace in his direction. But does that rise to the level of literally fearing that his life was in danger? The attorney went on to attempt to bolster Dolloff’s claim further by saying that he’d seen Keltner “reach into his shirt.” That’s a curious claim to make because the pictures from the scene of the shooting clearly show that the victim was wearing a t-shirt. How do you “reach into” a t-shirt? If it was a button-down shirt, I suppose you might conceivably fear that he had a shoulder holster under it, but a t-shirt? You’re not going to be able to quickly pull anything out by reaching down past your neck. He might have meant to say reaching “under” the shirt, which could imply going for something tucked into his pants.
That possibility could tie into the next new item in the report. The police are saying that they recovered a can of mace and two handguns at the scene. Does that mean that Keltner actually had a firearm on him and he was in the process of drawing it when Dolloff fired? If that’s the case, then the defense’s case suddenly gets a lot stronger. Of course, it’s not impossible that Dolloff was packing two weapons or someone else at the scene had one and simply ditched it when law enforcement arrived.
The other question hanging over this encounter was one we also touched on yesterday. The local television station confirmed that they had hired Dolloff to work security during the event, but there was no indication that he was licensed to work as a security guard. As it turns out, he wasn’t. CBS Denver reports that Dolloff “did not have a license to work as a security guard in the city.” However, Pinkerton confirmed that he had been contracted through their agency, but as a contractor and not an employee of their agency. Still, it sounds like Pinkerton shares in a part of the blame for not vetting him properly to ensure he had all of the required credentials.
As of this morning, Dolloff is still being held in jail while being investigated for possible first-degree murder charges. Whether or not those charges are officially made, are lowered to something else or dropped entirely remains to be seen.


hotair--2020-10-12--Trump receives fourth nomination for Nobel Peace Prize

Is the fourth time the charm ?
President Trump has received a fourth nomination for a Nobel Peace Prize .
The latest nomination falls into the 2021 award process .
The 2020 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded and though he was nominated three times , it was not presented to President Trump .
The World Food Programme won the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize .
The program received the award for fighting hunger as a “ weapon of war ” .
Also cited was its “ contribution to bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas.
” The Norwegian Nobel Committee , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday , also described the organization as “ a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict.
” In awarding the prize , committee chair Berit Reiss-Andersen noted the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on global food supplies and criticized the politics of populism .
Villagers collect food aid dropped from a World Food Programme plane to a village in Ayod county , South Sudan , in February 2020 .
The WFP , a United Nations entity , was created in 1961 and today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a year .
Executive director David Beasley was so happy , he said he was speechless .
“ It ’ s the first time in my life I ’ ve actually been speechless , I really can ’ t believe it , ” he told CNN ’ s Connect the World from Niger .
A Finnish member of the European Parliament ( MEP ) nominated President Trump for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize .
She specifically cites his aversion to endless wars and the peace agreements negotiated by his administration .
Laura Huhtasaari @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the right-wing Finns Party , wrote to the Nobel Committee to nominate Trump for the 2021 prize “ in recognition of his endeavors to end the era of endless wars , construct peace by encouraging conflicting parties for dialogue and negotiations , as well as underpin internal cohesion and stability of his country.
” Huhtasaari said Trump has nearly completed a presidential term without involving the U.S. in a new foreign conflict , while withdrawing troops from Iraq and Afghanistan .
She also cited the Abraham Accords — peace deals between two Arab @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said Trump has “ maintained national cohesion and secured law and order ” at home .
“ It is hard to imagine a president of the United States from the last decades , or a current head of state , who would deserve more the Committee ’ s recognition in 2021 than President Trump for his efforts to build peace in the world , ” Huhtasaari writes .
The Finnish lawmaker is right – Trump ’ s peace deals deserve to be rewarded .
Imagine how the world would view his administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by a different president , especially someone like Barack Obama who was awarded the prize for simply winning the presidential election .
But , Trump is more populist in his political ideology than anything else and that will not fly with the Nobel Peace Prize committee .
Globalists don ’ t like populism .
All four of Trump ’ s nominations have come from Europeans .
The first was from a Norwegian Parliament member .
That nomination was for the peace deal between Israel and the UAE .
Just days after that nomination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the normalization deal between Serbia and Kosovo .
A member of Finland ’ s Parliament nominated Trump , Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu , and Bahrain ’ s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa for the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of the Israel-Bahrain deal .
And , just last month , three members of the European Parliament submitted a resolution to call on the E.U .
to nominate Trump for the prize .
Funny , Democrats and Never Trumpers keep telling us that the world hates Trump and America ’ s reputation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump was elected as a candidate who promised he would not involve America in foreign wars , using a more isolationist way of governing and bringing troops home .
He has successfully destroyed ISIS .
He made good on his promise to move the American embassy to Jerusalem .
He has had more success in bringing home Americans being held hostage overseas than any president in my lifetime .
He is seeing the success of his administration ’ s work for peaceful alliances in the Middle East come true .
Say what you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , his way is working .
He should be acknowledged for his success .

Is the fourth time the charm? President Trump has received a fourth nomination for a Nobel Peace Prize. The latest nomination falls into the 2021 award process. The 2020 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded and though he was nominated three times, it was not presented to President Trump.
The World Food Programme won the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize. The program received the award for fighting hunger as a “weapon of war”. Also cited was its “contribution to bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas.”
The Norwegian Nobel Committee, which presented the award in Oslo on Friday, also described the organization as “a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict.” In awarding the prize, committee chair Berit Reiss-Andersen noted the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on global food supplies and criticized the politics of populism. Villagers collect food aid dropped from a World Food Programme plane to a village in Ayod county, South Sudan, in February 2020. The WFP, a United Nations entity, was created in 1961 and today provides food to over 100 million people a year.
Executive director David Beasley was so happy, he said he was speechless. “It’s the first time in my life I’ve actually been speechless, I really can’t believe it,” he told CNN’s Connect the World from Niger.
We are deeply humbled to receive the #NobelPeacePrize. This is an incredible recognition of the dedication of the @WFP family, working to end hunger everyday in 80+ countries. Thank you @NobelPrize for this incredible honor! pic.twitter.com/bHcS0usWQa — David Beasley (@WFPChief) October 9, 2020
A Finnish member of the European Parliament (MEP) nominated President Trump for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize. She specifically cites his aversion to endless wars and the peace agreements negotiated by his administration.
Laura Huhtasaari, an MEP and a member of the right-wing Finns Party, wrote to the Nobel Committee to nominate Trump for the 2021 prize “in recognition of his endeavors to end the era of endless wars, construct peace by encouraging conflicting parties for dialogue and negotiations, as well as underpin internal cohesion and stability of his country.” Huhtasaari said Trump has nearly completed a presidential term without involving the U.S. in a new foreign conflict, while withdrawing troops from Iraq and Afghanistan. She also cited the Abraham Accords — peace deals between two Arab Gulf nations and Israel. Additionally, she said Trump has “maintained national cohesion and secured law and order” at home. “It is hard to imagine a president of the United States from the last decades, or a current head of state, who would deserve more the Committee’s recognition in 2021 than President Trump for his efforts to build peace in the world,” Huhtasaari writes.
The Finnish lawmaker is right – Trump’s peace deals deserve to be rewarded. Imagine how the world would view his administration’s accomplishments if they were achieved by a different president, especially someone like Barack Obama who was awarded the prize for simply winning the presidential election. But, Trump is more populist in his political ideology than anything else and that will not fly with the Nobel Peace Prize committee. Globalists don’t like populism.
All four of Trump’s nominations have come from Europeans. The first was from a Norwegian Parliament member. That nomination was for the peace deal between Israel and the UAE. Just days after that nomination, a Swedish Parliament member nominated Trump for the normalization deal between Serbia and Kosovo. A member of Finland’s Parliament nominated Trump, Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu, and Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa for the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of the Israel-Bahrain deal. And, just last month, three members of the European Parliament submitted a resolution to call on the E.U. to nominate Trump for the prize. Funny, Democrats and Never Trumpers keep telling us that the world hates Trump and America’s reputation abroad has been destroyed by him.
Trump was elected as a candidate who promised he would not involve America in foreign wars, using a more isolationist way of governing and bringing troops home. He has successfully destroyed ISIS. He made good on his promise to move the American embassy to Jerusalem. He has had more success in bringing home Americans being held hostage overseas than any president in my lifetime. He is seeing the success of his administration’s work for peaceful alliances in the Middle East come true. Say what you will about his demeanor and his personality, his way is working. He should be acknowledged for his success.


hotair--2020-10-12--The charity involved in a scandal with PM Trudeau will shut down but his party is fighting an invest

The charity involved in a scandal with PM Trudeau will shut down but his party is fighting an investigation

This summer Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was involved in another scandal , this one involving a charity for young people which had paid members of his family for speeches .
In August , Trudeau ’ s Finance Minister resigned but claimed that had nothing to do with the scandal .
And just as all of this was circulating and threatening to dominate the news cycle for several more weeks , Trudeau announced he was proroguing the Parliamentary session so that he could start all over with a new focus on COVID-19 .
At the time observers noted that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day of the session and made that decision , instead he did it right when he seemed to be in trouble and needed to change the news cycle .
Parliament is back in session now but the We Charity announced last month that it would shut itself down , in part because of the scandal .
Amid a political firestorm , WE Charity announced last week that it would wind down its Canadian operations… Amid the political fallout , several of WE ’ s donors and sponsors severed ties .
In a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Observer the organization “ proactively contacted sponsors and mutually agreed to suspend sponsorship agreements.
” … WE will now sell off its real estate assets — worth tens of millions of dollars , with the sales to be handled by commercial real estate company Colliers International — and use the money to create an endowment fund to support its international programs , the charity has said .
The fund will be overseen by a board of directors , but it isn ’ t clear whether that will happen within WE or at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Craig Kielburger said they ’ ll leave the organization , along with the rest of WE Charity ’ s Canadian staff .
That process will take six months to a year , WE said Tuesday , and after that , the charity will “ no longer exist.
” So Trudeau ’ s Finance Minister resigned and the charity itself is going belly up , but by pushing the reset button on Parliament and the investigations it had looking into the scandal , Trudeau himself continues to survive .
Last week he made a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote of no confidence : Trudeau ’ s claim that he needed to restart Parliament was based on the idea that he was going to present a bold new plan for Canada .
What he actually presented was a bunch of vague , warmed over promises from last year : Trudeau , who was on the defensive for much of the summer during an ethics controversy that had pushed down his approval ratings , made the controversial decision in August to seek the suspension of Parliament .
He pledged to return with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic and accelerating the economic recovery , which he said he would put to a confidence vote .
The speech , which was short on detail and dollar figures , reiterated several promises made in last year ’ s federal election campaign and featured others that would require support from Canada ’ s provinces and territories .
It ’ s almost as if he didn ’ t really need to shut down Parliament but only wanted to change the subject .
Meanwhile , Trudeau ’ s Liberal Party with the help of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any attempt to restart the WE Charity investigation : For a second time , Liberal MPs on the House of Commons Ethics committee have filibustered a vote on a motion to release documents on the Trudeau family ’ s paid speaking engagements at WE Charity events… Barrett ’ s motion would allow the committee to obtain a record of all speaking appearances since 2008 by Trudeau , his wife , Sophie Grégoire Trudeau , his mother , Margaret Trudeau , and his brother , Alexandre Trudeau… News website Canadaland and other outlets reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over $ 350,000 for a combined 36 speaking events between 2016 and 2020 .
Since then , a number of prominent advocates , including Canadian singer Jully Black , have publicly said they were not paid to speak at WE events… A motion to reopen the WE investigation was ruled out of order by the chair of the House procedure committee on Tuesday , with Liberal MPs and New Democrat MP Rachel Blaney sustaining the chair ’ s rule .
So Trudeau and his party are doing a good job of keeping the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now , but recent polling suggests he ’ s not fooling everyone with this act .
The conservatives are now tied with the Liberal Party and seem to have the momentum .
This video discussing the polling was published last Friday .

This summer Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was involved in another scandal, this one involving a charity for young people which had paid members of his family for speeches. In August, Trudeau’s Finance Minister resigned but claimed that had nothing to do with the scandal. And just as all of this was circulating and threatening to dominate the news cycle for several more weeks, Trudeau announced he was proroguing the Parliamentary session so that he could start all over with a new focus on COVID-19.
At the time observers noted that he could have simply waited for the last day of the session and made that decision, instead he did it right when he seemed to be in trouble and needed to change the news cycle.
Parliament is back in session now but the We Charity announced last month that it would shut itself down, in part because of the scandal.
Amid a political firestorm, WE Charity announced last week that it would wind down its Canadian operations… Amid the political fallout, several of WE’s donors and sponsors severed ties. In a statement Tuesday, WE told Canada’s National Observer the organization “proactively contacted sponsors and mutually agreed to suspend sponsorship agreements.”… WE will now sell off its real estate assets — worth tens of millions of dollars, with the sales to be handled by commercial real estate company Colliers International — and use the money to create an endowment fund to support its international programs, the charity has said. The fund will be overseen by a board of directors, but it isn’t clear whether that will happen within WE or at a different organization. Co-founders Marc and Craig Kielburger said they’ll leave the organization, along with the rest of WE Charity’s Canadian staff. That process will take six months to a year, WE said Tuesday, and after that, the charity will “no longer exist.”
So Trudeau’s Finance Minister resigned and the charity itself is going belly up, but by pushing the reset button on Parliament and the investigations it had looking into the scandal, Trudeau himself continues to survive. Last week he made a deal with the NDP to avoid a vote of no confidence:
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government survived a confidence vote on Tuesday evening, averting the threat of a snap fall election amid a resurgence of the coronavirus in several provinces. As expected, the government received key support from the left-leaning New Democratic Party on the vote on the “speech from the throne,” the address that opens a new session of Parliament and provides a broad sketch of the government’s agenda…
Trudeau’s claim that he needed to restart Parliament was based on the idea that he was going to present a bold new plan for Canada. What he actually presented was a bunch of vague, warmed over promises from last year:
Trudeau, who was on the defensive for much of the summer during an ethics controversy that had pushed down his approval ratings, made the controversial decision in August to seek the suspension of Parliament. He pledged to return with a “bold” plan for getting through the pandemic and accelerating the economic recovery, which he said he would put to a confidence vote. The speech, which was short on detail and dollar figures, reiterated several promises made in last year’s federal election campaign and featured others that would require support from Canada’s provinces and territories.
It’s almost as if he didn’t really need to shut down Parliament but only wanted to change the subject. Meanwhile, Trudeau’s Liberal Party with the help of the left-wing NDP, continues to filibuster any attempt to restart the WE Charity investigation:
For a second time, Liberal MPs on the House of Commons Ethics committee have filibustered a vote on a motion to release documents on the Trudeau family’s paid speaking engagements at WE Charity events… Barrett’s motion would allow the committee to obtain a record of all speaking appearances since 2008 by Trudeau, his wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, his mother, Margaret Trudeau, and his brother, Alexandre Trudeau… News website Canadaland and other outlets reported that Margaret and Alexandre Trudeau were paid over $350,000 for a combined 36 speaking events between 2016 and 2020. Since then, a number of prominent advocates, including Canadian singer Jully Black, have publicly said they were not paid to speak at WE events… A motion to reopen the WE investigation was ruled out of order by the chair of the House procedure committee on Tuesday, with Liberal MPs and New Democrat MP Rachel Blaney sustaining the chair’s rule.
So Trudeau and his party are doing a good job of keeping the scandal at bay, at least for now, but recent polling suggests he’s not fooling everyone with this act. The conservatives are now tied with the Liberal Party and seem to have the momentum. This video discussing the polling was published last Friday.


hotair--2020-10-13--Polls: Following sex scandal, North Carolina Dem's lead over Thom Tillis ... increases since last mo

Polls: Following sex scandal, North Carolina Dem's lead over Thom Tillis ... increases since last month

I was all set to tell you here that Cal Cunningham ’ s lead didn ’ t grow *because* of his sex scandal , it grew *in spite of* his sex scandal , due to completely unrelated reasons .
Since last month ’ s polling in NC we ’ ve had a sudden Supreme Court vacancy ; a new nominee for that seat ; the president getting COVID ; and North Carolina ’ s Republican senator , Thom Tillis , also getting COVID .
That ’ s a lot for voters to drink in .
Maybe the electorate cringed at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a little harder at everything else going on , giving him a boost .
But you know what ?
This poll from WRAL makes me wonder .
This is one of the funnier data points in a survey released this year : Cunningham now holds a 49-39 percent lead over Tillis , who is seeking a second six-year term .
That lead is up from 47-40 percent in Cunningham ’ s favor from a WRAL News poll conducted four weeks earlier… While Cunningham still holds a sizable lead among women at 54-37 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lead – it was 54-30 percent a month ago – by picking up support from women who had been undecided in the race .
Meanwhile , Tillis ’ 11-point lead among men from a month ago has evaporated , with Cunningham now holding a slight 45-43 percent edge… In the overall contest , Tillis leads Cunningham among voters 65 and older 50-44 percent , reversing Cunningham ’ s 49-41 percent lead a month ago .
Meanwhile , Cunningham has dramatically widened his lead among voters ages 18 to 49 , from 8 points @ @ @ @ @ @ @ latest poll .
Guys — and younger adults generally — are now far more inclined to support Cunningham than they were pre-scandal .
“ Women see [ the affair ] as appalling behavior from a man , and a man sort of sees it as , ‘ Well , he ’ s not so much of a church lady as I thought , this Cunningham fellow , ' ” said the pollster responsible about the data .
Did Cunningham ’ s affair make him … more relatable to key voting blocs ?
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been for the GOP , I can almost buy it .
Another poll of the race out today from Monmouth also has Cunningham ’ s lead increasing slightly , from 47/45 last month to 49/44 now .
Mercifully , the scandal does seem to have hurt him a bit , as he went from a 34/22 favorable rating last month to a 25/33 rating now .
But voters in both polls don ’ t think it ’ s a big enough deal to switch their votes because of it .
Just 14 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behavior is disqualifying while 51 percent said it ’ s between him and his family .
In the WRAL poll , 20 percent said they ’ d be much more likely to support Tillis because of Cunningham ’ s infidelity while 60 percent said his behavior wouldn ’ t matter to their vote .
Considering that Cunningham ’ s overall lead has grown in both polls , it must be that the people who are most critical of his behavior were already largely in Tillis ’ s camp .
Cunningham has four things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fallout from his scandal .
He raised a truckload of money last quarter .
His opponent , Tillis , has a “ scandal ” of his own in that he picked up COVID around the same time Trump did , which ties him ( symbolically , if nothing else ) to the outbreak at the White House .
Fifty percent of voters told Monmouth that Tillis didn ’ t take the pandemic seriously enough before he got infected versus 37 percent who said he did , so maybe Tillis ’ s particular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people than Cunningham ’ s is .
The third thing helping Cunningham is that Tillis is a weak incumbent , frankly : Tillis has never averaged as high as 44 percent in RCP ’ s tracker all year .
Since late July , Cunningham has never averaged as *low* as 44 .
He spent the month of September hovering in the 46-47 percent range , then began creeping up above 47 percent circa October 1 .
His scandal broke two days later — and since then he ’ s gained nearly half a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the average today .
That ’ s the first time he ’ s been that high in two months .
Tillis , meanwhile , has rebounded a bit from his low point a few weeks ago but still hasn ’ t regained all the ground he lost in polling since mid-September .
Looking at that graph , you ’ d have a hard time believing there ’ ll be a late break towards the Republican given the abiding resistance to him in polling thus far .
The last thing Cunningham has going for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is a relatively strong presidential candidate at the top of the ticket .
Trump and Biden were nip-and-tuck in North Carolina from mid-August to the beginning of October , but the national trend towards Biden lately is showing up in NC too : During August and September , Biden led only one poll of North Carolina by as many as four points .
This month , following Trump ’ s COVID diagnosis and the first debate , he ’ s led by four in three polls in a row .
If North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to trend blue , no wonder that Cunningham is seeing his lead inch up despite his sex scandal .
The national picture ’ s getting hairy too : One rare bright spot for the GOP today is South Carolina , where the polls have been tied for weeks and where Democrat Jaime Harrison just recorded the most freakishly enormous fundraising quarter in the history of Senate elections .
The latest poll has it 48/42 Graham in SC .
Whether holding that seat matters much to the balance of power in the Senate this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any good news at this point should be savored .

I was all set to tell you here that Cal Cunningham’s lead didn’t grow *because* of his sex scandal, it grew *in spite of* his sex scandal, due to completely unrelated reasons. Since last month’s polling in NC we’ve had a sudden Supreme Court vacancy; a new nominee for that seat; the president getting COVID; and North Carolina’s Republican senator, Thom Tillis, also getting COVID. That’s a lot for voters to drink in. Maybe the electorate cringed at Cunningham’s marital extracurriculars but cringed a little harder at everything else going on, giving him a boost.
But you know what? This poll from WRAL makes me wonder.
This is one of the funnier data points in a survey released this year:
Cunningham now holds a 49-39 percent lead over Tillis, who is seeking a second six-year term. That lead is up from 47-40 percent in Cunningham’s favor from a WRAL News poll conducted four weeks earlier… While Cunningham still holds a sizable lead among women at 54-37 percent, Tillis ate into part of that lead – it was 54-30 percent a month ago – by picking up support from women who had been undecided in the race. Meanwhile, Tillis’ 11-point lead among men from a month ago has evaporated, with Cunningham now holding a slight 45-43 percent edge… In the overall contest, Tillis leads Cunningham among voters 65 and older 50-44 percent, reversing Cunningham’s 49-41 percent lead a month ago. Meanwhile, Cunningham has dramatically widened his lead among voters ages 18 to 49, from 8 points last month to 20 points in the latest poll.
Guys — and younger adults generally — are now far more inclined to support Cunningham than they were pre-scandal. “Women see [the affair] as appalling behavior from a man, and a man sort of sees it as, ‘Well, he’s not so much of a church lady as I thought, this Cunningham fellow,'” said the pollster responsible about the data. Did Cunningham’s affair make him … more relatable to key voting blocs? In a year as cursed as this one has been for the GOP, I can almost buy it.
Another poll of the race out today from Monmouth also has Cunningham’s lead increasing slightly, from 47/45 last month to 49/44 now. Mercifully, the scandal does seem to have hurt him a bit, as he went from a 34/22 favorable rating last month to a 25/33 rating now. But voters in both polls don’t think it’s a big enough deal to switch their votes because of it. Just 14 percent told Monmouth that Cunningham’s behavior is disqualifying while 51 percent said it’s between him and his family. In the WRAL poll, 20 percent said they’d be much more likely to support Tillis because of Cunningham’s infidelity while 60 percent said his behavior wouldn’t matter to their vote. Considering that Cunningham’s overall lead has grown in both polls, it must be that the people who are most critical of his behavior were already largely in Tillis’s camp.
Cunningham has four things working for him right now to mitigate the fallout from his scandal. He raised a truckload of money last quarter. His opponent, Tillis, has a “scandal” of his own in that he picked up COVID around the same time Trump did, which ties him (symbolically, if nothing else) to the outbreak at the White House. Fifty percent of voters told Monmouth that Tillis didn’t take the pandemic seriously enough before he got infected versus 37 percent who said he did, so maybe Tillis’s particular personal flaw is weighing more heavily on people than Cunningham’s is.
The third thing helping Cunningham is that Tillis is a weak incumbent, frankly:
Tillis has never averaged as high as 44 percent in RCP’s tracker all year. Since late July, Cunningham has never averaged as *low* as 44. He spent the month of September hovering in the 46-47 percent range, then began creeping up above 47 percent circa October 1. His scandal broke two days later — and since then he’s gained nearly half a point, finally reaching 48 percent in the average today. That’s the first time he’s been that high in two months. Tillis, meanwhile, has rebounded a bit from his low point a few weeks ago but still hasn’t regained all the ground he lost in polling since mid-September. Looking at that graph, you’d have a hard time believing there’ll be a late break towards the Republican given the abiding resistance to him in polling thus far.
The last thing Cunningham has going for him, and probably the most important, is a relatively strong presidential candidate at the top of the ticket. Trump and Biden were nip-and-tuck in North Carolina from mid-August to the beginning of October, but the national trend towards Biden lately is showing up in NC too:
During August and September, Biden led only one poll of North Carolina by as many as four points. This month, following Trump’s COVID diagnosis and the first debate, he’s led by four in three polls in a row. If North Carolina’s swing voters are beginning to trend blue, no wonder that Cunningham is seeing his lead inch up despite his sex scandal.
The national picture’s getting hairy too:
We are also increasing our current Senate projection from a gain of 2 to 7 seats for Democrats Many Republicans told me that holding Democrats to just a 51-49 majority may be a *good* night for the GOP https://t.co/Ie9yYMyQkc — Jessica Taylor (@JessicaTaylor) October 13, 2020
One rare bright spot for the GOP today is South Carolina, where the polls have been tied for weeks and where Democrat Jaime Harrison just recorded the most freakishly enormous fundraising quarter in the history of Senate elections. The latest poll has it 48/42 Graham in SC. Whether holding that seat matters much to the balance of power in the Senate this year remains to be seen, but any good news at this point should be savored.


hotair--2020-10-13--The COVID-19 pandemic will end "far sooner than expected," says ... the NYT

I wonder why that might be ?
New York Times epidemiology reporter Donald McNeil offers readers a “ dose of optimism ” after months of gloom reporting on the spread and impact of COVID-19 .
In a lengthy analysis , McNeil lays out how he predicted the course the disease would chart , both in the US and around the world , and how little could be done to deflect it .
Lately , though , McNeil has begun to see light at the end of the tunnel : Since January , when I began covering the pandemic , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporting on the catastrophe that experts saw coming : that the virus would go pandemic , that Americans were likely to die in large numbers , the national lockdown would last well beyond Easter and even past summer .
No miracle cure was on the horizon ; the record for developing a vaccine was four years .
Events have moved faster than I thought possible .
I have become cautiously optimistic .
Experts are saying , with genuine confidence , that the pandemic in the United States will be over far sooner than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of next year .
What changed ?
In part , Americans got better at social distancing , isolation , and hygiene , including mask-wearing .
Higher-risk people learned to stay out of dangerous situations , at least when governors weren ’ t ordering them into such conditions .
Transmission has picked up of late , but the average age of the infected has dropped dramatically , into age ranges which seem much more resistant to developing into acute and serious cases .
The development of therapeutic options — in significant part by discovering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ helped lower the mortality rate as well .
However , what really has McNeil feeling cheerier is that the “ cavalry ” is coming — vaccines and monoclonal antibodies .
And the main reason that the pandemic will end much sooner than expected is because of Operation Warp Speed — even if it doesn ’ t end on its author ’ s preferred timeline : Despite the chaos in day-to-day politics and the fighting over issues like masks and lockdowns , Operation Warp Speed — the government ’ s agreement to subsidize vaccine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — appears to have been working with remarkable efficiency .
It has put more than $ 11 billion into seven vaccine candidates , and the F.D.A .
has said it will approve any one that is at least 50 percent effective at preventing infection or reducing its severity .
Moncef Slaoui , Operation Warp Speed ’ s chief scientific adviser and a former pharmaceutical executive who has overseen the development of 14 vaccines , has said repeatedly that he expects some of the candidates that he picked to have 75 to 90 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approval by early January .
By then , Dr. Slaoui has estimated , the factories under contract will have produced enough vaccine for 30 to 40 million people , and then another 80 to 90 million people every month after that .
Assuming nothing goes wrong , he said , there will be enough doses for all 330 million Americans to be vaccinated by next June .
Bill Gates , who is not part of Operation Warp Speed but works with it to develop vaccines for the world ’ s poor , has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inevitably be distribution problems , but the military is standing by to help .
The chief operating officer of Operation Warp Speed is General Gustave F. Perna , a logistics specialist .
How momentous is this ?
McNeil notes in his analysis that the previous record for successfully producing an effective and safe vaccine was four years .
Without the financial commitments made in Operation Warp Speed , pharmaceuticals would have had to weigh all sorts of fiscal implications before going full steam on development and testing .
By purchasing hundreds of millions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or not , the Trump administration took a position akin to wartime procurement of weapons systems .
That strategy is about to pay off , McNeil notes , in what may well be several vaccine options and an already-maximized production rate on all of those lines .
McNeil doesn ’ t offer much explicit credit to Trump for these developments .
In fact , McNeil only mentions Trump to describe his treatment for COVID-19 and his disparagement of mask-wearing , a fair criticism but hardly the whole story .
Operation Warp Speed helped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that McNeil touts , and shortened the timeline considerably for the pandemic — and in doing so , will have saved many thousands of lives .
McNeil points out that the “ Spanish ” influenza had to run its course and produce herd immunity to finally peter out after two years , but that it cost 675,000 lives — equivalent to 2 million in today ’ s population , which is very close to the worst-case estimates for COVID-19 back in March .
With that in mind , Trump deserves some credit for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the front lines .
National Hotline ’ s Josh Kraushaar wonders why Team Trump isn ’ t making it their home-stretch pitch : The Trump administration has made its share of mistakes in this pandemic .
The White House and CDC should have been more forthcoming on the virus and masks , and testing capacity is still far short of where it should be to properly manage hotspots and eruptions .
But it also has its share of successes , and by far the most momentous will be the “ cavalry ” arriving @ @ @ @ @

I wonder why that might be? New York Times epidemiology reporter Donald McNeil offers readers a “dose of optimism” after months of gloom reporting on the spread and impact of COVID-19. In a lengthy analysis, McNeil lays out how he predicted the course the disease would chart, both in the US and around the world, and how little could be done to deflect it.
Lately, though, McNeil has begun to see light at the end of the tunnel:
Since January, when I began covering the pandemic, I have been a consistently gloomy Cassandra, reporting on the catastrophe that experts saw coming: that the virus would go pandemic, that Americans were likely to die in large numbers, the national lockdown would last well beyond Easter and even past summer. No miracle cure was on the horizon; the record for developing a vaccine was four years. Events have moved faster than I thought possible. I have become cautiously optimistic. Experts are saying, with genuine confidence, that the pandemic in the United States will be over far sooner than they expected, possibly by the middle of next year.
What changed? In part, Americans got better at social distancing, isolation, and hygiene, including mask-wearing. Higher-risk people learned to stay out of dangerous situations, at least when governors weren’t ordering them into such conditions. Transmission has picked up of late, but the average age of the infected has dropped dramatically, into age ranges which seem much more resistant to developing into acute and serious cases. The development of therapeutic options — in significant part by discovering what was already at hand — has helped lower the mortality rate as well.
However, what really has McNeil feeling cheerier is that the “cavalry” is coming — vaccines and monoclonal antibodies. And the main reason that the pandemic will end much sooner than expected is because of Operation Warp Speed — even if it doesn’t end on its author’s preferred timeline:
Despite the chaos in day-to-day politics and the fighting over issues like masks and lockdowns, Operation Warp Speed — the government’s agreement to subsidize vaccine companies’ clinical trials and manufacturing costs — appears to have been working with remarkable efficiency. It has put more than $11 billion into seven vaccine candidates, and the F.D.A. has said it will approve any one that is at least 50 percent effective at preventing infection or reducing its severity. Moncef Slaoui, Operation Warp Speed’s chief scientific adviser and a former pharmaceutical executive who has overseen the development of 14 vaccines, has said repeatedly that he expects some of the candidates that he picked to have 75 to 90 percent efficacy and at least two to win approval by early January. By then, Dr. Slaoui has estimated, the factories under contract will have produced enough vaccine for 30 to 40 million people, and then another 80 to 90 million people every month after that. Assuming nothing goes wrong, he said, there will be enough doses for all 330 million Americans to be vaccinated by next June. Bill Gates, who is not part of Operation Warp Speed but works with it to develop vaccines for the world’s poor, has agreed with that timetable. There will inevitably be distribution problems, but the military is standing by to help. The chief operating officer of Operation Warp Speed is General Gustave F. Perna, a logistics specialist.
How momentous is this? McNeil notes in his analysis that the previous record for successfully producing an effective and safe vaccine was four years. Without the financial commitments made in Operation Warp Speed, pharmaceuticals would have had to weigh all sorts of fiscal implications before going full steam on development and testing. By purchasing hundreds of millions of doses up front whether they worked or not, the Trump administration took a position akin to wartime procurement of weapons systems. That strategy is about to pay off, McNeil notes, in what may well be several vaccine options and an already-maximized production rate on all of those lines.
McNeil doesn’t offer much explicit credit to Trump for these developments. In fact, McNeil only mentions Trump to describe his treatment for COVID-19 and his disparagement of mask-wearing, a fair criticism but hardly the whole story. Operation Warp Speed helped accelerate both the vaccines and the therapeutics that McNeil touts, and shortened the timeline considerably for the pandemic — and in doing so, will have saved many thousands of lives. McNeil points out that the “Spanish” influenza had to run its course and produce herd immunity to finally peter out after two years, but that it cost 675,000 lives — equivalent to 2 million in today’s population, which is very close to the worst-case estimates for COVID-19 back in March.
With that in mind, Trump deserves some credit for accelerating the medical-science “cavalry” to the front lines. National Hotline’s Josh Kraushaar wonders why Team Trump isn’t making it their home-stretch pitch:
The Trump campaign would be wise to cite this NYT story as part of its closing message — particularly the success of Operation Warp Speed. pic.twitter.com/cSN8vYlkxT — Josh Kraushaar (@HotlineJosh) October 13, 2020
The Trump administration has made its share of mistakes in this pandemic. The White House and CDC should have been more forthcoming on the virus and masks, and testing capacity is still far short of where it should be to properly manage hotspots and eruptions. But it also has its share of successes, and by far the most momentous will be the “cavalry” arriving years ahead of schedule.


hotair--2020-10-13--Hoo boy: Pelosi flips out on Wolf Blitzer for asking why she won't accept Trump's stimulus offer

Via the Free Beacon , I know the clip is long but you should carve out time to watch it all .
And if you can ’ t , at least watch from 10:50 to the end .
You ’ ll see something amazing , almost unprecedented .
You ’ ll see a news anchor treating the most powerful Democrat in the country the way Republicans are often treated by the media .
And although Pelosi keeps her composure and smiles throughout , she is incensed .
The entire point of her stimulus standoff with Trump is to give the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ final weeks of the campaign , “ Why won ’ t the president make a deal to save the economy and keep Americans from starving ?
” So here ’ s Blitzer turning around and asking her : Why won ’ t you make a deal to save the economy and keep Americans from starving ?
And he ’ s not all that polite about it either .
He keeps his composure too , but by the end of the clip he ’ s basically asking her how she can live with herself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while these negotiations drag out .
“ What makes me amused , if it weren ’ t so sad , ” she says at one point , “ is how you all think that you know more about the suffering of the American people than those of us who are elected by them to represent them at that table.
” I can easily imagine Ted Cruz saying the same thing to a reporter .
At times she seems right on the edge of launching into a full-blown Trumpian rant about the “ Fake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t even that hard on her .
If he wanted to twist the knife , he could have asked her , “ Isn ’ t it true that you don ’ t want a deal at all because the failure of a new stimulus agreement will strengthen Biden ’ s case against Trump ?
” By the way , the phenomenon he describes of some lefties like Ro Khanna nudging Pelosi to take Trump ’ s offer and get the money out the door is a real thing .
I don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this argument at Slate to that effect caught my eye a few days ago .
Time really does matter here for Americans who are hurting and the political risk to Democrats in doing a deal is minimal .
Biden ’ s lead is probably too large now for a stimulus bargain to put a meaningful dent in it , and it remains a very open question whether the Senate GOP can be cowed by Trump into rubber-stamping a package as large as $ 1.8 trillion , even with the obvious electoral incentives to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point , Senate Republicans being blamed for blocking a bill is arguably better for Pelosi ’ s party than Trump being blamed since many battleground Senate races are tighter than the presidential race is .
I thought I ’ d seen everything 2020 could conceivably throw at us but CNN ’ s most mild-mannered anchor cornering the Speaker of the House on a policy matter of momentous importance wasn ’ t on my bingo card .
Enjoy .

Via the Free Beacon, I know the clip is long but you should carve out time to watch it all. And if you can’t, at least watch from 10:50 to the end. You’ll see something amazing, almost unprecedented.
You’ll see a news anchor treating the most powerful Democrat in the country the way Republicans are often treated by the media.
And although Pelosi keeps her composure and smiles throughout, she is incensed. The entire point of her stimulus standoff with Trump is to give the media a reason to say in the final weeks of the campaign, “Why won’t the president make a deal to save the economy and keep Americans from starving?”
So here’s Blitzer turning around and asking her: Why won’t you make a deal to save the economy and keep Americans from starving?
And he’s not all that polite about it either. He keeps his composure too, but by the end of the clip he’s basically asking her how she can live with herself knowing that families are desperate for aid while these negotiations drag out.
“What makes me amused, if it weren’t so sad,” she says at one point, “is how you all think that you know more about the suffering of the American people than those of us who are elected by them to represent them at that table.” I can easily imagine Ted Cruz saying the same thing to a reporter. At times she seems right on the edge of launching into a full-blown Trumpian rant about the “Fake News Media.”
And Blitzer wasn’t even that hard on her. If he wanted to twist the knife, he could have asked her, “Isn’t it true that you don’t want a deal at all because the failure of a new stimulus agreement will strengthen Biden’s case against Trump?”
By the way, the phenomenon he describes of some lefties like Ro Khanna nudging Pelosi to take Trump’s offer and get the money out the door is a real thing. I don’t know how extensive it is, but this argument at Slate to that effect caught my eye a few days ago. Time really does matter here for Americans who are hurting and the political risk to Democrats in doing a deal is minimal. Biden’s lead is probably too large now for a stimulus bargain to put a meaningful dent in it, and it remains a very open question whether the Senate GOP can be cowed by Trump into rubber-stamping a package as large as $1.8 trillion, even with the obvious electoral incentives to do so. Frankly, at this point, Senate Republicans being blamed for blocking a bill is arguably better for Pelosi’s party than Trump being blamed since many battleground Senate races are tighter than the presidential race is.
I thought I’d seen everything 2020 could conceivably throw at us but CNN’s most mild-mannered anchor cornering the Speaker of the House on a policy matter of momentous importance wasn’t on my bingo card. Enjoy.


hotair--2020-10-13--Tara Reade has written a memoir which will be published one week before the election

With the exception of 60 Minutes in Australia , the media has barely said a peep about Tara Reade for the past several months .
One exception came in August when Fox News published an exclusive in which Reade was critical of the DNC ’ s decision to feature former President Clinton : “ I ’ m a sexual assault survivor , so to me , what the speaker lineup showed is kind of like a thumb in all of our faces .
It was … really disappointing , ” Reade said .
“ Rape culture in the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I feel that they are not only enabling but they are allowing that behavior to continue just by virtue of who they lined up as speakers who have credible sexual assault and harassment allegations against them and I feel like there ’ s an abandonment of the voices that are trying to be heard that really wanted systemic change.
” … “ What I find really astounding has been the hypocrisy around the sexual assault and sexual harassment that I brought forth , ” Reade told Fox News .
“ When there were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media and the reaction from the Democratic Party was quite different and quite aggressive and quite hostile to the perpetrator , potential perpetrator before it was even investigated .
In my case , the hostility was directed right towards and I was basically silenced and erased by using classism and so on.
” Despite being absent from the public eye , Reade hasn ’ t been idle .
She ’ s apparently been working on a memoir which is scheduled to be published one week before the election .
Here ’ s the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McGowan : Today Fox News has a story up about the book .
Clearly the publisher is in a hurry to get this page up since there are a couple of typos in the description : The synopsis reads , “ Tara Reade shares the aftermath of the re-victimization of speaking out about her sexual assault , with then-Sen. Joe Biden in 1993 , where the shaming , attacks and threats instigated by the media set ( sic ) her into a personal tailspin .
Tara-rized viciously by cyberbullies , receiving death threats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those of her family , Tara tells how living with no regret and coming forward was right for her conscious ( sic ) .
The moment that defines Tara will not confine , but instead move her forward by reclaiming her identity and pulling back together the pieces of life left.
” … Jacquie Jordan , founder of TVGuestpert Publishing , told Fox News , “ As a woman-owned business , we believe Tara Reade ’ s story was worth being written , memorialized and shared.
” … When asked what she hopes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Reade quickly responded , “ Truth.
” Reade has definitely had a tough line to walk .
As someone accusing the Democratic nominee of sexual harassment , her most natural allies to tell that story are on the right .
But Reade ’ s story actually broke on a left-wing podcast and then from there was followed up with a story published by the Intercept , i.e .
outlets who had no interest in supporting Biden because they saw him as too far right .
That was apparently where Reade felt more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Reade didn ’ t want her story to be pigeon-holed as Fox News fodder and that often meant she had no options at all .
In April Reade told Buzzfeed that she ’ d learned media bias wasn ’ t just a Republican talking point and described feeling “ politically homeless.
” “ It was really devastating when [ Kirsten ] Gillibrand and Stacey Abrams and Hillary Clinton , all on the same day , just basically implied my story wasn ’ t true and they believe Joe Biden .
I can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ felt like , ” Reade said on Thursday , describing herself as a “ lifelong Democrat ” and particularly a fan of Abrams , the former Georgia state minority leader who has been campaigning to serve on the ticket with Biden as his vice presidential nominee… “ I used to think that a Republican talking point was to call the mainstream media biased , ” Reade said .
“ So I used to think , ‘ Oh , that ’ s just a talking point for them .
I don ’ t believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ living it , real time , and I see it — like , I see it for what it is .
Because I am a Democrat , or I was .
But now I ’ m not anything , really .
I ’ m politically homeless.
” The TV network that has asked her on most frequently , she said , has been Fox News , from which she said Thursday she ’ d received four or more invitations to come on air .
Only in the last day or two have other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early on Thursday that she had just received and was discussing an invitation from ABC News , had been contacted by MSNBC that morning , and CBS News had reached out to her the previous night .
With a few exceptions the left never really came out to support her .
Most women ’ s groups and sexual assault organizations held back .
Democrats who had gone after Judge Kavanaugh with relish suddenly found that Biden ’ s denial was enough to convince them there was nothing to see here .
And eventually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t be trusted because she couldn ’ t be trusted .
I haven ’ t seen her memoir but the title , “ Left Out ” suggests to me that she ’ s still sitting in that uncomfortable middle-ground .
Once again she has a story to tell about bad behavior on the left , i.e .
being abandoned by her own party and the people who championed the # MeToo movement .
Once again , I think she ’ s going to have a hard time convincing anyone on the left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ story was handled .
They ’ ve already decided they aren ’ t interested in hearing from her .

With the exception of 60 Minutes in Australia, the media has barely said a peep about Tara Reade for the past several months. One exception came in August when Fox News published an exclusive in which Reade was critical of the DNC’s decision to feature former President Clinton:
“I’m a sexual assault survivor, so to me, what the speaker lineup showed is kind of like a thumb in all of our faces. It was … really disappointing,” Reade said. “Rape culture in the United States is thriving under the Democratic Party. I feel that they are not only enabling but they are allowing that behavior to continue just by virtue of who they lined up as speakers who have credible sexual assault and harassment allegations against them and I feel like there’s an abandonment of the voices that are trying to be heard that really wanted systemic change.”… “What I find really astounding has been the hypocrisy around the sexual assault and sexual harassment that I brought forth,” Reade told Fox News. “When there were Republicans being accused of that, the media and the reaction from the Democratic Party was quite different and quite aggressive and quite hostile to the perpetrator, potential perpetrator before it was even investigated. In my case, the hostility was directed right towards and I was basically silenced and erased by using classism and so on.”
Despite being absent from the public eye, Reade hasn’t been idle. She’s apparently been working on a memoir which is scheduled to be published one week before the election. Here’s the cover which promises a foreword by Rose McGowan:
Today Fox News has a story up about the book. Clearly the publisher is in a hurry to get this page up since there are a couple of typos in the description:
The synopsis reads, “Tara Reade shares the aftermath of the re-victimization of speaking out about her sexual assault, with then-Sen. Joe Biden in 1993, where the shaming, attacks and threats instigated by the media set (sic) her into a personal tailspin. Tara-rized viciously by cyberbullies, receiving death threats, and fearing for her life and those of her family, Tara tells how living with no regret and coming forward was right for her conscious (sic). The moment that defines Tara will not confine, but instead move her forward by reclaiming her identity and pulling back together the pieces of life left.”… Jacquie Jordan, founder of TVGuestpert Publishing, told Fox News, “As a woman-owned business, we believe Tara Reade’s story was worth being written, memorialized and shared.”… When asked what she hopes readers will get from reading her memoir, Reade quickly responded, “Truth.”
Reade has definitely had a tough line to walk. As someone accusing the Democratic nominee of sexual harassment, her most natural allies to tell that story are on the right. But Reade’s story actually broke on a left-wing podcast and then from there was followed up with a story published by the Intercept, i.e. outlets who had no interest in supporting Biden because they saw him as too far right. That was apparently where Reade felt more at home.
As a lifetime democrat, Reade didn’t want her story to be pigeon-holed as Fox News fodder and that often meant she had no options at all. In April Reade told Buzzfeed that she’d learned media bias wasn’t just a Republican talking point and described feeling “politically homeless.”
“It was really devastating when [Kirsten] Gillibrand and Stacey Abrams and Hillary Clinton, all on the same day, just basically implied my story wasn’t true and they believe Joe Biden. I can’t describe to you what that felt like,” Reade said on Thursday, describing herself as a “lifelong Democrat” and particularly a fan of Abrams, the former Georgia state minority leader who has been campaigning to serve on the ticket with Biden as his vice presidential nominee… “I used to think that a Republican talking point was to call the mainstream media biased,” Reade said. “So I used to think, ‘Oh, that’s just a talking point for them. I don’t believe it.’ But now I’m living it, real time, and I see it — like, I see it for what it is. Because I am a Democrat, or I was. But now I’m not anything, really. I’m politically homeless.” The TV network that has asked her on most frequently, she said, has been Fox News, from which she said Thursday she’d received four or more invitations to come on air. Only in the last day or two have other TV networks expressed interest; Reade said early on Thursday that she had just received and was discussing an invitation from ABC News, had been contacted by MSNBC that morning, and CBS News had reached out to her the previous night.
With a few exceptions the left never really came out to support her. Most women’s groups and sexual assault organizations held back. Democrats who had gone after Judge Kavanaugh with relish suddenly found that Biden’s denial was enough to convince them there was nothing to see here. And eventually the media collectively decided her story couldn’t be trusted because she couldn’t be trusted.
I haven’t seen her memoir but the title, “Left Out” suggests to me that she’s still sitting in that uncomfortable middle-ground. Once again she has a story to tell about bad behavior on the left, i.e. being abandoned by her own party and the people who championed the #MeToo movement. Once again, I think she’s going to have a hard time convincing anyone on the left there was a problem with how her story was handled. They’ve already decided they aren’t interested in hearing from her.


hotair--2020-10-13--Driverless taxis are about to be a thing in Phoenix

While I ’ ve been shouting myself hoarse from the rooftops for years trying to warn you people about this , my efforts were apparently for naught .
If you ’ re familiar with Waymo , you probably know that it ’ s one of the companies that have been working to develop and deploy fully driverless car technology .
They ’ re certainly not the only ones , but definitely among the earliest adopters .
Despite all of the misgivings some of us may feel about it , the company announced last week that they were going to leave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their driverless taxis available to the public in Phoenix , Arizona .
Do I really need to add in the obvious final comment ?
What could possibly go wrong ?
Beginning today , October 8 , we ’ re excited to open up our fully driverless offering to Waymo One riders .
Members of the public service can now take friends and family along on their rides and share their experience with the world .
We ’ ll start with those who are already a part of Waymo One and , over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ directly into the service through our app ( available on Google Play and the App Store ) .
In the near term , 100 % of our rides will be fully driverless .
We expect our new fully driverless service to be very popular , and we ’ re thankful to our riders for their patience as we ramp up availability to serve demand .
Later this year , after we ’ ve finished adding in-vehicle barriers between the front row and the rear passenger cabin for in-vehicle hygiene and safety , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a trained vehicle operator , which will add capacity and allow us to serve a larger geographical area .
At this point , the clock is already ticking .
You know that nothing is foolproof in this world and as other companies found out , accidents happen .
Sometimes with tragic results , as Uber discovered .
The woman who has gone down in history as the first pedestrian to be killed by a driverless car died in Tempe , Arizona , not all that far from where Waymo launched their service .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that makes them seem to have some sort of vendetta against Arizona ? )
Hey , you don ’ t need to listen to me about this , I guess .
I ’ m just an old man shouting and the clouds and waving a flamethrower so the pesky kids won ’ t pilot their driverless cars onto my lawn .
I suppose this was inevitable and it will only grow more and more common over time .
I ’ d like to say that it makes no difference to me because I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those things .
I ’ ll stick with a human driver , thank you very much .
But that doesn ’ t address the question of the fact that more and more of these driverless vehicles will be sharing the road with the rest of us .
So what happens when either the software fails , hackers take one of them over or the artificial intelligence wakes up and decides to send every one of those cars into an immediate ninety-degree turn and it ’ s your normal car that ’ s in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , this news came out at almost the same time that I saw a related item .
Clever hackers have recently figured out yet another way to trick driverless cars and no amount of security in the vehicle ’ s onboard computer would be able to stop it .
( Wired ) Researchers at Israel ’ s Ben Gurion University of the Negev have spent the last two years experimenting with those “ phantom ” images to trick semi-autonomous driving systems .
They previously revealed that they could use split-second light projections on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ driver-assistance systems into automatically stopping without warning when its camera sees spoofed images of road signs or pedestrians .
In new research , they ’ ve found they can pull off the same trick with just a few frames of a road sign injected on a billboard ’ s video .
And they warn that if hackers hijacked an internet-connected billboard to carry out the trick , it could be used to cause traffic jams or even road accidents while leaving little evidence behind .
What they ’ re talking about are flashing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s both old and new technology .
We ’ ve all seen the stories of how these signs have been hacked to display hilarious messages about “ zombies ahead ” and the like .
But now , particularly when it comes to the newest LED billboards , hackers could make them display an image of a stop sign or a pedestrian dashing toward the road .
The image would only need to be up for a fraction of a second , but that ’ s been enough for some driverless cars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or swerving out of its lane .
But hey… don ’ t let me dissuade you .
Hop on in and enjoy the ride .

While I’ve been shouting myself hoarse from the rooftops for years trying to warn you people about this, my efforts were apparently for naught. If you’re familiar with Waymo, you probably know that it’s one of the companies that have been working to develop and deploy fully driverless car technology. They’re certainly not the only ones, but definitely among the earliest adopters. Despite all of the misgivings some of us may feel about it, the company announced last week that they were going to leave the testing phase of development and make their driverless taxis available to the public in Phoenix, Arizona. Do I really need to add in the obvious final comment? What could possibly go wrong?
Beginning today, October 8, we’re excited to open up our fully driverless offering to Waymo One riders. Members of the public service can now take friends and family along on their rides and share their experience with the world. We’ll start with those who are already a part of Waymo One and, over the next several weeks, welcome more people directly into the service through our app (available on Google Play and the App Store). In the near term, 100% of our rides will be fully driverless. We expect our new fully driverless service to be very popular, and we’re thankful to our riders for their patience as we ramp up availability to serve demand. Later this year, after we’ve finished adding in-vehicle barriers between the front row and the rear passenger cabin for in-vehicle hygiene and safety, we’ll also be re-introducing rides with a trained vehicle operator, which will add capacity and allow us to serve a larger geographical area.
At this point, the clock is already ticking. You know that nothing is foolproof in this world and as other companies found out, accidents happen. Sometimes with tragic results, as Uber discovered. The woman who has gone down in history as the first pedestrian to be killed by a driverless car died in Tempe, Arizona, not all that far from where Waymo launched their service. (What is it about these companies that makes them seem to have some sort of vendetta against Arizona?)
Hey, you don’t need to listen to me about this, I guess. I’m just an old man shouting and the clouds and waving a flamethrower so the pesky kids won’t pilot their driverless cars onto my lawn. I suppose this was inevitable and it will only grow more and more common over time. I’d like to say that it makes no difference to me because I’ll never get in one of those things. I’ll stick with a human driver, thank you very much. But that doesn’t address the question of the fact that more and more of these driverless vehicles will be sharing the road with the rest of us. So what happens when either the software fails, hackers take one of them over or the artificial intelligence wakes up and decides to send every one of those cars into an immediate ninety-degree turn and it’s your normal car that’s in its direct path?
Speaking of hackers, this news came out at almost the same time that I saw a related item. Clever hackers have recently figured out yet another way to trick driverless cars and no amount of security in the vehicle’s onboard computer would be able to stop it. (Wired)
Researchers at Israel’s Ben Gurion University of the Negev have spent the last two years experimenting with those “phantom” images to trick semi-autonomous driving systems. They previously revealed that they could use split-second light projections on roads to successfully trick Tesla’s driver-assistance systems into automatically stopping without warning when its camera sees spoofed images of road signs or pedestrians. In new research, they’ve found they can pull off the same trick with just a few frames of a road sign injected on a billboard’s video. And they warn that if hackers hijacked an internet-connected billboard to carry out the trick, it could be used to cause traffic jams or even road accidents while leaving little evidence behind.
What they’re talking about are flashing road signs and electronic billboards, so it’s both old and new technology. We’ve all seen the stories of how these signs have been hacked to display hilarious messages about “zombies ahead” and the like. But now, particularly when it comes to the newest LED billboards, hackers could make them display an image of a stop sign or a pedestrian dashing toward the road. The image would only need to be up for a fraction of a second, but that’s been enough for some driverless cars to react, slamming on the brakes or swerving out of its lane.
But hey… don’t let me dissuade you. Hop on in and enjoy the ride.