hotair--2020-07-06--The book-burning in Hong Kong is well underway

We have plenty of news to occupy our attention at home in the United States , but it ’ s worth keeping a mournful eye on the continuing downward spiral of the Hong Kong democracy movement .
Only recently , we saw the Chinese government moving to flex their muscle under the new “ national security ” law that was put in place last week .
Hundreds were arrested and police forces fired tear gas , rubber bullets and pepper spray into crowds of protesters , hitting some international journalists in the process .
But over the weekend , an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ takeover emerged .
Books shelves are being emptied of any works created by pro-democracy advocates , including historical textbooks .
( BBC ) Books by pro-democracy figures have been removed from public libraries in Hong Kong in the wake of a controversial new security law .
The works will be reviewed to see if they violate the new law , the authority which runs the libraries said .
The legislation targets secession , subversion and terrorism with punishments of up to life in prison .
Opponents say it erodes the territory ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Beijing rejects this .
This isn ’ t technically “ book burning , ” at least at this stage , but the effect is the same .
China , and their puppet in the province , Chief Executive Carrie Lam , are saying that the books are currently “ under review ” to see if they violate the national security law .
But we all know by now that those books won ’ t be coming back .
One of the authors who are now on the banned book list is Joshua @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He took to Twitter ( which is somehow still possible in Hong Kong , at least for now ) to raise the alarm .
This sort of thing is straight out of the playbook of Mao Zedong , Stalin and any number of other infamous figures .
Eliminating the written works or public speeches of “ disruptive elements ” who oppose the ruling structure is key to ensuring compliance .
In the modern era , they also need to cut off access to “ unapproved ” social media activity as has largely been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expect to see an end to any Twitter updates from pro-democracy activists in the near future .
All the while , Carrie Lam continues to defend the suppression of dissent and sings the praises of China ’ s decisions in these matters .
She supports the national security law and the new order by saying that such measures are “ necessary and timely to maintain Hong Kong ’ s stability.
” Well , things will probably at least look a lot more “ stable ” after anyone who disagrees with Beijing is either @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But the sad fact remains that the citizens of Hong Kong who are interested in maintaining at least some level of autonomy and freedom really have nobody with any power left going to bat for them .
That ’ s led some democracy advocates like former local legislator Nathan Law to flee the city .
And sadly , I expect that Mr. Law won ’ t be the last .

We have plenty of news to occupy our attention at home in the United States, but it’s worth keeping a mournful eye on the continuing downward spiral of the Hong Kong democracy movement. Only recently, we saw the Chinese government moving to flex their muscle under the new “national security” law that was put in place last week. Hundreds were arrested and police forces fired tear gas, rubber bullets and pepper spray into crowds of protesters, hitting some international journalists in the process. But over the weekend, an even more disturbing symptom of the totalitarian takeover emerged. Books shelves are being emptied of any works created by pro-democracy advocates, including historical textbooks. (BBC)
Books by pro-democracy figures have been removed from public libraries in Hong Kong in the wake of a controversial new security law. The works will be reviewed to see if they violate the new law, the authority which runs the libraries said. The legislation targets secession, subversion and terrorism with punishments of up to life in prison. Opponents say it erodes the territory’s freedoms as a semi-autonomous region of China. Beijing rejects this.
This isn’t technically “book burning,” at least at this stage, but the effect is the same. China, and their puppet in the province, Chief Executive Carrie Lam, are saying that the books are currently “under review” to see if they violate the national security law. But we all know by now that those books won’t be coming back.
One of the authors who are now on the banned book list is Joshua Wong, a popular pro-democracy activist, He took to Twitter (which is somehow still possible in Hong Kong, at least for now) to raise the alarm.
1/ More than just punitive measures, the national security law also imposes a mainland-style censorship regime upon this international financial city. Although my books are published years before Hong Kong's anti-extradition movement, they are now prone to book censorship. https://t.co/2fbyvtcH95 — Joshua Wong 黃之鋒 😷 (@joshuawongcf) July 4, 2020
This sort of thing is straight out of the playbook of Mao Zedong, Stalin and any number of other infamous figures. Eliminating the written works or public speeches of “disruptive elements” who oppose the ruling structure is key to ensuring compliance. In the modern era, they also need to cut off access to “unapproved” social media activity as has largely been done in China already. You can expect to see an end to any Twitter updates from pro-democracy activists in the near future.
All the while, Carrie Lam continues to defend the suppression of dissent and sings the praises of China’s decisions in these matters. She supports the national security law and the new order by saying that such measures are “necessary and timely to maintain Hong Kong’s stability.” Well, things will probably at least look a lot more “stable” after anyone who disagrees with Beijing is either dead or in a concentration camp. But the sad fact remains that the citizens of Hong Kong who are interested in maintaining at least some level of autonomy and freedom really have nobody with any power left going to bat for them. That’s led some democracy advocates like former local legislator Nathan Law to flee the city. And sadly, I expect that Mr. Law won’t be the last.


hotair--2020-07-06--Atlanta mayor: "Enough is enough" after "protesters" murder 8-year-old girl

Did Secoriea Turner ’ s life matter ?
Not to the mobs in the streets , and neither did the other shooting victims in Atlanta as a wave of shootings have followed the retreat of police in the city .
The eight-year-old girl got killed on Saturday night when her mother attempted to enter a parking lot blocked off by “ protesters.
” At least two men fired into the vehicle , striking and killing the little girl .
This was just one of six “ serious ” shootings in the city that night , CBS 46 reports , along @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : According to police , Secoriea Turner was riding in a car with her mom and an adult friend when car exited the interstate near the intersection of University Avenue and Pryor Road .
Police said the driver was attempting to enter the parking lot on the 1200 block of Pryor Road when they were confronted by a group of armed individuals who were illegally blocking the entrance .
Someone in the group began shooting at the car , hitting it multiple times including the shot that hit the child .
The wounded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Center in a private vehicle , but she did not survive her injuries .
The people suspected of shooting the child were described as a group of black males .
One of the shooters wore all black , dressed like a bounty hunter , according to police .
The second wore a white t-shirt .
A $ 10,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction .
Tipsters can remain anonymous and still receive a reward .
Call 404-577-8477 .
Interestingly , neither CBS 46 nor any other news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protesters .
Was it a Black Lives Matter protest ?
Or was it some other group ?
One might think that would be important to journalists , especially those of the who-what-when-why-how school .
The absence of any reporting on that point strongly suggests that the answer was not useful to any media outlet ’ s narratives , as most of our media operate from an entirely different school these days .
That aside , the problem has now grown larger than narrative .
Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms declared , “ Enough is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they couldn ’ t blame this on police : “ We ’ re fighting the enemy within when we are shooting each other up in our streets , ” the mayor said .
“ You shot and killed a baby .
And it wasn ’ t one shooter , there was at least two shooters , ” she said .
Bottoms said she wants people to have the same passion towards ending community violence that they have for police reform .
“ We ’ ve had over 75 shootings in the city over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ You can ’ t blame that on APD [ Atlanta Police Department ] .
” Bottoms said during the press conference that there had been a number of protests in the area where Brooks was killed and challenges with demonstrators closing roads .
Saturday night she said she was told that barriers had been put back up .
“ An 8-year-old girl was killed last night because her mother was riding down the street , ” Bottoms said .
“ You don ’ t want someone on the street who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If you know them , you should turn them in.
” Turn them in to whom , exactly ?
The Atlanta police have been on retreat ever since the district attorney charged the two officers involved in the Rayshard Brooks shooting — a decision made before the Georgia Bureau of Investigation had even finished its investigation .
The police staged a walkout immediately afterward , and reports of “ blue flu ” have continued to circulate ever since .
That has predictably left the streets in control of those who are most willing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eight-year-old Secoriea Turner is a direct result of the lack of will from city leadership to enforce the law and keep order .
Police should have been dispatched immediately to take down any illegal barricades ; their absence signaled a vacuum of order , and violence fills those vacuums quickly .
However , police will not act when the political leadership of a city does not support their efforts to keep order .
Lance Bottoms is correct that the people of Atlanta can ’ t blame this on the police department .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Paul Howard and Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms .
If those two don ’ t act quickly to restore order , Atlanta residents can also start blaming it on Gov .
Brian Kemp — unless he orders the National Guard deployed to stop the violence and restore order .

Did Secoriea Turner’s life matter? Not to the mobs in the streets, and neither did the other shooting victims in Atlanta as a wave of shootings have followed the retreat of police in the city. The eight-year-old girl got killed on Saturday night when her mother attempted to enter a parking lot blocked off by “protesters.” At least two men fired into the vehicle, striking and killing the little girl.
This was just one of six “serious” shootings in the city that night, CBS 46 reports, along with an attack on a police station:
According to police, Secoriea Turner was riding in a car with her mom and an adult friend when car exited the interstate near the intersection of University Avenue and Pryor Road. Police said the driver was attempting to enter the parking lot on the 1200 block of Pryor Road when they were confronted by a group of armed individuals who were illegally blocking the entrance. Someone in the group began shooting at the car, hitting it multiple times including the shot that hit the child. The wounded girl was immediately taken to Atlanta Medical Center in a private vehicle, but she did not survive her injuries. The people suspected of shooting the child were described as a group of black males. One of the shooters wore all black, dressed like a bounty hunter, according to police. The second wore a white t-shirt. A $10,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction. Tipsters can remain anonymous and still receive a reward. Call 404-577-8477.
Interestingly, neither CBS 46 nor any other news outlet ever identify the affiliation of the protesters. Was it a Black Lives Matter protest? Or was it some other group? One might think that would be important to journalists, especially those of the who-what-when-why-how school. The absence of any reporting on that point strongly suggests that the answer was not useful to any media outlet’s narratives, as most of our media operate from an entirely different school these days.
That aside, the problem has now grown larger than narrative. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms declared, “Enough is enough,” and told Atlanta that they couldn’t blame this on police:
“We’re fighting the enemy within when we are shooting each other up in our streets,” the mayor said. “You shot and killed a baby. And it wasn’t one shooter, there was at least two shooters,” she said. Bottoms said she wants people to have the same passion towards ending community violence that they have for police reform. “We’ve had over 75 shootings in the city over the past several weeks,” Bottoms said. “You can’t blame that on APD [Atlanta Police Department].” Bottoms said during the press conference that there had been a number of protests in the area where Brooks was killed and challenges with demonstrators closing roads. Saturday night she said she was told that barriers had been put back up. “An 8-year-old girl was killed last night because her mother was riding down the street,” Bottoms said. “You don’t want someone on the street who would shoot into a car randomly. If you know them, you should turn them in.”
Turn them in to whom, exactly? The Atlanta police have been on retreat ever since the district attorney charged the two officers involved in the Rayshard Brooks shooting — a decision made before the Georgia Bureau of Investigation had even finished its investigation. The police staged a walkout immediately afterward, and reports of “blue flu” have continued to circulate ever since.
That has predictably left the streets in control of those who are most willing to use violence. The shooting of eight-year-old Secoriea Turner is a direct result of the lack of will from city leadership to enforce the law and keep order. Police should have been dispatched immediately to take down any illegal barricades; their absence signaled a vacuum of order, and violence fills those vacuums quickly. However, police will not act when the political leadership of a city does not support their efforts to keep order.
Lance Bottoms is correct that the people of Atlanta can’t blame this on the police department. They should blame this on Fulton County DA Paul Howard and Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. If those two don’t act quickly to restore order, Atlanta residents can also start blaming it on Gov. Brian Kemp — unless he orders the National Guard deployed to stop the violence and restore order.


hotair--2020-07-07--Atlanta Mayor (and possible VP pick) has caught the virus... but where?

As with all other things these days , it started with a tweet .
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced on social media that she has tested positive for the novel coronavirus .
But she also insists that at least thus far , she has no symptoms .
Her office quickly sent out additional details , but there really wasn ’ t much to say .
She took the test .
It came back positive .
Both she and her husband apparently have it , but say that they only experienced symptoms typical of seasonal allergies .
Now she has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News ) Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said in a tweet on Monday that she tested positive for coronavirus , despite being asymptomatic… Fulton County , where Atlanta is located , has seen nearly 9,000 coronavirus cases , according to the Georgia Department of Health .
Bottoms , a rising star in the Democratic Party , has recently been catapulted into the national spotlight as the nation ’ s racial reckoning ignited by the killing of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody has also hit Atlanta .
No one should be gloating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serious threat to anyone , though some are more at risk than others .
Mayor Lance Bottoms is fifty years old , putting her below the highest-risk groups in terms of age , and she appears to be otherwise in generally good health .
Hopefully , she will be spared the worst or most debilitating outcomes that others have experienced .
With that said , particularly in light of all the lectures we ’ ve heard about how elected officials are supposed to lead by example , it ’ s not unfair to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the disease .
When asked that question by the press , she said she has “ no idea ” when or where she was exposed .
( CBS News ) Bottoms , in an appearance on MSNBC , said the positive test result was a “ shock ” and she only decided to get tested because her husband had been sleeping more than usual .
“ It leaves me for a loss of words because I think it really speaks to how contagious this virus is .
We ’ ve taken all the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I have no idea when and where we were exposed , ” she said .
As we ’ ve debated here in the past , that ’ s one of the big problems with tracing this bug .
How can you be sure precisely where , when and from whom you were exposed ?
For people like myself , I so rarely venture off my property ( particularly these days ) that I could probably make a pretty good guess .
I ’ ve been counting the days since I went on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my recent vacation .
Thankfully it ’ s been almost two weeks and no symptoms have shown up .
( Fingers crossed ! )
It ’ s probably not so easy to say the same for Mayor Lance Bottoms though , is it ?
She has cameras following her around constantly and she seems to get out quite a bit .
You can look at this press conference from Sunday and watch a video of her addressing the media without wearing a mask , despite being in close proximity to others who are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good photo of her here , announcing a curfew on May 30th .
Lance Bottoms is once again sans mask while surrounded by others at close quarters , only some of whom are wearing masks .
In this video , shot on June 4th ( long after the social distancing orders were in place ) , you can see the Mayor addressing the masses through a bullhorn .
She ’ s shoulder to shoulder with the media and the crowds and this took place after she marched through the streets with the protesters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in sight , at least for the mayor .
Of course , we would be remiss in not noting that this is the same Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms who went on camera with the local press only five days ago to issue a statement about how wearing a mask is “ the most unselfish thing you can do.
” She went on to say that masks “ not only protect yourself , but the people around you.
” Careful observers will note that this public service announcement was also made when she was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with all of that activity , it ’ s hard to say when or where the Mayor and her husband contracted the bug .
Here ’ s hoping that she has a speedy recovery .

As with all other things these days, it started with a tweet. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced on social media that she has tested positive for the novel coronavirus. But she also insists that at least thus far, she has no symptoms.
COVID-19 has literally hit home. I have had NO symptoms and have tested positive. — Keisha Lance Bottoms (@KeishaBottoms) July 6, 2020
Her office quickly sent out additional details, but there really wasn’t much to say. She took the test. It came back positive. Both she and her husband apparently have it, but say that they only experienced symptoms typical of seasonal allergies. Now she has to go into self-quarantine. (NBC News)
Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said in a tweet on Monday that she tested positive for coronavirus, despite being asymptomatic… Fulton County, where Atlanta is located, has seen nearly 9,000 coronavirus cases, according to the Georgia Department of Health. Bottoms, a rising star in the Democratic Party, has recently been catapulted into the national spotlight as the nation’s racial reckoning ignited by the killing of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody has also hit Atlanta.
No one should be gloating over this because the virus is a serious threat to anyone, though some are more at risk than others. Mayor Lance Bottoms is fifty years old, putting her below the highest-risk groups in terms of age, and she appears to be otherwise in generally good health. Hopefully, she will be spared the worst or most debilitating outcomes that others have experienced.
With that said, particularly in light of all the lectures we’ve heard about how elected officials are supposed to lead by example, it’s not unfair to ask how and where the Mayor contracted the disease. When asked that question by the press, she said she has “no idea” when or where she was exposed. (CBS News)
Bottoms, in an appearance on MSNBC, said the positive test result was a “shock” and she only decided to get tested because her husband had been sleeping more than usual. “It leaves me for a loss of words because I think it really speaks to how contagious this virus is. We’ve taken all the precautions that you can possibly take. I have no idea when and where we were exposed,” she said.
As we’ve debated here in the past, that’s one of the big problems with tracing this bug. How can you be sure precisely where, when and from whom you were exposed? For people like myself, I so rarely venture off my property (particularly these days) that I could probably make a pretty good guess. I’ve been counting the days since I went on a charter fishing trip at the beginning of my recent vacation. Thankfully it’s been almost two weeks and no symptoms have shown up. (Fingers crossed!)
It’s probably not so easy to say the same for Mayor Lance Bottoms though, is it? She has cameras following her around constantly and she seems to get out quite a bit. You can look at this press conference from Sunday and watch a video of her addressing the media without wearing a mask, despite being in close proximity to others who are wearing masks. There’s a good photo of her here, announcing a curfew on May 30th. Lance Bottoms is once again sans mask while surrounded by others at close quarters, only some of whom are wearing masks.
In this video, shot on June 4th (long after the social distancing orders were in place), you can see the Mayor addressing the masses through a bullhorn. She’s shoulder to shoulder with the media and the crowds and this took place after she marched through the streets with the protesters. Again, there is no mask in sight, at least for the mayor.
Of course, we would be remiss in not noting that this is the same Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms who went on camera with the local press only five days ago to issue a statement about how wearing a mask is “the most unselfish thing you can do.” She went on to say that masks “not only protect yourself, but the people around you.” Careful observers will note that this public service announcement was also made when she was not wearing a mask herself.
So with all of that activity, it’s hard to say when or where the Mayor and her husband contracted the bug. Here’s hoping that she has a speedy recovery.


hotair--2020-07-06--Cambridge walk-out: Whole Foods employees boycott over facial mask policy

It began three weeks ago with two Whole Foods employees being told they can not wear Black Lives Matter face masks on the job .
The two employees in Bedford , New Hampshire were sent home for a violation of the company ’ s dress code policy .
The employees were told to go home several times , it is reported , for violating store policy by wearing face masks and sneakers imprinted with “ Black Lives Matter ” and “ I can ’ t breathe.
” One worker said they wore the apparel for two days before being told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two days ago , they finally gave me the policy .
They had never shown me anything in the policy that stated that we couldn ’ t wear them , ” Styles said .
“ The way the situation and everything was handled was just very unprofessional and not understanding.
” Styles and Greene said they were told that if they refused to change their masks then they could not keep working their shifts , the paper said .
The two reportedly protested outside of the store with signs that asked cars to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Matter movement .
A spokesperson for Whole Foods released a statement confirming that all employees sign an acknowledgment of company policy that “ prohibits any visible slogans , messages , logos or advertising that are not company-related , on any article of clothing , including face masks.
” Ms. Styles said she no longer feels comfortable there and is seeking employment elsewhere .
In solidarity with their fellow employees , some Whole Foods employees began to wear Black Lives Matter face masks in other stores .
That included a store in Cambridge , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that all employees must comply with the dress code policy .
Whole Foods released a statement last week noting that “ [ i ] n a customer-focused environment , all Team Members must comply with our longstanding company dress code , which prohibits clothing with visible slogans , messages , logos or advertising that are not company-related.
” The company said that employees are given the opportunity to comply with the dress code and are offered new face masks , but will not be allowed to work until they comply with the policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employees , an email was sent out stating the company was offering all a “ special one-time bonus ” for the month of June .
Full-time employees would receive $ 500 and part-time employees would receive $ 250 .
This was to “ express gratitude for the remarkable resilience and dedication ” they have shown , much like what Amazon did for its employees .
What happens when you appease activists ?
It is never enough .
The employees said it was no longer about facial masks and walked out .
They now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Whole Foods corporation.
” Now the original seven employees sent home protest outside the store , carrying signs .
Their argument is that Amazon and Whole Foods talk a big talk about racial equality and make large financial contributions to causes but they don ’ t support employees making a personal statement .
Many of the protesters , like Jason Slavick — who lives just across the street from the store — used to frequent the market .
He and other boycott organizers have contacted local store managers as well as corporate leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ itself as a values-oriented business should change its policy .
“ There should be no place safe for racism , and the only way that happens is if they say it out loud and stop hiding behind neutrality , ” he said .
Suverino Frith was one of the original seven employees who was turned away after showing up to work in a Black Lives Matter mask .
The 21-year-old spoke before the crowd , urging them to continue fighting .
“ These are careful people who want to be loud but not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speaking about the company .
“ They don ’ t want to alienate anyone .
They don ’ t really want to choose a side ; they just want to seem like they are .
Only that ’ s too bad , because we ’ re choosing a side for them.
” Mr. Firth worked seasonally for two years with Whole Foods .
He said he knew about other stores sending employees home who refused to wear an approved face mask yet he was surprised when his store ’ s employees were sent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is where the rub comes in – these employees feel entitled to dictate company policy though they are fully aware of the store ’ s policy when they accept employment from Whole Foods .
They have it backward – company management dictates policy , not the disgruntled employees .
What he and the others should have done , if they are so unhappy , would be to do as the woman in New Hampshire did – quit and find a new job .
This isn ’ t hard .
When you go to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t get to make the rules .
If you no longer can abide by the rules , you leave .
There were over 40 protesters Sunday in front of the Cambridge Whole Foods .
The protests began on June 25 and continue .
They urge passersby to shop elsewhere and cheer when potential customers leave to do so .
City Councilors Quinton Zondervan and Alanna Mallon attended the Sunday protest .
Zondervan said , it “ shouldn ’ t be necessary to get Whole Foods to do the right thing , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so self-entitled .
Their local leaders are of the same mindset .
Whole Foods is “ doing the right thing ” , they are enforcing company dress code policy across the board .

It began three weeks ago with two Whole Foods employees being told they cannot wear Black Lives Matter face masks on the job. The two employees in Bedford, New Hampshire were sent home for a violation of the company’s dress code policy.
The employees were told to go home several times, it is reported, for violating store policy by wearing face masks and sneakers imprinted with “Black Lives Matter” and “I can’t breathe.” One worker said they wore the apparel for two days before being told about the store policy.
“Just two days ago, they finally gave me the policy. They had never shown me anything in the policy that stated that we couldn’t wear them,” Styles said. “The way the situation and everything was handled was just very unprofessional and not understanding.” Styles and Greene said they were told that if they refused to change their masks then they could not keep working their shifts, the paper said. The two reportedly protested outside of the store with signs that asked cars to honk in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
A spokesperson for Whole Foods released a statement confirming that all employees sign an acknowledgment of company policy that “prohibits any visible slogans, messages, logos or advertising that are not company-related, on any article of clothing, including face masks.” Ms. Styles said she no longer feels comfortable there and is seeking employment elsewhere.
In solidarity with their fellow employees, some Whole Foods employees began to wear Black Lives Matter face masks in other stores. That included a store in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Whole Foods released a statement that all employees must comply with the dress code policy.
Whole Foods released a statement last week noting that “[i]n a customer-focused environment, all Team Members must comply with our longstanding company dress code, which prohibits clothing with visible slogans, messages, logos or advertising that are not company-related.” The company said that employees are given the opportunity to comply with the dress code and are offered new face masks, but will not be allowed to work until they comply with the policy.
In order to appease the woke employees, an email was sent out stating the company was offering all a “special one-time bonus” for the month of June. Full-time employees would receive $500 and part-time employees would receive $250. This was to “express gratitude for the remarkable resilience and dedication” they have shown, much like what Amazon did for its employees. What happens when you appease activists? It is never enough. The employees said it was no longer about facial masks and walked out. They now demand “substantive change from the entire Whole Foods corporation.”
Now the original seven employees sent home protest outside the store, carrying signs. Their argument is that Amazon and Whole Foods talk a big talk about racial equality and make large financial contributions to causes but they don’t support employees making a personal statement.
Many of the protesters, like Jason Slavick — who lives just across the street from the store — used to frequent the market. He and other boycott organizers have contacted local store managers as well as corporate leaders to argue that a company that pitches itself as a values-oriented business should change its policy. “There should be no place safe for racism, and the only way that happens is if they say it out loud and stop hiding behind neutrality,” he said. Suverino Frith was one of the original seven employees who was turned away after showing up to work in a Black Lives Matter mask. The 21-year-old spoke before the crowd, urging them to continue fighting. “These are careful people who want to be loud but not too loud,” he said, speaking about the company. “They don’t want to alienate anyone. They don’t really want to choose a side; they just want to seem like they are. Only that’s too bad, because we’re choosing a side for them.”
Mr. Firth worked seasonally for two years with Whole Foods. He said he knew about other stores sending employees home who refused to wear an approved face mask yet he was surprised when his store’s employees were sent home for the same reason. This is where the rub comes in – these employees feel entitled to dictate company policy though they are fully aware of the store’s policy when they accept employment from Whole Foods. They have it backward – company management dictates policy, not the disgruntled employees. What he and the others should have done, if they are so unhappy, would be to do as the woman in New Hampshire did – quit and find a new job. This isn’t hard. When you go to work for someone else, you don’t get to make the rules. If you no longer can abide by the rules, you leave.
There were over 40 protesters Sunday in front of the Cambridge Whole Foods. The protests began on June 25 and continue. They urge passersby to shop elsewhere and cheer when potential customers leave to do so. City Councilors Quinton Zondervan and Alanna Mallon attended the Sunday protest. Zondervan said, it “shouldn’t be necessary to get Whole Foods to do the right thing,” Really? No wonder the employees are so self-entitled. Their local leaders are of the same mindset. Whole Foods is “doing the right thing”, they are enforcing company dress code policy across the board.


hotair--2020-07-07--Mysteries abound: Another Tehran-area explosion ... near nuclear-program archives?

Ho-hum , another day in Tehran , another incident of careless explosive-tank handling .
Or so the Iranians want everyone to think , for now .
Officials claim that “ careless handling ” of oxygen tanks triggered an explosion south of Tehran that killed two people in Baghershahr late yesterday .
“ Human error , ” the Iranian regime called it : Two men have been killed in yet another Iran explosion , as officials blamed ‘ human error ’ for the blast .
The explosion rocked the Sepahan Boresh factory in the city of Baqershahr , south of Tehran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ morning , according to state media .
It was caused by ‘ workers being negligent whilst filling oxygen tanks ’ , the town ’ s governor Amin Babai was quoted as saying .
Well , maybe , but the government used the gas-tank excuse in the Parchin explosion too , claiming it took place in a civilian area and not the nuclear/missile research facility .
That prompted hoots of derision from Iranians , such as one who posted , “ Do you think we ’ re stupid ?
” even before satellite photos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the military facility .
Their state-news coverage couldn ’ t hide that military had responded to the explosion rather than local police , either .
This explosion has something else in common with the one at Parchin other than the gas tank excuse , too .
The Jerusalem Post notes that the Sepahan Boresh factory is very close to the archives of Iran ’ s nuclear-weapons work , and a warehouse where traces of uranium got discovered by the IAEA .
“ South of Tehran ” does a lot of heavy lifting , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heard by residents of areas south of Tehran and in the Kahrizak area .
The location of the explosion is not far from the warehouse where Iran ’ s nuclear archive was found by Israel in 2018 .
The Saipa Press Company is located about 11 km .
northeast from the area where the nuclear archive was found in the Shurabad commercial area .
A warehouse where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that nuclear equipment and material was stored is also located nearby in the Turouzabad area .
The International Atomic Energy Agency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2019 and began investigating its origin , according to Reuters .
The IntelliTimes intelligence blog reported that the Sepahan Boresh factory belongs to the Iranian automotive manufacturer SAIPA .
It cooperates with the Iranian Ministry of Defense ; the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps is involved in the company as well .
That makes three explosions in or near some very eeeenteresting locations in Iran over the last couple of weeks .
Or are there more ?
By Al-Araby ’ s count , the series of coincidences might be even larger than has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The explosion is the most recent in a series of unusual incidents at factories and sensitive nuclear and military sites in recent weeks .
A blast at a medical clinic in Tehran on Tuesday last week killed 19 people .
Just two days later , a fire broke out at a nuclear site in Natanz , causing significant damage and harming Iran ’ s capabilities in uranium enrichment .
Similar incidents have also taken place at power plants , a petrochemical centre , and a military complex believed to house missile production facilities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Islamic Republic is under attack , perhaps from a foreign power .
It ’ s either that , or the Iranian military is in the middle of their longest streak of bad luck in decades .
Neither of those would be cause for lamentation , of course , but the “ coincidence ” theory seems more and more difficult to believe .
The Washington Post turned to intelligence and military experts , who are very skeptical of the explanations offered by Iran .
Instead , they believe this is part of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s march to a nuclear weapon , and that can only mean … A massive explosion and fire at a highly sensitive Iranian nuclear facility last week was likely an act of sabotage , intelligence officials and weapons experts said Monday , but analysts were divided over the severity of the damage to Iran ’ s nuclear program .
… A Middle Eastern security official said in an interview that the damage was caused by a “ huge explosive device ” planted by Israeli operatives to “ send a signal ” to Tehran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of anonymity , citing the sensitive nature of the intelligence and insisting that his name and nationality not be revealed .
“ There was an opportunity , and someone in Israel calculated the risk and took the opportunity , ” the official said .
He described the building as having been “ completely destroyed.
” Other analysts and nuclear experts also said the evidence so far strongly suggests that a bomb detonated inside the facility , known as the Iran Centrifuge Assembly Center .
In addition to satellite images , photos released by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doors blown off hinges , cracked walls and missing roof panels .
“ The simplest explanation is an explosion inside the building , ” said Jeffrey Lewis , a professor and weapons expert at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey , Calif. “ It ’ s getting really hard to see this as an accident.
” No kidding .
That would be true even if it was just the only explosion in or around Iran ’ s nuclear-weapons/missile programs , but it ’ s not .
The series of “ accidents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by someone .
Israel has a history of attacking nuclear facilities in hostile regimes — Osirak in Iraq decades ago , and a strike on a Syrian facility being built with help from North Korea a few years ago .
There is little doubt as to which country Iran would target with a nuclear weapon , and the Israelis believe the best defense is a good offense .
That doesn ’ t necessarily mean it was Israel , or even a foreign power .
Tyrannical regimes produce domestic enemies , too , even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t lack for other enemies .
The Saudis and Jordanians have a vested interest in keeping Iran nuke-free and might have better contacts in the country than the Israelis could develop .
Both would also not weep too many tears if the IRGC ended up taking a major prestige hit over these incidents , either .
The US has an interest in ending Tehran ’ s nuclear threat , of course , and it could be a collaboration between any or all of these countries .
One thing is for sure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot more resources into internal security and mole hunts at a time when they can ’ t sell their oil or access international financing .
The fallout should be fun to watch … as long as it ’ s from a distance .

Ho-hum, another day in Tehran, another incident of careless explosive-tank handling. Or so the Iranians want everyone to think, for now. Officials claim that “careless handling” of oxygen tanks triggered an explosion south of Tehran that killed two people in Baghershahr late yesterday. “Human error,” the Iranian regime called it:
Two men have been killed in yet another Iran explosion, as officials blamed ‘human error’ for the blast. The explosion rocked the Sepahan Boresh factory in the city of Baqershahr, south of Tehran, in the early hours of Tuesday morning, according to state media. It was caused by ‘workers being negligent whilst filling oxygen tanks’, the town’s governor Amin Babai was quoted as saying.
Well, maybe, but the government used the gas-tank excuse in the Parchin explosion too, claiming it took place in a civilian area and not the nuclear/missile research facility. That prompted hoots of derision from Iranians, such as one who posted, “Do you think we’re stupid?” even before satellite photos showed the explosion’s damage at the military facility. Their state-news coverage couldn’t hide that military had responded to the explosion rather than local police, either.
This explosion has something else in common with the one at Parchin other than the gas tank excuse, too. The Jerusalem Post notes that the Sepahan Boresh factory is very close to the archives of Iran’s nuclear-weapons work, and a warehouse where traces of uranium got discovered by the IAEA. “South of Tehran” does a lot of heavy lifting, perhaps:
A large explosion was reportedly heard by residents of areas south of Tehran and in the Kahrizak area. The location of the explosion is not far from the warehouse where Iran’s nuclear archive was found by Israel in 2018. The Saipa Press Company is located about 11 km. northeast from the area where the nuclear archive was found in the Shurabad commercial area. A warehouse where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that nuclear equipment and material was stored is also located nearby in the Turouzabad area. The International Atomic Energy Agency found traces of uranium at the warehouse in 2019 and began investigating its origin, according to Reuters. The IntelliTimes intelligence blog reported that the Sepahan Boresh factory belongs to the Iranian automotive manufacturer SAIPA. It cooperates with the Iranian Ministry of Defense; the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps is involved in the company as well.
That makes three explosions in or near some very eeeenteresting locations in Iran over the last couple of weeks. Or are there more? By Al-Araby’s count, the series of coincidences might be even larger than has been noticed in the Western media:
The explosion is the most recent in a series of unusual incidents at factories and sensitive nuclear and military sites in recent weeks. A blast at a medical clinic in Tehran on Tuesday last week killed 19 people. Just two days later, a fire broke out at a nuclear site in Natanz, causing significant damage and harming Iran’s capabilities in uranium enrichment. Similar incidents have also taken place at power plants, a petrochemical centre, and a military complex believed to house missile production facilities. Such occurrences have prompted speculation that the Islamic Republic is under attack, perhaps from a foreign power.
It’s either that, or the Iranian military is in the middle of their longest streak of bad luck in decades. Neither of those would be cause for lamentation, of course, but the “coincidence” theory seems more and more difficult to believe. The Washington Post turned to intelligence and military experts, who are very skeptical of the explanations offered by Iran. Instead, they believe this is part of a sophisticated operation designed to stop Iran’s march to a nuclear weapon, and that can only mean …
A massive explosion and fire at a highly sensitive Iranian nuclear facility last week was likely an act of sabotage, intelligence officials and weapons experts said Monday, but analysts were divided over the severity of the damage to Iran’s nuclear program. … A Middle Eastern security official said in an interview that the damage was caused by a “huge explosive device” planted by Israeli operatives to “send a signal” to Tehran. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity, citing the sensitive nature of the intelligence and insisting that his name and nationality not be revealed. “There was an opportunity, and someone in Israel calculated the risk and took the opportunity,” the official said. He described the building as having been “completely destroyed.” Other analysts and nuclear experts also said the evidence so far strongly suggests that a bomb detonated inside the facility, known as the Iran Centrifuge Assembly Center. In addition to satellite images, photos released by Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization show doors blown off hinges, cracked walls and missing roof panels. “The simplest explanation is an explosion inside the building,” said Jeffrey Lewis, a professor and weapons expert at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, Calif. “It’s getting really hard to see this as an accident.”
No kidding. That would be true even if it was just the only explosion in or around Iran’s nuclear-weapons/missile programs, but it’s not. The series of “accidents” looks like a planned sabotage operation by someone. Israel has a history of attacking nuclear facilities in hostile regimes — Osirak in Iraq decades ago, and a strike on a Syrian facility being built with help from North Korea a few years ago. There is little doubt as to which country Iran would target with a nuclear weapon, and the Israelis believe the best defense is a good offense.
That doesn’t necessarily mean it was Israel, or even a foreign power. Tyrannical regimes produce domestic enemies, too, even rigidly theocratic regimes. Plus, Iran doesn’t lack for other enemies. The Saudis and Jordanians have a vested interest in keeping Iran nuke-free and might have better contacts in the country than the Israelis could develop. Both would also not weep too many tears if the IRGC ended up taking a major prestige hit over these incidents, either. The US has an interest in ending Tehran’s nuclear threat, of course, and it could be a collaboration between any or all of these countries.
One thing is for sure — Iran will have to sink a lot more resources into internal security and mole hunts at a time when they can’t sell their oil or access international financing. The fallout should be fun to watch … as long as it’s from a distance.


hotair--2020-07-07--Former GOP Sen. Judd Gregg: What if the woke left uses the 25th Amendment to stage a coup of Preside

Former GOP Sen. Judd Gregg: What if the woke left uses the 25th Amendment to stage a coup of President Biden?

The funniest thing about this piece is that Gregg was no fire-breathing populist conservative as a senator , the sort of politician whom you ’ d think might be more willing to entertain a conspiracy theory involving Democrats .
He was a RINO from New Hampshire .
He was so moderate that Obama nominated him to be Secretary of Commerce in the first months of his presidency , although Gregg subsequently withdrew before confirmation .
Reading it feels vaguely like finding out that Susan Collins had joined QAnon .
Is this the first time someone has floated this particular idea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s the first time I ’ ve seen it .
You would think Trump and his allies would have hit upon it months ago as a way to signal-boost their message that Biden as president would be a captive of the left .
Not only will the left own him , Trump might say , they ’ ll replace him a few months into his term .
We only think we ’ re electing President Biden .
The path to total control is clearly there once they have the vice presidency .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few months of assuming the presidency , Biden may find himself being the next statue toppled as the socialist/progressive movement moves closer to power… The Cause will have been completed .
Power will be fully in the hands of the statue-removers , the social justice police and those who see America ’ s political history as basically evil .
Socialist/progressive excess will govern .
Really , I ’ m just glad the new-ish political literary genre of “ far-fetched 25th Amendment scenarios ” will carry on until the next administration .
We had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago among anti-Trumpers who were frustrated that the president still had many months left in his term , but they faded a bit as impeachment started to scratch the itch of ousting Trump early and they ’ re all but nonexistent now that Election Day is on the horizon .
No matter what happens in November , they ’ re destined to resume next year .
Either Trump wins and the quest to remove him through non-electoral means begins anew or Biden wins and every brain fart he has in public as president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time ?
” I ’ m curious to know what Gregg ’ s motive was in writing this piece , as it ’ s obviously not a serious argument on the merits .
There are two relevant sections of the 25th Amendment and neither one works for what he ’ s imagining .
Section three : If that ’ s the mechanism for the “ coup ” Gregg has in mind , it would involve a hostage crisis .
Biden would have to be coerced somehow into declaring himself incompetent and then prevented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ … a dark scenario .
And it ’ s surely not the one Gregg is thinking of .
He ’ s thinking of section four : Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide , transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office , the Vice President shall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the office as Acting President .
Thereafter , when the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that no inability exists , he shall resume the powers and duties of his office unless the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive department or of such other body as Congress may by law provide , transmit within four days to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office .
Thereupon Congress shall decide the issue , assembling within forty-eight hours for that purpose if not in session .
If the Congress , within twenty-one days after receipt of the latter written declaration , or , if Congress is not in session , within twenty-one days after Congress is required to assemble , determines by two-thirds vote of both Houses that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office , the Vice President shall continue to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ otherwise , the President shall resume the powers and duties of his office .
That ’ s the “ coup ” scenario , the one that Trump critics always cite when they start daydreaming about the 25th Amendment .
The vice president and a certain number of willing accomplices in the cabinet can strip the president of power on grounds of incapacitation if — if , if , if , if — they can get supermajorities in both houses of Congress to agree .
That ’ s a heavier lift procedurally than impeachment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simple majority in the House .
What it amounts to in practice is that both House Republicans and Senate Republicans would have veto power over any Democratic attempt to replace Biden with his own vice president .
And it ’ s not a close call : The GOP would need to lose more than 50 seats in the House this fall and 20 in the Senate in order for Dems to have the numbers they need to pull off this “ coup.
” No matter how bad things look for Republicans in November @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bad enough for those sorts of losses to be possible .
So a lefty coup would be dead on arrival unless it got a Republican buy-in , and the GOP would have no incentive to provide that buy-in .
Yes , true , there ’ s a Machiavellian argument that Republicans would be better off in the 2022 midterms if they had a left-wing ideologue as their chief foil instead of smilin ’ Grandpa Joe , but they ’ d still need to explain to their base why they chose to hand presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when they had it in their power to block that .
That explanation would be particularly difficult if Democrats control the House and Senate since the new lefty POTUS might have the numbers to enact a radical agenda once the Senate filibuster was nuked .
You really want to give President Warren a crack at seeing what she can get passed in the span of 18 months or whatever , in the hope/expectation that America ’ s voters will surely punish her and her party in the midterms ?
There ’ s another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ benefits might be , elevating the VP to the presidency prior to 2024 will give him or her the advantage of incumbency in that election .
If anything , Republicans should want Sleepy Joe to serve out his full term in the belief that he ’ ll be too old and tired to run for a second one , leaving the next Democratic nominee without that incumbency advantage .
Running against Harris or Warren with two years as president under her belt would make the odds of winning steeper for GOPers .
Better @ @ @ @ @ @ @ job and hope that he really does slow down visibly in office so that voters might look to a younger Republican like Tom Cotton or Josh Hawley as an alternative in the next election .
Exit question : What was Gregg ’ s thinking in writing this ?
Is he hoping to land a cabinet position in Trump ’ s administration just in case POTUS wins reelection ?

The funniest thing about this piece is that Gregg was no fire-breathing populist conservative as a senator, the sort of politician whom you’d think might be more willing to entertain a conspiracy theory involving Democrats. He was a RINO from New Hampshire. He was so moderate that Obama nominated him to be Secretary of Commerce in the first months of his presidency, although Gregg subsequently withdrew before confirmation.
Reading it feels vaguely like finding out that Susan Collins had joined QAnon.
Is this the first time someone has floated this particular idea, by the way? It’s the first time I’ve seen it. You would think Trump and his allies would have hit upon it months ago as a way to signal-boost their message that Biden as president would be a captive of the left. Not only will the left own him, Trump might say, they’ll replace him a few months into his term. We only think we’re electing President Biden.
What if we’re electing President Harris?
The path to total control is clearly there once they have the vice presidency. It is the 25th Amendment. Within a few months of assuming the presidency, Biden may find himself being the next statue toppled as the socialist/progressive movement moves closer to power… The Cause will have been completed. Power will be fully in the hands of the statue-removers, the social justice police and those who see America’s political history as basically evil. Socialist/progressive excess will govern. It will be a coup.
Really, I’m just glad the new-ish political literary genre of “far-fetched 25th Amendment scenarios” will carry on until the next administration. We had a rash of them a few years ago among anti-Trumpers who were frustrated that the president still had many months left in his term, but they faded a bit as impeachment started to scratch the itch of ousting Trump early and they’re all but nonexistent now that Election Day is on the horizon. No matter what happens in November, they’re destined to resume next year. Either Trump wins and the quest to remove him through non-electoral means begins anew or Biden wins and every brain fart he has in public as president sparks a round of “Is it time?”
I’m curious to know what Gregg’s motive was in writing this piece, as it’s obviously not a serious argument on the merits. There are two relevant sections of the 25th Amendment and neither one works for what he’s imagining. Section three:
Whenever the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that he is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, and until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary, such powers and duties shall be discharged by the Vice President as Acting President.
If that’s the mechanism for the “coup” Gregg has in mind, it would involve a hostage crisis. Biden would have to be coerced somehow into declaring himself incompetent and then prevented from revoking that declaration. That is … a dark scenario. And it’s surely not the one Gregg is thinking of. He’s thinking of section four:
Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President. Thereafter, when the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that no inability exists, he shall resume the powers and duties of his office unless the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive department or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit within four days to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. Thereupon Congress shall decide the issue, assembling within forty-eight hours for that purpose if not in session. If the Congress, within twenty-one days after receipt of the latter written declaration, or, if Congress is not in session, within twenty-one days after Congress is required to assemble, determines by two-thirds vote of both Houses that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall continue to discharge the same as Acting President; otherwise, the President shall resume the powers and duties of his office.
That’s the “coup” scenario, the one that Trump critics always cite when they start daydreaming about the 25th Amendment. The vice president and a certain number of willing accomplices in the cabinet can strip the president of power on grounds of incapacitation if — if, if, if, if — they can get supermajorities in both houses of Congress to agree. That’s a heavier lift procedurally than impeachment is, since impeachment requires a mere simple majority in the House. What it amounts to in practice is that both House Republicans and Senate Republicans would have veto power over any Democratic attempt to replace Biden with his own vice president. And it’s not a close call: The GOP would need to lose more than 50 seats in the House this fall and 20 in the Senate in order for Dems to have the numbers they need to pull off this “coup.” No matter how bad things look for Republicans in November, they won’t look remotely bad enough for those sorts of losses to be possible.
So a lefty coup would be dead on arrival unless it got a Republican buy-in, and the GOP would have no incentive to provide that buy-in. Yes, true, there’s a Machiavellian argument that Republicans would be better off in the 2022 midterms if they had a left-wing ideologue as their chief foil instead of smilin’ Grandpa Joe, but they’d still need to explain to their base why they chose to hand presidential power to someone more progressive than Biden when they had it in their power to block that. That explanation would be particularly difficult if Democrats control the House and Senate since the new lefty POTUS might have the numbers to enact a radical agenda once the Senate filibuster was nuked. You really want to give President Warren a crack at seeing what she can get passed in the span of 18 months or whatever, in the hope/expectation that America’s voters will surely punish her and her party in the midterms?
There’s another problem for Republicans. Whatever the midterm benefits might be, elevating the VP to the presidency prior to 2024 will give him or her the advantage of incumbency in that election. If anything, Republicans should want Sleepy Joe to serve out his full term in the belief that he’ll be too old and tired to run for a second one, leaving the next Democratic nominee without that incumbency advantage. Running against Harris or Warren with two years as president under her belt would make the odds of winning steeper for GOPers. Better to force Biden to stay on the job and hope that he really does slow down visibly in office so that voters might look to a younger Republican like Tom Cotton or Josh Hawley as an alternative in the next election.
Exit question: What was Gregg’s thinking in writing this? Is he hoping to land a cabinet position in Trump’s administration just in case POTUS wins reelection?


hotair--2020-07-07--FBI Director Wray: China aims to become 'the world's only superpower by any means necessary'

FBI Director Christopher Wray gave a speech at the Hudson Institute today which highlighted his agency ’ s ongoing battle with Chinese operatives and spies .
He said that cases involving China account for nearly half of all active counterintelligence cases : Speaking at an event hosted by the Hudson Institute in Washington , Wray said that Chinese thefts amount to “ one of the largest transfers of wealth in human history , ” and that the American people are the victims .
“ Of the nearly 5,000 active FBI counterintelligence cases currently under way across the country , almost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wray said .
“ And at this very moment , China is working to compromise American health care organizations , pharmaceutical companies and academic institutions conducting essential COVID-19 research.
” … “ If you ’ re an American adult , it is more likely than not that China has stolen your personal data , ” he said .
Wray opened his speech saying he would provide more detail on the threat from China than the FBI had ever presented in an open forum before .
He then made the statement about the massive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ represents , citing the Chinese hack of Equifax in 2017 which gave China access to data on 150 million Americans .
“ We ’ ve now reached the point where the FBI is opening a new , China-related counterintelligence case every 10 hours , ” Wray said .
As for the goal of all of this activity , Wray was very clear about that : “ China is engaged in a whole-of-state effort to become the world ’ s only superpower by any means necessary.
” Wray also mentioned the Thousand Talent Program @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chinese universities .
A number of U.S. academics have been arrested in the past year for lying about their participation in the program .
Since a lot of this research being stolen has a federal funding component , “ American taxpayers are effectively footing the bill for China ’ s own technological development , ” Wray said .
Wray spent several minutes talking about the ways in which China uses its markets to pressure companies and elected officials to comply with the communist party ’ s wishes .
Sometimes that pressure is direct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visit to Taiwan , China will hold up approval of a specific company ’ s right to manufacture .
In other cases , he said China identifies people close to the official and puts pressure on them to change the person ’ s mind .
“ We ’ ve heard from federal , state and even local officials that Chinese diplomats are aggressively urging support for China ’ s handling of the COVID-19 crisis , ” Wray said .
Here ’ s the full speech from the Hudson Institute :

FBI Director Christopher Wray gave a speech at the Hudson Institute today which highlighted his agency’s ongoing battle with Chinese operatives and spies. He said that cases involving China account for nearly half of all active counterintelligence cases:
Speaking at an event hosted by the Hudson Institute in Washington, Wray said that Chinese thefts amount to “one of the largest transfers of wealth in human history,” and that the American people are the victims. “Of the nearly 5,000 active FBI counterintelligence cases currently under way across the country, almost half are related to China,” Wray said. “And at this very moment, China is working to compromise American health care organizations, pharmaceutical companies and academic institutions conducting essential COVID-19 research.”… “If you’re an American adult, it is more likely than not that China has stolen your personal data,” he said.
Wray opened his speech saying he would provide more detail on the threat from China than the FBI had ever presented in an open forum before. He then made the statement about the massive wealth transfer the Chinese theft of information represents, citing the Chinese hack of Equifax in 2017 which gave China access to data on 150 million Americans.
“We’ve now reached the point where the FBI is opening a new, China-related counterintelligence case every 10 hours,” Wray said.
As for the goal of all of this activity, Wray was very clear about that: “China is engaged in a whole-of-state effort to become the world’s only superpower by any means necessary.”
Wray also mentioned the Thousand Talent Program which pays top academics to work at Chinese universities. A number of U.S. academics have been arrested in the past year for lying about their participation in the program. Since a lot of this research being stolen has a federal funding component, “American taxpayers are effectively footing the bill for China’s own technological development,” Wray said.
Wray spent several minutes talking about the ways in which China uses its markets to pressure companies and elected officials to comply with the communist party’s wishes. Sometimes that pressure is direct, i.e. if you make a visit to Taiwan, China will hold up approval of a specific company’s right to manufacture. In other cases, he said China identifies people close to the official and puts pressure on them to change the person’s mind.
“We’ve heard from federal, state and even local officials that Chinese diplomats are aggressively urging support for China’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis,” Wray said.
Here’s the full speech from the Hudson Institute:


hotair--2020-07-07--And now NYC wants the cops to have "personal liability insurance"

What do you do after you slash one billion dollars out of your city ’ s police budget to “ redistribute ” it to social justice causes ?
Well , for one thing , at least in New York , you sit and ponder what you ’ re going to do about your suddenly skyrocketing crime rates .
But after that , you ’ ll probably want to figure out what to do about how to pay for all the lawsuits that arise after City Hall essentially agrees with the rioters in the streets that the cops are the root @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start growing even more litigious .
In the case of New York City and the state capital , the elected elders have clearly seen a path forward through this part of the maze .
Assuming that everyone will be suing the police if the officers so much as look at them funny and knowing that City Hall won ’ t have their backs , you partner up with the state government and force the cops to have liability insurance so the city won ’ t have to pay all of the settlements that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m kidding ?
That ’ s an idea that ’ s seriously on the table in the state legislature right now .
( NY Post ) State lawmakers are churning out more proposed laws to hold cops accountable for misconduct .
A bill introduced by state Sen. Alessandra Biaggi ( D-Bronx ) would require police officers to obtain personal liability insurance to cover civil lawsuits filed against them for excessive force and other abuses as a way to deter misconduct .
Under current law , cops who are sued are represented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foot the bill for any verdict or settlement .
Biaggi ’ s proposal would require each officer to obtain individual liability insurance .
The city or other local governments would still be required to cover the basic insurance policy to cover tort litigation costs .
The bill ’ s author is describing this as a way to establish a “ financial disincentive for police misconduct and create accountability for abhorrent behavior.
” The number of things wrong with this proposal boggles the mind , and this is setting loose a flock of chickens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sooner than later .
First of all , there ’ s one thing we know for certain .
While there are certainly incidents of abuse by police officers who need to be held to account , vast numbers of suspects find themselves some ambulance-chasing lawyers and makes all sorts of unfounded claims against police officer all the time .
That ’ s why there ’ s an old saying among defense lawyers about how there ’ s never been a guilty person in jail .
Everyone has an excuse .
And if there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blame the cop for “ mishandling ” during an arrest , it increased your chances of getting off on a technicality .
Also , this fee for liability insurance won ’ t just be levied on cops who are found to be in violation of protocols or even engaging in criminal behavior .
That ’ s a vanishingly small percentage of them .
But the charges will apply to all of them .
It ’ s not as if you get rich being a cop .
( Trust me , we ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There ’ s a clear parallel here to the way that gun control laws massively and disproportionately impact lawful gun owners instead of those who commit gun crimes .
This isn ’ t a “ disincentive for police misconduct.
” It ’ s a disincentive to be a police officer .
And this isn ’ t the only bill like this currently being put on the table .
There ’ s a separate one that will strip police officers of their pensions in cases of alleged misconduct .
Granted , I don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Michael Slager and others should be allowed to collect pensions after committing cold-blooded murder .
That ’ s offensive to the families of the victims and society in general .
But what about marginal cases like that of the officer who shot Rayshard Brooks ?
He was hustled off for a murder charge before the state Bureau of Investigation could even conclude an investigation and the specifics of the charges are weak to say the least .
Will he and his partner be stripped of the pensions they risked their lives for all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rules like this ?
I ’ ve got a prediction for you and I ’ m willing to put some free Hot Air t-shirts on the line for it as a wager .
What this action is going to result in isn ’ t less illegal behavior by cops .
It ’ s going to result in fewer cops .
Who in their right mind is going to want to put on the badge and go out and literally risk their lives every night protecting and serving , all the while knowing that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will have their back when the mob comes for them ?
Not many , in my never very humble opinion .

What do you do after you slash one billion dollars out of your city’s police budget to “redistribute” it to social justice causes? Well, for one thing, at least in New York, you sit and ponder what you’re going to do about your suddenly skyrocketing crime rates. But after that, you’ll probably want to figure out what to do about how to pay for all the lawsuits that arise after City Hall essentially agrees with the rioters in the streets that the cops are the root of all of your problems and people start growing even more litigious.
In the case of New York City and the state capital, the elected elders have clearly seen a path forward through this part of the maze. Assuming that everyone will be suing the police if the officers so much as look at them funny and knowing that City Hall won’t have their backs, you partner up with the state government and force the cops to have liability insurance so the city won’t have to pay all of the settlements that are looming over the horizon. Think I’m kidding? That’s an idea that’s seriously on the table in the state legislature right now. (NY Post)
State lawmakers are churning out more proposed laws to hold cops accountable for misconduct. A bill introduced by state Sen. Alessandra Biaggi (D-Bronx) would require police officers to obtain personal liability insurance to cover civil lawsuits filed against them for excessive force and other abuses as a way to deter misconduct. Under current law, cops who are sued are represented by the city law department and taxpayers foot the bill for any verdict or settlement. Biaggi’s proposal would require each officer to obtain individual liability insurance. The city or other local governments would still be required to cover the basic insurance policy to cover tort litigation costs.
The bill’s author is describing this as a way to establish a “financial disincentive for police misconduct and create accountability for abhorrent behavior.” The number of things wrong with this proposal boggles the mind, and this is setting loose a flock of chickens that will come home to roost far sooner than later.
First of all, there’s one thing we know for certain. While there are certainly incidents of abuse by police officers who need to be held to account, vast numbers of suspects find themselves some ambulance-chasing lawyers and makes all sorts of unfounded claims against police officer all the time. That’s why there’s an old saying among defense lawyers about how there’s never been a guilty person in jail. Everyone has an excuse. And if there’s even a chance you can blame the cop for “mishandling” during an arrest, it increased your chances of getting off on a technicality.
Also, this fee for liability insurance won’t just be levied on cops who are found to be in violation of protocols or even engaging in criminal behavior. That’s a vanishingly small percentage of them. But the charges will apply to all of them. It’s not as if you get rich being a cop. (Trust me, we’ve had plenty in my family.) There’s a clear parallel here to the way that gun control laws massively and disproportionately impact lawful gun owners instead of those who commit gun crimes. This isn’t a “disincentive for police misconduct.” It’s a disincentive to be a police officer.
And this isn’t the only bill like this currently being put on the table. There’s a separate one that will strip police officers of their pensions in cases of alleged misconduct. Granted, I don’t think that the egregious offenders like Michael Slager and others should be allowed to collect pensions after committing cold-blooded murder. That’s offensive to the families of the victims and society in general.
But what about marginal cases like that of the officer who shot Rayshard Brooks? He was hustled off for a murder charge before the state Bureau of Investigation could even conclude an investigation and the specifics of the charges are weak to say the least. Will he and his partner be stripped of the pensions they risked their lives for all these years if other states start adopting rules like this?
I’ve got a prediction for you and I’m willing to put some free Hot Air t-shirts on the line for it as a wager. What this action is going to result in isn’t less illegal behavior by cops. It’s going to result in fewer cops. Who in their right mind is going to want to put on the badge and go out and literally risk their lives every night protecting and serving, all the while knowing that their pay is being slashed and nobody will have their back when the mob comes for them? Not many, in my never very humble opinion.


hotair--2020-07-07--Fauci: “It’s a false narrative to take comfort in a lower rate of death”

We should take a little bit of comfort in it , no ?
It ’ s the only piece of truly good news we have right now on coronavirus , not counting yesterday ’ s report on antigen testing .
Fauci ’ s point is clear enough , though .
It ’ s not that the declining death toll isn ’ t real and encouraging , it ’ s that focusing people ’ s attention on it will lead them to take fewer precautions in the belief that the disease is no longer as much of a mortal threat .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and whether it ’ s true is the big mystery in America ’ s epidemic at the moment ) , it ’ s debilitating short-term for some , debilitating long-term for others , and fatal in several hundred cases every day .
“ Don ’ t worry , you won ’ t die ” isn ’ t the message to be pitching at a moment when Texas , Arizona , and Florida are struggling to come up with ways to get people to reduce their exposure .
“ It ’ s a false @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rate of death , ” Fauci said Tuesday during a livestreamed press conference hosted by Sen. Doug Jones ( D-Ala. ) “ There ’ s so many other things that are very dangerous and bad about this virus , don ’ t get yourself into a false complacency , ” he added… “ The death rate is lower , I admit that .
Because people in general , who are young or healthier .
But that doesn ’ t mean that you could not get seriously ill , ” he said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has in mind : We ’ re only a week or two away from solving our national mystery about whether an uptick in deaths is merely “ lagging ” the rise in cases nationally or if something fundamental has changed about the epidemic to make COVID-19 durably less deadly .
According to Worldometer , cases in the U.S. began climbing steadily around June 17 .
That ’ s three weeks ago .
Three weeks is around the time you ’ d expect for an infection to turn symptomatic , then serious , then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If deaths are going to follow the pattern we saw in New York , we should see movement over the next week .
And maybe we will : The trend in deaths may be down down but the trend in hospitalizations… If we don ’ t see the death toll rise , we ’ re going to spend the second half of this month watching a fascinating debate play out among doctors and scientists about why COVID has suddenly become less lethal .
Did the virus mutate ?
Have hospitals simply cracked the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Are remdesivir and dexamethasone really game-changers to the point of reducing daily deaths in the U.S. by 90 percent from their peak in the span of a few months ?
Here ’ s an interesting set of results from a survey of Texans about COVID-19 which may capture Fauci ’ s point about the death toll .
Texas saw a sudden leap in cases in mid-June and hasn ’ t looked back , with the latest daily count now more than four times higher than it was on June 15 .
Are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Oh yes .
Are they “ concerned ” about it , though ?
Not as much as they used to be , interestingly .
The share of Texans who say that efforts to deal with the pandemic in Texas are going badly increased sharply between April and June , from 29 % to 51 % , while those who said it was going well fell from 66 % to 29 % .
Fewer Texans were concerned about both the spread of the Coronavirus in their communities , and about contracting ( or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the latest poll than they were in April .
The share of Texans who reported being “ extremely ” or “ very ” concerned about the spread of the coronavirus in their community decreased from 54 % in April to 47 % in June .
You ’ re much more likely to get the virus in Texas now than you were in April but not much more likely to die from it .
Yesterday the state registered 63 deaths , the same number that it did on May 21 .
But don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At 43 , the seven-day average of deaths in Texas is now the highest it ’ s been since the start of the epidemic there .
Deaths are trending upwards .
Just not at anything like the terrifying pace we saw in NYC in April .
We ’ ll check back next week .
In the meantime , here ’ s Fauci today touching on some common ground that he and Trump have .
The president wants schools open in the fall .
Me too , says , Fauci , emphasizing the unintended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ families if parents are stuck having to provide daily child care for many months longer .
He ’ s sticking with Trump ’ s federal guidelines as a yardstick , though .
Clearly , in communities where the spread of the virus is low , he wants them to move forward on schools .
In communities where the spread is more aggressive — well , those communities are moving forward too whether he likes it or not .

We should take a little bit of comfort in it, no? It’s the only piece of truly good news we have right now on coronavirus, not counting yesterday’s report on antigen testing.
Fauci’s point is clear enough, though. It’s not that the declining death toll isn’t real and encouraging, it’s that focusing people’s attention on it will lead them to take fewer precautions in the belief that the disease is no longer as much of a mortal threat. Even if that’s true (and whether it’s true is the big mystery in America’s epidemic at the moment), it’s debilitating short-term for some, debilitating long-term for others, and fatal in several hundred cases every day. “Don’t worry, you won’t die” isn’t the message to be pitching at a moment when Texas, Arizona, and Florida are struggling to come up with ways to get people to reduce their exposure.
“It’s a false narrative to take comfort in a lower rate of death,” Fauci said Tuesday during a livestreamed press conference hosted by Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.) “There’s so many other things that are very dangerous and bad about this virus, don’t get yourself into a false complacency,” he added… “The death rate is lower, I admit that. Because people in general, who are young or healthier. But that doesn’t mean that you could not get seriously ill,” he said.
“False complacency.” I wonder who he has in mind:
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1280484878744793090
We’re only a week or two away from solving our national mystery about whether an uptick in deaths is merely “lagging” the rise in cases nationally or if something fundamental has changed about the epidemic to make COVID-19 durably less deadly. According to Worldometer, cases in the U.S. began climbing steadily around June 17. That’s three weeks ago. Three weeks is around the time you’d expect for an infection to turn symptomatic, then serious, then serious enough to require intensive care. If deaths are going to follow the pattern we saw in New York, we should see movement over the next week. And maybe we will: The trend in deaths may be down down but the trend in hospitalizations…
If we don’t see the death toll rise, we’re going to spend the second half of this month watching a fascinating debate play out among doctors and scientists about why COVID has suddenly become less lethal. Did the virus mutate? Have hospitals simply cracked the code on how to keep people alive? Are remdesivir and dexamethasone really game-changers to the point of reducing daily deaths in the U.S. by 90 percent from their peak in the span of a few months?
Here’s an interesting set of results from a survey of Texans about COVID-19 which may capture Fauci’s point about the death toll. Texas saw a sudden leap in cases in mid-June and hasn’t looked back, with the latest daily count now more than four times higher than it was on June 15. Are Texans aware that things are going badly? Oh yes. Are they “concerned” about it, though? Not as much as they used to be, interestingly.
The share of Texans who say that efforts to deal with the pandemic in Texas are going badly increased sharply between April and June, from 29% to 51%, while those who said it was going well fell from 66% to 29%. Fewer Texans were concerned about both the spread of the Coronavirus in their communities, and about contracting (or a family member contracting) the virus in the latest poll than they were in April. The share of Texans who reported being “extremely” or “very” concerned about the spread of the coronavirus in their community decreased from 54% in April to 47% in June.
You’re much more likely to get the virus in Texas now than you were in April but not much more likely to die from it. Yesterday the state registered 63 deaths, the same number that it did on May 21. But don’t overlook the fine print: At 43, the seven-day average of deaths in Texas is now the highest it’s been since the start of the epidemic there. Deaths are trending upwards. Just not at anything like the terrifying pace we saw in NYC in April.
Yet?
We’ll check back next week. In the meantime, here’s Fauci today touching on some common ground that he and Trump have. The president wants schools open in the fall. Me too, says, Fauci, emphasizing the unintended consequences and “ripple effects” on families if parents are stuck having to provide daily child care for many months longer. He’s sticking with Trump’s federal guidelines as a yardstick, though. Clearly, in communities where the spread of the virus is low, he wants them to move forward on schools. In communities where the spread is more aggressive — well, those communities are moving forward too whether he likes it or not.


hotair--2020-07-07--Trump administration sends UN notice it plans to withdraw from World Health Organization (Update)

The Trump administration is withdrawing the United States from the World Health Organization .
The administration submitted a letter to the UN but the letter itself hasn ’ t been made public yet .
The Washington Post reports that the U.S. needs to give a year ’ s notice before withdrawing .
The notice of withdrawal was delivered to United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres , said a senior administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the letter has not been made public .
Under the terms of a joint resolution passed by Congress in 1948 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s notice in writing and pay its debts to the agency in order to leave .
It is not clear whether the president can pull the United States out of the organization and withdraw funding without Congress .
When Trump first threatened to withdraw , Democratic lawmakers argued that doing so would be illegal and vowed to push back .
Democratic Senator Bob Menendez tweeted that congress had been notified of the withdrawal earlier today .
Other Democrats are weighing in as well : Even Hillary is jumping in on this one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a couple months about China having too much control of WHO even though America pays for the bulk of it .
In mid-April he announced from the Rose Garden that he was halting funding of the organization while a review of its response to the coronavirus crisis was carried out .
Trump accused the WHO of “ severely mismanaging and covering up ” the coronavirus crisis , specifically the initial outbreak in Wuhan , China .
He took particular issue with the agency ’ s criticism of his order to temporarily deny entry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who had recently been in China .
The order was issued Jan. 31 , when China was the center of the pandemic .
“ With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic , we have deep concerns about whether America ’ s generosity has been put to the best use possible , ” Trump said .
“ The reality is that the WHO failed to adequately obtain and share information in a timely and transparent fashion .
WHO really has favored China ’ s version of events during the pandemic .
Just last month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China was aware early on that China was slow-walking information about the virus .
Just a few days ago WHO revised its official timeline about when China notified it about the existence of a cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan .
We ’ re only hearing the very start of this now .
It appears congressional Democrats are going to attempt to get involved in this decision .
At a minimum they are going to try to drive a few new cycles off it .
Get ready to hear the phrase “ in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ times .
Update : Here ’ s Joe Biden ’ s reaction or at least his media staff ’ s reaction in his name .
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros tweeted this link to a “ Why we need the World Health Organization ” podcast a moment ago .

The Trump administration is withdrawing the United States from the World Health Organization. The administration submitted a letter to the UN but the letter itself hasn’t been made public yet. The Washington Post reports that the U.S. needs to give a year’s notice before withdrawing.
The notice of withdrawal was delivered to United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, said a senior administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the letter has not been made public. Under the terms of a joint resolution passed by Congress in 1948, the United States must give a year’s notice in writing and pay its debts to the agency in order to leave. It is not clear whether the president can pull the United States out of the organization and withdraw funding without Congress. When Trump first threatened to withdraw, Democratic lawmakers argued that doing so would be illegal and vowed to push back.
Democratic Senator Bob Menendez tweeted that congress had been notified of the withdrawal earlier today.
Congress received notification that POTUS officially withdrew the U.S. from the @WHO in the midst of a pandemic. To call Trump’s response to COVID chaotic & incoherent doesn't do it justice. This won't protect American lives or interests—it leaves Americans sick & America alone. — Senator Bob Menendez (@SenatorMenendez) July 7, 2020
Other Democrats are weighing in as well:
Trump officially withdrew the United States from the World Health Organization in the middle of a global health crisis. This move is reckless, short-sighted, and surrenders what was left of America's leadership on the world stage. — Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) July 7, 2020
This decision is irresponsible, reckless, and utterly incomprehensible. Withdrawing from the @WHO in the midst of the greatest public health crisis of our lifetime is a self-destructive move. More Americans will be hurt by this careless choice. https://t.co/OeSoLikR4f — Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) July 7, 2020
Even Hillary is jumping in on this one.
This is the very last thing we need, so of course the Trump administration is doing it. What a self-inflicted disaster. https://t.co/US0KyvLHRa — Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) July 7, 2020
President Trump has been complaining for a couple months about China having too much control of WHO even though America pays for the bulk of it. In mid-April he announced from the Rose Garden that he was halting funding of the organization while a review of its response to the coronavirus crisis was carried out.
Trump accused the WHO of “severely mismanaging and covering up” the coronavirus crisis, specifically the initial outbreak in Wuhan, China. He took particular issue with the agency’s criticism of his order to temporarily deny entry to the U.S. by most foreign nationals who had recently been in China. The order was issued Jan. 31, when China was the center of the pandemic. “With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have deep concerns about whether America’s generosity has been put to the best use possible,” Trump said. “The reality is that the WHO failed to adequately obtain and share information in a timely and transparent fashion.
WHO really has favored China’s version of events during the pandemic. Just last month the AP published a story revealing that China was aware early on that China was slow-walking information about the virus. Just a few days ago WHO revised its official timeline about when China notified it about the existence of a cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan.
We’re only hearing the very start of this now. It appears congressional Democrats are going to attempt to get involved in this decision. At a minimum they are going to try to drive a few new cycles off it. Get ready to hear the phrase “in the midst of a pandemic” 10,000 times.
Update: Here’s Joe Biden’s reaction or at least his media staff’s reaction in his name.
Americans are safer when America is engaged in strengthening global health. On my first day as President, I will rejoin the @WHO and restore our leadership on the world stage. https://t.co/8uazVIgPZB — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 7, 2020
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros tweeted this link to a “Why we need the World Health Organization” podcast a moment ago.