hotair--2020-05-08--Barr: FBI set Flynn up in an illegitimate "perjury trap" -- directed by top brass

Just how did the Department of Justice issue such a strong reversal in the prosecution of Michael Flynn ?
CBS News reporter Catherine Herridge sat down with Attorney General William Barr as Democrats [ nominally ] on Capitol Hill demanded his resignation for dropping the charges .
In an interview that will air more fully tonight , Barr declares that the FBI concocted a perjury trap to extend an illegitimate counterintelligence operation , and that the orders to do so came from the very top of the FBI .
As for claims that he is acting as Donald Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he told Congress from the start that he would conduct an independent investigation into the circumstances of Operation Crossfire Hurricane .
“ I ’ m doing the law ’ s bidding , ” rather than Trump ’ s bidding , Barr says .
“ I ’ m doing my duty under the law , as I see it.
” This is one particular episode , but we view it as part of a number of related acts .
And we ’ re looking at the whole pattern of conduct .
The whole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election ?
Okay .
You talk about the importance of timing in this decision .
What was the evidence that helped you decide this issue ?
I think a very important evidence here was that this was not a bona fide counterintelligence investigation – was that they were closing the investigation in December .
They started that process .
And on January 4th , they were closing it .
And that when they heard about the phone call , which is – the FBI had the transcripts too – there ’ s no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The FBI knew exactly what was discussed .
And General Flynn , being the former director of the DIA , said to them , you know , “ You listen , you listen to everything .
You know , you know what was said.
” So there was no mystery about the call .
But they initially tried some theories of how they could open another investigation , which didn ’ t fly .
And then they found out that they had not technically closed the earlier investigation .
And they kept it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to catch , lay a perjury trap for General Flynn .
They didn ’ t warn him , the way we usually would be required by the Department .
They bypassed the Justice Department .
They bypassed the protocols at the White House and so forth .
These were things that persuaded me that there was not a legitimate counterintelligence investigation going on .
The clip above then cuts to a discussion about consequences for those involved in the perjury trap , but the CBS transcript of the full interview has an explosive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Herridge ’ s question : That would be Comey and Andrew McCabe , the same two people who have gone on to be celebrated by the media as martyrs for law enforcement .
Their involvement in the circumstances that produced the basis for Flynn ’ s prosecution remains part of John Durham ’ s broader probe into Crossfire Hurricane , but they aren ’ t the only FBI officials who might get caught in that investigation .
At RealClearInvestigations , Mark Hemingway counts all the ways this process got corrupted in order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ director .
It ’ s a bit too detailed to excerpt , but RCI sent these bullet points for consideration : • The FBI took three weeks , not the requisite five days , to deliberate on and compose Flynn ’ s 302 form .
• Peter Strzok , the top agent who interviewed Flynn , took an unusual role in producing the 302 , which would normally be the job of the other agent present , Joe Pientka .
• In one text to his FBI lover Lisa Page , Strzok tells @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s 302 form to the point he ’ s “ trying not to completely re-write ” it .
• Page , who did not attend the interview , reviewed the 302 form and made editing suggestions .
FBI personnel not present at interviews aren ’ t supposed to edit 302s .
• During the process , Page texted Strzok , “ Is Andy good with the 302 ?
” – presumably referring to FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe .
• Former special agent Thomas Baker said it was “ not normal and suspicious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pientka ’ s 302 form to be filed .
• Baker : ” We never changed an agent ’ s 302 .
… So for us to read … that Peter Strzok said he virtually rewrote the whole thing – it damned them with their own words.
” • James Gagliano , retired 25-year veteran of the FBI : “ For [ Strzok ] to send that 302 to Lisa Page , a non-badge wearing , non-credential-having FBI agent is unconscionable.
” • Hovering over all the questions about what happened with Flynn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pientka , the other agent .
Be sure to read the whole thing .
Put together , it ’ s clear that something stinks about the FBI ’ s targeting of Flynn .
And put together with all of the errors , omissions , and lies in pursuit of the FISA warrant on Carter Page , the picture of a rogue and political FBI comes into much sharper focus .
James Comey has to answer for that — and it ’ s William Barr ’ s job to make sure he does .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ McCarthy argued on my show yesterday , this should put an end to the 302 process at the FBI .
This abuse of that process would never have worked if the FBI was required to do what all other law enforcement agents have done for decades — record the audio of their interviews .
The risk of manipulation is so great that it ’ s amazing that Congress hasn ’ t stepped in yet to demand it , but Barr should take this opportunity to end the 302 process .
Until they do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it behooves anyone who sits down for an interview with FBI agents to record those conversations for themselves .
This episode has made it quite clear that the FBI can abuse that 302 process for their open purposes without much consequence or oversight .

Just how did the Department of Justice issue such a strong reversal in the prosecution of Michael Flynn? CBS News reporter Catherine Herridge sat down with Attorney General William Barr as Democrats [nominally] on Capitol Hill demanded his resignation for dropping the charges. In an interview that will air more fully tonight, Barr declares that the FBI concocted a perjury trap to extend an illegitimate counterintelligence operation, and that the orders to do so came from the very top of the FBI.
As for claims that he is acting as Donald Trump’s hatchet man, Barr reminds Herridge that he told Congress from the start that he would conduct an independent investigation into the circumstances of Operation Crossfire Hurricane. “I’m doing the law’s bidding,” rather than Trump’s bidding, Barr says. “I’m doing my duty under the law, as I see it.”
This is one particular episode, but we view it as part of a number of related acts. And we’re looking at the whole pattern of conduct. The whole pattern of conduct before? And after. And after? Yeah, the election. After the election? Okay. You talk about the importance of timing in this decision. What was the evidence that helped you decide this issue? I think a very important evidence here was that this was not a bona fide counterintelligence investigation – was that they were closing the investigation in December. They started that process. And on January 4th, they were closing it. And that when they heard about the phone call, which is – the FBI had the transcripts too – there’s no question as to what was discussed. The FBI knew exactly what was discussed. And General Flynn, being the former director of the DIA, said to them, you know, “You listen, you listen to everything. You know, you know what was said.” So there was no mystery about the call. But they initially tried some theories of how they could open another investigation, which didn’t fly. And then they found out that they had not technically closed the earlier investigation. And they kept it open for the express purpose of trying to catch, lay a perjury trap for General Flynn. They didn’t warn him, the way we usually would be required by the Department. They bypassed the Justice Department. They bypassed the protocols at the White House and so forth. These were things that persuaded me that there was not a legitimate counterintelligence investigation going on.
The clip above then cuts to a discussion about consequences for those involved in the perjury trap, but the CBS transcript of the full interview has an explosive statement from Barr that sets the context for Herridge’s question:
Who at the FBI was driving this? Well, this particular episode, it looks like the impetus came from the seventh floor. The seventh floor is Director Comey. I believe it’s Director Comey and the deputy’s office.
That would be Comey and Andrew McCabe, the same two people who have gone on to be celebrated by the media as martyrs for law enforcement. Their involvement in the circumstances that produced the basis for Flynn’s prosecution remains part of John Durham’s broader probe into Crossfire Hurricane, but they aren’t the only FBI officials who might get caught in that investigation. At RealClearInvestigations, Mark Hemingway counts all the ways this process got corrupted in order to press charges against the national security director. It’s a bit too detailed to excerpt, but RCI sent these bullet points for consideration:
The FBI took three weeks, not the requisite five days, to deliberate on and compose Flynn’s 302 form.
Peter Strzok, the top agent who interviewed Flynn, took an unusual role in producing the 302, which would normally be the job of the other agent present, Joe Pientka.
In one text to his FBI lover Lisa Page, Strzok tells her he is heavily editing Pientka’s 302 form to the point he’s “trying not to completely re-write” it.
Page, who did not attend the interview, reviewed the 302 form and made editing suggestions. FBI personnel not present at interviews aren’t supposed to edit 302s.
During the process, Page texted Strzok, “Is Andy good with the 302?” – presumably referring to FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe.
Former special agent Thomas Baker said it was “not normal and suspicious” that it took three weeks for Pientka’s 302 form to be filed.
Baker: ”We never changed an agent’s 302. … So for us to read … that Peter Strzok said he virtually rewrote the whole thing – it damned them with their own words.”
James Gagliano, retired 25-year veteran of the FBI: “For [Strzok] to send that 302 to Lisa Page, a non-badge wearing, non-credential-having FBI agent is unconscionable.”
Hovering over all the questions about what happened with Flynn’s 302 is the silence of Pientka, the other agent.
Be sure to read the whole thing. Put together, it’s clear that something stinks about the FBI’s targeting of Flynn. And put together with all of the errors, omissions, and lies in pursuit of the FISA warrant on Carter Page, the picture of a rogue and political FBI comes into much sharper focus. James Comey has to answer for that — and it’s William Barr’s job to make sure he does.
Finally, as my friend Andrew C. McCarthy argued on my show yesterday, this should put an end to the 302 process at the FBI. This abuse of that process would never have worked if the FBI was required to do what all other law enforcement agents have done for decades — record the audio of their interviews. The risk of manipulation is so great that it’s amazing that Congress hasn’t stepped in yet to demand it, but Barr should take this opportunity to end the 302 process. Until they do, or maybe even after they do, it behooves anyone who sits down for an interview with FBI agents to record those conversations for themselves. This episode has made it quite clear that the FBI can abuse that 302 process for their open purposes without much consequence or oversight.


hotair--2020-05-08--Interview: Micah Hanks on recent Pentagon UFO revelations

This week I had the opportunity to sit down with author , podcaster , researcher and all-around investigator Micah Hanks to discuss the recent Pentagon revelations about videos of UFOs our military has engaged with for decades .
This was a wide-ranging discussion of the level of media coverage this event received and what we ’ re supposed to do with this information .
Has the United States military actually admitted that UFOs are real ?
And if so , what does it all mean ?
Why was the media almost entirely silent about this ?
Many questions remain .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and we dig into all of that and more .
For those who find Micah ’ s insights interesting , you ’ ll want to check out his other offerings .
His Fortean musings can be explored through his regular broadcast , The Micah Hanks Program , available at his primary website .
He also covers politics and current events in another of his podcasts , Middle Theory .
He ’ s also the author of several fascinating books .
But enough about that .
Here ’ s the interview .
Share your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some compelling material .

This week I had the opportunity to sit down with author, podcaster, researcher and all-around investigator Micah Hanks to discuss the recent Pentagon revelations about videos of UFOs our military has engaged with for decades. This was a wide-ranging discussion of the level of media coverage this event received and what we’re supposed to do with this information. Has the United States military actually admitted that UFOs are real? And if so, what does it all mean? Why was the media almost entirely silent about this? Many questions remain. The video of the interview is below and we dig into all of that and more.
For those who find Micah’s insights interesting, you’ll want to check out his other offerings. His Fortean musings can be explored through his regular broadcast, The Micah Hanks Program, available at his primary website.
He also covers politics and current events in another of his podcasts, Middle Theory.
He’s also the author of several fascinating books.
But enough about that. Here’s the interview. Share your thoughts in the comments. This is some compelling material.


hotair--2020-05-09--This real life 'lord of the flies' story is very different from the book

You probably read this book in junior high school or at some point while you were young .
Lord of the Flies by William Golding tells the story of a group of boys who are stranded on a remote island after a plane crash .
Initially they rally and make plans to stay alive until they can be rescued , but soon the boys form factions and a power struggle leads to murder .
The idea behind the novel isn ’ t hard to miss .
Left alone , children would quickly revert to a semi-feral and warlike state because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Today the Guardian published an excerpt from a book by Rutger Bregman which reveals that something very much like the premise of Lord of the Flies actually happened once in the 1960s .
A group of boys “ borrowed ” a boat and wound up stranded on an island for 15 months : The real Lord of the Flies , Mano told us , began in June 1965 .
The protagonists were six boys – Sione , Stephen , Kolo , David , Luke and Mano – all pupils at a strict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The oldest was 16 , the youngest 13 , and they had one main thing in common : they were bored witless .
So they came up with a plan to escape : to Fiji , some 500 miles away , or even all the way to New Zealand .
There was only one obstacle .
None of them owned a boat , so they decided to “ borrow ” one from Mr Taniela Uhila , a fisherman they all disliked .
The boys took little time to prepare for the voyage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few coconuts and a small gas burner were all the supplies they packed .
It didn ’ t occur to any of them to bring a map , let alone a compass .
The journey didn ’ t go as planned .
A storm hit .
Their sail was shredded .
After drifting on the sea for a full week they saw the island of ‘ Ata , the remnant of an ancient volcano , which had been uninhabited by humans for about 100 years at that point .
While the boys in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the fire , those in this real-life version tended their flame so it never went out , for more than a year .
The kids agreed to work in teams of two , drawing up a strict roster for garden , kitchen and guard duty .
Sometimes they quarreled , but whenever that happened they solved it by imposing a time-out .
Their days began and ended with song and prayer .
Kolo fashioned a makeshift guitar from a piece of driftwood , half a coconut shell and six steel wires salvaged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Peter has kept all these years – and played it to help lift their spirits .
And their spirits needed lifting .
All summer long it hardly rained , driving the boys frantic with thirst .
They tried constructing a raft in order to leave the island , but it fell apart in the crashing surf .
Worst of all , Stephen slipped one day , fell off a cliff and broke his leg .
The other boys picked their way down after him and then helped him back up to the top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and leaves .
“ Don ’ t worry , ” Sione joked .
“ We ’ ll do your work , while you lie there like King Taufa ‘ ahau Tupou himself !
” They lived on fish , coconuts and birds but eventually discovered that settlers who had been taken from the island decades earlier by a slave ship had left behind chickens and bananas .
The boys survived from June of 1965 when they “ borrowed ” the boat until September of 1966 when they were spotted by Peter Warner from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ near the island .
The boys , after their rescue , were arrested because the owner of the boat they ’ d stolen was still angry .
But Peter Warner , who happened to be the son of a wealthy electronics manufacturer , used his connections to make a film about the boys ’ story .
He sold the Australian TV rights to a station in Sydney and used that money to pay off the boat owner .
When the rescued boys returned home to Tonga , they were greeted like heroes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Tonga granted him the right to start a company trapping lobster near the island .
Peter quit working for his father and became a fisherman .
He hired all six of the boys he rescued as his crew .
Bregman , the author of the book from which this excerpt was drawn argues that Lord of the Flies may tell us more about author William Golding than it does about humanity : I first read Lord of the Flies as a teenager .
I remember feeling disillusioned afterwards , but not for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Golding ’ s view of human nature .
That didn ’ t happen until years later when I began delving into the author ’ s life .
I learned what an unhappy individual he had been : an alcoholic , prone to depression ; a man who beat his kids .
“ I have always understood the Nazis , ” Golding confessed , “ because I am of that sort by nature.
” And it was “ partly out of that sad self-knowledge ” that he wrote Lord of the Flies .
Lord @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a movie three times and plans are underway for a fourth adaptation .
It ’ s a shame this real life version of the story has been forgotten .

You probably read this book in junior high school or at some point while you were young. Lord of the Flies by William Golding tells the story of a group of boys who are stranded on a remote island after a plane crash. Initially they rally and make plans to stay alive until they can be rescued, but soon the boys form factions and a power struggle leads to murder. The idea behind the novel isn’t hard to miss. Left alone, children would quickly revert to a semi-feral and warlike state because that is the true nature of mankind.
Today the Guardian published an excerpt from a book by Rutger Bregman which reveals that something very much like the premise of Lord of the Flies actually happened once in the 1960s. A group of boys “borrowed” a boat and wound up stranded on an island for 15 months:
The real Lord of the Flies, Mano told us, began in June 1965. The protagonists were six boys – Sione, Stephen, Kolo, David, Luke and Mano – all pupils at a strict Catholic boarding school in Nuku‘alofa. The oldest was 16, the youngest 13, and they had one main thing in common: they were bored witless. So they came up with a plan to escape: to Fiji, some 500 miles away, or even all the way to New Zealand. There was only one obstacle. None of them owned a boat, so they decided to “borrow” one from Mr Taniela Uhila, a fisherman they all disliked. The boys took little time to prepare for the voyage. Two sacks of bananas, a few coconuts and a small gas burner were all the supplies they packed. It didn’t occur to any of them to bring a map, let alone a compass.
The journey didn’t go as planned. A storm hit. Their sail was shredded. After drifting on the sea for a full week they saw the island of ‘Ata, the remnant of an ancient volcano, which had been uninhabited by humans for about 100 years at that point.
While the boys in Lord of the Flies come to blows over the fire, those in this real-life version tended their flame so it never went out, for more than a year. The kids agreed to work in teams of two, drawing up a strict roster for garden, kitchen and guard duty. Sometimes they quarreled, but whenever that happened they solved it by imposing a time-out. Their days began and ended with song and prayer. Kolo fashioned a makeshift guitar from a piece of driftwood, half a coconut shell and six steel wires salvaged from their wrecked boat – an instrument Peter has kept all these years – and played it to help lift their spirits. And their spirits needed lifting. All summer long it hardly rained, driving the boys frantic with thirst. They tried constructing a raft in order to leave the island, but it fell apart in the crashing surf. Worst of all, Stephen slipped one day, fell off a cliff and broke his leg. The other boys picked their way down after him and then helped him back up to the top. They set his leg using sticks and leaves. “Don’t worry,” Sione joked. “We’ll do your work, while you lie there like King Taufa‘ahau Tupou himself!”
They lived on fish, coconuts and birds but eventually discovered that settlers who had been taken from the island decades earlier by a slave ship had left behind chickens and bananas. The boys survived from June of 1965 when they “borrowed” the boat until September of 1966 when they were spotted by Peter Warner from his boat which happened to be passing near the island.
The boys, after their rescue, were arrested because the owner of the boat they’d stolen was still angry. But Peter Warner, who happened to be the son of a wealthy electronics manufacturer, used his connections to make a film about the boys’ story. He sold the Australian TV rights to a station in Sydney and used that money to pay off the boat owner.
When the rescued boys returned home to Tonga, they were greeted like heroes. Peter Warner was too and the king of Tonga granted him the right to start a company trapping lobster near the island. Peter quit working for his father and became a fisherman. He hired all six of the boys he rescued as his crew.
Bregman, the author of the book from which this excerpt was drawn argues that Lord of the Flies may tell us more about author William Golding than it does about humanity:
I first read Lord of the Flies as a teenager. I remember feeling disillusioned afterwards, but not for a second did I think to doubt Golding’s view of human nature. That didn’t happen until years later when I began delving into the author’s life. I learned what an unhappy individual he had been: an alcoholic, prone to depression; a man who beat his kids. “I have always understood the Nazis,” Golding confessed, “because I am of that sort by nature.” And it was “partly out of that sad self-knowledge” that he wrote Lord of the Flies.
Lord of the Flies has been made into a movie three times and plans are underway for a fourth adaptation. It’s a shame this real life version of the story has been forgotten.


hotair--2020-05-09--Harry Reid: The aliens are real and we need to be looking at these UFOs

As regular readers are already aware , the Pentagon has been under a lot of pressure lately to disclose more information on the results of ongoing investigations into Unidentified Aerial Phenomena ( the fancy name for UFOs ) intruding into our military airspace .
For the most part , they ’ ve been very reluctant to discuss the subject publicly beyond confirming things that had already leaked out into the public eye .
But even behind the scenes , is our government taking this issue seriously enough ?
Are they doing anything about it ?
That ’ s clearly not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Nevada .
He gave an interview to Motherboard recently for one of their podcasts and expressed his dissatisfaction with the amount of work going on around this topic .
He also opened up considerably about his own views on the subjects of UFOs and the possible existence of extraterrestrial beings .
Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has done more than any other lawmaker to support the search for UFOs , which he says doesn ’ t mean a whole lot .
“ The sad part about it is no one else @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve done more than anybody else is no big deal , ” Reid told Motherboard on the CYBER podcast .
“ There ’ s no one doing anything and that ’ s too bad.
” Reid was the architect of two Pentagon programs designed to look for and study UFOs , unidentified aerial phenomena , and advanced propulsion technologies .
These two programs , called the Advanced Aerospace Threat and Identification Program and the Advanced Aerospace Weapons Systems Applications Program , had $ 22 million in funding between 2007 and 2012 through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and were run through a company called Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies , which worked on it along with the Pentagon .
As far as the “ little green men ” go , Reid was rather candid about that .
He said we would have to be “ a little short-sighted if we think we ’ re the only species in the entire universe.
” ( By the way , Senator .
They ’ re not green .
They ’ re gray . )
The UFOs or UAPs are similarly a settled matter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on this subject under the covers for decades .
He told Motherboard that the number of credible people who have reported such encounters is not in the tens or the hundreds .
It ’ s in the thousands .
He also became one of the few elected public officials I ’ ve heard admitting that one of our nuclear missile sites in the Dakotas was effectively shut down when “ something ” was hovering over it .
Reid further gave a nod to the accuracy of reports stating that communications systems among our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been temporarily lost when the Tic Tacs were in the vicinity .
As for what we need to be doing , Reid was emphatic that our elected officials need to be pushing this issue and that the public should be entitled to know about any information that can be safely released .
“ I think that we need to fully understand this and have no boundaries on what we look for , ” he added .
“ And I repeat now for the second or third time that people should not be afraid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my legislative friends are afraid to go into this because someone will think that they ’ re some kind of a nutcase .
But I went into it and I don ’ t think it hurt me politically.
” At the risk of sounding insensitive here , I ’ m just going to point out that Harry Reid is getting well on in years and has been dealing with some serious health issues .
While I wish Senator Reid nothing but good health and long life , the reality is that he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forever .
I ’ ve often wondered if he might not be one of the ideal candidates to be one of those people who deliver a so-called “ deathbed confession ” that blows the lid off this story .
Reid knows a lot more than he ’ s revealed in interviews and has said so repeatedly .
But he doesn ’ t want to violate his oaths and release any unapproved information .
Will that change at some point ?
I get the feeling that if Harry ever decided to really spill the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the entire world and reconstruct how humanity views its place in the universe .

As regular readers are already aware, the Pentagon has been under a lot of pressure lately to disclose more information on the results of ongoing investigations into Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (the fancy name for UFOs) intruding into our military airspace. For the most part, they’ve been very reluctant to discuss the subject publicly beyond confirming things that had already leaked out into the public eye. But even behind the scenes, is our government taking this issue seriously enough? Are they doing anything about it?
That’s clearly not the opinion of former Senator Harry Reid of Nevada. He gave an interview to Motherboard recently for one of their podcasts and expressed his dissatisfaction with the amount of work going on around this topic. He also opened up considerably about his own views on the subjects of UFOs and the possible existence of extraterrestrial beings.
Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has done more than any other lawmaker to support the search for UFOs, which he says doesn’t mean a whole lot. “The sad part about it is no one else has done anything, so saying I’ve done more than anybody else is no big deal,” Reid told Motherboard on the CYBER podcast. “There’s no one doing anything and that’s too bad.” Reid was the architect of two Pentagon programs designed to look for and study UFOs, unidentified aerial phenomena, and advanced propulsion technologies. These two programs, called the Advanced Aerospace Threat and Identification Program and the Advanced Aerospace Weapons Systems Applications Program, had $22 million in funding between 2007 and 2012 through a Congressional “black budget,” and were run through a company called Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies, which worked on it along with the Pentagon.
As far as the “little green men” go, Reid was rather candid about that. He said we would have to be “a little short-sighted if we think we’re the only species in the entire universe.” (By the way, Senator. They’re not green. They’re gray.)
The UFOs or UAPs are similarly a settled matter for Reid, who has been working on this subject under the covers for decades. He told Motherboard that the number of credible people who have reported such encounters is not in the tens or the hundreds. It’s in the thousands. He also became one of the few elected public officials I’ve heard admitting that one of our nuclear missile sites in the Dakotas was effectively shut down when “something” was hovering over it. Reid further gave a nod to the accuracy of reports stating that communications systems among our carrier groups in the Pacific have similarly been temporarily lost when the Tic Tacs were in the vicinity.
As for what we need to be doing, Reid was emphatic that our elected officials need to be pushing this issue and that the public should be entitled to know about any information that can be safely released.
“I think that we need to fully understand this and have no boundaries on what we look for,” he added. “And I repeat now for the second or third time that people should not be afraid. I think that too many of my legislative friends are afraid to go into this because someone will think that they’re some kind of a nutcase. But I went into it and I don’t think it hurt me politically.”
At the risk of sounding insensitive here, I’m just going to point out that Harry Reid is getting well on in years and has been dealing with some serious health issues. While I wish Senator Reid nothing but good health and long life, the reality is that he’s not going to be with us forever. I’ve often wondered if he might not be one of the ideal candidates to be one of those people who deliver a so-called “deathbed confession” that blows the lid off this story. Reid knows a lot more than he’s revealed in interviews and has said so repeatedly. But he doesn’t want to violate his oaths and release any unapproved information.
Will that change at some point? I get the feeling that if Harry ever decided to really spill the beans, he could shift the attention of the entire world and reconstruct how humanity views its place in the universe.


hotair--2020-05-09--WH press corps learning the hard way - don't mess with Kayleigh

When Kayleigh McEnany was named as the new White House press secretary , replacing Stephanie Grisham , she looked to be a good choice .
It ’ s proven to be true and the White House correspondents don ’ t quite know how to handle that .
McEnany is being tested by the press .
She held the first White House press briefing on May 1 and since then has done two more .
That ’ s three in the span of eight days , which is three more than her predecessor held .
During the first one , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if she promises not to lie to them .
She went along with that insult far more gracefully than most of us would and pledged to tell the truth .
“ I will never lie to you , ” she said .
Anti-Trump reporters wasted no time in fact-checking that statement because this is 2020 and the Orange Man is bad .
You know the drill .
So , after giving Mason what he asked for , apparently , a weakness was assumed by the reporters and the level of discourse between the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against her .
Instead of asking questions about important topics of the day , during the second televised press briefing , she was asked about a previous statement she made in response to a question about President Trump ’ s travel restrictions to mitigate the coronavirus pandemic .
She turned the question back on the reporter , clearly well-prepared for such a question .
Before dropping the mic and leaving the podium , she asked the following questions : “ I guess I would turn the question back on the media and ask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take back that they proclaimed that the coronavirus would not be a deadly pandemic ?
” “ Does The Washington Post want to take back that they told Americans to get a grip , the flu is bigger than the coronavirus ?
” “ Does The Washington Post likewise want to take back that our brains are causing us to exaggerate the threat of the coronavirus ?
” “ Does the New York Times want to take back that fear of the virus may be spreading faster than the virus itself ?
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the flu was a much bigger threat than the coronavirus ?
” While a WaPo reporter was quick to point out that some news organizations have since corrected their stances on the coronavirus and though the writer did admit Kayleigh was specifically asked about travel restrictions at the time , he continues in the same vein that other liberal media writers and reporters do – he continued to take her to task for perceived inaccuracies in her statements .
Her ’ s is a “ slippery defense ” , you see .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ press conference because it appeared that Kayleigh was bending a knee to reporters as a way of going along to get along when she pledged not to lie .
So , after speaking up for herself and pushing back against that reporter ’ s question , I was cautiously optimistic that she would be stronger .
By the time Friday rolled around and she held her third press briefing , she showed she is clearly up to the task .
PBS reporter Yamiche Alcindor tried again to throw McEnany off message and asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her pre-Trump campaign , pre-RNC spokesman , pre-Trump press secretary days .
As a matter of fact , the remarks Alcindor asked her about were before Kayleigh was a CNN commentator , too .
Upon hearing then-candidate Trump make some remarks about building a wall and justifying the wall by talking about rapists and murderers crossing over the U.S.- Mexican border – his “ bad hombres ” remarks – Kayleigh voiced displeasure with Trump ’ s language .
Alcindor confronted Kayleigh about remarks made in 2015 .
It didn ’ t go well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Daily Wire has the transcript .
“ The second question I have is in 2015 , shortly after the president said that some Mexican immigrants were rapists and criminals , you said that that language was racist and hateful , ” PBS reporter Yamiche Alcindor said .
“ Do you still believe that today ?
” “ Well , I ’ m actually glad you asked that because for about the first four weeks of the election , I was watching CNN and I was naively believing some of the headlines that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responded .
“ I ’ m actually not going to read the headlines , so I very quickly came around and supported the president .
In fact , CNN hired me .
I was on many eight-on-one panels where I proudly supported this president who I believe is one of the best presidents , if not the best president , this country will ever have.
” “ But I would encourage the individual who did that analysis of my past , rather than focusing on me , he really should be focused on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have on their network , ” McEnany continued .
“ He should be focused on , I mean , over here , Jim Clapper , who said , 10 days before he privately told investigators there was no evidence of collusion , that Watergate pales in comparison to the Russia probe.
” “ I ’ d encourage them to look at Samantha Powers who was privately saying , ‘ I ’ m not in possession of any evidence of collusion.
’ Ambassador Rice , ‘ I don ’ t recall intelligence or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ General Loretta Lynch , ‘ I do not recall that being briefed to me , ’ ” McEnany continued .
“ And for three years , two years , probably more than that , CNN ran with the collusion narrative , and if the American people are watching you right now , you ’ re probably very confused as to some of the quotes I read , because those individuals were saying much different things publicly than they were saying privately .
And I ’ m very grateful that those transcripts were released @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] KFILE should to do an analysis of that.
” Yamiche Alcindor didn ’ t learn a thing from Jeff Mason or the reporter who asked about past remarks on Thursday .
Did Alcindor think that Friday ’ s press briefing would go differently ?
It is refreshing to hear a press secretary in a Republican administration speak up and push back on liberal reporters who align themselves with Democrats in their attempts to take down this president .
There are plenty of articles online trashing Kayleigh McEnany as someone unqualified to hold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Jeb !
Bush and Jon Huntsman campaigns , who admits he wanted the job himself in either of those two men ’ s administrations .
She ’ s well-educated ( Harvard Law School , University of Oxford ) , articulate , quick on her feet , and she ’ s calm under pressure .
Most of all , she is fearless in what she does .
Let the haters hate .
I wrote in April when the transition was being made for her to take the position that I thought she ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , given her history and experience as a fighter on CNN against multi-opponent panels of anti-Trumpers .
So far , so good .

When Kayleigh McEnany was named as the new White House press secretary, replacing Stephanie Grisham, she looked to be a good choice. It’s proven to be true and the White House correspondents don’t quite know how to handle that.
McEnany is being tested by the press. She held the first White House press briefing on May 1 and since then has done two more. That’s three in the span of eight days, which is three more than her predecessor held. During the first one, she was asked by Reuters reporter Jeff Mason if she promises not to lie to them. She went along with that insult far more gracefully than most of us would and pledged to tell the truth. “I will never lie to you,” she said. Anti-Trump reporters wasted no time in fact-checking that statement because this is 2020 and the Orange Man is bad. You know the drill.
So, after giving Mason what he asked for, apparently, a weakness was assumed by the reporters and the level of discourse between the press and McEnany turned into personal attacks against her. Instead of asking questions about important topics of the day, during the second televised press briefing, she was asked about a previous statement she made in response to a question about President Trump’s travel restrictions to mitigate the coronavirus pandemic. She turned the question back on the reporter, clearly well-prepared for such a question. Before dropping the mic and leaving the podium, she asked the following questions:
“I guess I would turn the question back on the media and ask similar questions: Does Vox want to take back that they proclaimed that the coronavirus would not be a deadly pandemic?” “Does The Washington Post want to take back that they told Americans to get a grip, the flu is bigger than the coronavirus?” “Does The Washington Post likewise want to take back that our brains are causing us to exaggerate the threat of the coronavirus?” “Does the New York Times want to take back that fear of the virus may be spreading faster than the virus itself?” “Does NPR want to take back that the flu was a much bigger threat than the coronavirus?”
While a WaPo reporter was quick to point out that some news organizations have since corrected their stances on the coronavirus and though the writer did admit Kayleigh was specifically asked about travel restrictions at the time, he continues in the same vein that other liberal media writers and reporters do – he continued to take her to task for perceived inaccuracies in her statements. Her’s is a “slippery defense”, you see.
I cringed a bit during the first press conference because it appeared that Kayleigh was bending a knee to reporters as a way of going along to get along when she pledged not to lie. So, after speaking up for herself and pushing back against that reporter’s question, I was cautiously optimistic that she would be stronger. By the time Friday rolled around and she held her third press briefing, she showed she is clearly up to the task.
PBS reporter Yamiche Alcindor tried again to throw McEnany off message and asked her about some remarks she made in her pre-Trump campaign, pre-RNC spokesman, pre-Trump press secretary days. As a matter of fact, the remarks Alcindor asked her about were before Kayleigh was a CNN commentator, too. Upon hearing then-candidate Trump make some remarks about building a wall and justifying the wall by talking about rapists and murderers crossing over the U.S.- Mexican border – his “bad hombres” remarks – Kayleigh voiced displeasure with Trump’s language. Alcindor confronted Kayleigh about remarks made in 2015. It didn’t go well. Again, Kayleigh was prepared. The Daily Wire has the transcript.
“The second question I have is in 2015, shortly after the president said that some Mexican immigrants were rapists and criminals, you said that that language was racist and hateful,” PBS reporter Yamiche Alcindor said. “Do you still believe that today?” “Well, I’m actually glad you asked that because for about the first four weeks of the election, I was watching CNN and I was naively believing some of the headlines that I saw on CNN,” McEnany responded. “I’m actually not going to read the headlines, so I very quickly came around and supported the president. In fact, CNN hired me. I was on many eight-on-one panels where I proudly supported this president who I believe is one of the best presidents, if not the best president, this country will ever have.” “But I would encourage the individual who did that analysis of my past, rather than focusing on me, he really should be focused on some of the very guests CNN chose to have on their network,” McEnany continued. “He should be focused on, I mean, over here, Jim Clapper, who said, 10 days before he privately told investigators there was no evidence of collusion, that Watergate pales in comparison to the Russia probe.” “I’d encourage them to look at Samantha Powers who was privately saying, ‘I’m not in possession of any evidence of collusion.’ Ambassador Rice, ‘I don’t recall intelligence or evidence of any collusion.’ Former Attorney General Loretta Lynch, ‘I do not recall that being briefed to me,’” McEnany continued. “And for three years, two years, probably more than that, CNN ran with the collusion narrative, and if the American people are watching you right now, you’re probably very confused as to some of the quotes I read, because those individuals were saying much different things publicly than they were saying privately. And I’m very grateful that those transcripts were released yesterday and perhaps the [CNN reporter] KFILE should to do an analysis of that.”
Yamiche Alcindor didn’t learn a thing from Jeff Mason or the reporter who asked about past remarks on Thursday. Did Alcindor think that Friday’s press briefing would go differently? It is refreshing to hear a press secretary in a Republican administration speak up and push back on liberal reporters who align themselves with Democrats in their attempts to take down this president. There are plenty of articles online trashing Kayleigh McEnany as someone unqualified to hold her position, including from one alumnus of Jeb! Bush and Jon Huntsman campaigns, who admits he wanted the job himself in either of those two men’s administrations. She’s well-educated (Harvard Law School, University of Oxford), articulate, quick on her feet, and she’s calm under pressure. Most of all, she is fearless in what she does. Let the haters hate.
I wrote in April when the transition was being made for her to take the position that I thought she’d be just fine in the role, given her history and experience as a fighter on CNN against multi-opponent panels of anti-Trumpers. So far, so good.


hotair--2020-05-09--Model: Universal mask-wearing would do more to reduce infection than indefinite lockdowns would

One of the weirdest quirks of coronavirus politics is that the group that ’ s most adamantly opposed to continuing lockdowns is also the group that ’ s grouchiest about wearing masks .
There ’ s a certain dopey consistency to both positions : Lockdowns are an intrusion on the liberty of business owners and consumers , mask mandates ( whether public or private ) are an intrusion on the liberty of the individual .
But refusing to take basic minimal precautions against infection is exactly the sort of thing that makes lockdown supporters wary of opening back up .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing , and we can ’ t have a bureaucracy to conduct contact tracing , the least we can do to raise the comfort level of Americans who are reluctant to risk their health by crowding into retail spaces is wear masks to protect each other .
In many cases I don ’ t think the libertarian argument against masks is even being made in good faith .
What ’ s driving the opposition isn ’ t fear of “ social control ” or denialism about the threat from the disease but a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ created by the pandemic .
I don ’ t like this reality and I resent being inconvenienced in any way by it and I want it to end *right now .
* Let ’ s see if we can sweeten the pot for mask skeptics .
Per Vanity Fair , a computer scientist at Berkeley built a simulator along with several other academics to test how the pandemic would be affected by greater or lesser degrees of mask-wearing by the population .
You can read the results here .
I ’ m not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used ; for instance , they clearly believe that state-ordered lockdowns are more effective than general social distancing in meaningfully reducing contact between people , a proposition that ’ s been challenged .
But here ’ s the eye-popping result of their model .
Doing nothing except casual social distancing produces a staggering death toll .
An indefinite lockdown without mask-wearing cuts the death toll massively — but forget that , since indefinite lockdowns are infeasible .
The most life-saving option by far turns out to be widespread mask-wearing along with basic social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the scheme the U.S. could be headed for right now if people would stop screeching about social control and spend $ 8 at Etsy for a mask .
If you don ’ t like that speculative model , how about some hard data from the same study ?
Feel free to ignore the Chinese numbers here on grounds that the CCP can ’ t be trusted to report its data accurately .
But do pay attention to South Korea , Hong Kong , Taiwan , and Singapore .
Still not convinced ?
Here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to home .
I would have bet good money that COVID-19 is much more prevalent among New York ’ s hospital workers than it is among the general population for the obvious reason that they ’ re in contact with infected people far more often .
But I would have lost that bet .
Obviously we can ’ t attribute the lower rates of infection among hospital workers to face masks alone .
Some of them are wearing complete personal protection gear , some are wearing masks plus other stuff short of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face shields . )
But to the extent masks provide some protection for the wearer against infection , not just protection for others from the wearer , they may be contributing here .
There ’ s a catch to the study , though , per Vanity Fair : We need total or near-total buy-in to drive down the infection rate .
Are we getting near-total buy-in ?
No , we are not .
The highest rate of mask-wearing for any state is New Jersey at 56 percent .
Only 12 states are above @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to literally double that average to drive down coronavirus transmission rates if the study is correct , but it wouldn ’ t be hard to do .
It would make reopening much safer .
Just ramp up mask production and discard the idea that somehow basic hygiene in an era of plague is for cucks .
This ’ ll help .
If all we need to do to get a Trump/MAGA benediction for mask-wearing is feed the president ’ s narcissism by splashing his name on the product , I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Getting Trump to set an example by wearing a mask himself will be a taller order , unfortunately .
Neither he nor any of the Republican lawmakers he met with yesterday for an hour put one on despite the fact that two White House staffers have tested positive this week .
There ’ s good reason to believe that the virus is in the building .
And yet .
I ’ ll leave you with this photo set of a well-known Republican populist and a newly minted Republican populist folk hero getting together @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it to The Man on lockdowns and practice plague prevention , it turns out .

One of the weirdest quirks of coronavirus politics is that the group that’s most adamantly opposed to continuing lockdowns is also the group that’s grouchiest about wearing masks. There’s a certain dopey consistency to both positions: Lockdowns are an intrusion on the liberty of business owners and consumers, mask mandates (whether public or private) are an intrusion on the liberty of the individual.
But refusing to take basic minimal precautions against infection is exactly the sort of thing that makes lockdown supporters wary of opening back up. If we can’t have ubiquitous testing, and we can’t have a bureaucracy to conduct contact tracing, the least we can do to raise the comfort level of Americans who are reluctant to risk their health by crowding into retail spaces is wear masks to protect each other.
In many cases I don’t think the libertarian argument against masks is even being made in good faith. What’s driving the opposition isn’t fear of “social control” or denialism about the threat from the disease but a certain whiny rejectionism about the new normal created by the pandemic. I don’t like this reality and I resent being inconvenienced in any way by it and I want it to end *right now.*
https://twitter.com/toddstarnes/status/1258870865481121793
Let’s see if we can sweeten the pot for mask skeptics. Per Vanity Fair, a computer scientist at Berkeley built a simulator along with several other academics to test how the pandemic would be affected by greater or lesser degrees of mask-wearing by the population. You can read the results here. I’m not sold on all of the assumptions they used; for instance, they clearly believe that state-ordered lockdowns are more effective than general social distancing in meaningfully reducing contact between people, a proposition that’s been challenged. But here’s the eye-popping result of their model.
Doing nothing except casual social distancing produces a staggering death toll. An indefinite lockdown without mask-wearing cuts the death toll massively — but forget that, since indefinite lockdowns are infeasible. The most life-saving option by far turns out to be widespread mask-wearing along with basic social distancing after lockdowns are lifted. Precisely the scheme the U.S. could be headed for right now if people would stop screeching about social control and spend $8 at Etsy for a mask.
If you don’t like that speculative model, how about some hard data from the same study? Feel free to ignore the Chinese numbers here on grounds that the CCP can’t be trusted to report its data accurately. But do pay attention to South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore.
Still not convinced? Here’s some circumstantial evidence much closer to home. I would have bet good money that COVID-19 is much more prevalent among New York’s hospital workers than it is among the general population for the obvious reason that they’re in contact with infected people far more often. But I would have lost that bet.
New York's serology studies have actually found slightly *lower* rates of COVID-19 among healthcare workers than in the general population. Suggests that PPE and masks help a lot! pic.twitter.com/I6RXC4oIdP — Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) May 7, 2020
Obviously we can’t attribute the lower rates of infection among hospital workers to face masks alone. Some of them are wearing complete personal protection gear, some are wearing masks plus other stuff short of a full moon suit. (E.g., face shields.) But to the extent masks provide some protection for the wearer against infection, not just protection for others from the wearer, they may be contributing here.
There’s a catch to the study, though, per Vanity Fair:
Next De Kai added another tweak, modeling a situation in which 80% of a given population wore a mask. Here, most of the dot-people stay blue, with a few going orange, red, and green. “This is the goal,” De Kai maintained. “For 80 or 90% of the population to be wearing masks.” Anything less, he added, doesn’t work as well. “If you get down to 30 or 40%, you get almost no [beneficial] effect at all.”
We need total or near-total buy-in to drive down the infection rate. Are we getting near-total buy-in? No, we are not.
The highest rate of mask-wearing for any state is New Jersey at 56 percent. Only 12 states are above the average of 43 percent. We need to literally double that average to drive down coronavirus transmission rates if the study is correct, but it wouldn’t be hard to do. It would make reopening much safer. Just ramp up mask production and discard the idea that somehow basic hygiene in an era of plague is for cucks.
This’ll help. If all we need to do to get a Trump/MAGA benediction for mask-wearing is feed the president’s narcissism by splashing his name on the product, I’m all-in. Trump masks for everyone:
Brad Parscale brought 5 prototype masks featuring the Trump reelection logo to a Thursday mtg with POTUS. Trump was delighted & approved a mask for public sale. Parscale tweeted a pic of himself wearing it. This was the only time anyone involved in the meeting wore any covering. — James Hohmann (@jameshohmann) May 9, 2020
Getting Trump to set an example by wearing a mask himself will be a taller order, unfortunately. Neither he nor any of the Republican lawmakers he met with yesterday for an hour put one on despite the fact that two White House staffers have tested positive this week. There’s good reason to believe that the virus is in the building. And yet.
I’ll leave you with this photo set of a well-known Republican populist and a newly minted Republican populist folk hero getting together yesterday in Dallas. You can stick it to The Man on lockdowns and practice plague prevention, it turns out.


hotair--2020-05-09--Here's why reporters are now wearing masks during WH press briefings

If you watched Friday ’ s White House press briefing with Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany , you may have noticed something different .
All of the reporters present in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room were wearing face masks .
It marked the first time that happened , though the U.S .
Surgeon General Jerome Adams recommended that people wear masks in public in that very room on April 22 .
The photo above is from that press briefing .
What changed ?
Though Kayleigh McEnany was not wearing a face mask as she answered questions from the podium @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Social distancing precautions have grown more strict in the press briefing room as time goes on during the coronavirus pandemic , but face masks were not worn by most of the reporters .
Suddenly on Friday , they all were wearing them .
It is out of an abundance of caution because staffers in the White House are beginning to test positive for the COVID-19 virus .
Frankly , it ’ s a testament to the precautions taken up to now that some staff is just now testing positive .
The first case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a personal valet for President Trump .
Then , by Friday , Vice-President Pence ’ s spokeswoman Katie Miller was reported to have tested positive .
Katie , married to Stephen Miller , a senior policy adviser to President Trump , is actually the second person on Pence ’ s staff to test positive .
In March , an aide tested positive , but no one else since then has been reported to test positive until this week .
Katie Miller didn ’ t wear a face mask at work .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House depend on frequent testing to guide their behavior .
She serves as a coronavirus task force spokesperson and attends their press briefings .
Both the president and the vice-president continue to test negative for the virus .
Trump pointed out Friday , when asked about her by the press , that her results show how quickly the test results can change .
“ She ’ s a wonderful young woman , Katie , she tested very good for a long period of time , then all of a sudden today she tested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ She hasn ’ t come into contact with me .
She ’ s spent some time with the vice president , ” Trump said .
“ So she tested positive out of the blue .
This is why the whole concept of tests aren ’ t necessarily great .
The tests are perfect but something could happen between a test where it ’ s good and then something happens and all of a sudden .
She was tested very recently and tested negative and then today I guess for some reason , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it and Mike has done what he has to do.
” The president isn ’ t worried , he said , with some people around him now testing positive .
White House chief of staff Mark Meadows told reporters that many in the White House go mask-free but “ as you get closer to the president , some of those people that serve him will wear a mask in those closer proprieties.
” After Katie Miller ’ s diagnosis on Friday , reporters , en masse , began wearing masks , too .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Force Two were told of Miller ’ s diagnosis and some staff was taken off the plane and sent to be tested .
A senior administration official told reporters on Air Force Two , before Miller ’ s identity was revealed , that “ the vice president and the president have not had contact with this person recently.
” “ Out of abundance of caution , we went back and looked into all the person ’ s contacts most recently , ” the official said .
“ That ’ s why we asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nobody else was exhibiting any symptoms or having any feeling of sickness .
We asked them to go get tested and to go home out of an abundance of caution.
” So , those around the White House , including the press , are now taking an additional step in mitigating the spread of the coronavirus pandemic .
Aides and journalists are regularly tested for the virus using a rapid-results test .
Temperatures are taken before reporters enter the briefing room .
President Trump and Vice-President Pence are now tested daily .
Members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus , too .
Eleven agents have tested positive .
Documents at the Department of Homeland Security ( DHS ) show that 23 employees have already recovered from the disease , with an additional 60 who are reportedly self-quarantining .
Also disclosed this week is that Ivanka Trump ’ s personal assistant tested positive for the virus .
She has been working from her home for several weeks and has not been around Ivanka .
Both Ivanka and Jared Kushner were tested Friday and the results were negative .

If you watched Friday’s White House press briefing with Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany, you may have noticed something different. All of the reporters present in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room were wearing face masks. It marked the first time that happened, though the U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams recommended that people wear masks in public in that very room on April 22. The photo above is from that press briefing.
What changed? Though Kayleigh McEnany was not wearing a face mask as she answered questions from the podium, members of the press did. Social distancing precautions have grown more strict in the press briefing room as time goes on during the coronavirus pandemic, but face masks were not worn by most of the reporters. Suddenly on Friday, they all were wearing them. It is out of an abundance of caution because staffers in the White House are beginning to test positive for the COVID-19 virus.
Frankly, it’s a testament to the precautions taken up to now that some staff is just now testing positive. The first case to be reported this week was that of a personal valet for President Trump. Then, by Friday, Vice-President Pence’s spokeswoman Katie Miller was reported to have tested positive. Katie, married to Stephen Miller, a senior policy adviser to President Trump, is actually the second person on Pence’s staff to test positive. In March, an aide tested positive, but no one else since then has been reported to test positive until this week.
Katie Miller didn’t wear a face mask at work. The President and others working in the White House depend on frequent testing to guide their behavior. She serves as a coronavirus task force spokesperson and attends their press briefings. Both the president and the vice-president continue to test negative for the virus. Trump pointed out Friday, when asked about her by the press, that her results show how quickly the test results can change.
“She’s a wonderful young woman, Katie, she tested very good for a long period of time, then all of a sudden today she tested positive,” Trump told reporters. “She hasn’t come into contact with me. She’s spent some time with the vice president,” Trump said. “So she tested positive out of the blue. This is why the whole concept of tests aren’t necessarily great. The tests are perfect but something could happen between a test where it’s good and then something happens and all of a sudden. She was tested very recently and tested negative and then today I guess for some reason, she tested positive. Mike knows about it and Mike has done what he has to do.”
The president isn’t worried, he said, with some people around him now testing positive. White House chief of staff Mark Meadows told reporters that many in the White House go mask-free but “as you get closer to the president, some of those people that serve him will wear a mask in those closer proprieties.” After Katie Miller’s diagnosis on Friday, reporters, en masse, began wearing masks, too.
Reporters traveling with Pence Friday on Air Force Two were told of Miller’s diagnosis and some staff was taken off the plane and sent to be tested.
A senior administration official told reporters on Air Force Two, before Miller’s identity was revealed, that “the vice president and the president have not had contact with this person recently.” “Out of abundance of caution, we went back and looked into all the person’s contacts most recently,” the official said. “That’s why we asked some of our staff to deplane. Nobody else was exhibiting any symptoms or having any feeling of sickness. We asked them to go get tested and to go home out of an abundance of caution.”
So, those around the White House, including the press, are now taking an additional step in mitigating the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Aides and journalists are regularly tested for the virus using a rapid-results test. Temperatures are taken before reporters enter the briefing room. President Trump and Vice-President Pence are now tested daily.
Members of the Secret Service are dealing with the coronavirus, too. Eleven agents have tested positive. Documents at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) show that 23 employees have already recovered from the disease, with an additional 60 who are reportedly self-quarantining.
Justin Whelan, a spokesperson for the Secret Service told Yahoo News that the agency is following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). “To protect the privacy of our employee’s health information and for operational security, the Secret Service is not releasing how many of its employees have tested positive for COVID-19, nor how many of its employees were, or currently are, quarantined,” Whelan added.
Also disclosed this week is that Ivanka Trump’s personal assistant tested positive for the virus. She has been working from her home for several weeks and has not been around Ivanka. Both Ivanka and Jared Kushner were tested Friday and the results were negative.


hotair--2020-05-09--Shocker: Dems could lose a special House election -- in Los Angeles?

Enjoy it while you can , California Republicans … all three of you .
That ’ s an exaggeration , but it also puts the potentially stunning outcome of next week ’ s special election in the state ’ s 25th congressional district into its proper perspective .
Democrats flipped the nominally even district in the past two elections , with Hillary Clinton beating Donald Trump in 2016 by almost seven points , and then-challenger Katie Hill defeating incumbent Steve Knight in 2018 by almost nine points .
Hill ’ s resignation under a cloud of scandal forced a special @ @ @ @ @ @ @ term , and the COVID-19 outbreak has forced it to a mail-only system .
Politico reports that the combination of the two has this Los Angeles suburban district about ready to drop back into the Republican column .
For a while , anyway : Tuesday ’ s special election runoff in the Los Angeles suburbs , which is taking place because of former Rep. Katie Hill ’ s resignation last year , has Democrats bracing for defeat in a district they flipped by 9 points in the 2018 midterms .
Armed with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less diverse electorate than in general elections , Republicans feel they are on the verge of an upset .
Private polls show the race in the state ’ s 25th District is within just a few points , and Democrats are already downplaying expectations for their nominee , state Assemblywoman Christy Smith , citing depressed turnout in the midst of a pandemic and the negative impact of the scandal surrounding Hill , who resigned amid allegations that she had inappropriate sexual relationships with staffers .
… Of more than 118,000 returned ballots counted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from registered Republicans , and just 36 percent are from Democrats , according to Paul Mitchell , the vice president of Political Data Inc. , a bipartisan company that analyzes voter data .
“ Look at the age breakdown , ” Mitchell said in an interview , pointing to turnout rates that showed that 15 percent of voters under 35 years old have returned their ballots thus far , compared to 49 percent of those 65 and older .
“ That ’ s a big deal .
The Latino population is pretty significant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but they ’ re turning out at half the rate of white voters.
” Republicans ran a more appealing challenger this time around , too .
Mike Garcia is a newcomer , a Navy aviation veteran who can attract a younger and more diverse set of voters .
Garcia also has the good fortune to run in a crisis in which Democrats control everything in the city and state , and therefore have to answer for the rising frustration and resentment resulting from the shutdown .
The culmination of all these factors might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t mean Garcia hasn ’ t used traditional Republican messaging in this campaign .
He won an endorsement from Donald Trump and hammered Smith on her tax-and-spend policies in Sacramento , too : Garcia has leaned into his background with the Navy , blanketing ads and digital videos with images of fighter planes and photos of him during his time in the Navy .
“ After more than a year of running , the differences between my opponent and me are obvious – I am a former Navy fighter pilot and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Californians , while my opponent is a liberal Assemblywoman who wants to raise taxes in Washington because that ’ s exactly what she ’ s done in Sacramento , ” Garcia said in a statement to ABC News .
… Meanwhile , the National Republican Congressional Committee ( NRCC ) , the campaign arm for the House GOP , has waded into the race , spending weeks hammering Smith and running ads that cast her as “ bad for workers ” and take aim at the state lawmaker over taxes .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well .
That has become a point of contention in California , as Gavin Newsom has insisted on sending every voter in the district a mail-in ballot too .
Most likely , though , the mail-in ballots will be the overwhelming majority of the vote , and it ’ s an open question as to which demographics would be most likely to “ break quarantine ” to go to a common-use polling booth , for that matter .
Garcia shouldn ’ t spend too much time measuring the drapes even if he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than six months , Garcia will have to defend the seat in the 2020 general election , and Democrats are already plotting the rematch .
This time around , some key allies ( EMILY ’ s List , House Majority PAC ) sat on the sidelines because the outlay wasn ’ t worth a meaningless vote flip for slightly less than six months ’ worth of voting .
They ’ ll be back when Smith runs in November and spending money to influence a more-normal presidential election turnout .
Still , Garcia will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deserves a shot at a full term to prove his mettle .
Plus , those same entities who will jump back into this race will be spending money all over the country in hundreds of other races , too .
They had an opportunity in this special election to focus on one seat , and passed it up .
Smith won ’ t have the chance for that kind of support in November .
If House Democrats lose a Los Angeles suburban seat to the GOP in a special election , that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they lose it again in November , it might portend some real problems for hanging onto a House majority .
That makes this special election worth watching .

Enjoy it while you can, California Republicans … all three of you. That’s an exaggeration, but it also puts the potentially stunning outcome of next week’s special election in the state’s 25th congressional district into its proper perspective. Democrats flipped the nominally even district in the past two elections, with Hillary Clinton beating Donald Trump in 2016 by almost seven points, and then-challenger Katie Hill defeating incumbent Steve Knight in 2018 by almost nine points.
Hill’s resignation under a cloud of scandal forced a special election to fill the remainder of her term, and the COVID-19 outbreak has forced it to a mail-only system. Politico reports that the combination of the two has this Los Angeles suburban district about ready to drop back into the Republican column. For a while, anyway:
Tuesday’s special election runoff in the Los Angeles suburbs, which is taking place because of former Rep. Katie Hill’s resignation last year, has Democrats bracing for defeat in a district they flipped by 9 points in the 2018 midterms. Armed with a highly touted recruit and an older, less diverse electorate than in general elections, Republicans feel they are on the verge of an upset. Private polls show the race in the state’s 25th District is within just a few points, and Democrats are already downplaying expectations for their nominee, state Assemblywoman Christy Smith, citing depressed turnout in the midst of a pandemic and the negative impact of the scandal surrounding Hill, who resigned amid allegations that she had inappropriate sexual relationships with staffers. … Of more than 118,000 returned ballots counted as of Friday, 44 percent are from registered Republicans, and just 36 percent are from Democrats, according to Paul Mitchell, the vice president of Political Data Inc., a bipartisan company that analyzes voter data. “Look at the age breakdown,” Mitchell said in an interview, pointing to turnout rates that showed that 15 percent of voters under 35 years old have returned their ballots thus far, compared to 49 percent of those 65 and older. “That’s a big deal. The Latino population is pretty significant here,” he added, “but they’re turning out at half the rate of white voters.”
Republicans ran a more appealing challenger this time around, too. Mike Garcia is a newcomer, a Navy aviation veteran who can attract a younger and more diverse set of voters. Garcia also has the good fortune to run in a crisis in which Democrats control everything in the city and state, and therefore have to answer for the rising frustration and resentment resulting from the shutdown. The culmination of all these factors might flip CA-25 back to Republicans.
That doesn’t mean Garcia hasn’t used traditional Republican messaging in this campaign. He won an endorsement from Donald Trump and hammered Smith on her tax-and-spend policies in Sacramento, too:
Garcia has leaned into his background with the Navy, blanketing ads and digital videos with images of fighter planes and photos of him during his time in the Navy. “After more than a year of running, the differences between my opponent and me are obvious – I am a former Navy fighter pilot and small businessman who wants to lower taxes for Californians, while my opponent is a liberal Assemblywoman who wants to raise taxes in Washington because that’s exactly what she’s done in Sacramento,” Garcia said in a statement to ABC News. … Meanwhile, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), the campaign arm for the House GOP, has waded into the race, spending weeks hammering Smith and running ads that cast her as “bad for workers” and take aim at the state lawmaker over taxes.
There will be some in-person voting on Tuesday as well. That has become a point of contention in California, as Gavin Newsom has insisted on sending every voter in the district a mail-in ballot too. Most likely, though, the mail-in ballots will be the overwhelming majority of the vote, and it’s an open question as to which demographics would be most likely to “break quarantine” to go to a common-use polling booth, for that matter.
Garcia shouldn’t spend too much time measuring the drapes even if he does win on Tuesday. In less than six months, Garcia will have to defend the seat in the 2020 general election, and Democrats are already plotting the rematch. This time around, some key allies (EMILY’s List, House Majority PAC) sat on the sidelines because the outlay wasn’t worth a meaningless vote flip for slightly less than six months’ worth of voting. They’ll be back when Smith runs in November and spending money to influence a more-normal presidential election turnout.
Still, Garcia will have some advantage as an incumbent who deserves a shot at a full term to prove his mettle. Plus, those same entities who will jump back into this race will be spending money all over the country in hundreds of other races, too. They had an opportunity in this special election to focus on one seat, and passed it up. Smith won’t have the chance for that kind of support in November.
If House Democrats lose a Los Angeles suburban seat to the GOP in a special election, that’s easy to shrug off. If they lose it again in November, it might portend some real problems for hanging onto a House majority. That makes this special election worth watching.


hotair--2020-05-09--Reade: As far as the Democratic Party goes, I'm outta here

When John covered that interview Tara Reade did with Megyn Kelly yesterday , he noted that she was expressing a growing sense of disgust with the way she and her friends and family were being treated by her own party .
No matter how much credence you give to Reade ’ s claims , the one thing she has definitely managed to accomplish is the unvarnished exposure of the hypocrisy running rampant through the Democratic Party when it comes to “ believing all women.
” That rule doesn ’ t apply if the woman in question is accusing a Democrat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the interview that I wanted to highlight this morning .
While Reade slipped it into the conversation almost in passing , she noted that she ’ s now had enough .
She no longer lists herself as a Democrat and will be looking for a new political home .
( NY Post ) Joe Biden sex-assault accuser Tara Reade said she used to be a die-hard Barack Obama supporter — but she has left the Democratic Party after the blowback to her claims against the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee .
Reade , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her in his Senate office in 1993 , said she voted for Obama for president in 2008 and 2012 — but now feels she has no party to turn to .
“ I ’ m leaving the Democratic Party and I won ’ t be part of any , ” Reade said during an interview with Megyn Kelly published in its entirety Friday .
Reade went on to say that she won ’ t be joining the GOP because that ’ s not her “ political belief system.
” It sounds like she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ independent with no party affiliation from here on out because she then described herself as being “ politically homeless.
” Reade clearly isn ’ t alone in feeling this way .
While purely anecdotal , I ’ ve been seeing similar reactions from other progressives .
As I discussed recently on Twitter , one member of my family ( a lifelong Democrat , feminist and Bernie Sanders supporter ) has declared that she ’ s reaching the breaking point .
She went out on social media and said that recent events have left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nose and vote for Biden.
” She went on to say that she ’ s being “ pushed into the arms of the Democratic Socialists or the Green Party.
” Between the obvious ( and successful ) efforts to once again derail a Sanders nomination and the willingness to throw the # MeToo movement under the bus just to offer cover to Biden , I ’ m not sure if the DNC leadership is aware how much self-inflicted damage they ’ re taking at the moment .
The game plan from the beginning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot of promises to the far left in an attempt to win Sanders ’ endorsement and then act as if none of this had happened when we moved into the general election .
For all I know , that ’ s still the plan .
But it ’ s fairly obvious that not all Democrats are thrilled with it and some may wind up not playing ball at all .
We ’ ve already seen how Joe Biden ’ s support among the younger , ages 18 to 29 voters is pretty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are the voters who not only made up the core of Bernie ’ s support but are vital to turn out in large numbers if Biden wants to build an Obama-stye wave in November .
The longer Tara Reade ’ s name stays in the headlines , the harder that task is going to be .
And if Tom Perez and the DNC aren ’ t careful , particularly when it comes to younger , female voters , when Reade says she ’ s quitting their party , a lot of other women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
”

When John covered that interview Tara Reade did with Megyn Kelly yesterday, he noted that she was expressing a growing sense of disgust with the way she and her friends and family were being treated by her own party. No matter how much credence you give to Reade’s claims, the one thing she has definitely managed to accomplish is the unvarnished exposure of the hypocrisy running rampant through the Democratic Party when it comes to “believing all women.” That rule doesn’t apply if the woman in question is accusing a Democrat.
But there was one other tidbit from the interview that I wanted to highlight this morning. While Reade slipped it into the conversation almost in passing, she noted that she’s now had enough. She no longer lists herself as a Democrat and will be looking for a new political home. (NY Post)
Joe Biden sex-assault accuser Tara Reade said she used to be a die-hard Barack Obama supporter — but she has left the Democratic Party after the blowback to her claims against the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. Reade, who has accused Biden of sexually assaulting her in his Senate office in 1993, said she voted for Obama for president in 2008 and 2012 — but now feels she has no party to turn to. “I’m leaving the Democratic Party and I won’t be part of any,” Reade said during an interview with Megyn Kelly published in its entirety Friday.
Reade went on to say that she won’t be joining the GOP because that’s not her “political belief system.” It sounds like she’s leaning towards simply being an independent with no party affiliation from here on out because she then described herself as being “politically homeless.”
Reade clearly isn’t alone in feeling this way. While purely anecdotal, I’ve been seeing similar reactions from other progressives. As I discussed recently on Twitter, one member of my family (a lifelong Democrat, feminist and Bernie Sanders supporter) has declared that she’s reaching the breaking point. She went out on social media and said that recent events have left her “less likely to hold my nose and vote for Biden.” She went on to say that she’s being “pushed into the arms of the Democratic Socialists or the Green Party.”
Between the obvious (and successful) efforts to once again derail a Sanders nomination and the willingness to throw the #MeToo movement under the bus just to offer cover to Biden, I’m not sure if the DNC leadership is aware how much self-inflicted damage they’re taking at the moment. The game plan from the beginning seemed to be to have Biden make a lot of promises to the far left in an attempt to win Sanders’ endorsement and then act as if none of this had happened when we moved into the general election.
For all I know, that’s still the plan. But it’s fairly obvious that not all Democrats are thrilled with it and some may wind up not playing ball at all. We’ve already seen how Joe Biden’s support among the younger, ages 18 to 29 voters is pretty much in the tank. And those are the voters who not only made up the core of Bernie’s support but are vital to turn out in large numbers if Biden wants to build an Obama-stye wave in November.
The longer Tara Reade’s name stays in the headlines, the harder that task is going to be. And if Tom Perez and the DNC aren’t careful, particularly when it comes to younger, female voters, when Reade says she’s quitting their party, a lot of other women may wind up saying “Me Too.”


hotair--2020-05-09--Video: California sheriff goes rogue on the shutdown

California Governor Gavin Newsom continues to double down on his insistence that his state will only reopen slowly and in phases , even as business owners and workers chafe against the restrictions .
But those orders could be in danger if he can ’ t find law enforcement officials willing to enforce his decrees .
That ’ s the problem he ’ s running into in Riverside , California , where Sheriff Chad Bianco went viral this week after informing the county Board of Supervisors that he would not be arresting or ticketing otherwise law-abiding citizens for going about their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ argues , would be a case of essentially turning them into criminals even as he ’ s being instructed to release actual criminals from his jail .
( Fox News ) Riverside County , Calif. Sheriff Chad Bianco said Friday that he refuses to make criminals out of law-abiding business owners exercising their constitutional rights and providing for their families .
A video of Bianco pleading his case before his county ’ s Board of Supervisors , stating he would not enforce local coronavirus lockdown protocol , went viral on Tuesday .
Appearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ host Steve Doocy , Bianco explained that the “ situation ” in Riverside County under state orders is “ nothing like they told us it was going to be in the beginning.
” Here ’ s the video of his speech .
It pretty much blew up the internet after Fox News featured it .
So is Bianco a hero or is he creating a constitutional crisis ?
On the one hand , the courts have thus far consistently ruled that most of the executive decrees being issued by governors and mayors during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sense , he ’ s undermining the Governor ’ s authority and failing to maintain order .
But at the same time , you could argue that Bianco is the one responsible for keeping order with limited resources and he has to prioritize where his personnel are deployed and what crimes they place the most emphasis on .
Think of it as the front-line equivalent of prosecutorial discretion .
There may be people engaged in activities that are technically in violation of the rules , but he may believe that there are bigger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emphasize that these are “ rules ” as opposed to laws .
The legislature never voted to put these measures in place .
It was all done via executive orders .
If the Governor wants to go to war with Bianco over that concept he ’ ll find himself on shaky ground .
After all , this is the same state where the government has continually instructed its law enforcement officials to ignore the presence and activities of illegal aliens and to not enforce federal laws applicable to the situation .
What ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out to be not so great for the gander .
At the same time , Gavin Newsom is telling various counties they will lose funding if they open early .
This seems to be a more common issue in the more rural and less heavily populated counties , including Riverside , where Bianco is located .
It ’ s a situation that we ’ re seeing more and more of in many parts of the country .
It also speaks to the problems coming from “ one size fits all ” solutions being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Here in New York , the Big Apple has been a total disaster in terms of the novel coronavirus and they clearly need to be careful about how they open back up .
But in the upstate region , there are many counties with only a handful of COVID-19 deaths and where the healthcare system was never close to being overwhelmed .
People in those counties are already asking why they need to be locked down this long when the situation has thus far remained well under control .
I get the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just being the tip of the iceberg .
If this situation drags on too much longer , Gavin Newsom may have a rebellion on his hands .

California Governor Gavin Newsom continues to double down on his insistence that his state will only reopen slowly and in phases, even as business owners and workers chafe against the restrictions. But those orders could be in danger if he can’t find law enforcement officials willing to enforce his decrees. That’s the problem he’s running into in Riverside, California, where Sheriff Chad Bianco went viral this week after informing the county Board of Supervisors that he would not be arresting or ticketing otherwise law-abiding citizens for going about their normal affairs. Doing so, he argues, would be a case of essentially turning them into criminals even as he’s being instructed to release actual criminals from his jail. (Fox News)
Riverside County, Calif. Sheriff Chad Bianco said Friday that he refuses to make criminals out of law-abiding business owners exercising their constitutional rights and providing for their families. A video of Bianco pleading his case before his county’s Board of Supervisors, stating he would not enforce local coronavirus lockdown protocol, went viral on Tuesday. Appearing on “Fox & Friends” with host Steve Doocy, Bianco explained that the “situation” in Riverside County under state orders is “nothing like they told us it was going to be in the beginning.”
Here’s the video of his speech. It pretty much blew up the internet after Fox News featured it.
Watch the latest video at foxnews.com
So is Bianco a hero or is he creating a constitutional crisis? On the one hand, the courts have thus far consistently ruled that most of the executive decrees being issued by governors and mayors during this pandemic are lawful. In that sense, he’s undermining the Governor’s authority and failing to maintain order.
But at the same time, you could argue that Bianco is the one responsible for keeping order with limited resources and he has to prioritize where his personnel are deployed and what crimes they place the most emphasis on. Think of it as the front-line equivalent of prosecutorial discretion. There may be people engaged in activities that are technically in violation of the rules, but he may believe that there are bigger fish to fry. And we should emphasize that these are “rules” as opposed to laws. The legislature never voted to put these measures in place. It was all done via executive orders.
If the Governor wants to go to war with Bianco over that concept he’ll find himself on shaky ground. After all, this is the same state where the government has continually instructed its law enforcement officials to ignore the presence and activities of illegal aliens and to not enforce federal laws applicable to the situation. What’s good for the goose may turn out to be not so great for the gander.
At the same time, Gavin Newsom is telling various counties they will lose funding if they open early. This seems to be a more common issue in the more rural and less heavily populated counties, including Riverside, where Bianco is located. It’s a situation that we’re seeing more and more of in many parts of the country.
It also speaks to the problems coming from “one size fits all” solutions being applied to large states with diverse regions. Here in New York, the Big Apple has been a total disaster in terms of the novel coronavirus and they clearly need to be careful about how they open back up. But in the upstate region, there are many counties with only a handful of COVID-19 deaths and where the healthcare system was never close to being overwhelmed. People in those counties are already asking why they need to be locked down this long when the situation has thus far remained well under control.
I get the feeling that Sheriff Bianco may wind up just being the tip of the iceberg. If this situation drags on too much longer, Gavin Newsom may have a rebellion on his hands.