theblaze--2020-03-17--China expels American journalists in latest escalation of media war amid the coronavirus outbreak

China expels American journalists in latest escalation of media war amid the coronavirus outbreak Three major U.S. outlets have credentials @

The Chinese government revoked the press credentials of American journalists for the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal Tuesday, effectively expelling them from the country.
The journalists will be required to turn in their press cards to the Chinese government within 10 calendar days and will "not be allowed to continue working as journalists in the People's Republic of China, including its Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions," according to the announcement from China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs office.
The country also ordered the journalists from those media outlets — along with voice of America and Time magazine — to "declare in written form" information about their operation within the country.
What's the background?
The move is the latest escalation in a media war between the United States and China amid the global coronavirus pandemic.
In the announcement, the Chinese government stated that the expulsion was a necessary retaliation to the U.S. State Department's action last month, which designated five Chinese state media outlets as "foreign missions." The designation meant that the outlets would be treated as arms of the Chinese government.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo argued that the five outlets were "clearly controlled by the [Chinese Communist Party]" and that the U.S. was "simply recognizing that fact by taking this action."
At the same time, China expelled three Wall Street Journal journalists in response to an opinion piece the outlet published that was headlined: "China Is The Real Sick Man Of Asia."
Then in March, the State Department also capped the number of Chinese journalists that could work for the media outlets at 100, which resulted in 60 Chinese nationals having to leave the country.
'Disinformation and outlandish rumors'
The global coronavirus outbreak has heightened the intensity of the conflict of late, as many in the U.S. suspect that China lied for weeks regarding the origin and severity of the novel virus, which began in Wuhan, China, last year.
On Saturday, the State Department "hauled in" the Chinese ambassador to the U.S. to confront him over a Chinese official's unsubstantiated claims that the virus was introduced in Wuhan by the U.S. Army.
Then early this week, Secretary Pompeo again lashed out at the Chinese government for pushing the claims.
In a phone call with the Chinese Foreign Affairs office director, Pompeo "conveyed strong U.S. objections to PRC efforts shift blame for COVID-19 to the United States," according to a statement from the State Department.
"The Secretary stressed that this is not the time to spread disinformation and outlandish rumors, but rather a time for all nations to come together to fight this common threat," the statement added.


theblaze--2020-03-17--Sex workers feeling pinch of coronavirus pandemic: 'There are almost no clients because there are no

Sex workers feeling pinch of coronavirus pandemic: 'There are almost no clients because there are no people on the street'

Sex workers feeling pinch of coronavirus pandemic : 'There are almost no clients because there are no people on the @ @

As businesses around the globe are forced to shut their doors and people everywhere shelter in their homes over fears of the spread of coronavirus, what's often called the world's oldest profession appears to be feeling the financial pinch.
What's happening?
"Over the past week, business has gone down by 50%," Aurel Johannes Marx, who runs a three-room brothel on the edge of Berlin, told The Associated Press.
The coronavirus has chased away customers despite disinfectant dispensers now installed next to washbasins at the "Lankwitzer 7" brothel and Marx ordering staff to open windows and hot-wash all towels and sheets, the AP said.
In fact, the outlet said authorities ordered all entertainment venues, including brothels, temporarily closed Saturday. Berlin has 332 COVID-19 cases at present with several dozen infections traced to bars and clubs, the AP added.
Did you know there is an Association of Erotic and Sexual Services Providers? Well, Susanne Bleier Wilp — a former sex worker — is the spokeswoman for the group and told the outlet that the coronavirus has raised anxiety and uncertainty among the 100,000 to 200,000 sex workers in Germany, where prostitution was largely legalized almost two decades ago.
“There are those who are withdrawing from the business entirely at the moment for safety reasons," Bleier Wilp added to the AP, noting also that other sex workers are requiring customers to disinfect themselves — which medical experts say won't do much to stop the coronavirus from spreading during close physical contact.
Salome Balthus, a Berlin sex worker, told the outlet that most of her colleagues prefer to stay at home.
“But they know that nobody is going to compensate them for loss of income," she tweeted, according to the AP. “90% of all dates are being canceled anyway. As always, we're left to fend for ourselves."
Balthus added to the outlet that “many of us will face housing problems in three months at the latest. In which home should we stay then?"
The AP said most sex workers are self-employed and they won't benefit directly from the German government's half-trillion-euro package of loans it's making available to companies getting hurt by the coronavirus outbreak.
“That means they bear all the risks themselves," Bleier Wilp told the outlet, adding that a provision in the country's infectious disease protection law might allow self-employed sex workers to apply for compensation.
What about Amsterdam's red light district?
More from the AP:
In the Netherlands, Amsterdam's famed red light district was similarly hard hit after the government on Sunday night ordered the closure of schools, bars and restaurants for three weeks and made a point of mentioning that sex clubs also were affected.
By Sunday night, the normally packed canal-side streets and narrow, cobbled alleys that are normally a tourist magnet were largely deserted. On Monday, the windows where scantily clad sex workers pose to attract customers were largely empty. Some had signs taped to the glass saying: “The office is closed" due to the coronavirus restrictions.
“There are almost no clients because there are no people on the street even. So the brothel owners decided to close down," an Amsterdam sex worker who goes by the pseudonym Foxxy Angel told the outlet in a telephone interview.
Angel added to the AP that she's already spent her savings when she couldn't work for three weeks due to the regular flu.
Still, the Prostitution Information Center in Amsterdam has established an emergency fund for sex workers in financial trouble and is aiming to raise 6,000 euros — $6,590 U.S. — and will give 40 euros to all applicants to cover costs of shopping, medicine, and phone bills, the outlet said.
“I'm at the end of my money now, so I'm coming up with different things to make money," she explained to the AP. “I'm going to go back on [web] camming and selling porn online."


theblaze--2020-03-17--Trump administration considering sending money directly to Americans to ease financial burden of cor

Trump administration considering sending money directly to Americans to ease financial burden of coronavirus Payroll tax cuts may not be @ @ @ @ @ extreme needs

The Trump administration is now considering sending direct cash payments to Americans to aid them during a time when many are unable to work due to widespread shutdowns caused by the spread and threat of the coronavirus, the Washington Post reported.
President Donald Trump and his advisers may be moving away from a previous idea to implement a payroll tax holiday to give Americans some financial relief, since that method may not be fast enough to meet the extreme needs caused by a rapidly evolving public health crisis.
"Payroll tax is one way, but it does come over a period of months, many months," Trump said Tuesday. "And we want to do something much faster than that. So I think we have ways of getting money out pretty quickly and very accurately."
Critics of the payroll tax holiday point out that it won't benefit people who have lost their jobs and are no longer getting paid.
Some Senate Republicans, such as Mitt Romney of Utah and Tom Cotton of Arkansas, have endorsed direct payments to Americans, although the exact parameters of such a program have not been made clear. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said the administration will have to define it more in order to ensure that money isn't going to people who don't need it.
"I think it's clear we don't need to send people who make a million dollars a year checks," Mnuchin said, the Post reported.
Romney has suggested $1,000 payments to Americans.
"Every American adult should immediately receive $1,000 to help ensure families and workers can meet their short-term obligations and increase spending in the economy," a release from Romney's office said, CNN reported. "Congress took similar action during the 2001 and 2008 recessions. While expansions of paid leave, unemployment insurance, and SNAP benefits are crucial, the check will help fill the gaps for Americans that may not quickly navigate different government options."
Trump and Mnuchin stressed that, whatever action is taken, it needs to be taken immediately.
"We're looking at sending checks to Americans immediately," Mnuchin said. "And I mean now, in the next two weeks."


theblaze--2020-03-17--10,000 revelers from across the country turn out for gay festival. Several later test positive for C

10,000 revelers from across the country turn out for gay festival. Several later test positive for COVID-19.

10,000 revelers from across the country turn out for gay festival .
Several later test positive for COVID-19 .
Organizers @ @ @ @ @ hand sanitizer bottles and hygiene information '

Many members of the gay community may have been exposed to COVID-19 during an early March festival in Miami, according to NBC News.
What are the details?
The Winter Party Festival, an annual, weeklong LGBTQ festival in Miami, saw thousands and thousands of attendees this year.
According to festival organizers, several attendees have tested positive for coronavirus since the festival's March 10 conclusion.
Rea Carey, who is executive director of the National LGBTQ Task Force, issued a Monday statement on Instagram. The National LGBTQ Task Force organized the festival.
"We know there are many places people could have been exposed before and after Winter Party as this virus has developed, but we wanted to make this information public as soon as possible," Carey explained in the now-viral post. "The health and safety of anyone who participates in any Task Force event is of great importance to us."
Carey added that the task force was not aware at the time that the outbreak would become so deadly, noting that it "made the most informed decision at the time, following all official guidance available at the time."
The outlet reported that the task force was proactive in "distributing 10,000 hand sanitizer bottles and hygiene information" to attendees.
The organization has not yet announced how many of its attendees have tested positive for COVID-19.
"Information and circumstances have changed rapidly since WPF. We continue to encourage all WPF guests to monitor their health, practice social distancing, wash hands with soap, use hand sanitizer and contact their doctor if they think they are exhibiting symptoms. If you test positive for COVID-19, please contact those you were in direct contact with so they can take steps to monitor their health and speak with their doctors," Carey's post added.
What else?
In a statement to NBC News, Carey said, “We are monitoring the situation but the real story here is that millions of people across the country would like to get tested and the government has not done its job to make testing available. We hope that as people do get tested, they contact those with whom they have been in direct contact with and seek medical attention if necessary."
On Monday, the Miami Herald reported that the festival organizers did take precautions in attempting to squash the spread of the deadly disease.
"During the welcome reception for the Winter Party Festival on March 4, a festival representative and Mayor Dan Gelber demonstrated a hands-free handshake that attendees should use. It involved jazz hands," the Herald's Martin Vassolo wrote. "Organizers rolled out a hygiene policy and said they gave out 10,000 bottles of hand sanitizer."


theblaze--2020-03-17--NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio says he is ‘absolutely considering’ a shelter-in-place order for the city

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio says he is ‘ absolutely considering ’ a shelter-in-place order for the city

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio says he is "absolutely considering" implementing a shelter-in-place directive for the city of at least 8 million people.
The order would permit New Yorkers to leave their homes only for food, medicine, and exercise.
What are the details?
During a CNN appearance Tuesday, de Blasio discussed COVID-19 plans for New York City.
"We're absolutely considering [shelter in place]," de Blasio said, referring to a similar and newly implemented plan in San Francisco. "We're going to look at all other options, but it could get to that for sure. It could get to that for the whole country."
On Monday, San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced that residents of San Francisco could leave their homes only for necessities over the coming three weeks. Any violations of the directive could be punishable by law. The order remains in effect until at least April 7 and prohibits gatherings of individuals outside the home, save for essential services.
France has issued similar orders, and residents must produce a form in order to leave their homes.
"We need to have our minds that this could be a crisis of at a minimum several months," de Blasio reasoned.
The mayor, who closed schools until at least April 20, added that it seems unlikely that schools will reopen at such a time.
"April 20 is when we're going to make our first attempt, but watching the trajectory, it's hard to imagine that's going to work," he admitted.


theblaze--2020-03-17--Top Taiwan leader punches back at China for trying to blame US over coronavirus pandemic

Top Taiwan leader punches back at China for trying to blame US over coronavirus pandemic ' ... the world already @ @ @ @ @ '

Communist China's propaganda effort to wash their hands of responsibility for the coronavirus is well underway, but that is not stopping Taiwan from identifying who is to blame for COVID-19.
While China campaigns to pin responsibility on the United States, Taiwan Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu told radio host Hugh Hewitt on Monday that the onus lays squarely at China's feet.
Wu said:
Well, you know, when the Coronavirus started in Wuhan, we sent our CDC officials and experts to that area to make investigation. And we knew that there was something wrong in that place. But the Chinese government officials were rather quiet about the real situation. And I think right now, the world already knows where that it started, and that is the term that we use to describe this kind of Coronavirus. We called it Wuhan Pneumonia Coronavirus.
Wu explained that China is attempting to blame the U.S. because COVID-19 is proving that China is not a responsible superpower the international community can trust.
"The Chinese understand that its national reputation suffered tremendously in the last few months because of the coronavirus. And what it's trying to do is trying to overturn that kind of situation," Wu said. "I think the Chinese are also coming out in a very strong way through its propaganda that it is the savior of the world right now."
During his interview, Wu also revealed how Taiwan, despite being in close geographic proximity to China, has been able to curb COVID-19 from gaining a foothold in the island nation.
Wu explained:
You asked about why or how we do better than other countries. I can tell you that we learned it from our experience. Taiwan was hit very hard by SARS back in 2002 and 2003. And we learned the lesson, and therefore, we try to structure the government to deal with an epidemic like this.
So when we heard that there was some suspicious cases in Wuhan, China, we jumped up ahead of what may happen to us. We started our command center. We started our taskforce in dealing with the situation. And when the situation is getting worse in China, we mobilized the whole government to deal with the situation. We try to control the border. We tried to set up quarantine mechanisms, and we tried to set up tracing mechanisms to deal with those cases, including the contacts. And the government is also issuing public messaging policies. And we also set up ration mechanisms for materials for us to face the situation. So this is what we do altogether, and so far, it's been successful.
As of Tuesday, Taiwan has seen only 77 cases of COVID-19, including just one death.


theblaze--2020-03-17--President Trump says drive-thrus will remain open amid coronavirus response after meeting with fast-

President Trump says drive-thrus will remain open amid coronavirus response after meeting with fast-food CEOs

The administration is urging people to avoid restaurants for the time being due to the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus — formally known as COVID-19 — but President Donald Trump says that fast-food companies have agreed to keep their drive-thru and pickup options up and running in the meantime.
The president made the announcement at a White House press briefing Tuesday following a morning telephone meeting with several fast-food industry leaders about the ongoing viral outbreak.
"They were great," President Trump said of the meeting. "We discussed the important role that drive-thru, pickup, and delivery service can play in the weeks ahead. So that's happening, and they have been fantastic. They have been absolutely fantastic, and they've been doing it already, but they're keeping it open."
The news came one day after the release of White House coronavirus guidelines that recommend people avoid eating at restaurants, food courts, and bars for the next two weeks in an effort to slow the spread of the virus. The guidelines also recommended avoiding social gatherings of more than 10 people and forego noncritical visits to nursing homes and long-term care facilities.
During the Tuesday morning phone meeting, Trump "reminded the restaurants that they can help flatten the curve and slow the spread of this virus in communities across the country by encouraging their customers to use drive-thru, pickup, or delivery options," according to a statement from White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere. "All of the executives committed their restaurants to this critical guideline and assured the President they fully intend to continue feeding their communities through these other innovative avenues."
According to the White House, attendees at the meeting included executives from Domino's Pizza, Chick-fil-A, McDonald's, Papa Johns, Wendy's, and YUM! Brands — which owns Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and KFC — among others.
The announcement comes as some restaurants have started to restrict customers' dining options, and others have found themselves shut down by local authorities.
Ahead of Tuesday's meeting, McDonald's, Taco Bell and Chick-fil-A had already announced temporary closures of their restaurants' dining areas while other restaurants had already announced that they would offer free delivery in the face of the virus' spread, according to a list compiled by WRIC-TV.
At the same time, a growing number of state and local authorities across the country have started ordering that restaurants and bars to temporarily close, or at least stop serving dine-in customers for now. On Tuesday, the governors of Iowa and North Carolina added their states to the list as well.


theblaze--2020-03-17--PolitiFact slaps Joe Biden with ‘mostly false’ rating for claiming that the US ‘refused’ WHO corona

PolitiFact slaps Joe Biden with ‘mostly false’ rating for claiming that the US ‘refused’ WHO coronavirus tests

PolitiFact slaps Joe Biden with ‘ mostly false ’ rating for claiming that the US ‘ refused ’ WHO coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ WHO and CDC about WHO providing COVID-19 tests to the United States '

Left-leaning fact-checking website PolitiFact called out Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden with a "mostly false" rating over a recent claim that the United States "refused" to accept coronavirus testing kits offered by the World Health Organization.
Biden made the claim during Sunday night's Democratic presidential primary debate against Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in response to a question about President Donald Trump's handling of the current coronavirus outbreak.
"President Trump says he does not take any responsibility for the problems with coronavirus testing, in part because he says he inherited so many rules, regulations, and red tape," debate moderator Jake Tapper said to the former vice president, according to a Rev transcript. "Did bureaucratic red tape hamper this response in any way?"
"No; look, the World Health Organization offered, offered the testing kits that they have available and to give it to us now," Biden responded.
"We refused them. We did not want to buy them. We did not want to get them from them. We wanted to make sure we had our own," Biden continued. "I think [Trump] said something like, 'We have the best scientists in America,' or something to that effect."
When PolitiFact reached out to the Biden campaign on the claim, the fact-checker says the campaign pointed to a story published earlier this month at Politico, which said that the U.S wasn't among the 60 countries to which the WHO had sent tests by the end of February:
Why the United States declined to use the WHO test, even temporarily as a bridge until the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention could produce its own test, remains a perplexing question and the key to the Trump administration's failure to provide enough tests to identify the coronavirus infections before they could be passed on, according to POLITICO interviews with dozens of viral-disease experts, former officials and some officials within the administration's health agencies.
However, PolitiFact wrote in a post Monday that the countries helped by the WHO were ones that lacked the same kind of virology lab capabilities that the United States has, and cited work done by the Pan American Health Organization as an example:
The group is WHO's arm in the Americas. It conducted trainings and sent materials to conduct tests to 29 nations. The list included Paraguay, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and many others.
The group said it focused most of its efforts on "countries with the weakest health systems."
"No discussions occurred between WHO and CDC about WHO providing COVID-19 tests to the United States," said WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris. "This is consistent with experience since the United States does not ordinarily rely on WHO for reagents or diagnostic tests because of sufficient domestic capacity."
The post goes on to explain that Biden's comments leave out context about how different countries chose which kind of test to use, based on multiple different models. Even if the United States had adopted the same testing model of the World Health Organization preferred — which it didn't — the country wouldn't have needed the WHO to send supplies.
While the U.S. didn't try to employ the WHO test model, "Biden's emphasis on WHO offering kits is simply wrong," PolitiFact concludes. "We rate this claim mostly false."


theblaze--2020-03-17--In France, people now need a form to leave their houses as 100,000 police have been commissioned to

In France, people now need a form to leave their houses as 100,000 police have been commissioned to enforce the country's lockdown

In France , people now need a form to leave their houses as 100,000 police have been commissioned to enforce @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. follow suit ?

As a part of a ramped-up lockdown, France is now requiring people to fill out a form justifying their reason for being away from home.
On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron announced the 15-day lockdown in France, saying that the country is at "war" with the novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19. The lockdown requires most people to remain at home over the next couple weeks in order to stem the spread of the virus.
Under the lockdown, French residents are still able to leave their homes if absolutely necessary, but in order to so they must produce a document citing their reasons for being in public.
According to Business Insider, some of the excusable reasons are to seek medical care, to work (if remote work is not possible), to buy groceries in authorized shops, or to get some exercise by yourself.
To enforce the rule, 100,000 police officers have been deployed and authorized to hand out fines. Residents found out and about without the form will be fined a minimum of 38 euros ($42) and a maximum of 135 euros ($150).
"Stay at home," Interior Minister Christophe Castaner flatly said as he announced the enforcement measures.
Speaking with i24 News, French journalist Peter John Humi said that, in general, the French people are accepting of the lockdown so far and that they view it as such rather than as a mandated "curfew."
As of Tuesday morning, over 6,000 had tested positive for the virus in France and the death toll was at 148.
In the United States, President Donald Trump and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued tougher guidelines for social distancing this week amid the outbreak.
The CDC recommended that all events consisting of 50 or more people within the next eight weeks should be canceled or postponed, while the president advised Americans to avoid social gatherings of 10 or more people.
So far, the U.S. government has not enacted measures to enforce social distancing and community mitigation.


theblaze--2020-03-17--City commissioner suggests letting first responders volunteer to catch coronavirus so they might dev

City commissioner suggests letting first responders volunteer to catch coronavirus so they might develop immunity He termed proposal as 'taking @ @ @ @ @

Are you immune from the coronavirus once you've caught it? Some in the medical community don't seem quite sure at the moment.
"Coronaviruses aren't new; they've been around for a long, long time, and many species — not just humans — get them. So we know a fair amount about coronaviruses in general," Dr. Stephen Gluckman, an infectious diseases physician at Penn Medicine and the medical director of Penn Global Medicine, told the Huffington Post. "For the most part, the feeling is once you've had a specific coronavirus, you are immune. We don't have enough data to say that with this coronavirus, but it is likely."
A novel idea
Miami Beach Commissioner Ricky Arriola isn't sure, either, and asked that very question at an emergency meeting Friday, the Miami New Times reported. But he also proposed what he termed a "dangerous but bold" idea to combat the pandemic that's turning more than a few heads.
Arriola said the city should consider allowing its first responders to voluntarily contract the coronavirus so they can develop antibodies to the disease.
He termed it "taking one for the team," that the process would be "like a chickenpox," and that "it is our job to think boldly, and we've got to start thinking about this."
Arriola proposed his idea after Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber said he's concerned that the city's first responders might unknowingly spread the virus to residents and one another, the New Times reported.
"Frankly, if I had one message to send out to other people right now in government, at other levels of government, I'd say we desperately need to be able to test as much as we want to test and as often as we can test," Gelber said, the paper noted. "We are this close to losing a lot of our first responders, and I don't want to sound like the sky is falling, but that is something that could happen at any moment, and if it does, I think we'd be in a terrible place."
What else did Arriola say?
The New Times interviewed Arriola later about his proposal, and while he's still in favor of looking at it, he wouldn't want to move forward until medical experts offer guidance.
"I'm trying to be forward-looking and ask tough questions because if you don't and this thing catches you by surprise, society could shut down," he told the paper.
Arriola shuddered at the thought of losing large numbers of first responders all at once, the New Times said.
"What are we gonna do in the event that our first responders start getting either exposure to the virus or catch the virus, and we lose 25 percent, 50 percent of our first responders? If we're in a state of curfew or martial law, and we have 50 percent of our first responders, what do we do?" Arriola asked.
Therefore he said it might be a good idea to expose willing first responders to the virus in a controlled setting with medical supervision, the paper said — and he'd be willing to join them.
"It's a matter of, 'Do you want to just randomly get it, or do you want to control when you get it?'" he told the New Times. "Does it make sense to do this in a controlled, safe environment so they have immunity?"
'Disgusting and dangerous remarks'
The National Fraternal Order of Police pushed back hard against Arriola's proposal over the weekend.
"As we have a police officer in Texas in critical condition, fighting for his life, from contracting the coronavirus, City of Miami Beach Commissioner Ricky Arriola suggests we purposely infect first responders with the virus," the group noted on a Facebook post.
"Let us assure you," the group's post continued, "there is nothing bold about intentionally infecting human beings with a pandemic just because of who they are. Police officers 'take one for the team every day, commissioner. Purposely harming us and our families with your idiotic idea is not what anyone expects of our elected officials. The entire first responder community deserves an apology for your disgusting and dangerous remarks."
(H/T: Blue Lives Matter)


theblaze--2020-03-17--A clueless Jared Leto only just learns about the COVID-19 pandemic because he was on a 12-day ‘silen

A clueless Jared Leto only just learns about the COVID-19 pandemic because he was on a 12-day ‘silent meditation’: World has ‘been changed forever’

A clueless Jared Leto only just learns about the COVID-19 pandemic because he was on a 12-day ‘ silent meditation @ @ @ @ @ been changed forever ’

Actor and musician Jared Leto said that he only just discovered that COVID-19 had become a dangerous pandemic, practically pushing the American lifestyle to a screeching halt, because he was on a 12-day "silent meditation" with no access to technology.
What are the details?
On Monday night, Leto, 48, revealed the discovery on Instagram.
The "Suicide Squad" actor detailed how he and, apparently, others were locked down in a "facility" for 12 days in which he had no access to technology, including cellphones.
He wrote, "Wow. We were totally isolated. No phone, no communication etc. We had no idea what was happening outside the facility. Walked out yesterday into a very different world. One that's been changed forever. Mind blowing — to say the least."
Leto pointed out that since his return, he has received messages from around the world briefing him on the rapidly unfolding developments surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak.
"I'm getting messages from friends and family all around the globe and catching up on what's going on," he continued.
“Hope you and yours are ok. Sending positive energy to all. Stay inside. Stay safe," the actor concluded.
What else?
At the time of this writing, there are more than 4,500 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States, and over 90 Americans have died because of the deadly outbreak.
Leto also shared the update to Twitter, where it has received thousands of likes.


theblaze--2020-03-17--Study finds most coronavirus transmission comes from people who don’t know they have it

Study finds most coronavirus transmission comes from people who don ’ t know they have it 'Undocumented infections , which @ @ @ @ @ are distributing the virus broadly and are contributing essentially to what they call stealth transmission @ @ @ @

People who have the coronavirus — formally known as COVID-19 — but don't have symptoms and don't get tested for it may be responsible for a large majority of the disease's transmission, according to newly published research findings.
A study conducted by epidemiologists and published in the peer-reviewed academic journal "Science" on Monday used data from the coronavirus outbreak in China to develop a model of the disease's spread. That model found that almost 80% of the confirmed coronavirus cases originated from "undocumented" cases of the virus.
"These undocumented infections often experience mild, limited or no symptoms and hence go unrecognized, and, depending on their contagiousness and numbers, can expose a far greater portion of the population to virus than would otherwise occur," the study explains.
According to the study, the disease model "simulates the spatiotemporal dynamics of infections among 375 Chinese cities" before the country's regime implemented travel restrictions on Jan. 23. Based on the model's findings, the researchers estimated that a whopping 86% of the coronavirus cases went undocumented.
"Per person, the transmission rate of undocumented infections was 55% of documented infections," the study's abstract explains, "yet, due to their greater numbers, undocumented infections were the infection source for 79% of documented cases."
The researchers said that the study's findings help explain the rapid spread of the potentially deadly virus around the world in recent months.
"When someone experiences mild symptoms, and most of us can relate to this, we still go about our day and send the kids to school and go to work and might have a headache or slight fever and maybe take Ibuprofen and go out and go shopping and whatnot," study co-author and Columbia University environmental health professor Jeffrey Shaman said at a press briefing Monday, according to UPI. "It is that continued contact with people that allows the transmission of many respiratory viruses."
Shaman added that "undocumented infections, which tend to be milder, are distributing the virus broadly and are contributing essentially to what they call stealth transmission of the virus because it's undetected and flying below the radar."
The study's findings also drive home why it would be important for people to heed cautionary public health recommendations meant to slow the virus' spread, even if they aren't showing symptoms and haven't been diagnosed.
In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a list of several general steps for people to take in order to combat the ongoing viral outbreak, such as washing hands, disinfecting surfaces, covering coughs and sneezes, and staying home when sick.
On Monday, the White House released a set of more stringent guidelines meant to slow the virus' spread over the course of the next 15 days. These include avoiding social gatherings of more than 10 people, halting nonessential travel, and not visiting nursing homes or long-term care facilities except "to provide critical care."


theblaze--2020-03-17--Pentagon officials say Joe Biden's coronavirus proposal is totally wrong and would actually make thi

Pentagon officials say Joe Biden's coronavirus proposal is totally wrong and would actually make things worse

Pentagon officials say Joe Biden 's coronavirus proposal is totally wrong and would actually make things worse He did n't @ @ @ @

Former Vice President Joe Biden offered his proposal for how he would handle the coronavirus, and it involved the military. Unfortunately for Biden, however, Pentagon officials think it's a bad idea, U.S. News reported.
Sunday night's Democratic primary debate was overshadowed by the growing coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis, which is taking lives and disrupting the world economy. The United States has observed as some countries have handled it relatively well, and others relatively poorly. Perhaps the largest question that will determine how the United States fares is whether or not our health care system can handle the inevitable increase in patient volume.
Biden's plan: To address the reality that U.S. hospitals may not have enough beds and enough medical equipment to treat everyone who will get the coronavirus, as well as patients suffering from other issues, Biden said he would turn to the military.
"I would call out the military now," Biden said at the Democratic debate. "They have the ability to provide this surge that hospitals need. … They have the capacity to build 500 hospital beds and tents that are completely safe and secure. It's a national emergency, and I would call out the military."
The Pentagon disagrees: It is true that the military has the ability to quickly build mobile hospital facilities that can treat hundreds of patients — but they're not exactly ideal for dealing with an infectious disease. From U.S. News:
[Air Force Brig. Gen. Paul Friedrichs, the surgeon for the Pentagon's Joint Staff] and Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman, who also spoke at the briefing, said that the mobile hospital facilities the military can rapidly deploy do not typically isolate patients as medical professionals would need to contain the spread of a disease like the coronavirus. Rather, they keep patients together in common spaces and sometimes stack beds four-high to maximize space – the kind of grouping that would have the opposite effect of containment.
"What we're trying to be careful of is not over-promising," Friedrichs said.
Hoffman also emphasized that even with the capability to build facilities, the military would face a serious personnel and equipment shortage that would have to be filled from another source.


theblaze--2020-03-17--ACLU sues ICE for the release of certain immigrants over coronavirus fears

ACLU sues ICE for the release of certain immigrants over coronavirus fears A Democratic lawmaker has similarly called for 'compassionate @ @ @ @

The American Civil Liberties Union sued Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Monday, demanding that certain immigrants be released from custody over the coronavirus concerns.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, expresses concerns that immigrants detained in Tacoma, Washington, at the Tacoma Northwest Detention Center are especially vulnerable to contracting COVID-19 after Washington state experienced the first outbreak of the rapidly spreading disease in the U.S.
The ACLU is seeking "the release of people who are in civil detention and are at high risk for serious illness or death in the event of COVID-19 infection," the organization said in a statement.
"The determination is based on the age of detainees, as well as their underlying medical conditions, which public health experts have indicated will increase the risk of serious COVID-19 infection," the ACLU said.
ACLU senior attorney Eunice Cho said:
Immigrant detention centers are institutions that uniquely heighten the danger of disease transmission. In normal circumstances, ICE has proven time and again that it is unable to protect the health and safety of detained people. These are not normal circumstances, and the heightened risk of serious harm to people in detention from COVID-19 is clear.
Public health experts have warned that failing to reduce the number of people detained — and in particular, failing to release those particularly vulnerable to the disease — endangers the lives of everyone in the detention facility, including staff, and the broader community.
The ACLU filed the lawsuit alongside the ACLU of Washington and the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project.
Democratic Rep. Ayanna Pressley (Mass.) revealed over the weekend that she and a handful of her Democratic colleagues have been lobbying the Bureau of Prisons to similarly release people who are vulnerable to contracting COVID-19.
Pressley characterized such action as "compassionate release."
Michael Cohen, the former personal lawyer to President Donald Trump who is currently in prison for fraud and perjury, is also advocating that Trump release nonviolent offenders to prevent COVID-19 spread in prisons.


theblaze--2020-03-17--VIDEO: Denver neighbors hold a 'social distancing dance party' in the street to beat back the corona

VIDEO: Denver neighbors hold a 'social distancing dance party' in the street to beat back the coronavirus isolation blues

VIDEO : Denver neighbors hold a 'social distancing dance party ' in the street to beat back the coronavirus isolation @ @ @ @ @ 14 minutes of fun and community — while 6 feet apart '

As community life has come to a screeching halt across America amid the coronavirus outbreak, residents of a Denver neighborhood found a creative way to beat back the social distancing blues — by holding a neighborhood dance party.
One neighborhood resident caught the dance party on video and posted it on Twitter.
"Meanwhile on my block: Social-distancing neighborhood street dance party. 4 songs, 14 minutes of fun and community — while 6 feet apart," the caption for the original tweet read.
In the clip, you can see people of all ages in the street, dancing with each other while remaining 6 feet apart. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention believes the virus is usually transmitted person-to-person "between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet)."
Many cities and towns around the country have closed down bars, restaurants, and shops in hopes of stemming the community spread of the coronavirus. Schools have sent students home and businesses have asked employees to work remotely.
The CDC issued updated guidelines Sunday, recommending that event organizers cancel or postpone events consisting of 50 or more people for the next eight weeks.
President Trump also issued guidelines from the White House Monday that advised all Americans to avoid social gatherings of more than 10 people and avoid discretionary travel for the next 15 days.
As of Tuesday morning, more than 4,500 in America had tested positive for the virus, resulting in more than 90 deaths.


theblaze--2020-03-17--EU leader calls for travel ban to Europe to fight coronavirus spread

EU leader calls for travel ban to Europe to fight coronavirus spread 'The less travel , the more we can @ @ @ @

In response to the global spread of the coronavirus — formally known as COVID-19 — a top official of the European Union has called for European leaders to impose travel restrictions to E.U. countries.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at a Monday news conference that a proposed travel ban would halt unnecessary travel to the E.U. in order to avoid further spread of the virus, according to Business Insider:
"We think nonessential travel should be reduced right now in order not to spread the virus further, be it within the European Union or by leaving the European Union," von der Leyen told reporters, "but also to avoid nonessential travels not to have more potential strain on our healthcare system."
According to Business Insider, once European leaders approve the proposal, travelers, who are not from the E.U., won't be allowed in the region unless they have family there, are long-term residents, cross-border commuters, or essential personnel such as researchers or doctors.
Von der Leyen also called on other countries to assist in limiting travel to Europe as well.
"The less travel, the more we can contain the virus," von der Leyen also said in a related video message about the proposal. "Therefore ... I propose to the heads of state and government to introduce temporary restriction on nonessential travel to the European Union."
The travel ban would apply to all members of the 26 countries in the Schengen travel area, which also includes the non-E.U. countries of Iceland, Norway Switzerland, and Lichtenstein, according to the Business Insider report.
The news comes less than a week after President Donald Trump announced that, in order to combat coronavirus' spread, the U.S. would temporarily suspend travel from Europe.
"To keep new [coronavirus] cases from entering our shores, we will be suspending all travel from Europe to the United States for the next 30 days," Trump said Wednesday during a televised address to the American people. While the United Kingdom and Ireland were initially exempted from the restrictions, Trump announced their inclusion on Saturday.
In a Thursday joint statement, European Council President Charles Michel and von der Leyen criticized Trump for announcing the ban without talking to them first.
"The European Union disapproves of the fact that the U.S. decision to impose a travel ban was taken unilaterally and without consultation," Michel and von der Leyen said in the statement. "The coronavirus is a global crisis, not limited to any continent, and it requires cooperation rather than unilateral action. The European Union is taking strong action to limit the spread of the virus."
As of Tuesday morning, numbers compiled by Johns Hopkins University showed that there were over 185,000 confirmed cases of the disease worldwide. The same data show the European countries of Italy, Spain, France and Germany comprising four of the top seven countries with the most cases.


theblaze--2020-03-17--AOC distanced herself from Bernie Sanders' campaign after alleged conflicts over immigration rhetori

AOC distanced herself from Bernie Sanders' campaign after alleged conflicts over immigration rhetoric, Joe Rogan

AOC distanced herself from Bernie Sanders ' campaign after alleged conflicts over immigration rhetoric , Joe Rogan She was his @ @

New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's endorsement of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) appeared to be a huge boost to the democratic socialist's presidential campaign — but shortly before the Iowa caucuses, the relationship between the two like-minded politicians cooled off, HuffPost reported.
Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) were competing for the Ocasio-Cortez's endorsement, and she came out in favor of Sanders in October when he was fading somewhat in the polls and recovering from a heart attack that threatened his candidacy.
Iowa issues: Between October and late January, Ocasio-Cortez spoke for Sanders at 15 large rallies, including crucial events in Iowa while Sanders was in Washington, D.C., for President Donald Trump's impeachment trial.
Problems surfaced after a Jan. 25 rally in which Ocasio-Cortez gave an entire speech on Sanders' behalf without mentioning his name once. She also encouraged people to work against immigration authorities on behalf of illegal immigrants. HuffPost reported that Sanders' campaign manager Faiz Shakir told Ocasio-Cortez he didn't like her advocating for open noncooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, although Shakir has denied such communication.
Joe Rogan conflict: Sanders picked up another high-profile endorsement during that same late January period, when popular podcast host Joe Rogan indicated that he'd be voting for Sanders.
That endorsement was controversial in progressive circles, because Rogan has said some decidedly non-progressive things about transgender people — specifically that biological men who transition to become transgender women should not be able to compete in mixed martial arts fights against biological women.
Still, Sanders' campaign chose to embrace and publicize Rogan's endorsement — and Ocasio-Cortez was reportedly unhappy with that decision.
Ocasio-Cortez backs away: After a Jan. 26 event in Iowa, Ocasio-Cortez didn't campaign for Sanders for more than two weeks before showing up in New Hampshire, although a source familiar with the situation told HuffPost "it was like pulling teeth" to make that happen.
In the next month after that Feb. 10 New Hampshire appearance, Ocasio-Cortez reportedly turned down numerous requests from the Sanders campaign to speak for him in Nevada and South Carolina. Former Vice President Joe Biden's big wins in South Carolina and on Super Tuesday allowed Biden to take control of the primary from Sanders.
(H/T: The Daily Wire)


theblaze--2020-03-17--Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson reportedly released from hospital following coronavirus treatment

'They 're still self-quarantined obviously , but they 're feeling a lot better , so that 's a relief .
@

Actor Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, are out of the hospital after contracting COVID-19, their son Chet Hanks said.
Hanks and Wilson were admitted to an Australian hospital last week after testing positive for the coronavirus.
What are the details?
In a Monday evening Instagram post, Chet said, "Quick update on my folks: They're out of the hospital. They're still self-quarantined obviously, but they're feeling a lot better, so that's a relief."
Chet added, "I just want to say to anyone else out there who has loved ones — or if you, yourself are afflicted with the virus, my prayers go out to you, because a lot of people are suffering other than my parents right now. I think if you went to the grocery store and hoarded all the toilet paper, you're the problem. You know what I mean? You should just think more of others for once.
"I know this is crazy," he concluded, "but I'm just wishing everyone the best and we're going to get through this."
Tom, 63, who suffers from Type 2 diabetes, confirmed the COVID-19 diagnosis in a social media post last week, saying that he and his wife both fell ill after contracting the virus.
At the time, he wrote, "We felt a bit tired, like we had colds, and some body aches. Rita had some chills that came and went. Slight fevers, too. To play things right, as is needed in the world right now, we were tested for the Coronavirus, and were found to be positive."
In a later post, he added, "There are those for whom it could lead to a very serious illness. There are things we can all do to get through this by following the advice of experts and taking care of ourselves and each other, no?"


theblaze--2020-03-17--Triggered college student uses bias reporting site to complain about prof's 'old white guy' statemen

Triggered college student uses bias reporting site to complain about prof's 'old white guy' statements

Triggered college student uses bias reporting site to complain about prof 's 'old white guy ' statements

A student at Northern Illinois University used the school's Bias Reporting website to call out a professor for making "old white guy" statements, the College Fix reported.
The professor "persistently makes problematic statements of a type that we in marginalized communities might call 'old white guy' statements," the student said, according to the outlet. "These don't appear malicious, but they are assumptive."
The College Fix said it filed a freedom of information request to obtain the complaint, which was among 71 filed last year with the NIU bias website. Most identifying information in the complaints was redacted to protect the privacy of the individuals involved, the outlet added.
What did the professor say?
The triggered student noted a few things the professor in question said, including once when he asked the class to compare the two textbooks from two countries, and then pointed out that the topic of racial or minority theory was absent from one of the books, the College Fix said.
When he asked the class why, a student answered "because it's from Denmark" — to which the professor added, "Where there are no black people," the outlet reported.
"He did elaborate to say that there were 'some' black people in Denmark but clearly indicated that he believed the lack of the topic [of] racial theory was due to an absence of minority populations rather than historical incidence of purposeful racial segregation," the student wrote, according to the College Fix.
Another time he commented about a female author being on the syllabus because "you've got to have a woman, and she just so happens to fit the bill," the student reported, according to the outlet.
The student added that the professor's behavior wasn't "anything more than something to roll one's eyes over" but that "friends suggested I go ahead and fill out a bias report," the College Fix said.
What does the student want?
"I am not particularly asking for action taken" against the professor, the student added, according to the outlet. "I would, however, care about general training using these examples anonymized so that future insensitivity might be reduced."
The College Fix said Northern Illinois University officials didn't respond to its request for comment.


theblaze--2020-03-17--Barr tells federal prosectors to prioritize cases of coronavirus scammers amid outbreak

'The pandemic is dangerous enough without wrongdoers seeking to profit from public panic '

United Sates Attorney General William Barr has told federal prosecutors to prioritize cases of "wrongdoers" looking to seize on the global spread of coronavirus — formally known as COVID-19 — for illicit gain.
"In addition to ensuring that the justice system can continue functioning during the current national crisis, it is essential that the Department of Justice remain vigilant in detecting, investigating, and prosecuting wrongdoing related to the crisis," Barr said in a Monday memo to U.S. attorneys obtained by Blaze Media. In the document, the attorney general pointed to "reports of individuals and businesses selling fake cures" for the disease on the internet as well as "engaging in other forms of fraud," phishing and malware schemes.
"The pandemic is dangerous enough without wrongdoers seeking to profit from public panic, and this sort of conduct cannot be tolerated," Barr continued in the directive. "Every U.S. attorney's office is thus hereby directed to prioritize the detection, investigation, and prosecution of all criminal conduct related to the current pandemic."
The memo encouraged prosecutors to work with the Justice Department's various offices devoted the enforcement to consumer protection, fraud, and antitrust laws "for additional guidance on how to detect, investigate, and and prosecute these schemes." It also encouraged collaboration with state and local authorities "to both ensure that we hear about misconduct as quickly as possible and that all appropriate enforcement tools are available to punish it."
Barr's instructions to prosecutors are the latest step the department has taken to head off coronavirus-related criminal activity amid the ongoing spread of the disease. Last week, the attorney general put out a warning to U.S. businesses about violating antitrust laws through actions like price fixing or bid-rigging in the manufacture and sale of medical products like face masks and respirators.
"The Department of Justice stands ready to make sure that bad actors do not take advantage of emergency response efforts, healthcare providers, or the American people during this crucial time," Barr said in a statement. "I am committed to ensuring that the department's resources are available to combat any wrongdoing and protect the public."
Other federal agencies have also made efforts to protect Americans from being defrauded during the current public health crisis.
Last week, the Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission sent warning letters to seven different companies "for selling fraudulent COVID-19 products," which they said were "unapproved drugs that pose significant risks to patient health and violate federal law."
The Secret Service has also sent out a warning for people to be on the lookout for online scam and fraud schemes as part of its mission to combat cyber crime.
"Criminals are opportunists, and as seen in the past, any major news event can become an opportunity for groups or individuals with malicious intentions. The Coronavirus is no different," the federal law enforcement agency said last week. "In fact, the Coronavirus is a prime opportunity for enterprising criminals because it plays on one of the basic human conditions…fear."


theblaze--2020-03-17--Joe Scarborough: the atmosphere inside the White House is 'very sober,' and COVID-19 is 'going to ch

Joe Scarborough: the atmosphere inside the White House is 'very sober,' and COVID-19 is 'going to change the way Americans live'

Joe Scarborough : the atmosphere inside the White House is 'very sober , ' and COVID-19 is 'going to change @ @ @ @ @

MSNBC's Joe Scarborough says that the COVID-19 outbreak is more like World War II rather than like 9/11.
Speaking with presidential historian Jon Meacham, Scarborough said that the U.S. was facing a challenge comparable to WWII.
What are the details?
The "Morning Joe" co-host said that the weekend's "sobering report" that estimated the death of at least 2 million Americans from the COVID-19 spread puts the country on par with WWII rather than the events that unfolded on Sept. 11, 2001.
"[That's] more Americans than died in World War I, World War II, Vietnam, and the Civil War combined. It is a staggering number," he said.
"The same thing happened in Great Britain, where they reversed course after finding out their models yesterday would lead to 250,000 British citizens dying," he continued. "The White House is unusually focused and frightened about what is coming."
Scarborough, who said he spoke to "high-ranking officials" this week, insisted that he received information that "this is going to be very bad."
"We are going to have to, you know — it is all hands on deck," he added. "This isn't like 9/11. This is like World War II. It is going to change the way we live as Americans. And the atmosphere inside the White House was very sober."
Scarborough pointed out that even President Donald Trump seems to be feeling the ominous atmosphere judging by his suggestions.
"As I hear the president yesterday talking about voluntary measures, and then suggesting they may have to lock down so-called hot spots, I was thinking, 'That's actually the best way to go at first,'" he admitted. "Because we Americans might not respond as well, certainly not as well as, let's say, people in China, people in Singapore, to federal government locking things down. It is going region by region, state by state, locality by locality."
What else?
Meacham added that he believes it feels more like "England and Britain during World War II."
"The analogy I keep thinking of is less about America during World War II, because though we mobilized, we did it very late," he explained. "Obviously, after Pearl Harbor and Germany declared war on us, 16 million Americans served, 11 percent of the male population, 2 million in Europe. There were victory gardens, and there was a full mobilization."
He continued, "I think this is more like England and Britain during World War II. Civilians are actually combatants, if you will, if you followed the analogy. Everybody was at the front, right? Churchill said in the great 'finest hour' speech, you know, let us so conduct ourselves that if the British empire were to last 1,000 years, men will still say, this was their finest hour."
He concluded, "[Churchill] needed everybody because Germany was dropping bombs on everybody. Where we're living right now, the Luftwaffe is overhead in the form of a pandemic. It requires, dare I say it, Churchill-like leadership."


theblaze--2020-03-17--Scott Adams nails the hypocrisy of the left: 'The thing about being liberal is that it's a great ide

Scott Adams nails the hypocrisy of the left: 'The thing about being liberal is that it's a great idea — until somebody comes for YOUR stuff'

Scott Adams nails the hypocrisy of the left : 'The thing about being liberal is that it 's a great @ @ @ @ @ for YOUR stuff '

Scott Adams — famed "Dilbert" cartoon creator and more recent political commentator — absolutely nailed liberal hypocrisy Monday during his daily video rundown of the news.
What's the background?
Adams elicited quite a number of headlines a few years back after he predicted that then-candidate Donald Trump would handily defeat Hillary Clinton for president based on Trump's persuasion skills — and despite endless polls to the contrary:
Real Time with Bill Maher: Dilbert Creator Scott Adams (HBO) youtu.be
Despite being clear soon after that he wasn't endorsing Trump, Adams still felt the wrath of the once-friendly left, and his lucrative speaking engagements quickly evaporated.
Fortunately Adams is still cartooning and apparently has socked away enough cash that being a victim of cancel culture didn't leave much of a monetary mark on him. And more than that, Adams has become a full-fledged Trump fan and severe critic of the left — akin somewhat to commentator Dave Rubin's sociopolitical evolution.
What did Adams say about liberals?
On his Monday video rundown of the news, Adams discussed Democratic presidential frontrunner Joe Biden's possible choice for a vice presidential running mate and noted a poll saying former presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris of California came in first and former candidate and entrepreneur Andrew Yang came in second.
Meanwhile Biden in recent days has promised to nominate a woman to be his vice presidential running mate — and a black woman for Supreme Court if he wins the White House.
With that, Adams humorously lamented Yang's lack of female gender as well as the fact that he doesn't check off the correct minority status box, either.
Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang Photo by Scott Eisen/Getty Images
"How would you like to be Andrew Yang, and you joined a team — Team Democrat — you fought for months and months, you lost sleep, you worked hard, you fought and fought for your team, and then your team said, 'Thank you very much, Andrew Yang, thanks for being part of the process. Now we're gonna pick a vice president, but we're only gonna choose from among people who do not have a penis,'" Adams said.
Adams also lamented that Yang — who's also an attorney — doesn't appear to be on Biden's Supreme Court nominee radar, either, since he's Asian and not black.
'Until somebody comes for your stuff'
"The thing about being liberal is that it's a great idea — until somebody comes for your stuff," Adams continued. "Until somebody comes for your stuff, it's easy to be liberal because you're giving away other people's stuff."
Adams continued, hypothetically speaking to Yang: "But Andrew Yang — they just came for your stuff. How's it feel? And while I don't think you're ready to be a Republican, the Democrats did throw you under a bus, ran over you, and then backed up over you to make sure the job was done. Because it's not enough that you have a penis — you also have the wrong ethnicity for your own party. Sorry."
Here's the clip, which starts at the mark:


theblaze--2020-03-18--DNC chair urges states to continue with primaries as scheduled despite social distancing guidance

DNC chair urges states to continue with primaries as scheduled despite social distancing guidance Tom Perez says 'it 's a @ @ @ @ @ either have to protect safety or protect and ensure our democracy '

Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez is encouraging states to avoid postponing their scheduled presidential primaries despite federal social distancing guidance suggesting Americans avoid gathering in close proximity amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
What are the details?
Florida, Illinois, and Arizona all held their elections on Tuesday as scheduled, while Ohio, Georgia, Kentucky, and Louisiana opted to push back their primaries in an effort stop the spread of the coronavirus in their states.
But Perez cheered the states that pressed forward, regardless of the risks presented by people congregating and waiting to place their votes.
Perez told NPR on Tuesday, "I think it's a false choice to suggest we either have to protect safety or protect and ensure our democracy. What you saw in Arizona today, and in Florida, was in Arizona more people voted early than voted in the entirety of the Democratic primary in 2016."
The outlet noted that "Arizona Democratic Party officials said turnout surged in the state because of early mail-in voting," which Perez wants other states to emulate.
"I've called on all the states that haven't gone yet to take these steps so that we can in fact have voting and protect our workers, our voters, our candidates," Perez added.
CBS News reported that there were "long lines and confusion" at some polling places on Tuesday, with many poll workers staying home to avoid risking their health and that of others.
Ohio governor Mike DeWine (R) refused to hold his state's primary on Tuesday and pushed it back to June — defying a judge's decision, the Washington Post pointed out — as COVID-19 cases continued to mount. He explained during a press conference, "We should not force [voters and poll workers] to make this choice. A choice between their health and their Constitutional rights and their duties."
Voters head to primary polls despite CDC guidelines www.youtube.com
Anything else?
The two Democratic front-runners, former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), both chose not to campaign in person but rather reached out to voters online in Florida, Illinois, and Arizona on Tuesday. Biden ended up winning all three states.


theblaze--2020-03-18--ISIS issues travel advisory to terrorists to avoid 'land of the epidemic'

ISIS issues travel advisory to terrorists to avoid 'land of the epidemic' When even a terror group is scared of @ @

Islamist terror group ISIS issued a travel advisory to its members to avoid Europe because of the coronavirus, calling it the "land of the epidemic."
Homeland Security Today reported the message from the editors of the terror group's weekly newsletter, Al-Naba.
"The healthy should not enter the land of the epidemic and the afflicted should not exit from it," the message read.
The full-color infographic also claimed that the numbers of those who had perished from the disease are much greater than what was reported.
They added that China was "claiming the recovery and discharge of some patients with the disease … to reassure people, and to reduce the catastrophic effects."
The coronavirus epidemic originated in Wuhan, China, but has spread worldwide. Hardest hit have been the countries of Italy and France. In the United States, officials have called on Americans to practice "social distancing" and avoid crowds in order to prevent the spread of the virus.
In a previous Al-Naba newsletter, ISIS acknowledged that many Muslims were calling the virus a "punishment from God Almighty."
ISIS also exhorted their members to "cover the mouth when yawning and sneezing."
Here's more about ISIS and coronavirus:


theblaze--2020-03-18--Facebook: 'Bug' caused legitimate COVID-19 posts to be marked as spam

Facebook : 'Bug ' caused legitimate COVID-19 posts to be marked as spam The social media giant says the posts @ @ @

Facebook says as "bug" in its systems caused several legitimate posts including COVID-19 news articles to be mistakenly marked as spam, after several users complained that they had been erroneously censored for sharing useful information on the platform.
What are the details?
The Washington Post reported that on Tuesday evening, "Facebook marked legitimate posts and articles as spam, including news stories about the coronavirus, prompting a flurry of complaints from confused users."
BuzzFeed News cited several examples of frustrated users reporting that reputable posts from outlets such as Politico and the Sydney Morning Herald were being flagged by Facebook as violating the platform's Community Standards.
The outlet noted that during the afternoon, the company's former security chief, Alex Stamos, speculated on Twitter that the mistakenly flagged posts were a result of an "anti-spam rule" that was "going haywire," after the company's content moderators were sent to work from home over social distancing measures implemented amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Facebook's vice president of integrity, Guy Rosen, responded that it had nothing to do with content moderators, but confirmed that the firm was dealing with a "bug in an anti-spam system."
Rosen later tweeted, "We've restored all the posts that were incorrectly removed, which included posts on all topics - not just related to COVID-19. This was an issue with an automated system that removes links to abusive websites, but incorrectly removed a lot of other posts too."


theblaze--2020-03-18--Iran's foreign minister blames US sanctions for the devastation from coronavirus

Iran 's foreign minister blames US sanctions for the devastation from coronavirus He is demanding nations ignore the sanctions to @ @

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif accused the United States of exacerbating the ruinous effects from the coronavirus on Iran's economy and society.
Zarif tweeted his latest claims from his social media account on Tuesday.
"Unlawful US sanctions drained Iran's economic resources, impairing ability to fight #COVID19," he tweeted, using a politically correct term for the coronavirus.
"They literally kill innocents," Zarif claimed. "It is immoral to observe them: doing so has never saved anyone from future US wrath. Join the growing global campaign to disregard US sanctions on Iran."
Zarif has previously demanded that nations ignore sanctions the United States has placed on the government of Iran.
The coronavirus has been especially damaging in Iran as it quickly spread to government leaders. An outbreak in the religious city of Qom has resulted in the highest number of casualties from coronavirus outside of China and Italy.
Experts say Iran did not respond sufficiently to the outbreak, leaving doctors and other medical personnel without the proper equipment to avoid becoming infected themselves.
"People are dying left and right here. That's the case in all of our hospitals in Qom," said a laboratory scientist in Qom to Time magazine.
A report from the Washington Post documented a massive grave was being built for the victims of the virus.
Here's the latest on coronavirus in Iran:


theblaze--2020-03-18--Denver police arresting fewer suspects in effort to keep COVID-19 out of jails

Denver police arresting fewer suspects in effort to keep COVID-19 out of jails Jurisdictions in other parts of the country @ @ @ @

The Denver Police Department has implemented a new policy of issuing summonses to some nonviolent suspects who would ordinarily be arrested and sent to the slammer, in an effort to prevent COVID-19 from spreading to jails.
Jurisdictions across the country have implemented similar measures amid the coronavirus outbreak not only to protect incarcerated individuals and jail personnel, but the law enforcement officers who continue to serve the public.
What are the details?
The Denver Post reported that that DPD and nearby Boulder County have enacted guidelines for officers to "default to issuing summons instead of arresting people suspected of low-level, non-violent property and drug crimes," noting that "those given a summons could still face charges, but they won't be taken into custody."
DPD Chief Paul Pazen told the newspaper Monday, "We don't want to unnecessarily introduce infection in the (Downtown Detention Center) or the county jail for a low-level crime. We want to use good judgment to reduce risk and reduce exposure."
The Colorado counties are not alone.
On Tuesday, the City of Philadelphia implemented a policy delaying the arrests of suspects for an array of "nonviolent" crimes after courts were ordered to close until April 1, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw issued an internal memo announcing that:
"Effective today (March 17, 2020), during the 4pm x 12am tour, arrests for the following offenses will be effectuated via Arrest Warrant:
All Narcotics Offenses
Theft from persons
Retail theft
Theft from auto
Burglary
Vandalism
All Bench warrants
Stolen auto
Economic crimes (bad checks, fraud)
Prostitution"
The directive included a highlighted paragraph clarifying: "If an officer believes that releasing the offender would pose a threat to public safety, the officer will notify a supervisor, who will review the totality of the circumstances and utilize discretion, in the interest of public safety, in determining the appropriate course of action."
A KYW-TV reporter confirmed on Twitter that while Philadelphia police will arrest and release individuals for certain nonviolent crimes, "those arrested will be re-arrested at a later date." He added, "It will be case by case meant to avoid overcrowding/close contact by prisoners during #CoronavirusOutbreak."


theblaze--2020-03-18--Ted Cruz smacks down MSNBC host trying to compare coronavirus stimulus to Green New Deal

Ted Cruz smacks down MSNBC host trying to compare coronavirus stimulus to Green New Deal Hayes severely misrepresents the price @ @ @ @ @

An MSNBC host tried to justify the price tag for the Green New Deal and instead got a lesson in math from Republican Senator Ted Cruz (Texas).
Chris Hayes was responding to the news that President Donald Trump was seeking approval for nearly a trillion-dollar stimulus package from Congress in response to the crisis surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.
"BREAKING: We can, of course, afford a Green New Deal. That's been true all along," he responded.
The Green New Deal is a massive proposal by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and others to combat global warming. It involves fundamentally reorganizing American society and the economy.
Cruz noted that the price tag for such a project was far beyond that of the coronavirus stimulus package.
"$800 billion is not equal to $93 trillion. Even on MSNBC," he replied.
While Ocasio-Cortez has admitted that the Green New Deal would require at least $10 trillion in spending, a study published in February 2019 indicated that it could cost upwards of $94 trillion.
"I don't think anyone wants to spend that amount of money," said Ocasio-Cortez in June, "it's not a fun number to say, I'm not excited to say we need to spend $10 trillion on climate, but... it's just the fact of the scenario."
Here's more about the coronavirus stimulus proposal:


theblaze--2020-03-18--WATCH: Media SLAM President Trump for calling COVID-19 a 'Chinese virus' — so he doubles down

WATCH : Media SLAM President Trump for calling COVID-19 a 'Chinese virus ' — so he doubles down

During a White House press briefing Tuesday, President Donald Trump defended his use of the phrase "Chinese virus" to describe COVID-19.
Asked if he would continue to use the phrase "Chinese virus" following intense criticism from both China and the press, President Trump responded, "China was putting out information, which was false, that our military gave this [COVID-19] to them. That was false. And rather than having an argument, I said I have to call it where it came from. It did come from China, so I think it's a very accurate term. But, no, I didn't appreciate the fact that China was saying that our military gave it to them. Our military did not give it to anybody."
Watch the video below for more:
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theblaze--2020-03-18--CNN's John King tries to politicize Trump briefing on coronavirus, but his guest tells him to focus

CNN's John King tries to politicize Trump briefing on coronavirus, but his guest tells him to focus on the issues

CNN 's John King tries to politicize Trump briefing on coronavirus , but his guest tells him to focus on @ @ @ @ @ King to focus on the facts not the politics

CNN's John King tried to continue the media narrative to paint President Donald Trump as a racist over his comments on the coronavirus, but his guest forced him to stay on the important topics instead.
The segment aired on CNN on Wednesday after a contentious media briefing where reporters pressed Trump on his identification of the coronavirus with China.
"The president now, he's mad Chinese propaganda blamed the virus on U.S. military troops; the president, then, pushing back, keeps using the term, 'China virus,' it came up, or 'Chinese virus,' it came up at the White House," said King.
CNN ran video from the Wednesday media briefing, where Trump defended his use of the phrases and denied that he was motivated by racism.
"It is fascinating, Jeff Zeleny, to see what I'll call the range of Trump, if you will; he has been more in command of the facts in these recent briefings," King said.
"His anger at China leading him to, he's almost deliberately using the term in his tweets and in the briefing, as if to poke, but some people take great offense."
"He absolutely is using that, and I think it is a huge range of the president, and a vast difference from the president we saw yesterday as well. This clearly — he said he feels like he's a wartime president, well, first, he has been a wartime president," responded Zeleny.
"But I do think it's important to separate the politics from this, of him saying he didn't have advance notice of this or other things, to look at, really focus on the very important information that we learned in the briefing," he added.
Focus on the issues
"And I think, as the doctor was saying earlier, that younger people in France and Italy may be getting sicker than we think. And it was essentially the administration saying wake up, America, this is getting worse here; don't panic because of the increase in curves," Zeleny continued.
"We almost have to, at least for the moment," he concluded, "just set the president's words aside about the Chinese virus and focus on the issues, and boy, were there a lot of headlines in there."
Trump has been actively combatting propaganda by the communist Chinese government attempting to blame the U.S. military for the coronavirus in an attempt to divert from its own culpability.
Here the video of the segment:


theblaze--2020-03-18--Angela Merkel declares COVID-19 Germany's greatest challenge 'since World War II'

The country has closed its borders to other members of the European Union

German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on her country's citizens to come together in fighting the coronavirus as the nation closed its borders to other European Union members on Wednesday, declaring the COVID-19 pandemic Germany's greatest challenge "since World War Two."
What are the details?
In a televised address, Ms. Merkel "urged Germans to heed the stringent confinement measures imposed this week as the number of infections in her country soared over 11,000 today, including 20 deaths," the Daily Mail reported.
"It is serious. Take it seriously," the chancellor said, according to Reuters. "Not since German reunification, actually, since World War II, there has never been a challenge for our country in which acting in solidarity was so very crucial."
She added, "I truly believe we can succeed in this task, if all citizens truly understand their own tasks."
The German government has advised the entire country to close daycare facilities and schools until the end of the Easter holiday, Reuters reported. Stores selling nonessential goods and services have also been shuttered, but grocery stores, pharmacies, banks, and other essential businesses remain open.
Sky News reported that Merkel said her government's measures aimed at stopping the spread of COVID-19 may seem "dramatic," but that they are "indispensable in order to protect lives."
Also on Wednesday, Germany's transport minister, Andreas Scheuer, announced the country's borders would be closed to citizens of other EU nations, Politico reported.
In a statement released by his ministry, Scheuer said, "Today we are taking a further step to protect the population. We are expanding restrictions on people traveling into the country to travelers from the European member countries — regardless of whether they travel to Germany via air, rail, water or road."


theblaze--2020-03-18--A left-wing org says it plans to spend millions attacking Trump’s coronavirus response on the campai

A left-wing org says it plans to spend millions attacking Trump’s coronavirus response on the campaign trail

A left-wing org says it plans to spend millions attacking Trump ’ s coronavirus response on the campaign trail A @ @ @ @ @ effort 'laughable '

A liberal political group says that the coronavirus outbreak is going to play a big role in the upcoming November presidential election, and they're planning to spend millions of dollars attacking President Donald Trump for his response to the crisis.
According to a Tuesday story from the Washington Post, Pacronym — which is a political action committee associated with the left-wing nonprofit, Acronym — plans to spend $5 million hitting the incumbent president for his public health response.
It is a bet that the pandemic, which is also causing a deep economic downturn, will be the defining issue of the campaign.
"This is a public health issue and a national security issue, but it's also a public policy issue and thus a political one," said Tara McGowan, the founder and chief executive of Acronym, whose board includes veteran Democratic operatives like David Plouffe, who managed Barack Obama's 2008 bid.
McGowan said it was critical for outside groups like hers to exact a political price on Trump as his possible Democratic opponents, former vice president Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), aim to project leadership by staying above the fray.
In response to the news of the high-priced effort, the report continues, Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh pointed to Biden's response to the 2009 outbreak of the swine flu and told the newspaper that "it is laughable that his allies would launch this attack when Americans can see for themselves through daily public briefings that President Trump and his team are on the case and have been so since before Joe Biden even woke up to the situation."
According to the newspaper, the multimillion-dollar campaign will be targeted at people in the five key battleground states of Wisconsin, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Arizona. The report also adds that other "Democrat-aligned" groups have also planned coronavirus focused campaigns against the president.
However, even though $5 million is a lot of money, it's important to keep in mind that it will be up against the fundraising powerhouse that the Trump Campaign and the Republican National Committee have created ahead of the 2020 election. Case in point: The organizations announced that they had raised almost a half-billion dollars in 2019, according to Fox News.
The Trump administration's response to the coronavirus outbreak has been attacked by Democratic primary opponents in recent days. Last week, Biden and Sanders held Thursday news conferences where they criticized the president's handling of the situation. At Sunday night's Democratic debate, Biden even made a comment about the United States refusing to take World Health Organization testing kits that was rated "mostly false" by PolitiFact.


theblaze--2020-03-18--Baltimore mayor to residents: Please stop shooting each other — we need hospital beds for coronaviru

Baltimore mayor to residents: Please stop shooting each other — we need hospital beds for coronavirus patients

Baltimore mayor to residents : Please stop shooting each other — we need hospital beds for coronavirus patients 'We can @ @ @ @ @ and their beds ' with shooting victims

In a news conference Wednesday, Baltimore Mayor Jack Young pleaded with residents to stop shooting each other so that the city's limited number of hospital beds could be used to treat those suffering from COVID-19.
His plea came alongside a declaration of emergency in Baltimore as the city reported its fifth confirmed coronavirus case and is experiencing evidence of a growing community spread.
"I want to reiterate how completely unacceptable the level of violence is that we have seen recently," Young said, according to WJZ-TV. "We will not stand for mass shootings and an increase in crime."
Baltimore has seen an uptick in violence since Friday, according to city Commissioner Michael Harrison. The violence included a mass shooting Tuesday night that resulted in seven victims needing to be transported to hospitals and are in serious but stable condition.
"For those of you who want to continue to shoot and kill people of this city, we're not going to tolerate it," Young said. "We're going to come after you and we're going to get you."
"We cannot clog up our hospitals and their beds with people that are being shot senselessly because we're going to need those beds for people infected with the coronavirus," the mayor argued. "And it could be your mother, your grandmother or one of your relatives. So take that into consideration."
Interestingly, despite the increased violence, Baltimore State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby has taken action to suspend criminal prosecution in the city in order to reduce the risk of the coronavirus spread in prisons.
Mosby ordered her staff Wednesday to drop pending criminal charges against anyone who has been arrested for drug possession, prostitution, trespassing, minor traffic offenses, open container, and public urination.
"An outbreak in prison or jails could potentially be catastrophic," she wrote to staff. "Now is not the time for a piecemeal approach where we go into court and argue one by one for the release of at-risk individuals."
The actions taken by the two city officials appears to send a mixed message. The city is calling for an end to violent crime while at the same time announcing that it will not be punishing several crimes.


theblaze--2020-03-18--'The View's' Whoopi Goldberg demands Americans stop calling COVID-19 a 'Chinese virus.' Meghan McCai

'The View's' Whoopi Goldberg demands Americans stop calling COVID-19 a 'Chinese virus.' Meghan McCain isn't having any of it.

'The View 's ' Whoopi Goldberg demands Americans stop calling COVID-19 a 'Chinese virus . '
Meghan McCain is n't @ @ @ @ @ 'It 's a deadly virus that did originate in Wuhan [ China ] . '

Whoopi Goldberg, co-host on "The View," said that people need to stop referring to COVID-19 as a Chinese virus, and insisted that the pandemic is not on the Chinese country's shoulders — but on that of Mother Nature.
Co-host Meghan McCain, however, hit back hard with a fiery response.
What are the details?
Goldberg made the demand during a Wednesday segment on the ABC show.
"We need to stop calling it — or labeling it — it's like [China] did it to us," Goldberg said. "Mother Nature really did it to us."
Goldberg pointed out President Donald Trump's statement that Chinese officials reportedly blamed the U.S. for the virus, saying that the military brought the virus to the Wuhan region of China.
“Clearly [Trump] is trying to pin the blame on China, but I don't recall hearing ... China say the military gave it to them," she insisted. "All I remember is seeing lots of people trying to quell this pandemic."
Goldberg continued by claiming that Trump simply "makes things up."
Co-host Sunny Hostin chimed in, "I don't think when the swine flu ... originated here in the United States, we didn't hear people saying, 'This is the American swine flu.'"
Co-host Megan McCain, however, disagreed with her fellow panelists, and said that she had no issue referring to COVID-19 as a Chinese virus.
"I don't have a problem with people calling it whatever they want," she insisted. "It's a deadly virus that did originate in Wuhan [China]. I don't have a problem with it. And I think that China — had they acted right away, and we had more access to information, maybe it wouldn't have gotten to the place where it is."
Putting things in perspective, McCain added, "We have the luxury right now to be arguing about verbiage versus people that are actually dying and on ventilators."
(H/T: The Federalist)


theblaze--2020-03-18--NBC News' Richard Engel declares coronavirus 'a bat virus, not a China virus. It doesn't speak Chine

NBC News' Richard Engel declares coronavirus 'a bat virus, not a China virus. It doesn't speak Chinese.' Ben Shapiro cleans his clock.

NBC News ' Richard Engel declares coronavirus ' a bat virus , not a China virus .
It does n't @ @ @ @ @ Shapiro cleans his clock .
'You have got to be f***ing kidding me '

NBC News' chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel on Wednesday criticized those targeting China over the spread of the coronavirus.
What are the details?
"It's easy to scapegoat people, and that is what has always happened when pandemics or epidemics ... foreigners are attacked, foreigners [are] sometimes physically attacked," Engel said on MSNBC. "If you look at what happened during the Middle Ages, there was lots and lots of scapegoating against an ethnic group or a religious group whenever there were pandemics that affected the society and frightened a lot of people. And China certainly feels that is what is happening now with people calling it the 'Wuhan flu' or the 'Wuhan virus' or the 'China virus.'"
President Donald Trump has been ripped by reporters for calling the coronavirus a "Chinese virus" — but as we've already seen, national TV journalists had been doing that very thing since the outbreak was first covered. In fact, in the following video mashup, Engel's peeps on NBC properties, CNBC and MSNBC, refer to the coronavirus using such language twice each:
But let us not quibble. Continuing with Engel's defense of China, he added for the cameras that "this is a virus that came from the territory of China but came from bats. This is a bat virus, not a China virus. It doesn't speak Chinese. It doesn't target Chinese people. It targets human beings who happen to touch their eyes, nose, or mouth."
Ben Shapiro has Engel for lunch
Once Engel's clip hit Twitter, the Daily Wire's editor in chief Ben Shapiro hit back hard with a brutal take.
"You have got to be f***ing kidding me," Shapiro wrote, redacting his own F-bomb. "The Chinese government destroyed evidence of the virus, allowed free travel of 5 million people from the Wuhan region, and censored doctors who talked about it."
Others ripped Engel as well:
Dave Rubin remarked, "To quote @DouglasKMurray, 'One day the barbarians will be at the gate and we'll be debating what gender pronouns to call them.'"
Alberto E. Martinez, former chief of staff for U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), tweeted that "this is take from MSNBC (and repeated in WH briefing room by ABC and others) is so legitimately unhinged that China exerting influence/control over the American multinationals that own our media companies no longer seems like that much of a conspiracy theory."
Commentator Stephen L. Miller tweeted that "the Chinese government deleted lab work and samples and intimidated their doctors to cover up any trace of it while also lying to the World Health Organization. I'm fine calling it a Chinese Government Virus as well. NBC has been on the front lines pushing PRC propaganda."
Oh, and Engel already has let his feelings about Trump be known
Last August, Engel appeared on "Real Time with Bill Maher" during which he agreed with the host's strident desire for a recession in order to get Trump out of office.
"Short-term pain might be better than long-term destruction of the Constitution," Engel said.
"Yes, right!" Maher answered. "Thank you very much."


theblaze--2020-03-18--Manufacturer threatens to sue entrepreneurs who saved coronavirus patients' lives with 3D printed me

Manufacturer threatens to sue entrepreneurs who saved coronavirus patients' lives with 3D printed medical equipment parts

Manufacturer threatens to sue entrepreneurs who saved coronavirus patients ' lives with 3D printed medical equipment parts They did what @ @ @ @

When an Italian start-up stepped in to manufacture an essential medical equipment part for a hospital struggling with the coronavirus outbreak, the medical company that normally manufactures the part threatened to sue, according to the Verge.
The backstory: A hospital in Italy ran out of a ventilator valve that was necessary to provide oxygen to patients to help them survive the coronavirus infections. A pair of entrepreneurs in the area heard about the dilemma by way of a reporter, and within a matter of hours they produced more than enough valves using their company's 3D printer, which as of March 14 were being used to sustain at least 10 patients.
Threatened lawsuit: They might have gotten the job done even more quickly, however, if they'd gotten support from the manufacturer — which did not have the capability to produce and deliver more valves in a timely manner.
The entrepreneurs, Cristian Fracassi and Alessandro Ramaioli, reached out to the company and asked if they could get the blueprint for the valve so they could replicate it. The company declined to provide the blueprint and also threatened to sue if they went forward.
So, Fracassi and Ramaioli had to make three different versions of the valve in order to ensure they created the correct one, which they eventually did.
Not trying to profit: Fracassi insists that they are only interested in helping out and saving lives, not in profiting from the part. The valve normally costs $11,000, but they are able to 3D print them for about $1.
"[The patients] were people in danger of life, and we acted. Period," said Fracassi in a Facebook post, the Verge reported. "We have no intention of profit on this situation, we are not going to use the designs or product beyond the strict need for us forced to act, we are not going to spread the drawing."


theblaze--2020-03-18--Studies find potentially effective medicine for coronavirus treatment and prevention that's readily

Studies find potentially effective medicine for coronavirus treatment and prevention that's readily available

Studies find potentially effective medicine for coronavirus treatment and prevention that 's readily available But it 's not FDA-approved for @ @

Three separate medical studies have found a potentially effective treatment for the coronavirus that could also be useful in preventing infections in some cases.
The coronavirus, known as COVID-19, is viewed as a particularly potent threat because there is currently no medical treatment and no preventative vaccine, so any hope of slowing down the spread and death rate could be significant.
What's the treatment? Multiple studies showed that the use of chloroquine to treat the coronavirus can lead to faster recovery and shorter hospital stays for patients.
Chloroquine is normally used as an anti-malarial drug, used for the prevention and/or treatment of malaria. It's available in the United States by prescription, and can be safely taken by men and women of all ages, including pregnant women.
Doctors in China and South Korea have observed that the coronavirus patients treated with chloroquine show reduced fever and better lung CT images, and so far research has not found any negative effects of the treatment.
From a study done in consultation with Stanford University School of Medicine, UAB School of Medicine, and the National Academy of Sciences:
According to South Korean and China human treatment guidelines, chloroquine is effective in treating COVID-19. Given chloroquine's human safety profile and existence, it can be implemented today in the U.S., Europe and the rest of the world. Medical doctors may be reluctant to prescribe chloroquine to treat COVID-19 since it is not FDA approved for this use. The United States of America and other countries should immediately authorize and indemnify medical doctors for prescribing chloroquine to treat COVID-19. We must explore whether chloroquine can safely serve as a preventative measure prior to infection of COVID-19 to stop further spread of this highly contagious virus.
UK catching on? The study noted that Europe may be aware of the potential use of chloroquine to treat coronavirus, shown by a recent move by the United Kingdom to add chloroquine to a list of medicines that can't be exported.


theblaze--2020-03-18--Hindu extremists attack Christian hospital in India over Bible in room, persecution watchdog says

Hindu extremists attack Christian hospital in India over Bible in room , persecution watchdog says 'May God forgive them for @ @ @ @ @ do '

Hindu extremists attacked a Christian hospital in India, persecution watchdog group International Christian Concern reported Tuesday, citing an Asia News report.
The alleged reason for the attack? A Bible in a patient's room.
What happened?
According to ICC, members of the radical Hindu nationalist group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh raided Sanjo Hospital in Karnataka, accused two Christians connected to the facility of blasphemy, and then beat them. Local police later arrested the two Christians, who were then denied bail, ICC said.
The attack stemmed from an interaction with a Hindu man who asked why a Bible was in the room with him while he was being treated at the hospital, said Father Josekutty Kalayil, who"takes care of the hospital's legal affairs," according to Asia News.
Simon George, one of the two Christians who were beaten by RSS, reportedly told the patient he was welcome to read it if he so desired.
Shortly after this interaction, the radicals attacked the hospital, Asia News reported.
The outlet added, "The extremists claim that the two denigrated Hindu deities. Instead of helping the victims of the attack, police took Simon George into custody. He applied for bail but the court turned him down."
What else?
President of the Global Council of Indian Christians Sajan George said the hospital was attacked because it's operated by Christians, even though the facility serves everybody and does not take faith into consideration for who it treats, Asia News said.
"Christian missionaries who work in the medical and educational field are targeted every day by extremists who try to discredit their altruistic work, which is to get people the 'beneficial touch' of Jesus," Sajan George said, according to Asia News. “There is nothing criminal or illegal about keeping a Bible in a hospital room; no Hindu deity has been offended,"
The persecution watchdog group noted that Sajan George kept a Christ-like, forgiving attitude, saying, “Our Christian institutions serve mostly those who attack, abuse and assault us. May God forgive them for they know not what they do."
(H/T: FaithWire)