theblaze--2020-03-14--Social media videos capture brawls at Costco and Sam's Club during coronavirus panic, one stabbing

Social media videos capture brawls at Costco and Sam 's Club during coronavirus panic , one stabbing 'As human beings @ @ @ @ @ come together at a time like this ! '

As the tension mounted over the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, some Americans broke out in brawls and fights at local big box grocery stores, and others broke out their cellphones to videotape those brawls.
In one video reportedly from Brooklyn, New York, two shoppers can be seen yelling at each other, with Costco employees trying to intervene.
One employee yells at the customers, "as human beings, we've got to come together at a time like this!" One of the participants in the altercation can be head saying, "don't let her touch me with that cart!"
In another video reportedly from Hiram, Georgia, there is an all-out brawl at a Sam's Club.
One man is seen at the end of the video being taken out on a gurney by paramedics. The poster claims one man was stabbed during the fight when both men grabbed wine bottles to attack each other.
According to WSB-TV in Atlanta, police say the altercation began when one man in a motorized shopping cart hit another family's cart and a fight ensued. It escalated into a brawl later near the wine bottles. Police said that it was not a fight over supplies related to the coronavirus panic.
Other videos showed long lines as people stocked up on supplies in anticipation of quarantines:
President Donald Trump declared a national emergency over the pandemic on Friday, which cleared the way for more federal action to stop the spread of the virus.
Here's more about the coronavirus pandemic:


theblaze--2020-03-14--Touching videos show quarantined Italians singing into empty streets amid lockdown

'The Italians are experiencing a very difficult time .
People cling to what they can . '

As the country of Italy remains on lockdown amid the coronavirus outbreak, several videos are now circulating showing quarantined citizens across the nation making the best of being homebound — singing into the empty streets with their neighbors.
What are the details?
David Allegranti, a writer for Italian newspaper Il Foglio, shared a clip Thursday evening of residents in the city of Siena joining in on what HuffPost described as a "stirring rendition of a local folk song" that "is as beautiful as it is haunting."
Allegranti told CBS News in an email, "The Italians are experiencing a very difficult time. People cling to what they can, including a traditional song like this."
The video from Siena has gone viral, and as it circulates the internet, footage of similar scenes in Italy have emerged from across the country. An Oxford University doctoral student has even compiled videos of Italians from numerous cities "keeping each other company by singing, dancing and playing music from the balconies" while homebound.
The student, Leonardo Carella, shared similar scenes from Salerno, Naples, Turin, Benevento, Florence, Nuoro, and Agrigento. Other people have also taken to Twitter to share video of quarantined Italians celebrating, with one notable clip from Rome.
One video reportedly from Naples shows an elderly lady dancing out on her balcony to music playing in the street as her neighbors clap in unison in the background. The translated message on the tweet read, "If there was no NAPOLI you would have to invent it."
Anything else?
The entire country of Italy went into lockdown on Monday, as the nation experiences the largest COVID-19 outbreak outside of China, where the novel coronavirus originated.
Italy's health care system has struggled under the load of infected patients amid the pandemic, and currently has over 15,000 confirmed cases of the virus. More than 1,000 Italians have died from COVID-19 since it hit their nation last month.


theblaze--2020-03-14--Democrat Bob Casey tries to make coronavirus about guns, and gets torched on social media

Democrat Bob Casey tries to make coronavirus about guns , and gets torched on social media 'This is a good @ @ @ @ @ cases '

Democratic Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania attempted to politicize the coronavirus pandemic into some sort of statement about gun control and social media took him to task for the bizarre suggestion.
Casey posted the observation on his official social media account on Friday.
"Right now in America, it is easier to get an AR-15 than a test kit for COVID-19," he tweeted, referring to coronavirus.
Critics of the president have focused on whether the federal government has done enough to make sure there is a sufficient supply of testing kits to help stop the spread of coronavirus.
Many on social media ridiculed Casey, with some pointing out that the government was to blame for the test kids, while the free market was to be credited for the ample supply of AR-15s.
"Formula: connect a genuinely urgent issue to an issue you want to keep talking about even though its level of urgency just plunged," said Walter Olson of the Cato Institute.
"For crying out loud," responded Dana Loesch. "You win the gold for using a pandemic that originated in a communist country as an argument to restrict citizens' rights."
"Why did you feel this was an appropriate time to send this incredibly stupid tweet, Senator Casey?" asked gun rights advocate Stephen Gutowski.
"This is a good case for deregulation in both cases. Thanks!" said Ben Shapiro.
President Donald Trump declared a national emergency on Friday but tried to calm Americans' fears about the pandemic.
Here's more about the coronavirus pandemic:


theblaze--2020-03-14--Stephen King taken to task for claiming Trump's COVID-19 team is 'all male, all old, and all white'

Stephen King taken to task for claiming Trump 's COVID-19 team is 'all male , all old , and all @ @ @ @ @ hit up your eye doctor '

Author Stephen King was lambasted on social media on Friday, for falsely claiming during a press conference held by President Donald Trump's coronavirus task force that the president's team "is all male, all old, and all white."
What are the details?
As the U.S. works to fight against the spread of COVID-19 among Americans, the president and several administration and health officials (as well as corporate CEO's) spoke directly to the public from the White House Rose Garden on Friday afternoon to discuss initiatives to help.
King, a frequent critic of the president, took to Twitter in the midst of the press conference, telling his 5.7 million followers, "Note that Trump's coronavirus team is all male, all old, and all white."
"No it's not. That's utter crap," replied Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), who added, "Also — focus, man. Focus. #BeatCoronaVirus)
Several followers noted that the president was clearly seen standing between Coronavirus Response Coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma, both women who also spoke at the press conference. One user suggested to King: "Might be time to hit up your eye doctor."
Image source: Edited Washington Post video screenshot
Others pointed out that U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams is also on the Trump administration's coronavirus response team, and he happens to be a black man in his 40's — neither old nor white.
Numerous folks further pointed out the obvious fact that both front-runners for the Democratic presidential nomination are old, white men — and that King fits the description, himself.
King was not only called out for being wrong, but for hypocrisy after claiming just a few months ago that quality trumps diversity when it comes to art. On Jan. 14, the author tweeted, "I would never consider diversity in matters of art. Only quality. It seems to me that to do otherwise would be wrong."
After getting torched for a bit, King finally offered a partial concession, writing, "Whoops, there's a woman there! My bad," adding, "Quite the parade of white men in ties, eh? the lady with the shawl looks so great compared to the rest of those bozos."


theblaze--2020-03-13--Schumer tries to blame Trump for coronavirus testing shortage, Dan Crenshaw sets him straight

Schumer tries to blame Trump for coronavirus testing shortage , Dan Crenshaw sets him straight Crenshaw called out the 'obsession @ @ @ @ @

Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) swiftly cut through a narrative Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) tried to push about the lack of coronavirus testing kits available in the United States.
Schumer was responding to President Donald Trump blaming the Obama administration for the CDC's "inadequate and slow" testing system for a pandemic.
"President Trump is once again trying to blame the previous administration for the number of tests available. This is his #DailyLie. Enough, President Trump. Stop trying to deflect blame and just get to work. Prioritize health and safety and get a handle on testing NOW," tweeted Schumer.
Crenshaw shot down both attempts to pass the blame and called the preoccupation with scoring political points "downright gross."
"It's not Obama's fault and it's not Trump's fault. We have stringent FDA regulations, long in place, that created barriers to the private industry creating a test quickly.
"This obsession with scoring political points is downright gross," he concluded.
Fears of the coronavirus have shut down most sports and outdoor events, and led to a historic crash in the stock market. On Friday the president declared a national emergency and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) indicated that they had reached an agreement on new legislature to address the pandemic.
Here's more about the pandemic from Crenshaw:


theblaze--2020-03-14--Ilhan Omar's campaign has paid her new husband's political consulting firm more than $500,000

Ilhan Omar 's campaign has paid her new husband 's political consulting firm more than $ 500,000

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) announced on Wednesday that she had married her political strategist, Tim Mynett. Now, Omar faces renewed scrutiny for the appearance of campaign finance impropriety.
Last August, Dr. Beth Jordan Mynett told the New York Post that her husband, Tim Mynett, had admitted to having an affair with Omar, which triggered Mrs. Mynett to file for a divorce from Mr. Mynett. Omar denied the affair, but by October, she also filed for divorce from her husband.
Quickly after the affair allegations surfaced — which Omar denied — the National Legal and Policy filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission alleging that Omar used campaign funds for personal reasons, such as to fund the alleged affair.
Those allegations, which Omar denied, received new life this week.
That's because, according to the Washington Post, Omar's campaign has paid Mynett's company, E Street Group, more than a half million dollars.
From the Washington Post:
Since 2018, Omar's campaign paid about $586,000 to E Street Group for a range of services that included digital advertising, fundraising consulting, digital communications and design. The campaign also paid $7,000 to Mynett directly for fundraising consulting before hiring his consulting firm.
Payments to the firm in the 2019-2020 cycle for Omar's reelection campaign comprised 40 percent of total campaign expenses, federal filings show.
Peter Flaherty, chairman of the NLPC, said Omar's marriage to Mynett underscores the need for an FEC inquiry.
"You have a member of Congress paying a close friend and now-husband the bulk of her campaign spending. It still raises the question of whether it is to facilitate a personal relationship or whether Tim Mynett is the best possible vendor for all these possible activities," Flaherty told the Washington Post.
However, David Mitrani, Omar's campaign attorney, denied that there is impropriety.
"There is simply nothing unusual about the services that E Street Group provides to Ilhan for Congress — and nothing inappropriate with a vendor being reimbursed for travel for bona fide services — even if that vendor is run by a candidate's spouse," Mitrani told the Post.
Unfortunately, the FEC will likely not take action on the complaint any time soon, the Post noted, because the commission is still without its four-person voting quorum.


theblaze--2020-03-14--Bill 'Che' Blasio uses coronavirus to push for communist-style takeover of private companies and ind

Bill 'Che' Blasio uses coronavirus to push for communist-style takeover of private companies and industries

Bill 'Che ' Blasio uses coronavirus to push for communist-style takeover of private companies and industries He has previously called @ @ @ @ @ companies

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio wasted no time on Saturday during an MSNBC interview to use the coronavirus as an excuse for pushing a communist-style takeover of private industries by the federal government.
De Blasio told host Joy Reid that the COVID-19 pandemic makes a good "case for a nationalization, literally, a nationalization of crucial factories and industries that can produce the medical supplies to prepare this country for what we need."
The failed presidential candidate then called for the federal government to seize control of the hand sanitizer industry.
"Every company that can make hand sanitizer should be on a 24-hour shift and the distribution should go to the places that needed most," he told Reid who appeared to agree with him.
Not de Blasio's first statist rodeo
Of course, this is not the first time that de Blasio has floated statist fantasies.
As Politico reported in June 2019, during his ill-fated presidential campaign, the New York City mayor said he favored abolishing private health insurance. In a heated exchange with former Rep. Beto O'Rourke at the debate, de Blasio made the case for eliminating the private insurance industry, which he argued "is not working" for Americans.
"Wait, wait, wait. Congressman O'Rourke, Congressman O'Rourke, private insurance is not working for tens of millions of Americans," de Blasio, who now endorses democratic socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders, said at the time, as he spoke over the former Texas representative. "When you talk about the co-pays, the deductibles, the premiums, the out-of-pocket expenses. It's not working. How can you defend a system that's not working?"
As TheBlaze reported, de Blasio also said last year that gender reassignment surgeries "absolutely" should be covered by taxpayer dollars through Medicare for All. The New York City mayor even promised to get the federal government involved in the sports industry by threatening to use an executive order to force U.S. national teams to pay female athletes the same as male athletes, regardless of performance or ticket sales.
Quoted communist Che Guevara in 2019
The New York City mayor has made no effort to hide his crypto-Marxist sympathies. On the campaign trail last year, de Blasio infamously quoted communist revolutionary Che Guevara during a speech at Miami International Airport.
"¡Hasta la victoria, siempre!" he said, echoing Guevara's famous rallying cry. De Blasio, who studied Latin American history, later claimed he had no idea where the quote came from.
Additionally, in the 1980s, de Blasio was a supporter, fundraiser, and advocate for the Cuban-backed Sandinista government of dictator Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua.
"But he returned with something else entirely," the New York Times wrote in 2013 about de Blasio's trip to the Central American country, "a vision of the possibilities of an unfettered leftist government."


theblaze--2020-03-14--VIDEO: Weekly Democrat Fail compilation

VIDEO: Weekly Democrat Fail compilation

On Friday 's episode of `` Steve Deace Show , '' Steve Deace published this week 's edition of Democrats @ @ @ @ @ reel of Democrats saying the dumbest things you have heard all week .
Brace yourself @ @ @ @ @ edition reminds us , you may not get infected , but you 're definitely racist @ @ @ @ @ for the full story .
Use code DEACE to save $ 10 off one year @ @ @ @ @ from Steve Deace ?
To enjoy more of Steve 's take on national politics , @ @ @ @ @ with a snarky twist , subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices @ @ @ @ @ the Constitution and live the American dream .

On Friday's episode of "Steve Deace Show," Steve Deace published this week's edition of Democrats Say, a weekly fail reel of Democrats saying the dumbest things you have heard all week. Brace yourself. This week's coronavirus edition reminds us, you may not get infected, but you're definitely racist.
Watch the video below for the full story.
Use code DEACE to save $10 off one year of BlazeTV.
Want more from Steve Deace?
To enjoy more of Steve's take on national politics, Christian worldview and principled conservatism with a snarky twist, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution and live the American dream.


theblaze--2020-03-14--AOC caught exploiting coronavirus panic with disinformation to push socialist agenda on student loan

AOC caught exploiting coronavirus panic with disinformation to push socialist agenda on student loans

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) was caught spreading misinformation amid the coronavirus to seemingly push her far-left agenda on student loans.
After the stock market crashed to its worst fall since 1987 on Thursday, the Federal Reserve announced it would inject $1.5 trillion in capital into the stock market in an effort to offset coronavirus-related economic disruptions.
In response, Ocasio-Cortez wrote on Twitter, "FYI, the amount that the Fed just injected almost covers all student loan debt in the US. There is absolutely NO excuse for not pausing student debt collections, planning for mortgage &rent relief, etc. We need to care for working people as much as we care for the stock market."
Brad Polumbo at the Washington Examiner explained why Ocasio-Cortez's response amounts to "disinformation."
This is ignorance to the point of disinformation, frankly.
What Ocasio-Cortez is suggesting is that the Federal Reserve is somehow spending $1.5 trillion in government funds and that similar levels of spending could be used to cancel all student debt in the United States. But this is false, and completely distorts the action the central bank is taking.
Brookings Institution fellow and New York Times writer Justin Wolfers (an economist whose credentials don't exactly scream right-wing hack) called this type of comparison "horses**t," pointing out that "the Fed's short term loans cost us nothing when they're all repaid the next day."
Indeed, as National Review reported, the Fed did not cut a check to the banks — as Ocasio-Cortez implied — but rather engaged in "short-term transactions with banks to ensure financial stability."
Ocasio-Cortez — who holds an economics and international relations degree from Boston University — advocates canceling all student loan debt.


theblaze--2020-03-14--WATCH: Crowder's Billion View Special

WATCH: Crowder's Billion View Special

Remember Crowder 's parody of Bob Ross painting Mohammed ?
Or the time Crowder underwent `` suicide training '' to @ @ @ @ @ into Jeffrey Epstein 's cause of death ?
In honor of reaching 1-billion video views @ @ @ @ @ of appreciation to Mug Club subscribers and everyone who has supported Crowder 's channel over @ @ @ @ @ his awesome crew produced a collection of the best Crowder videos of all time .
@ @ @ @ @ , Donald Trump Jr , James O'Keefe , and many others .
Ready your butts @ @ @ @ @ enjoy !
Take it away , Crowder ... To enjoy more of Steven 's uncensored @ @ @ @ @ funny , subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America @ @ @ @ @ live the American dream .

Remember Crowder's parody of Bob Ross painting Mohammed? Or the time Crowder underwent "suicide training" to prepare for his death-defying investigation into Jeffrey Epstein's cause of death?
In honor of reaching 1-billion video views, and as a token of appreciation to Mug Club subscribers and everyone who has supported Crowder's channel over the years, Steven and his awesome crew produced a collection of the best Crowder videos of all time.
Special appearances by Jim Norton, Donald Trump Jr, James O'Keefe, and many others.
Ready your butts, sit back, and enjoy! Take it away, Crowder...
CROWDER'S BILLION VIEW SPECIAL! | Louder with Crowder www.youtube.com
To enjoy more of Steven's uncensored late-night comedy that's actually funny, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution and live the American dream.


theblaze--2020-03-14--VIDEO: Surgeon General scolds media for 'partisanship,' 'finger-pointing' — then tells them how to h

VIDEO: Surgeon General scolds media for 'partisanship,' 'finger-pointing' — then tells them how to help America

VIDEO : Surgeon General scolds media for 'partisanship , ' 'finger-pointing ' — then tells them how to help America @ @ @ @ @ can protect themselves '

Surgeon General Jerome Adams scolded the media on Saturday for the politicization of ongoing coronavirus outbreak in the United States.
Following President Donald Trump's daily update on the government's coronavirus response, Adams told the media to "hit the reset button" and cease prompting partisanship and the politicization of coronavirus.
"Straight talk from the nation's doctor: We really need you all to lean into and prioritize the health and safety of the American people," Adams said.
"No more bickering, no more partisanship, no more criticism or finger-pointing," he added.
Adams went on to say:
They'll be plenty of time for that, but we all need to hit the reset button and lean into moving forward with the health and safety of the American people as our top priority.
More stories on how people can protect themselves, more people on — how people can get the resources that they need, that we've unleashed from the federal government, and state and local government, less stories looking at what happened in the past. Again, there'll be time for that.
During Saturday's press conference, Trump also announced that he had finally been tested for coronavirus.
Trump has come into contact with several people who later tested positive for coronavirus, but the White House doctor said Friday that Trump's risk of contracting the disease remains low.


theblaze--2020-03-14--Source: Police found Andrew Gillum completely undressed in hotel room with self-described 'porn star

Source: Police found Andrew Gillum completely undressed in hotel room with self-described 'porn star'

'He did not mention ' he was in South Beach for a wedding

Democrat Andrew Gillum, the charismatic former Florida gubernatorial candidate, has admitted to being in a South Beach hotel room on Thursday night with Travis Dyson, a self-described 'porn star performer,' who was believed to be over-dosing on crystal meth when the two were found by a third man who called 911.
In a statement explaining his involvement in the incident, Gillum said he was in Miami "for a wedding celebration when first responders were called to assist one of my friends." The CNN commentator also acknowledged he "had too much to drink" (seeming to confirm a police report that described him as "inebriated" and unable to speak) and apologized for the "distraction" his actions caused.
Um, what wedding?
However, when contacted by a local reporter, Gillum's friend seemed unaware of any Thursday night wedding. "I personally was not celebrating a wedding. I don't know if [Gillum] was in town for a wedding. He did not mention that," Dyson reportedly told the Miami New Times.
A source with direct knowledge of the Miami Beach Police Department's response to the scene told TheBlaze that first responders said they allegedly found Gillum in a state of complete undress and Dyson wearing "chaps," which Dictionary.com defines as "a kinky or provocative article of clothing, which leave the butt and sometimes crotch exposed," when they arrived at the Mondrian South Beach Hotel room.
TheBlaze contacted Mr. Gillum, who was once rumored as a potential 2020 vice presidential running-mate for then-frontrunner Elizabeth Warren, on Friday afternoon for comment, but has not received a response as of Saturday morning.
The men were 'under the influence of an unknown substance'
According to a Miami Beach Police Department offense incident report shared by Candace Owens on Twitter, a third man, Aldo Mejias, provided his credit card to Dyson to rent room 1107 for the night. Dyson rented the room at approximately 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. It is unclear at what time Gillum arrived.
The report states Mejias told police officers he found Gillum and Dyson inside the room "under the influence of an unknown substance" when he arrived at approximately 11:07 p.m. Mejias said Dyson opened the hotel room door and walked over to the bed where he "collapsed" in "a prone position" while the former Democratic candidate was vomiting in the bathroom. Mejias then noticed that Dyson had difficulty breathing and he attempted to wake him up.
The report says that Dyson then began vomiting on the bed and collapsed once again, prompting Mejias to perform life-saving chest compressions on him and call 911. When police officers arrived, they attempted to speak to Gillum who was "unable to communicate with the officers due to his inebriated state."
The police said they found three clear baggies containing what appeared to be crystal meth on the bed and floor inside the hotel room, which were impounded by investigators. Miami Beach Fire and Rescue then responded to the hotel and performed a welfare check on Gillum. The emergency responders stated Gillum was in stable condition with normal vital signs. Dyson, who was treated for "a possible drug overdose" was transported to Mount Sinai Hospital as a precaution.
After police officers were able to speak with Gillum, he is reported to have left the hotel room and returned to his residence "without incident."


theblaze--2020-03-14--Top official who claimed more than 100,000 coronavirus cases in Ohio now admits she was just 'guesst

Top official who claimed more than 100,000 coronavirus cases in Ohio now admits she was just 'guesstimating'

Top official who claimed more than 100,000 coronavirus cases in Ohio now admits she was just 'guesstimating '

Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton grabbed headlines on Thursday when she claimed there could possibly be more than 100,000 active coronavirus cases in The Buckeye State.
"We know now, just the fact of community spread, says that at least 1 percent, at the very least, 1 percent of our population is carrying this virus in Ohio today," Acton said. "We have 11.7 million people. So the math is over 100,000. So that just gives you a sense of how this virus spreads and is spreading quickly."
However, the top Ohio health official now admits her claim was not based in science.
"I am not saying there are absolutely for certain 100,000 people. I'm saying I'm guesstimating. If I'm guesstimating community spread, that's my best number," she said Friday, the Daily Caller News Foundation reported.
Dr. Trevor Bedford, a scientist who specializes in vaccines and infectious diseases, pushed back against Acton's claim.
Bedford wrote in a Twitter response that he doubts Ohio has more than 100,000 coronavirus cases because the state has not seen a significant number of critical hospitalizations or deaths, whereas Wuhan — the epicenter of the disease outbreak — did when it reached an estimated 100,000 infections.
Unfortunately, it is becoming increasingly clear that officials have no idea how many active coronavirus cases there are in the U.S.
However, it is difficult to know the exact number of infections given community spread, asymptomatic carriers, and inefficient testing.
As of Saturday morning, there are more than 2,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the U.S. with more than 40 deaths.


theblaze--2020-03-14--Media botches 'fact-check' of Trump's speech: Yes, Google is building a coronavirus webpage

Media botches 'fact-check ' of Trump 's speech : Yes , Google is building a coronavirus webpage It 's dishonest @ @ @ @ @ Verily and Google are unrelated

From tech outlets ArsTechnica, TechChrunch, Wired and TheVerge to Forbes, CNN, and the New York Times, members of the media were eager to claim that President Donald Trump "lied" during his national emergency declaration on Friday when he said that Google is working on a website that would aid in the battle to combat the coronavirus pandemic.
The Times' Nicholas Kristof argued "it's not Google" building the site, which is in "early stages of development"
"Trump's Google hoax" wrote another columnist
Mika Brzezinksi accused the president of "inventing a fake Google site"
There's only one problem: These "fact-checks" are wrong. Yes, Google — along with what is now a sister company but was formerly known as Google Life Sciences — is building a coronavirus triage webpage.
Here is what Trump actually said
During his remarks in the White House Rose Garden, Trump thanked the tech giant, along with other large companies, for complementing the federal government's efforts to fight COVID-19.
I want to thank Google. Google is helping to develop a website. It's going to be very quickly done, unlike websites of the past, to determine whether a test is warranted and to facilitate testing at a nearby convenient location. And we have many, many locations behind us, by the way. We cover this country and large parts of the world, by the way. We're not going to be talking about the world right now. But we cover very, very strongly our country. Stores in virtually every location. Google has 1,700 engineers working on this right now. They've made tremendous progress.
Verily was formerly Google Life Sciences
Several of the fact-checkers made a big deal out of the fact that the company developing the website is Verily, which is legally a separate entity from Google. These reporters are desperately grasping at straws in an effort to damage Trump politically, as Verily is very much a Google company.
Both Google and Verily are subsidiaries of Alphabet Inc., a conglomerate that was created by Google when the tech giant underwent a massive corporate restructuring on Oct. 2, 2015. In fact, Verily was even known as Google Life Sciences until a Dec. 2015 rebranding. To suggest the two are totally unrelated, as Kristoff and others have implied, is disingenuous, petty, and silly. It is akin to arguing that Pixar isn't synonymous with Disney — even worse, perhaps, since Pixar started out as a completely independent company from Disney and Verily is Google's own brainchild.
Moreover, as CNBC pointed out, Google employees are actively supporting the Verily-led effort, including Google and Alphabet's CEO Sundar Pichai who sent a company-wide memo on Thursday announcing the initiative:
"Yesterday at TGIF, someone had a question about whether Verily could assist in the effort to test people for the COVID-19. I know we are all looking for ways to help right now, so I checked in with their team to see if they could use support from Google and our other bets for a new effort being planned," Pichai said. "The good news is that a planning effort is underway to use the expertise in life sciences and clinical research of Verily in partnership with Google to aid in the COVID-19 testing effort in the U.S."
How many Google employees are working on this?
Some reporters have accused Trump of misleading the public when he said "Google has 1,700 engineers working on this right now," despite the fact that Verily only has 1,100 employees. He did not.
Where did the 1,700 figure come from? Axios reported Google's CEO sent out a company-wide call for volunteers to assist Verily with the coronavirus project on Thursday, and received 1,700 offers. It is unclear how many of these volunteers are engineers or will end up working on the project, but what is clear is that the president was not attempting to deceive anyone.
When will the website be ready?
Another observation made by some journalists and fact-checkers is that the website is "in the early stages of development" and not yet live. But Trump never said the website was ready to go. In fact, in his statement, the president clearly implied the site had not yet been finished. "It's going to be very quickly done," he said, which is exactly what is happening according to a company spokeswoman.
"The plan is that we should have the tool available by Monday," Verily's Carolyn Wang told the Los Angeles Times. Wang also explained the website is actually a virus triage tool as part of Verily's Project Baseline (formerly known as Google's "Baseline Study") and will be a section within www.projectbaseline.com.
The tool will start out local and expand from there
Finally, the fact-checkers took issue with Trump implying the triage tool will be available nationwide — but that is exactly the plan. As Google said in a tweet, the company is "planning to roll testing out in the Bay Area, with the hope of expanding more broadly over time." Furthermore, at no point did Trump say the service will be available immediately across the country.
In short, the so-called fact-checkers are largely shadow-boxing in bad faith. Google and Verily are indeed developing a webpage to help combat the coronavirus that 1,700 Google employees have volunteered to support and they are building it "very quickly," as President Trump said with the hope of eventually expanding it beyond the Bay Area.
Any claim to the contrary isn't journalism or "fact-checking;" it is just petty partisan hackery during a national crisis.


theblaze--2020-03-14--State Dept. 'hauled in' Chinese ambo—then put China 'on notice' for lying to world, blaming America

State Dept. 'hauled in' Chinese ambo—then put China 'on notice' for lying to world, blaming America for coronavirus

State Dept .
'hauled in ' Chinese ambo—then put China 'on notice ' for lying to world , blaming America @ @ @ @ @ put the government on notice ... '

The State Department hauled in the Chinese ambassador to the United States on Friday to confront him over communist China's increased effort to blame America for the global coronavirus outbreak.
Diplomatic tensions between the U.S. and China increased significantly this week after top Chinese propagandist Zhao Lijian, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman, publicly shifted blame for coronavirus onto America, claiming it "might be the US army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan."
According to Reuters, David Stillwell, the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, summoned Cui Tiankai, Chinese ambassador to the U.S., and delivered a very "stern representation," which resulted in the Chinese delegation becoming "very defensive."
CBS News confirmed the development:
A State Department official who spoke with Reuters said China wants to deflect criticism for "starting a global pandemic and not telling the world" — but the U.S. is putting China "on notice."
"Spreading conspiracy theories is dangerous and ridiculous. We wanted to put the government on notice we won't tolerate it for the good of the Chinese people and the world," the official said.
Despite being responsible for the coronavirus pandemic, China has been working overtime to remake its image as the world's responsible global superpower, the New York Times reported in February.
From the Times:
The Chinese government silenced whistle-blowers, withheld crucial information and played down the threat posed by the new coronavirus, allowing an epidemic that has killed thousands to take hold across the country. Now the ruling Communist Party, facing a storm of anger from the Chinese public over its missteps, is trying to rehabilitate its image by rebranding itself as the unequivocal leader in the global fight against the virus.
...
Mr. Xi, China's most influential leader since Mao, has made it a priority to expand the country's economic and military might around the world and to demonstrate that China can play the role of responsible superpower.
The coronavirus outbreak has undermined those global ambitions, and the propaganda push suggests the party might be worried about lasting damage. And as the virus spreads to 56 countries and wreaks havoc on global markets, experts say the campaign could revive concerns about China's secretive approach to managing the crisis.
The blame-shifting will likely backfire on China, resulting in demands to give the international community an honest accounting of where coronavirus originated and how the disease spread so quickly.


theblaze--2020-03-14--Federal Reserve issues $500 billion to overnight lending program

On Friday 's radio program , Glenn explained , last night the Federal Reserve announced its largest ever overnight lending @ @ @ @ @ , $ 500 billion , ten times the size of the attempted 2008 Bear Stearns @ @ @ @ @ did the Federal Reserve lend money so a bank could open its doors ?
Glenn @ @ @ @ @ to save $ 10 off one year of BlazeTV .
Want more from Glenn Beck @ @ @ @ @ Glenn 's masterful storytelling , thought-provoking analysis and uncanny ability to make sense of the @ @ @ @ @ — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America , defend the Constitution and @ @ @ @ @

On Friday's radio program, Glenn explained, last night the Federal Reserve announced its largest ever overnight lending program. The price tag, $500 billion, ten times the size of the attempted 2008 Bear Stearns loan. So, why did the Federal Reserve lend money so a bank could open its doors? Glenn explains...
Use code Glenn to save $10 off one year of BlazeTV.
Want more from Glenn Beck?
To enjoy more of Glenn's masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution and live the American dream.


theblaze--2020-03-15--Good news: Trump tests negative for the coronavirus, White House physician announces

' I received confirmation that the test is negative '

The White House physician announced on Saturday that President Donald Trump has tested negative for the coronavirus, according to CNBC.
The president said on Friday he would take the test after reporters questioned whether he may have been infected by a spokesman for Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro who tested positive for the virus. President Trump had dined with the Brazilian leader and his aide earlier in the week at the Mar-a-Lago resort. Bolsonaro said on Friday that his own test results showed that he was negative.
Trump's personal doctor stated that despite being in close proximity to several people who tested positive for the illness, the American leader showed no signs of having been infected by COVID-19.
"One week after having dinner with the Brazilian delegation in Mar-a-Lago, the President remains symptom-free," Sean Conley, the president's physician, said in a memo.
Still, according to Conley who said he had an "in-depth discussion" with Trump regarding COVID-19 testing, the nation's commander in chief "elected to proceed" with the exam.
"This evening, I received confirmation that the test is negative," the president's personal doctor added while noting he has been in "daily contact" with the White House's coronavirus task force, as well as the Center for Disease Control.
“We are encouraging the implementation of all their best practices for exposure reduction and transmission mitigation," he said.
On Saturday, Vice President Mike Pence said that he and his wife have not yet been tested but they would consider doing it.
"I'm going to speak immediately after this press conference with White House physician's office," Pence said. "Mrs. Pence and I would be more than happy to be tested."


theblaze--2020-03-15--Trump extends travel ban to UK and Ireland, hints domestic travel restrictions might be next

Trump extends travel ban to UK and Ireland , hints domestic travel restrictions might be next Restrictions on internal travel @ @ @ @ @ be next

President Donald Trump announced that the United States will be extending its European travel ban to the United Kingdom and Ireland during a Saturday morning press briefing on the COVID-19 virus, according to Fox News.
"We are looking at it very seriously, yeah, because they've had a little bit of activity unfortunately," Trump said when he was asked by a reporter about rumors that the European travel ban would be extended to the two nations. "So we're going to be looking at that -- we actually already have looked at it and that is going to be announced."
U.K. and Ireland Travel Bans
Vice President Mike Pence confirmed later that travel from the U.K. and Ireland would be suspended beginning at midnight Monday night. Pence said the decision was based on a unanimous recommendation by public health experts consulted by the White House.
Pence clarified that the restrictions do not apply to Americans who are currently abroad; however, the vice president said U.S. nationals will be tested for the virus upon their arrival at certain points of entry in the United States. Additionally, acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said the travel ban applies to foreigners who have been in the U.K. or Ireland within the last 14 days.
Fox News also reported that the ban "does not apply to U.S. citizens, legal permanent residents and foreign diplomats," nor does it apply to trade cargo.
Domestic travel next?
President Trump also hinted that the administration is looking to temporarily curb domestic U.S. travel.
When he asked by a reporter if he was considering any U.S. travel restrictions, Trump said: "Yes, specifically from certain areas, yes we are."
"We're working with the states and we're considering other restrictions, yes," Trump added. Pence later explained the administration is "considering a broad range of measures," but said "no decisions have been made yet."
The European travel ban extension and possible domestic restrictions would be the latest in a series of measures to contain the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S.
On Wednesday, Trump announced the U.S. would limit travel from Europe for 30 days. At the time, the U.K. and Ireland were exempt from the measures, which were limited to Europe's "Schengen Area" consisting of 26 countries, including France, Italy, Switzerland, Norway, and Germany. In February, the Trump administration imposed travel restrictions on China and Iran.
As of Saturday afternoon, 2,499 Americans have tested positive for the coronavirus, which has claimed 57 lives in the U.S


theblaze--2020-03-14--Reporter objects to Trump wearing 'USA' hat during press conference, gets destroyed on Twitter

Reporter objects to Trump wearing 'USA ' hat during press conference , gets destroyed on Twitter ' I 'm so @ @ @ @ @ you '

President Donald Trump addressed the nation once again on Saturday morning on the latest developments in the coronavirus outbreak. During a White House press briefing, the president noted additional measures the federal government is taking to keep Americans safe during the national emergency. He even noted that he had taken a COVID-19 test to see if he had contracted the deadly virus after being in proximity with at least one individual who tested positive for the illness.
In light of all the news, a White House reporter for the Los Angeles Times, Chris Megerian, decided to focus on what really matters: President Donald Trump wore a "USA" baseball cap at the press briefing. No, we are not joking. Megerian actually raised this as an issue.
"Trump is at the White House addressing a national emergency over a global pandemic while wearing a baseball hat you can buy on his campaign website," wrote the journalist in a tweet.
When confronted on the absurdity of his tweet, Megerian defended himself by replying: "I'm not the one who put a campaign hat on the president's head."
'Thanks for the ad, Chris!'
Several conservative commentators immediately began panning the L.A. Times reporter for his petty observation.
"Thanks for the ad, Chris!" wrote GOP media strategist Caleb Hull. "You can buy the hat here!" he added with a link to the president's campaign website where one can purchase the navy cap with an embroidered American flag on its left side for $40.
Even the Trump campaign got in on the fun with Deputy Communications Director Matt Wolking writing: "This poor reporter was triggered by seeing the President wear a hat with 'USA' proudly emblazoned on it."
"I guess we should cut him some slack," Wolking added. "His bio says he ‘Previously covered the Russia investigation,’ so he's probably pretty frustrated that he wasted a significant portion of his life on the collusion hoax and has to accept that Donald Trump is still president."
Ratioed on Twitter
By Saturday afternoon, Megerian's tweet was "ratioed," which is when the number of negative replies to a certain tweet (11,500 in this case) vastly outnumber its "likes" (3,200).
"I'm so sorry this is happening to you," wrote user @DJNYified.


theblaze--2020-03-15--Pence announces all coronavirus testing will be free, including for uninsured Americans

Pence announces all coronavirus testing will be free , including for uninsured Americans 'Cost is never going to be a @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus test '

Vice President Mike Pence announced on Sunday that all coronavirus testing will be free of charge, including for uninsured Americans.
"Cost is never going to be a barrier to anyone getting a coronavirus test," he told reporters at a press conference at the White House.
In his announcement, the vice president highlighted the Trump administration's efforts to expand access to COVID-19 tests.
"As you recall, several weeks ago, the president directed a change in our Medicare and Medicaid programs to ensure that coronavirus testing was included. Health insurers were brought in, and they all agreed to waive co-pays," Pence said.
Pence then noted that free coronavirus testing was made possible by congressional action. "Because of the good bipartisan work done in the House of Representatives, now all coronavirus testing is free, and it's free for every American, including uninsured Americans," he said.
1.9 million tests available next week
At the same press conference, HHS Assistant Secretary Admiral Brett Giroir announced that 1.9 million tests will be available next week.
"Because, as the vice president said, of last week's historically fast approval of high-throughput testing, we are now in a new phase of testing," Giroir said.
"We're going from somewhat manual, relatively slow phases to a testing regimen that we can test many tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of individuals per week and maybe even more. We will have 1.9 million of these high-throughput tests available this week," he added.
Giroir also noted the administration has coordinated to have 2,000 labs "starting to turn the lights on" beginning this week, which he described as a "game-changer" for the country as it combats the coronavirus pandemic.
Over 3,000 Americans infected
As of the writing of this story on Sunday afternoon, there are 3,621 confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States, with 63 of them resulting in fatalities, for a mortality rate of 1.7 percent. To put this number in perspective, the typical seasonal flu's mortality rate is usually around 0.1 percent, making the coronavirus 17 times deadlier.
Experts estimate, however, that the actual mortality rate of the coronavirus is somewhere around 1 percent. Thus far, the U.S. has prioritized testing individuals who showed symptoms or were seriously ill. As testing is rolled out in the coming weeks, public health officials expect the number of confirmed coronavirus cases to increase while the mortality rate goes down.


theblaze--2020-03-15--Federal Reserve announces emergency action to prevent economic crash over coronavirus fears

'The coronavirus outbreak has harmed communities and disrupted economic activity ... '

The Federal Reserve announced Sunday that it will take emergency action to stave off an economic recession amid growing coronavirus panic.
The central bank took the dramatic step of lowering interest rates to near zero — targeting 0% to .25% — to incentivize borrowing and continued economic participation. Additionally, the bank announced $700 billion in quantitative easing.
More from CNBC:
The quantitative easing will take the form of $500 billion of Treasurys and $200 billion of agency-backed mortgage securities. The Fed said the purchases will begin Monday with a $40 billion installment.
The Fed cut rates from the previous target range of 1% to 1.25% and said it would remain there "until it is confident that the economy has weathered recent events and is on track to achieve its maximum employment and price stability goals."
"The coronavirus outbreak has harmed communities and disrupted economic activity in many countries, including the United States," the Fed said in a statement, the New York Times reported.
"The Federal Reserve is prepared to use its full range of tools to support the flow of credit to households and businesses," the bank added. "The committee will continue to closely monitor market conditions and is prepared to adjust its plans as appropriate."
The decision to lower interest rates and initiate quantitative easing was nearly unanimous, the Washington Post reported. Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester preferred to keep interest rates slightly higher, but she was outvoted.
During President Donald Trump's coronavirus briefing on Sunday, he stated that he is "very happy" the Fed took action.
Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said Sunday that he does not expect the U.S. economy to head into an official recession over coronavirus.


theblaze--2020-03-15--CNN host compares President Trump to North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un over coronavirus

'Trump has been mostly AWOL '

The mainstream media's criticism of President Donald Trump has been fierce in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. On Sunday, that criticism reached a fever pitch when a CNN host compared Trump to North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.
In a lengthy monologue on his CNN show, Fareed Zakaria blasted Trump's response to the coronavirus outbreak, partially blamed the president for the economic downturn, and claimed the pandemic "seems to have been designed to bring out the worst of Trump."
"The president doesn't like or trust experts, often explaining that he knows more than they do. He has bluffed and fibbed his way through much of his life and thinks nothing of doing so again," Zakaria said.
"In most global crises, the United States takes the lead and provides comfort and assurances to the world. In this one, Trump has been mostly AWOL," he continued. "When he does appear, it is to blame the disease on foreigners and announce policies that are designed to reinforce that view. The broad collapse in global markets is surely, in part, a reaction to the vast vacuum of leadership in the White House."
Zakaria went on to claim that Trump has been "emulating" Kim Jong Un.
"Donald Trump views everything from the narcissistic prism of his ego," Zakaria said. "He dismisses opposing views and insists that even the senior-most members of his administration repeatedly praise him and his leadership at all times."
"Watching the heads of America's leading science agencies prefacing their statements with ritual praise for the dear leader has been deeply depressing," he continued.
"Come to think of it, the Trump administration has been copying the wrong Korea. Instead of the intelligence and expertise of South Korea, it is emulating the sycophancy, incompetence, and propaganda of North Korea," Zakaria said.
Zakaria's comparison of Trump to the North Korean dictator was prefaced with a comparison between the response of the U.S. and South Korea to the coronavirus. While the U.S. has tested relatively few people — more than 10,000, but less than 20,000 — South Korea is testing tens of thousands of its citizens per day.


theblaze--2020-03-15--VIDEO: Top coronavirus experts shut down three reporters who tried nailing President Trump

VIDEO : Top coronavirus experts shut down three reporters who tried nailing President Trump 'They 've been on top of @ @ @ @ @ Gottlieb

Two of the country's leading public health experts took to the airwaves on Sunday to explain the progression of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States and the measures being taken to combat it.
In three separate television appearances, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases head Dr. Anthony Fauci and former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb pushed back against suggestions that President Donald Trump and the federal government were caught flat-footed by the COVID-19 virus that originated in China.
Dr. Fauci is 'confident' the federal government is doing all it can now
During an appearance on ABC's "This Week," anchor Jonathan Karl asked Fauci whether the federal government is doing all it could to address the pandemic."Are you confident that the federal government is doing everything that needs to be done right now to contain this?"
The world-renowned immunologist's response was unequivocal: "Right now, John, yes, absolutely."
Dr. Fauci: “Yes, Absolutely" The Federal Gov Is Doing Everything Needed To Contain COVID-19 www.youtube.com
'Let's get real here'
In a separate Sunday show, CNN host Brianna Keilar pressed Fauci on whether he and Trump are practicing the "social distancing" they are encouraging Americans to adhere to in light of the doctor touching the same microphone as the president.
"I'm practicing pretty good social distancing," Fauci said.
He added, "The picture you showed about the microphone, let's get real here. There are certain things that you have to do" while demonstrating that if he had left the microphone where it was, it would have blocked his face.
"My using my two fingers to get the microphone down isn't that bad, so I don't think we should make something of that," Fauci said.
Dr. Fauci Calls Out CNN For Question About Touching Same Mic As POTUS: "Let's Get Real Here" www.youtube.com
'They've been on top of this'
Meanwhile, on CBS' "Face the Nation," anchor Margaret Brennan asked ex-FDA head Dr. Gottlieb if the White House is listening to his expert opinion.
"I've been fortunate to have the opportunity to talk to officials in the White House all through this. Some of the calls that I was making, some of the conversations I was having go back to January. They've been on top of this," Gottlieb said.


theblaze--2020-03-15--Dem Rep. Ayanna Pressley advocates for 'compassionate release' of prisoners over coronavirus

Dem Rep. Ayanna Pressley advocates for 'compassionate release ' of prisoners over coronavirus 'Now would be the time ... '

Democratic Rep. Ayanna Pressley (Mass.) is advocating for "compassionate release" of some prisoners in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
Speaking with MSNBC host Al Sharpton on Saturday, Pressley said the Bureau of Prisons should use their "full power" and consider commuting sentences, doling out clemency, and even releasing some prisoners because those locked in prisons are vulnerable to coronavirus.
"I think now would be the time, to commute some sentences, to exact clemency and to take care of our most vulnerable. Ten percent of those incarcerated are over the age of 60 and already have an underlying condition. We should be using compassionate release," Pressley said.
The Massachusetts Democrat characterized overcrowded prisons as a "petri dish" for disease spread, and revealed that she — along with Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), and Nydia Velázquez (D-N.Y.) — are actively lobbying the Bureau of Prisons to take action.
"Given the overpopulating and the fact that many of these facilities are already subpar and that many incarcerated men and women do not have access to soap, to alcohol-based hand sanitizers, to regular showers, what is the guidance, both for those incarcerated and for staff?" she said.
There are an estimated 2.3 million people incarcerated in the U.S., most of whom are locked up in severely overcrowded jails and prisons.


theblaze--2020-03-15--VIDEO: Remember when Candace Owens was called racist?

Never forget the time Candace Owens completely humiliated a liberal professor in front of Congress .
Watch the video below @ @ @ @ @ Want more from BlazeTV ?
Subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices @ @ @ @ @ the Constitution and live the American dream .

Never forget the time Candace Owens completely humiliated a liberal professor in front of Congress. Watch the video below for the full interaction.
Want more from BlazeTV?
Subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution and live the American dream.


theblaze--2020-03-15--NYC's Bill de Blasio is citing a bogus statistic as the 'top reason' for keeping public schools open

NYC 's Bill de Blasio is citing a bogus statistic as the 'top reason ' for keeping public schools open @ @ @ @ @ children in New York City

According to the New York Times, the top reason why New York Mayor Bill de Blasio refuses to shut down the city's public schools — in light of warnings from public health officials during the growing COVID-19 pandemic — is because the five boroughs are home to 114,000 homeless children who would have nowhere else to go.
"That is why the city's public schools will probably stay open even if the new coronavirus becomes more widespread in New York." wrote the Times describing the reasoning behind de Blasio and city officials' decision.
If this statistic were true, it would mean that one out of every 10 children in the New York public school system lives in the streets or goes back to a homeless shelter after a day of classes, which would indeed be a legitimate concern when deciding whether to temporarily close the country's largest school district.
Except there are not 114,000 homeless children in New York City — at least not in the way most people understand the word "homeless." In fact, the real number is not even close to that.
Where did de Blasio get the 114k figure?
De Blasio appears to be basing his decision on a widely publicized report by a local non-profit, Advocates for Children, that found there are 114,000 homeless children in the city using data from the state's education department.
"If the students who were homeless in New York City made up their own school district, it would be one of the 30 largest school districts in the nation," Randi Levine, policy director of Advocates for Children of New York, said at the time the report was released last fall. "It's double the size of the entire Boston public school system."
This is correct, but the group is using a fairly broad definition of "homeless" that includes kids who reside with relatives and loved ones. Their liberal use of "homeless" may be consistent with certain federal guidelines and appropriate in academic settings, but it is not the way the term is colloquially used or understood.
The real number is much smaller
The vast majority of the 114,000 children described as "homeless" in their study are not living on the streets or in homeless shelters, as CBS News reported in October 2019. Even Advocates for Children's own press release clearly states that 80,000 of those 114,000 children — or 70 percent of them — are temporarily staying with family or friends. While these are not ideal housing scenarios, they do not pose the same public health and safety risks as having 114,000 children staying in crowded homeless shelters during a deadly outbreak.
The current number of homeless children in New York City may even be less than one-fifth the size of the figure de Blasio is citing. According to a fact sheet published by Coalition for the Homeless: "In December 2019, there were 62,590 homeless people, including 14,792 homeless families with 22,013 homeless children, sleeping each night in the New York City municipal shelter system," stated the non-profit based on data it obtained directly from the city.
Obviously, none of this is to suggest that it is acceptable there are thousands of homeless children in New York City — regardless of whether the number is 22,000 or 34,000. We have a moral obligation to ensure the safety and well-being of every one of these children and their families is a major factor in any and all public policy decisions, especially in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
What it does demonstrate is the degree to which the progressive left's tendency to overstate misery distorts our perceptions of America's welfare, and can seriously impair what should be sober public policy judgments. In this case, de Blasio's exaggerations could prove fatal for New Yorkers.


theblaze--2020-03-15--GOP lawmaker introduces bill to end dependency on China's pharmaceutical manufacturing

In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and supply chain disruptions , one Republican lawmaker is seeking to decrease America 's dependence on China .
Appearing on `` Fox and Friends '' Sunday , Sen. Marsha Blackburn ( R-Tenn. ) explained that she has introduced legislation to increase America 's pharmaceutical production to decrease dependency on China .
`` It is the SAM-C Bill , Securing America 's Medicine Cabinet , '' Blackburn said .
`` Many of the pharmaceuticals that are necessary for creating some of these viruses — and certainly the coronavirus family is one of those — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' `` We are depended upon them for these .
They 're called APIs : active pharmaceutical ingredients , '' she continued .
`` My legislation would incentivize bringing that production back on U.S .
shores . ''
The legislation — which is co-sponsored by Sen. Bob Menendez ( D-N.J. ) — was introduced last week .
Like Blackburn explained on Fox News , the central aim of the bill is to incentivize the production of pharmaceutical ingredients in the U.S. , which would decrease dependency on Chinese manufacturing .
`` Dependence upon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with safety concerns needs to be addressed .
This urgent health event provides an impetus to improve our pharmaceutical supply chain , '' a press release for the bill read .

In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and supply chain disruptions, one Republican lawmaker is seeking to decrease America's dependence on China.
Appearing on "Fox and Friends" Sunday, Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) explained that she has introduced legislation to increase America's pharmaceutical production to decrease dependency on China.
"It is the SAM-C Bill, Securing America's Medicine Cabinet," Blackburn said. "Many of the pharmaceuticals that are necessary for creating some of these viruses — and certainly the coronavirus family is one of those — they're made only in China."
"We are depended upon them for these. They're called APIs: active pharmaceutical ingredients," she continued. "My legislation would incentivize bringing that production back on U.S. shores."
The legislation — which is co-sponsored by Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) — was introduced last week.
Like Blackburn explained on Fox News, the central aim of the bill is to incentivize the production of pharmaceutical ingredients in the U.S., which would decrease dependency on Chinese manufacturing.
"Dependence upon China and others for prescription drugs combined with safety concerns needs to be addressed. This urgent health event provides an impetus to improve our pharmaceutical supply chain," a press release for the bill read.


theblaze--2020-03-15--Gingrich: If it were not for Trump's actions, thousands of Americans would be dead now

Gingrich : If it were not for Trump 's actions , thousands of Americans would be dead now He warns @ @ @ @ @ to avoid the fate of 'out of control ' northern Italy

Newt Gingrich spends much of his time these days in Italy — the current epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic — since his wife was named by President Donald Trump as U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See in 2017. Writing from Vatican City, the former House Speaker says the president's efforts have saved thousands of lives, but he has a dire warning for the American people: "America must act now and act big."
The coronavirus is 'out of control' in northern Italy
In a widely circulated column in Newsweek, Gingrich described the coronavirus as "out of control in northern Italy" and explained the horrifying impact the disease is having on the country's public health system:
Because the demand for respirators and intensive care has been beyond any previous planning, doctors have been forced into the kind of triage thinking developed for intense battlefield casualty situations. There are reports that emergency room doctors are allotting respirators to those with higher life expectancy due to the limited equipment in the hardest hit areas of the province. If you are older or have other illnesses, you may simply not be eligible for treatment.
If it were not for Trump's measures, we'd be looking at 5,400 deaths instead of 41
Gingrich also praised the Trump administration's efforts to combat the illness:
President Donald Trump was right to cut off travel from China as soon as it was clear how big the pandemic was going to be. He saved American lives and bought time for America to be more prepared as the pandemic developed.
When you realize that the current 1,016 deaths in Italy with a population of 60 million would be the equivalent of 5,400 deaths in the United States instead of the 41 deaths we have had so far, you can see what milder, slower and less aggressive responses might have cost in lives. Then we would have needed to move to truly draconian measures of isolation and shutdowns.
We need a World War II-type mobilization, he says
However, Gingrich said war-time-like efforts may be needed to prevent similar devastation in the U.S.:
While Trump's decisive actions have bought us time, it is important to recognize that we must use that time to think through the health threat in every component and react accordingly.
We should be planning for a worst-case pandemic and using the kind of intensity of implementation which served us so well in World War II. Getting enough ventilators, masks, intensive care units, treatment medications and aggressive community-wide testing are the minimum steps to saving lives and stopping the pandemic.
While U.S. policy-makers are right to be concerned about the economic impacts of domestic restrictions, the lesson of Italy, Gingrich concluded, is that "the sooner you act, the fewer lives you will lose and the less damage you will do to your economy."


theblaze--2020-03-15--CNN's Brian Stelter tries to lecture Surgeon General on how to do his job, and it does not go over w

CNN's Brian Stelter tries to lecture Surgeon General on how to do his job, and it does not go over well

CNN 's Brian Stelter tries to lecture Surgeon General on how to do his job , and it does not @ @ @ @ @ media janitor wants to tell Surgeon General how to do SG 's job '

Surgeon General Jerome Adams scolded the media during a White House press conference on Saturday for politicizing the ongoing coronavirus outbreak in the United States.
"Straight talk from the nation's doctor: We really need you all to lean into and prioritize the health and safety of the American people," Adams said. "No more bickering, no more partisanship, no more criticism or finger-pointing."
But the prescription was too much for CNN host Brian Stelter.
In CNN's "Reliable Sources" newsletter, Stelter blasted Adams for his comments and attempted to lecture the top U.S. doctor on how to do his job.
What Adams called "bickering" and "criticism" is what most of us call accountability. Is there value in focusing on the future? Yes, but when Adams said he wants "less stories looking at what happened in the past," I hear him saying "stop exposing the Trump administration's failures." There is value in all of the coverage. And government officials don't get to decide that -- readers and reporters and whistleblowers and editors do.
Adams used the word "need," talking to the press corps. So I will too. He needs to spend his time educating the public about how to protect each other, not lecturing the press about what's newsworthy.
Surgeon General Jerome Adams used the word "need" while talking to the WH press corps. So I will too. He needs to spend his time educating the public about how to protect each other, not lecturing the press about what's newsworthy. https://t.co/1beTbBHZPWpic.twitter.com/VXFYkD19H9
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) March 15, 2020
The directive did not go over so well for Stelter.
"Does anyone else find it ironic that @brianstelter, instead of using his platform to provide critical information that could support the health and safety of the public, is complaining that the Surgeon General is tone policing the media?" one person responded.
"I would be a lot more sympathetic to your pontificating about the media's role in ensuring accountability if your network didn't host Anthony Scaramucci today to give his opinions about the coronavirus. Yes, the media has a vital role. It's to deliver crucial facts. Do that," another person told Stelter.
"Uh, the Surgeon General has been spending his time educating the public about how to protect each other - he did so today & on TV & across the country. Him taking ten secs to call out the exact thing you're trying to pull here doesn't change that, Brian," another person responded.
"Media janitor doesn't want to be lectured re what's newsworthy. Also, same media janitor wants to tell Surgeon General how to do SG's job," another critic responded.


theblaze--2020-03-15--BIDEN VS. BERNIE DEBATE LIVESTREAM! | Louder with Crowder

Want more from Steven Crowder ?
To enjoy more of Steven 's uncensored late-night comedy that 's actually funny , @ @ @ @ @ largest multi-platform network of voices who love America , defend the Constitution and live the @ @ @

Watch Joe Biden debate Bernie Sanders hosted by Steven Crowder, LiVE now. https://www.blazetv.com/not-live/rfmE...
BIDEN VS. BERNIE DEBATE LIVESTREAM! | Louder with Crowder youtu.be
Want more from Steven Crowder?
To enjoy more of Steven's uncensored late-night comedy that's actually funny, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution and live the American dream.


theblaze--2020-03-16--Rashida Tlaib endorses explicit insult against the National Day of Prayer

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) decided to endorse an explicit insult against the National Day of Prayer through a retweet on her official social media account.
Tlaib endorsed the divisive message posted by vocal gun control activist David Hogg on Twitter by pushing it to her nearly one million followers.
"Don't let this administration address COVID-19 like our national gun violence epidemic," tweeted Hogg. "F**k a National day of Prayer, we need immediate comprehensive action."
Image Source: Twitter screenshot
Critics of the congresswoman denounced the use of extreme language against what is a tradition of prayer that is inclusive of many religions, including her Muslim faith.
This isn't the first time Tlaib has employed expletives while pushing her political agenda. One of the first controversies of her tenure in Congress was when she screamed, "We're gonna impeach the motherf***er!" about the president to a cheering crowd of supporters.
On the other hand, she objected mightily when a citizen expressed disfavor against her policies by paying for a billboard that called her and her congressional compatriots "idiots."
Here's more about Tlaib's insulting retweet:
Israel Erasing Extremist Rep. Tlaib Attacks Prayer www.youtube.com
[H/T: Red State.]


theblaze--2020-03-16--WATCH: How President Trump has flipped the federal judiciary — right under the Democrats' noses

WATCH : How President Trump has flipped the federal judiciary — right under the Democrats ' noses Taking on the @ @ @ @ @ a time

The media may focus on all-things-Trump, but the real fight for our country's future is being fought -- and won -- in our federal court system, and the left doesn't seem to have noticed.
Under President Donald Trump,191 judicial nominees have been confirmed to the federal bench, including two Supreme Court justices and 50 Circuit Court judges. This is a historic transformation of the judiciary to Republican-appointed judges who are expected to protect and uphold the U.S. Constitution.
WallBuilders founder and president, David Barton, sat down in the studio with Glenn Beck to detail the president's initiative to reclaim the courts and stop the left's push to abolish the Constitution and impose their own radical agenda.
Watch the video below:
Use code Glenn to save $10 off one year of BlazeTV.
Want more from Glenn Beck?
To enjoy more of Glenn's masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution and live the American dream.


theblaze--2020-03-16--A Kentucky COVID-19 patient refused to self-quarantine. Now police are standing guard outside his ho

A Kentucky COVID-19 patient refused to self-quarantine. Now police are standing guard outside his home.

A Kentucky COVID-19 patient refused to self-quarantine .
Now police are standing guard outside his home .
Gov .
Andy @ @ @ @ @ step I hoped that I 'd never have to take '

A Kentucky man who tested positive for COVID-19 is being monitored by law enforcement after refusing to self-quarantine following his coronavirus diagnosis, in a move Gov. Andy Beshear (D) called "a step I hoped that I'd never have to take."
What are the details?
"We have had the first instance of an individual who has refused to self-isolate," Gov. Beshear announced during a press conference over the weekend, explaining, "We have taken the steps to force a[n] isolation that will be in their home."
The governor continued, "This is a Nelson County resident that has tested positive, left against medical advice, refused to self-quarantine. We have worked with the county judges and others — it's a step I hoped that I'd never have to take, but we can't allow one person who we know has this virus to refuse to protect their neighbors."
The Lexington Herald-Leader reported that a Nelson County judge-executive declared "a state of emergency in order to invoke a little-known status that allow[ed] him to force a 'self-isolation or quarantine'" on the patient, who is reportedly a 53-year-old man who tested positive at University of Louisville.
According to the New York Post, "Law enforcement officers are now stationed outside the infected man's home to make sure he does not leave and spread the potentially deadly virus."
Update of COVID-19 - 3.14.2020 PM www.youtube.com
Anything else?
Kentucky currently has 22 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and like other states and countries has issued a series of measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, including the closure of all schools and requesting hospitals to cease all elective procedures.
Gov. Beshears told Kentuckians at the Saturday presser, "This, right now, certainly is us against the coronavirus. And we all need from people — we've gotta follow these guidelines. We need everybody's help to do it."
He added, "We are part of Team Kentucky. We need everybody out there to be a good teammate."


theblaze--2020-03-16--Mitch McConnell is asking GOP-appointed judges to step aside so younger replacements can be confirme

Mitch McConnell is asking GOP-appointed judges to step aside so younger replacements can be confirmed: Report

Mitch McConnell is asking GOP-appointed judges to step aside so younger replacements can be confirmed : Report

As the 2020 elections draw closer, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has reportedly been reaching out to Republican-appointed federal judges and encouraging them to step aside so other, younger nominees can take their places in a timely fashion.
According to a Monday report in the New York Times:
Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky, who has used his position as majority leader to build a judicial confirmation juggernaut for President Trump over the past three years, has been personally reaching out to judges to sound them out on their plans and assure them that they would have a worthy successor if they gave up their seats soon, according to multiple people with knowledge of his actions.
It was not known how many judges were contacted or which of them Mr. McConnell had spoken to directly. One of his Republican colleagues said others had also initiated outreach in an effort to heighten awareness among judges nominated by Presidents Ronald Reagan, George Bush and George W. Bush that making the change now would be advantageous.
The overt effort by Republicans to create vacancies reflects a realization that Mr. Trump could lose the presidency, or that Republicans could lose the Senate majority and deprive Mr. Trump of his partner on judicial confirmations even if he did gain a second term.
Mike Davis, who founded the conservative Article III Project, told the Times that while he believes President Trump would win re-election in November, "we have to hope for the best and plan for the worst." Davis' organization estimates that more than 90 federal judges are either currently eligible to take "senior status" — a form of judicial semi-retirement that allows new judges to take their seats — or will become eligible to do so this year.
A McConnell spokesman told the newspaper that it shouldn't surprise people that the majority leader would be interested in incumbent judges' career plans: "I'd point you back to his long-running mantra of 'leave no vacancy behind.'"
The nomination and confirmation of conservative federal judges has been one of the most successfully delivered campaign promises of the Trump presidency and one of the biggest focuses of the McConnell-led Senate.
As of early March, the Senate had confirmed a total of 193 Trump judicial appointments, according to Ballotpedia; that number includes the two Supreme Court justices the president has successfully appointed. Furthermore, the Washington Post pointed out in late December that, as a result the White House and Senate's joint efforts over the past few years, one quarter of America's federal district judges at that point were Trump appointees.


theblaze--2020-03-16--Local business saves lives using 3D printer to make essential medical equipment part for hospital IC

Local business saves lives using 3D printer to make essential medical equipment part for hospital ICU in Italy

In Italy, hospitals are struggling to deal with the volume of patients in urgent need of treatment because of the coronavirus. Not only are there not enough intensive care unit beds, but there is also a shortage of essential medical equipment.
When a hospital in Brescia, reportedly near one of the hardest-hit regions in Italy, ran out of a valve that was crucial to ICU operations, a local business stepped in with a 3D printer and saved lives, the 3D Printing Media Network reported.
What the problem was: Patients who suffer severely with the coronavirus end up needing to be on oxygen to survive, hopefully long enough for their immune systems to fight off the infection. In Italy, where there are more urgent patients than there are ventilators, some patients are dying because they can't get that oxygen.
A hospital in Brescia had a specific problem: It ran out of valves for an ICU machine that was needed to sustain people's lives, and the normal supplier would not be able to get them more in a sufficient amount of time.
The solution: Word spread in the area about the shortage and the potential consequences of not getting more of these valves for ventilators, and eventually reached Cristian Fracassi, the founder of Isinnova, a 3D printing company.
Fracassi acted quickly, bringing a 3D printer directly to the hospital. He was able to replicate the design and produce the valve that was needed.
By the next day, the life-saving results were clear, and there is hope for further use of the technology to help with the coronavirus crisis:
On the evening of Saturday 14th (the next day) Massimo reported that "the system works". At the time of writing, 10 patients are accompanied in breathing by a machine that uses a 3D printed valve. As the virus inevitably continues to spread worldwide and breaks supply chains, 3D printers – through people's ingenuity and design abilities – can definitely lend a helping hand. Or valve, or protective gear, or masks, or anything you will need and can't get from your usual supplier.


theblaze--2020-03-16--McDonald’s worker allegedly rubbed a bun on the floor, spat on it, then served it to a police office

McDonald’s worker allegedly rubbed a bun on the floor, spat on it, then served it to a police officer. Now she is facing a felony charge.

McDonald ’ s worker allegedly rubbed a bun on the floor , spat on it , then served it to @ @ @ @ @ she is facing a felony charge .

A former McDonald's worker has been ordered to stand trial on a felony charge of willfully poisoning food after she allegedly spit on a hamburger before serving it to a police officer.
Tatyana Hargrove, then 21 years old, was arrested last November in Bakersfield, California, and is due in court March 23.
She is accused of rubbing a hamburger bun on the floor of the restaurant and then spitting in it while preparing an order for a uniformed police officer using the drive-thru, KGET-TV reported.
Hargrove also allegedly shouted, "Black lives matter" and "f*** the pigs!" during the incident.
The investigating officer, Deputy Carly Snow, testified that Hargrove admitted to yelling the insults because she knew the burger was going to be served to a police officer, according to testimony from a preliminary hearing.
The officer who was served and shouted at reportedly did not become ill from eating the burger.
During the preliminary hearing, Hargrove's attorney, Lexi Blythe argued that there is insufficient evidence to prove her client willfully mingled poison or harmful substances with food, as the felony charge requires.
Blythe said that it's unknown when the last time chemical cleaning products were used on the floor and that Hargrove's back was turned away from the surveillance camera when the alleged crime was committed.
The prosecutor in the case, Gina Pearl, argued that another McDonald's employee heard Hargrove drawing saliva into her mouth while she prepared the order, and that Hargrove can be seen wiping her mouth afterward, according to surveillance video.
When asked if saliva can be considered a harmful substance, Pearl said, "My position is saliva is absolutely a harmful substance. Look [at] what's going on in the world right now with coronavirus," according to Bakersfield.com.
Prior to the November 2019 incident, Hargrove claimed to be the victim of police brutality in a lawsuit filed against the Bakersfield Police Department in 2017. The suit went to a trial but the jury ultimately sided with the police department.


theblaze--2020-03-16--Intruder tries to break into home through glass door. Mom huddles with young daughter in bedroom whi

Intruder tries to break into home through glass door. Mom huddles with young daughter in bedroom while Dad grabs gun — and takes care of business.

Intruder tries to break into home through glass door .
Mom huddles with young daughter in bedroom while Dad grabs @ @ @ @ @ of business .
Officers found a deceased male lying in the road near the house

An armed San Francisco-area homeowner managed to protect himself, his wife, and his daughter from a man trying to break into their home early Saturday morning.
What are the details?
El Cerrito police told KPIX-TV a woman called 911 at 1:13 a.m. saying she was huddled with her young daughter in a bedroom while her armed husband went to confront someone who was trying to break into their home.
Officers who arrived at the scene were told the husband confronted the intruder as he tried to enter the home through a glass door, the station said. The homeowner told police he shouted at the intruder, but the suspect didn't respond, KPIX said.
Believing his life — as well as the lives of his wife and daughter — were being threatened, the homeowner shot at the intruder, who immediately fled, the station said.
What happened to the intruder?
KPIX said the officers found a deceased male lying in the road near the house.
The investigation has led officers to believe the suspect was in the process of committing a burglary and most likely had been committing other burglaries in the area, the station said.
The identity of the deceased man was not being released, KPIX said, adding that no arrests have been made amid the ongoing investigation.


theblaze--2020-03-16--Spanish nurse details horrific conditions at country’s hospitals: 'It's just going to collapse'

Spanish nurse details horrific conditions at country ’ s hospitals : 'It 's just going to collapse '

A Spanish nurse says that going to work on a daily basis and fighting COVID-19 is like going to war.
What are the details?
According to Business Insider, nurse Coral Merino said that COVID-19 patients are dying lonely deaths alone and away from their families. Health authorities said Saturday, according to a CNBC report, that coronavirus infections have reached 5,753 people, half of them in Madrid, since the first case was detected in Spain in late January.
"Going to work is like going to a war," Merino said. "Every day I go to work, I go feeling fear, stress, and pain at being witness to this situation."
Merino, an ER nurse at Principe de Asturias University Hospital in Alcala de Henares, added that health care providers are also at risk, because there isn't enough personal protection wear to go around.
"These are hard times for all professionals, but especially for us," she admitted. "We're constantly in close contact with patients. ... There simply aren't enough masks to change them each time we go to see an isolated patient. There are no proper gowns. We just have to make do with porous ones and put plastic aprons over them."
Merino, who has been a nurse since 2011, added, "We're reusing the goggles other colleagues have used, washing and disinfecting them ourselves."
Merino also revealed that the health system is already seeing "many, many infected colleagues" and "many on leave."
Merino, who is also a wife and mother, said that she is afraid of catching COVID-19 and being quarantined away from her family.
"I've been unable to kiss them since the beginning," she said. "The first thing I do when I come home from work is shower and scrub myself down, basically until it hurts. I'm terrified of coughing more than I ought to, of getting a fever, and of being isolated from my family, of not being able to hold or kiss my baby for at least 15 days."
Not taking disease seriously angers nurse
Merino went on to blast people who are not taking the disease seriously and carrying on as if it were all a hoax.
"I see such little awareness around me," she said. "It's making me so angry. I don't think [some people are] very aware of how quickly this virus spreads, and the damage they're causing by not staying at home. Not only because they can catch it, but because they could have an accident or a problem that would require them going to the hospital. It's just going to collapse."
Merino added that due to the spread, many patients are dying alone.
"Many die alone without their families," she said. "No matter how hard you try not to, you take them home with you. And you just cry, you cry a lot."


theblaze--2020-03-16--Kid Rock's Big A** Honky Tonk & Rock 'N' Roll Steakhouse refuses to close after Nashville mayor tell

Kid Rock's Big A** Honky Tonk & Rock 'N' Roll Steakhouse refuses to close after Nashville mayor tells bars to shut down over coronavirus

Kid Rock 's Big A** Honky Tonk & Rock ' N ' Roll Steakhouse refuses to close after Nashville mayor @ @ @ @ @ over coronavirus 'The request made by Mayor [ John ] Cooper is unconstitutional as he @ @ @ @ @ of businesses '

The owner of the Nashville establishment bearing singer Kid Rock's name — Kid Rock's Big Ass Honky Tonk & Rock 'N' Roll Steakhouse — is defying an order by Mayor John Cooper to close bars in an effort to combat the spread of coronavirus, the Tennessean reported.
Steve Smith — who owns several other similar establishments — said Sunday afternoon that Cooper's mandate is "unconstitutional" and unfair to certain businesses, the paper noted.
"Unless there's a statewide mandate that directs all bars and restaurants to be closed, the request made by Mayor Cooper is unconstitutional as he is targeting a select group of businesses," Smith said in a statement, according to the Tennessean.
"We are compassionate with those who have contracted the COVID-19 coronavirus and all who are helping manage the crisis as the entire world addresses the outbreak," Smith said, according to the paper, adding that "Tootsies Orchid Lounge, Rippy's, Honky Tonk Central, Kid Rock's Big Ass Honky Tonk & Steakhouse, and The Diner will continue to remain open to serve the public until such statewide mandate is issued from the Governor of Tennessee."
As of Sunday, Gov. Bill Lee hadn't ordered business closures, the paper reported.
Anything else?
The Metro Board of Health convened an emergency meeting and approved the plan that includes shutting down all bars in Davidson County, including downtown honky-tonks, as well as limiting restaurant capacity, the paper said.
Cooper's plan limits seating to less than 50% capacity and total occupancy to 100 people, PopCulture.com reported, adding that restaurant bars also were limited to 50% capacity with no standing allowed. There were 39 cases of coronavirus in the state, the outlet said, citing Tennessee's health department, and 17 in Davidson County.
More from PopCulture:
The decision to close the bars and set limits for restaurants came after a Twitter user shared a video showing a packed bar in Lower Broadway Saturday night, even as people had already been advised to self-quarantine due to the coronavirus. The video quickly went viral, with over 3 million views. It was not a good look for the city, with even celebrities calling out the bars for letting so many customers pack into close quarters.
Country music star Maren Morris ripped the bars for staying open on Twitter.
"While the rest of us are trying to be responsible in our homes and get this s**t over with, THIS?! Broadway, you aren't a hero for staying open," Morris said.
Here's the clip Morris tweeted:


theblaze--2020-03-16--Justin Trudeau announces that Canada will close borders to non-Canadians due to coronavirus spread

Justin Trudeau announces that Canada will close borders to non-Canadians due to coronavirus spread 'These measures will help save lives @

Liberal Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that his government will close the country's borders to non-Canadians, with a few exceptions, in response to the global outbreak of coronavirus.
"We will be denying entry to Canada to people who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents," Trudeau explained at a Monday afternoon news conference while announcing the country's latest steps to address the global disease outbreak. The prime minister followed up by saying that the decision would include "some designated exceptions, including air crews, diplomats, immediate family members of Canadian citizens and — at this time — U.S. citizens."
The Canadian leader went on to announce that that only four of the country's airports would accept international flights starting Wednesday. For now, he added, Canadian domestic flights as well as those from the U.S., the Caribbean and Mexico would not be affected.
Furthermore, Trudeau said that airlines would be required to screen incoming passengers for symptoms of the virus, including the country's citizens and permanent residents.
"Anyone who has symptoms will not be able to come to Canada," the prime minister explained. "I know this news will spark concern among Canadians traveling abroad; I want to assure you that our government will not leave you unsupported."
Trudeau went on to say that the government would set up a "support program" for asymptomatic Canadians who needed to get back home.
"Canadian travelers will be able to get financial assistance to help them with the costs of returning home or temporarily covering their basic needs while they wait to come back to Canada," the prime minister announced.
Monday's announcement came not too long after the government urged Canadians traveling abroad to look at ways to return home over the weekend.
"New restrictions could be imposed, and could severely disrupt Canadians' travel plans," a Saturday statement from Global Affairs Canada said, according to the Canadian Press. "Canadians currently outside the country should find out what commercial options are still available and consider returning to Canada earlier than planned if these options are becoming more limited."
"Let me be clear," Trudeau said during Monday's announcement: "If you are abroad, it's time for you to home. If you have just arrived, you must self-isolate for 14 days."
The prime minister also admitted that announced measures were "far-reaching" and said they were made necessary by "exception circumstances." He added that the announcement was "based on the latest available science and advice from our world-class health professionals" and that "these measures will help save lives."
As of Monday morning, Canada had reported 324 confirmed cases of coronavirus.
Last week, Trudeau's wife, Sophie, tested positive for the virus after returning from a speaking engagement in the United Kingdom.


theblaze--2020-03-16--Devin Nunes blatantly contradicts health experts by encouraging people to 'go to your local pub' in

Devin Nunes blatantly contradicts health experts by encouraging people to 'go to your local pub' in the midst of coronavirus outbreak

Devin Nunes blatantly contradicts health experts by encouraging people to 'go to your local pub' in the midst of coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ in public only speeds up the spread of COVID-19

California Republican Rep. Devin Nunes apparently believes he knows better than the numerous public health experts who have urged "social distancing," instead encouraging people to "go to your local pub" in the midst of a growing coronavirus outbreak.
What experts are saying: "I would like to see a dramatic diminution of the personal interaction we see in restaurants and in bars. Whatever it takes to do that, that's what I would like to see," Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Saturday.
What state and local governments are doing: Los Angeles has ordered the closing of all clubs and bars, and limited restaurant activity to takeout or delivery. New York City, Washington, D.C., Washington state, Illinois, and Ohio are taking similar measures to slow the spread of the virus, so that health care providers aren't overwhelmed with cases, which happened in China and Italy.
What Devin Nunes is saying: "If you're healthy, you and your family, it's a great time to go out and go to a local restaurant, likely you can get in easily," Nunes said Sunday on Fox News. "Let's not hurt the working people in this country ... go to your local pub."
What might happen if you listen to Devin Nunes: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) provided an outlook for what might happen if people continue to gather in large numbers in public, speeding up the spread of the highly contagious COVID-19.
"The wave is going to break on the hospital system," Cuomo said, according to Axios. "We are doing everything we can to flatten the curve. I believe we've taken more dramatic actions than any state in the United States. I believe we've had the most effective response of any state in the United States. I don't believe we're going to be able to flatten the curve enough to meet the capacity of the health care system."
But we don't have to speculate. In northern Italy, the health care system was totally overwhelmed by a rapid increase in coronavirus cases, leading to a situation in which many people died because there are not enough beds and not enough medical equipment to treat everyone who is in serious or critical condition. A doctor in northern Italy wrote:
We've stopped all routine, all ORs have been converted to ICUs and they are now diverting or not treating all other emergencies like trauma or strokes.
There are hundreds of patients with severe respiratory failure and many of them do not have access to anything above a reservoir mask. Patients above 65 or younger with comorbidities are not even assessed by ICU, I am not saying not tubed (intubated), I'm saying not assessed and no ICU staff attends when they arrest.


theblaze--2020-03-16--Man married for 67 years finds creative way to visit his wife at nursing home on their anniversary a

Man married for 67 years finds creative way to visit his wife at nursing home on their anniversary amid COVID-19 quarantine

Man married for 67 years finds creative way to visit his wife at nursing home on their anniversary amid COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ your heart

Bob Shellard of Vernon, Connecticut, celebrated his 67th wedding anniversary on Saturday alone — but he made sure that his wife knew he was thinking about her.
This is reportedly the first time the couple has spent their anniversary apart.
What are the details?
Shellard's wife, Nancy, lives in a Stafford Springs nursing home, which closed its doors to visitors due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Since Shellard couldn't visit his wife in person, he showed up on the lawn of the nursing home with a sign that read, "I've loved you 67 years and still do. Happy Anniversary."
He held up the sign outside of his wife's window for her to see. Nancy was able to see her husband's sign, and according to WNBC-TV, responded by "waving and blowing kisses from the window of her second-floor room."
Shellard told the station, "It makes me feel bad because I want her down with me and I know she can't be."
The couple's adult daughter Laura said that her parents' marriage has served as an example in her own life.
"It's just been an example for us, for all of us of kids," she said. "So all four of us have really learned a lot from them and I can only hope that I have half as much as what they have shared over the years. ... They have always been an inspiration to us and I think just seeing every year go by that they still express it in some way on their anniversary."
Nancy says she 'felt like a queen'
Shellard — who visited his wife daily before the COVID-19 outbreak — told WNBC that he "wouldn't want anybody else."
"I don't think she could put up with anybody else besides me," he added.
The outlet reported that Nancy appreciated her husband's gesture, and told nursing home staff she "felt like a queen."