theblaze--2020-04-21--Man can't get dentist appointment during coronavirus lockdown, so he pulls his own tooth using plier

Man can't get dentist appointment during coronavirus lockdown, so he pulls his own tooth using pliers ... and whiskey

Man ca n't get dentist appointment during coronavirus lockdown , so he pulls his own tooth using pliers ... and @

The National Health Service in England has told citizens with dental issues that what qualifies as a "dental emergency" has changed.
No longer does a throbbing tooth or debilitating headache seem to qualify, at least not according to British dad Billy Taylor who said he was told not to come in for emergency dental work unless he couldn't breathe, the BBC reported over the weekend.
Taylor, 33, said he called about getting an emergency appointment for a toothache, but was turned away. And though the NHS is reportedly setting up urgent care centers, he was not offered that as an option.
"I phoned my dentist and they said they were closed and would put me on an emergency waiting list but I didn't know how long that would take so I phoned 111 and they basically said that unless it was stopping me from breathing they couldn't do anything," he told BBC Radio.
Taylor stated that the pain was increasing and "excruciating," but even more concerning was that the left side of his face was swelling.
"Every half an hour it was getting bigger. I looked like Elephant Man," he said. "I thought if this is an infection and it gets into my brain it's really serious," the BBC reported.
So he took matters into his own hands.
DIY dental care tools: whiskey and pliers
Taylor logged on to YouTube for instructional videos on tooth removal, grabbed a bottle of whiskey and some pliers, and went to work — after recruiting his 11-year-old son to help and to keep watch in case he passed out.
He took some shots of whiskey, numbed his face, and put the pliers in his mouth. After an hour and a half, the troublesome tooth was out.
"I got an ice pack put it on my face until I couldn't feel it anymore and the final tug, me and my son just went for it and it came out, it was quite tricky," he told the BBC. I thought maybe 20 minutes but it took an hour and a half."
The surgery was a success — though painful.
"It was hideous, I thought I was going to faint half way through," he said. However, Taylor said the pain was gone "instantly" once he pulled out the molar.
Taylor, as well as virtually all dentists, have strongly urged people to not follow his example.
The U.K.'s SimpleNews shared a photo of Taylor with the tooth:


theblaze--2020-04-21--Joe Biden: I would pick Michelle Obama as my vice presidential running mate 'in a heartbeat'

Joe Biden : I would pick Michelle Obama as my vice presidential running mate 'in a heartbeat' 'She 's brilliant @ @ @ @ @ around .
She is a really fine woman .
The Obamas are great friends .
@

Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, said he would pick former first lady Michelle Obama "in a heartbeat" to be his vice presidential running mate for the 2020 race to the White House.
What are the details?
In an interview with Pittsburgh's KDKA-TV that ran Monday, Biden was asked regarding Obama, "If she said to you she'd be willing to be your running mate, would you ask her?"
"Oh, I'd take her in a heartbeat," Biden replied. "She's brilliant. She knows the way around. She is a really fine woman."
The station also quoted Biden as saying "the Obamas are great friends," but that "I don't think she has any desire to live near the White House again," although the latter statements don't appear on KDKA's video broadcast.
'We're just beginning the process'
Biden — who was vice president under former President Barack Obama — also told the station he's in the early stages of choosing a running mate.
“In terms of who to pick, we're just beginning the process," he also told KDKA. “We'll shortly be announcing the committee I've named to review this and begin to look through the backgrounds of the various potential nominees. And that's just getting underway."
'We should have had a woman president already in Hillary'
Biden added to the station that while he won't commit to a woman of color as his running mate, he is still committed to have a woman run with him.
The station quoted Biden as saying "I think it's really important now that we establish once and for all we should have had a woman president already in Hillary [Clinton]" and that "there are a number of qualified women out there," although the latter statements don't appear on KDKA's video broadcast.
"I think it is very important that my administration look like the public, look like the nation," he told the station. "I committed there will be a woman of color on the Supreme Court [but that] doesn't mean there won't be a vice president [who's a woman of color] as well."


theblaze--2020-04-21--CNN stages Chris Cuomo 'emerging' from a weekslong COVID quarantine — except he publicly broke quara

CNN stages Chris Cuomo 'emerging' from a weekslong COVID quarantine — except he publicly broke quarantine last week

CNN stages Chris Cuomo 'emerging ' from a weekslong COVID quarantine — except he publicly broke quarantine last week Are @ @ @ @ @

On Monday, CNN's Chris Cuomo "emerged" for the first time from his weekslong basement quarantine where he had been reportedly "riding out" the illness after he tested positive late last month — only that's not what happened at all.
You may recall that Cuomo was spotted out and about walking with his family over Easter weekend apparently checking out some undeveloped property he had recently purchased. The property was in East Hampton, New York — a 30-minute drive from their home in Southampton.
While there, the reporter got into a heated confrontation with a cyclist who asked him why he was around other people after contracting the infectious disease.
"Your brother is the coronavirus czar, and you're not even following his rules" about unnecessary travel, the cyclist said. Cuomo allegedly approached him "ranting and screaming" and the cyclist later filed a police report. Cuomo even confirmed the incident during a radio interview the following day.
Yet, despite all that, in a video clip Monday, CNN and Cuomo acted as if none of that ever happened.
"All right, here it is: the official reentry from the basement, cleared by [the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]," Cuomo said as he walked up the stairs. "This is what I've been dreaming of literally for weeks."
"Here's the very moment [Chris Cuomo] emerged from his basement, where he's been riding out coronavirus for the last several weeks," the official Cuomo Prime Time Twitter account wrote in the video caption.
CNN even posted the video on its website, saying, "Chris Cuomo says he has been cleared to end his self-quarantine in his basement, a day he has been dreaming of for weeks."
"This is the dream, just to be back up here doing normal things," Cuomo added in the home video.
What's going on here? Are we all getting pranked? Is Cuomo hallucinating? So many questions.
The Washington Examiner asked, "did Cuomo 'dream' of this moment before or after his 30-minute jaunt to East Hampton?"
Several on social media also piled on after the clip posted.
TheBlaze's Jessica Fletcher wrote: "Was this when you emerged before you went to the Hamptons or when you came back and hung out for a few more days and then re-emerged?"
Turning Point USA's Benny Johnson added: "This video, like everything CNN broadcasts, is fake news propaganda."


theblaze--2020-04-21--NYT op-ed praises Chinese government for helping Latin American companies deal with the coronavirus

NYT op-ed praises Chinese government for helping Latin American companies deal with the coronavirus crisis they started, blasts Trump

NYT op-ed praises Chinese government for helping Latin American companies deal with the coronavirus crisis they started , blasts Trump @ @ @ @ @ must be awfully light , considering how much of the media is lining up to @ @

A New York Times op-ed published Tuesday by "foreign affairs experts" Paul Angelo and Rebecca Bill Chavez lavished praise on the Chinese government for, according to the authors, "stepping in to fill a void left by President Trump, who has alienated longtime partners and undermined the country's standing in Latin America."
The authors specifically praised the Chinese government for delivering 100,000 masks, 50,000 test kits, and a whopping five whole ventilators to Mexico. Somehow the article did not mention that an astonishingly high percentage of the masks and test exported by the Chinese government to other countries have been defective, or that the United States government had announced it would be sending thousands of ventilators to Mexico free of charge.
Of course, it also goes without saying (which is presumably why the op-ed in question did not say it) that no countries in Latin America would have any cases of coronavirus at all if the Chinese government had not lied about the coronavirus for weeks and allowed it to spread throughout the globe. The more important thing, according to the authors of this article, is that "From Santiago, Chile, to Mexico City and everywhere in between, America's leadership is being called into question and China is positioning itself to carry the mantle."
The article criticizes President Trump for daring to continue to fight against narcotics trafficking into the United States. According to the authors, Trump's announcement that he would position additional military assets in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific to support this goal was "tone deaf" and should have instead consisted of an announcement of a "surge of humanitarian assistance to our neighbors in America."
Notably, when Trump announced a surge of humanitarian assistance to our neighbors in Mexico at his press briefing on Monday, the writers of this op-ed failed to mention it in their piece that ran on Tuesday — so it might fairly be objected that any such announcement would have been largely ignored by the people calling for it anyway.
The authors of the article conclude that "the spread of COVID-19 promises to exacerbate human suffering and trigger an even greater migration crisis while leaving the hemisphere more open to Chinese cooperation and ever more wary of American partnership."
It seems incredible that five measly ventilators could buy such a thing (compared with thousands from the United States), but it is clear that they can buy the Chinese government free propaganda in the New York Times.


theblaze--2020-04-21--Mark Levin: Don't let the Democrats fool you — they actually WANT a dictator

Mark Levin : Do n't let the Democrats fool you — they actually WANT a dictator

The issue of federalism is very important. So, isn't it interesting that now we have governors like California's Gavin Newsom and New York's Andrew Cuomo crying foul over President Donald Trump's "tyrannical" push to open up American businesses? Suddenly, they're very concerned with that "dusty old document" called the Constitution.
For example, as the governor of New York, Cuomo has the legal authority and responsibility to equip his state with hospitals and medical equipment, such as ventilators, before a pandemic. Yet, when the coronavirus hit and New York didn't have enough beds or ventilators, Cuomo claimed the federal government needed to provide them.
"[Cuomo] didn't say, 'This is federalism. We're in charge, federal government stay out of it.' Did he? No, he says, 'We need you to give us ventilators. We need you to give us beds.' And the president moves mountains to do exactly that," BlazeTV host Mark Levin said. "And, it turns out he didn't need as many ventilators as he said he did."
Levin went on to discuss how these governors demanded that the federal government bail their states out of the financial crisis caused by shutting down the economy, not to mention the pension plans and other significant debt that states like California, Illinois, and New York had long before the coronavirus pandemic.
"Why is it the responsibility of the federal government to bail out the states? This is federalism," Levin said. "If you're a state, and you have your sovereignty, and you want control over your hospitals, which they do ... why does it only cut one way?"
Watch the video below to hear more from "the Great One" — Mark Levin:
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theblaze--2020-04-21--White Democrats are more bothered than blacks or Hispanics that their nominee is an old white man

A Democratic presidential primary field once touted as the most diverse group ever eventually whittled down to a race between two elderly white men, with former Vice President Joe Biden emerging as the presumptive Democratic nominee. And as it turns out, the Democrats most bothered by the white maleness of their nominee are white themselves, according to a new poll.
The question: A Pew Research poll posed the question: "Regardless of who you supported for the Democratic nomination, would you say the fact that the likely Democratic nominee is a white man in his 70s…" The choices were "Bothers you" or "Doesn't bother you."
The results: White respondents care more about the nominee's demographic than minorities; 49% of white respondents said it bothered them that the Democratic nominee was a white man in his 70s, whereas only 28% of black respondents and 30% of Hispanic respondents said it bothered them.
The poll results showed noticeable trends in age and education. Generally, respondents were more likely to be bothered by an older white male nominee the more educated they were. Of those who did not attend college, only 24% were bothered; but 41% of those who attended some college, 49% of college graduates, and 58% of those who had post-graduate education were bothered.
In the 18-29 age group, 54% were bothered by Biden's age, race and gender, compared to 45% for age 30-49, 35% for age 50-64, and 36% for 65 and older.
Only 32% of those who identified as politically conservative or moderate had a problem with a white male nominee in his 70s, contrasted with 51% of self-identified liberals.
The sample consisted of people overwhelmingly likely to vote for the Democratic nominee — 97% of them disapprove of the way President Donald Trump, 73, has done his job.
What this means: These numbers may reflect why 77-year-old Biden has committed to choosing a female running mate, and possibly a minority female running mate. However, the numbers may also indicate that while white Democrats place heavy emphasis on identity politics, the minority voters who are being pandered to might not prioritize that as highly in selecting a candidate.


theblaze--2020-04-21--'They have nowhere to go': A California skatepark was a place for kids to escape less than stellar h

'They have nowhere to go': A California skatepark was a place for kids to escape less than stellar home situations — then the city dumped 37 tons of sand on it

'They have nowhere to go ' : A California skatepark was a place for kids to escape less than stellar @ @ @ @ @ city dumped 37 tons of sand on it 'The skatepark was an outlet '

Last week, city officials in San Clemente, California, abruptly decided to dump 37 tons of sand on a popular skatepark to prevent local skaters from gathering during the coronavirus pandemic.
The city argued that the action was necessary to enforce social distancing guidelines when they heard some skaters were still using the park after it was temporarily closed. But others called the move an overreach — and one with unintended consequences.
"Some kids are very blessed and come from great homes, but on the flip side there are kids who don't come from good homes and there are some skaters who might fall into that category," said Stephanie Aguilar, president of the San Clemente SkatePark Coalition, in an interview with TheBlaze. "For those kids, the skatepark was an outlet."
Aguilar, whose nonprofit raised $50,000 to install lights in the park last year, said that after the city shut down local beaches and trails, the skatepark was one of the last remaining activities for kids to do.
"They might feel like they have nowhere to go," she said while also noting that similarly drastic actions have not been taken to prevent people from gathering on the city's tennis courts or other recreational areas. "It feels like there's a double standard when it comes to skateboarding."
Still others used the park as an outlet not to escape their home situations but for much-needed exercise.
"His last bit of freedom," Jen Stark remarked to the Orange County Register in reference to her son after the two approached the sand-filled park last week. She noted that he is diabetic and needs to stay moving.
"It was all he had left. He was devastated," Stark said.
San Clemente city officials fill skatepark with sand to prevent skaters from using it youtu.be
During the interview, Aguilar was careful to note that the city owns the park and so officials certainly had the right to close it. But she wondered if filling the park with sand to enforce the law went too far, and suggested that "it could've been done a different way."
"There was no warning given before the sand was placed in the park," she said. "It seems that the city could've utilized its own social media or reached out to us" before taking the action. She noted that her coalition has significant reach within the local skating community and could have helped the effort.
Ultimately, the sand dump was to no avail. Within days, local skaters descended on the park and used it as a dirt bike track. Then they dug up the sand and continued skating. Aguilar did not condone the skaters actions, but admitted that "it isn't surprising" that the skaters would respond in that way.
The move to fill the park with sand was just the latest in a string of increasingly aggressive measures taken by state and local governments to enforce social distancing in their jurisdictions. Those measures have resulted in more and more protests across the country. Unfortunately, amid the uproar, stories about the negative effects such measures have on those who don't have good home situations are often overlooked.


theblaze--2020-04-21--Mind-reading MSNBC panel: 'Overwhelmingly white' protesters demanding reopening of economy actually

Mind-reading MSNBC panel: 'Overwhelmingly white' protesters demanding reopening of economy actually want 'more black and brown people to die'

Mind-reading MSNBC panel : 'Overwhelmingly white ' protesters demanding reopening of economy actually want 'more black and brown people to @ @ @ @ @ News , Nazi , confederate death cult rump of the Republican Party '

Far-left MSNBC panelists tried their collective hand at mind reading during an "AM Joy" segment Sunday, insisting that the "overwhelmingly white" protesters showing up to state capitals to demand the reopening of the economy amid the coronavirus shutdown are throwing a "temper tantrum" — and even worse "want more black and brown people to die" in the process.
What are the details?
"They are the Fox News, Nazi, confederate death cult rump of the Republican Party," Dave Zirin, sports editor of The Nation, offered during the panel discussion before going on a virtue-signaling rant:
"And their very existence is a slap in the face not only to the health care workers on the front lines risking their lives every single day, but it's also a slap in the face to the people who are actually dying from this virus in disproportionate numbers, black and brown people. These aren't economically disenfranchised folks; these are small business owners, these are retirees. These are people who want their workers to be sent back to work, not themselves."
Zirin called their protesting an "astroturf farce" and "racist" before insisting the media shouldn't cover them.
"They frankly don't deserve the sweat off our brow," he concluded before firing off a little side-to-side head bob as if he just won a poetry slam.
Renee Graham — an opinion columnist for the Boston Globe — said the only reason the protests began is because white people conducting them felt inconvenienced given reports that COVID-19 has been disproportionately affecting people of color.
"One thing I think is really interesting is how these protests have started after all the headlines the last week or so about the disproportionate effect the virus is having in communities of color," Graham said. "And so when I look at these protests, what I see are a bunch of white people essentially saying, 'Oh, it's affecting those people, so why do I have to change my life for them?'"
She also said the "overwhelmingly white" protesters simply "don't care" about anyone but themselves.
"They're out there waving American flags. They don't care about America," Graham added. "What they care about is [President] Donald Trump and what Donald Trump has created. They don't care about the people risking their lives to keep this country moving ... all they want is another battle waged for their lost cause. This isn't a protest; this is a temper tantrum."
Michael Harriot, senior writer for The Root, put it bluntly: "If you want the government to open up, then you want more black and brown people to die."
(H/T: Townhall)


theblaze--2020-04-21--TODAY LIVE: Steven Crowder set to livestream President Trump's press briefing

Steven Crowder and the crew are set to livestream Trump 's press briefing Tuesday afternoon with the goal of giving @ @ @ @ @ the mainstream media does n't want them to see .
Do n't miss this afternoon @ @ @ @ @ President Trump press briefing livestream at 4:30 p.m .
ET .
While CNN and MSNBC @ @ @ @ @ we 'll keep ours rolling .
Steven will take questions from the audience via live @ @ @ @ @ Here 's what you can expect ... Use code QUARANTINE to save $ 30 on @ @ @ @ @ Want more from Steven Crowder ?
To enjoy more of Steven 's uncensored late-night comedy @ @ @ @ @ subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America , defend @ @ @ @ @ American dream .

Steven Crowder and the crew are set to livestream Trump's press briefing Tuesday afternoon with the goal of giving the audience the info that the mainstream media doesn't want them to see.
Don't miss this afternoon's Louder with Crowder: President Trump press briefing livestream at 4:30 p.m. ET.
Watch LIVE show
While CNN and MSNBC shut off their cameras, we'll keep ours rolling. Steven will take questions from the audience via live chat exclusively on BlazeTV. Here's what you can expect...
Use code QUARANTINE to save $30 on one year of BlazeTV.
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--2020-04-21--Brett Kavanaugh cites historic abortion cases to denounce 'erroneous precedents'

'As the Court has often stated and repeats today , stare decisis is not an `` inexorable command '' '

Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh revived hope on Monday that Roe v. Wade, the controversial Supreme Court case that legalized abortion nationwide, may one day be overturned.
Whether or not Kavanaugh would follow the legal practice of stare decisis was a central issue during his Senate confirmation. Kavanaugh affirmed the principle, indicating that he would continue to uphold court precedent. In fact, in his early days on the court, Kavanaugh voiced concern for overturning long-established precedents.
On Monday, however, Kavanaugh indicated that he may have since changed his perspective.
Writing in a concurring opinion unrelated to abortion, Kavanaugh addressed how he believes the court should handle "erroneous precedents" — and in doing so, invoked abortion.
Despite the widely held belief that the court should not overturn precedents, Kavanaugh said the Supreme Court has a long history of overturning previous court decisions, especially in high-profile cases. With regard to abortion, Kavanaugh noted the 1992 case Planned Parenthood v. Casey, though it affirmed abortion rights, overturned major parts of Roe v. Wade.
"In Casey, the Court reaffirmed what it described as the 'central holding' of Roe v. Wade," Kavanaugh explained, "the Court expressly rejected Roe's trimester framework, and the Court expressly overruled two other important abortion precedents."
Kavanaugh then wrote, "As those many examples demonstrate, the doctrine of stare decisis does not dictate, and no one seriously maintains, that the Court should never overrule erroneous precedent. As the Court has often stated and repeats today, stare decisis is not an 'inexorable command.'"
Still, the comments do not give definite insight as to how Kavanaugh would vote if the court revisits the central merits of either Roe v. Wade or Planned Parenthood v. Casey.
But, between Kavanaugh's comments along with the opinion of Justice Neil Gorsuch — who wrote that "stare decisis isn't supposed to be the art of methodically ignoring what everyone knows to be true" — and Justice Clarence Thomas last year, the conservative-leaning court has signaled that it is open to overturning established precedents, fueling speculation that abortion could be on life-support.


theblaze--2020-04-21--Team Trump posts merciless 'Nancy Antoinette' ad mocking Pelosi's infamous tone-deaf ice cream inter

Team Trump posts merciless 'Nancy Antoinette' ad mocking Pelosi's infamous tone-deaf ice cream interview

It 's good to be the queen

Over the last month, 22 million people have lost their jobs. But that didn't stop Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi from giving late-night host James Corden a tour of the hifalutin kitchen in her multimillion-dollar home — and the Donald Trump for President campaign took the footage to create a merciless political ad.
The now-infamous tour included her showing off a basket of chocolate and super-expensive refrigerators with freezers full of ice cream.
Speaker of the U.S. House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) shows off a basket of chocolates during an interview with late-night host James Corden. (Image source: YouTube screenshot)
"Since you've been isolated in your house, how much of your regular diet do you think is ice cream and candy," Corden asked.
Pelosi responded, "Well, as much as possible. I enjoy it. I like it better than anything else. And I don't know why, but it seems to agree with me. I have a lot of energy. And we just got it restocked — the ice cream — for Easter Sunday."
After the interview, Pelosi's official Twitter account even shared the video, writing, "We all have found our ways to keep our spirits up during these trying times. Mine just happens to fill up my freezer."
The video was widely panned as a tone deaf, Marie Antoinette-style performance.
Which meant it was perfect fodder for President Donald Trump's re-election campaign.
So Team Trump turned the Pelosi faux pas into a blistering "Nancy Antoinette" ad.
The ad intersperses news clips about the need to replenish the small-business relief program, food bank lines, job losses, businesses closing down, Americans telling personal stories of suffering with clips from Pelosi's Corden interview.
The juxtaposition highlighted with on-screen declarations:
"Americans Are Losing Their Jobs"
"Not Everyone Has a $24,000.00 Stocked Fridge"
"Pelosi Snacks on Ice Cream"
"While Americans Lose Their Paychecks"
"'Let Them Eat Ice Cream' — Nancy Antoinette"
"𝑳𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎." - 𝑵𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒚 𝑨𝒏𝒕𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆 www.youtube.com
This writer's perspective: 'It's good to be the king'
Having a nice kitchen and fully stocked fridge (or fridges) is nothing to be ashamed of. Good for Pelosi and her family.
However, the tone deafness is striking. Good for Team Trump for highlighting it.
But they need to get ready for the next ad.
With all the protests going on around the country, it's only a matter of time before an interviewer tells the speaker that the people are revolting and Pelosi inevitably replies, "You said it. They stink on ice."
It's good to be the queen.


theblaze--2020-04-21--Joe Biden is struggling to get people to pay attention to him instead of Trump on coronavirus

Former Vice President Joe Biden is having trouble getting the masses to pay attention to what he has to say about the COVID-19 pandemic, despite regular attempts to hold briefings and frequent mainstream media appearances from his Delaware home.
An NBC News poll asked respondents about their level of trust in President Donald Trump and in Biden regarding what they say about the coronavirus. In Biden's case, most respondents were either totally unaware that he was talking about COVID-19, or had no opinion at all. From NBC News:
The numbers for Biden are 26 percent who trust, 29 percent who don't trust and 42 percent who aren't aware of his coronavirus statements or who don't have an opinion.
Since the last Democratic presidential debate between Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on March 15, Biden has mostly appeared publicly on interviews and live video streams from his home. The escalation of the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S. turned the primary, which Biden won when Sanders finally dropped out earlier this month, into a sideshow.
The poll also showed that a majority (52%) of respondents do not trust President Trump's statements about the coronavirus, while 36% do trust him. The most trusted information sources, according to the poll, are the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, state governors, and Dr. Anthony Fauci. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) was also trusted by more respondents than the president.
Why this might matter: The nation is becoming more divided between those who believe the economy should be reopened quickly, and those who believe the COVID-19 risk is still too great to return to normal. President Trump has been pushing for a more rapid reopening in order to save jobs and businesses, while Fauci and some Democratic governors favor longer lockdowns in order to prevent a potential second surge of the virus.
Politically, Biden's relative irrelevance in the U.S. coronavirus response could work in President Trump's favor in November, with Biden having been unable to capitalize on the crisis by successfully undermining Trump or by presenting himself as a leader on the issue. Biden's absence from the big stage created space for Cuomo, who isn't even running, to get some presidential buzz in the media recently.
Still, being out of sight and out of mind could be a best-case scenario for Biden, whose public appearances regularly show him appearing confused, distracted, and unable to express coherent thoughts.
(H/T: Hot Air)


theblaze--2020-04-21--MSNBC’s Katy Tur under fire for tweeting and deleting: ‘Kim Jong Un is brain dead’

MSNBC ’ s Katy Tur under fire for tweeting and deleting : ‘ Kim Jong Un is brain dead ’

MSNBC's Katy Tur apologized after tweeting that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is "brain dead" following a surgery.
CNN announced on Monday that Kim recently had a surgery and had suffered complications as a result.
What are the details?
To her 724,000+ Twitter followers, Tur wrote, "North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is brain dead, according to two US officials. He recently had cardiac surgery and slipped into a coma, according to one US current and one former US official. @NBCNews confirms and adds to CNN scoop."
Following apparent questions — and swift backlash — over the tweet, Tur deleted the tweet.
"I've deleted that last tweet out of an abundance of caution," she admitted. "Waiting on more info. Apologies."
At the time of this writing, Tur has not tweeted further on the alleged status of Kim Jong Un.
The North Korean leader has reportedly not been seen in public since April 11.
You can read more about Monday's late-breaking story here and here.
What else?
On Monday night, CNN's Jim Sciutto said, "I'm told by a U.S. official with direct knowledge that the U.S. is monitoring intelligence that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is in grave danger following a surgery.
"Now we should note that Kim, he recently missed the celebration of his grandfather Kim Il Sung's birthday on April 15," he added. "This raised speculation about his wellbeing, about his health."
The Los Angeles Times later announced, "The Daily NK, a Seoul-based website that gathers information from informants inside the isolated nation, reported Tuesday that Kim underwent 'a cardiovascular surgical procedure' and was now mostly recovered." The Times noted, however, that it was it was "impossible to immediately verify the report, which the Daily NK said was based on one person inside North Korea."
On Tuesday, national security adviser Robert O'Brien appeared on Fox News and promised that the U.S. is "keeping a close eye" on the reports.
"We're monitoring these reports very closely," O'Brien said. "As you know, North Korea is a very closed society."
Kim Jong-Un in 'grave danger' after heart surgery: Report www.youtube.com
(H/T: Mediaite)


theblaze--2020-04-21--Professor goes on expletive-laden rant blasting, mocking stay-at-home protesters: ‘Because JESUS and

Professor goes on expletive-laden rant blasting, mocking stay-at-home protesters: ‘Because JESUS and FREEDOM’

Professor goes on expletive-laden rant blasting , mocking stay-at-home protesters : ‘ Because JESUS and FREEDOM ’

A University of Maine professor of political engagement blasted demonstrators protesting against the state's lockdown orders.
What are the details?
As highlighted by Campus Reform, Robert Glover, who specializes in "democratic theory, political engagement, and the politics of immigration," tweeted profane remarks about protesters and their cause on Monday.
In his tweet, Glover shared a video of Maine demonstrators congregating in Augusta.
"We shouldn't overestimate support for this sort of fringe bulls**t," he wrote. "This is a very vocal, but small, minority. But a few hundred folks yukking it up in public about how we need to open Olive Garden just because JESUS and FREEDOM can thunderf*** our attempts to #StopTheSpread."
Image source: Twitter screenshot
He later added, "Inevitably, in the coming weeks, some of these folks are going to get sick. Some will end up in hospitals and needlessly put health care workers at risk. Some of them will be asymptomatic but get others sick. And that makes me livid."
Image source: Twitter screenshot
"This isn't activism," he warned. "It's f***ing bio-terrorism."
Image source: Twitter screenshot
Below is a snippet of the video Glover shared.
What else?
According to Campus Reform, the event — dubbed Reopen Maine — was set to be a "peaceful, social distancing demonstration by those who are asking the Governor to open Maine back up. Many of the State's areas are low risk and dying due to restrictions on their small businesses, churches and hospitals."
Mainers Against Excessive Quarantine, which also participated in the demonstration, said that the group's very existence is for residents to "constructively discuss which Covid 19 social distancing measures are reasonable and which measures constitute overreach by our elected representatives in government, and what a peaceful and constructive approach to rectifying that overreach could look like."
There are at least 6,700 members of Mainers Against Excessive Quarantine at the time of this writing.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University estimate that at least 875 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed across the state, with at least 35 deaths from the virus.


theblaze--2020-04-21--New Jersey just ordered a tulip farm to cease drive-thru tours. They violate left-wing governor's so

New Jersey just ordered a tulip farm to cease drive-thru tours. They violate left-wing governor's social distancing executive order.

New Jersey just ordered a tulip farm to cease drive-thru tours .
They violate left-wing governor 's social distancing executive @ @ @ @ @ pretty much agreed with mostly everything the state has done so far .
But this @ @ @ @

Democratic New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has been making quite a name for himself amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Last week, Murphy told Fox News' Tucker Carlson that he "wasn't thinking of the Bill of Rights" when he issued an executive order banning gatherings of more than 10 people to stem the tide of COVID-19 — including religious services — which has resulted in multiple arrests.
NJ governor ignores Bill of Rights in exclusive Tucker interview youtu.be
"We are really damned unhappy" about disobedient residents "and we're going to take action," Murphy declared earlier this month, according to the Atlantic City Press. He added to the paper there are "too many people not paying attention" to his order and "we've about had it."
Oh, it gets better
The latest casualty of Murphy's executive order? A tulip farm.
Dalton Farms in Swedesboro said in a Facebook post Sunday night that "as of 7 p.m. we were ordered to cease all operations by an Assistant Prosecutor from the State of New Jersey."
At issue was Dalton Farms' popular tulip tours at its 99-acre property, the Cherry Hill Courier-Post reported, adding that the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office ordered the shutdown because the tours violated Murphy's executive order.
"For those who had purchased tickets for Monday-Wednesday we will be working to refund all tickets for those dates," the farm said in its post. "We're heartbroken to get this news in the middle of the day and would like to thank all those who came out over the last few weeks. We hope to see everyone in Sept for Sunflowers."
How are folks reacting?
Quite a few people commented on Dalton Farms' Facebook post, and they weren't pleased with the shutdown order:
"People can still meander around Target for non-essential items, spreading germs and putting people at risk. But I can't visit a tulip field within the confines of my own car with my family, spreading absolutely zero germs beyond my immediate family. Makes ZERO sense. Thanks Governor Murphy!!!!!!"
"I have pretty much agreed with mostly everything the state has done so far. But this is ridiculous! You don't even get out of the car! So upsetting."
"This was so well organized!! It was so beautiful such a stress relief ... but people can line up in front of Walmart to buy TVs."
"All you were doing was bringing people joy! Nobody was put in harms way. Such a sin. Thank you for giving us a safe family memory. It was the only time we were out together in over a month. When this is all over, we will be back as loyal customers."
What did Murphy have to say?
The governor defended his lockdown policy at a news conference Tuesday, the Courier-Post reported.
"It's not a life sentence," Murphy said, according to the paper. "The fact of the matter is this is about saving lives, and we're going to do what we can to save lives."
Not the only New Jersey tulip farm ordered to close
Holland Ridge Farms in Cream Ridge tried to host a drive-thru tulip tour earlier this month, but state officials told the outfit to close, NJ.com reported.
Owner Casey Jansen told the outlet he spent at least $1 million on planting flowers months ago to prepare for the popular Monmouth County tulip festival.
According to the Shore News Network, Jansen said he received a letter from the state threatening that two New Jersey State Police officers would be at his farm to arrest him if a single car drove through his field.
Anything else?
The rap sheets are indeed piling up for coronavirus shutdown scofflaws in the Garden State:


theblaze--2020-04-21--Bystander shoots robbery suspect fleeing cops on foot after leading them in wrong-way vehicle chase

Bystander shoots robbery suspect fleeing cops on foot after leading them in wrong-way vehicle chase on interstate highway The bystander @ @ @ @ @ back patio with his wife — said he feared for his life and shot the @

California law enforcement officials had been on the lookout for a man wanted in connection with attempting to rob Rocklin businesses over the weekend, KCRA-TV reported, adding that the suspect smashed his car into a nail salon and cellphone store.
On Monday evening, an officer in an unmarked Rocklin police car saw the suspect's vehicle near Eureka Road and Interstate 80, KCRA said.
The chase is on
A patrol unit responded and tried pulling over the suspect, the station said — but no dice. The suspect drove off and led officers on a chase, KCRA reported.
California Highway Patrol took over the chase, which entered Sacramento County from Rocklin County, the station said. And then deputies from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office got involved, and they said the suspect was seen at one point driving westbound in the eastbound lanes of I-80, KCRA said.
The chase ended in the Foothill Farms area of Sacramento County when the suspect exited the car and ran, the station said.
Armed homeowner taking no chances
A homeowner who was with his wife on their back patio said he feared for his life and shot the suspect, the sheriff's office told KCRA.
The suspect was taken to a hospital with injuries that weren't life threatening, the sheriff's office added to the station.
"It's unclear at this time if the suspect had gained entry into the residence, or if he attempted to gain entry, or what the nature of that confrontation was with the homeowner," Sacramento County Sheriff's Sgt. Tess Deterding told KCRA. "But we do know that the homeowner fired at the suspect, striking him, and that he was transported to an area hospital."
What happened to the homeowner?
The sheriff's office told the station it's too soon to determine if the homeowner could face charges, but at present investigators believe the shooting was in self-defense.
Anything else?
No law enforcement officers fired their weapons, and the homeowner wasn't injured, the sheriff's office added to KCRA.
Deputies also detained a passenger who was in the car with the suspect, the sheriff's office told the station.


theblaze--2020-04-21--Los Angeles County has thousands more COVID-19 cases than reported; death rate much lower, study sug

Los Angeles County has thousands more COVID-19 cases than reported; death rate much lower, study suggests

Los Angeles County has thousands more COVID-19 cases than reported ; death rate much lower , study suggests Homeless people @ @ @ @ @ the COVID-19 virus during the coronavirus pandemic Monday in Los Angeles .
( Photo by @ @ @ @

Results of an antibody study in Los Angeles County indicate that there have been hundreds of thousands more COVID-19 cases in the county than the amount reflected in the official statistics, which would mean the mortality rate is much lower than previously thought, according to KCOP-TV.
What did they find? Researchers from the University of Southern California conducted antibody tests on a random sample of 863 Los Angeles County residents on April 10 and 11.
They found that, based on that sample, an estimated 4.1% of the county's adult population has COVID-19 antibodies, meaning they have been infected with the virus in the past, and they potentially have some immunity to it now. Those who had the disease caused by the novel coronavirus from China may not have felt any symptoms.
When accounting for the margin of error, the results mean between 221,000 and 442,000 adults in Los Angeles County have had COVID-19. According to the Los Angeles County health department website, there were 13,816 confirmed cases in the county as of Monday.
LA County has reported 617 deaths, resulting in a 4.4% case fatality rate (number of deaths/number of lab-confirmed cases). If the USC serology study data is accurate, the true mortality rate (number of deaths/number of actual infections) would be between 0.14% and 0.28%.
Implications: Antibody studies are being conducted all over the world, and the results continue to indicate that countries are only catching a small percentage of the actual number of COVID-19 cases. In the United States, limited testing capacity means only the sickest patients typically get tested.
Interpretations of the available data have significant policy implications. Some, such as LA County's public health director Dr. Barbara Ferrer, interpret antibody test results like those from USC to mean the lockdowns should remain in place longer, because there are potentially so many asymptomatic people who are capable of transmitting the virus to others. She emphasized the need for more ability to test for COVID-19 so infected people can be aware of their condition and isolate themselves.
Still others believe that if the COVID-19 mortality rate is potentially 0.1%-0.2%, restrictions should only target people who are at high risk of COVID-19 complications due to age or underlying health problems.
At-risk people could continue isolating or social distancing, while people at low risk could resume normal activity, while the inevitable spread of the virus through that population can contribute to the development of herd immunity.
By continuing to shelter the entire population, some argue, we are only delaying the inevitable spread because the population isn't developing any immunity. A COVID-19 vaccine is at least a year away, and even then there's no guarantee that a vaccine will be successfully developed.


theblaze--2020-04-21--'Who the hell do you think you are?': CNN's Don Lemon unloads on gun-toting lockdown protesters

'Who the hell do you think you are ? '
: CNN 's Don Lemon unloads on gun-toting lockdown protesters @ @ @ @ @ ? '

If you are protesting mandatory lockdown orders in your state, CNN host Don Lemon has one question for you: "Who the hell do you think you are?"
On his show Monday, Lemon unloaded on Americans protesting stay-at-home orders, specifically those who are exercising their Second Amendment right while exercising their First Amendment rights.
According to Lemon, protesters — who are concerned that officials are using the coronavirus crisis as an opportunity to seize power — are "slapping the faces" of health care and other essential workers because they want their lives to return to normal.
"You're out there with guns, with weapons strapped to your chest, saying, oh, you want to get — you're fighting against the people who are telling you to stay at home, trying to save your lives, you're upset with those people? In the meantime, there are people keeping your cities going, keeping your loved ones alive and you want to get a haircut?" Lemon said.
"Who the hell do you think you are?" the CNN host continued. "What is wrong with people? I don't understand."
Lemon later acknowledged protest rights, but mocked those protesting with guns and suggested they are hypocrites.
"I don't want to hear from those people who are out there protesting with guns, right, and that is threatening — a threatening look for people. You're protesting with guns," Lemon said. "Don't — don't criticize people who are taking a knee at a ball game, entertainment, saying, 'I don't want people protesting at a ball game,' when people are who are peacefully protesting — don't give me that when you're out there protesting with guns and saying, 'I want to get back to work, I want my liberty.'
"Don't be a hypocrite," Lemon added, urging the protesters to support those who protest against government-perpetuated systematic injustice.
Don Lemon unloads on armed protesters rallying against lockdowns www.youtube.com
Lemon was not the only talking head to speak out against gun-toting protesters on Monday.
Joy Behar, co-host of "The View," likened protesters to terrorists.
"Why are you bringing guns to a rally? You want to call yourself protesters, leave your guns home. Those are terrorists who bring guns to things," she said.
Firearms have become a hot commodity during the COVID-19 outbreak.
In fact, the FBI said March saw a record number of firearm-related background checks, an indication that more Americans are exercising their Second Amendment rights than ever before.


theblaze--2020-04-22--Arrest of Idaho mother at closed  playground with her children sparks protest

Arrest of Idaho mother at closed playground with her children sparks protest Video footage of the incident has gained national @

A mother of two was arrested by police in Meridian, Idaho, on Tuesday, after she violated the city's ban against using playground equipment at a local park when she and other families allowed their children to play in a closed-off area.
Within hours of her interaction with law enforcement — part of which was caught on video — demonstrators congregated in front of Meridian City Hall to protest the actions of their local government.
Extended footage of the exchange with officers also drew some online backlash against the arrested mother, and local residents told TheBlaze that the event was a staged protest.
What are the details?
Sara Brady, 40, was arrested and charged with one count of misdemeanor trespassing, the Meridian Police Department announced in a news release, after officers responded to Kleiner Park following "several calls to Ada County Dispatch."
The memo noted that "officers saw that metal signage and caution tape announcing the playground closure due to COVID-19 was removed," and that they "observed numerous individuals gathered on the closed playground area."
Brady, they said, had been "told to leave the playground multiple times."
At least two videos of Brady's interaction with police began circulating across the internet.
One shows the mother arguing with police that she and others were not trespassing and asking the officers if they were "going to arrest everyone for not social distancing over there," while pointing to people off-camera.
After counting to five, an officer handcuffs Brady, and as she is walked off, another woman from behind the camera can be heard yelling, "Her kids are here! Her kids are here? What is going to happen? Who's got her kids?"
Meridian Mom Arrested at Kleiner Park www.youtube.com
In a second video, two officers are seen walking Brady through a gathering of other mothers holding young children as they walk her off the premises in handcuffs. A woman can be heard asking an officer as Brady is carted off, "As a person, does this make sense to you? As a person — not as a police officer, as a person — does this make sense to YOU?"
A crowd appeared to congregate in front of the police vehicle before the video ends.
Mother arrested in Meridian, Idaho for letting kids play in park www.youtube.com
According to the department, "Meridian officers made several attempts to help Brady adhere to the rules. She was non-compliant and forced officers to place her under arrest to resolve the issue."
Police responded to the park at around 3:50 p.m., and in short order, a crowd gathered outside the city hall to protest Brady's arrest. A link showing the demonstration was posted to Facebook and reported by KBOI-TV.
A social media post shared with TheBlaze by two local residents purportedly indicates that the situation was a planned protest. The post reads, "There are a BUNCH of us taking our kids to Kleiner Park in Meridian today at 3 pm to tear the tape off the playground. ANYONE can join us, kids or no kids, let's take a stand!"
An extended video of the incident shows an officer earlier in the exchange apologetically saying that "someone" had taken down the caution tape from the closed-off area before Brady — who is reportedly married to a law enforcement officer in another department — and others argued that they are on public grounds supported by their tax dollars.
That same officer suggested the issue should be taken up with the mayor, rather than law enforcement.
The officers were asked, as Brady was held outside the vehicle, whether they were upholding their oath to the Constitution.
Gestapo in America Arrests Mom and Kicks Kids off the Playground (MIRROR and COPY) www.youtube.com
This article has been updated from the original post.


theblaze--2020-04-22--CDC warns that second wave of coronavirus could be worse — Dr. Birx shoots down the possibility

CDC warns that second wave of coronavirus could be worse — Dr. Birx shoots down the possibility Birx was very @ @ @ @ @ said why it was unlikely

The chief of the Centers for Disease Control warned that there could be a second wave of coronavirus that is much worse than the first, but Dr. Deborah Birx shot down the possibility when questioned by reporters Tuesday.
The alarming warning from CDC Director Robert Redfield was made in an interview with the Washington Post.
"There's a possibility that the assault of the virus on our nation next winter will actually be even more difficult than the one we just went through," said Redfield.
"And when I've said this to others, they kind of put their head back, they don't understand what I mean," he explained. "We're going to have the flu epidemic and the coronavirus epidemic at the same time."
When Birx, the coronavirus task force response coordinator, was asked to address the concerns by Fox News' Bret Baier, she appeared to downplay the possibility and cited expected advancements in treatment that would prevent a second wave worse than the first.
"We were very clear in the guidelines that we believe we can monitor, again, monitor communities at the community level by using the influenza-like illness, and the syndromic, respiratory, and gastrointestinal components of this particular virus," she explained.
"Obviously when we have flu, we're going to, and we're working on an algorithm, that you test for flu, then you test for COVID, and making sure that we are building the testing capacity to be able to do that," she said. "On the surface, a patient when they come in with early flu and early COVID can look very close to identical, so we need to have testing in place to be able to separate and ensure those patients receive the best treatment."
Birx also said that she expected to have additional treatment options for COVID-19 patients at that time.
A second wave
When pressed by another reporter, Birx furrowed her brow and didn't appear to agree with the assessment from the CDC.
"I don't know if it will be worse; I think this has been pretty bad," she responded.
"When you see what happened in New York, that was very bad," she continued. "I believe that we'll have early warning signals both from our surveillance that we've been talking about in these vulnerable populations. We're going to continue that surveillance from now all the way through to be able to give us that early warning signal."
Birx went on to praise Americans' ability to do what they need to in order to protect themselves and their families in the face of the threat from the pandemic.
Here's the entire task force media briefing:


theblaze--2020-04-22--Missouri sues China for damages over coronavirus pandemic

The state 's attorney general is seeking a financial judgment and to hold the Chinese government accountable

The state of Missouri has become the first in the U.S. to file a lawsuit against the Chinese government, seeking damages for the loss of lives and economic destruction resulting from the coronavirus pandemic that originated in Wuhan, China.
What are the details?
Attorney General Eric Schmitt (R) sued the People's Republic of China, the Communist Party of China, and several other Chinese authoritative bodies on Tuesday, accusing the defendants of deceptive practices and downplaying the severity of the outbreak to the rest of the world.
"An appalling campaign of deceit, concealment, misfeasance, and inaction by Chinese authorities unleashed this pandemic," the suit reads. "During the critical weeks of the initial outbreak, Chinese authorities deceived the public, suppressed crucial information, arrested whistleblowers, denied human-to-human transmission in the face of mounting evidence, destroyed critical medical research, permitted millions of people to be exposed to the virus, and even hoarded personal protective equipment—thus causing a global pandemic that was unnecessary and preventable."
Schmitt is seeking restitution and asked the court to "order that the Chinese Government Defendants, the Communist Party, and the Laboratory Defendants cease engaging in the abnormally dangerous activities, reimburse the cost of [Missouri's] abatement efforts, and pay compensatory and other damages caused" by the outbreak.
Fox News reported that "Missouri has confirmed 5,963 cases of the virus and 215 deaths as of Tuesday morning," and noted that "the economic shutdown the state imposed to reduce the spread of the disease has cost Missouri about $44 billion, according to one estimate."
"In Missouri, the impact of the virus is very real," Schmitt said in a statement. "Thousands have been infected and many have died, families have been separated from dying loved ones, small businesses are shuttering their doors, and those living paycheck to paycheck are struggling to put food on their table."
Anything else?
ABC News reported that "it's unclear whether the lawsuit will have much, if any, impact," pointing out that "U.S. law generally prohibits lawsuits against other countries with few exceptions."
Chimene Keitner, an international law professor at the University of California, Hastings College of Law in San Francisco, explained to Reuters, "If the United States wants to bring claims against China, it will have to do so in an international forum. There is no civil jurisdiction over such claims in U.S. courts."


theblaze--2020-04-22--'Real Housewives' star says coronavirus is just 'God's way of thinning the herd'

'Real Housewives ' star says coronavirus is just 'God 's way of thinning the herd '

Kelly Dodd, one of the stars of "The Real Housewives of Orange County," asserted that the coronavirus pandemic is "God's way of thinning the herd," in a now-deleted exchange on social media.
The comment, which some are calling insensitive and tone-deaf, was made while she was lashing out at critics on her Instagram account.
Dodd told her more than 757,000 followers that she was taking a coronavirus test after she went on an airplane flight. She made the comment while responding to commenters who said she should not have been flying.
"If it's dangerous why are the airlines still flying?" she wrote according to Page Six. "You think I want to fly? I had to get back, how is that elitist?"
In another exchange she downplayed the threat from the coronavirus and compared it to other viral pandemics.
"Do you know how many people died from the H1N1, the swine flu or SARS?" Dodd demanded. "It's 25% get your facts straight you only hearing numbers not the reality!"
"It's God's way of thinning the herd!" she added.
The comment was deleted but was captured by a writer and posted on social media.
As of Tuesday, there have been 824,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the United States, with 45,297 Americans succumbing to the virus.
"I'm not God, I'm not insensitive."
Dodd later apologized in another Instagram post.
"I want to give a public apology. When I wrote this is 'God's way of thinning the herd,' that's not what I meant," Dodd said.
"What I meant was, do these pandemics happen because it's God's way?" she asked rhetorically. "I'm not God, I'm not insensitive. I feel bad for all the families who have lost loved ones. And I do think we should all stay home and protect everybody. That's not what I meant, and I want to apologize to anybody who got offended. I'm sorry."
Here's more about the virus:


theblaze--2020-04-21--After 12 days of Democratic delays, Senate passes $484 billion relief bill

Senate Republicans applauded a deal to refund the relief to coronavirus-stricken businesses on Tuesday after 12 days of delays they blamed on Democratic stalling .
The bill includes $ 310 billion to refund the Paycheck Protection Program , and $ 100 billion for hospitals and testing .
`` More help is on the way , '' read a tweet from Senate Republicans .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) criticized Democrats for stalling the relief deal in order to shoehorn their provisions into the bill .
`` Republicans never wanted this crucial program for workers and small businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to Fox News .
`` We tried to pass additional funding a week before it lapsed , '' he explained .
`` But Democratic leaders blocked the money and spent days trying to negotiate extraneous issues that were never on the table .
I am grateful our colleagues have walked away from those demands and will finally let Congress act . ''
President Donald Trump outlined his plan for further relief after this deal was completed and signed into law .
`` After I sign this Bill , we will begin discussions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relief to State/Local Governments for lost revenues from COVID 19 , much needed Infrastructure Investments for Bridges , Tunnels , Broadband , Tax Incentives for Restaurants , Entertainment , Sports , and Payroll Tax Cuts to increase Economic Growth , '' Trump tweeted .
Democratic House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland said that the House was expected to vote to approve the deal on Thursday .
Here 's more about the relief bill refunding :

Senate Republicans applauded a deal to re-fund the relief to coronavirus-stricken businesses on Tuesday after 12 days of delays they blamed on Democratic stalling.
The bill includes $310 billion to re-fund the Paycheck Protection Program, and $100 billion for hospitals and testing.
"More help is on the way," read a tweet from Senate Republicans.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) criticized Democrats for stalling the relief deal in order to shoehorn their provisions into the bill.
"Republicans never wanted this crucial program for workers and small businesses to shut down," said McConnell, according to Fox News.
"We tried to pass additional funding a week before it lapsed," he explained. "But Democratic leaders blocked the money and spent days trying to negotiate extraneous issues that were never on the table. I am grateful our colleagues have walked away from those demands and will finally let Congress act."
President Donald Trump outlined his plan for further relief after this deal was completed and signed into law.
"After I sign this Bill, we will begin discussions on the next Legislative Initiative with fiscal relief to State/Local Governments for lost revenues from COVID 19, much needed Infrastructure Investments for Bridges, Tunnels, Broadband, Tax Incentives for Restaurants, Entertainment, Sports, and Payroll Tax Cuts to increase Economic Growth," Trump tweeted.
Democratic House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland said that the House was expected to vote to approve the deal on Thursday.
Here's more about the relief bill refunding:


theblaze--2020-04-23--President Trump says he strongly disagrees with Georgia governor's decision to reopen businesses

President Trump says he strongly disagrees with Georgia governor 's decision to reopen businesses Georgia is set to leap past @ @ @ @ @

President Donald Trump said that he told the governor of Georgia that he strongly disagreed with his decision to re-open some businesses after the coronavirus pandemic.
The president spoke about his conversation with Gov. Brian Kemp, also a Republican, during Wednesday's coronavirus task force media briefing.
"I told the Governor of Georgia, Brian Kemp, that I disagree, strongly, with his decision to open certain facilities which are in violation of the Phase I guidelines for the incredible people of Georgia, they're incredible people. I love those people, they are, they're great," the president said.
"They've been strong, resolute. But at the same time, he must do what he thinks is right. I want him to do what he thinks is right. But I disagree with him on what he's doing," he added.
Trump applauded governors for following the lockdown and social distancing guidelines, and also praised some for taking the steps to opening up their economies. Except for Georgia.
"It's too soon," he concluded. "It's just too soon."
On Monday, Gov. Kemp issued an order that "would allow gyms, hair salons, bowling alleys and tattoo parlors to reopen as long as owners follow strict social-distancing and hygiene requirements," according to ABC News.
The state plan was called one of the most aggressive in the nation, and has been criticized by many who say it's much too soon to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
"They can wait a little bit longer, just a little bit, not much, because safety has to predominate, we have to have that," said the president.
Here's video of Trump's comments:


theblaze--2020-04-22--Harvard finally agrees it should not receive millions in coronavirus aid from taxpayers

Harvard finally agrees it should not receive millions in coronavirus aid from taxpayers The university was set to receive $ @ @ @ @ @ 40 billion endowment

Harvard University has finally agreed not to accept the millions of dollars allocated to it through a federal coronavirus relief package, following an enormous wave of backlash after the wealthy institution insisted it was entitled to the funds.
What are the details?
In a Twitter thread on Wednesday, the Ivy League university wrote, "Harvard will not accept funds from the CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund. Like most colleges & universities, Harvard has been allocated funds as part of the CARES Act. Harvard did not apply for this support, nor has it requested, received or accessed the funds."
The day before, President Donald Trump said during a press conference that Harvard "shouldn't be taking" money from the federal relief package, and insisted the university would pay it back.
Harvard initially said that it would keep the $8.6 million, arguing that it would "allocate 100% of the funds to financial assistance for students." But that explanation did not end the outrage over "relief" dollars going to a university that sits on a $40 billion endowment—the largest in the United States.
President Trump celebrated Harvard's decision during his coronavirus briefing on Wednesday, saying, "I'm pleased to announce that Harvard has announced today that they will not accept the funds nor will Stanford University."


theblaze--2020-04-22--WHO director was a leader of a political group designated as a terrorist organization by US official

WHO director was a leader of a political group designated as a terrorist organization by US officials There is a @ @ @ @ @ and it 's not finding good things

World Health Organization Director Dr. Tedros is facing increased scrutiny over his ties to an organization that was designated as a terror group by US officials.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who goes by Dr. Tedros, was a leader of the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front, a group that was designated as a terrorist organization by U.S. officials.
A memo from the Department of Homeland Security in 2014 details the background of the EPRDF.
The TPLF is a political group founded in 1975 in Ethiopia, as an opposition group. The TPLF engaged in prolonged armed conflict with the government of Ethiopia, which, along with other groups, it succeeded in overthrowing in 1991. The TPLF then joined the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), a political coalition that became the governing coalition in Ethiopia. The EPRDF continues to control the government of Ethiopia. The TPLF qualifies as a Tier III terrorist organization under INA section 212(a)(3)(B)(vi)(III) on the basis of its violent activities before it became part of the ruling coalition and the government of Ethiopia in May 1991.
In 2017, National Review called for the WHO to be defunded in part over Dr. Tedros ties to the terror group.
Dr. Tedros, as he likes to be called (he has a Ph.D. in community health), is a leader of Ethiopia's brutal minority party, the Tigray People's Liberation Front, a wing of the ruling Marxist-rooted Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front. He served the violently repressive regime as minister of foreign affairs from 2012 to 2016, after a stint as health minister.
Even before he was elected to lead the WHO, Dr. Tedros was hit with accusations that he had helped cover up numerous epidemics in Ethiopia during his time as the health minister of the country.
There are also claims that Dr. Tedros was aided in his campaign to lead the WHO by China.
President Donald Trump ordered the end of US payments to the World Health Organization over their bungled response to the coronavirus pandemic. Democrats have been very critical of the move and said it was not the proper time to weaken the global institution.
Here's more about the WHO director's very shady history:


theblaze--2020-04-22--EXPOSED: WHO director accused of coronavirus cover-up linked to radical TERROR group in Africa

EXPOSED : WHO director accused of coronavirus cover-up linked to radical TERROR group in Africa And THIS is the guy @ @ @ @ @ ?

YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki recently said any content that goes against the World Health Organization's recommendations during the coronavirus pandemic will be removed from the platform to prevent the spread of false information. So apparently it won't matter how well researched and documented the information is, if the WHO doesn't like it, it won't be up to the American public to decide whether to watch or listen.
"What I'm about to tell you is going to be banned, most likely, on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. And every place else, because it goes against the WHO," explained Glenn Beck on Wednesday's radio program. "But three weeks ago, I called for a full audit of the WHO.
"At this point, you know about their assisted cover-up with the overlords of the Chinese Communist Party to try to hide the fact that China is directly responsible for the coronavirus pandemic. And President Trump has rightly halted all US funding to the WHO until we can find out what the heck is going on over there, who is involved, and how deep this is," he continued.
Everything Glenn and his research team discovered about WHO Director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus' is well documented, and his connections, not only to the Chinese Communist Party, but also to radical terror groups in Africa is truly shocking. Suddenly, it all makes sense why the WHO has backed China so adamantly throughout the communist nation's attempts to cover up their culpability in this coronavirus pandemic.
"And this is the guy that everybody in the world, including our media, is claiming is acting in good faith when he covers up for China over the coronavirus," Glenn added.
Watch the video below to hear Glenn break down the details:
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theblaze--2020-04-22--AOC says people should refuse to work after the economy reopens

AOC says people should refuse to work after the economy reopens The Democratic socialist says only in America does 'liberation @ @ @ @ @ work '

Far-left New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D) says that when the U.S. economy reopens from the coronavirus shutdown, people should refuse to return to their jobs while arguing that only in America does "liberation" mean going "back to work."
What are the details?
In an interview with VICE News for the debut show "Seat at the Table" with Anand Giridharadas, the congresswoman hit out at President Donald Trump's calls to "liberate" states under lockdown orders last week amid protests from citizens.
"Only in America does the president, when the president tweets about liberation, does he mean 'go back to work.'" the Democratic socialist told VICE. "We have this discussion about 'going back' or 'reopening' — I think a lot of people should just say, 'No, we're not going back to that. We're not going back to working 70-hour weeks just so that we can put food on the table and not feel any sort of semblance of security in our lives."
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Says We Shouldn't Go Back to Work | SEAT AT THE TABLE www.youtube.com
VICE released a clip of Ocasio-Cortez's comments ahead of the full interview set to debut Wednesday night. In a tweet promoting his show, Giridharadas wrote, "If you've been advocating for a general strike amid the pandemic, @AOC gives your cause a boost in our interview airing tonight."


theblaze--2020-04-22--BOMBSHELL: If panic peddlers were right, Wisconsin should be a pile of smoldering ash right now

BOMBSHELL : If panic peddlers were right , Wisconsin should be a pile of smoldering ash right now

Anyone who has ever been on Twitter knows the platform is a hub for virtue signaling. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Wisconsin was targeted on Twitter by virtue signalers far and wide for holding it's presidential primary as scheduled on April 7.
Wednesday, BlazeTV's Steve Deace delved into claims made by the left that Wisconsin would be the death of us for allowing voters to leave the safety of their homes and head to the polls.
Here's what we learned
Wisconsin holds a controversial primary election on April 7
70% of voters voted by mail, one of the highest percentages in American history, because of concerns of COVID-19 virus
If 70% voted via mail-in ballot, that means 465,786 people voted in person on April 7, which is twice as many people as live in Madison, Wisconsin's second-largest city
Today marks 15 days since Wisconsin's primary election
COVID-19 requires a 14-day incubation period
To see if Wisconsin's outpouring of 465,786 voters was the massive public health disaster as originally touted by panic peddles, Deace went to the stats.
Image source: BlazeTV screenshot
In the chart above, the red line is active cases, and the blue line is new cases in Dane County.
Image source: BlazeTV screenshot
In the second chart, Deace took the top three populous counties in Wisconsin to compare hospitalizations since April 7.
How is it possible holding the primary election in such densely populated areas show no spike in new cases after the April 7 election?
To learn why watch the video below.
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theblaze--2020-04-22--Democratic state lawmaker who endorsed President Trump resigns after attacks from his own party

Democratic state lawmaker who endorsed President Trump resigns after attacks from his own party Rep. Vernon Jones said he 'll @ @ @ @ @ his party members 'accountable ' for 'how they are treating black people [ and ] @ @ @ @ @

Democratic Georgia state Rep. Vernon Jones resigned Wednesday after attacks by his own party members for endorsing President Donald Trump for a second term last week in the 2020 presidential election.
What are the details?
"Turn the lights off, I have left the plantation," Jones said in a statement, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "Someone else can occupy that suite. Therefore, I intend not to complete my term effective April 22, 2020."
Jones' spokesman told the paper he won't seek re-election.
"I don't plan to leave the Democratic Party because somebody's got to be in there to hold them accountable — hold them accountable to how they are treating black people [and] root out the bigotry," Jones said on "The Rashad Richey Morning Show" shortly after announcing his resignation, the Journal-Constitution reported.
The paper said Jones ended the fiery, sometimes combative talk-radio discussion early, which prompted Richey to say, "Hang up on this clown, please."
What's the background?
Jones told the Journal-Constitution in an earlier story that endorsing Trump was an easy decision.
"It's very simple to me," he told the paper. "President Trump's handling of the economy, his support for historically black colleges, and his criminal justice initiatives drew me to endorse his campaign."
He added to the Journal-Constitution that "a lot of African Americans ... clearly see and appreciate he's doing something that's never been done before. When you look at the unemployment rates among black Americans before the pandemic, they were at historic lows. That's just a fact."
In a statement to WGCL-TV, Jones had more praise for Trump regarding criminal justice reform — and criticism for former President Barack Obama and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on the issue.
Attacks from fellow Democrats
Jones' fellow Democrats attacked him for endorsing Trump. The Journal-Constitution said, "Democratic officials tried ... to disown Jones," and chairwoman of the Georgia Democratic Party — state Sen. Nikema Williams — called Jones an "embarrassment."
Fellow Democratic Rep. James Beverly told the paper that "we're not sure what was on Vernon's mind. It's antithetical to what we believe in."
'Sick and tired'
"I'm sick and tired of me and my family being attacked and harassed by the Democrat Party for putting my country before my party," Jones said, according to the Journal-Constitution.
He added to the paper in a statement concerning his resignation that "I intend to help the Democrat Party get rid of its bigotry against black people that are independent and conservative. I endorsed the white guy [Donald Trump] that let blacks out of jail, and they endorsed the white guy [Joe Biden] that put blacks in jail."


theblaze--2020-04-22--A Texas judge just ordered all county residents to wear masks in public or face fines, jail time. Bu

A Texas judge just ordered all county residents to wear masks in public or face fines, jail time. But law enforcement is punching back hard.

A Texas judge just ordered all county residents to wear masks in public or face fines , jail time .
@ @ @ @ @ back hard .

A Texas judge in Harris County issued an order Wednesday demanding that all county residents wear masks in public or face a fine and possible jail time.
The new rules, which require adults and children age 10 and over to cover their nose and mouth when venturing outside the home, were ordered by Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo. The rules will go into effect Monday and last for 30 days (or May 27), according to a report by the Houston Chronicle.
The report notes that residents do not need to purchase N95 masks to be in compliance, but that acceptable coverings include homemade masks, scarfs, bandanas, or handkerchiefs.
Violators of the new mask rules could face a harsh penalty, including a fine of up to $1,000 and a maximum of 180 days in jail.
Houston law enforcement isn't having it
In response to the ruling Wednesday, the unions representing Houston police officers and Harris County deputies shot back saying their officers do not intend to enforce the new mandate.
"The citizens of Harris County are working hard together through this pandemic and do not need the added stress and fear of being fined or arrested for failing to wear a mask/face covering they may not have," said David Cuevas, president of the Harris County Deputies Organization, in a statement.
Houston Police Officers Union President Joe Gamaldi called the order "draconian." He added that the union has reached out to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's office "seeking an opinion on the legality of imposing a criminal penalty/fine for anyone not wearing a mask in public."
In the meantime, Gamaldi said, officers have been reminded that they have "discretion" in such matters.
Does the judge have the authority?
It was not immediately obvious whether or not Hidalgo has the authority to implement such an order during the county's declared emergency.
But in a radio interview with Glenn Beck Wednesday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) argued that during a crisis, the governor's disaster declaration trumps that of local jurisdictions.
"By law, when we are in a time of disaster, it is the governor's disaster declaration that has the supremacy power over local disaster regulations," he said.
If that is indeed the case, a subsequent declaration by the governor could overrule Judge Hidalgo's order.
What else?
In Dallas County, commissioners voted on Tuesday to extend the county's stay-at-home order until May 15, according to the Dallas Morning News. Abbott could issue an order next Monday that would supersede the local order, but Judge Clay Jenkins said Tuesday that he believes the county's stay-at-home provisions won't conflict with the forthcoming changes at the state level because the local order will still direct people to stay home unless visiting a business that is allowed to open or for exercise.
Harris County has had at least 5,143 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and at least 79 deaths due to the virus. Dallas County has had 2,683 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 65 deaths, according to the News.


theblaze--2020-04-22--Clothing retailer fires employee after he posted about a T-shirt that said ‘bat fried rice’ on socia

Clothing retailer fires employee after he posted about a T-shirt that said ‘bat fried rice’ on social media

Clothing retailer fires employee after he posted about a T-shirt that said ‘ bat fried rice ’ on social media

In response to liberal outrage, athletic leisurewear company Lululemon apologized after its art director shared a social media image of a "bat fried rice" T-shirt design on his personal Instagram page.
Lululemon fired the art director upon discovering what some outlets referred to as a racist — and "anti-Asian" — image.
What are the details?
Trevor Fleming, the company's former art director, shared an Instagram link on Sunday that pointed users to a T-shirt design featuring a box of take-out Chinese food reading, "bat fried rice."
The box was adorned with bat wings, and its sleeves read, "No Thank You."
According to NBC News, the T-shirt was designed by California artist Jess Sluder. In a since-deleted Instagram post, Sluder reportedly shared a snap of the shirt and captioned it, "Where did COVID-19 come from? Nothing is certain, but we know a bat was involved. Beginning today, my limited edition #quarantees are now available." Sluder used the #humornothate and #batfriedrice to accompany his social media post.
In a statement to USA Today, Lululemon spokesperson Erin Hankinson said, "At Lululemon, our culture and values are core to who we are, and we take matters like this extremely seriously. We apologize that an employee was affiliated with promoting an offensive T-shirt. ... The image and the post were inappropriate and inexcusable and we do not tolerate this behavior."
"We acted immediately," Hankinson insisted, "and the person involved is no longer an employee of Lululemon."
Hankinson also told HuffPost, "The T-shirt design is not a Lululemon product. We apologize that an employee was affiliated with promoting an offensive T-shirt."
Social media user Kamauri Yeh shared an image of the T-shirt in question on Twitter.
She captioned the post, "There have been 100+ daily attacks on Asian Americans since the start of #COVID19. To see people adding to the hurt & racism hurts my heart. I hope someone picks up this story and these individuals take responsibility. I am more proud than ever to be part of the AA community."
Anything else?
Fleming told NBC News that he deeply regrets posting an image of the shirt.
"It is something I deeply regret, and my eyes have been opened to the profound ripple effect that this mistake has had," Fleming said, according to the outlet. "I apologize to those that have been hurt by this. ... I commit to standing up against racist or discriminatory behavior and will work hard to ensure that my personal and professional contributions in the future are kind, inclusive, and supportive."


theblaze--2020-04-22--Here are the 15 largest public companies helping drain hundreds of millions of bailout dollars meant

Here are the 15 largest public companies helping drain hundreds of millions of bailout dollars meant for small businesses They @ @ @ @ @ a matter of days

When Congress passed and President Donald Trump signed the $2.2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package, one of the highlights touted by all sides was the Paycheck Protection Program.
The $349 billion PPP emergency funding was designed to help our country's small smallest businesses stay open — think mom-and-pop shops — and help curtail massive nationwide layoffs. The program lets the Small Business Administration give loans to U.S. companies that can be forgiven, provided the companies retain their staff on payroll through June. Businesses with more than 500 employees are not eligible.
The fund ran dry in a matter of days.
A new report from Morgan Stanley revealed Tuesday that nearly $250 million was allocated to large, publicly traded companies. One of those companies, Shake Shack, returned the $10 million it received under the PPP after public outcry. The Associated Press added that at least 94 companies that received PPP aid were publicly traded. The AP said those companies, or their subsidiaries, got a combined $365 million in low-interest, taxpayer-backed loans.
The 40 biggest companies listed by Morgan Stanley that received PPP loans had market values ranging from $6 million to $405 million.
Here are the 15 biggest companies that took PPP loans ranked by worth, as revealed by Morgan Stanley.
No. 1: DMC Global
● Market value: $405 million
● Loan amount: $6.7 million
No. 2: Wave Life Sciences
● Market value: $286 million
● Loan amount: $7.2 million
No. 3: MannKind
● Market value: $273 million
● Loan amount: $4.9 million
No. 4: Lindblad Expeditions
● Market value: $264 million
● Loan amount: $6.6 million
No. 5: Legacy Housing
● Market value: $229 million
● Loan amount: $6.5 million
No. 6: Misonix
● Market value: $198 million
● Loan amount: $5.2 million
No. 7: Digimarc
● Market value: $192 million
● Loan amount: $5 million
No. 8: Fiesta Restaurant
● Market value: $189 million
● Loan amount: $10 million
No. 9: OptiNose
● Market value: $180 million
● Loan amount: $4.4 million
No. 10: Quantum Corp.
● Market value: $151 million
● Loan amount: $10 million
No. 11: New Age Beverages
● Market value: $137 million
● Loan amount: $6.9 million
No. 12: Aquestive Therapeutics
● Market value: $122 million
● Loan amount: $4.8 million
No. 13: Escalade
● Market value: $104 million
● Loan amount: $5.6 million
No. 14: ZAGG
● Market value: $101 million
● Loan amount: $9.4 million
No. 15: Veritone
● Market value: $101 million
● Loan amount: $6.5 million


theblaze--2020-04-22--Mark Levin: Now the hypocritical media OPPOSES protesters?

Could this have anything to do with President Trump 's support ?

The mainstream media has defended countless protesters in the past, so why are peacefully protesting Americans, who are fighting for the right to work and earn an income again, the new targets of the media?
"This is how the media treats Americans who don't go along with the massive progressive project that is rammed down our throats every single day," said BlazeTV's Mark Levin.
"But what's amazing to me, are the media figures who really have a problem with protests. Whether it's the president of the United States ... being asked, 'Do you support these protesters? You know they're protesting against guidelines? It's very dangerous, they're meeting more than 10 people together.' It's incredible that a free press would be siding with governors who've overreached," he continued.
Levin highlighted the importance of the right to peacefully protest, particularly in times when government overreach is causing Americans to lose their jobs, homes, and businesses, yet the media has made peaceful protesters out to be "Nazis."
"It's not left to technocrats, the health department of every state, or the United States. It's not left to one governor with an iron fist to impose his or her will. The public has a right to participate. That's the whole point!" he said. "The media in this country are as totalitarian as the Democrat Party. They're one and the same, they truly are."
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theblaze--2020-04-22--LGBTQ students, students of color, internationals reportedly to get virtual graduations at Lutheran

LGBTQ students, students of color, internationals reportedly to get virtual graduations at Lutheran college — but others must wait until 2021 for ceremony

LGBTQ students , students of color , internationals reportedly to get virtual graduations at Lutheran college — but others must @ @ @ @ @ The three virtual ceremonies reportedly will be called the multicultural , international , and lavender @

St. Olaf College — a Minnesota school "nourished by Lutheran tradition" — reportedly will hold virtual graduation ceremonies for "self-identified domestic students of color, international students, and LGBTQIA+ students" at the end of the school year while all other students must wait until 2021 for their pomp and circumstance.
What are the details?
Commencement exercises at St. Olaf were shuttered after the onset of the coronavirus pandemic and will be "rescheduled for a date in late May/early June of 2021," the school's website noted.
A Friday administrative email from the Taylor Center for Equity and Inclusion at the school announced the three virtual graduation ceremonies, Campus Reform reported.
"This event acknowledges the value and uniqueness of students' experience and serves to commemorate and highlight the accomplishments of individuals within their familial and cultural context," the email said, according to the outlet.
Campus Reform added that the three ceremonies will be called the multicultural, international, and lavender graduations and are intended for students of color, international students, and LGBTQ students, respectively.
None of the graduating St. Olaf seniors interviewed by the outlet said they were told of an online ceremony for the general student body.
What did the school have to say?
Kari VanDerVeen, the school's associate director of communications, told Campus Reform that St. Olaf is "exploring a number of ways to celebrate the Class of 2020," but plans were not yet "finalized."
TheBlaze on Wednesday reached out to VanDerVeen for comment on Campus Reform's report but didn't immediately hear back from her.
Anything else?
You might recall St. Olaf College in the news before. In May 2017, a racist note prompted the student body to hold a massive protest that shut down classes for a day — but the note was revealed to be hoax.
The note read, "I am so glad that you are leaving soon. One less [N-word] that this school has to deal with. You have spoken up too much. You will change nothing. Shut up or I will shut you up."
The school's president later said the author of the note confessed and said the fake note was meant to direct attention to racial issues on campus.


theblaze--2020-04-22--Texas governor is planning to reopen 'so many businesses' in the state, announcement coming Monday

Texas governor is planning to reopen 'so many businesses ' in the state , announcement coming Monday 'We will be @ @ @ @ @ freedom '

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) is planning a declaration soon that will reopen a large amount of businesses in the state and will supersede the declarations of local jurisdictions.
During an appearance on Glenn Beck's radio program Wednesday, Abbott teased his plans to safely reopen the nation's second most populous state and asserted that his order won't be thwarted by county officials.
"By law, when we are in a time of disaster, it is the governor's disaster declaration that has the supremacy power over local disaster regulations," the governor started out by saying. "I'm going to be announcing another declaration that opens up so many businesses across the state of Texas.
"That will be the law in the state of Texas," he quickly added. "Every county will be required to follow that law — and so we will be injecting a whole lot of freedom."
Abbott plans to make the declaration that will likely reopen businesses such as restaurants and hair salons, among others, on Monday.
Last Friday, the governor launched a statewide strike force tasked with planning and implementing the state's reopening strategy. The strike force includes public officials, health experts, and business experts.
During the announcement, Abbott suggested that retail stores may soon be permitted to provide product pickups through a "Retail-To-Go" model. He also said he is considering opening up hospitals to performing elective surgeries again. Abbott also said state parks would reopen this week, but schools would be closed for the remainder of the school year.
"Even more openings will be announced in May when it is determined that the infection rate continues to decline and when testing capabilities are sufficient to test and contain outbreaks of the virus," he added.
Texas has had at least 21,069 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and at least 543 deaths due to the virus.


theblaze--2020-04-22--European couple finds out about COVID-19 pandemic after spending March sailing across the Atlantic

European couple finds out about COVID-19 pandemic after spending March sailing across the Atlantic It was just a Chinese problem @ @ @

A couple from Europe set sail across the Atlantic Ocean in February, finally setting out to accomplish a goal they'd had in mind when they quit their jobs in 2017 — sailing around the world. And while they were totally disconnected from the outside world, the coronavirus pandemic changed everything, the Daily Mail reported.
When they left the Canary Islands to travel 3,000 miles to St. Vincent, COVID-19 was mostly just a problem in China. Some cases had popped up in other countries, but even on the last day of February, there were only eight reported deaths in Italy, which went on to suffer through a brutal March because of the virus.
They left their loved ones with a specific request.
"We told our shore contacts we didn't want to hear any bad news, which was a difficult job as it was pretty bad news," said Elena Manighetti, who was traveling with Ryan Osborne. Manighetti is from Lombardy, Italy, and Osborne is from Manchester in the United Kingdom.
They were at sea for 25 days, and didn't learn how bad things had gotten until they tried to dock in the Caribbean and were not allowed to do so. They were able to stop in St. Vincent, with their journey on hold because there are few places they would be allowed to stop.
Manighetti found out that her family was safe, although they had been on lockdown for weeks. She also learned that a number of people she knew from her hometown had died of COVID-19. It was a surprise because of their perception of the virus when they started their voyage.
"In February we'd heard there was a virus in China, but with the limited information we had we figured by the time we got to the Caribbean in 25 days it would all be over," Manighetti said.
The couple's unintentional quarantine may have allowed them to miss the worst of the pandemic, and now some countries in Europe, even Italy, are exploring plans to reopen as the rate of increase of cases and deaths has flattened.


theblaze--2020-04-22--Atlanta mayor blasts Georgia governor’s decision to reopen businesses: 'He did not tell me directly'

Atlanta mayor blasts Georgia governor ’ s decision to reopen businesses : 'He did not tell me directly '

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms says she can't wrap her head around Gov. Brian Kemp's (R) decision to open hair salons, massage therapists, and other businesses across the state amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
What are the details?
During a Wednesday appearance on NBC's "Today" show, Bottoms said that Kemp did not notify her before he made the announcement to reopen some businesses throughout the state in order to restart the state's economy.
"He did not tell me directly," she said, "and he's the governor so I don't always expect to receive a call directly from the governor. But something of this magnitude, I would have expected at least a call from someone on his team."
Time reported that Bottoms' remarked Kemp's decision "really defies logic."
"[T]he nature of the business is that you are in close contact with someone, and that's what's most disturbing to me about the way this order has been lifted," Bottoms said on Wednesday.
"It appears the governor's order supersedes anything I can do as mayor, but I still have my voice and what I will continue to do is ask Atlantans to please stay at home," Bottoms also told ABC News.
You can listen to Bottoms' remarks here.
What else?
Kemp announced on Monday that he would begin reopening some businesses on Friday.
According to ABC News, Kemp's order "would allow gyms, hair salons, bowling alleys and tattoo parlors to reopen as long as owners follow strict social-distancing and hygiene requirements."
Bars, live performance venues and amusement parks will remain closed, the outlet reported.
"By Monday," the outlet reported, "movie theaters may resume selling tickets, and restaurants limited to takeout orders could return to limited dine-in service."
Kemp added, "I think this is the right approach at the right time. We're not just throwing the keys back to these business owners. We're talking about people (who had) the government shut down their business."
You can read more about Kemp's order here.
Georgia has had at least 20,740 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and at least 836 deaths due to the virus.