theblaze--2020-03-23--Doctor in Italy says he and other physicians are no longer permitted to put coronavirus patients who

Doctor in Italy says he and other physicians are no longer permitted to put coronavirus patients who are over 60 on ventilators

Doctor in Italy says he and other physicians are no longer permitted to put coronavirus patients who are over 60 @ @

An Israeli doctor in Italy said that he and other physicians have been directed to avoid giving over-60 patients ventilator treatment in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
What are the details?
According to the the Jerusalem Post, Dr. Gai Peleg said that instructions in Parma, Italy, do not allow such treatments to patients over 60.
Italy has seen at least 59,138 COVID-19 cases, and over 5,476 people in Italy have died as a result. There were 3,405 deaths as of Thursday.
The Post reported, "Peleg said that, from what he sees and hears in the hospital, the instructions are not to offer access to artificial respiratory machines to patients over 60 as such machines are limited in number."
Friday saw the distressing scene of an Italian hospital in Bergamo, which was packed full of COVID-19 patients. The video, which was first shared by Sky News, showed hospital staff furiously working to tend to gravely ill patients.
Dr. Roberto Cosentini, head of emergency care at Bergamo's Papa Giovanni XXIII hospital, said that the disease is far worse than influenza.
"It's a massive strain for every health system," he said. "We see every day 50 to 60 patients who come to our emergency department with pneumonia, and most of them are so severe they need very high volumes of oxygen. And so we had to reorganize our emergency room and our hospital — three levels of intensive care."
What about bed availability?
Lorenzo D'Antiga, director of the Pediatric Unit and Transplant Center, added, "We've saturated our bed availability, we are really in trouble, we have to send patients away to other hospitals, all the intensive care units in the regions are full so actually this is really a big big problem."
"The situation is really dramatic, the mood is really depressing," he revealed. "Relatives can't stay with patients during their admission and some others die without anyone around. It's also forbidden to have funerals, so even the last prayer can't be done properly."
On Monday, the New York Times reported that Italy has moved to stop all domestic travel.


theblaze--2020-03-23--These questions must be asked about how our nation should handle COVID-19. Public policymakers need

These questions must be asked about how our nation should handle COVID-19. Public policymakers need to give us answers.

These questions must be asked about how our nation should handle COVID-19 .
Public policymakers need to give us answers @

Epidemiology is one thing, but public policy is another.
When it comes to coronavirus/COVID-19, we take the publicly urged precautions seriously at my house, and recommend you do, too. We have disinfected our home while upping our Vitamin C & D usage. Since my gym was closed, I haven't left my home except for work in nearly a week. Our kids haven't been with their grandparents. I trust the proven experts when it comes to my health, and the health of my loved ones.
However, public policy requires a broader set of questions and considerations because it has sweeping implications. This is why our Constitution makes the president the CEO of America, and not the surgeon general.
Since shows like mine began doing the job the White House press corps is supposed to do, by asking skeptical questions to get real answers for the public rather than play China PR flack, many have asked me to compare and contrast an average flu season with the current pandemic. People are seeking some perspective on a virus most of them didn't know about just a few weeks ago, but is radically changing their lives now.
Here is the official CDC report on last year's flu season. It's pretty easy to understand. You don't have to be a renowned expert to get the gist of it. Please, I urge you, to read it for yourself. Draw your own conclusions.
In the midst of the report under the header PNEUMONIA AND INFLUENZA ASSOCIATED MORTALITY (for some reason the CDC groups the two afflictions together for a death rate), you'll see this key data point:
"Nationally, mortality attributed to pneumonia and influenza peaked two times at 7.7% during the weeks ending February 23rd and March 16th."
What this means is during those time periods last year, 7.7% of the people who contracted pneumonia and the flu ended up tragically dying. And that was with precautions we don't have yet for COVID-19 — vaccines, public awareness, etc. And yet, there was no call to "flatten the curve" during those spikes to save an overwhelmed medical system. Furthermore, CDC estimated 65 million Americans nationwide were afflicted with the flu during the 2018-19 flu season. In fact, the National Center for Health Statistics said 7.1% of all deaths in America the week of March 7, the week before we starting shutting our country down en masse over coronavirus, were due to flu and pneumonia.
By comparison, as of Sunday at 6p.m. ET, the current U.S. death rate from COVID-19 was 414 deaths out of 32,356 cases reported, or 1.27% of those whom we've confirmed have it so far have sadly perished. Of course, given the limited testing it's likely many more Americans than this currently have been exposed. And 50% of those 414 deaths were from two states alone (Washington & New York).
Please pray for them, their hospitals are overrun, particularly in Seattle and New York City. But we also need to separate the pathology of the virus from the psychology of the public policy we're being preemptively asked to submit to. With any diagnosis, a patient is within his rights to ask if the cure is worse than the disease. In this case the cure we're specifically addressing is the shutting down of our way of life — the public policy antidote.
However, given the available data, our cataclysmic response just doesn't make sense and merits further questioning. That isn't a conspiracy theory, and this isn't my data but the government's. These are the primary push-backs I've gotten to the questions I've asked thus far. Surely, there must be better counters? For this is the actual data being reported to us from the government currently shutting us down.
Also, I'm not arguing epidemiology but public policy in light of it. I don't work in the medical field and am not questioning medical experts. But I have worked in the public policy field full-time for almost 14 years. Questioning those who craft public policy is my job and my area of expertise. Oh, by the way, medical professionals from esteemed institutions such as Stanford and Yale are asking similar questions.
Also, we learned over the weekend that using Italy as our baseline for domestic fear is worthless, because the Italians have admitted their own data is unreliable. Which led to them having a far greater mortality rate than even Asian countries on Wuhan's doorstep, when a fellow European country leading the way in testing, Germany, currently has just a 0.3% rate of death among those who contract COVID-19.
By all means, seek out wisdom in a multitude of counsel. I'm just a data analyst. I don't make data, or acquire it, but research the data that's out there. And here's some questions that data is begging a self-governing people to ask:
How do we "flatten the curve" when we don't know when the curve started?
Awareness is not an origin date. Gravity existed long before the apple fell on Newton's head. So when you see these alarming curve graphs that show massive spikes in American coronavirus cases, what is the context? We don't know when the virus arrived. We don't have a patient zero. The earliest documented case of Wuhan flu we have now is Nov. 17. China wouldn't even notify the World Health Organization of COVID-19 for almost two more months. There are almost 370,000 Chinese citizens attending college in the U.S. alone, not counting all the other visas we issue from that country. How many of them went home for Christmas break and then brought coronavirus back with them in January without knowing it because their government lies to them, too?
This isn't like a football game, when there's a mad rush to the concession stand right before and after halftime, therefore if we space out the flow of customers throughout the whole game it puts less strain on the system. We don't even know when halftime is. Nor do we know when the game began, let alone when the parking lots letting in the fans were opened. It is quite possible COVID-19 has been here for weeks, if not months, before the public was made aware of its presence.
How objective is the current rate of positive tests?
A contact with one university hospital shared with me over the weekend they had so far tested 1,117 people for coronavirus. Among them, 68 came back positive, which is 6%. However, only one of those cases was symptomatic to the point of opening a patient file. Keep in mind this is at a time when the anxiety over this pandemic is at its zenith. It's new, it's all we're talking about, and the other socio-economic costs of the societal shutdown aren't yet fully felt. That will also include a lot of people who don't even have the virus rushing to get tested out of fear, whether they're symptomatic or not. In other words, those most likely to have it and/or respond positively to the hysteria are the ones rushing to get tested — and even with that weighted sample they only came back with 6% positive for coronavirus.
So when you see breathless headlines like "U.S. passes 30,000 coronavirus cases" do we know out of how many tested? Do we know how many are currently in need of a hospital bed? Florida has the second-largest elderly population in America, yet on Saturday Gov. Ron DeSantis said it had 18,000 available hospital beds, including 2,000 for the ICU. And this was after spring break went on as planned, and millions voted in a primary election last Tuesday. Florida has hardly been a sleepy hamlet recently, so why aren't all Florida's elderly suffering like they are right now in New York and Washington?
How come last year's flu spike, which was far more dangerous based on what we currently know about COVID-19, didn't merit draconian government action?
There were no calls to "flatten the curve" for 15 days last March when deaths from the flu/pneumonia spiked to seven times what the current death rate is for COVID-19 according to CDC. And those traditional afflictions are far less discriminatory about the demographics they infest. Plus, we have vaccines and public awareness for them we don't have for COVID-19, and still we had far greater mortality numbers than what we're currently seeing from coronavirus (and far more systemic, too).
Based on the current trend line, what are the odds that at any point COVID-19 will end up stressing our infrastructure to the level of even last year's flu/pneumonia season, aside from the self-harming measures we've taken to shut down our way of life?
Jobless claims are growing by the millions. Businesses, particularly small business, are going under in droves. Trillions of taxpayer dollars are being pumped into the economy to keep it from tanking. The stock market is back to where it was under Obama. Livelihoods and retirements ruined. Then there's the graduations, proms, and all the other once-in-a-lifetime memories that have been erased. Absolutely survival comes before any of those things, but unless in the coming days coronavirus tragically morphs into the worst viral infection in our nation's history, will it place more of a burden on the average American than the socio-economic cost being preemptively paid already has?
I don't know the answers to these questions. But these are questions I believe need to be asked in light of the monumental societal toll currently being paid. Then there's the freedom and autonomy we are having over, and history proves liberty once given away is difficult to get back.


theblaze--2020-03-24--Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says he would rather risk his life and face coronavirus than destroy the

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says he would rather risk his life and face coronavirus than destroy the economy for his grandchildren

Texas Lt. Gov .
Dan Patrick says he would rather risk his life and face coronavirus than destroy the economy @ @ @ @ @ take care of ourselves , but do n't sacrifice the country '

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick stirred the debate against the lockdown measures to fight coronavirus when he said that the damage to the economy is just too much and that he is personally willing to take his chances.
Patrick made his argument to Tucker Carlson on Carlson's Fox News show on Monday.
"You know, Tucker, no one reached out to me and said, as a senior citizen, are you willing to take a chance on your survival in exchange for keeping the America that all America loves for your children and grandchildren?" Patrick argued.
"And if that's the exchange, I'm all in. And that doesn't make me noble or brave or anything like that," he added.
"I just think there are lots of grandparents out there in this country like me — I have six grandchildren — that what we all care about and what we love more than anything are those children," he explained, "and I want to live smart and see through this, but I don't want the whole country to be sacrificed."
Patrick said that he talked to hundreds of people about the subject and that nearly all of them said "pretty much the same thing" as he was proposing.
"We can't lose our whole country; we're having an economic collapse!" he continued.
"My message is that let's get back to work. Let's get back to living," Patrick concluded. "Let's be smart about it, and those of us who are 70-plus, we'll take care of ourselves, but don't sacrifice the country. Don't do that!"
"Dan Patrick" was the top nationally trending topic after the segment.
Carlson also had a health official give the counter-argument before Patrick. He argued that it is worth damaging the economy in order to prevent more coronavirus deaths and to avoid overtaxing the medical system.
Here's the video of Patrick's modest proposal:


theblaze--2020-03-24--Joe Biden's low profile amid coronavirus outbreak has Democrats worried

The presumptive Democratic nominee has even struggled to get air time on left-leaning networks

Democratic presidential front-runner and former Vice President Joe Biden has taken a back seat as President Donald Trump and governors across the country lead Americans through the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S., worrying Democrats over the low profile their presumptive nominee has assumed amid the crisis.
What are the details?
The New York Times reported Monday that "Biden struggles for a voice as others lead" during the coronavirus pandemic, writing that his "low profile" is "worrying Democrats who feel the president needs to be challenged more robustly."
The newspaper noted that "Democratic strategists, some state officials and even some of his own aides have said that Mr. Biden needs to be more visible at a time when Americans are looking for leadership."
One of the authors of the piece, Thomas Kaplan, tweeted, "An example of the difficulty Biden faces in breaking through: CNN, Fox News and MSNBC did not air his coronavirus speech today. They showed [Democratic New York Gov. Andrew] Cuomo's briefing instead."
The address that Kaplan referred to was, according to the Washington Post, delivered by Biden from "a quickly-constructed home studio," and if the reviews are any indication, it might be a blessing for the campaign that it was not widely televised.
Fox News host Charles Payne called the speech "tough to watch," saying, "I realize Biden needs to grab some attention but shadow press conferences to cast blame and suggest he would be perfect lurches toward embarrassment."
The former vice president also had some struggles delivering the speech, showing confusion as to when he should begin and blatantly gesturing about the teleprompter in what former Reagan adviser Ed Rollins called "a major brain freeze."
Meanwhile, Biden is being criticized by supporters of his only remaining rival in the Democratic primary, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). The hashtag #WheresJoe has been periodically trending on Twitter as Democratic voters ask why Biden has not had more of a presence in the public eye.
The Hill's Krystal Ball, a prominent supporter of Sanders, tweeted Sunday, "Bernie's livestream with @aoc @RashidaTlaib and @IlhanOmar just racked up more than 1.8 million views. Meanwhile, #WheresJoe?."


theblaze--2020-03-24--Arizona man dies after ingesting fish tank additive to prevent coronavirus, and the media is pouncin

Arizona man dies after ingesting fish tank additive to prevent coronavirus, and the media is pouncing to blame Trump

Arizona man dies after ingesting fish tank additive to prevent coronavirus , and the media is pouncing to blame Trump @ @ @ @ @ what he said and what they did

Mainstream media figures are blaming President Donald Trump after an Arizona couple ingested a fish tank additive in order to prevent coronavirus, and the husband died.
The couple ended up in Banner Health Hospital in Phoenix, where the wife received critical care to save her life.
They took the fish tank additive, the wife says, because Trump had been touting chloroquine as a drug that could treat victims of the coronavirus.
But while the president has talked about the drug, and even tweeted about it, taking the drug as a medical treatment overseen by a doctor is not the same as ingesting a fish tank additive that happens to include the drug.
In an interview with Vaughn Hillyard of NBC, the woman said that they consumed only one teaspoon each of the fish tank additive. She said they both felt dizzy and hot and began vomiting soon after.
"Trump kept saying it was basically pretty much a cure," she told Hillyard.
"What would be your message to the American public?" Hillyard asked.
"Oh my God. Don't take anything," she responded. "Don't believe anything. Don't believe anything that the President says and his people, because they don't know what they're talking about.
"This is a heartache I'll never get over," the woman said about her deceased husband.
Media blames Trump
Media figures pounced to assign the blame to the president, ignoring the fact that he never told anyone to ingest fish tank additive.
Washington Post reporter Ashley Parker implied that the president told the public to take chloroquine.
"A Phoenix man and his wife self-medicated with chloroquine to treat their coronavirus and the treatment reportedly killed the man and hospitalized his wife in critical condition," said the New York Daily News. "Trump had incorrectly endorsed the drug."
Others, like pollster Frank Luntz, defended the president, saying, "Trump never said to administer medication yourself. This couple ingested fish tank cleaner because they saw the ingredients contained the compound chloroquine. This is not Trump's fault."
Here's more about the coronavirus drug:


theblaze--2020-03-24--White House blasts CNN, MSNBC for cutting away from daily COVID-19 briefing

White House blasts CNN , MSNBC for cutting away from daily COVID-19 briefing

The White House called out two left-leaning media outlets for cutting away from the Trump administration's daily coronavirus task force briefing on Monday, calling the actions of CNN and MSNBC "disgraceful."
What are the details?
White House spokesman Judd Deere tweeted, "Pretty disgraceful that @CNN and @MSNBC have both cut away from this @WhiteHouse briefing with @realDonaldTrump and @Mike_Pence during a global pandemic. Thank you to @FoxNews for keeping Americans informed. #COVID19."
According to The Hill, a CNN spokesperson responded to Deere's tweet with a statement saying, "If the White House wants to ask for time on the network, they should make an official request. Otherwise we will make our own editorial decisions."
While MSNBC did not immediately respond to The Hill's request for comment, two of the network's hosts — both frequent Trump critics — called in recent days for all media outlets to stop airing updates from President Donald Trump.
On Friday, MSNBC's Rachel Maddow accused the president of lying during his briefings, and declared that "we should, all of us, stop broadcasting it."
During the coronavirus task force briefing on Monday, MSNBC's "Morning Joe" host, Joe Scarborough, tweeted, "There is no public benefit to this briefing. The networks should all cut away."


theblaze--2020-03-24--TIMELINE: The Chinese Communist Party's Coronavirus lies and cover-up

To understand the truth , just look at the timeline

In this episode of "GlennTV," Glenn Beck broke down the timeline of the coronavirus outbreak to expose how China's Communist Party lied to its own people and the rest of the world and attempted to cover up the spread of the deadly virus.
Weeks after the Chinese government knew of the highly contagious disease spreading within its borders, the Communist Party's leadership covered up and withheld information from their own citizens, the World Health Organization, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Early whistleblowers were censured, reprimanded, or went missing. One scientist who issued an early warning, Dr. Li Wenliang, has since died, reportedly from the COVID-19 virus.
A study released earlier this month found that if interventions in China has been "conducted one week, two weeks, or three weeks earlier, cases could have been reduced by 66 percent, 86 percent and 95 percent respectively – significantly limiting the geographical spread of the disease."
"Thousands are now dead all around the world. The global economy is at the brink of recession and possibly a depression by the third quarter," Glenn said. "All of this is China's fault. China lied, people died."
Watch the video below for more:
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theblaze--2020-03-23--Groups representing 30,000 physicians sign letter demanding abortions be suspended to conserve medic

Groups representing 30,000 physicians sign letter demanding abortions be suspended to conserve medical resources during pandemic Medical resources are being @ @ @ @

Groups representing 30,000 physicians signed a letter called for the suspension of abortions in order to preserve medical resources critical to fighting the coronavirus pandemic.
The letter was published on Monday as officials reported greater numbers of those infected and the stock market continued to tank.
The letter was signed by five groups representing "physicians who practice according to the Hippocratic Oath," including:
The American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists (AAPLOG)
The American College of Pediatricians
Christian Medical & Dental Associations
The Catholic Medical Association
The Association of American Physicians & Surgeons
The letter objected to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists classifying elective abortions as "essential healthcare" and made the case to suspend abortions.
"In such an uncertain and tumultuous time, the entire healthcare profession is being called upon to conserve resources and healthcare professionals to an extent never seen before," the letter read. "And yet, in the midst of this call, while hospitals are postponing elective procedures and many outpatient clinics are rescheduling non-essential office visits, the abortion industry continues with business as usual."
On Friday, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost called on abortion clinics to "immediately stop performing non-essential and elective surgical abortions," but many indicated that they would defy the order and continue performing abortions despite the global pandemic.
Here's more about abortion and coronavirus:


theblaze--2020-03-24--GOP senator introduces bill to withhold senators' pay until coronavirus relief passed

'If Americans are n't getting paid , then neither should we '

Arizona Republican Sen. Martha McSally has formally introduced legislation that would withhold the pay of U.S. senators until the upper chamber's passage of a coronavirus relief package.
What are the details?
"If Americans aren't getting paid, then neither should we," McSally tweeted Tuesday. "I introduced today a bill to withhold Senate pay until we pass the COVID-19 relief package."
The Senate has been arguing over the third phase of a coronavirus package for days while an increasing number of Americans are losing their jobs as businesses shut down due to social distancing measures aimed at stopping the pandemic.
Several Republicans have expressed outrage from the Senate floor after Democrats blocked what was believed to be a pre-negotiated bipartisan bill on Sunday night and again on Monday.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the Senate still had no deal approved, leading McSally to introduce her legislation, as she had threatened the day before.
At least one of McSally's colleagues hinted that he would support such a measure. Tuesday evening, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told Fox News, "Here is what I say: If we don't have a bill in the next 48 hours, every member and every staff person up here should lose their pay and their benefits until we pass a bill."
Anything else?
The problem is that a bill cutting the pay of members of Congress is unconstitutional.
The Washington Examiner noted:
The 27th Amendment, ratified in 1992, prohibits members of Congress from changing their own pay during a current session of Congress. The amendment is aimed at preventing lawmakers from giving themselves pay raises in the middle of the night or retroactively at the end of the congressional sessions. But it also means they can't cut their own pay either, not until after the next general election is held in November.


theblaze--2020-03-24--Coronavirus disinformation DEBUNKED: Here's what they're not telling you

Coronavirus disinformation DEBUNKED : Here 's what they 're not telling you

The mainstream media and the left are eager to report anything negative about President Donald Trump, even if it turns out to be Chinese Communist Party propaganda and disinformation.
On "GlennTV," Glenn Beck uncovered some of the lies China's Communist Party is peddling to its own people and the rest of the world.
Watch the video clip from GlennTV, available exclusively at BlazeTV.com.
Use code GLENN to save $10 on one year of BlazeTV.
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To enjoy more of Glenn's masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution and live the American dream.


theblaze--2020-03-24--Breaking: White House clamps down on coronavirus in New York City, orders recent visitors to self-qu

Breaking: White House clamps down on coronavirus in New York City, orders recent visitors to self-quarantine for 14 days

Breaking : White House clamps down on coronavirus in New York City , orders recent visitors to self-quarantine for 14 @ @ @ @ @ emerging as a center of the contagion in the U.S .

In an extraordinary escalation of steps taken to mitigate the spread of coronavirus from New York, the White House announced that all visitors who recently left the city are to self-quarantine for two weeks.
The announcement came during Tuesday's coronavirus media briefing from the White House.
Coronavirus task force coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx said that about 60% of the new coronavirus cases in the U.S. were originating from the metro New York City area.
"No matter where they have gone, whether it's Florida, North Carolina, or out to the far reaches of Long Island, we are starting to see new cases across Long Island that suggests people have left the city," Birx told reporters.
"So this will be very critical that those individuals do self-quarantine in their homes over these next 14 days to make sure they don't pass the virus to others, based on the time that they left New York," she explained. "So if they're already four days out, it's just 10 more days."
Birx also told reporters that 31% of deaths from coronavirus were coming from the New York City metro region.
A graph comparing death statistics from coronavirus by the Financial Times showed the alarming rise in cases from New York:
Here's our newest chart, tracking death tolls in cities & regions:
• Madrid recorded 272 deaths today. Higher than any day in Wuhan
• New York death toll surging
• Added London and Paris. London is where Lombardia was at same stage
All charts here: https://t.co/VcSZISFxzFpic.twitter.com/M5nMI4rY69
— John Burn-Murdoch (@jburnmurdoch) March 24, 2020
A New York Times analysis found that New York City had nearly 25 times as many cases as Los Angeles, leading many to cite the greater density of the city as the cause for the disparity.
Here's the entire coronavirus briefing:


theblaze--2020-03-24--Harbor Freight Tools donating its entire supply of masks, gloves to hospitals

Harbor Freight Tools donating its entire supply of masks , gloves to hospitals 'We 're going to donate everything we @ @ @

Harbor Freight Tools is donating its entire supply of personal protective equipment to hospitals dealing with shortages as health care workers fight to save Americans amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
What are the details?
Founder and owner Eric Smidt made an announcement over the weekend asking customers to "Help Us Help Your Hospital," saying his company's entire stock of N95 masks, face shields, and nitrile gloves would be donated to hospitals with 24-hour emergency rooms located in the communities served by Harbor Freight stores.
"Although we certainly won't have enough of these supplies to fill everyone's needs, we're going to donate everything we've got," Smidt wrote. "We also recognize there are so many other critically important people responding to this crisis and that there is need everywhere. We've chosen to focus our efforts on hospitals with a 24 hour emergency room with the hope that we can help as many people as possible right now."
Smidt provided instructions on how to request the protective equipment from Harbor Freight:
If you work at a hospital with a 24 hour emergency room in need of these items, please ask the office in charge of procurement at your hospital to provide us with the information we'll need to determine if we can make a donation. If you're not with a hospital, but would like to give us the name of a hospital with a 24 hour emergency room in your community that might need our help, please email us at hospitalhelp@harborfreight.com, identify the hospital's city and state in the subject line, and our team will follow up.
He emphasized in all capital letters: "PLEASE DO NOT MAKE REQUESTS AT YOUR LOCAL STORE OR OUR CALL CENTER AND PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT HOSPITALS—THEY'RE BUSY HELPING THEIR PATIENTS."
Smidt noted that the hospitals Harbor Freight will be able to help will receive an email voucher when the supplies are available for pick up at their community's local Harbor Freight store.


theblaze--2020-03-24--'I don't care! I don't care!' — Nancy Pelosi snaps at CNN's Dana Bash over Trump tweets

' I do n't have time to follow people 's twits , tweets , twitters , whatever '

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) snapped at CNN's Dana Bash over a question about the coronavirus lockdown from President Donald Trump's tweets.
Pelosi was addressing negotiations on a coronavirus stimulus deal when she got irritated at Bash for asking her to respond to a statement from the president's Twitter account.
"Where do you stand and more importantly what is your message to the president about the time frame here and what should lead here, the economy or health care?" asked Bash.
"Well, there doesn't have to be a contradiction there. Our economy will thrive when our people are well, and able to go back to work in groups, and collaborate on the enthusiasms that they have in their entrepreneurial spirit or in the workplace, that they thrive and our children can go back to school," Pelosi answered.
"But central to all of that is stopping the spread of the disease, of the coronavirus. It's central to that," she continued.
"So I don't have time to follow people's twits, tweets, twitters, whatever, tweets, so don't expect me to comment on them," Pelosi said emphatically.
"Well, even beyond Twitter, the president of the United States is saying that he could open it up," Bash asked.
"I don't care!" interrupted Pelosi. "I don't care! I don't care! I don't care!"
Bash continued, "What is your opinion on that?"
"My opinion is that it's not scientific; he's notion-mongering as he does almost every day, so rather than waste any time on commenting on the president, I would rather spend our time focusing on the fact that any president or anybody with responsibility should be scientifically inclined. Evidence-based, data, what is going to make the difference?" said Pelosi.
"I think the cure is the biggest message of hope that is out there. We have the best minds in the country, 24/7, all hands on deck, trying to find a path here. And that is what will be the light at the end of the tunnel," she added.
"What the president is suggesting is that that light at the end of the tunnel could be a train coming at us if people are out and about in a way that spreads the disease further," she concluded.
Pelosi was accused by Republican lawmakers of demanding the coronavirus stimulus bill be stuffed with expenditures serving Democrats' liberal agenda and stalling the relief for the American people.
Here's the video of Pelosi's comments:


theblaze--2020-03-24--Man who survived COVID-19 says anti-malaria drug saved his life: 'I didn't believe I was going to be

Man who survived COVID-19 says anti-malaria drug saved his life: 'I didn't believe I was going to be here by the morning'

Man who survived COVID-19 says anti-malaria drug saved his life : ' I did n't believe I was going to @ @ @ @ @ 'The facts are the facts '

Diagnosed with pneumonia and coronavirus, Rio Giardinieri, 52, was admitted to the ICU at Joe DiMaggio hospital in South Florida. After more than a week without showing any improvement, doctors told him there was nothing more they could do. Desperately ill, Giardinieri started saying his "goodbyes" to family and friends.
That's when a friend told him there was a potential "cure" for coronavirus, an anti-malaria drug called hydroxycloroquine. Though doctors at the hospital said they couldn't prescribe hydroxycloroquine, they put Giardinieri in touch with an infectious disease doctor who authorized the use. The next morning, he says he woke up feeling "absolutely perfect."
Giardinieri joined Glenn Beck on the radio program Tuesday to share his remarkable story and to weigh in on why he thinks information about this promising treatment for COVID-19 isn't being made more readily available.
"I'm not a scientist. I'm not a doctor. I can just tell you how I feel. And I know that I was not doing well. In my mind, I didn't believe I was going to be here by the morning," Giardinieri said. "I don't know what else to attribute [for recovery] but that medicine ... and it's not just me that it's worked for. There're many people this has worked for. So, you know, I certainly understand the hospital's position. They may not be too happy about me telling the story. But the facts are the facts."
Watch the video below to catch more of the conversation:
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theblaze--2020-03-24--Gallup: Trump's approval rating jumps 5 points to 49%, matching his all-time high

Due to his leadership amid the coronavirus pandemic

President Donald Trump's job approval rating jumped 5 percentage points to 49% in the latest Gallup survey, matching the highest mark of his presidency.
Trump enjoyed a 49% approval rating in late January and early February during the time of his acquittal in the Senate impeachment trial. That week was a really good week for the president. But since then, his rating had dropped. Now it appears that the president is again enjoying a "small rally of public support," as he has reclaimed his all-time high.
The bump is likely due to a favorable view of how Trump has handled the COVID-19 outbreak within the United States, Gallup reported:
Trump's response to the novel coronavirus pandemic may be behind his higher overall approval rating. Americans give the president generally positive reviews for his handling of the situation, with 60% approving and 38% disapproving. Ninety-four percent of Republicans, 60% of independents and 27% of Democrats approve of his response.
Trump also gained favor from two unlikely sources: Democrats and independents. While the president's approval rating among Republicans held steady at just over 90%, his approval rating among Democrats grew by 6 points and grew among independents by 8 points in the recent survey.
Gallup noted that in times of crisis sitting presidents often experience a boost in favorability, especially among members of the opposing party. Trump's ramped up response to the coronavirus, starting on March 11 with his national address on the seriousness of the issue and moving into his 15-day social distancing advisory on March 16, appears to have played a major factor in the bump to his rating.
It remains to be seen if that rally of support continues, especially as the president weighs relaxing community mitigation measures in order to save the economy. During a virtual Fox News town hall Tuesday, Trump announced that he hopes to reopen the country and get the economy "raring to go" by Easter.


theblaze--2020-03-24--Steven Crowder has a big announcement about his YouTube channel

Has social distancing got you down? Here's something that might help. Don't miss this week's "Louder with Crowder" livestream on Thursday for details about Steven Crowder's new content schedule. Steven will be offering new videos to help get you through coronavirus Quarantine 2020.
"While other late-night shows are stepping down, we're stepping up," Crowder said.
Watch the video below for details.
Use code LWC to save $10 on one year of BlazeTV.
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theblaze--2020-03-24--President Trump stops amidst coronavirus crisis for prayer call with pastors: 'I have to find time'

President Trump stops amidst coronavirus crisis for prayer call with pastors : ' I have to find time' 'The prayers @ @ @ @ @ call mean [ everything ] to him '

President Donald Trump may never be busier than he is right now, as the nation deals with the public health and economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. Still, he made time to pray with Vice President Mike Pence and a group of 700 pastors Friday, according to LifeNews.
Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council arranged a prayer conference call with the group Friday. According to Perkins, Pence told President Trump he was about to get on the call, Trump decided he needed to stop what he was doing and join. Perkins wrote:
"When I told the president I was going to be speaking to all of you," Mike explained, "[he was] in the midst of an extraordinarily busy day. [But] he looked at me and said, 'I have to find time. I need to find time.'" To the president, he went on, "the prayers of the people on this call mean [everything] to him …" So despite everything facing America, the two most important leaders of this nation stopped everything to pray with the people on the ground, who are ministering to their communities.
It's a "wild world," the president started. The virus, he said, "came upon us so suddenly. And we were doing better than we've ever done before as a country in terms of the economy — and then, all of the sudden, we got hit with this. So we had to close it down," he said wistfully. "We're actually paying a big price to close it down. Never happened before." But, President Trump insisted, "I think we're going to come back stronger than ever before."
Perkins said the president asked for prayer for the strength of the United States, and also that Americans would make the "right choice" on Election Day in November.
"I want to thank you for praying for our country and for those who are sick. You do such an incredible job," Trump said on the call, according to Perkins. "You're very inspirational people. And I'm with you all the way. You know that you see what we've done for right to life and all of the things that we've been working so hard together. I've been working with many of the people on the call. Many, many of the people. We've had tremendous support. But we are going to get over this."
(H/T: The Daily Wire)


theblaze--2020-03-24--California police dept. might use drones outfitted with speakers to 'educate the public about the da

California police dept. might use drones outfitted with speakers to 'educate the public about the dangers' of the coronavirus

California police dept .
might use drones outfitted with speakers to 'educate the public about the dangers ' of the @ @ @ @ @ drones to follow people ; we 're not using drones to enforce stay-at-home orders , @ @ @ @

A San Diego-area police department is considering using drones outfitted with speakers to "educate the public about the dangers" of the coronavirus, KUSI-TV reported — but Capt. Vern Sallee of the Chula Vista Police Department emphasized to the station that "we're not using drones to follow people; we're not using drones to enforce stay-at-home orders."
What's going on?
KUSI said the department has been using drones for several years primarily for emergency calls, and Sallee — who oversees the police force's drone program — added to the station that drones give officers "situational awareness" and can help them "maintain order and deescalate" incidents.
But Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a stay-at-home order for the state's 40 million residents last week in order to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Sallee told KUSI drones could help in that regard — but emphasized there are limits.
"We're not using drones to follow people; we're not using drones to enforce stay-at-home orders," he told the station in a phone interview. "At this point, Chula Vista is trying to educate the public about the dangers of this virus, so when we come into contact with a group of people ... out and about that shouldn't be in a public area — for instance, a closed park — we are trying to educate the public and ask them to voluntarily comply with the governor's order."
KUSI said the department is vetting the drone idea through the Federal Aviation Administration and testing speakers on drones at present. The station added that the police department has as many as 10 types of drones.
The station also said the drones can be deployed to broadcast instructions on how to get public services to known homeless encampments in canyons so officers aren't forced to negotiate the rough terrain. The drones also would enable officers to keep social distancing, KUSI noted.
What else did the police department have to say?
In the wake of media coverage about the department considering using drones amid the coronavirus pandemic, Chula Vista Police issued a clarification statement Tuesday:
The Chula Vista Police Department and its drone program were recently mentioned in several news stories nationwide. This advisory is intended to correct the record of several of those news stories.
The story originated from an interview provided by Captain Vern Sallee to a media outlet that specifically contacted CVPD to inquire about the department's potential use of drones during the COVID-19 outbreak. The interview took place before Governor [Newsom] issued an Executive stay-at-home restriction statewide on the evening of March 19, 2020.
While the quotes in the body of the original story were accurate, some lacked context and the story failed to address all aspects of the police department's drone response strategy. Unfortunately, the story has been picked up by several other media outlets and it has been sensationalized and given inaccurate headlines which serve only to cause public misunderstanding of the positive steps our organization is taking to protect Chula Vista.
The Chula Vista Police Department is not proactively enforcing the Governor's stay at home order at this time. Rather, CVPD staff on regular patrol have been asked to take note of large gatherings (more than 10), businesses that should not be open or people using the city's parks, which are closed for safety. Staff have been directed to educate the public and ask for voluntary compliance with the Governor's order to stay at home. Staff are encouraging the public to refrain from leaving home if possible and have been directed to remain highly visible, to be a resource to our community and to prevent crime.
Chula Vista P.D.'s drone program is an FAA certified Public Aircraft Operator (PAO) and flies public safety missions in response to emergencies. Started in 2016, the Chula Vista Police Department's drone program has strong policies and procedures to protect the privacy and civil rights of the community while providing critical real-time information to first responders.
The department has not changed how it has used drones during this emergency, but staff are considering how drones may improve communication with the public under certain limited circumstances. Specifically, the department is considering one strategy to use drone mounted speakers to communicate and reach vulnerable populations in inaccessible areas of the city, like large urban canyons with homeless encampments. Unsheltered persons are particularly vulnerable to the current pandemic and their safety and welfare is important to stopping the spread of the disease. Left without pro-active communication and outreach, COVID-19 could spread in these populations and increase illness throughout our community.
That being said, there things that CVPD drones will not be used for. Specifically, police drones will not be used for random patrol, to follow or surveil residents going about their daily routines, or other invasive tactics which would hinder the freedoms we all enjoyment in our community.
Now more than ever, CVPD is using every available resource and tool to keep our community safe and to inform the public about our efforts. Simply put, if you see a CVPD drone, it is responding to an emergency in support of firefighters or police officers on the ground. More than ever, Chula Vista must pull together as a community to stay safe during this outbreak. CVPD will continue to use drones in a Constitutional and responsible manner to keep our community safe.
The police department in its statement doesn't name the media outlet that used quotes that "lacked context." And according to KUSI's below segment on the drones, Sallee's interview with the station took place Tuesday, March 24 — well after Newsom's stay-at-home order from last week, meaning the department is referring to a different media outlet.
YouTube youtu.be
(H/T: LifeSite News)


theblaze--2020-03-24--Biden camp earns 'four Pinocchios' from WaPo for blatant lie about Trump silencing a CDC official

Biden camp earns 'four Pinocchios ' from WaPo for blatant lie about Trump silencing a CDC official

The campaign for Democratic presidential front-runner Joe Biden received "four Pinocchios" from the Washington Post for recently claiming that President Trump silenced a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official who spoke out about the dangers of COVID-19.
The former vice president — who has been noticeably absent from the public eye in recent weeks — posted a video on his Twitter account Monday, in which a campaign aide alleged that CDC official Dr. Nancy Messonnier was sidelined by the Trump administration after raising the alarm about the inevitable spread of the coronavirus in the United States.
"Anyone who raised an alarm about [the dangers] — a red flag — was silenced," Biden campaign aide Ron Klain alleges in the video. "Look no further than Dr. Nancy Messonnier, a career official at the Centers for Disease Control, who was the first to raise the alarm."
"Starting the next day, Dr. Messonnier no longer appeared at public briefings of the White House coronavirus task force. The president and the White House sent a clear message to scientists in the government — there would be a price for speaking out and speaking up," Klain suggested.
The fact-check is in
The Post's Glenn Kessler called the claim "simply wrong" and a "false narrative."
Kessler went on to note that at a news conference the day after Messonnier's comments, Anne Schucat, Messonnier's superior, joined Trump and other coronavirus task force officials.
"If you look closely, you will see there is a woman standing next to Trump. Who's that? Anne Schuchat, the CDC's principal deputy director — and Messonnier's superior," Kessler said.
Replacing Messonnier with her superior was part of an obvious trend regarding the coronavirus briefings: Trump was ramping up the seriousness of the briefings by involving higher-ranking officials. Kessler said as much in the fact-check column:
At the Feb. 26 news conference, Trump announced that Vice President Pence was taking charge of the task force. (Previously, Azar had run it.) From then on, briefings were held at the White House, not the Department of Health and Human Services. Trump headlines each one. One would presume either the director or deputy director would be onstage with the president, not a lower-ranking official.
"Meanwhile, far from being silenced, Messonnier kept doing her telephone briefings with reporters — on Feb. 28, Feb. 29, March 3 and March 9. She also appeared in four videos shared on social media including on March 14," Kessler added.
"The video created a false narrative. The Biden campaign earns Four Pinocchios," the fact-check concluded.


theblaze--2020-03-24--Dr. Anthony Fauci criticizes media for ‘pitting’ him against President Donald Trump: ‘We have a much

Dr. Anthony Fauci criticizes media for ‘pitting’ him against President Donald Trump: ‘We have a much bigger problem’

Dr. Anthony Fauci criticizes media for ‘ pitting ’ him against President Donald Trump : ‘ We have a much @ @ @

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that the media are making a mountain out of a molehill when it comes to disagreements with President Donald Trump.
Much of the media dissected Fauci's weekend interview with Science Magazine, in which he said that he does, in fact, disagree with Trump from time to time.
He also said that Trump doesn't necessarily deliver facts the way he, himself, might.
"Well, I don't disagree in the substance," Fauci said of Trump during the interview. "It is expressed in a way that I would not express it, because it could lead to some misunderstanding about what the facts are about a given subject."
What are the details?
During a Tuesday interview with WMAL-AM's "Mornings on the Mall," Fauci said that he wishes the media would stop trying to pit him against Trump for the sake of headlines.
"I wish that that would stop, because we have a much bigger problem here than trying to point out differences," Fauci said. "Really, fundamentally at the core, when you look at things, there are not differences."
Fauci also said that he and the president work rather well together.
"The president has listened to what I have said, and to what the other people on the task force have said, when I have made recommendations, he has taken them, [and] he's never countered or overridden me," he said. "The idea of just pitting one against the other is just not helpful. I wish that would stop and we'd look ahead at the challenge we have to pull together to get over this thing."
Fauci pointed out that even when Trump disagrees with Fauci's assessments, the president is still willing to listen.
"[E]ven though we disagree on some things, he listens," he said. "He goes his own way. He has his own style. But on substantive issues, he does listen to what I say."
Despite Fauci's remarks, CNN shared an article on Tuesday titled, "Has Donald Trump had enough of Anthony Fauci?"
The article insisted that Trump might feel threatened by Fauci's star power — something the president is "uniquely aware" of, apparently.
CNN's Chris Cillizza wrote, "We know that Trump doesn't like any star to shine brighter than his. The more TV you do, the more the press writes positive things about you, the more Trump begins to turn on you.
"Maybe [Trump] recognizes that Fauci's expertise and the trust the public has in him is worth taking a few arrows from the brightest new star on the national scene," Cillizza added. "But I doubt it."
What else?
The president himself issued similar remarks on Tuesday.
In an interview with Fox News' Bill Hemmer, Trump said that he and Fauci — who is part of the White House coronavirus task force — "get along very well."
"I think it's been very good," he said, and pointed out the importance of Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx, who is also part of the White House's task force to battle COVID-19.
"I respect all of these people," he said. "These are great people. Deborah's extraordinary. Tony's extraordinary. I get along with all of them."


theblaze--2020-03-24--The political media vs. public health

The political media vs. public health

Democrats ' extremism will cost lives and jobs ; political journalists are their co-conspirators

Sunday afternoon, and then again Monday, Senate Democrats blocked a procedural vote on the $1.8 trillion, bipartisan coronavirus emergency relief bill. The Democrats wanted more, but not more help for those impacted by COVID–19. They "didn't want this crisis to go to waste" without getting more goodies for all of their special interest groups.
The Democrats are blackmailing President Trump, forcing him to either give in to their demands or putting the health of many Americans in danger. Their political gamesmanship will delay federal assistance to laid-off families, children forced from their schools, businesses teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, and the health care industry scrambling to keep up with the deadly virus. Senate Democrats walked away from a bipartisan bill they helped write at the last minute because House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the partisan extremists she leads demanded wild, unrelated provisions be added to the legislation to appease liberal special interests.
This is not spin, or even "analysis." These are the indisputable facts of what just happened in Congress. It is unlike anything I've ever seen. It's unlike anything anyone has ever seen. A political party, in the middle of a national emergency, ignoring the immediate needs of dying patients, exhausted health care workers, and tens of millions of anxious families facing months of physical suffering and economic hardship so their party can score cheap political points. It's revolting.
And it's also 99% the media's fault.
Don't get me wrong: Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's cynicism is unconscionable. People are probably going to die because they care more about special interests and campaign politics than public health; they care more about defeating Donald Trump than defeating COVID-19. This November, their party should be taught a lesson they will never forget.
But understand, as despicable as the Democrats are acting, their behavior could only be sustained in the warped political environment created by our biased news media.
If Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy had pulled this stunt, they would be crucified in the press. News networks would break into regular coverage to burn them in effigy. Every Republican in the country would have a microphone shoved in their faces asking why they are trying to kill diabetic Mr. Smith or 80-year old Mrs. Jones, wheezing and gasping away at their local hospital. News anchors would report their callousness with manufactured rage, and McConnell and McCarthy would have only hours to choose between surrender or resignation.
How do we know? Because they had that option just last week! As Senate Republicans were trying to prioritize their ideas for an emergency spending bill to address the first stages of the crisis, Speaker Pelosi and her House Democrats just wrote and passed their own bill, without any Republican input.
McConnell's message to outraged Senate Republicans: "gag and vote for it anyway." He knew the media would have a field day against Republicans if they even asked to debate some amendments. Too much was at stake. The aid had to be approved. And, of course, he knew any attempt to delay or alter the package would send the press corps to DefCon 1.
Democrats, on the other hand, confidently expect the media to provide "nuance" and "context" when they play politics, even with people's lives. The Washington Post headline after the Democrats blocked the Senate bill: "Clash between GOP, Democrats over stimulus bill intensifies." And the sub-headline? "$1.8 trillion package falls far short of advancing in Senate."
No mention of the Democrats' filibuster or their abandonment of bipartisan legislation. No mention that the Democrats' last-minute demands — such as foisting new environmental regulations on airplane fuel — had nothing to do with the coronavirus.
This isn't a question of conservatives calling out the media's mistakes in hopes of "working the refs." No. The media pretend they are the refs, but they're really on the Left's team. The people are the refs, and the media's coverage is nothing but dishonest propaganda to manipulate the public on behalf of their teammates.
Congressional Democrats' partisanship and extremism this week is going to cost lives and jobs. And mainstream media political journalists are their co-conspirators. We hope the voters can see through their lies and deception.


theblaze--2020-03-24--President Trump announces timeline for reopening: 'I would love to have the country opened up and ju

President Trump announces timeline for reopening: 'I would love to have the country opened up and just raring to go by Easter'

President Trump announces timeline for reopening : ' I would love to have the country opened up and just raring @ @ @ @ @

President Donald Trump announced during a virtual Fox News town hall Tuesday that he would love to have the country "opened up" and "raring to go" by Easter Sunday, April 12.
"We are going to be opening relatively soon, our time comes up Monday or Tuesday — our allotted two weeks," the president said in reference to his 15-day social distancing advisory aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus in America. "But we'll stay a little bit longer than that.
"But we want to get open very soon," Trump said. "I'd love to have it open by Easter. I will tell you that right now ... I would love to have the country opened up and just raring to go by Easter."
Undoubtedly, the president's remarks will come as a surprise to many, given that health officials have warned citizens that they should be prepared to hunker down and endure shutdowns for several weeks or perhaps even months.
Trump even embraced social distancing and community mitigation measures with his 15-day advisory. But over the weekend, the president began to shift his tone, showing signs he believed that an extended national shutdown may bring destruction to the economy and loss of life far greater than the virus would.
On Sunday, he tweeted that "we cannot let the cure be worse than the problem itself."
"Our country wasn't built to be shut down," Trump said during a White House press briefing Monday. "America will, again, and soon, be open for business. Very soon. A lot sooner than three or four months that somebody was suggesting. Lot sooner."
During the town hall Tuesday, Trump suggested it is definitely possible to reopen the country by Easter, and that, in his opinion, "more people are going to die if we allow [the shutdown of the economy] to continue."
Politico reported that the president did not go into detail about what specific guidance, if any, the federal government would issue in the two-week period between the end of the 15-day advisory and the target date for reopening, Easter.
According to NBC News' Peter Alexander, who reportedly spoke to a White House official on the matter, that two-week period could be a time in which the economy is opened up in incremental phases.


theblaze--2020-03-24--Mark Cuban erupts on Sens. Chuck Schumer and John Cornyn over stalled stimulus talks: 'Do your f***i

Mark Cuban erupts on Sens. Chuck Schumer and John Cornyn over stalled stimulus talks: 'Do your f***ing job!'

Mark Cuban erupts on Sens .
Chuck Schumer and John Cornyn over stalled stimulus talks : 'Do your f***ing job @ @

Billionaire and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban on Tuesday voiced frustrations likely felt by many Americans who are watching Congress fail to pass a stimulus bill to help individuals, families, and businesses impacted by lockdowns caused by the coronavirus.
Cuban responded to some Twitter bickering between GOP Sen. John Cornyn of Texas and Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.). Schumer on Sunday tweeted his reasons for voting against the Senate GOP stimulus proposal. Cornyn responded with a tweet saying "Blah blah blah."
Cuban found this exchange ... unproductive.
"BOTH OF YOU NEED TO DO YOUR F***ING JOB!" Cuban wrote in a Tuesday morning tweet. "@SenSchumer, stop kissing progressive ass. We can't solve every problem in this deal. @JohnCornyn , stop kissing big corporate ass. They don't need buybacks or exec bonuses. They have no choice but to take any deal they can get."
"The economy is crashing and people are getting sick and dying because you 2 hard d**ks think your agendas are bigger than the health and future of the American people," Cuban continued. "They are not. There is no perfect deal. TIME IS OUR ENEMY. Get this done today!"
There are signs that a deal is close. The package has grown to about $2 trillion now, including direct payments to individuals and families as well as hundreds of billions of dollars toward other measures to sustain both small business and large corporations. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said there is "real optimism" of something getting done Tuesday, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said that "we are very close."
"The fact that they now have assistance for state and local government was a big concern for us and that is — my understanding — is now in the bill," Pelosi said, according to CNN. "Unemployment insurance was almost right from the start agreed that we would have it, but the scope of it was enlarged and we are very pleased with where it is."


theblaze--2020-03-24--Hillsong Pastor Carl Lentz tests positive for COVID-19. Here are his concerning symptoms.

Hillsong Pastor Carl Lentz tests positive for COVID-19 .
Here are his concerning symptoms .

Hillsong Church's lead pastor, Carl Lentz, has revealed that he tested positive for COVID-19.
The symptoms, according to Lentz, are "so real."
What are the details?
Lentz, based out of New York City, said that the coronavirus took him "out."
Lentz took to Instagram Monday night, where he detailed his harrowing experience with the disease.
"I started feeling so bad," he admitted. He apparently visited the doctor, because he was able to receive a test.
"I got my test," he said. "It came back positive."
Lentz said that he fought through the debilitating illness, but said that it was harder than some people might think.
"The symptoms are so real," he warned, describing the feeling that is similar to the flu — just worse.
"It's kind of like a flu times 50," he said. "[I] still don't feel like myself."
Lentz said he did all he could do to remain upright during the illness.
"I look forward to getting my energy back," he added.
What else?
At least 25,665 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in New York, according to CNN. At least 210 people have died in the state because of the deadly virus.
"I'm praying that we find something that eradicates this thing completely," Lentz concluded. "That's my hope."
(H/T: Fox News)


theblaze--2020-03-24--Government commission declares women should be eligible for the draft

Government commission declares women should be eligible for the draft Findings from report to be presented to White House and @

The members of a congressionally mandated commission is going to recommend to the White House and Congress Tuesday that women should be eligible for the draft, according a report from Politico.
What's happening with this commission?
The 2017 Defense Authorization bill required a commission to study and make recommendations about the issue of making women eligible for the military draft, Politico noted.
The new government report, which Politico said its reporters had seen, says that women should be included in the draft. The 11-member panel presented its findings to the Pentagon on Monday and will make a presentation to staffers from the White House and Congress Tuesday.
The nation's first conscription system was created in 1917 during World War I and, as Congress' legislation said at the time, was based on "the liability to military service of all male citizens," the U.S. Selective Service System notes. More from the SSS:
The law authorized a draft of men between the ages of 21 and 31. A new classification system gave the newly created local boards a set of guidelines to determine which men should be drafted. Total # inducted: 2,810,296
Though no one has been conscripted since the Vietnam War, the law still requires that all American males sign up for the draft at age 18. Men who do not register face punishments ranging from the loss of student loans to fines to prison.
What else?
As Politico noted, the report does not require action by Congress or the Defense Department, but it will make it more likely that lawmakers will draft legislation to include females in the draft for the first time in the draft's more than 100 years of existence.
The report comes just a few years after the Obama administration officially jettisoned policies keeping women out of combat and opened all combat roles to women in December 2015.


theblaze--2020-03-24--NJ orders up to 1,000 inmates released to lessen coronavirus while left-wing governor threatens 'act

NJ orders up to 1,000 inmates released to lessen coronavirus while left-wing governor threatens 'action' against residents who violate stay-at-home order

NJ orders up to 1,000 inmates released to lessen coronavirus while left-wing governor threatens 'action ' against residents who violate @ @

Up to 1,000 New Jersey inmates are being temporarily released by the state to stem the coronavirus tide, Politico reported, citing the American Civil Liberties Union, which campaigned for the move along with the state Office of the Public Defender.
"Unprecedented times call for rethinking the normal way of doing things, and in this case it means releasing people who pose little risk to their communities for the sake of public health and the dignity of people who are incarcerated," ACLU-NJ Executive Director Amol Singha said in a statement, the outlet noted.
Attorney General Gurbir Grewal and the County Prosecutors Association of the State of New Jersey also backed the move, Politico reported.
"It is inevitable that the virus will spread into the county jails and, when that happens, the health and well-being of inmates and jail staff members will be at tremendous risk," public defender Joseph Krakora wrote, the outlet added. "It is therefore incumbent upon the criminal justice system to reduce our county jail populations to the extent possible without compromising public safety."
What are the details?
Chief Justice Stuart Rabner ordered two classes of inmates released by 6 a.m. Tuesday, the outlet said — those behind bars as a condition of probation and those serving time from municipal court convictions. Inmates for probation violations and low-level crimes — fourth-degree, disorderly persons, or petty disorderly persons offenses — will be released Thursday, Politico added.
The order lets county prosecutors challenge inmate releases, the outlet said, adding that it also suspends sentences until the coronavirus crisis passes as opposed to commuting them. Judges also have the option of ordering inmates back to jail later or give them credit for time served, Politico reported.
Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy — known for hisleft-wing politics — on Tuesday praised the action:
And yet...
The move to release prisoners in New Jersey comes as Murphy has imposed a stay-at-home order for all residents — and the governor got angry Sunday that some weren't obeying it.
"We are really damned unhappy" about disobedient residents "and we're going to take action," he said, according to the Atlantic City Press.
Murphy also said there are "too many people not paying attention to this" and "we've about had it," the paper added.
Police arrested a New Jersey homeowner Friday for hosting a wedding at his home with more than 50 people in attendance, the number of which violates Murphy's order.
What was the reaction?
Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, and others aren't down with releasing prisoners while demanding residents stay at home. One Twitter user reacted to Fitton's tweet about the situation, saying the move smacks of "Democrat totalitarianism":
(H/T: Townhall)


theblaze--2020-03-24--Pennsylvania Supreme Court clears way for the governor to shut down gun stores indefinitely, citing

Pennsylvania Supreme Court clears way for the governor to shut down gun stores indefinitely, citing the coronavirus

Pennsylvania Supreme Court clears way for the governor to shut down gun stores indefinitely , citing the coronavirus The order @ @ @ @ @ sales in the state

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court denied a request by gun-rights advocates to exempt gun stores from an order mandating the closure of businesses amid the coronavirus outbreak in the state.
Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf issued the executive order on March 19, which forced the shutdown of all businesses in the state deemed not "life-sustaining" for an indefinite period of time, gun stores included.
What are the details?
Gun-rights advocates took issue with the inclusion of firearms retailers in the list of non life-sustaining businesses, and argued that the mandatory closures violated state and federal constitutional protections and interfered with citizens' Second Amendment rights. They brought their case before the state's Supreme Court, but on Sunday, the seven-member court denied their request.
One of the three dissenting judges, Justice David Wecht, called the order an "impermissible intrusion upon a fundamental constitutional right" and pointed to other industries that have received exemption from the shutdown. An example would be restaurants in the state, which have been permitted to operate in some capacity through take-out and delivery options.
"In my view, it is incumbent upon the Governor to make some manner of allowance for our citizens to continue to exercise this constitutional right," Wecht argued, making the case that gun stores could be permitted to operate in limited capacities. "Such an accommodation may be effectuated while preserving sensible restrictions designed to slow the spread of COVID-19, but nonetheless provide a legal avenue for the purchase and sale of firearms, thus avoiding an impermissible intrusion upon a fundamental constitutional right."
According to the Washington Free Beacon, Gov. Wolf argued that his order to close gun stores on an emergency basis "does not abridge the right to bear arms" because "it merely suspends — temporarily — a variety of stores from acting as centers of contagion."
Adam Kraut, the director of legal strategy for the Firearms Policy Coalition and one of the lawyers representing the plaintiffs in the case, told the Free Beacon he is "disappointed" in the court's decision, especially at a time "when many are deciding that the ability to defends one's home and family is more necessary than ever."
Kraut's comments made reference to the national spike in gun sales in recent weeks.
"The Governor's Order amounts to an absolute and indefinite prohibition on the acquisition of firearms by citizens of the Commonwealth," Kraut continued. "Such a prohibition cannot withstand constitutional scrutiny and directly infringes upon the core of the Second Amendment."
Anything else?
For most other products normally purchased in stores, consumers are now going online to purchase and having the products delivered to their door. But in Pennsylvania, residents don't have that option as it pertains to firearms.
Under Pennsylvania law, citizens are required to physically pick up guns purchased online at gun stores. So the executive order closing gun stores is effectively shutting down gun sales in the state.
"Pennsylvanians cannot simply order a firearm online and enjoy home delivery, or curbside service, as many first-time gun buyers are finding out. Their politicians have been lying to them," Kraut noted.
The Free Beacon reported that plaintiffs in the case are now weighing an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court of the United States.


theblaze--2020-03-24--Catholic priest critically suffering from coronavirus makes ultimate sacrifice for younger patient

You will need a tissue after this one

A Catholic priest who contracted coronavirus stayed true to his calling as a Christian and sacrificed his life so that another person could live.
Don Giuseppe Berardelli, a 72-year-old priest from the region in Italy hardest hit by COVID-19, was hospitalized and critically suffering from coronavirus, so much so that parishioners bought a ventilator specifically for him.
But instead of using it for himself, Berardelli gave up his vital medical equipment so that a younger patient could use it. He passed away last week, according to Italian news outlet TgCom24.
The identity of the patient who received Berardelli's ventilator was not published. It is unclear whether the patient has survived his bout with COVID-19.
Giuseppe Imberti, the mayor of Casnigo where Berardelli served as chief priest, lavished praise on the hero upon learning about his death.
"He was a simple, straightforward person, with a great kindness and helpfulness towards everyone, believers and non-believers. His greeting was 'peace and good'. Always friendly and available," Imberti told Italian news outlet Araberara, according to a Google translation.
"He was loved by everyone," Imberti said.
At least 60 Catholic priests in Italy have died from COVID-19 this month, according to the Catholic News Agency. More than 6,000 total people have died in Italy from the virus.


theblaze--2020-03-24--Spring breaker who boasted ‘If I get corona, I get corona’ issues apology for viral remarks: ‘Don't

Spring breaker who boasted ‘If I get corona, I get corona’ issues apology for viral remarks: ‘Don't be arrogant’

Spring breaker who boasted ‘ If I get corona , I get corona ’ issues apology for viral remarks : @ @ @ @ @ ’

Brady Sluder, the Ohio college student who went viral for partying in Miami, Florida, amid the coronavirus outbreak is sorry that he made the now-infamous selfish statements.
Sluder, who went viral for an interview in which he boasted, " If I get corona, I get corona," and vowed to continue his long-planned vacation, issued an apology on Instagram.
What are the details?
On Sunday, Sluder shared a lengthy Instagram post, captioned with an equally lengthy caption.
The caption said, "I've done a lot of things in my life that I'm not proud of. I've failed, I've let down, and I've made plenty of mistakes."
"I can't apologize enough to the people i've offended and the lives I've insulted," he continued. "I'm not asking for your forgiveness, or pity. I want to use this as motivation to become a better person, a better son, a better friend, and a better citizen.
"Listen to your communities and do as health officials say," Sluder cautioned. "Life is precious. Don't be arrogant and think you're invincible like myself.
"I've learned from these trying times and I've felt the repercussions to the fullest," he insisted. "Unfortunately, simply apologizing doesn't justify my behavior. I'm simply owning up to my mistakes and taking full responsibility for my actions. Thank you for your time, and stay safe everyone."
In his post, Sluder admitted that he wasn't aware of how his callous comments could be perceived.
"I'd like to take this time to own up to the mistakes i've made and apologize to the people I've offended," he offered. "Like many others, I have elderly people who I adore more than anything in the world and other family members who are at risk."
Sluder insisted that he is aware of the dangers COVID-19 poses to such populations, despite his spring break remarks.
"Our generation may feel invincible, like I did when I commented, but we have a responsibility to listen and follow the recommendations in our communities," he continued. "I will continue to reflect and learn from this and continue to pray for our well-being."
Sluder concluded, saying that he is issuing the apology for the insensitive remarks from the bottom of his heart.


theblaze--2020-03-24--Liberty University invites students back to campus, requires faculty to report to work

Liberty University invites students back to campus , requires faculty to report to work 'We have a responsibility to our @ @

Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, is going against the trend of many schools in the nation, inviting students to return to campus after spring break despite the threat of the coronavirus spreading, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
On Monday, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) ordered all nonessential businesses to close by Wednesday, and Virginia public schools will be closed for the remainder of the school year. One day earlier, Falwell said as many as 5,000 students could return to Liberty's campus.
"I think we have a responsibility to our students — who paid to be here, who want to be here, who love it here — to give them the ability to be with their friends, to continue their studies, enjoy the room and board they've already paid for and to not interrupt their college life," Falwell said, the Times-Dispatch reported.
Other universities in the area have closed residence halls to everyone except those with nowhere else to go and have ordered their faculty to work remotely. According to the Times-Dispatch, the University of Lynchburg has just 19 students still living on campus, while Randolph College has only five.
Liberty students will still be receiving online instruction, even if they choose to return to their dorms. Faculty will be required to work on campus even though they won't be teaching in-person classes. The university has not updated its COVID-19 information page to address whether the governor's order for closures will impact these plans.
Although students will be able to return to campus, there will still be restrictions. Gatherings of more than 10 people will be prohibited, and dining services will be take-out only. Campus visits have been suspended.
Falwell believes that the university has taken the correct measures to protect students, and that a majority of the student population is not at high risk of being severely impacted by the virus anyway. At least one Liberty professor, who is transitioning to a new university in the fall, disagrees.
"Lives are at stake," Marybeth Davis Baggett, an English professor, said, according to RTD. "I think this decision is a recipe for disaster and I have been trying to push that as much as I have been able to internally."


theblaze--2020-03-24--Home burglary suspect late to meeting with undercover cops to sell stolen items — allegedly because

Home burglary suspect late to meeting with undercover cops to sell stolen items — allegedly because he was busy stealing from another home

Home burglary suspect late to meeting with undercover cops to sell stolen items — allegedly because he was busy stealing @ @ @

An Oregon home burglary suspect was late for a meeting with undercover police officers to sell them stolen items last week because he was busy burglarizing yet another residence, KPTV-TV reported, citing the Portland Police Bureau.
What are the details?
Officers were called to a home on the morning of March 12 where thousands of dollars worth of tools were stolen, the station said.
But lo and behold, investigating officers spotted the stolen tools listed for sale on a website, KPTV said.
With that, officers set up a meeting with the suspect — identified as 38-year-old Eric Lamberton — to buy the stolen tools, the station said.
Officers met Lamberton at Southeast 52nd Avenue and Southeast Powell Boulevard around midnight Wednesday — after which cops identified the stolen tools inside Lamberton's van and arrested him, KPTV said.
Image source: Portland (Oregon) Police Bureau
Tsk tsk tsk
Police told the station that they learned Lamberton was late to the meeting with the undercover officers because he was burglarizing another home — and fortunately items belonging to the other burglary victims also were inside his van.
Lamberton was booked into jail on multiple warrants from Clark, Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington counties, KPTV said, adding that police indicated evidence recovered from the incident will result in additional charges.
(H/T: Blue Lives Matter)


theblaze--2020-03-24--Dan Crenshaw shares information 'everyone in America' should read about Dems killing emergency relie

Dan Crenshaw shares information 'everyone in America' should read about Dems killing emergency relief package: ‘They killed it. Out of spite and bitterness.’

Dan Crenshaw shares information 'everyone in America ' should read about Dems killing emergency relief package : ‘ They killed @ @ @ @ @ and bitterness .
’

Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) believes that Americans need to be made aware of why Democrats are killing the COVID-19 emergency relief package — and that it all boils down to partisan politics.
The emergency relief package in question would provide money to Americans who are struggling because of the coronavirus, funds to small businesses in order to float payrolls and more, and expand unemployment benefits.
What's the background?
In a lengthy Twitter tirade, Crenshaw, a former Navy SEAL, educated Americans on what's going on in Washington, D.C., amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
Crenshaw said that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) shut down the Senate emergency bill in order to fatten the bill with other non-COVID-19 related business items such as Green New Deal policies.
On Sunday, he wrote, "Democrats torpedoed a bipartisan emergency bill that: -Provides payroll & rent for small business -Credit to businesses across America to keep them afloat – Cash in American's pockets – unemployment benefits. They have no good reasons. Just partisanship. Call your reps NOW."
"Do Dems want a recession? A depression? How can they justify this?" he continued. "This bill is critical for the livelihood of millions. Our country will be devastated without immediate help. Dems can lie all they want about 'helping workers' but now they are destroying their lives."
Crenshaw, who said that he is not a person to "make hyperbolic statements," insisted that Senate Democrats' torpedoing of the bill is "truly awful."
“This bill was negotiated in good faith," he added. "Been monitoring its progress all week. It can save our economy. And they killed it. Out of spite and bitterness. Hold Dems accountable."
Crenshaw later sent a pointed tweet to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who blamed the bill's failure on ineffective protections.
Schumer said that the Democrats "voted no on the McConnell-GOP bill because among other problems it includes huge bailouts without protections for people and workers and without accountability."
Schumer also insisted that the GOP version of the bill "shortchanges our hospitals and healthcare workers."
“We will not forget this. More businesses are closing tomorrow while you peddle this lie," Crenshaw insisted. "You literally stopped a good bill because it *didn't have enough red tape*. You hate American businesses so much that you would sacrifice our economy out of pure contempt."
So what is the must-read?
A day later, Crenshaw shared a copy of the 1,400 page Pelosi-backed bill, which included new — non-urgent — Democratic provisos such as a U.S. Postal Service bailout, same-day voter registration, a "corporate diversity requirement," and more.
“EVERYONE in America, Democrat and Republican, MUST read this thread," Crenshaw insisted. “This is what Pelosi killed the rescue package for. 'Corporate diversity requirement,' 'Airline carbon emissions,' and the list goes on."
"Hold these people accountable," he concluded. "They are holding America hostage."
Journalist Rachel Bovard shared the original tweet, captioning it, "Pelosi's #COVID19 bill is 1,119 pages and contains provisions for 'conducting risk-limiting audits of results of elections' so yeah it's really very focused on the crisis at hand."
According to the thread, other items included "elimination of USPS debt," "corporate board diversity," "early voting," "same day registration," "federal employee and collective bargaining and official time," a "carbon offsetting program," improved consumer access to flight-related greenhouse gas emission reports, an expansion of "minority banks and minority credit unions," "diversity [and] inclusion initiatives," a whopping $35 million for the Kennedy Center, and more.
You can read the entire thread here and below.
(H/T: The Daily Wire)


theblaze--2020-03-24--'Be prepared, so you won't be scared': Calming coronavirus advice from 'Duck Dynasty's' Phil Roberts

'Be prepared, so you won't be scared': Calming coronavirus advice from 'Duck Dynasty's' Phil Robertson

'Be prepared , so you wo n't be scared ' : Calming coronavirus advice from 'Duck Dynasty 's ' Phil @ @ @ @ @ happened before ?
Yes !

On "In the Woods with Phil" this week, Phil Robertson shares his thoughts on the coronavirus and some words of wisdom based on the teachings of the Bible.
"Have pandemics like this happened before?" Phil asked. The Bible makes it clear that, yes, the human race has faced deadly plagues for thousands of years. So, the best thing to do is be prepared.
"Be prepared, so you won't be scared," Phil said.
Watch the video below for more backwoods wisdom from the Duck Commander:
Use code PHIL for $10 off one year of BlazeTV.
Want more from Phil Robertson?
To enjoy more of this "Duck Dynasty" star's 70 years of unfiltered wisdom and uncensored common sense, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution and live the American dream.


theblaze--2020-03-24--Wuhan, China — where the coronavirus originated — to be relieved of lockdown restrictions April 8

Staff members line up at attention as they prepare to spray disinfectant at Wuhan Railway Station in Wuhan in China @ @ @ @ @ .
China announced Tuesday that a lockdown would be lifted on more than 50 million @ @ @ @ @ where the COVID-19 coronavirus first emerged late last year .
( STR/AFP via Getty Images @

The Chinese government announced that it will lift COVID-19 lockdown restrictions on the city of Wuhan on April 8, a significant step in the city where the coronavirus that is now spreading worldwide originated, CNN reported.
The coronavirus began spreading in Wuhan, located in the Hubei province, as early as November, although the government actively suppressed that information until the end of December. By February, it had spread so far out of control that Wuhan residents were completely confined to their homes, prohibited from leaving even to purchase food.
From late January through roughly mid-February, China was announcing thousands of new cases of the coronavirus each day. Over the past week, Wuhan has had five consecutive days with no new reported cases. One new case was reported Tuesday in Wuhan — a doctor at Hubei General Hospital.
Wuhan had 67,801 cases out of the roughly 81,000 total COVID-19 cases in China, and 3,160 fatalities out of the 3,277 reported deaths. The city of 11 million people was officially locked down Jan. 23, with all forms of public transportation in and out of the city shut down completely, and roads blocked off.
Outside of Wuhan, other cities in the Hubei province are already seeing restrictions eased. Residents' ability to travel is dictated by the color of a QR code they have on their mobile phones.
Healthy people with no known contact with infected individuals receive a green QR code, and can freely leave the province. People who have tested positive for the coronavirus, or who are suspected to be infected even though they're asymptomatic, or who have a fever receive a red QR code and are restricted from traveling. Close contacts of red QR code individuals receive a yellow QR code, and also face some travel restrictions.
That QR code system will apply to Wuhan beginning April 8. Businesses in Wuhan will gradually begin reopening, but a date for reopening schools and universities has not been determined. Some residents with green QR codes have already been allowed to return to work, if they receive approval from their employer.


theblaze--2020-03-24--VIDEO: Ted Cruz UNLOADS on Democrats for using coronavirus bill to push far-left agenda

VIDEO : Ted Cruz UNLOADS on Democrats for using coronavirus bill to push far-left agenda 'What in the hell does @ @ @ @ @ this crisis ?
! '

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) excoriated Democrats from the Senate floor Monday for using the coronavirus relief bill to push their far-left agenda.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) introduced House Democrats' coronavirus relief bill on Monday after she torpedoed the bipartisan agreement reached by the Senate. Pelosi's bill includes billions of dollars for items completely unrelated to COVID-19 relief, including:
The bill would cost taxpayers more than $2.5 trillion and would require certain Americans — individuals who make more than $75,000 and couples who make more than $150,000 in 2020 — to pay back the stimulus check, essentially forcing a significant portion of Americans to receive a government loan.
In response, Cruz unloaded on Pelosi and the Democratic caucus for the pork-filled bill.
A number of people have cited the famed quote of Rahm Emanuel: "Never let a good crisis go to waste." Sadly, we are seeing the embodiment of that cynical approach right now because all of the people out of jobs, the Democrats are using to push — what are they pushing for? Changing the emissions standards on airplanes.
Mr. president, what the hell do the emissions standards on airplanes have to do with thousands of people dying and millions of people out of work during the coronavirus epidemic? Don't treat this bill like a partisan Christmas.
Republicans have things we would like to advance, too, things I believe in deeply. You want to talk about what I would like to do? I would like to abolish the IRS. I campaigned all over the country for that. I will continue fighting for that, but I am not standing here with an amendment, saying: As part of this emergency relief, let's abolish the IRS. There is a place for that political and policy discussion.
The Democrats are pushing wind and solar tax credits. Mr. president, what in the hell does a windmill have to do with this crisis, other than some Democratic lobbyists getting fat and rich, and they are willing to extort a crisis to try to advance their political agenda?
In the end, Cruz said responding to the COVID-19 crisis will "require adults to step up and lead" and urged both Democrats and Republicans to not engage in political gamesmanship.


theblaze--2020-03-24--Prisoner released early over COVID-19 concerns allegedly broke into woman’s home, tied her up at kni

Prisoner released early over COVID-19 concerns allegedly broke into woman’s home, tied her up at knifepoint, and threatened to kill her

Prisoner released early over COVID-19 concerns allegedly broke into woman ’ s home , tied her up at knifepoint , @ @ @ @ @

A Utah man recently released from a halfway house early over concerns of a COVID-19 spread forcibly broke into a woman's home and attempted to rob her at knifepoint, threatening to kill her if she didn't cooperate, police said.
According to the arrest affidavit, Joshua Haskell, 42, committed the alleged crime only days after being released from Utah State Prison, where he was incarcerated for violating parole. He had been sent to a halfway house as a part of the Parole Violation Program but "due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, he was suddenly released" on March 17, two days before the break-in.
Police also reported that Haskell has a lengthy criminal history that includes at least four previous drug-related convictions. At the time of his arrest, Haskell reportedly also had an active warrant out for his arrest for misdemeanor theft.
What are the details?
According to police, Haskell "forcibly entered [the woman's] home ... [and] using a large, serrated knife, he threatened the homeowner and tied her up with shoelaces."
Haskell entered the home while the woman was sleeping, and she told police that she woke to the noise from him climbing the stairs. Before she could react, Haskell was in her room holding a knife "raised toward his head with the knife pointing down."
"The victim began screaming and yelling, at which point the male told her to be quiet or he was going to cut her head off," according to the affidavit.
Haskell then tied her up and demanded that she give him her car, cash, bank cards, and PIN numbers, allegedly threatening to return and kill her if she gave him the wrong numbers.
The woman's son, who was also in the house, heard her screams and called 911. When officers arrived, Haskell got into bed with the woman and ordered her to tell them that he was her "lover." But when he adjusted the sheets, she "ran downstairs to officers in a panicked and horrified manner," police wrote.
Officers then arrested Haskell at gunpoint. In court on Monday, he was officially charged with the first-degree felonies aggravated burglary and aggravated robbery and third-degree felonies aggravated kidnapping, possession of a weapon by a restricted person, and drug possession.
Why does it matter?
After warnings from experts that COVID-19 could "wreak havoc" on the prisons in the United States, several states and counties have been implementing early release strategies to prevent the spread of the disease.
Critics of the jailbreak have argued that releasing criminals back onto the streets during the pandemic will not make communities safer but will put the public more at risk — especially as law enforcement simultaneously loosens its grip.


theblaze--2020-03-24--Report: House Dems' coronavirus stimulus bill includes $35 million for Kennedy Center, $600 million

Report: House Dems' coronavirus stimulus bill includes $35 million for Kennedy Center, $600 million for arts and humanities — and $278 million for IRS

Report : House Dems ' coronavirus stimulus bill includes $ 35 million for Kennedy Center , $ 600 million for @ @ @ @ @ $ 278 million for IRS 'These people should never be trusted with power again '

TheBlaze previously noted that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was reportedly the reason why Democrats suddenly opposed an emergency coronavirus relief bill that had bipartisan support in the Senate over the weekend.
John Bresnahan, Politico's Washington bureau chief, reported that Pelosi had a "laundry list" of new demands, including many items completely unrelated to COVID-19 relief, like election security funding, student loan debt forgiveness, and a "host of other issues." Additionally, she said House Democrats would move forward with their own coronavirus relief package.
Not a good look
Well, among the line items Pelosi's House Democrats plopped into their version of a coronavirus stimulus bill are critical expenditures such as $35 million to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., Fox News reported.
"For an additional amount for 'Operations and Maintenance,' $35,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2021, for operations and maintenance requirements related to the consequences of coronavirus: Provided, That notwithstanding the provisions of 20 U.S.C. 76th et seq., funds provided in this Act shall be made available to cover operating expenses required to ensure the continuity of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and its affiliates, including for employee compensation and benefits, grants, contracts, payments for rent or utilities, fees for artists or performers, information technology and other administrative expenses," the bill reads, according the cable network.
That's not all, folks
Fox News added that the next page of the House Democrats' bill allots $300 million to the National Endowment of the Arts, another $300 million to the National Endowment of the Humanities, $100 million for NASA — and the kicker: $278 million to the IRS.
How did observers react?
Ben Domenech, publisher of the Federalist, tweeted: "$35 Mil for the Kennedy Center is essential for battling the Coronavirus, says Nancy Pelosi." Commenters on Domenech's tweet had other things to say:
"Mitch needs to go to the Senate and start reading all this out loud to the American people."
"People are dying and the dems do this. It's literally the definition of evil. We've never seen a crisis like this before and they are funneling millions to their friends while withholding funds to people that actually need the resources."
"To fight the coronavirus let's give extra funding to places that can pack in the biggest densest crowds to infect the most people in the shortest period of time."
"These people should never be trusted with power again."
"The queen of pork."
"Not to worry. I'm sure some brave journalist will ask her about this and hold her to account."
(H/T: BizPac Review)