theblaze--2020-04-24--Farmers forced to kill hundreds of thousands of pigs as meat packing plants across the country close

Farmers forced to kill hundreds of thousands of pigs as meat packing plants across the country close 'This is our @ @ @ @

As more and more large meat processing plants close amid the nation's coronavirus pandemic, farmers across the country are running out of physical space for their pigs.
With slaughterhouses shuttered, hog farms became so crowded this week that many farmers have been forced to start killing their pigs en masse, the United Press International reported Thursday.
'This is our biggest crisis ever'
"I really, really don't want to kill my pigs," said Howard Roth, president of the National Pork Producers Council. "But it is getting close here. I know there are farmers who have had to kill their pigs, farmers are aborting sows. It's really awful."
Roth, who raises and weans pigs in Wisconsin, added that in a typical week, the American pork industry kills 2.5 million pigs. But this week, that number will drop to 2 million, leaving a backup of 500,000 pigs.
"We were already backed up by about a half million. This is bad," he said.
In Minnesota, 200,000 pigs could be killed, David Preisler, CEO of the Minnesota Pork Board, reported. He added that the impending slaughter is not for a lack of preparation. Farmers have prepared for a disease outbreak and many have opted to feed their hogs a high-fiber, low-calorie diet that slows down growth. But that works for only so long.
"You reach a point where you have to make a decision on things," Preisler said. "And that's unfortunately where we're at right now."
Numerous farms have also started to go out of business as a result of the pandemic, noted Joseph Kerns, president of Kerns & Associates, a consulting firm specializing in livestock. He said it was too soon to predict how many will eventually close, but predicted it could be a huge number.
"This is our biggest crisis ever in pork production," Kerns said. "And I don't say that lightly."
Disaster for the food supply chain
The issue stems from a wave of recent meat processing plant closures in the country now totaling over a dozen.
Earlier this month, one of the nation's largest meat producers, Smithfield Foods, closed its Sioux Falls, South Dakota, plant due to a virus outbreak among employees. On Monday, JBS, a large international meat processing company, closed its third plant, in Worthington, Minnesota. On Wednesday, Tyson Foods shut down its largest pork producing plant in Waterloo, Iowa.
At the time of its plant closure, Smithfield Foods CEO Kenneth Sullivan warned that the growing number of plant closures "is pushing our country perilously close to the edge in terms of our meat supply."
"It is impossible to keep our grocery stores stocked if our plants are not running. These facility closures will also have severe, perhaps disastrous, repercussions for many in the supply chain, first and foremost our nation's livestock farmers," he added.
The pork industry is not the only meat industry that has been hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Last week, a Delaware chicken company was forced to kill 2 million chickens after a number of employees came down with the illness.


theblaze--2020-04-24--NYC doctor says ERs are 'eerily quiet': 'How many patients are dying of treatable heart attacks at h

NYC doctor says ERs are 'eerily quiet': 'How many patients are dying of treatable heart attacks at home?'

NYC doctor says ERs are 'eerily quiet ' : 'How many patients are dying of treatable heart attacks at home @ @ @ @ @ help , but fear COVID-19 exposure

A New York City emergency room doctor wrote in the New York Post that the emergency room where she works has been unusually quite recently, and she's concerned about what might be happening to patients who are too scared of COVID-19 exposure to go get treatment.
While the main hospital deals with the more complicated coronavirus patients who need extended care, the emergency room has felt the impact of COVID-19 in a different way. Dr. Snehalata Topgi writes:
By 11 p.m., the rest of my shift is eerily quiet. I wonder, "How many patients are dying of treatable heart attacks at home? Where are my stroke patients? Where are the cuts and broken bones?" People that should be coming to the ER for help may be too scared. Where is the man with high-risk chest pain who needs vessel intervention? Where is the elderly woman with a two-hour limp left arm and trouble speaking who needs stroke treatment? I worry. I know that they are at home, avoiding the hospital and a possible COVID infection, but likely needing life-saving interventions.
New York City has seen an alarming increase in home deaths in recent weeks, which some have attributed to undiagnosed COVID-19 infections. Indeed, some of those home deaths are being called "presumed" coronavirus deaths, even without being confirmed by a test.
Some, like Dr. Topgi, wonder whether some of those deaths are due to preventable conditions that would normally be treated in an emergency room.
The coronavirus pandemic has resulted in unique health care situations in the U.S. Some hospitals, mostly in New York City, have been overwhelmed at times with patient volume. But some emergency rooms or hospitals find themselves empty, to the point that tens of thousands of health care workers have been laid off and some hospitals have closed altogether.
Widespread bans on nonessential medical procedures, enacted for the purpose of preserving personal protective equipment and dedicating all staff and resources to COVID-19 preparedness, have proven unnecessary in some areas of the country that have not experienced significant outbreaks.


theblaze--2020-04-24--Federal judge shoots down California ammo law

The judge said it violates a citizen 's Second Amendment right to bear arms .

A federal judge struck down a California law requiring background checks for buying ammunition, and said it violates a citizen's Second Amendment right to bear arms.
U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez in San Diego ruled in favor of the California Rifle & Pistol Association and six-time Olympic medalist skeet shooter Kim Rhode, who asked to halt the background checks and related restrictions on ammo sales. Benitez blocked the ammunition law, calling it "constitutionally defective."
"California's new ammunition background check law misfires, and the Second Amendment rights of California citizens have been gravely injured," Benitez wrote in a 120-page opinion. "In this action, Plaintiffs seek a preliminary injunction enjoining California's onerous and convoluted new laws requiring ammunition purchase background checks and implementing ammunition anti-importation laws."
Benitez argued that background checks hurt legal ammunition buyers while doing very little to prevent criminals from getting their hands on ammo. He noted that the law blocked legitimate ammo sales to law-abiding citizens about 16% of the time.
"Criminals, tyrants, and terrorists don't do background checks," the judge said. "The background check experiment defies common sense while unduly and severely burdening the Second Amendment rights of every responsible, gun-owning citizen desiring to lawfully buy ammunition."
The law had required buyers to pay a $1 fee for each time they bought ammunition, even if they already passed a background check.
California was the first state in the U.S. to institute background checks for ammunition. In 2016, Californians voted for Proposition 63, which required a background check to purchase ammunition and banned possession of high-capacity magazines. The law went into effect on July 1, 2019. Ammo sales skyrocketed 300% in June before the law went into effect.
"This is a devastating blow to the anti-gun-owner advocates who falsely pushed Prop 63 in the name of safety," California Rifle & Pistol Association President Chuck Michel said in a statement. "In truth, red tape and the state's disastrous database errors made it impossible for hundreds of thousands of law-abiding Californians to purchase ammunition for sport or self-defense."
The ruling takes effect immediately. California's state attorney general's office said it is reviewing the decision but did not immediately say if it would appeal the decision.


theblaze--2020-04-24--Colorado health department closes area Walmart after 3 COVID-19 deaths and several more cases

Colorado health department closes area Walmart after 3 COVID-19 deaths and several more cases Employees and customers reportedly sent complaints @ @ @ @

The Walmart in Aurora, Colorado, is closed after three COVID-19 deaths and at least six more confirmed cases of coronavirus were reportedly associated with the store.
On Thursday, the Denver Post reported that employees and customers sent several complaints to the health department.
What are the details?
The Tri-County Health Department closed the Walmart after it determined that there were at least three COVID-19-related deaths because of the business.
An employee, her husband, and a store security guard all succumbed to the deadly virus.
"There are six additional confirmed cases among employees," a release from the health department reported, as well as three more possible cases awaiting official confirmation.
At the time of this writing, Johns Hopkins University researchers estimate that there have been at least 11,278 confirmed COVID-19 cases across Colorado, with at least 552 deaths.
"We are extremely saddened by this news and offer our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the three people we lost," Dr. John M. Douglas Jr., director of the health department, said. "These deaths underscore the severity of the highly contagious coronavirus, and the need for diligent safety precautions to prevent any further spread, including the wearing of masks."
According to the Post, "The store was ordered closed Thursday afternoon as the health department received multiple complaints from employees and shoppers regarding the lack of social distancing, too many people in the store at one time, and employees not wearing masks or face coverings."
The health department said that the Walmart violated the "'Fourth Updated Public Health Order 20-24 Implementing Stay at Home Requirements' issued by the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment on April 9. The documents demanded an immediate closure."
"It has been determined that you have violated the Public Health Order by operating your business in a manner that does not adhere to Section II A referring to critical businesses that must adhere to Social Distancing Requirements at all times," the order added. "Also, it has been determined there is an outbreak amongst employees at the store."
You can read the health department's full release on the matter here as well as below.


theblaze--2020-04-24--China announces $30 million donation to the World Health Organization

The Chinese government announced Thursday that it is donating $ 30 million to the World Health Organization , just days after the United States announced that it was suspending all aid to the WHO due in part to its willingness to pass on faulty information provided by the Chinese government .
In an announcement on Twitter , a Chinese government spokesperson said , `` China has decided to donate an additional $ 30 million in cash to WHO to support its global fight against # COVID19 , in particular strengthening developing countries ' health systems .
China already donated $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March 11th . ''
The Chinese contribution will not nearly be enough to replace the United States funding , if it remains suspended .
Prior to the suspension of aid , the United States contributed hundreds of millions of dollars annually to the WHO , and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hinted earlier this week that the United States might never resume those payments .
The U.S. has already given WHO $ 58 million this year .
Nor , for that matter , will those contributions cover even a fraction of the cost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fact that the Chinese government contributed to the global spread of the virus by covering up the extent of its spread until the virus had already been carried to most of the world .
The United States halted all funding to the WHO following an April 14 announcement from President Donald Trump that the United States would investigate the organization 's handling of the coronavirus outbreak , and specifically its relationship with the Chinese government .
In explaining his decision , President Trump said , `` With the outbreak of the Covid-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America 's generosity has been put to the best use possible . ''

The Chinese government announced Thursday that it is donating $30 million to the World Health Organization, just days after the United States announced that it was suspending all aid to the WHO due in part to its willingness to pass on faulty information provided by the Chinese government.
In an announcement on Twitter, a Chinese government spokesperson said, "China has decided to donate an additional $30 million in cash to WHO to support its global fight against #COVID19, in particular strengthening developing countries' health systems. China already donated $20 million in cash to WHO on March 11th."
The Chinese contribution will not nearly be enough to replace the United States funding, if it remains suspended. Prior to the suspension of aid, the United States contributed hundreds of millions of dollars annually to the WHO, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hinted earlier this week that the United States might never resume those payments. The U.S. has already given WHO $58 million this year.
Nor, for that matter, will those contributions cover even a fraction of the cost imposed upon the world at large by the fact that the Chinese government contributed to the global spread of the virus by covering up the extent of its spread until the virus had already been carried to most of the world.
The United States halted all funding to the WHO following an April 14 announcement from President Donald Trump that the United States would investigate the organization's handling of the coronavirus outbreak, and specifically its relationship with the Chinese government.
In explaining his decision, President Trump said, "With the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, we have deep concerns whether America's generosity has been put to the best use possible."


theblaze--2020-04-24--Intruder breaks into woman's home on south side of Chicago. Too bad for crook she's got a gun.

Intruder breaks into woman 's home on south side of Chicago .
Too bad for crook she 's got a @ @

Once again we bring you another installment in our continuing series on crooks who don't notice that their victims are exercising their Second Amendment rights.
This particular episode takes place on the south side of Chicago. Seems a man broke into a woman's home in the neighborhood of Auburn Gresham just before 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, WLS-TV reported.
Chicago police said that just after the intruder forced his way into the residence in the 8300 block of South Kerfoot Avenue, the 31-year-old resident grabbed her gun and shot the intruder in the right foot, the station said.
What happened to the intruder?
The intruder was taken to a hospital in good condition, police told WLS.
What about the woman who pulled the trigger?
While Area South detectives are investigating the shooting, police added to the station that the woman who shot the intruder has a valid Firearm Owner's Identification Card and concealed carry license.
Anything else?
Niche.com — which provides information about neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces — gives Auburn Gresham a C- grade for crime and safety, noting that its burglary rate is twice the national average.


theblaze--2020-04-24--Here are just a few reasons that people will die if the economy is not reopened soon

As the saying goes, on a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero. Or, more simply put, no one lives forever, no matter what government or the private sector might do. However, the government certainly has the power to shorten and/or lengthen life spans with certain public policy choices, and it faces a monumental choice in the coming weeks.
Right now, as we head into the final week of April and state and local governments face the choice of whether to allow businesses to resume activities, the choice that's being presented is between saving the lives of people who might die of the coronavirus, and restarting the economy. In other words, a choice between saving lives and saving money.
This is a false choice. It is time to be adults and acknowledge the facts.
People who advocate reopening the economy at the end of the upcoming week should be honest that their preferred policy may end up costing some lives. However, people who advocate keeping the businesses shut down should also be honest and admit that their preferred policy will also cost lives. The idea that we can keep the shutdown going through May or longer at the cost of zero human life years is an absolute fantasy that is completely disconnected from reality.
Either choice — reopening the economy now or keeping it closed for an additional period of time — will result in people dying (or losing some of their life span). The shutdown we have undertaken thus far has already likely cost lives.
Here are just some of the ways that extending the shutdown past the end of April will cost even more lives.
1. Malnutrition
The coronavirus shutdown has already sent tremendous shockwaves through the global food supply chain, and the longer it goes on, the greater the danger is that this disruption will be long term. Even U.N. officials are sounding the alarm, warning that an additional 130 million people worldwide will be pushed to the brink of starvation from the economic impacts of the coronavirus shutdown.
How many people will literally starve to death from the economic disruption caused by the coronavirus shutdowns? Hopefully, the number in America will be relatively small, although it will certainly be worse in other parts of the world.
But even people who won't literally die immediately from not having enough food will likely have their life spans shortened considerably, as the combined effects of both food supply chain disruption and economic recession will force millions of people into eating food that is cheaper, less nutritious, and more highly processed.
The complications from poor dietary intake are by this point well understood and include virtually every medical complication under the sun. Among the most common of these that are likely to see sharp increases as a result of the coronavirus shutdowns are diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and even some cancers.
These "ordinary" medical conditions are already the biggest causes of death in the United States, by far — orders of magnitude larger than the coronavirus. For perspective, cardiovascular disease alone was estimated to be responsible for over 800,000 deaths last year. Thus, a 10% increase in cardiovascular disease would cause more deaths in the United States than the entire coronavirus pandemic is expected to cause.
Even incremental increases in these conditions due to dietary changes could cost tens or hundreds of thousands of deaths per year for as long as economic recession and global food supply chain disruptions exist. And the longer the shutdowns continue, the longer (and deeper) those recessions will become.
2. Suicides
Another thing that is well understood, past the point of controversy, is that economic downturns cause suicides. According to some estimates, the economic recession of 2008-09 caused between 5,000 and 10,000 extra suicides compared to the norm. This recession is already worse than the 2008-09 recession, and is likely to be significantly worse. If the economy remains shut down for another month, that certainly will only prolong it.
It seems like research really isn't necessary into this issue, but the research exists anyway: suicide rates do rise and fall rise and fall inversely to the overall health of the economy. It is impossible to predict the exact number that will be caused by any lengthening of the coming recession, but it is likely to be in the thousands for each additional year that the recession lasts.
3. Other diseases
You might expect that in the middle of a global pandemic that the private health care sector would be the one part of the economy that is doing well. You would be wrong. The vast majority of the United States' health care system is not trained or equipped to help with the current coronavirus crisis, leading to mass furloughs and clinic closures among portions of the health care sector that are not dedicated to helping fight coronavirus.
The thing is, people need those portions of the health care sector. Regular "maintenance" visits to primary care physicians and outpatient clinics for "elective" medical care and outpatient procedures is positively correlated with longer lives and better health outcomes.
However, as a result of the shutdowns, people are not getting regular maintenance care that they need for their health problems which have nothing to do with coronavirus. Surgeries that are desperately needed but deemed "elective" because they aren't for the immediate prevention of death have already been postponed for weeks across the country. Every day and week that the non-coronavirus sector of the health care industry remains shutdown, and people remain unable or afraid to leave their houses and seek care for their daily maintenance medical needs, will likely cost lives down the road. The true cost in terms of human lives may never be known.
However, even these costs will likely be dwarfed by the loss of human life caused by people losing their health insurance and/or primary source of income due to a prolonged recession/depression. If people don't have money/health insurance, they don't go to the doctor as often. When they do go, they can't always afford the medicine they need. This means that countless health conditions that would be much more manageable if they were caught and treated early will be ignored until they are serious problems — a reality that is one of the primary reasons that lower income individuals often have poorer health outcomes.
The longer a recession or depression extends, the more people will not be able to get or afford preventive care that they need, which means that lives will be lost and lifespans shortened.
4. Failure to develop life-extending technology
When the economy prospers, companies have surplus cash that they can use not only to pay employees, but also to put into research and development into new technology. Much of that technology, in addition to making life easier overall, has the capacity to extend human life.
One of the reasons the American life span has been continually lengthening isn't just that new medical technology has enabled doctors to literally extend lives that otherwise would have ended, but also that technology in general has allowed humans not to have to physically abuse their bodies so much (or place themselves in physically dangerous situations) just to make ends meet. As recently as last year, some experts were predicting that an average human life span of up to 100 years was right around the corner.
Many companies have come to understand the importance of research and development in obtaining a competitive advantage and thus will cut their R&D budgets last. But in the event of a severe and prolonged economic downturn, "cut last" still means "cut steeply," as the 2008-09 recession showed. The longer and deeper the coming recession is, the less research and development will be done into lifesaving and life-extending treatment in the future.
What does it all mean?
The economy doesn't need to be reopened soon because rich people need to keep buying HDTVs and protect their hedge funds. The economy needs to be reopened soon because if it isn't, people are going to die. Those people, disproportionately, will be poor. Their lives ought to matter as the government decides when and if it will allow American businesses to resume normal activity.


theblaze--2020-04-24--Top UN official: Economic shutdowns could kill more people than the coronavirus itself

Top UN official : Economic shutdowns could kill more people than the coronavirus itself

A leading United Nations official warned this week that the economic impact of the global coronavirus pandemic could end up resulting in more deaths worldwide than the virus itself — and based on the numbers he provided, it could be significantly more.
David Beasley, executive director of the U.N. World Food Program, the world's largest humanitarian organization, reported during a virtual session Tuesday that the world is on the brink of a hunger pandemic, and that coronavirus-related economic lockdowns will greatly exacerbate the effects.
What are the details?
Here's the upshot: Beasley warned that "there is a real danger that more people could potentially die from the economic impact of COVID-19 than from the virus itself."
"This sounds truly shocking but let me give you the numbers," Beasley said. "821 million people go to bed hungry every night all over the world, chronically hungry, and as the new Global Report on Food Crisis published today shows, there are a further 135 million people facing crisis levels of hunger or worse."
"That means 135 million people on earth are marching toward the brink of starvation. But now the World Food Programme analysis shows that, due to the Coronavirus, an additional 130 million people could be pushed to the brink of starvation by the end of 2020. That's a total of 265 million people," he continued.
Beasley said that the WFP analysis shows that "300,000 people could starve to death every single day over a three-month period," and he noted that this figure "does not include the increase of starvation due to COVID-19."
He then cited specific ways in which global economic shutdowns will harm lower income individuals around the world, especially in Africa and the Middle East.
"Lockdowns and economic recession are expected to lead to a major loss of income among the working poor," he stated. "Overseas remittances will also drop sharply — this will hurt countries such as Haiti, Nepal, and Somalia just a name a couple. The loss of tourism receipts will damage countries such as Ethiopia, where it accounts for 47% of total exports. The collapsing oil prices in lower-income countries like South Sudan will have an impact significantly, where oil accounts for 98.8% of total exports. And, of course, when donor countries' revenues are down, how much impact will this have on life saving foreign aid."
Anything else?
The International Monetary Fund announced earlier this month that it is anticipating "the worst economic fallout since the Great Depression" as the coronavirus pandemic forces business across the world to close their doors.
Similarly to the WFP analysis, the IMF predicted that the economic downturn will more negatively affect the world's poor.
"With weak health systems to begin with, many face the dreadful challenge of fighting the virus in densely populated cities and poverty-stricken slums, where social distancing is hardly an option," said IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva.
Just over a month ago, as the COVID-19 outbreak was in its upswing in the United States, President Trump raised eyebrows when he warned of the damage that widespread economic shutdowns could cause.
"We cannot let the cure be worse than the problem itself," he famously tweeted.
As of Friday morning, the coronavirus had infected at least 2.7 million people worldwide, resulting in over 190,000 deaths, according to data from the Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 tracker.


theblaze--2020-04-24--‘Reproductive justice’ advocate details her lockdown abortion experience: ‘Will I get stuck pregnant

‘Reproductive justice’ advocate details her lockdown abortion experience: ‘Will I get stuck pregnant?’

'The need for abortions does not subside during a pandemic '

A "reproductive justice" advocate's essay in Newsweek has gone viral after she documented her experience in obtaining an abortion during the COVID-19 pandemic.
What are the details?
Nik Zaleski, who is also a playwright, cultural strategist, and director — writes, "I had an abortion in California during the COVID-19 pandemic."
In the essay, Zaleski says that she has worked tirelessly over the past 10 years to "protect abortion access" through organizing, facilitating, and storytelling.
"Back in March," she admitted in the piece, "I made a difficult decision."
That decision? Not an existential battle over whether to kill her child or let he or she live — but "whether to go outside (or not) to get an abortion."
Needless to say, the reproductive justice advocate opted to leave the house in order to get an abortion, because she said she believed it to be "essential."
"[S]hould we go outside and potentially expose ourselves to the virus or stay home with a pregnancy we don't want to continue?" she wrote.
You know what she ended up doing, of course.
Heading to Planned Parenthood
"On March 16," she wrote, "the day the 'shelter in place' order was announced in certain parts of California, I pulled up to the parking lot of my local Planned Parenthood to begin a medication abortion."
"I glanced at my phone before going in to find a text from my friend," she continued.
The message, Zaleski said, read, "California is about to announce that six counties, including ours, won't be allowed to leave our homes until April 7. ... Get everything you need before mass hysteria."
"In the steps between the car and the clinic doors, I worried," she admitted. "Will I get stuck pregnant?"
Zaleski said that she entered the facility with one worry on her mind: Whether she'd be able to obtain her "necessary" abortion.
"When it was my turn [in line], I told the receptionist I had just heard the news about sheltering in place," she recalled. "'Am I allowed to be here?' I asked. 'Of course,' she assured me."
Zaleski said that she took a deep breath and "silently thanked God."
She was able to obtain the abortion via pharmaceutical treatment and she went home to count her blessings and privileges as a "white, young, healthy, able-bodied, insured" American.
"I am now thinking about all of the people who are currently trying to get the abortion access they need," she wrote. "Should [abortion patients] follow the CDC's guidance and cancel travel or get on a bus, plane, train, or car to cross a state line for care?"
Feeling for women who want an abortion but face red tape
Zaleski said that she felt fear for those women who elected to have an abortion, only to discover red tape because of the coronavirus pandemic.
"I think of everyone who has to travel hundreds of miles because they happen to live in Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, or West Virginia — states with only one clinic that offers abortion services," she mused. "And I think of those who may have to travel long distances for a later procedure. They will all have to make the same decision that I did — whether or not to go outside."
Zaleski said that she was able to experience on a small scale — about "seven minutes" — the anxiety that women who can't get their "necessary" abortions, and felt for them.
"That seven minutes is why I work to ensure everyone who wants an abortion is able to get one," she boasted. "Without barriers and without fear."


theblaze--2020-04-24--Christopher Steele testified in court that his emails were ‘wiped,’ documents related to dossier 'no

Christopher Steele testified in court that his emails were ‘wiped,’ documents related to dossier 'no longer exist'

Christopher Steele testified in court that his emails were ‘ wiped , ’ documents related to dossier 'no longer exist @

Ex-British spy Christopher Steele testified in court that his emails and documents related to his infamous dossier have been "wiped" clean.
Last month, Steele told a British court that documents and correspondence with his main source for anti-Trump dossier no longer exist. The Daily Caller obtained a transcript from Steele's deposition on March 18.
The former MI6 officer testified in court that his communications regarding the Steele dossier were "wiped" in December 2016 and January 2017, according to the transcript.
Steele, who previously ran the Russia desk at MI6 headquarters in London, was testifying at a deposition on March 17-18, which stemmed from a defamation lawsuit brought by three Russian bankers: Petr Aven, German Khan, and Mikhail Fridman.
Hugh Tomlinson, a lawyer for the owners of Alfa Bank, questioned the ex-spy following the bank owners' libel suit against Steele and Orbis Business Intelligence, a London-based private intelligence firm co-founded by Steele. A memo in the Steele dossier accused the Russian bankers of corruption and illicit ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In December 2019, Steele's lawyers said, "the Primary Sub-Source's debriefings by Obris were meticulously documented and recorded."
On March 18, Steele testified that the "meticulously documented and recorded" debriefings from the primary sub-source "no longer exist," according to the transcript.
Steele said that other communications related to the dossier were deleted, including from a personal email account that he used for the Fusion GPS project.
"As I understand your position, you have no contemporaneous notes or emails, save for your notes of interactions with the FBI; is that right?" Tomlinson asked Steele.
"I believe that is true, yes," Steele responded.
Steele also said he had no records of his dossier memos, including "Report 112," that alleged cooperation between Alfa Bank and the Kremlin.
"You have no record of anything, have you?" Tomlinson asked.
"I haven't got any records relating to the creation of 112," Steele replied.
Tomlinson asked, "Or indeed any of the other memoranda?"
"No, they were wiped in early January 2017," Steele answered.
According to the report from Daily Caller: "Steele said that a Hushmail account he used in late December 2016 was 'wiped' clean. He also said that communications with Fusion GPS on his company's computer network were scrubbed on Jan. 5, 2017."
Earlier this month, a Department of Justice watchdog found that FBI officials knew that information that flowed into the Steele dossier was likely tainted with Russian Intelligence disinformation.
In the report, the Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz labeled "Person 1" as a "key Steele sub-source."
"According to a document circulated among Crossfire Hurricane team members and supervisors in early October 2016, Person 1 had historical contact with persons and entities suspected of being linked to Russian Intelligence Services," the document read.
The document reported that Person 1 "was rumored to be a former KGB/SVR officer."
"In addition, in late December 2016, Department Attorney Bruce Ohr told SSA 1 that he had met with Glenn Simpson and that Simpson had assessed that Person 1 was a RIS officer who was central in connecting Trump to Russia," the document stated.
The FBI's Crossfire Hurricane, which was the investigation between Russian collusion with Donald Trump in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, "included at least two intelligence reports stating that key parts of the reporting from Christopher Steele—reporting that "played a central and essential role" in the decision to request FISA orders —were part of a Russian disinformation campaign," according to Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.).
Last month, Steele said he would not cooperate with John Durham's investigation into the FBI Russia probe.


theblaze--2020-04-24--Stanford doctor explains why coronavirus lockdown policies need to end: 'Ignore the panic and rely o

Stanford doctor explains why coronavirus lockdown policies need to end: 'Ignore the panic and rely on facts'

Stanford doctor explains why coronavirus lockdown policies need to end : 'Ignore the panic and rely on facts' He says @ @ @ @ @ it 's helping

The former chief of neuroradiology at Stanford University said the United States needs to end widespread coronavirus lockdowns and adopt a more targeted approach that both protects the most vulnerable people and builds immunity in the population.
In an op-ed published in The Hill, Dr. Scott Atlas laid out some key facts he believes policymakers are ignoring about the pandemic, and called for leaders to "ignore the panic" when making decisions.
"Tens of thousands of Americans have died, and Americans are now desperate for sensible policymakers who have the courage to ignore the panic and rely on facts," Atlas wrote. "Leaders must examine accumulated data to see what has actually happened, rather than keep emphasizing hypothetical projections; combine that empirical evidence with fundamental principles of biology established for decades; and then thoughtfully restore the country to function."
Atlas wrote that because the overall mortality rate is increasingly looking to be 0.1%-0.5% based on antibody studies, and because that mortality rate is even lower among healthy adults under the age of 50, it makes no sense to continue requiring all of the population to isolate when such a small percentage of people are in real danger from COVID-19.
Instead, Atlas wrote, states should craft policies that focus on protecting the elderly and those with chronic underlying conditions. Targeting that segment of the population, although it's smaller, will have the greatest impact on minimizing hospitalizations (preventing the health care system from becoming overwhelmed) and reducing deaths.
Mass lockdowns are not only unnecessary, but they are actively delaying the process that must occur in order for things to return to normal, Atlas believes. Without a vaccine or proven treatment, the only way to get past the COVID-19 outbreak is to develop herd immunity.
"In fact, infected people without severe illness are the immediately available vehicle for establishing widespread immunity," Atlas wrote. "By transmitting the virus to others in the low-risk group who then generate antibodies, they block the network of pathways toward the most vulnerable people, ultimately ending the threat. Extending whole-population isolation would directly prevent that widespread immunity from developing."
Atlas also pointed out that people are suffering and dying because hospitals have stopped procedures deemed nonessential, which can prevent the diagnoses of life-threatening illnesses and delay treatment for other conditions.
"The appropriate policy, based on fundamental biology and the evidence already in hand, is to institute a more focused strategy like some outlined in the first place: Strictly protect the known vulnerable, self-isolate the mildly sick and open most workplaces and small businesses with some prudent large-group precautions," Atlas concluded.
Atlas discussed his opposition to the lockdowns and explained why the models used to justify them have been consistently wrong during an interview with BlazeTV's Steve Deace on Thursday.


theblaze--2020-04-24--LIVESTREAM: Good Morning Mug Club

LIVESTREAM: Good Morning Mug Club

As American counties began enforcing shelter-in-place orders , Steven Crowder observed a need that he could meet for his fellow @ @ @ @ @ stay at home , they should at least have access to great content .
Steven @ @ @ @ @ churn out more premium content and offer it to you — free — for the @ @ @ @ @ Join the Louder with Crowder crew for this Friday edition of `` Good Morning Mug @ @ @ @ @ show goes live at 10 AM ET .
Use code QUARANTINE to save $ 30 @ @ @ @ @ .
Want more from Steven Crowder ?
To enjoy more of Steven 's uncensored late-night @ @ @ @ @ , subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America , @ @ @ @ @ the American dream .

As American counties began enforcing shelter-in-place orders, Steven Crowder observed a need that he could meet for his fellow man. If Americans must stay at home, they should at least have access to great content.
Steven and his team decided to churn out more premium content and offer it to you — free — for the entire month of April. Join the Louder with Crowder crew for this Friday edition of "Good Morning Mug Club."› The show goes live at 10 AM ET.
Here's a note from Steven:
Image source: Twitter screenshot
Use code QUARANTINE to save $30 on one year of BlazeTV.
Want more from Steven Crowder?
To enjoy more of Steven's uncensored late-night comedy that's actually funny, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution and live the American dream.


theblaze--2020-04-24--Enough is enough! It is time to end the COVID-19 shutdown

Enough is enough !
It is time to end the COVID-19 shutdown

Stanford University Professor, Dr. Scott Atlas, joined the Steve Deace Show on Thursday to explain why it is time to reopen America.
According to Dr. Atlas, most models have one thing in common — they are always wrong. As most know, models, predicting that the COVID-19 virus would cause devastation of epic proportions paved the way for panic and a country that is closed for business.
Watch the video below to hear a reasonable plan to end the COVID-19 shutdown and put Americans back to work.
Use code DEACE to save $30 on one year of BlazeTV.
Want more from Steve Deace?
To enjoy more of Steve's take on national politics, Christian worldview and principled conservatism with a snarky twist, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution and live the American dream.


theblaze--2020-04-25--China pressured the EU to change a report about their pandemic coverup — and they did

China pressured the EU to change a report about their pandemic coverup — and they did The coverup to the @

A bombshell report from Reuters documented China's successful effort to soften a report from the European Union that would describe their "disinformation campaign" about the coronavirus pandemic.
The Reuters report cited four diplomatic sources and was published on Friday.
The sources said that the European report on the Chinese coverup was set to be released on April 21 when Chinese authorities heard about it and persuaded the E.U. to postpone its release and edit its contents.
Reuters reviewed correspondence from a senior Chinese official warning that "if the report is as described and it is released today it will be very bad for cooperation."
In one example of the changes made, the excised portion of the report clearly blames China for a disinformation campaign:
"China has continued to run a global disinformation campaign to deflect blame for the outbreak of the pandemic and improve its international image. Both overt and covert tactics have been observed."
In the edited version that was published publicly by the E.U., China's role is reduced significantly, with the disinformation campaign being attributed to "state-backed sources from various governments, including Russia and – to a lesser extent – China."
A later note adds the tidbit of "significant evidence of covert Chinese operations on social media."
Many have accused China of covering up their culpability in the spread of the global pandemic, including Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) who said that he believed China seeded cases in other countries in order to maintain their relative global power.
Here's more about China's culpability for the pandemic:


theblaze--2020-04-25--Tara Reade says her mother called Larry King's show to report her allegations against Biden in 1993.

Tara Reade says her mother called Larry King's show to report her allegations against Biden in 1993. A tape has emerged.

Tara Reade says her mother called Larry King 's show to report her allegations against Biden in 1993 .
A @ @ @ @ @ I 'm wondering what a staffer would do besides go to the press in Washington @ @ @ @ @ left there . '

Tara Reade, who claims Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden sexually assaulted her in 1993, recently told a journalist that her mother called CNN's "Larry King Live" around the time of the alleged incident asking for advice on where to report that her daughter had been "sexually harassed and retaliated against and fired."
Now, a tape of the purported call has been unearthed, and Reade says that it is her mother's voice. The Intercept, which reported the new evidence, says the audio supports the "credibility of Reade's allegation against" the former vice president.
What are the details?
Reade disclosed to The Intercept in an interview that following the alleged incident with Biden, "she told her mother, a close friend, and her brother about both the harassment (from Biden) and, to varying degrees of detail, the assault at the time."
Reade also recalled to the outlet that after her departure from Biden's Senate office in 1993, her mother phoned in to Larry King's show. Reade said during an interview, "I remember it being an anonymous call and her saying my daughter was sexually harassed and retaliated against and fired, where can she go for help? I was mortified."
A listener of podcaster Katie Halper's—who first reported Reade's allegations earlier this year—found a call that matched the description to some degree of detail.
The tape shows King taking a call from an anonymous woman from San Luis Obispo, California (where property records reportedly show that Reade's mother lived at the time), who said:
Yes, hello. I'm wondering what a staffer would do besides go to the press in Washington? My daughter has just left there, after working for a prominent senator, and could not get through with her problems at all, and the only thing she could have done was go to the press, and she chose not to do it out of respect for him.
King replied, "In other words, she had a story to tell but, out of respect for the person she worked for, she didn't tell it?"
"That's true," the caller responds.
Tara Reade Mother Larry King Joe Biden Allegation www.youtube.com
The caller mentions no details of the "story" her daughter had to tell. But as The Intercept points out, "the reference to being unable to 'get through with her problems' aligns with Reade's claim that she complained to superiors in Biden's office and got nowhere, and the reference to going to the press makes clear that the caller is talking about more than just generic problems at the office."
The outlet added that "the call also calls into question the credibility of Biden's denial," because Biden's longtime office manager denied ever taking a complaint from Reade or anyone else alleging "improper behavior" from Biden. For that to be true, The Intercept reasoned, "Reade would have had to have lied to her friend, brother, and mother about having complained to Biden's office" and "there is no reason Reade would make up a story to those closest to her."
After the video from 1993 was found and sent to Reade, she told The Daily Caller, "I just heard audio, my mother died and hearing her voice made me cry. She was such a good mom and always watching out for me even now." Reade said the video proves "that I was forced out and wanted to come forward in 1993."


theblaze--2020-04-25--Joe Biden says President Trump will try to postpone the election

Joe Biden says President Trump will try to postpone the election 'That 's the only way he thinks he can @ @ @ @

Presumed Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden predicted that President Donald Trump would come up with some rationale in order to postpone the 2020 presidential election.
The former vice president made the comments to supporters at a virtual fundraiser on Thursday, according to the Washington Examiner.
"Mark my words: I think he is going to try to kick back the election somehow; come up with some rationale why it can't be held," Biden said to his virtual audience.
"Imagine threatening not to fund the post office. Now, what in God's name is that about? Other than trying to let the word out that he's going to do all he can to make it very hard for people to vote," he explained. "That's the only way he thinks he can possibly win."
Biden was likely referring to comments by the president deriding the United States Postal Service for aiding in the rise of Amazon by providing cheap transportation services for products ordered online.
On Friday, the president called on the USPS to raise prices and threatened to block emergency funds to the institution if they ignored his demands. He accused the post office officials of being somehow coordinating with online companies. He later walked back the comments and said he would never let the USPS fail.
Biden also commented that there was bound to be election interference.
"You can be assured, between [Trump] and the Russians, there is going to be an attempt to interfere," he said.
The president has also objected to Democratic plans to expand voting by mail, saying that the policy would allow for easier voter fraud.
Here's the latest on Trump's hatred of the USPS:


theblaze--2020-04-25--Three arrested on San Diego beach for violating California governor's stay-at-home orders

Three arrested on San Diego beach for violating California governor 's stay-at-home orders Californians with surfboards are arrested on the @ @ @ @ @ lockdown orders .

Three people were arrested on Saturday after they participated in a protest against the state's stay-at-home orders on a California beach.
The protest was named "The Surf's Up Shred the Tidal Wave of Tyranny," and was scheduled from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday. The protestors congregated on Moonlight Beach in Encinitas, about 25 miles north of San Diego. More than a dozen people assembled on the edge of the beach access that was taped off. One woman held a sign that read: "OPEN BEACHES & TRAILS."
Three men with surfboards near them on the ground were confronted by police. They were arrested, taken into custody, and charged with violating California's state of emergency orders.
San Diego beaches, including beaches in Encinitas, will reopen for active recreation beginning on April 27, according to city officials. San Diego beaches will initially only be available for walking, jogging, swimming, surfing, kayaking, and paddleboarding. Sitting and sunbathing will not be allowed. Boardwalks, piers, and parking lots will remain closed. Gatherings are prohibited.
Other California beaches such as Huntington Beach and Newport Beach are open to the public. Over the past few days, warmer weather tempted tens of thousands of Californians to flock to the shore.
Starting May 1, San Diego will require all residents to wear masks when they go out in public. The order from San Diego County requires residents to wear a facial covering when they leave their homes and are within six feet of non-household members.
"We believe this is going to be a part of life in the new normal," County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher said. "Now is the time, the voluntary compliance is over and now it is time for strict compliance throughout all communities."
"Until such time when we have a vaccine or a widely available therapeutic drug, there are going to be parts of life that are going to change," Fletcher continued. "Getting in the habit of having a face covering when you leave your house — that's going to be part of the change."


theblaze--2020-04-25--Michigan Dem who was censured for thanking Trump fires back at Dem Gov. Whitmer

Michigan Dem who was censured for thanking Trump fires back at Dem Gov .
Whitmer ' I 'm not going @ @ @ @ @ quiet '

Michigan state Rep. Karen Whitsett (D) fired back at the Democratic Party and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) on Friday for trying to "silence her" after she visited President Donald Trump.
After contracting coronavirus, Whitsett's doctor prescribed her hydroxychloroquine, a malaria drug that Trump has touted as effective in fighting COVID-19. Upon defeating the virus, Whitsett thanked the president for bringing attention to the drug. However, Michigan Democrats want to censure Whitsett for later meeting with Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, as well as for criticizing Whitmer's stay-at-home orders.
Speaking with Fox News host Tucker Carlson on Friday, Whitsett said she will not back down.
"Why they would expel me is beyond words for me. This is something that I did not expect. I started out with a simple 'thank you' to the man who is the president of the United States. It's a thank you. I didn't know that 'thank you' had a political line," Whitsett said.
"I think it was just me as a state representative that I was out of line, according to possibly our governor," she explained. "Taking myself and going to the White House to speak with the president of the United States, I think it was a kind of 'how dare you,' because the person who is in charge of the 13th congressional district actually works for our governor."
When Carlson asked if Gov. Whitmer has asked about her health, Whitsett revealed that the governor has only sent her nasty text messages.
"I'm not going to stand by and be quiet, nor will I be silenced by anyone when it comes to the people in my community. I don't care who it is," Whitsett said. "If you're not doing right by us, if you're not doing right by black people within our community, I'm going to stand up, and I don't care who it is. I'm going to stand up against you."
"I'm going to speak out. And right now I'm speaking for the people who cannot speak for themselves," she added. "I don't care who it is. I will go up against her any day."
On Saturday, Detroit Democrats voted unanimously to officially censure Whitsett.


theblaze--2020-04-25--Muslim call to prayer will be blasted over this major US city five times per day during Ramadan

The Muslim call to prayer will blast over loudspeakers in a Minneapolis neighborhood five times per day during the month of Ramadan.
According to Al Jazeera, the prayer call will be broadcasted during Ramadan, Islam's holy month, which runs from April 23 to May 23.
The news outlet called the development "historic" because it is the first time Islam's call to prayer was blasted over a major U.S. city.
From Al Jazeera:
The simple, short call - known as the adhan - marked an historical moment for Minneapolis and major cities across the United States, community members said. While the adhan is commonly broadcast throughout the Middle East, North Africa and other places, for many Muslims in the US, it is only heard inside mosques or community centres.
"There's definitely a lot of excitement," said Imam Abdisalam Adam, who is on the board of the Dar al-Hijrah mosque, from where the adhan will be broadcast. "Some people see it as historic," Adam told Al Jazeera. "To the point ... that they're not doing it, able to see it in their lifetime."
The prayer will be directed at the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood in West Minneapolis, which has been dubbed "Little Mogadishu" due to the prevalence of Somali immigrants.
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), a Somali immigrant herself, represents the area in Congress.


theblaze--2020-04-25--Top Dem operative and founder of Media Matters accused of illegally profiting from far-left nonprofi

Top Dem operative and founder of Media Matters accused of illegally profiting from far-left nonprofit David Brock is a longtime @ @ @ @ @ his organizations have been funded by George Soros .

David Brock, who was described by Time magazine as "one of the most influential operatives in the Democratic Party," is accused of illegally transferring millions of dollars from a nonprofit to a for-profit entity. Brock, the founder of Media Matters for America and a longtime ally of the Clintons, is under investigation for possibly violating tax laws.
Far-left Super PAC American Bridge 21st Century was founded by Brock in 2011, which included the nonprofit group American Bridge Foundation. The AB Foundation is accused of transferring $2.7 million in tax-exempt assets to True Blue Media, a for-profit company owned by Brock that is the parent company of ShareBlue, a for-profit media company now known as The American Independent, according to the Daily Caller.
American Bridge Foundation's transfers to True Blue Media were disclosed in the nonprofit's Form 990s filed to the IRS in 2017 and 2018.
Patriots Foundation, a right-leaning government watchdog, alleged that the transactions violated Internal Revenue Service rules that prohibit nonprofit organizations from using tax-exempt resources to pay personal or private expenses of any key figures connected to the nonprofit. The Iowa-based watchdog filed a complaint with the IRS.
"David Brock, a leading left-wing political consultant, raises millions of dollars every year to influence the media, politics, and campaigns," Craig Robinson, the president of the Patriots Foundation, said. "Behind the scenes, his network of organizations have engaged in very troubling behavior that warrants serious investigation."
"These complaints we filed provide damning indictment of serious allegations about how his organizations have circumvented rules and exploited the tax-exempt status of the organizations for personal benefit and partisan political purposes, and potentially siphoning millions for improper purposes," Robinson told The Daily Beast in a statement.
"We're calling on the IRS to conduct a thorough investigation of Brock's organizations and to hold them accountable for all violations," Robinson said.
The complaint stated: "AB21CF appears to have abandoned any attempts at credibly describing itself as a social welfare organization under section 501(c)(4). Instead, it has become singularly focused on one mission, 'to take on Donald Trump.'"
The document claimed American Bridge 21st Century planned to create "a 47-person war room to take on Donald Trump with a staff of 23 researchers, a communications team of 16."
American Bridge President Bradley Beychok said the group's "investment" was authorized by the board of directors. "The investment in True Blue Media, LLC was determined by the Independent Board of Directors to further the mission of AB Foundation," Beychok told The Daily Beast.
"To remove any potential conflict of interest, David Brock resigned as an officer and a member of the board of directors [of American Bridge] in 2016, before the first investment was made," Beychok said. "In the interest of transparency, the investments were listed on IRS form 990 as both a grant on Schedule I and on Schedule L. AB Foundation received an industry-standard investment agreement and in turn owns stock in True Blue Media."
However, the AB Foundation referred to Brock as its chairman as recently as 2018, and Brock currently labels himself as the chairman of American Bridge.
Liberal billionaire George Soros has given donations to American Bridge 21st Century. According to records, American Bridge 21st Century has spent $10 million on anti-Trump advertising in battleground states. Brock has been talking about "kicking Trump's ass" since November 2016.


theblaze--2020-04-25--Ted Cruz, FCC take action to shut down the spread of Chinese propaganda in America

Ted Cruz , FCC take action to shut down the spread of Chinese propaganda in America 'This is a prudent @ @ @ @ @ of America 's telecom networks '

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and the Federal Communications Commission are taking action to thwart the spread of Chinese propaganda in the United States.
What is Cruz doing?
Cruz plans to introduce legislation that would stop the Chinese Communist Party from exploiting a loophole that has allowed them to broadcast propaganda into the U.S. through a radio station connected to Beijing.
The Washington Free Beacon exclusively reported:
Cruz's bill, the first of its kind, was sparked by the purchase of a radio station connected to Phoenix TV—an outlet owned by the Chinese government—that is now using a broadcast tower in Mexico to beam Chinese-language propaganda into the United States.
Phoenix TV has used Mexican radio towers to skirt U.S. laws barring the dissemination of foreign propaganda in America and broadcast state propaganda throughout Southern California, sources said.
Specifically, Cruz's law would close loopholes by banning the FCC from granting licenses to companies and individuals who intend to change their broadcast language.
In the case of Phoenix TV, they changed their broadcast language to Chinese after obtaining a temporary FCC license.
"China should not be able to set up shop in Mexico and blanket America with propaganda. Every year, the [Chinese Communist Party] spends billions of dollars purchasing news outlets and waging information warfare to extend the reach of its propaganda and whitewash the unflattering and politically inconvenient truths about its totalitarian regime," Cruz told the Free Beacon.
What is the FCC doing?
On Friday, the FCC issued "Show Cause Orders" to four telecom companies with connections to "the communist regime in China." The orders "provide the carriers with 30 days to explain why the FCC should not initiate proceedings to revoke their authority to operate in the U.S."
The four companies are:
China Telecom Americas
China Unicom Americas
Pacific Networks
ComNet
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr said in a statement:
Over the past few weeks, Americans have learned that they no longer need to page through dusty foreign policy magazines to understand the consequences that flow from communist China's brutal crackdown on freedom and free speech. The communist party's silencing of critics and its disappearance of hero doctors and citizen journalists exacerbated the global spread of Covid-19. Americans are now experiencing the consequences of those oppressive actions in their own lives—whether in the loss of their jobs or their kids not being able to attend school due to Covid-19.
Since communist China is willing to disappear its own people to advance the regime's geopolitical agenda, it is appropriate for the FCC to closely scrutinize telecom carriers with ties to that regime. This is a prudent step to ensure the security of America's telecom networks. In the Show Cause orders issued today, we give carriers 30 days to explain why the FCC should not initiate proceedings to revoke their authority. They now have the opportunity to provide evidence showing that they are not subject to the exploitation, influence, and control of the Chinese government such that we should not look to revoke their authority to operate in the U.S. I look forward to reviewing the record that develops and reaching a final decision on those key issues.
Shutting down Chinese propaganda is becoming an increasingly critical issue as the Chinese Communist Party tries to shift blame for the coronavirus pandemic onto the U.S.
Update: The name of the Chinese Communist Party has been corrected in this story.


theblaze--2020-04-25--Tens of thousands swarm California beaches despite governor's stay-at-home orders

Large crowds packed beaches despite California experiencing its deadliest day of the COVID-19 outbreak this week .

This week, tens of thousands of people flocked to beaches in California despite the state's stay-at-home orders during the coronavirus pandemic.
Warm weather enticed Californians to swarm beaches in Orange County that were still open during the COVID-19 outbreak. Surfers, joggers, and sunbathers were seen gathering at the California coastline over the past few days, many not following social distancing guidelines.
Thousands went to Huntington Beach, where one group played a football game on the sand.
Approximately 40,000 people went to the shoreline of Newport Beach, a California town that has a total population of 85,000.
California has over 41,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and 1,618 deaths. As of Friday, California reported 11,877 new confirmed COVID-19 cases this week compared to 8,012 new cases the prior week. There were 562 deaths this week compared to 456 deaths last week. California also suffered its deadliest day of the coronavirus outbreak on Wednesday, with 118 deaths in 24 hours.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) instructed people to continue to stay at home, despite the warmer weather.
"It's going to be nice outside this weekend," Newsom tweeted on Friday. "You might be feeling cooped up. Ready for life to go back to 'normal.' But can't stress this enough: CA can only keep flattening the curve if we stay home and practice physical distancing. You have the power to literally save lives."
San Diego County beaches will open on Monday, but initially, it will only allow access to the ocean for swimming, surfing, kayaking, and paddle-boarding.
On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's most advanced biocontainment lab touted research that the coronavirus was susceptible to sunlight, warmer temperatures, and humid weather.
South Carolina and Georgia opened their beaches this week.
Crowds at Florida beaches during the coronavirus pandemic have been well-documented. It all started in mid-March when crowds assembled on the shores of Clearwater Beach, most of which were spring breakers, and many of them were from outside of Florida. One Miami Herald columnist said that reopened beaches should help "thin the ranks" of President Donald Trump's supporters in Florida.
A few days after the lack of social distancing on the beaches, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) closed all of the beaches in the Sunshine State. On April 17, DeSantis gave municipalities in his state the authority to reopen beaches, but only if it can be done safely while observing social distancing guidelines.
Duval and St. Johns counties immediately reopened their beaches, and thousands of Floridians converged to the shore near Jacksonville.
Photos of the crowds on the beach went viral, and the hashtag #FloridaMorons trended on Twitter. As of yet, the hashtag #CaliforniaMorons has yet to trend.


theblaze--2020-04-25--Dr. David Katz explains how the US can reopen safely and why the lockdown is dangerous

Dr. David Katz explains how the US can reopen safely and why the lockdown is dangerous The former instructor at @ @ @ @ @ wants to save the most vulnerable Americans and the economy .

The methods of how governments have handled the coronavirus pandemic, and decisions to shut down the economy, will be studied for years to come. There have mostly been two trains of thought: Every non-essential business must close and everyone must quarantine or open up everything. Sadly, nuance seems to be missing from the discussion. Very few are considering an amalgamation of contrasting solutions to slow the spread of COVID-19 and, at the same time, not force the economy to collapse. One voice for a balanced approach to the physical and economic health of people is Dr. David Katz, a doctor and former clinical instructor at the Yale School of Medicine.
Dr. Katz first made waves on March 20 with an op-ed in the New York Times titled "Is Our Fight Against Coronavirus Worse Than the Disease?" Katz pointed out that building immunity to the coronavirus is critical for bodies to fight off the infection.
Katz noted that the "deaths have been mainly clustered among the elderly, those with significant chronic illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease, and those in both groups."
He feared that "our efforts will do little to contain the virus because we have a resource-constrained, fragmented, perennially underfunded public health system." Katz, who is the founding director of the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center in Connecticut, added that quarantining everyone at home "increases mingling across generations that will expose the most vulnerable."
Katz suggested that governments focus "resources on testing and protecting, in every way possible, all those people the data indicate are especially vulnerable to severe infection: the elderly, people with chronic diseases and the immunologically compromised."
Katz wrote that "protecting the truly vulnerable" was critical, but at the same time, returning to a somewhat normal way of life "could develop natural herd immunity to the virus." Herd immunity is when the population collectively builds an immunity to an infectious disease by being infected, recovering, and developing antibodies, which eventually slows the spread.
"This focus on a much smaller portion of the population would allow most of society to return to life as usual and perhaps prevent vast segments of the economy from collapsing," Katz wrote.
Katz proposed that healthy children, least affected by COVID-19, return to school, which would allow their parents go back to their jobs.
On Sunday, Katz appeared on Fox News' "Life, Liberty & Levin" to elaborate on his ideas to combat the novel coronavirus.
"That's what will happen if you lock everybody away from everybody else and kind of wait until things get better and then let everybody out into the world," Katz told host Mark Levin. "The virus is still out there. We don't have antibodies. We'll just get it later."
"If all you do is flatten the curve, you don't prevent deaths or severe cases. You just change the dates. We don't want to do that," Katz said.
Katz suggested that we don't need to test all 330 million Americans, but rather representative random sampling from communities all across the country could provide enough data to assign risks.
"The numbers of us that need to have antibodies vary with the properties of a given contagion," he added. "And we're learning what the properties of this particular contagion are. That also needs to come from data."
Katz said that a coronavirus vaccine is likely 18 months or two years away or "it could much longer."
"The only way to get back to the world as we knew it is to develop herd immunity," Katz said. "Those of us with low-risk for severe infection actually need to get this thing, and get over it, and develop antibodies."
"Because if I have antibodies, I can't get it, I can't give it to you," Katz told Levin. "So it doesn't matter whether you're vulnerable; you and I shake hands, you don't get it from me."
"When enough of us have made antibodies at the population level, there are enough dead-ends that the virus just can't get through the population. It finds it harder to get to a host where it can survive and it dies out," Dr. Katz said of COVID-19 pathogens. "That's herd immunity."
Dr David Katz Makes The Case For Herd Immunity Against Covid-19 Rather Than Continuous Lockdown www.youtube.com
On Friday, Dr. Katz appeared on "Real Time with Bill Maher" to discuss his potential solutions to the pandemic and how the country should handle the coronavirus recovery. Katz said that he doesn't agree with Sweden's model of opening up everything, but he also doesn't think that closing everything was the right answer either.
Katz, who volunteered his medical services to an emergency department in the Bronx, pointed out that there was "more than one way for this situation to hurt people or even kill them" and "there's more than one way to protect people and save them."
Katz talked about recent antibody tests, specifically the study that found 21 percent of people in New York City had antibodies, and how coronavirus infections could be much higher than what is being reported, thus the mortality rate is lower. "We're starting to see that the mortality toll of this, when you get the denominator, is really small," Katz said.
"We don't want to destroy people's lives and livelihoods and means of feeding their families," Katz told Bill Maher.
Dr. Katz said he debated going on Fox News, and speculated that there might be a "real opportunity for a real 'a-ha' American moment between the extremes of left and right."
"The left side of the spectrum, the liberal ideology, that seems to be so resistant to talking at all on unemployment and the economy, but that's the very same camp that tends to appreciate that the single-leading driver of bad health outcomes is poverty," Katz said. "Social determinants of health are massively important. So frankly, 30 million people unemployed, that falls disproportionately hard on the people who can least bear the unemployment, who are at most risk of food insecurity, who are at most risk of depression and addiction."
Maher responded to the COVID-19 strategy presented by Katz, "Yeah, I think you make a lot of sense there. And I think it's a shame—you talk about politicization, that people like you who sound reasonable, maybe it's not the exact one true opinion you hear somewhere else, has to go on Fox News."


theblaze--2020-04-25--Report: Kim Jong Un left in 'vegetative state' following complications during surgery

Report : Kim Jong Un left in 'vegetative state ' following complications during surgery

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is reportedly in a "vegetative state" following complication during a recent surgery.
Japanese magazine Shukan Gendai reported that Kim collapsed during a recent visit to a rural part of North Korea.
In response, a team of Chinese medical experts were rushed to North Korea. The team determined that Kim would need a stent to open a congested blood vessel.
More from Fox News:
Shukan Gendai subsequently detailed how the surgeon in charge of Kim's operation was not used to dealing with obese patients and was too nervous during the operation, leading to delays that left Kim in a "vegetative state."
The magazine cited an unnamed member of Kim's medical team.
Reuters reported on Friday that China has, indeed, dispatched a team of medical experts to help North Korea with Kim's health.
Concerns over Kim's health surfaced this week after CNN reported that U.S. officials were monitoring intelligence that indicated Kim's health was in "grave danger."
Subsequent reports said that U.S. officials were trying to determine North Korea's line of succession should Kim die.
However, South Korea later pushed back against the reports. They said Kim was handling affairs in North Korea as usual. Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. John Hyten then said the U.S. military had "no reason not to assume" that Kim was still alive and in control of his country.
Kim was absent from a major North Korean holiday on Saturday, and his whereabouts remain officially unknown.


theblaze--2020-04-25--Mike Flynn was 'deliberately set up and framed' by the FBI — and his lawyers have the evidence to pr

Mike Flynn was 'deliberately set up and framed' by the FBI — and his lawyers have the evidence to prove it

Mike Flynn was 'deliberately set up and framed ' by the FBI — and his lawyers have the evidence to @ @ @ @ @ misconduct in this case is beyond shocking and reprehensible '

Lawyers for Michael Flynn claimed in new court documents filed on Friday that the government recently produced previously undisclosed evidence that "proves" Flynn was "deliberately set up and framed" by the FBI.
In a supplemental court filing, Flynn's attorney, Sidney Powell, wrote:
This afternoon, the government produced to Mr. Flynn stunning Brady evidence that proves Mr. Flynn's allegations of having been deliberately set up and framed by corrupt agents at the top of the FBI.
It also defeats any argument that the interview of Mr. Flynn on January 24, 2017 was material to any "investigation." The government has deliberately suppressed this evidence from the inception of this prosecution—knowing there was no crime by Mr. Flynn.
The reference to "Brady evidence" suggests the government withheld exculpatory evidence from Flynn's defense team that could have helped prove Flynn's innocence.
The landmark Supreme Court case Brady v. Maryland requires that prosecutors turn over all evidence favorable to the defendant. Withholding such evidence amounts to a violation of due process, the court ruled.
In Friday's court filing, Powell also claimed there is evidence that Brandon Van Grack, the head prosecutor on the case, coerced a guilty plea from Flynn by threatening to also prosecute Flynn's son despite making a "side deal" with Flynn's former defense team to not prosecute his son.
Withholding that information violated another landmark Supreme Court case, Giglio v. United States, Powell said.
"All this new evidence, and the government has advised there is more to come, proves that the crimes were committed by the FBI officials and then the prosecutors. The government's misconduct in this case is beyond shocking and reprehensible. It mandates dismissal," Powell wrote.
The Daily Caller reported on Friday that FBI Director Christopher Wray pushed to withhold the exculpatory evidence in the Flynn case. However, officials with the Justice Department and FBI denied that assertion.
"The assertion that Director Wray pushed to withhold exculpatory evidence in the Michael Flynn case is 100% false," DOJ spokeswoman Kerri Kupec told the Daily Caller.
FBI Assistant Director of Public Affairs Brian Hale also called the allegation "absolutely false."
President Donald Trump said in February that he is considering a "full pardon" for Flynn.


theblaze--2020-04-24--Dem lawmaker hammered by her own party for thanking Trump, fires back: 'You need to DO YOUR JOB'

Dem lawmaker hammered by her own party for thanking Trump , fires back : 'You need to DO YOUR JOB' @ @ @ @ @ the bus and drive it over you !

Michigan Rep. Karen Whitsett (D-Detroit) was hammered by her own party for meeting with President Donald Trump and crediting hydroxychloroquine for saving her life. Now, Detroit Democrats are planning to vote on a resolution to censure the freshman lawmaker and bar any future endorsements.
UPDATE: A resolution to censure Rep. Whitsett unanimously passed on Saturday.
Read more on this here.
On the "Glenn Beck Radio Program" Friday, Rep. Whitsett had a fiery message for Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, whom she said is undoubtedly behind the party's push to censure her.
"I threw her under the bus and I drove the bus over her. This is payback," Whitsett told Glenn. "And as long as you [Whitmer] are not doing your job, and black lives are being lost in the city of Detroit, I will continue to throw you under the bus, drive it over you, and drag you by your hair behind the bus. Because you need to do your job!"
Rep. Whitsett was a guest on the radio program last week following her meeting with the president. She received some good news for the people of Detroit during the COVID-19 crisis:
If you'd like to make an impact in the lives of the people in Detroit, visit Mercury One.org.
Watch the full interview on BlazeTV.com.
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theblaze--2020-04-27--NYC Mayor Bill De Blasio appoints his wife as head of coronavirus racial inequality task force

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) announced that he appointed his wife as the head of a new racial inequality task force.
On Sunday, de Blasio put first lady Chirlane McCray in charge of a special coronavirus task force dedicated to racial inclusion and equity. De Blasio said the program would assist New York City to become a "better and more just society than the one we left behind."
"Every time New York City has faced a crisis, it's come back stronger. That's who we are. We will work together and build something better and fairer," de Blasio tweeted on Sunday.
"I am also launching the City Task Force on Racial Inclusion and Equity, focusing on confronting health disparities, specific needs in communities of color and breaking down structural racism," the Democratic NYC mayor wrote. "I want that mission baked into every aspect of our restart and recovery."
McCray will work with Deputy Mayor Phil Thompson in leading the COVID-19 racial inequality task force, which will begin meeting "in a matter of days," according to de Blasio.
De Blasio said the first lady was qualified because of the work she has done with ThriveNYC, an $850 million initiative to address a variety of mental health issues hindering New Yorkers.
"In terms of fighting inequality, Thrive has gone to that point and in many ways even farther," de Blasio said of his wife's work. "I think that's exactly the kind of mindset needed for this task force."
In the past, critics have blasted the efficiency and effectiveness of ThriveNYC, including Politico, which questioned whether the $850 million mental health program had metrics to measure success or failure, clear initiatives, and spending accountability.
"Meanwhile, more than $133.5 million was spent on 'stress reduction' through things like 'yoga, line dancing, drumming and soul Chi (soulful movement)' and 'equine-facilitated psychotherapy,' the New York Post said of ThriveNYC's initiatives.
The New York City Task Force on Racial Inclusion and Equity comes at a time when de Blasio admits that the city would "go broke" if it doesn't receive federal aid.
Two weeks ago, de Blasio said New York City was facing a $7.4 billion loss in tax revenue because of the coronavirus pandemic.
"It means all the things that people depend on in their lives — police, fire, sanitation, education — go down the list of all the things that makes any city, any town function," de Blasio said on an appearance on MSNBC. "If you're missing $7 billion, I assure you, you have to stop — you have to start to cut that stuff back in ways that can be very dangerous."
The lost tax revenue already forced the NYC mayor to slash $6 billion from his budget proposal, dropping it to $89.3 billion.


theblaze--2020-04-26--Frontline doctors who administered 5,000 coronavirus tests want to reopen, say COVID-19 similar to f

Frontline doctors who administered 5,000 coronavirus tests want to reopen, say COVID-19 similar to flu

Frontline doctors who administered 5,000 coronavirus tests want to reopen , say COVID-19 similar to flu Not all health care @ @ @ @ @ .

Two doctors, who have administered more than 5,000 coronavirus tests, say that the coronavirus is similar to the seasonal flu, the quarantine is not helping with building coronavirus immunity, and they are confident that reopening is safe.
The two frontline physicians, Dan Erickson and Artin Massihi, are the owners of Accelerated Urgent Care in Bakersfield, California. The doctors are presenting medical advice about the coronavirus that is far different than what health officials have been saying over the past weeks.
Last week, the doctors gave a news conference to deliver their COVID-19 findings.
"Do we need to still shelter in place? Our answer is emphatically no," Erickson said. "Do we need businesses to be shut down? Emphatically no. Do we need to test them and get them back to work? Absolutely."
Accelerated Urgent Care has tested 5,213 patients within the county, which makes up half of all testing done in Kern County. "Now that we have the facts, it's time to get back to work," Erickson said.
Erickson noted that the coronavirus and seasonal flu are "similar in their prevalence and death rates."
"If you study the numbers in 2017 and 2018, we had 50 to 60 million with the flu," Erickson said. "And we had a similar death rate in the deaths the United States were 43,545 — similar to the flu of 2017-2018. We always have between 37,000 and 60,000 deaths in the United States, every single year. No pandemic talk. No shelter-in-place. No shutting down businesses."
Erickson added that quarantining could lead to weakened immune systems.
"Sheltering in place decreases your immune system. And then as we all come out of shelter in place with a lower immune system and start trading viruses, bacteria — what do you think is going to happen? Disease is going to spike," Erickson explained. "And then you've got diseases spike — amongst a hospital system with furloughed doctors and nurses. This is not the combination we want to set up for a healthy society. It doesn't make any sense."
Erickson said he talked to emergency room doctors who said they are being "pressured" to add the "coronavirus" as the cause of death.
"You know it's interesting, when I'm writing up my death report, I'm being pressured to add 'COVID.' Why is that? Why are we being pressured to add COVID? To maybe increase the numbers and make it look a little bit worse than it is? I think so," he said.
"This is not about science. This is not even about COVID," Erickson stated.
However, not everyone is sold on the green-light advice coming from the doctors at Accelerated Urgent Care.
"This virus is not a virus to be taken very lightly," said Dr. Navin Amin, an infectious diseases specialist who has resided in Bakersfield for more than 40 years. "It is a killer virus. It spreads very rapidly, and it doesn't spare anybody."
"Even an asymptomatic person — 25 percent of them — can spread the virus without knowing it," Dr. Nimisha Amin, who is Navin's daughter, added. " As a result, social isolation may be a help. That's why we need everyone to be practicing social distancing."
"Social isolation has no bearing, no effect on the immune system at all," Amin stated.
"The flu acts a lot different," said Dr. Hemmal Kothary, who argued that the flu and coronavirus are not similar. "This virus is a lot more virulent. It passes from people to people a lot more aggressively. The symptoms are a lot more aggressive. It seems to affect a lot of age groups the flu typically won't affect."
"The doctor at Accelerated has spoken with our director. Our director has not concurred with the statements that were made yesterday about the need to reopen at this time," said Michelle Corson, Public Information Officer for Kern County Public Health.
"There are top medical minds in our state, in our county, in our nation that are providing this guidance to us. And we concur that these are actions that we should be taking right now, and we are steadfast in our recommendation to our community to continue this," Corson said.
The Kern County Public Health Department responded with the following statement:
In our ongoing effort to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 on our residents and healthcare system, we continue to adhere to the guidance issued by Governor Newsom regarding the stay at home order.
Kern County Public Health Services recommends the following protective measures:
Stay at home except for essential needs.
Practice social distancing.
Wash hands with soap and water often.
Avoid touching eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue or your elbow.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Stay away from work, school or other people if you become sick.
Wear face covering while in public if you are unable to maintain social distancing.
You can watch the entire COVID-19 news briefing with Doctors Dan Erickson and Artin Massihi below.
Dr. Erickson COVID-19 Briefing www.youtube.com


theblaze--2020-04-26--Pennsylvania forced to remove hundreds from COVID-19 death count over glaring irregularities

Pennsylvania forced to remove hundreds from COVID-19 death count over glaring irregularities ' I 'm not a conspiracy theory guy @ @ @ @ @ '

The state of Pennsylvania was forced to remove hundreds of deaths from its official coronavirus death count after glaring errors in the state's counting methodology were discovered.
Last week, Pennsylvania began adding "probable deaths" to its count, those deaths that were presumed to be caused by COVID-19, but were not confirmed with a test. As a result, Pennsylvania's death count almost doubled over the span of two days, Fox News reported.
Then, in a move that quickly raised eyebrows, the Pennsylvania Department of Health removed 200 deaths from the state count.
"There's a discrepancy in the numbers. I'm not saying there's something going on, "Charles Kiessling Jr., president of the Pennsylvania Coroners Association and coroner in Lycoming County told the Philadelphia Inquirer.
"I'm not a conspiracy theory guy. But accuracy is important," he said.
Jeffrey Conner, the coroner in Franklin County, told the Inquirer, "Coroners are frustrated. There is a lack of leadership from the Department of Health and a lack of definitive answers."
At concern is when Pennsylvania health officials began adding "probable deaths" to the official count. The first spike occurred last weekend, but a health department spokesperson said "probable deaths" had begun to be included in the count days earlier, suggesting the sudden spike was a lag in the system.
Meanwhile, Pennsylvania Health Secretary Rachel Levine attributed the discrepancy to needing more information about individual cases.
"At times, there are things we need to review, and potentially revisit the way the data is being analyzed," she told the Inquirer. "And this is one of those times."


theblaze--2020-04-26--Huge house party in Chicago caught on viral video

This is the opposite of social distancing

Possibly hundreds of people attended a house party in Chicago on Saturday night, and the videos have gone viral for their lack of social distancing.
A huge party was held at a home believed to be on the west side of Chicago, where one witness said there was 1,000 people in attendance. A couple of the partygoers were wearing face masks, but nobody was following social distancing guidelines of being separated by at least six feet because the rooms of the house were jam-packed. The video of the party uploaded to Facebook already has over 1.3 million views in 16 hours.
One partygoer said there were about 1,000 people at the house party.
"[There] were about 1,000 people in the yard and in the house," she said. "It was really crowded and hot."
The woman added that the people who attended the house party were not concerned about contracting the coronavirus.
"I'm not worried about [the coronavirus] but if I didn't have it before, I probably got it now. Oh well," she said.
On Sunday afternoon, the Chicago Police Department released a statement on the house party.
We are aware of a video circulating on social media depicting a large house party inside of an alleged Chicago residence. While we cannot authenticate the nature or location of the gathering, we want to remind everyone of the social distancing requirements in place. CPD will disperse crowds in violation of social distancing requirements, and if necessary, issue citations or as a last resort, enforce via arrest.
Illinois has the fourth-most confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. with nearly 44,000, as well as 1,933 deaths from COVID-19.
Last week, cops busted a bonfire party that was held on the banks of a creek in New Jersey. A group of 11 friends used boats and wave runners to assemble at a location in Cinnaminson that they believed to be hidden.
Police found the secret party and arrested everyone. They were charged with violating the emergency orders, which is a disorderly persons offense carrying a potential sentence of up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.
Tens of thousands of people flocked to beaches in California after temperatures warmed up over the past week. Thousands of people went to Huntington Beach, and an estimated 40,000 Californians swarmed Newport Beach.
Californians also visited San Diego County beaches this weekend, but they were closed to the public. At least three people were arrested for violating Gov. Gavin Newsom's stay-at-home orders by organizing a lockdown protest at Moonlight Beach in Encinitas.


theblaze--2020-04-26--Pastor given ankle bracelet for defying stay-at-home order continues to preach anyway

Pastor given ankle bracelet for defying stay-at-home order continues to preach anyway 'It 's a dirty , rotten , crying @ @ @ @ @ hide in America '

Louisiana Pastor Tony Spell, who leads Life Tabernacle Church in Baton Rouge, was placed on house arrest and fitted with an ankle monitoring device last week for refusing to suspend church services amid the coronavirus crisis.
On Sunday, Spell continued to defy the stay-at-home order.
According to The Advocate, Spell, who lives just 50 yards from the church where he pastors, held services despite a judge's order prohibiting the pastor from leaving his house.
"It's a dirty, rotten, crying shame when you have to hide in America," Spell told his congregation, NBC News reported.
More from NBC News:
In late March, Spell was issued a summons for violating the governor's executive order against gatherings of more than 50 people. He hosted a church service of about 500 worshippers.
The following week, Spell was accused of violating the order again. He told CNN that he hosted around 1,220 churchgoers for a Palm Sunday service at his church.
Spell was then arrested Tuesday and charged with assault for allegedly backing up his church bus dangerously close to a protester outside the church. He was met outside the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison by cheering supporters after he posted bail. The pastor insisted he would not give up his rights to worship.
Spell was expected to turn himself into authorities after the service for violating the judge's conditions, The Advocate reported.
Joseph Long, Spell's attorney, said his client will continue to litigate what he characterized as an attempt by the state of Louisiana to force Spell to stop "preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ to his congregation."
"Obviously, we believe this is an illegal order in violation of the Constitution, and will litigate the issue," Long said.
Louisiana has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, with more than 27,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and at least 1,740 deaths.


theblaze--2020-04-26--Texas cops use undercover sting operation to arrest women offering salon services at their homes

Texas cops use undercover sting operation to arrest women offering salon services at their homes Is this really the best @ @ @ @ @ now ?

Two women were arrested in Laredo, Texas, after they were caught running a beauty salon inside their homes. The women were arrested during an undercover sting operation by the Laredo Police Department.
Officers from the Laredo Police Department were informed of the activities through an anonymous tip sent to the Laredo Police Department mobile app on April 15. The tipster informed police that the women were advertising salon services on social media.
Police went on an undercover sting operation and arrested the women for offering beauty services from home. The cops were part of the COVID-19 task force enforcement detail.
Laredo police arrested Ana Isabel Castro-Garcia, 31, after she allegedly agreed to provide an undercover officer with a manicure. She was charged with "Violation of Emergency Management Plan C/B," according to KGNS-TV, an NBC affiliate in Laredo. Castro-Garcia was taken to the Webb County Jail for booking, where she was held on a $500 bond.
Brenda Stephany Mata, 20, was arrested after she reportedly agreed to perform eyelash service inside her home for an undercover cop. She was also charged with "Violation of Emergency Management Plan C/B" and was also taken to Webb County Jail and held on a $500 bond.
"Both of the violators independently solicited customers via social media. On both cases, an undercover officer working on the COVID-19 task force enforcement detail made contact with each solicitor to set up an appointment for a cosmetic, beauty service that is prohibited under the emergency ordinance," Laredo police said in a statement.
Authorities said that offering salon services, even at the person's home, is a violation of the stay-at-home orders instituted during the coronavirus pandemic.
The news of this cosmetology arrest comes only days after the owner of a salon in Dallas refused to close her business. Shelly Luther, who owns Salon a la Mode, announced that she would be defiantly reopening her salon during the coronavirus pandemic, despite orders that nonessential businesses must stay closed.
"I'm behind on my mortgage," Luther said. "I know a lot of my stylists haven't paid their mortgages. It's either come in and make money to be able to feed your family or stay home and freak out."
Luther, who employs 19 stylists at her salon, said her phone has been "ringing off the hook with people who want their hair done."


theblaze--2020-04-26--'Just calm down': Nancy Pelosi snaps when confronted by Jake Tapper over coronavirus relief

'Just calm down ' : Nancy Pelosi snaps when confronted by Jake Tapper over coronavirus relief 'It 's no use @ @ @ @ @ have been ... '

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi instructed CNN anchor Jake Tapper to "just calm down" on Sunday after he confronted her over the coronavirus relief.
Last week, Congress approved another economic package to help small businesses make ends meet during the COVID-19 shutdowns. Absent from the bill was additional aid for state and local government, who have repeatedly asked Congress for more help. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), for example, criticized Congress for not addressing state and local needs.
On CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday, Tapper pressed Pelosi on why Congress has not addressed those requests with specific action, suggesting she and other Democratic leaders have made a "tactical mistake."
"So, Cuomo says he would have insisted on state funding in the last bill," Tapper said. "Was this a tactical mistake by you and Senator Schumer?"
"Just calm down," Pelosi shot back.
"We will have state and local, and we will have it in a very significant way. It's no use going on to what might have been," she added.
The California Democrat had earlier claimed that the most recent legislation "was always an interim bill," and promised to pass additional local and state funding in the second major COVID-19 relief bill, which she dubbed CARES 2."
Later in the interview, Pelosi said governors are "impatient," but said their impatience is positive because it "will help us get an even bigger number" in the next relief bill.