thestream--2020-03-20--Coronavirus Killer? Important Follow-Up Info on Hydroxychloroquine Studies

Since pharmaceutical attorney Gregory Rigano appeared on Fox News , others ( real MDs ) have come forward with more information on recent studies of hydroxychloroquine , a newer version of the commonly used antimalarial drug chloroquine , and also remdesivir , which was created to fight the ebola virus .
The French study referenced by Rigano is real , and there ’ s one out of Australia and another out of China .
Rigano had called on President Trump to cut as much red tape as possible to hasten the approval process on new therapies .
And on Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calling on the FDA to “ eliminate outdated rules and bureaucracy so this work can proceed rapidly , quickly , and I mean … fast.
” He means … FAST .
And all the other words that mean fast .
“ We have to remove every barrier , ” the president said , “ and they ’ ve done that , to get to the rapid deployment of safe , effective treatments.
” According to Tennessee Republican Rep. Mark Green , a former Army flight surgeon who appeared with Shannon Bream on Fox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ touted by Rigano earlier this week showed that when mixed in a “ cocktail ” with the antibiotic azithromycin ( the familiar “ Z-pack ” often given to patients who have bronchitis and/or bacterial pneumonia ) , hydroxychloroquine can completely clear COVID-19 in as little as three days .
It happened in all patients who were in the study .
The sample size in the study he referenced was small , Green said , “ so it ’ s kind of hard to extrapolate…to the whole population , but it ’ s very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus gone in six days.
” In the French study , hydroxychloroquine and azithromax were tested against hydroxychloroquine alone and also against a control group .
The hydroxychloroquine-alone patients did better than the control group , but the patients who did best were the ones who had received both chloroquine and azithromax .
The anti-inflammatory effect of the antibiotic helps not only with bacterial infections but also with the symptoms of viral illness .
Off-Labeling to Get the Drug Into the Fight All of these drugs are already FDA approved for other uses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in large quantities .
( Please don ’ t tell me that all the manufacturing is currently being done in China ! )
Hydroxychloroquine is a generic [ cheap ] drug , Green said , “ so the question will be , who ’ s going to stand up and manufacture it ?
” In this case , surely some American company would take that on .
If there ’ s no financial incentive , our government might have to do some subsidizing to get this going now .
Goodness knows , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funds than just passing out money to everyone .
We need to defeat this virus so people can recover economically by getting back to work .
“ I think that the FDA has joined forces in eliminating red tape to ensure that that product could be available to physicians to prescribe to their patients , ” said White House coronavirus coordinator Dr. Debbie Birx on Thursday .
“ But we want to be able to study at the same time — not limit use but actually study it at the same time to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that others have reported.
” In other words , the FDA wants to be able to collect data on all patients receiving treatment with these drugs so they can scientifically answer questions of safety and effectiveness .
But , as Rep. Green pointed out , a physician doesn ’ t have to wait for a study — the doctor can write prescriptions right now for hydroxychloroquine ( off-label use ) and azithromax , with no restrictions .
As I mentioned yesterday , the FDA doesn ’ t really have a problem with off-label @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ [ Hydroxychloroquine ] is a drug that we ’ ve had around for decades , ” Dr. Birx said .
“ So , it ’ s a pretty straightforward drug to make ; there ’ s a lot of companies who already make it because it ’ s very important in our malaria fights around the world .
And so , we have [ the ] drug available , and we really just have to see , does it actually work ?
We know it ’ s probably safe — I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it have a therapeutic effect , and that ’ s going to be studied .
It looks promising .
We just want to make sure that at the same time that we ’ re giving this option to physicians , that we ’ re actually studying its impact.
” You know , if researchers and bureaucrats think it ’ s safe but want to see if it works , doctors can really help them with that by prescribing it , especially for those who are very sick and going downhill .
Help us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and human dignity .
Support The Stream » Even with the President cutting red tape , the FDA is still a bureaucracy and moves slowly .
Remdesivir , another antiviral , hasn ’ t yet completed the approval process , according to Rep. Green , but it ’ s already in Phase III studies with the FDA , so if it makes it , perhaps it will be available fairly soon .
My researchers turned up something very interesting : a study that compared two maps : one showing the pattern of COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In countries where malaria flourishes , people often take antimalarial drugs such as chloroquine routinely as a preventative , and that may be why those those countries aren ’ t reporting COVID-19 cases .
“ This is amazing… ” said Dr. Roy Spencer on Facebook .
“ In all my years of data analysis I have never seen such a stark and strong relationship : Countries with malaria basically have no COVID-19 cases ( at least not yet ) .
” We ’ re not sure if there ’ s anything to this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the theory that antimalarial drugs also fight this coronavirus .
Here are the two maps .
Our commentary on Gregory Rigano and his claims about hydroxychloroquine drew letters expressing a variety of points of view .
Most fell into the “ it ’ s worth a try !
” category .
Some readers shared anecdotal evidence that the drug is safe , but a few others noted that it can cause retinal problems and other side effects , particularly serious among those with inflammatory disease such as rheumatoid arthritis .
That ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out pills .
They have to be carefully prescribed by a physician who knows the patient ’ s condition and medical history and who will be closely monitoring the effects , both intended and unintended .
But that should be the case with every prescribed medication .
Antimalarial drugs are very commonly used in other parts of the world — if you ’ ve traveled abroad to India or Africa , you likely have taken them — and might be completely harmless for most people , but there ’ s hardly any drug @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s also the matter of how much to take for this particular illness , when to take it , how often and for how long .
A medication that might be fine at a low dose or in the short term to treat or head off coronavirus might be harmful if taken at a high dose or for months at a time .
And , of course , there might be bad interactions with other medications a patient is already taking .
That ’ s why the FDA wants as much data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start giving these medications to patients , we ’ re essentially initiating a very large-scale human trial .
But that appears to be just what we need to do .

Since pharmaceutical attorney Gregory Rigano appeared on Fox News, others (real MDs) have come forward with more information on recent studies of hydroxychloroquine, a newer version of the commonly used antimalarial drug chloroquine, and also remdesivir, which was created to fight the ebola virus. The French study referenced by Rigano is real, and there’s one out of Australia and another out of China.
Cutting the Red Tape to Save Lives
Rigano had called on President Trump to cut as much red tape as possible to hasten the approval process on new therapies. And on Thursday, the President did just that, calling on the FDA to “eliminate outdated rules and bureaucracy so this work can proceed rapidly, quickly, and I mean … fast.”
He means … FAST. And all the other words that mean fast.
“We have to remove every barrier,” the president said, “and they’ve done that, to get to the rapid deployment of safe, effective treatments.”
A Cocktail That Clears COVID-19
According to Tennessee Republican Rep. Mark Green, a former Army flight surgeon who appeared with Shannon Bream on Fox News Thursday night, the French study touted by Rigano earlier this week showed that when mixed in a “cocktail” with the antibiotic azithromycin (the familiar “Z-pack” often given to patients who have bronchitis and/or bacterial pneumonia), hydroxychloroquine can completely clear COVID-19 in as little as three days. It happened in all patients who were in the study. The sample size in the study he referenced was small, Green said, “so it’s kind of hard to extrapolate…to the whole population, but it’s very promising. One hundred percent of the virus gone in six days.”
In the French study, hydroxychloroquine and azithromax were tested against hydroxychloroquine alone and also against a control group. The hydroxychloroquine-alone patients did better than the control group, but the patients who did best were the ones who had received both chloroquine and azithromax. The anti-inflammatory effect of the antibiotic helps not only with bacterial infections but also with the symptoms of viral illness.
Off-Labeling to Get the Drug Into the Fight
All of these drugs are already FDA approved for other uses and would just need to be manufactured in large quantities. (Please don’t tell me that all the manufacturing is currently being done in China!) Hydroxychloroquine is a generic [cheap] drug, Green said, “so the question will be, who’s going to stand up and manufacture it?” In this case, surely some American company would take that on. If there’s no financial incentive, our government might have to do some subsidizing to get this going now. Goodness knows, that’s a more productive use of funds than just passing out money to everyone. We need to defeat this virus so people can recover economically by getting back to work.
“I think that the FDA has joined forces in eliminating red tape to ensure that that product could be available to physicians to prescribe to their patients,” said White House coronavirus coordinator Dr. Debbie Birx on Thursday. “But we want to be able to study at the same time — not limit use but actually study it at the same time to see if it does have the impact that others have reported.”
In other words, the FDA wants to be able to collect data on all patients receiving treatment with these drugs so they can scientifically answer questions of safety and effectiveness. But, as Rep. Green pointed out, a physician doesn’t have to wait for a study — the doctor can write prescriptions right now for hydroxychloroquine (off-label use) and azithromax, with no restrictions. As I mentioned yesterday, the FDA doesn’t really have a problem with off-label use once a drug has been approved.
“[Hydroxychloroquine] is a drug that we’ve had around for decades,” Dr. Birx said. “So, it’s a pretty straightforward drug to make; there’s a lot of companies who already make it because it’s very important in our malaria fights around the world. And so, we have [the] drug available, and we really just have to see, does it actually work? We know it’s probably safe — I think the question really is, does it have a therapeutic effect, and that’s going to be studied. It looks promising. We just want to make sure that at the same time that we’re giving this option to physicians, that we’re actually studying its impact.”
You know, if researchers and bureaucrats think it’s safe but want to see if it works, doctors can really help them with that by prescribing it, especially for those who are very sick and going downhill.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Even with the President cutting red tape, the FDA is still a bureaucracy and moves slowly. Remdesivir, another antiviral, hasn’t yet completed the approval process, according to Rep. Green, but it’s already in Phase III studies with the FDA, so if it makes it, perhaps it will be available fairly soon.
COVID-19 and Malaria
My researchers turned up something very interesting: a study that compared two maps: one showing the pattern of COVID-19 infection and the other showing malaria. In countries where malaria flourishes, people often take antimalarial drugs such as chloroquine routinely as a preventative, and that may be why those countries aren’t reporting COVID-19 cases. “This is amazing…” said Dr. Roy Spencer on Facebook. “In all my years of data analysis I have never seen such a stark and strong relationship: Countries with malaria basically have no COVID-19 cases (at least not yet).”
We’re not sure if there’s anything to this, but it certainly is consistent with the theory that antimalarial drugs also fight this coronavirus. Here are the two maps.
Our commentary on Gregory Rigano and his claims about hydroxychloroquine drew letters expressing a variety of points of view. Most fell into the “it’s worth a try!” category. Some readers shared anecdotal evidence that the drug is safe, but a few others noted that it can cause retinal problems and other side effects, particularly serious among those with inflammatory disease such as rheumatoid arthritis. That’s why we can’t just hand out pills. They have to be carefully prescribed by a physician who knows the patient’s condition and medical history and who will be closely monitoring the effects, both intended and unintended. But that should be the case with every prescribed medication.
Antimalarial drugs are very commonly used in other parts of the world — if you’ve traveled abroad to India or Africa, you likely have taken them — and might be completely harmless for most people, but there’s hardly any drug that is safe for everyone. There’s also the matter of how much to take for this particular illness, when to take it, how often and for how long. A medication that might be fine at a low dose or in the short term to treat or head off coronavirus might be harmful if taken at a high dose or for months at a time. And, of course, there might be bad interactions with other medications a patient is already taking. That’s why the FDA wants as much data as it can get. If we start giving these medications to patients, we’re essentially initiating a very large-scale human trial. But that appears to be just what we need to do.
Originally published at MikeHuckabee.com. Reprinted with permission.


thestream--2020-03-20--Military Photo of the Day: A Flash of F-35A Lightning II

A U.S. Air Force pilot and commander flies an F-35A Lightning II during a demonstration at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base @ @ @ @ @ , 2020 .
Have a nice and safe weekend , everyone !
Help us champion @ @ @ @ @ government and human dignity .
Support The Stream »

A U.S. Air Force pilot and commander flies an F-35A Lightning II during a demonstration at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona on Feb. 29, 2020.
Have a nice and safe weekend, everyone!
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.


thestream--2020-03-20--Media’s Negativity Won’t Dampen the American Spirit

Silver linings accompany most catastrophic events , and one major one with the coronavirus is the remarkable way Americans ( and people throughout the world ) have come together to fight this outbreak .
Though the stock market has reflected a nation in panic , in other respects Americans , for the most part , have reacted responsibly , unselfishly and cooperatively , and I pray we are making substantial progress toward flattening the growth curve of this virus .
President Donald Trump and his extraordinary team of generals leading this war effort are implementing a multipronged approach to combat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those infected with it , provide financial relief to those affected by it , calm the nation and stabilize our economy , which has been blindsided by this catastrophe .
I marvel at the professionalism of President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence , and those aligned with them on the dais for the daily White House press briefings , all of whom are earnest , transparent , informative and responsive .
They are optimistic and encouraging without providing false hope , diligently studying this problem around the clock , employing the best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ red tape to expedite solutions .
There is not a hint of partisanship in the air , only a unified commitment to defeating this enemy and restoring America to robust physical and economic health .
None of us knows what the ultimate outcome will be , but I trust that the virus ’ devastation will be strikingly less severe for Americans because of this assembled team of dedicated patriots .
By contrast , there is sadly plenty of partisanship and Trump hatred from the press .
From the outset , many of them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and his approach to eradicating the virus .
As I watched the briefings earlier in the week , I was taken aback by some of their “ gotcha ” questions , which were designed to impugn and embarrass Trump , rather than facilitate the flow of information to the public .
Couldn ’ t these people suspend their bile for a minimal grace period given the nature and severity of the crisis ?
I was struck by the rudeness of some of these vultures who should at least pretend to be on Team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some were asking helpful questions and eliciting important information from the panel , others accused Trump of racism for identifying China as the virus ’ country of origin , and of inciting violence against people of Chinese descent in the United States .
Help us champion truth , freedom , limited government and human dignity .
Support The Stream » One reporter asked Trump if we might be headed toward a virus-induced recession , and he acknowledged it is possible .
Media outlets immediately blasted the headline “ Trump Says We May Be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was sensational , inflammatory and intentionally misleading because they implied that Trump brought it up and that it was virtually inevitable .
One particularly despicable attack involved a misleading New York Times report that contained an incomplete quote from President Trump during a conference call with state governors .
The report implied that Trump had callously denied the governors ’ request for respirators , ventilators and other needed equipment and told them , “ try getting it yourselves.
” In fact , Trump had followed that statement with an assurance : “ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting it yourselves .
Point of sales , much better , much more direct if you can get it yourself.
” Even after it became clear this was “ fake news , ” one obnoxious reporter at the press briefing brought it up again , using the incomplete quote .
MSNBC anchor Katy Tur was aghast that the president ’ s team stood too closely together on the dais , and that Trump and others shook hands and touched the microphone , setting a bad example for social distancing .
Others couldn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team complimented him .
Charles Pierce wrote in Esquire that the “ sad part ” of the briefings is “ watching all of these accomplished , brilliant people , the people who have dedicated their lives to solving epidemic diseases at the highest level , standing there behind a vulgar talking yam , praising him for his brilliant work thus far.
” The Paralyzing Hatred of the Media I find it ironic that the people most critical of President Trump for being “ vulgar , ” “ rude ” and self-absorbed display those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paralyzing hatred , unable to do their jobs because of their toxic obsession over President Trump .
While some of these media critics are hell bent on disgracing Trump for neglecting the people ’ s interests , they are disgracing themselves as they wail on Trump and themselves neglect the people ’ s interests .
Sadly , they are too bitter to see their hypocrisy .
Happily , the American public is not .
David Limbaugh is a writer , author and attorney .
His latest book is Guilty by Reason of Insanity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Follow him on Twitter @ davidlimbaugh and his website at www.davidlimbaugh.com .

Silver linings accompany most catastrophic events, and one major one with the coronavirus is the remarkable way Americans (and people throughout the world) have come together to fight this outbreak.
Though the stock market has reflected a nation in panic, in other respects Americans, for the most part, have reacted responsibly, unselfishly and cooperatively, and I pray we are making substantial progress toward flattening the growth curve of this virus.
Trump’s Professionalism
President Donald Trump and his extraordinary team of generals leading this war effort are implementing a multipronged approach to combat the spread of the disease, treat those infected with it, provide financial relief to those affected by it, calm the nation and stabilize our economy, which has been blindsided by this catastrophe.
I marvel at the professionalism of President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, and those aligned with them on the dais for the daily White House press briefings, all of whom are earnest, transparent, informative and responsive. They are optimistic and encouraging without providing false hope, diligently studying this problem around the clock, employing the best minds and seeking to eliminate unnecessary bureaucratic red tape to expedite solutions.
There is not a hint of partisanship in the air, only a unified commitment to defeating this enemy and restoring America to robust physical and economic health. None of us knows what the ultimate outcome will be, but I trust that the virus’ devastation will be strikingly less severe for Americans because of this assembled team of dedicated patriots.
Media Bias
By contrast, there is sadly plenty of partisanship and Trump hatred from the press. From the outset, many of them focused on little else but smearing Trump and his approach to eradicating the virus.
As I watched the briefings earlier in the week, I was taken aback by some of their “gotcha” questions, which were designed to impugn and embarrass Trump, rather than facilitate the flow of information to the public. Couldn’t these people suspend their bile for a minimal grace period given the nature and severity of the crisis?
I was struck by the rudeness of some of these vultures who should at least pretend to be on Team America instead of Team Anti-Trump. While some were asking helpful questions and eliciting important information from the panel, others accused Trump of racism for identifying China as the virus’ country of origin, and of inciting violence against people of Chinese descent in the United States.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
One reporter asked Trump if we might be headed toward a virus-induced recession, and he acknowledged it is possible. Media outlets immediately blasted the headline “Trump Says We May Be Headed for a Recession,” which was sensational, inflammatory and intentionally misleading because they implied that Trump brought it up and that it was virtually inevitable.
One particularly despicable attack involved a misleading New York Times report that contained an incomplete quote from President Trump during a conference call with state governors. The report implied that Trump had callously denied the governors’ request for respirators, ventilators and other needed equipment and told them, “try getting it yourselves.” In fact, Trump had followed that statement with an assurance: “We will be backing you, but try getting it yourselves. Point of sales, much better, much more direct if you can get it yourself.” Even after it became clear this was “fake news,” one obnoxious reporter at the press briefing brought it up again, using the incomplete quote.
MSNBC anchor Katy Tur was aghast that the president’s team stood too closely together on the dais, and that Trump and others shook hands and touched the microphone, setting a bad example for social distancing.
Others couldn’t stand that the president’s team complimented him. Charles Pierce wrote in Esquire that the “sad part” of the briefings is “watching all of these accomplished, brilliant people, the people who have dedicated their lives to solving epidemic diseases at the highest level, standing there behind a vulgar talking yam, praising him for his brilliant work thus far.”
The Paralyzing Hatred of the Media
I find it ironic that the people most critical of President Trump for being “vulgar,” “rude” and self-absorbed display those characteristics themselves as they wallow in their paralyzing hatred, unable to do their jobs because of their toxic obsession over President Trump.
While some of these media critics are hell bent on disgracing Trump for neglecting the people’s interests, they are disgracing themselves as they wail on Trump and themselves neglect the people’s interests. Sadly, they are too bitter to see their hypocrisy. Happily, the American public is not.
David Limbaugh is a writer, author and attorney. His latest book is Guilty by Reason of Insanity: Why the Democrats Must Not Win. Follow him on Twitter @davidlimbaugh and his website at www.davidlimbaugh.com.
COPYRIGHT 2020 CREATORS.CO


thestream--2020-03-20--Here’s How Long Clinical Trials for Possible Coronavirus Cure Will Take, According to Experts

Clinical trials to test a malaria drug for use on coronavirus patients could take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months to complete , infectious disease experts said Thursday .
Scientists who study infectious diseases are cautiously optimistic about using chloroquine or its derivative , hydroxychloroquine , to treat or even cure coronavirus patients after lab studies and a clinical trial in France showed that the malaria medication was effective against the virus .
The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday that the agency “ has been working closely with other government agencies and academic centers ” to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ developed in the 1940s .
Several clinical trials for chloroquine are being conducted across the globe , including a 1,500-patient study that the University of Minnesota commenced .
“ I ’ m excited about that because clinical trials are already beginning , ” Dr. William Schaffner , a professor of infectious diseases at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine , said Thursday on MSNBC about the prospects of using chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine to fight coronavirus .
Schaffner said clinical trials could “ take a few months , ” but if the drugs prove @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , very rapidly.
” He added : “ Anecdotes are provocative but we really need solid data.
” Dr. Peter Hotez , the dean for the National School of Tropical Medicine at the Baylor School of Medicine , said in an interview on CNN that clinical trials could take “ maybe a few weeks ” or “ a couple of months.
” Hotez told the Daily Caller News Foundation on Wednesday that he was “ enthusiastic ” about early research on using the two drugs , but that more information is needed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , though we ’ re not going on a lot of data yet , ” he said .
Help us champion truth , freedom , limited government and human dignity .
Support The Stream » Government health agencies and medical researchers around the world are scrambling to develop new drugs or re-tool existing medicines to stave off coronavirus until a vaccine can be developed .
Experts in the field say that a vaccine is unlikely to be developed for at least 12 months , with some estimates that it could take up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the using pre-existing drugs is the most readily available option , though it is not guaranteed to work .
Hotez has also advocated using antibodies taken from serum of recovered coronavirus patients either to treat people at high risk of adverse outcomes from coronavirus .
At a press conference Thursday , President Donald Trump announced that he authorized the FDA to relax regulations that will speed up clinical trials for several anti-viral remedies to treat coronavirus .
He also said that the drugs would be made available “ almost immediately.
” Stephen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , tempered Trump ’ s remarks , telling reporters at the same press conference that scientists still have to conduct clinical trials to see if chloroquine , hydroxychloroquine , and several other anti-viral medications are actually effective against coronavirus .
Since chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine are already approved to treat malaria and arthritis , they could be used to treat other conditions , including coronavirus , on an “ off label ” basis .
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of our original content , please contact licensing @ dailycallernewsfoundation.org .

Clinical trials to test a malaria drug for use on coronavirus patients could take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months to complete, infectious disease experts said Thursday.
Scientists who study infectious diseases are cautiously optimistic about using chloroquine or its derivative, hydroxychloroquine, to treat or even cure coronavirus patients after lab studies and a clinical trial in France showed that the malaria medication was effective against the virus.
The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday that the agency “has been working closely with other government agencies and academic centers” to investigate using chloroquine, an anti-inflammatory drug developed in the 1940s.
Several clinical trials for chloroquine are being conducted across the globe, including a 1,500-patient study that the University of Minnesota commenced.
“I’m excited about that because clinical trials are already beginning,” Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of infectious diseases at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, said Thursday on MSNBC about the prospects of using chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine to fight coronavirus.
Schaffner said clinical trials could “take a few months,” but if the drugs prove effective they can be distributed “very, very rapidly.”
He added: “Anecdotes are provocative but we really need solid data.”
Dr. Peter Hotez, the dean for the National School of Tropical Medicine at the Baylor School of Medicine, said in an interview on CNN that clinical trials could take “maybe a few weeks” or “a couple of months.”
Hotez told the Daily Caller News Foundation on Wednesday that he was “enthusiastic” about early research on using the two drugs, but that more information is needed.
“It has a lot of potential, though we’re not going on a lot of data yet,” he said.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Government health agencies and medical researchers around the world are scrambling to develop new drugs or re-tool existing medicines to stave off coronavirus until a vaccine can be developed. Experts in the field say that a vaccine is unlikely to be developed for at least 12 months, with some estimates that it could take up to two years.
Hotez said on CNN that the using pre-existing drugs is the most readily available option, though it is not guaranteed to work. Hotez has also advocated using antibodies taken from serum of recovered coronavirus patients either to treat people at high risk of adverse outcomes from coronavirus.
At a press conference Thursday, President Donald Trump announced that he authorized the FDA to relax regulations that will speed up clinical trials for several anti-viral remedies to treat coronavirus. He also said that the drugs would be made available “almost immediately.”
Stephen Hahn, the commissioner of the FDA, tempered Trump’s remarks, telling reporters at the same press conference that scientists still have to conduct clinical trials to see if chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, and several other anti-viral medications are actually effective against coronavirus.
Since chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine are already approved to treat malaria and arthritis, they could be used to treat other conditions, including coronavirus, on an “off label” basis.
Copyright 2020 The Daily Caller News Foundation
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].


thestream--2020-03-20--Do Americans Wish That Sleepy Joe Biden Were President Right Now?

It might seem crass to consider politics during a crisis .
Surely we don ’ t want to cynically exploit primal human emotions at their most raw .
That ’ s wrong , and it might backfire , so it ’ s not just a sin but a blunder .
On other hand , life goes on .
And politics is a big part of life .
Especially when your enemies amount to the Party of Death .
( With the defeat of Rep. Dan Lipinski in his Illinois primary , the last pro-life Democrat in Congress will leave public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ busy and finish off the last pro-choice Republicans . )
We didn ’ t suspend presidential elections for the sake of the Civil War .
No , they went on as scheduled in 1864 ( excluding the seceded states ) .
Had they gone differently , had Lincoln had lost to McLellan , the South might have gotten a peace treaty and independence .
We held an election as scheduled in 1944 , even as our troops slogged their way towards Berlin and Tokyo .
The Election Must Go On So no matter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voter , we ’ re going to hold an election this year too .
President Trump knows that .
And he ’ s not shy about strongly defending his performance during this crisis , in the teeth of media which three years ago admitted to hating him , and considering him “ unfit for office.
” While the president hasn ’ t been perfect , I think he ’ s performing far better than anyone since Reagan .
I certainly don ’ t wish we had a president like George W. Bush , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this moment .
For all his self-praise and exaggerations , Trump is less prone to dishonesty and hubris than any of them .
As I ’ ve said before , we ’ re not in an election between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon , or Nixon and Humphrey .
The Democrats have ceased to be a mainstream , patriotic political party , of the sort that any decent person can support .
The “ moderate ” alternative to socialist Bernie Sanders , Joseph Biden , is running far , far to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even 2012 .
The Democratic orthodoxy today ( this summer ’ s platform ) sounds like some John Birch Society caricature of the left , penned in 1994 .
Federally funded infanticide , check !
No deportations , no border enforcement , mass amnesty and Medicaid for illegals , check !
Adding transgender madness to the Civil Rights Act , check !
The only place where Biden attacked Sanders from the right in the last debate ?
Sanders was too blatant in his praise for Fidel Castro , which offends voters in Florida @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Biden proactively jumped so far to the left on everything else that Sanders could hardly lay a glove on him , except to croak “ Johnny Come Lately.
” We Must Fight This Election Fiercely So just as fans of the Union and enemies of slavery had to take the election seriously in 1864 , and fight it as fiercely as they might have in peacetime , so we must fight this election in 2020 .
Even if have to keep our gloves on , along with our masks .
Given President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and smarmy insider “ decorum , ” I expect him to come out swinging .
And boy what a target “ Sleepy Joe ” Biden offers .
Help us champion truth , freedom , limited government and human dignity .
Support The Stream » In a time of crisis , when people are scared , do they really want to elect a president : • Who ’ s often unsure which state or city he ’ s in at a given moment ?
• Who trails off , ignoring questions , into vague @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • Whose interactions with voters are haughty , dishonest , insulting , and sometimes crowned by bizarre challenges to push-up contests , or fights out in the parking lot ?
• Who either can ’ t remember , or is too ashamed to recite , the key phrase from the Declaration of Independence ?
• Who in time of social distancing , will likely be unable to keep his hands off young women and girls ?
Will voters really feel comfortable that public health and safety will be safe in Biden ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that conservative PACs ( not the too-timid RNC ) are preparing to juxtapose Biden ’ s long and ever-growing “ senior moments ” reel of gaffes with images of patients in hospitals , sinister Chinese Communist soldiers marching , and vultures circling in the air over cities across America .
Let these commercials cut from Trump ’ s firm , purposeful statements about his actions to save Americans , to Biden ’ s rambling boasts and incoherent errors .
No they won ’ t be pretty .
They might make some feel squeamish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : This isn ’ t an election for junior high school treasurer , or prom queen .
If Joe Biden had wanted a dignified retirement he could have had one .
Instead his congealed ambition drove him to run yet again for president , and reel in votes from the left by blithely accepting evil , destructive policies .
In ordinary times , many centrist voters might simply have shrugged and voted for Biden , who was a sloppy and unprincipled politician even in his prime .
Will they feel safe doing so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ editor at The Stream , and author or co-author of ten books , including The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration .

It might seem crass to consider politics during a crisis. Surely we don’t want to cynically exploit primal human emotions at their most raw. That’s wrong, and it might backfire, so it’s not just a sin but a blunder.
On other hand, life goes on. And politics is a big part of life. Especially when your enemies amount to the Party of Death. (With the defeat of Rep. Dan Lipinski in his Illinois primary, the last pro-life Democrat in Congress will leave public life. The GOP needs to get busy and finish off the last pro-choice Republicans.)
We didn’t suspend presidential elections for the sake of the Civil War. No, they went on as scheduled in 1864 (excluding the seceded states). Had they gone differently, had Lincoln had lost to McLellan, the South might have gotten a peace treaty and independence. We held an election as scheduled in 1944, even as our troops slogged their way towards Berlin and Tokyo.
The Election Must Go On
So no matter how the Chinese Virus affects the American voter, we’re going to hold an election this year too. President Trump knows that. And he’s not shy about strongly defending his performance during this crisis, in the teeth of media which three years ago admitted to hating him, and considering him “unfit for office.” While the president hasn’t been perfect, I think he’s performing far better than anyone since Reagan. I certainly don’t wish we had a president like George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, or Barack Obama at this moment. For all his self-praise and exaggerations, Trump is less prone to dishonesty and hubris than any of them.
The “moderate” alternative to socialist Bernie Sanders, Joseph Biden, is running far, far to the left of Barack Obama in 2008 or even 2012.
As I’ve said before, we’re not in an election between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon, or Nixon and Humphrey. The Democrats have ceased to be a mainstream, patriotic political party, of the sort that any decent person can support. The “moderate” alternative to socialist Bernie Sanders, Joseph Biden, is running far, far to the left of Barack Obama in 2008 or even 2012. The Democratic orthodoxy today (this summer’s platform) sounds like some John Birch Society caricature of the left, penned in 1994. Federally funded infanticide, check! No deportations, no border enforcement, mass amnesty and Medicaid for illegals, check! Adding transgender madness to the Civil Rights Act, check!
The only place where Biden attacked Sanders from the right in the last debate? Sanders was too blatant in his praise for Fidel Castro, which offends voters in Florida. That’s pretty much it. Biden proactively jumped so far to the left on everything else that Sanders could hardly lay a glove on him, except to croak “Johnny Come Lately.”
We Must Fight This Election Fiercely
So just as fans of the Union and enemies of slavery had to take the election seriously in 1864, and fight it as fiercely as they might have in peacetime, so we must fight this election in 2020. Even if have to keep our gloves on, along with our masks.
Given President Trump’s aversion to fake piety and smarmy insider “decorum,” I expect him to come out swinging. And boy what a target “Sleepy Joe” Biden offers.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
In a time of crisis, when people are scared, do they really want to elect a president:
Who’s often unsure which state or city he’s in at a given moment?
Who trails off, ignoring questions, into vague and puzzling anecdotes from decades ago?
Whose interactions with voters are haughty, dishonest, insulting, and sometimes crowned by bizarre challenges to push-up contests, or fights out in the parking lot?
Who either can’t remember, or is too ashamed to recite, the key phrase from the Declaration of Independence?
Who in time of social distancing, will likely be unable to keep his hands off young women and girls?
Will voters really feel comfortable that public health and safety will be safe in Biden’s shaky, grabby hands? I hope that conservative PACs (not the too-timid RNC) are preparing to juxtapose Biden’s long and ever-growing “senior moments” reel of gaffes with images of patients in hospitals, sinister Chinese Communist soldiers marching, and vultures circling in the air over cities across America.
Shaky Hands at the Wheel
Let these commercials cut from Trump’s firm, purposeful statements about his actions to save Americans, to Biden’s rambling boasts and incoherent errors. No they won’t be pretty. They might make some feel squeamish. They might look something like this:
This isn’t an election for junior high school treasurer, or prom queen. If Joe Biden had wanted a dignified retirement he could have had one. Instead his congealed ambition drove him to run yet again for president, and reel in votes from the left by blithely accepting evil, destructive policies.
In ordinary times, many centrist voters might simply have shrugged and voted for Biden, who was a sloppy and unprincipled politician even in his prime. Will they feel safe doing so now?
John Zmirak is a senior editor at The Stream, and author or co-author of ten books, including The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration.


thestream--2020-03-21--50 Questions for Christians #11: ‘How Can We Be Sure About the Resurrection?’

Part of an extended series of answers to Guy P. Harrison ’ s book 50 Simple Questions for Every Christian .
Read the series intro here .
How can we be sure Jesus rose from the dead ?
Harrison ’ s question on that hits at a great time , with Easter coming soon .
COVID-19 raises enough anxiety , too , that it ’ s great knowing God has power to turn something even as awful as the Cross into something as great as the Resurrection .
So how do we know ?
Let ’ s start with what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot , even if we limit it to historical consensus even secular scholars agree on .
As Gary Habermas wrote here two years ago , we can be very sure that : • His early followers had experiences a short time later that they thought were appearances of Jesus .
• As a result , they were transformed to the point of being willing to die for this message .
• James the brother of Jesus , who had been an unbeliever , changed his mind and followed Christ because he believed he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saul of Tarsus , a strong opponent of Christianity , similarly changed his mind and followed Christ .
• This Gospel message of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ began to be taught very soon after these events .
There ’ s just one explanation that covers all those facts without doing violence to any of them : Jesus rose from the dead .
More Than That There ’ s more to be said , though .
We have powerful evidence that the Gospels are reliable historical documents .
They pass every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claims have passed every possible external test , and their internal consistency is too solid to support any theory except that they ’ re reporting actual events .
Whatever you may have heard about the Church “ altering ” them , or “ so many different translations , ” it ’ s simply not true .
Harrison has problems with this , naturally .
With respect to Habermas ’ s third point , he says people die for lies all the time .
Sure , but do people die for lies they made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ religious cult leader David Koresh did , but his case is different in at least two ways .
First , apparently it ’ s easy for fringe individuals to be deluded that one has some kind of ultimate truth .
It ’ s harder to be repeatedly deluded about concrete events , for example that one ’ s friend has just had breakfast with you and several other friends .
Second , pride is a powerful thing .
For Koresh to recant at the end would have been to humiliate himself among people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seem preferable to that .
The record of Jesus ’ disciples , in contrast , is one of humility .
They viewed themselves as Jesus ’ bond-servants .
They certainly didn ’ t have crowds of supporters pressuring them to hold on to their beliefs at their deaths , either ; quite the opposite .
Harrison also thinks Saul ’ s conversion is no big deal : “ Many people make 180-degree turns in their lives without necessarily citing a god as the reason.
” Really ?
Do people whose most important value @ @ @ @ @ @ @ identity make 180-degree turns on that without citing God as the reason ?
But honestly , Harrison has this backwards .
Follow the logic with me here , please .
Lots of people make big changes without saying God is behind it , says Harrison , quite correctly .
Paul , too , could have gone through this change of viewpoint without citing God as the reason for it .
Yet he didn ’ t do that ; he said he ’ d had an encounter with the living God , in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t have to say that , but he did .
Why ?
The simplest answer is because he was convinced it was true .
Harrison hasn ’ t thought this through well enough .
Neither have a lot of atheists .
Harrison does an ( ahem ) admirable job of parroting other atheist errors besides .
“ We know that eyewitness accounts of natural events are unreliable , ” he writes , “ so how can we trust eyewitness accounts of supernatural events ?
” He ’ s wrong .
Eyewitness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but not all .
Suppose your brother was missing and declared dead , but then he showed up for the funeral , and spent time with the family for a month and a half before strangely going missing again .
The story circulates in your family until your sister writes an account of it some 25 years later .
Do you honestly think anyone would say to her or to you , “ You can ’ t convince me your brother spent those six weeks with you .
Sure , you ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re only eyewitnesses , and eyewitnesses can ’ t ever be trusted !
” Eyewitnesses should be tested , sure , but on major events like these , when they pass the relevant tests ( as the Gospels do ) , they can be trusted .
Harrison also says , “ We know that hundreds out of many thousands can experience similar dreams or hallucinations.
” Really ?
What evidence does he cite for that ?
Thousands or millions of people “ say they see ghosts each year , ” he says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do with people having long conversations and meals with a person , touching them , and being presented with “ many proofs ” that He is alive .
As well as going through the experience with others at the same time .
Psychologists agree , this kind of “ shared hallucination ” never happens .
Harrison ’ s objection here is based on false facts .
Harrison closes his chapter with a final killer point : These are ancient documents by anonymous authors , so why trust them ?
He cites all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in journalism even today : misquotes , misspellings , twisted explanations .
He doesn ’ t know that historians — people who know how to assess ancient evidence — do trust them .
That ’ s virtually all historians , at least to the extent we see in Habermas ’ s six points above .
Harrison ’ s complaint here is just boxing the wind .
Help us champion truth , freedom , limited government and human dignity .
Support The Stream » And if he thinks the accounts of the resurrection are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he ’ s got a problem of missed perspectives .
It would be like saying some journalists twist some facts , therefore Mark David Chapman probably didn ’ t shoot John Lennon .
That ’ s just obviously wrong .
Maybe , though , he gets something more right than he realizes .
“ After more than twenty years of experience in television and print media , I can say with absolute certainty you can ’ t trust everything you see on TV or read in print.
” That ’ s for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it his killer point : You can ’ t trust what he wrote here .
We Can Trust the Resurrection Here ’ s what you can trust .
We have ample evidence that the Gospel accounts are reliable history , and certain knowledge that the Church was born out of belief in Jesus ’ resurrection .
The early Christians changed their day of worship for it .
It was a resurrection movement from its very first days .
We have the six facts mentioned above .
And what do we have against the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , but you know he ’ s thinking it : “ Dead people don ’ t rise ; everyone knows that.
” Well , of course .
That ’ s what makes the Resurrection so spectacular !
Dead people don ’ t rise — not unless there ’ s a God in heaven Who raises them from the dead .
And that ’ s what happened .
You can count on it .
Tom Gilson ( @ TomGilsonAuthor ) is a senior editor with The Stream , and the author of A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Truth in Jesus Christ and Critical Conversations : A Christian Parent ’ s Guide to Discussing Homosexuality with Teens , and the lead editor of True Reason : Confronting the Irrationality of the New Atheism .

Part of an extended series of answers to Guy P. Harrison’s book 50 Simple Questions for Every Christian. Read the series intro here.
How can we be sure Jesus rose from the dead? Harrison’s question on that hits at a great time, with Easter coming soon. COVID-19 raises enough anxiety, too, that it’s great knowing God has power to turn something even as awful as the Cross into something as great as the Resurrection.
So how do we know? Let’s start with what we know. There’s a lot, even if we limit it to historical consensus even secular scholars agree on. As Gary Habermas wrote here two years ago, we can be very sure that:
Jesus died by crucifixion. His early followers had experiences a short time later that they thought were appearances of Jesus. As a result, they were transformed to the point of being willing to die for this message. James the brother of Jesus, who had been an unbeliever, changed his mind and followed Christ because he believed he had seen the risen Christ. Saul of Tarsus, a strong opponent of Christianity, similarly changed his mind and followed Christ. This Gospel message of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ began to be taught very soon after these events.
There’s just one explanation that covers all those facts without doing violence to any of them: Jesus rose from the dead.
More Than That
There’s more to be said, though. We have powerful evidence that the Gospels are reliable historical documents. They pass every test of manuscript reliability. Their historical claims have passed every possible external test, and their internal consistency is too solid to support any theory except that they’re reporting actual events. Whatever you may have heard about the Church “altering” them, or “so many different translations,” it’s simply not true.
Harrison has problems with this, naturally. With respect to Habermas’s third point, he says people die for lies all the time. Sure, but do people die for lies they made up themselves?
Harrison hasn’t thought this through well enough. Neither have a lot of atheists.
Harrison tells us fringe religious cult leader David Koresh did, but his case is different in at least two ways. First, apparently it’s easy for fringe individuals to be deluded that one has some kind of ultimate truth. It’s harder to be repeatedly deluded about concrete events, for example that one’s friend has just had breakfast with you and several other friends.
Second, pride is a powerful thing. For Koresh to recant at the end would have been to humiliate himself among people who worshiped him. Suicide may well seem preferable to that. The record of Jesus’ disciples, in contrast, is one of humility. They viewed themselves as Jesus’ bond-servants. They certainly didn’t have crowds of supporters pressuring them to hold on to their beliefs at their deaths, either; quite the opposite.
Getting Saul/Paul’s Conversion Backwards
Harrison also thinks Saul’s conversion is no big deal: “Many people make 180-degree turns in their lives without necessarily citing a god as the reason.” Really? Do people whose most important value is God’s unique and unchanging identity make 180-degree turns on that without citing God as the reason?
But honestly, Harrison has this backwards. Follow the logic with me here, please. Lots of people make big changes without saying God is behind it, says Harrison, quite correctly. Paul, too, could have gone through this change of viewpoint without citing God as the reason for it. Yet he didn’t do that; he said he’d had an encounter with the living God, in the person of Jesus Christ resurrected. Paul didn’t have to say that, but he did. Why? The simplest answer is because he was convinced it was true.
Harrison hasn’t thought this through well enough. Neither have a lot of atheists.
Eyewitness Reliability
Harrison does an (ahem) admirable job of parroting other atheist errors besides. “We know that eyewitness accounts of natural events are unreliable,” he writes, “so how can we trust eyewitness accounts of supernatural events?” He’s wrong. Eyewitness accounts are unreliable on some things, but not all.
Suppose your brother was missing and declared dead, but then he showed up for the funeral, and spent time with the family for a month and a half before strangely going missing again. The story circulates in your family until your sister writes an account of it some 25 years later. Do you honestly think anyone would say to her or to you, “You can’t convince me your brother spent those six weeks with you. Sure, you’ve got dozens of eyewitnesses, but they’re only eyewitnesses, and eyewitnesses can’t ever be trusted!”
Eyewitnesses should be tested, sure, but on major events like these, when they pass the relevant tests (as the Gospels do), they can be trusted.
The Hallucination Theory
Harrison also says, “We know that hundreds out of many thousands can experience similar dreams or hallucinations.” Really? What evidence does he cite for that? Thousands or millions of people “say they see ghosts each year,” he says. Sure, but that has nothing to do with people having long conversations and meals with a person, touching them, and being presented with “many proofs” that He is alive. As well as going through the experience with others at the same time.
Psychologists agree, this kind of “shared hallucination” never happens. Harrison’s objection here is based on false facts.
Harrison’s Killer Point
Harrison closes his chapter with a final killer point: These are ancient documents by anonymous authors, so why trust them? He cites all kinds of things that can go wrong in journalism even today: misquotes, misspellings, twisted explanations.
He doesn’t know that historians — people who know how to assess ancient evidence — do trust them. That’s virtually all historians, at least to the extent we see in Habermas’s six points above. Harrison’s complaint here is just boxing the wind.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
And if he thinks the accounts of the resurrection are on a par with misquotes and misspellings, he’s got a problem of missed perspectives. It would be like saying some journalists twist some facts, therefore Mark David Chapman probably didn’t shoot John Lennon. That’s just obviously wrong.
Maybe, though, he gets something more right than he realizes. “After more than twenty years of experience in television and print media, I can say with absolute certainty you can’t trust everything you see on TV or read in print.”
That’s for sure. I’d even call it his killer point: You can’t trust what he wrote here.
We Can Trust the Resurrection
Here’s what you can trust. We have ample evidence that the Gospel accounts are reliable history, and certain knowledge that the Church was born out of belief in Jesus’ resurrection. The early Christians changed their day of worship for it. It was a resurrection movement from its very first days. We have the six facts mentioned above.
And what do we have against the Resurrection? Harrison doesn’t say it, but you know he’s thinking it: “Dead people don’t rise; everyone knows that.” Well, of course. That’s what makes the Resurrection so spectacular! Dead people don’t rise — not unless there’s a God in heaven Who raises them from the dead. And that’s what happened. You can count on it.
Tom Gilson (@TomGilsonAuthor) is a senior editor with The Stream, and the author of A Christian Mind: Thoughts on Life and Truth in Jesus Christ and Critical Conversations: A Christian Parent’s Guide to Discussing Homosexuality with Teens, and the lead editor of True Reason: Confronting the Irrationality of the New Atheism.


thestream--2020-03-21--Could This Be the Beginning of the Great Tribulation?

Is this the end of days ?
I understand why people are asking that .
Could the coronavirus be the signal that says the “ Great Tribulation ” is beginning now ?
Not to mention Africa ’ s worst locust crisis in decades ?
It ’ s looking much more like it than at any time in history .
But the fact is we don ’ t know yet .
Jesus told the disciples what was to come , including : In a passage that speaks much louder this week than a month ago , Revelation speaks of “ pestilence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for believers it ’ s impossible not to wonder : Could this be the beginning of that ?
As I read it , the answer is yes , possibly , but we can ’ t begin to presume to say it is yet .
There ’ s a lot we don ’ t know , because God didn ’ t intend us to know .
The Bible ’ s prophetic word is clear in some ways , foggy in others .
Views on end times vary as a result .
Still , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about it : 1 .
Wrong So Often Before , We Could So Easily Be Wrong Now First , no matter how much this may look like the end , it still doesn ’ t have to be .
The Black Death killed at least a third , and possibly more than half of humans living in Eurasia during the 14th century .
They very likely thought it signaled the end .
If so , they were wrong .
We could easily be just as wrong as they were .
In fact , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this kind of thing has happened so many times , it would be very unwise for anyone to say this is it this time .
What we really know is that we don ’ t know .
On the other hand , though , at least one end-times prophecy is reaching fulfillment now for the first time ever .
Jesus said , “ This gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations , and then the end will come.
” The “ nations ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries but people groups ( the Greek is ethné ) defined by language , religion , race , tribe , and other culture-defining factors .
Missionary agencies report that for the first time in history we are closing in on reaching every people group with the Gospel .
Of course that ’ s base on our best understanding of what the Lord had in mind there .
It could be that in His view we ’ re even closer than we think .
2 .
What ’ s Your View on the End @ @ @ @ @ @ @ times vary .
I ’ ll mention just a few opinions common among Protestants .
( I ’ m less familiar with Catholic end-times theology . )
Some think the tribulation Jesus described in Matthew 24 has already happened , at the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 .
Others , myself included , are convinced the Bible teaches there ’ s a seven-year Tribulation yet to come .
A subset of that group ( myself not included ) believes God ’ s people will be physically and spiritually removed by a sudden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s called the Rapture ( being “ caught up with Jesus ” ) , and Paul tells us in 1 Thess .
4:13-18 that it ’ s coming .
To me the passage is clear enough on what ’ s going to happen ; what ’ s less clear is when .
If their view is correct ( and I certainly hope it is , even though I don ’ t think so ) , then this time of trial isn ’ t the real thing yet .
Or if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wind-up to a pitch yet to be delivered , probably not very long from now .
If my own view is correct , and the Rapture comes after the Tribulation , then this could be the real thing already .
Maybe .
We don ’ t know .
Those who hold to what ’ s called the “ pre-trib Rapture ” would be wise , in my opinion , to be open to the possibility they might be wrong .
It ’ s a readiness factor .
If they are wrong , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ along with the rest of the world , they could end up being far more surprised and distressed than they need to be .
Besides that , tribulations happen individually and regionally , not just globally .
There is one Great Tribulation , but many lesser but still difficult , even brutal ones .
We must be ready .
Third , end-times prophecies were written to give God ’ s people hope when the hardest times come .
For they will be difficult , but our Lord said “ ( Luke 21:28 ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to take place , straighten up and raise your heads , because your redemption is drawing near.
” We don ’ t know the hour or the day of Jesus ’ return , but we can know the season : “ From the fig tree learn its lesson : as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves , you know that summer is near .
So also , when you see all these things , you know that he is near , at the very gates ” ( Matt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blessed hope for which we have been waiting .
We need that hope .
With or without the Rapture , God ’ s people will be among those who suffer , both before and during the Great Tribulation ( for there will be new converts , if there is a rapture ) .
Help us champion truth , freedom , limited government and human dignity .
Support The Stream » It will be hard .
It ’ s really hard right now .
But “ the sufferings of this present time are not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be revealed to us ” ( Romans .
8:18 ) .
And Paul , who had suffered mightily in serving the Lord , ( see 2 Cor .
11:22-29 ) , could still say “ this slight and momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison , as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.
” ( 2 Cor .
4:17-18 ) .
In the meantime , though , one main point of 2 Thessalonians is that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working as we are able , expecting the Lord but not dropping anything until He actually returns .
Fourth , end-times prophecies are not intended to reassure the unsaved .
I read Revelation as a teenager , before I came to believe in Christ , and it scared me to death .
It was meant to .
God has a good end planned for those who love the Lord ’ s appearing ( 2 Tim .
4:8 ) , but not for those who have rejected Him .
So now is the time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by trusting in His salvation for your sins .
Now is the time to grow in Christ , starting with connecting with God ’ s people — which isn ’ t hard to do online , even if churches aren ’ t meeting physically .
Each one of us must face his or her final ending , whether it ’ s at the end of all things or not .
COVID-19 and all the deaths it ’ s causing makes that reality all the more plain to see .
What kind of end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Us Yes , this could be the beginning of the end .
No , we don ’ t know that it is ; in fact we know that a lot of previous generations thought they were the last , and they were wrong .
Someday some generation will think that , and they will be right .
Maybe it ’ s ours .
Coronavirus might or might not be the first wave of a Great Tribulation yet to come .
Either way , Christians can still look up , for our redemption is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
No matter what happens , Christ gives hope .
May God sweep the world with revival so many more can come to know it !
Tom Gilson ( @ TomGilsonAuthor ) is a senior editor with The Stream , and the author of A Christian Mind : Thoughts on Life and Truth in Jesus Christ and Critical Conversations : A Christian Parent ’ s Guide to Discussing Homosexuality with Teens , and the lead editor of True Reason : Confronting the Irrationality of the New Atheism .

Is this the end of days? I understand why people are asking that. Could the coronavirus be the signal that says the “Great Tribulation” is beginning now? Not to mention Africa’s worst locust crisis in decades? It’s looking much more like it than at any time in history. But the fact is we don’t know yet.
Jesus told the disciples what was to come, including:
For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. (Matt. 24:21–22)
In a passage that speaks much louder this week than a month ago, Revelation speaks of “pestilence” coming at the end:
When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! Its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth. (Rev. 6:7–9)
So for believers it’s impossible not to wonder: Could this be the beginning of that? As I read it, the answer is yes, possibly, but we can’t begin to presume to say it is yet. There’s a lot we don’t know, because God didn’t intend us to know.
The Bible’s prophetic word is clear in some ways, foggy in others. Views on end times vary as a result. Still, there are these four things we can say about it:
1. Wrong So Often Before, We Could So Easily Be Wrong Now
First, no matter how much this may look like the end, it still doesn’t have to be. The Black Death killed at least a third, and possibly more than half of humans living in Eurasia during the 14th century. They very likely thought it signaled the end. If so, they were wrong. We could easily be just as wrong as they were. In fact, in various ways and to various degrees this kind of thing has happened so many times, it would be very unwise for anyone to say this is it this time. What we really know is that we don’t know.
On the other hand, though, at least one end-times prophecy is reaching fulfillment now for the first time ever. Jesus said, “This gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
May God sweep the world with revival so many more can come to know the hope of Christ!
The “nations” in that verse aren’t political countries but people groups (the Greek is ethné) defined by language, religion, race, tribe, and other culture-defining factors. Missionary agencies report that for the first time in history we are closing in on reaching every people group with the Gospel. Of course that’s base on our best understanding of what the Lord had in mind there. It could be that in His view we’re even closer than we think.
2. What’s Your View on the End Times?
Second, views on end times vary. I’ll mention just a few opinions common among Protestants. (I’m less familiar with Catholic end-times theology.) Some think the tribulation Jesus described in Matthew 24 has already happened, at the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. Others, myself included, are convinced the Bible teaches there’s a seven-year Tribulation yet to come.
A subset of that group (myself not included) believes God’s people will be physically and spiritually removed by a sudden act of God just before it begins. It’s called the Rapture (being “caught up with Jesus”), and Paul tells us in 1 Thess. 4:13-18 that it’s coming. To me the passage is clear enough on what’s going to happen; what’s less clear is when.
If their view is correct (and I certainly hope it is, even though I don’t think so), then this time of trial isn’t the real thing yet. Or if it is, it’s the wind-up to a pitch yet to be delivered, probably not very long from now. If my own view is correct, and the Rapture comes after the Tribulation, then this could be the real thing already. Maybe. We don’t know.
Those who hold to what’s called the “pre-trib Rapture” would be wise, in my opinion, to be open to the possibility they might be wrong. It’s a readiness factor. If they are wrong, and they end up experiencing the final tribulation along with the rest of the world, they could end up being far more surprised and distressed than they need to be.
Besides that, tribulations happen individually and regionally, not just globally. There is one Great Tribulation, but many lesser but still difficult, even brutal ones. We must be ready.
3. There’s Hope for God’s People
Third, end-times prophecies were written to give God’s people hope when the hardest times come. For they will be difficult, but our Lord said “(Luke 21:28), “Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” We don’t know the hour or the day of Jesus’ return, but we can know the season: “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates” (Matt. 24:32-33).
This is the blessed hope for which we have been waiting. We need that hope. With or without the Rapture, God’s people will be among those who suffer, both before and during the Great Tribulation (for there will be new converts, if there is a rapture).
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
It will be hard. It’s really hard right now. But “the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed to us” (Romans. 8:18). And Paul, who had suffered mightily in serving the Lord, (see 2 Cor. 11:22-29), could still say “this slight and momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.” (2 Cor. 4:17-18).
In the meantime, though, one main point of 2 Thessalonians is that we work as we are able, expecting the Lord but not dropping our normal daily responsibilities until He actually returns.
4. A Warning to the Rest
Fourth, end-times prophecies are not intended to reassure the unsaved. I read Revelation as a teenager, before I came to believe in Christ, and it scared me to death. It was meant to. God has a good end planned for those who love the Lord’s appearing (2 Tim. 4:8), but not for those who have rejected Him. So now is the time to reconcile with Him by repentance and by trusting in His salvation for your sins.
Now is the time to grow in Christ, starting with connecting with God’s people — which isn’t hard to do online, even if churches aren’t meeting physically.
Each one of us must face his or her final ending, whether it’s at the end of all things or not. COVID-19 and all the deaths it’s causing makes that reality all the more plain to see. What kind of end do you want?
It Could Be Us
Yes, this could be the beginning of the end. No, we don’t know that it is; in fact we know that a lot of previous generations thought they were the last, and they were wrong. Someday some generation will think that, and they will be right. Maybe it’s ours.
Coronavirus might or might not be the first wave of a Great Tribulation yet to come. Either way, Christians can still look up, for our redemption is drawing near, individually if not globally. No matter what happens, Christ gives hope. May God sweep the world with revival so many more can come to know it!
Tom Gilson (@TomGilsonAuthor) is a senior editor with The Stream, and the author of A Christian Mind: Thoughts on Life and Truth in Jesus Christ and Critical Conversations: A Christian Parent’s Guide to Discussing Homosexuality with Teens, and the lead editor of True Reason: Confronting the Irrationality of the New Atheism.


thestream--2020-03-21--‘Now is the Time to Rise and Shine’: James Robison Answers Viewers’ Concerns Related to Coronavirus

“ The main thing now is to not allow panic to prevail .
Be in a spirit of peace , and pray for God ’ s wisdom.
” Today , James Robison continued his conversation with LIFE Today Live host Randy Robison , answering many questions about spiritual realities related to the coronavirus .
“ If you hide the light , then people will continue to grope in darkness .
But if we illuminate the way with the light of God ’ s truth , with unconditional , redemptive love , then we can actually see the will of God @ @ @ @ @ @ @ listen all the way to the end to hear James ’ impassioned prayer for God ’ s people during this time .
James Robison is The Stream ’ s founder and publisher .
He is co-founder of LIFE Outreach International and co-host of LIFE Today .
He ’ s the author of many books , including Indivisible ( with Jay Richards ) and Living Amazed .
James Randall Robison ( Randy ) is a writer , producer and host for the television program LIFE Today .
His books , interviews and other materials @ @ @ @ @ @

“The main thing now is to not allow panic to prevail. Be in a spirit of peace, and pray for God’s wisdom.”
Today, James Robison continued his conversation with LIFE Today Live host Randy Robison, answering many questions about spiritual realities related to the coronavirus.
“If you hide the light, then people will continue to grope in darkness. But if we illuminate the way with the light of God’s truth, with unconditional, redemptive love, then we can actually see the will of God done on earth.”
Be sure to listen all the way to the end to hear James’ impassioned prayer for God’s people during this time.
Missed yesterday’s conversation? Click here.
James Robison is The Stream’s founder and publisher. He is co-founder of LIFE Outreach International and co-host of LIFE Today. He’s the author of many books, including Indivisible (with Jay Richards) and Living Amazed.
James Randall Robison (Randy) is a writer, producer and host for the television program LIFE Today. His books, interviews and other materials can be found at randyrobison.com.


thestream--2020-03-21--Powerful New Media Exposé ‘Hoaxed’ Asks: Are You Paranoid Enough?

As the coronavirus story has unfolded , many people I like and follow on social media have expressed grave anxieties about the story media are telling us .
And about government actions .
Some find it deeply ominous that church services got canceled , a week or more before bars and restaurants were shuttered .
( At least German Prime Minister Merkel had the courtesy to close brothels and churches at the same time . )
I ’ ve seen countless warnings that the canceling of worship is a sign of “ end times.
” Or the first act of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Which , to be fair , the Chinese government is also doing , more severely than it has in decades , in the wake of a secret alliance with the Vatican .
Other people of a more libertarian bent are warning that the coronavirus is today ’ s Reichstag fire .
That is , a real event that authorities have seized upon ( or even caused ) as a pretext for stripping away our freedom of assembly , and soon our freedom of speech .
A lot of the “ it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” talk I ’ ve seen was fueled by one or both types of suspicion .
Other people wonder aloud if the Chinese government released a weaponized virus on purpose , to crash the U.S. economy and unseat President Trump .
Whom Can We Trust ?
Whom can we actually trust ?
It ’ s hard to say at this point .
Personally , I trust President Trump , Tucker Carlson , and Dr. Antonio Fauci .
But your list might be different .
And I don ’ t know how to argue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are any common , non-partisan , reliable reference points left in this culture ?
No .
There aren ’ t .
We ’ re deeply suspicious of media , authorities , and even our own government for excellent reasons .
Shall I list some for you now ?
Remember the ugly racism of Nicholas Sandmann and other Covington High School boys , who “ mocked ” a “ tribal elder ” ?
No , that didn ’ t happen , but for 36 hours or so media reported it , with the complicity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it hadn ’ t been for one citizen who filmed the actual incident , Sandmann ’ s life would still be ruined .
Help us champion truth , freedom , limited government and human dignity .
Support The Stream » Remember the teenage rape gang that Brett Kavanaugh and Mark Judge led in 1980s Washington , D.C. ?
No , that wasn ’ t real either .
But media trumpeted the story for more than a week .
How about the Christine Blasey Ford rape narrative , whose only actual details got lifted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Democrat senators voted almost unanimously to endorse that fiction as truth .
Remember all the media reports on how Ford works for a company that makes the abortion pill ?
No , that was reported nowhere , not even on Fox News .
You had to go to Natural News , or to The Stream , to learn that rather pertinent fact .
Remember Russian collusion ?
That hoax originated with the Deep State itself .
It began with the Obama administration ’ s lawless surveillance of all Republican candidates .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a secret court to approve blanket surveillance of innocent Americans .
And it culminated with the ludicrous , fact-free Mueller report .
When that went into the Memory Hole , we were treated to a trumped up impeachment case .
Why should any of us believe any media at all at this point ?
That ’ s the question asked by filmmaker and online provocateur journalist Mike Cernovich in his powerful new documentary Hoaxed .
In it he interviews various figures “ cancelled ” by the mainstream media or banned from social platforms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the names : Alex Jones , Lauren Southern , Stefan Molyneux , James O ’ Keefe , and Dilbert creator Scott Adams .
In Hoaxed , Cernovich offers a detailed , fine-grained picture of how “ legacy ” broadcast and print media now cooperate with social media giants to massively bias coverage of news .
Not just of straight up politics , but even world events .
For instance , Hoaxed asks two fascinating questions , which never occurred to me : • Why did media trumpet worldwide the photo of a Kurdish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Europe ?
• Why did the same TV stations and newspapers censor photos of the victims of the jihad attack in Paris ?
The first photo is what drove Europe ( led by Angela Merkel ) to open its gates to “ Syrian refugees ” ( most of them fit , military age young men ) .
Those jihad photos might have helped anti-immigration parties in Europe .
So one photo appears on front pages worldwide .
The others vanish , unseen .
Hoaxed exposes incident after incident like this .
It shows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at baseless , remote diagnoses of mental illness on the part of Donald Trump .
But the same media fiercely tried to silence Cernovich for raising fears that Hillary Clinton might have Parkinson ’ s Disease .
The film even shows that the term “ fake news ” didn ’ t enter popular parlance until … a non-profit linked to Google and funded by Clinton supporters started priming the media with the term , just in time for the 2016 elections .
Will Chamberlain of Human Events has a long , fascinating essay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offer us .
I urge you to read it .
But most of all , rent Hoaxed on Amazon .
And share it with friends who haven ’ t been “ red-pilled ” about the extent of media bias .
It will teach them to stop trusting the coiffed heads on television .
As to rebuilding a common culture of truth-telling and transparency ?
Honestly , I don ’ t know where we go from here .
The best thing I can suggest ?
Before looking for news , say a quiet but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ask Our Lord to guide you away from liars and propagandists , since He is the one Word of Truth .
John Zmirak is a senior editor at The Stream , and author or co-author of ten books , including The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration .

As the coronavirus story has unfolded, many people I like and follow on social media have expressed grave anxieties about the story media are telling us. And about government actions. Some find it deeply ominous that church services got canceled, a week or more before bars and restaurants were shuttered. (At least German Prime Minister Merkel had the courtesy to close brothels and churches at the same time.)
I’ve seen countless warnings that the canceling of worship is a sign of “end times.” Or the first act of Antichrist’s program for persecuting Christians. Which, to be fair, the Chinese government is also doing, more severely than it has in decades, in the wake of a secret alliance with the Vatican.
Other people of a more libertarian bent are warning that the coronavirus is today’s Reichstag fire. That is, a real event that authorities have seized upon (or even caused) as a pretext for stripping away our freedom of assembly, and soon our freedom of speech.
A lot of the “it’s no worse than the seasonal flu” talk I’ve seen was fueled by one or both types of suspicion. Other people wonder aloud if the Chinese government released a weaponized virus on purpose, to crash the U.S. economy and unseat President Trump.
Whom Can We Trust?
Whom can we actually trust? It’s hard to say at this point. Personally, I trust President Trump, Tucker Carlson, and Dr. Antonio Fauci. But your list might be different. And I don’t know how to argue with you about that. Are there are any common, non-partisan, reliable reference points left in this culture?
No. There aren’t. We’re deeply suspicious of media, authorities, and even our own government for excellent reasons. Shall I list some for you now?
Remember the ugly racism of Nicholas Sandmann and other Covington High School boys, who “mocked” a “tribal elder”? No, that didn’t happen, but for 36 hours or so media reported it, with the complicity of leading self-styled conservative commentators. If it hadn’t been for one citizen who filmed the actual incident, Sandmann’s life would still be ruined.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Remember the teenage rape gang that Brett Kavanaugh and Mark Judge led in 1980s Washington, D.C.? No, that wasn’t real either. But media trumpeted the story for more than a week. How about the Christine Blasey Ford rape narrative, whose only actual details got lifted from Judge’s high school memoir? Democrat senators voted almost unanimously to endorse that fiction as truth. Remember all the media reports on how Ford works for a company that makes the abortion pill? No, that was reported nowhere, not even on Fox News. You had to go to Natural News, or to The Stream, to learn that rather pertinent fact.
Remember Russian collusion? That hoax originated with the Deep State itself. It began with the Obama administration’s lawless surveillance of all Republican candidates. It continued through faked FBI reports that convinced a secret court to approve blanket surveillance of innocent Americans. And it culminated with the ludicrous, fact-free Mueller report. When that went into the Memory Hole, we were treated to a trumped up impeachment case.
The Media Machine Is Real
Why should any of us believe any media at all at this point? That’s the question asked by filmmaker and online provocateur journalist Mike Cernovich in his powerful new documentary Hoaxed. In it he interviews various figures “cancelled” by the mainstream media or banned from social platforms. You’ll recognize some of the names: Alex Jones, Lauren Southern, Stefan Molyneux, James O’Keefe, and Dilbert creator Scott Adams.
In Hoaxed, Cernovich offers a detailed, fine-grained picture of how “legacy” broadcast and print media now cooperate with social media giants to massively bias coverage of news. Not just of straight up politics, but even world events. For instance, Hoaxed asks two fascinating questions, which never occurred to me:
Why did media trumpet worldwide the photo of a Kurdish refugee boy who drowned trying to enter Europe?
Why did the same TV stations and newspapers censor photos of the victims of the jihad attack in Paris?
The first photo is what drove Europe (led by Angela Merkel) to open its gates to “Syrian refugees” (most of them fit, military age young men). Those jihad photos might have helped anti-immigration parties in Europe. So one photo appears on front pages worldwide. The others vanish, unseen.
Remember the teenage rape gang that Brett Kavanaugh and Mark Judge led in 1980s Washington, D.C.? No, that wasn’t real either.
Hoaxed exposes incident after incident like this. It shows how Mainstream Media nodded with grave seriousness at baseless, remote diagnoses of mental illness on the part of Donald Trump.
But the same media fiercely tried to silence Cernovich for raising fears that Hillary Clinton might have Parkinson’s Disease. The film even shows that the term “fake news” didn’t enter popular parlance until … a non-profit linked to Google and funded by Clinton supporters started priming the media with the term, just in time for the 2016 elections.
Red-Pill Your Friends
Will Chamberlain of Human Events has a long, fascinating essay on all the lessons Hoaxed has to offer us. I urge you to read it. But most of all, rent Hoaxed on Amazon. And share it with friends who haven’t been “red-pilled” about the extent of media bias. It will teach them to stop trusting the coiffed heads on television.
As to rebuilding a common culture of truth-telling and transparency? Honestly, I don’t know where we go from here. The best thing I can suggest? Before looking for news, say a quiet but fervent prayer for discernment of spirits. Ask Our Lord to guide you away from liars and propagandists, since He is the one Word of Truth.
John Zmirak is a senior editor at The Stream, and author or co-author of ten books, including The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration.