1233: W.H.O. CARES

For some reason all foreign reports about Sweden seems

wrong. Live in Sweden and everything is just fine. The hospitals are not filled

to capacity and the new field hospital we built is completely unused, not a

single person there. The peak of the virus seems to have passed just before

this weekend and the few intensive care beds we had (extremely few per capita)

held up fine.

The media has of course tried to instill terror in the

people and succeeded until Trump spoke out against Sweden. The media here hates

Trump to the degree that if he says Sweden is wrong the media all of a sudden

agrees with the countermeasures we have done =)

In foreign news it seeds that everything is going on just

like ordinary here. That is far from true. Everyone that can works from home.

Bars and restaurants can keep open but no one can drink at the bar and the

tables needs to be further apart etc. Seems to be working well but what other

countries does not understand is that Swedes first of all are big on social

distance even without COVID. But most importantly we love to listen to our

government so if they suggest that we work from home almost everyone will. That

along with a long tradition with doing whats best for society works as well as

a shelter in place order. Also the Swedish government has the same

"problem" as the US. The government has relatively little power and

the departments and governmental bodies has the most power here.

Olov

Link to Article

Archived Version

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 16:18

Het kabinet wil een app inzetten die mensen waarschuwt als ze in de buurt zijn geweest van iemand met het coronavirus. Dan kunnen ze zich vervolgens afzonderen en afwachten of ze ook ziek worden en dus besmet blijken. Maar onmiddellijk rees ook de vraag of zo'n app de privacy niet op de helling zet.

De Jonge kan zich "heel goed vinden" in de voorwaarden die privacydeskundigen stellen aan de app. Hem is verteld dat die eisen allemaal in te willigen zijn.

Maar de minister wil nog niet beloven dat het gebruik van de app niet verplicht wordt. "Het liefst" houdt hij de app vrijwillig, maar die werkt alleen als minstens 60 procent van de Nederlanders meedoet. Blijven dat er minder, dan zou meer drang of dwang toch nodig kunnen zijn, denkt De Jonge.

'Meerderheid vindt app goed idee'Zo'n 60 procent van de Nederlanders vindt de 'corona-apps' een goed idee. Dat blijkt uit een rondvraag onder bijna 22.000 leden van het EenVandaag Opiniepanel. Wel zegt 53 procent dat de app op vrijwillige basis moet worden ge¯nstalleerd en dat de overheid deze dus niet mag verplichten.

Uit de enquªte van EenVandaag blijkt verder dat 39 procent niets ziet in dergelijke applicaties, "omdat het bestrijden van het coronavirus in Nederland op geen enkele manier ten koste mag gaan van de privacy van burgers." Eenzelfde groep is bang dat de overheid misbruik gaat maken van de data die de apps verzamelen.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Fri, 10 Apr 2020 13:02

Voice of America spends your money to speak for authoritarian regimesVoice of America is a global news network funded by American taxpayers. It spends about $200 million each year on its mission to ''tell America's story'' and ''present the policies of the United States clearly and effectively'' to people around the globe.

Today, however, VOA too often speaks for America's adversaries'--not its citizens.

The Coronavirus pandemic is no exception. Secrecy from the Communist Party of China allowed the deadly virus to spread across the world.

Journalists should report the facts, but VOA has instead amplified Beijing's propaganda. This week, VOA called China's Wuhan lockdown a successful ''model'' copied by much of the world'--and then tweeted out video of the Communist government's celebratory light show marking the quarantine's alleged end.

Even worse, while much of the U.S. media takes its lead from China, VOA went one step further: It created graphics with Communist government statistics to compare China's Coronavirus death toll to America's. As intelligence experts point out, there is simply no way to verify the accuracy of China's numbers.

The Coronavirus story is just one example of this pattern. Last year, VOA helped highlight the Twitter feed of Iran Foreign Minister Javad Zarif while he was issuing threats against the U.S. and sharing Russian anti-U.S. propaganda videos.

''VOA will represent America,'' its guiding Charter reads. And for years after its founding during World War II, VOA served that mission by promoting freedom and democracy across the world for audiences who longed for both.

Today, VOA is promoting propaganda instead'--and your tax dollars are paying for it.

🎬 WATCH: The First Lady's message to frontline respondersThe biggest heroes during our national Coronavirus response are America's healthcare workers and frontline responders. First Lady Melania Trump recorded a video message thanking them this week on behalf of a grateful nation.

''The President and I appreciate all that you are doing to keep the people of our country healthy and safe,'' Mrs. Trump said. ''In the most difficult of times, the United States never fails to rise to the occasion with both unity and strength.''

''It is because of you, that the people of America are receiving the care and treatment they need.''

President Trump is fighting to make sure these workers have the support they need, as well. The CARES Act, which he signed into law last month, provides $100 billion for hospitals and healthcare providers. FEMA and its partners, meanwhile, continue to work with states to distribute ventilators and other equipment across the country.

Sign up for 1600 DailyThank you for your submission!

Link to Article

Archived Version

Sat, 11 Apr 2020 12:20

Well, those are the words of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., a man who has spent years exposing vaccines and the dangers from them. In his Instagram posted on April 9, 2020, Kennedy pointed out just how evil Microsoft founder Bill Gates actually is. In fact, we are talking Rockefeller evil, Kissenger evil, George Soros sort of evil.

Here's what Kennedy wrote:

View this post on Instagram

LINK IN BIO. Vaccines, for Bill Gates, are a strategic philanthropy that feed his many vaccine-related businesses (including Microsoft's ambition to control a global vac ID enterprise) and give him dictatorial control over global health policy'--the spear tip of corporate neo-imperialism. Gates' obsession with vaccines seems fueled by a messianic conviction that he is ordained to save the world with technology and a god-like willingness to experiment with the lives of lesser humans. Promising to eradicate Polio with $1.2 billion, Gates took control of India 's National Advisory Board (NAB) and mandated 50 polio vaccines (up from 5) to every child before age 5. Indian doctors blame the Gates campaign for a devastating vaccine-strain polio epidemic that paralyzed 496,000 children between 2000 and 2017. In 2017, the Indian Government dialed back Gates' vaccine regimen and evicted Gates and his cronies from the NAB. Polio paralysis rates dropped precipitously. In 2017, the World Health Organization reluctantly admitted that the global polio explosion is predominantly vaccine strain, meaning it is coming from Gates' Vaccine Program. The most frightening epidemics in Congo, the Philippines, and Afghanistan are all linked to Gates' vaccines. By 2018, ¾ of global polio cases were from Gates' vaccines. In 2014, the Gates Foundation funded tests of experimental HPV vaccines, developed by GSK and Merck, on 23,000 young girls in remote Indian provinces. Approximately 1,200 suffered severe side effects, including autoimmune and fertility disorders. Seven died. Indian government investigations charged that Gates funded researchers committed pervasive ethical violations: pressuring vulnerable village girls into the trial, bullying parents, forging consent forms, and refusing medical care to the injured girls. The case is now in the country's Supreme Court. In 2010, the Gates Foundation funded a trial of a GSK's experimental malaria vaccine, killing 151 African infants and causing serious adverse effects including paralysis, seizure, and febrile convulsions to 1,048 of the 5,049 children. '...Continued on slides 2 + 3.

A post shared by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (@robertfkennedyjr) on Apr 7, 2020 at 7:19pm PDT

Gates' obsession with vaccines seems fueled by a messianic conviction that he is ordained to save the world with technology and a god-like willingness to experiment with the lives of lesser humans.

take our poll - story continues below

Completing this poll grants you access to DC Clothesline updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to this site's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Promising to eradicate Polio with $1.2 billion, Gates took control of India 's National Advisory Board (NAB) and mandated 50 polio vaccines (up from 5) to every child before age 5. Indian doctors blame the Gates campaign for a devastating vaccine-strain polio epidemic that,paralyzed 496,000 children between 2000 and 2017. In 2017, the Indian Government dialed back Gates' vaccine regimen and evicted Gates and his cronies from the NAB. Polio paralysis rates dropped precipitously.

In 2017, the World Health Organization reluctantly admitted that the global polio explosion is predominantly vaccine strain, meaning it is coming from Gates' Vaccine Program. The most frightening epidemics in Congo, the Philippines, and Afghanistan are all linked to Gates' vaccines. By 2018, ¾ of global polio cases were from Gates' vaccines.

In 2014, the Gates Foundation funded tests of experimental HPV vaccines, developed by GSK and Merck, on 23,000 young girls in remote Indian provinces. Approximately 1,200 suffered severe side effects, including autoimmune and fertility disorders. Seven died. Indiangovernment investigations charged that Gates funded researchers committed pervasive ethical violations : pressuring vulnerable village girls into the trial, bullying parents, forging consent forms , and refusing medical care to the injured girls. The case is now in the country's Supreme Court.

In 2010, the Gates Foundation funded a trial of a GSK's experimental malaria vaccine, killing 151 African infants and causing serious adverse effects including paralysis, seizure, and febrile convulsions to 1,048 of the 5,049 children.

During Gates 2002 MenAfriVac Campaign in Sub-Saharan Africa, Gates operatives forcibly vaccinated thousands of African children against meningitis. Between 50-500 children developed paralysis. South African newspapers complained, ''We are guinea pigs for drug makers'' Nelson Mandela's former Senior Economist, Professor Patrick Bond, describes Gates' philantropic practises as ''ruthless'' and immoral''.

In 2010, Gates committed $ 10 billion to the WHO promising to reduce population, in part, through new vaccines. A month later Gates told a Ted Talk that new vaccines ''could reduce population''.

In 2014, Kenya's Catholic Doctors Association accused the WHO of chemically sterilizing millions of unwilling Kenyan women with a phony ''tetanus'' vaccine campaign. Independent labs found the sterility formula in every vaccine tested. After denying the charges, WHOfinally admitted it had been developing the sterility vaccines for over a decade . Similar accusations came from Tanzania, Nicaragua, Mexico and the Philippines.

A 2017 study (Morgensen et.Al.2017) showed that WHO's popular DTP is killing more African than the disease it pretends to prevent. Vaccinated girls suffered 10x the death rate of unvaccinated children.

Gates and the WHO refused to recall the lethal vaccine which WHO forces upon millions of African children annually. Global public health advocates around the world accuse Gates of '' hijacking WHO's agenda away from the projects that are proven to curb infectiousdiseases; clean water, hygiene, nutrition and economic development . They say he has diverted agency resources to serve his personal fetish '' that good health only comes in a syringe.

In addition to using his philantropy to control WHO, UNICEF, GAVI and PATH, Gates funds private pharmaceutical companies that manifacture vaccines, and a massive network of pharmaceutical -industry front groups that broadcast deceptive propaganda, develop fraudulent studies, conduct surveillance and psychological operations against vaccine hesitancy and use Gates' power and money to silence dissent and coerce compliance.

In this recent nonstop Pharmedia appearances, Gates appears gleeful that the Covid-19 crisis will give him the opportunity to force his third-world vaccine programs on American children.''

Article posted with permission from Sons Of Liberty Media

Tim Brown is an author and Editor at FreedomOutpost.com, SonsOfLibertyMedia.com, GunsInTheNews.com and TheWashingtonStandard.com. He is husband to his ''more precious than rubies'' wife, father of 10 ''mighty arrows'', jack of all trades, Christian and lover of liberty. He resides in the U.S. occupied Great State of South Carolina. . Follow Tim on Twitter. Also check him out on Gab, Minds, MeWe, Spreely, Mumbl It and Steemit

Link to Article

Archived Version

Sat, 11 Apr 2020 13:05

Robert Francis Kennedy Jr. is an American environmental attorney, author, and opponent of vaccination. Kennedy is a son of Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of former president John F. Kennedy. He is the president of the board of Waterkeeper Alliance, a non-profit environmental group that he helped found in 1999.

From #RobertFKennedyJr's Instagram post today, April 9th, 2020:

#Vaccines, for #BillGates, are a strategic philanthropy that feed his many vaccine-related businesses (including #Microsoft's ambition to control a global vac ID enterprise) and give him dictatorial control over global health policy'--the spear tip of corporate neo-imperialism.

Gates' obsession with vaccines seems fueled by a messianic conviction that he is ordained to save the world with technology and a god-like willingness to experiment with the lives of lesser humans.

Promising to eradicate Polio with $1.2 billion, Gates took control of India 's National Advisory Board (NAB) and mandated 50 polio vaccines (up from 5) to every child before age 5. Indian doctors blame the Gates campaign for a devastating vaccine-strain polio epidemic that paralyzed 496,000 children between 2000 and 2017. In 2017, the Indian Government dialed back Gates' vaccine regimen and evicted Gates and his cronies from the NAB. Polio paralysis rates dropped precipitously. In 2017, the World Health Organization reluctantly admitted that the global polio explosion is predominantly vaccine strain, meaning it is coming from Gates' Vaccine Program. The most frightening epidemics in Congo, the Philippines, and Afghanistan are all linked to Gates' vaccines. By 2018, ¾ of global polio cases were from Gates' vaccines.

In 2014, the #GatesFoundation funded tests of experimental HPV vaccines, developed by GSK and Merck, on 23,000 young girls in remote Indian provinces. Approximately 1,200 suffered severe side effects, including autoimmune and fertility disorders. Seven died. Indian government investigations charged that Gates funded researchers committed pervasive ethical violations: pressuring vulnerable village girls into the trial, bullying parents, forging consent forms, and refusing medical care to the injured girls. The case is now in the country's Supreme Court.

In 2010, the Gates Foundation funded a trial of a GSK's experimental malaria vaccine, killing 151 African infants and causing serious adverse effects including paralysis, seizure, and febrile convulsions to 1,048 of the 5,049 children.

During Gates 2002 MenAfriVac Campaign in Sub-Saharan Africa, Gates operatives forcibly vaccinated thousands of African children against meningitis. Between 50-500 children developed paralysis. South African newspapers complained, ''We are guinea pigs for drug makers''

Nelson Mandela's former Senior Economist, Professor Patrick Bond, describes Gates' philantropic practices as ''ruthless'' and ''immoral''.

In 2010, Gates committed $10 billion to the WHO promising to reduce population, in part, through new vaccines. A month later Gates told a Ted Talk that new vaccines ''could reduce population''. In 2014, Kenya's Catholic Doctors Association accused the WHO of chemically sterilizing millions of unwilling Kenyan women with a phony ''tetanus'' vaccine campaign.

Independent labs found the sterility formula in every vaccine tested.

After denying the charges, WHO finally admitted it had been developing the sterility vaccines for over a decade.

Similar accusations came from Tanzania, Nicaragua, Mexico and the Philippines.

A 2017 study (Morgensen et.Al.2017) showed that WHO's popular DTP is killing more African than the disease it pretends to prevent. Vaccinated girls suffered 10x the death rate of unvaccinated children.

Gates and the WHO refused to recall the lethal vaccine which WHO forces upon millions of African children annually.

Global public health advocates around the world accuse Gates of '' hijacking WHO's agenda away from the projects that are proven to curb infectious diseases; clean water, hygiene, nutrition and economic development.

They say he has diverted agency resources to serve his personal fetish '' that good health only comes in a syringe.

In addition to using his philanthropy to control WHO, UNICEF, GAVI and PATH, Gates funds private pharmaceutical companies that manufacture vaccines, and a massive network of pharmaceutical industry front groups that broadcast deceptive propaganda, develop fraudulent studies, conduct surveillance and psychological operations against vaccine hesitancy and use Gates' power and money to silence dissent and coerce compliance. In this recent nonstop Pharmedia appearances, Gates appears gleeful that the Covid-19 crisis will give him the opportunity to force his third-world vaccine programs on American children.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 16:49

News and articles about CORONAVIRUS are everywhere but our article, here on Age Of Autism, may be much different from what we are reading and seeing elsewhere. It is interesting to observe the business side of all of this talk of health. This from Business Insider, for example:

The flu is a far bigger threat to most people in the US than the Wuhan coronavirus. Here's why.Although the CDC considers this coronavirus (whose scientific name is 2019-nCoV) to be a serious public-health concern, the agency said in a statement Friday that "the immediate health risk from 2019-nCoV to the general American public is considered low at this time."

A graver health risk for Americans '-- not just right now, but every year '-- is the flu'....."When we think about the relative danger of this new coronavirus and influenza, there's just no comparison," William Schaffner, a vaccine expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, told Kaiser Health News (KHN). "Coronavirus will be a blip on the horizon in comparison. The risk is trivial."....So far, experts report that the median age of those who have died from the Wuhan coronavirus is around 75. Many of these individuals had other health issues like high blood pressure, diabetes, and Parkinson's disease'.....Currently, the fatality rate for the coronavirus is about 3%.

While the flu's fatality rate is lower than that, the CDC is still far more concerned about protecting Americans from influenza.

And there you have it. Like Ralphie in A Christmas Story, it's all about selling Ovaltine, but in this case, it's the flu vaccine, which can be ineffective, we are told https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/flu-vaccine-selections-suggest-this-years-shot-may-be-off-the-mark/ . As a result, you can bet lots of money is being lost and it sure looks like this virus in China has become a good excuse to get rid of these flu vaccines. Another business piece that is obviously revving up, is to invent a coronavirus vaccine.

Honestly, just reading up on both influenza and coronavirus brings up some interesting reading. For starters, it appears in China, that this year, there were twice as many flu shots being given:

China Daily | Updated: 2019-10-31The supply of flu vaccines in China this year will be twice as large as last year to ensure demand is met, the top health authority said on Wednesday, adding it is well prepared for the arrival of flu season.

More flu vaccines this year could be a clue? There does seems to be connections to flu shots and acute respiratory infections, like coronavirus:

Increased Risk of Noninfluenza Respiratory Virus Infections Associated With Receipt of Inactivated Influenza Vaccine We investigated the incidence of acute upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) associated with virologically confirmed respiratory virus infections in a randomized controlled trial of influenza vaccination.,,,TIV ( trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine ) recipients had higher risk of confirmed noninfluenza respiratory virus infection (RR, 3.46; 95% CI, 1.19''10.1)....c Including positive detections of coronavirus, human metapneumovirus, parainfluenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)...we were able to observe a statistically significant increased risk of confirmed noninfluenza respiratory virus infection among TIV recipients..

That was 2012. Six years later, this study came out:

Assessment of temporally-related acute respiratory illness following influenza vaccination Conclusion

Among children, there was an increase in the hazard of ARI (acute respiratory infection) caused by non-influenza respiratory pathogens post-influenza vaccination compared to unvaccinated children during the same period. Potential mechanisms for this association warrant further investigation. Future research could investigate whether medical decision-making surrounding influenza vaccination may be improved by acknowledging patient experiences, counseling regarding different types of ARI, and correcting the misperception that all ARI occurring after vaccination are caused by influenza.

The conclusion, after saying that indeed those who are vaccinated DO get more acute pathogen-creating illness, like CORONAVIRUS, that should make us all wonder if there are any connections here. The acknowledging that patients DO get ill after flu shots from these other viruses (VIRAL INTERFERENCE) is priceless yet disturbing. Basically patients have been made to feel like they were wrong for decades. I am sure deaths too, have been involved but to correctly blame it on the vaccine has been taboo. Mutating bacteria and viruses are possible for sure and vaccines can also be responsible for that We can end here, with a recent study, freshly out and pertinent:

Vaccine. 2020 Jan 10;38(2):350-354. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2019.10.005. Epub 2019 Oct 10. Influenza vaccination and respiratory virus interference among Department of Defense personnel during the 2017-2018 influenza season.

Receiving influenza vaccination may increase the risk of other respiratory viruses, a phenomenon known as virus interference. ... Vaccine derived virus interference was significantly associated with coronavirus and human metapneumovirus'.....

We will read that this Coronavirus is from ''bats, pigs and small mammals'', Biowarfare labs , yet you can bet vaccines will be dismissed in a heartbeat.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 17:11

What's the estimated effectiveness of this season's flu vaccine so far? (Photo: Getty)

GettyHow is 45? Well, that depends on what you are talking about, of course. Eating 45 doughnuts in one sitting is probably not so good. Batting .450 in a Major League Baseball season? That's good. All-time best good. A flu vaccine that's 45% effective? That's certainly not the all-time best. But it's still better than it was measured to be this time last year: 29%.

The 45% number came from a report released yesterday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This report indicated that so far the flu vaccine has been an estimated 45% effective in preventing ''influenza-associated medically attended acute respiratory illness.'' Ummm, what the who attending a cute illness what? This may seem like a jumble of words if you don't speak medical-ese.

Let's break it down a bit. ''Influenza-associated'' means the result of the flu. ''Medically attended'' says that you sought medical care for the problem. ''Acute respiratory illness'' stands for a disease affecting your respiratory tract that is new and not something that has been going on for a while already.

Thus, the flu vaccine is estimated to have been 45% effective at preventing flu-associated respiratory illnesses that resulted in doctor's visits. Not 45% effective in preventing the flu in general. Not flu in which you melt into your bed and don't go anywhere for several days. But flu that gets you to go to the doctor's office. The number was even higher for those 6 months to 17 years of age. Kids and adolescents had 55% for this type of vaccine effectiveness.

So, back to the original question: how is 45? In general, when the influenza virus strains in the vaccine match the strains that are circulating the population, such effectiveness tends to be between 40% and 60%. Of course, in year's that the strains don't match, vaccine effectiveness can be lower. So 45% is kind of like sushi in a food court. Not the best that it could be. But it does it's job.

Where did the CDC get these vaccine effectiveness numbers? Well they came from the U.S. Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness Network, which conducted studies from October 23, 2019 to January 25, 2020. During that time period, five study locations in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin enrolled 4,112 patients, all 6 months of age and older, who had visited clinics for acute respiratory illness accompanied by cough when the flu virus was known to already be circulating in the area.

The researchers asked each patient whether he or she had received the flu vaccine at least 14 days earlier this season and tested their noses or mouths for presence of the flu virus. Ultimately, 1,060 (26%) of the study participants ended up testing positive for the influenza virus. The percentage of participants in each site who had received the flu vaccine ranged from 38% to 61%.

From the results, they calculated an odds ratio. Not an odd ratio as in a weird ratio but an odds ratio calculated as such: the odds that a person who tested positive for the flu also had been vaccinated earlier in the season divided by the odds that a person who tested negative for the flu had been vaccinated. The following formula then calculated the estimated vaccine effectiveness: 100% x (1- odds ratio).

Counting the number of clinic visits underestimates the number of people who get the flu in a season ... [+] as many people suffer without seeking medical care. (Photo: Getty)

GettySo this is a somewhat indirect method of evaluating the effectiveness of the flu vaccine. It is also from a specific sample of 4,112 patients. If you think political polls don't really represent what people think, you can imagine that numbers from a sample of people from particular locations may not really represent what is occurring throughout the country. Plus, numbers for particular parts of the flu season may not end up holding throughout the entire flu season. This flu season is far from over, and vaccine effectiveness can change over time as different strains become more or less prominent.

Oh, and remember this is vaccine effectiveness in preventing ''influenza-associated medically attended acute respiratory illness.'' Not the flu in general.

Moreover, don't go around saying, ''I'm 45. I'm 45.'' That may not be your specific number. The flu vaccine probably offers different levels of protection to different people. Remember, you are a snowflake and so is your immune system. This isn't a statement about your toughness. This is just a reminder that no two people and no two immune systems are identical. A vaccine basically presents inactivated or weakened versions of the viruses to your immune system and says, ''hey watch out for these.'' It's up to your immune system to respond. Therefore, the protection that you get depends on how your immune system reacts.

Regardless of your specific number, as they say with the flu, sword fighting, and sex (not that the three are related), some protection is better than no protection. Nothing else even comes close to the vaccine in protecting against the flu. Taking supplements is not going to do it. Neither is a special diet, getting chiropractic treatments, douching your nose, or drinking whiskey. The CDC has estimated that the flu has already caused 12 to 17 million medical visits, 250,000 to 440,000 hospitalizations, and 14,000 to 36,000 deaths this season as of February 8, 2020. Those are not inconsequential numbers, and they will continue to grow. They are still much, much, much higher than what the new coronavirus (2019-nCoV) has caused in this country as I have explained previously for Forbes. If you haven't yet gotten the flu vaccine, it is still worth getting.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 17:00

More of the latest information is available on the total distribution of influenza vaccine doses for the 2019-2020 season.

How much influenza vaccine is projected to be available for the 2019-2020 influenza season?Flu vaccine is produced by private manufacturers, so supply depends on manufacturers. Vaccine manufacturers have projected that they will supply as many as 162 million to 169 million doses of influenza vaccine for the 2019-2020 season.

How much thimerosal-free influenza vaccine is expected to be available for the 2019-2020 season?For the 2019-2020 season, manufacturers will produce influenza vaccines containing thimerosal and some vaccines that do not contain thimerosal. For the 2019-2020 season, only multidose vial presentations of influenza vaccines contain thimerosal.

Approximately 85% of projected vaccine supply produced for the 2019-2020 flu season will be thimerosal-free (i.e., preservative-free).

How much quadrivalent (four-component) vaccine is expected to be available for the 2019-2020 season?For the 2019-2020 season, manufacturers will produce both trivalent (three-component) and quadrivalent (four-component) influenza vaccines.

Approximately 81% of the projected vaccine supply produced for the 2019-2020 flu season will be quadrivalent (4-component) vaccines. The remaining vaccine will be trivalent (3-component), including the high dose and adjuvanted flu vaccines, as well as one brand of standard-dose inactivated vaccine.

How much of the U.S. flu vaccine supply for 2019-2020 will be produced using egg-based manufacturing?Approximately 82% of the projected vaccine supply produced for the 2019-2020 flu season will be produced using egg-based manufacturing technology. The remaining vaccine will be produced using cell-based and recombinant technology.

Can I still buy influenza vaccine for the 2019-2020 season?Influenza vaccine pre-booking typically occurs between January and March, though most preparations of vaccine should still be available for purchase. Providers should contact distributors and local vendors about remaining supply. In addition, beginning in early October each year, information about manufacturers and distributors who still have influenza vaccine available for sale can be found at http://www.preventinfluenza.org/ivats/ external icon .

Updates on the distribution of influenza vaccine doses for the 2019-2020 season will be provided as the season progresses.

What can we anticipate in terms of the timing of vaccine availability for the 2019-2020 season?The timing of vaccine availability depends on when production is completed. Some influenza vaccine shipments have already begun and will continue throughout August, September, October, and November until all of the vaccine is distributed.

More information on vaccines available in the United States for the 2019-20 influenza season.

Are all influenza vaccines the same?All influenza vaccines contain antigen derived from the same influenza viruses, with the one difference being that trivalent vaccines have 3 different antigens and quadrivalent vaccines have four different antigens (the same three that are in the trivalent vaccines, plus one more). However, aside from the antigen composition, different influenza vaccines are manufactured differently and different preparations have different indications as licensed by the FDA. In particular, each is licensed for a specific age range. All recipients should receive a vaccine that is appropriate for their age. In addition, LAIV (the nasal spray flu vaccine) is not recommended for use in some populations.

Special Consideration Regarding Egg AllergyPeople with a history of egg allergy who have experienced only hives after exposure to egg should receive influenza vaccine. Any licensed, recommended influenza vaccine (i.e., any IIV, RIV4, or LAIV4) that is otherwise appropriate for the recipient's age and health status may be used.

People who report having had reactions to egg involving symptoms other than hives (e.g., angioedema or swelling, respiratory distress, lightheadedness, or recurrent vomiting) or who required epinephrine or another emergency medical intervention may similarly receive any licensed, recommended influenza vaccine (i.e., any IIV, RIV4, or LAIV4) that is otherwise appropriate for their age and health status. The selected vaccine should be administered in an inpatient or outpatient medical setting (including, but not necessarily limited to, hospitals, clinics, health departments, and physician offices). Vaccine administration should be supervised by a health care provider who is able to recognize and manage severe allergic reactions.

A previous severe allergic reaction to influenza vaccine, regardless of the component suspected of being responsible for the reaction, is a contraindication to future receipt of the vaccine.

Where can I find information about vaccine supply?Information about vaccine supply is available on the CDC influenza web site.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 16:57

The strains chosen for the Southern Hemisphere vaccine suggest the Northern Hemisphere one may not provide optimal protection

Credit: Getty ImagesIt's never an easy business to predict which flu viruses will make people sick the following winter. And there's reason to believe two of the four choices made last winter for this upcoming season's vaccine could be off the mark.

Twice a year influenza experts meet at the World Health Organization to pore over surveillance data provided by countries around the world to try to predict which strains are becoming the most dominant. The Northern Hemisphere strain selection meeting is held in late February; the Southern Hemisphere meeting occurs in late September.

The selections that officials made last week for the next Southern Hemisphere vaccine suggest that two of four viruses in the Northern Hemisphere vaccine that doctors and pharmacies are now pressing people to get may not be optimally protective this winter. Those two are influenza A/H3N2 and the influenza B/Victoria virus.

The strain selection committee concluded the H3N2 and B/Victoria viruses needed to be updated because the ones used in the Northern Hemisphere vaccine didn't match the strains of those viruses that are now dominant. Influenza epidemiologist Dr. Danuta Skowronski described the significance of those two changes in one word: ''mismatch.''

''I think the vaccine strain selections by the WHO committee are obviously important for the Southern Hemisphere but they're also signals to us because they're basing their decisions on what they see current predominating on the global level,'' said Skowronski, who is with the British Columbia Center for Disease Control in Vancouver.

Flu vaccine is a four-in-one or a three-in-one shot that protects against both influenza A viruses'--H3N2 and H1N1'--and either both or one of the influenza B viruses, B/Victoria and B/Yamagata. Most flu vaccine is made with killed viruses, and most vaccine used in the United States is quadrivalent'--four-in-one.

There was great uncertainty around which version of H3N2 to choose for the Northern Hemisphere vaccine when the committee met last February'--there was a lot of variation between the strain the U.S. was seeing and the H3N2 viruses sickening people in Canada and Europe. There was so much uncertainty, in fact, that the committee delayed making the choice of the H3N2 strain for a month to try to get a clearer picture.

In the end, the committee selected a version of the virus that was causing a wave of late season illness in the United States. (Canada also had a late season surge of H3N2 activity, but caused by a different version of the virus.)

''That H3N2 wave was late and it was evolving at the time that they met in February,'' Skowronski said of the strain selection committee. ''And there was a diverse mix of H3 viruses. And it wasn't clear to them, I guess, [which strain] '... would emerge the clear winner.''

It appears the virus that was ultimately selected is not the H3N2 that dominated during the Southern Hemisphere's winter 2019 season.

Scott Hensley, an associate professor of microbiology at the University of Pennsylvania, said the variant of H3N2 viruses that just swept through the Southern Hemisphere is more likely to be the main cause of H3N2 infections for the Northern Hemisphere this winter than was the case in the U.S. late last winter and into the early spring.

But that version of H3N2 is difficult to grow in eggs, which is the way the vast majority of flu vaccines is made, he noted, suggesting that fact may have influenced the thinking

In recent years the H3N2 component has generally been the least effective part of the vaccine. If H3N2 viruses predominate this coming flu season, a vaccine mismatch could add to the severity of the season. But if those viruses play a smaller role this winter, the impact of a mismatch will be less significant, making it hard to predict if this choice is going to turn out to be a problem.

Flu circulation ''remains difficult to predict and flu viruses are constantly breaking rules that we try to establish for them,'' Hensley said, adding that flu vaccines ''often protect against severe disease even when '... mismatched.''

The selection of a new B/Victoria virus for the Southern Hemisphere 2020 shot also concerns Skowronski. There was almost no influenza B activity in the 2018-2019 flu season and it's been several years since B/Victoria viruses have caused much illness. As a result, there may not be a lot of immunity to those viruses in the population, she said.

B/Victoria flu viruses are especially hard on children, Skowronski said.

Given the possibility that a couple of the components of the vaccine might not be well-matched to circulating flu viruses, Skowronski said it will be important for doctors to realize vaccinated patients may still contract influenza. For those who are at high risk of developing severe illness, rapid treatment with flu antiviral drugs should be considered.

She also suggested older people or people who have underlying health problems'--in other words, those who are likely to develop a severe case of flu if they contract the virus'--should take steps to avoid being around sick people.

The sliver of good news: The officials meeting at the WHO last week concluded that the H1N1 and the flu B/Yamagata components of the Southern Hemisphere vaccine didn't need to change, suggesting they are representative of the strains of those viruses we're likely to encounter this winter.

Republished with permission from STAT. This article originally appeared on September 30, 2019

ABOUT THE AUTHOR(S)Helen Branswell Helen Branswell is STAT's infectious diseases and public health reporter. She comes from the Canadian Press, where she was the medical reporter for the past 15 years. Helen cut her infectious diseases teeth during Toronto's SARS outbreak in 2003 and spent the summer of 2004 embedded at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2010-11 she was a Nieman Global Health Fellow at Harvard, where she focused on polio eradication. Warning: Helen asks lots of questions.

Credit: Nick Higgins

STATSTAT delivers fast, deep, and tough-minded journalism. We take you inside science labs and hospitals, biotech boardrooms, and political backrooms. We dissect crucial discoveries. We examine controversies and puncture hype. We hold individuals and institutions accountable. We introduce you to the power brokers and personalities who are driving a revolution in human health. These are the stories that matter to us all.

Read This Next

Link to Article

Archived Version

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 16:54

A nurse prepares an elderly man for a flu shot in Changxing, Zhejiang province, earlier this month. Residents in the county who are more than 60 years old are entitled to influenza vaccines for free. TAN YUNFENG/FOR CHINA DAILYThe supply of flu vaccines in China this year will be twice as large as last year to ensure demand is met, the top health authority said on Wednesday, adding it is well prepared for the arrival of flu season.

He Qinghua, deputy director of National Health Commission's Disease Prevention and Control Bureau, said at a news conference that about 28 million doses of flu vaccines will enter the domestic market this winter and next spring, which is peak flu season in most parts of China¼more than double the number available during the last flu season.

The commission has been working with related departments to encourage flu vaccine producers to increase production for this year, and the National Medical Products Administration has also accelerated inspection and approval procedures for flu vaccines this year.

More than 20 million doses of flu vaccine have been released to the market after approval, he said.

About 8 million doses have been used for vaccination so far, twice the number for the same period last year, he said.

"We will keep monitoring the supply of flu vaccines and their use'... to ensure effective purchase and use of vaccines by local authorities so flu vaccinations can proceed smoothly," he said.

Chang Jile, director of the bureau, said the commission has recently released a plan on flu prevention and control for the upcoming season. In addition, to ensure the vaccine supply, the commission will also intensify its monitoring of flu outbreaks this year and improve information exchanges with related departments to better fight the outbreaks.

An Xuejun, deputy director of Beijing Municipal Health Commission, said the city increased its purchase quota for flu vaccines by 20 percent in July and started to give vaccinations to more vulnerable groups, such as the elderly and minors, as early as September.

As of Wednesday, about 860,000 doses of flu vaccine had been used, and it is expected 1.5 million doses will be given to residents in Beijing by the end of November, he said.

"We will do our best in flu prevention and control between mid-December and early February, the peak season of the flu in Beijing," he said.

Feng Zijian, deputy head of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said it is difficult to predict flu outbreaks.

"We will watch the situation closely and disclose information on flu prevalence in China to professionals and the public," he said.

It is difficult to calculate flu cases, as some other respiratory diseases have similar symptoms, but it is estimated that between 5 to 10 percent of the population will get the flu every season, Feng said.

Globally, about 1 billion people contract the flu every year, resulting in between 290,000 and 650,000 deaths, according to Chang.

Besides vaccines, the public needs to take comprehensive measures for flu control and prevention, such as maintaining good hygiene and a good lifestyle, and wearing masks when necessary, he said.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 16:54

Highlights'We investigated risk of acute respiratory illness post-influenza vaccination.

'Post-vaccination risk of non-influenza respiratory pathogen was higher in children.

'Patient perceptions of illness following influenza vaccination may be supported.

'Assessments of potential mechanisms for findings are needed.

AbstractBackgroundA barrier to influenza vaccination is the misperception that the inactivated vaccine can cause influenza. Previous studies have investigated the risk of acute respiratory illness (ARI) after influenza vaccination with conflicting results. We assessed whether there is an increased rate of laboratory-confirmed ARI in post-influenza vaccination periods.

MethodsWe conducted a cohort sub-analysis of children and adults in the MoSAIC community surveillance study from 2013 to 2016. Influenza vaccination was confirmed through city or hospital registries. Cases of ARI were ascertained by twice-weekly text messages to household to identify members with ARI symptoms. Nasal swabs were obtained from ill participants and analyzed for respiratory pathogens using multiplex PCR. The primary outcome measure was the hazard ratio of laboratory-confirmed ARI in individuals post-vaccination compared to other time periods during three influenza seasons.

ResultsOf the 999 participants, 68.8% were children, 30.2% were adults. Each study season, approximately half received influenza vaccine and one third experienced '‰¥1 ARI. The hazard of influenza in individuals during the 14-day post-vaccination period was similar to unvaccinated individuals during the same period (HR 0.96, 95% CI [0.60, 1.52]). The hazard of non-influenza respiratory pathogens was higher during the same period (HR 1.65, 95% CI [1.14, 2.38]); when stratified by age the hazard remained higher for children (HR 1·71, 95% CI [1.16, 2.53]) but not for adults (HR 0.88, 95% CI [0.21, 3.69]).

ConclusionAmong children there was an increase in the hazard of ARI caused by non-influenza respiratory pathogens post-influenza vaccination compared to unvaccinated children during the same period. Potential mechanisms for this association warrant further investigation. Future research could investigate whether medical decision-making surrounding influenza vaccination may be improved by acknowledging patient experiences, counseling regarding different types of ARI, and correcting the misperception that all ARI occurring after vaccination are caused by influenza.

Abbreviations ARI acute respiratory illness

MoSAIC Mobile Surveillance of Acute Respiratory Infections and Influenza-Like Illness in the Community

CIR Citywide Immunization Registry

Keywords Influenza vaccine

Influenza

Acute respiratory illness

Belief

Misperceptions

(C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 16:53

2020 Jan 10 Affiliations

Affiliation 1 Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch Air Force Satellite, 2510 5th Street, Bldg 840, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433, United States. Electronic address: gregory.wolff.3@us.af.mil. PMID: 31607599 PMCID: PMC7126676 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2019.10.005 Item in Clipboard

Greg G Wolff . Vaccine . 2020

Affiliation 1 Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch Air Force Satellite, 2510 5th Street, Bldg 840, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433, United States. Electronic address: gregory.wolff.3@us.af.mil. PMID: 31607599 PMCID: PMC7126676 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2019.10.005 Item in Clipboard

Abstract Purpose: Receiving influenza vaccination may increase the risk of other respiratory viruses, a phenomenon known as virus interference. Test-negative study designs are often utilized to calculate influenza vaccine effectiveness. The virus interference phenomenon goes against the basic assumption of the test-negative vaccine effectiveness study that vaccination does not change the risk of infection with other respiratory illness, thus potentially biasing vaccine effectiveness results in the positive direction. This study aimed to investigate virus interference by comparing respiratory virus status among Department of Defense personnel based on their influenza vaccination status. Furthermore, individual respiratory viruses and their association with influenza vaccination were examined.

Results: We compared vaccination status of 2880 people with non-influenza respiratory viruses to 3240 people with pan-negative results. Comparing vaccinated to non-vaccinated patients, the adjusted odds ratio for non-flu viruses was 0.97 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.86, 1.09; p = 0.60). Additionally, the vaccination status of 3349 cases of influenza were compared to three different control groups: all controls (N = 6120), non-influenza positive controls (N = 2880), and pan-negative controls (N = 3240). The adjusted ORs for the comparisons among the three control groups did not vary much (range: 0.46-0.51).

Conclusions: Receipt of influenza vaccination was not associated with virus interference among our population. Examining virus interference by specific respiratory viruses showed mixed results. Vaccine derived virus interference was significantly associated with coronavirus and human metapneumovirus; however, significant protection with vaccination was associated not only with most influenza viruses, but also parainfluenza, RSV, and non-influenza virus coinfections.

Keywords: Department of Defense; Influenza vaccine; Respiratory illness; Virus interference.

Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Conflict of interest statement The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Similar articles Influenza vaccination is not associated with detection of noninfluenza respiratory viruses in seasonal studies of influenza vaccine effectiveness. Sundaram ME, McClure DL, VanWormer JJ, Friedrich TC, Meece JK, Belongia EA. Sundaram ME, et al. Clin Infect Dis. 2013 Sep;57(6):789-93. doi: 10.1093/cid/cit379. Clin Infect Dis. 2013. PMID: 23748138 Free PMC article.

Effectiveness of seasonal influenza vaccination in community-dwelling elderly people: an individual participant data meta-analysis of test-negative design case-control studies. Darvishian M, van den Heuvel ER, Bissielo A, Castilla J, Cohen C, Englund H, Gefenaite G, Huang WT, la Bastide-van Gemert S, Martinez-Baz I, McAnerney JM, Ntshoe GM, Suzuki M, Turner N, Hak E. Darvishian M, et al. Lancet Respir Med. 2017 Mar;5(3):200-211. doi: 10.1016/S2213-2600(17)30043-7. Epub 2017 Feb 9. Lancet Respir Med. 2017. PMID: 28189522

Assessment of Virus Interference in a Test-negative Study of Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness. Feng S, Fowlkes AL, Steffens A, Finelli L, Cowling BJ. Feng S, et al. Epidemiology. 2017 Jul;28(4):514-524. doi: 10.1097/EDE.0000000000000670. Epidemiology. 2017. PMID: 28362642 Free PMC article. Clinical Trial.

Human genetics and responses to influenza vaccination: clinical implications. Lambkin R, Novelli P, Oxford J, Gelder C. Lambkin R, et al. Am J Pharmacogenomics. 2004;4(5):293-8. doi: 10.2165/00129785-200404050-00002. Am J Pharmacogenomics. 2004. PMID: 15462607 Review.

Influenza vaccination for healthcare workers who care for people aged 60 or older living in long-term care institutions. Thomas RE, Jefferson T, Lasserson TJ. Thomas RE, et al. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016 Jun 2;(6):CD005187. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD005187.pub5. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016. PMID: 27251461 Review.

References National Vaccine Information Center. What is the History of Influenza Vaccine Use in America? <https://www.nvic.org/vaccines-and-diseases/influenza/vaccine-history.aspx> 2019. Treanor J.J., Talbot H.K., Ohmit S.E. Effectiveness of seasonal influenza vaccines in the United States during a season with circulation of all three vaccine strains. Clin Infect Dis. 2012;55(7):951''959. - PMC - PubMed Ohmit S.E., Thompson M.G., Petrie J.G. Influenza vaccine effectiveness in the 2011''2012 season: protection against each circulating virus and the effect of prior vaccination on estimates. Clin Infect Dis. 2014;58(3):319''327. - PMC - PubMed McLean H.Q., Thompson M.G., Sundaram M.E. Influenza vaccine effectiveness in the United States during 2012''2013: variable protection by age and virus type. J Infect Dis. 2015;211(10):1529''1540. - PMC - PubMed Jackson M.L., Chung J.R., Jackson L.A. Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness in the United States during the 2015''2016 Season. N Engl J Med. 2017;377(6):534''543. - PMC - PubMed

Link to Article

Archived Version

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 17:06

The U.S. has only tested 3,600 people for Covid-19, HHS Secretary Alex Azar said Sunday.

Photo by THOMAS KIENZLE/AFP via Getty ImagesTopline: U.S. health officials made crucial mistakes in their initial response to the coronavirus that public health experts say hindered the government's ability to treat the virus earlier'--including the use of faulty testing kits and limiting how many people could be tested'--but officials say relief is on the way with more testing capacity.

Public health experts say the CDC's first critical misstep was opting to create its own testing kit rather than use the one provided by the World Health Organization, ProPublica reported. When the CDC, on February 4, 2020, did send out its own test kits to labs across the country to confirm cases on-site, some were faulty and produced inconclusive results. Another problem: Because hospitals couldn't use their own in-house tests in lieu of the CDC's flawed one, they had to send samples to one of a dozen labs with testing capability and the results then had to be certified by the CDC's central lab in Atlanta, which created delays. As a result of the bottleneck, the CDC enacted strict criteria over who could be tested, which only included recent travelers from China or people who had had contact with an infected person, a move health officials say failed to diagnose early cases of the virus in California and Washington State. The CDC has since fixed mistakes in its testing kit while expanding the criteria to allow for more people to get tested, and the FDA announced on Saturday it has given some academic and hospital labs the go-ahead to use their own tests instead of having to send samples off to other facilities. HHS Secretary Alexander Azar said Sunday those changes will allow the U.S. to test 75,000 people by the end of the week. The CDC did not immediately respond to request for comment from Forbes. Key background: The limited testing capacity in the U.S. stands in stark contrast to other countries dealing with outbreaks; South Korea can test 10,000 people per day (and even created drive-thru testing facilities), while the U.K. has done 13,000 tests so far. The U.S. has only tested 1,583 people so far, health officials said. The slowdown has frustrated public health experts who say the U.S. hasn't acted aggressively enough to proactively combat the disease's spread.

Crucial quote: ''We weren't the first country to be infected, and we didn't learn from those other countries,'' said Rishi Desai, a former epidemic intelligence officer at the CDC who is now the chief medical officer at Osmosis, a Baltimore-based online medical information startup. Desai told Forbes agency officials might have thought they could manufacture a more effective test, but should have used the WHO test while it developed its own. ''It's unfortunate because it shows we're not aggressively ahead of this.''

News peg: Six people in the U.S. have died so far from the coronavirus, all of who lived in Washington State. Scientists say Covid-19 has been spreading undetected over the past six weeks in Washington, and officials warn that more cases will crop up soon around the country as more people begin to get tested. Globally, nearly 89,000 people have been infected and about 3,000 have died as the disease continues to spread past China, namely to South Korea, Iran and Italy.

What's next: The Department of Health and Human Services is investigating the initial flaw in test kits, Politico reported. The agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Forbes. The inconclusive results were caused by a problematic chemical, and the kits themselves may have been manufactured in a contaminated lab, Axios reported.

Full coverage and live updates on the Coronavirus

Link to Article

Archived Version

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 19:49

In 1518, the dancing plague struck Strausbourg. A woman took to the streets and danced until she collapsed from exhaustion, then rested and returned to dancing. Before long, she was joined by dozens of others. The number swelled to 400, all afflicted by the same mysterious urge to dance ''long past the point of injury,'' according to the encyclopedia. There was no music, just people silently shaking and shimmying, so the town brought in a band, thinking the plague would run its course. It went on for months, and people reportedly died from strokes and heart attacks.

At the time, people blamed demonic possession, cults, curses, and a failure to propitiate the patron saint of dancers. Historians have since hypothesized that citizens had ingested toxic mold, causing convulsions. The Encyclopedia Britannica noted that such outbreaks often ''take place under circumstances of extreme stress.'' That year the residents were struck with famine, smallpox, and syphilis.

According to one outlet, the hysteria ended ''when the dancers were whisked away to a mountaintop shrine to pray for absolution.''

So for three hundred years, it seems that prayer has been the de facto solution for problems whose solutions seem beyond our immediate grasp.

I'm not much for reflections on a decade or best-of lists, but even as I danced my way into 2020 I couldn't ignore how the year was off to a peculiar start. In the first week of the decade those closest to me were thrown a gamut of challenges: financial infidelity and deciding to leave a spouse; a business partner exiting the company abruptly and potentially pilfering clients; a roommate moving out and a toxic ex resurfacing; and someone else divulging how they were secretly talking to their ex again.

Naturally, I Googled 1518 to try to understand what the hell was going on.

In 1518, the year of the dancing plague, Saturn and Pluto were conjunct. Saturn governs structure, while Pluto rules power and transformation. The two link up every 33''38 years, each time in a different sign. This year, Saturn and Pluto will align in Capricorn on January 12th, with the optimistic Sun joining them the following day.

The last time Saturn and Pluto were conjunct in Capricorn the year was 1518 '-- in the midst of the Italian Renaissance, which was a rebirth of learning, literature, art, culture. (And apparently death by dancing.) This is quite literally once-in-a-lifetime astrology, amplified by a full moon lunar eclipse in Cancer on Friday the 10th, the first full moon of the year.

Even if you don't 'believe' in astrology (which, hello, planets exist and orbit accordingly), I bet even you can agree that we live in weird, wild times. Check your seatbelts, ladies and gentlehumans, because we're in for a ride.

As my friends the AstroTwins write, ''Saturn rules tangible reality while Pluto governs our unconscious.'' With these two in Capricorn, ''integrity, responsibility and persistence'' are paramount. ''Fortify your foundations,'' they advise. ''There will be no cutting corners as the decade commences.''

Ultimately, ''This mashup forces us to take an unblinking look at the stories we've been telling ourselves. How close to the truth are they actually?''

Women Who Run With the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Est(C)s, PhD. is a veritable storytelling bible, dissecting the tales we tell ourselves and those our culture sells us. The author combed the globe, retelling and recapitulating stories. The legends and fables feel remarkably urgent and true '-- in the same way we begin to believe our own myths about ourselves and society.

In times of strife or suffering, fiction has a way of delivering truer truths than nonfiction. We view unvarnished versions of ourselves on the pages.

In a chapter on self-preservation, Est(C)s recounts ''The Red Shoes,'' wherein a poor motherless child made her own red shoes using cloth scraps. She's dismayed when the handmade shoes were incinerated by the wealthy old woman who adopted her. The old woman then brought the child to the shoemaker for new shoes, and the child chose another red pair, ''bright light crimson, bright like raspberries, bright like pomegranates,'' which she loved so much, ''that she could hardly think of anything else.''

Outside the church, someone commented on her ''beautiful dancing shoes,'' and the girl turned on her feet. Once she started dancing, she couldn't stop. The old woman and her coachman pried the shoes off to make her legs still. The shoes were placed high on a shelf and the child was warned not to touch them ever again. But she longed for them.

We all know how that goes, right? Longing for that which harms us?

''Her glance became a gaze and her gaze became a powerful desire, so much so that the girl took the shoes from the shelf and fastened them on, feeling it would do no harm. But as soon as they touched her heel and toes, she was overcome by the urge to dance.''

Out the door she went! Down the road, through muddy fields, into the forest, over hills, through valleys, in rain and snow and sun and the darkest night: ''But it was not good dancing. It was terrible dancing, and there was no rest for her.'' In a churchyard, a spirit told her she would dance until her skin hung off her bones, until ''there is nothing left of you but entrails dancing.''

The shoes fused to her, and the only way to stop the dancing was to cut off her feet '-- a symbol of mobility and freedom.

I owned a pair of red sequined shoes when I was a child '-- la Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. A few years ago, a counselor warned me about what he called a ''sparkle dance:'' exhausting myself by trying to impress someone who was too stupid to even notice my twisting and twirling.

Est(C)s writes that ''the psychological truth in 'The Red Shoes' is that a woman's meaningful life can be pried, threatened, robbed, or seduced away from her unless she holds on to or retrieves her basic joy and wild worth.''

Here's the kicker, though: the girl brought this upon herself. She longed for the shoes. She put them on. We all do: ''When she is starved, a woman will take any substitutes offered, including those that, like placebos, do absolutely nothing for her, as well as destructive and life-threatening ones that hideously waste her time and talents or expose her life to physical danger.''

The girl initially fastened her own shoes using scraps she procured, symbolizing a self-designed life. She traded her own creation for a tame life, and in this new, comfortable existence her sense of perception is dulled, ''which leads to excess, which leads to loss of the feed, the platform on which we stand, our basis, a deep part of our instinctual nature that supports our freedom.''

The story is meant to illustrate ''how a deterioration begins and what state we come to if we make no intervention in our own wildish behalf.''

I read Women Who Run With the Wolves when I began questioning whether I had outgrown the container that was my marriage and I re-read it years later when I had left that container. My marriage ended amicably, and nothing about it was bad, but I had become tame. I tried other interventions but it seemed the only way to reclaim a certain wildness was to leave. I worried what people would think: that we hadn't tried hard enough, that I was selfish for choosing to be alone. ''If you want to create, you have to sacrifice superficiality, some security, and often your desire to be liked, to draw up your most intense insights, your most far-reaching visions.''

I quickly realized that whatever people thought of me had nothing to do with me, and everything to do with them and the societal stories we unquestioningly inherit.

''Any group, society, institution, or organization that encourages women to revile the eccentric; to be suspicious of the new and unusual; to avoid the fervent, the vital, the innovative; to impersonalize the personal, is asking for a culture of dead women.''

And yet I was so used to wearing ill-fitting shoes for so many years that I immediately reached for another pair. I engaged in a brief tryst with a man who strung me along for three months, and when it ended my feet were sore from dancing. If only he could just see how prettily I twisted and twirled! I listened carefully to his weekly existential crises, happily offered advice and input, frequented backyard barbecues and concerts with his friends, read books he recommended, and let him decline invites to literary readings and concerts I attended, going alone.

I even let him break up with me twice and change his mind twice. ''It's fine!'' I insisted, tapping and turning on my feet. I was reluctant to admit that the new pair of shoes were just as uncomfortable as the last pair.

In November, I was finally, truly, irrevocably alone. I took three weeks off social media, refused to watch television, stopped making plans, and ceased reaching for distractions and substitutes.

I made an exception for the film Jojo Rabbit, seeing it solo and twice in three weeks. The film depicts a ten-year old boy in Nazi Germany whose imaginary friend is Adolf Hitler. He discovers his mother Rosie Betzler (played by Scarlett Johansson) is hiding a Jewish girl in the attic. The camera frequently cuts to Rosie's shoes: red and white heeled Mary Janes with laces on the top and broguing on the toe.

''Life is a gift,'' she tells her son in the midst of war. They are outside in the fresh air, the sun on their skin. She turns on her heels. ''We must celebrate it. We must dance.''

As I danced until 2:30am on New Year's Eve, alone but surrounded by friends, I realized there's a difference between dancing yourself into a plague, long past the point of injury, and dancing to reclaim a wildness.

Clarissa Pinkola Est(C)s notes how ''Sometimes, it is difficult for us to realize when we are losing our instincts, for it is often an insidious process that does not occur all in one day, but rather over a long period of time. Too, the loss or deadening of instinct is often entirely supported by the surrounding culture, and sometimes even by other women who endure the loss of instinct as a way of achieving belonging in a culture that keeps no nourishing habitat for the natural woman.''

It's easy to look back and see where I slipped into the sparkle dance, but harder to catch while in its midst. It's easy to slide into oversleeping, overspending, overconsuming and overindulging. It's even easier to spot it in other people '-- the ones who claim they're dancing for themselves but look over their shoulder to see who's watching. (''It is both a trap and a poison to have so-called friends who have the same injuries but no real desire to heal them.'') They twist self-help and professional advice to justify situations that keep them muted '-- if not psychically or creatively mutilated '-- in a job, a career, a relationship, or a city.

Some of us deaden ourselves to fall in line with a regime or culture that benefits from our ignorance or blindness, thinking we'll benefit in turn. Others ignore the too-tight feeling in the toes of our shoes until we realize we've lost all our nails.

Est(C)s advises readers to take their lives into their own hands and refuse to be captured. We do this by sharpening our instincts: examining the narratives we've been sold, dissecting the stories we adopted and co-opted blindly or blearily, interrogating the unquestioned assumptions and moving closer and closer to the truth.

''The real miracle of individuation and reclamation of Wild Woman is that we all begin the process before we are ready, before we are strong enough, before we know enough; we begin a dialogue with thoughts and feelings that both tickle and thunder within us. We respond before we know how to speak the language, before we know all the answers, and before we know exactly to whom we are speaking.''

When Jojo asks the Jewish girl in the attic what she will do first if the war ends, she says she will dance.

''Dance in red shoes,'' Est(C)s writes, ''but make sure they're the ones you've made by hand.''

A version of 'The Dancing Plague' originally appeared in the cedeling newsletter.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 20:56

This article is about the year 1518.

Year 1518 (MDXVIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 1518 . Exceptions Edit France Edit In France, year 1518 lasted from 4 April 1518 to 23 April 1519. Since Constantine (around year 325) and until the year 1565, the year was reckoned as beginning at Easter. For instance, the will of Leonardo da Vinci, drafted in Amboise on 23 April 1519, shows the legend "Given on the 23rd of April of 1518, before Easter".[1]

See Wikisource "1911 Encyclop...dia Britannica/Easter"Events Edit January''June Edit April 18 '' The widowed Sigismund I the Old, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, marries Milanese noblewoman Bona Sforza in Wawel Cathedral and she is crowned as Queen consort of Poland.May 26 '' A transit of Venus occurs. July''December Edit July '' Dancing plague of 1518: A case of dancing mania breaks out in Strasbourg, in which many people die from constant dancing.August '' Construction of the Manchester Grammar School is completed in England.October 3 '' The Treaty of London temporarily ensures peace in Western Europe.Date unknown Edit The Rajput Mewar Kingdom under Rana Sanga achieves a major victory over Sultan Ibrahim Lodi of Delhi.A swarm of tropical fire ants devastates crops on Hispaniola.Erasmus publishes his Colloquies.Henricus Grammateus publishes Ayn neu Kunstlich Buech in Vienna, containing the earliest printed use of plus and minus signs for arithmetic.[2]The African slave trade begins.Births Edit February 2Johann Hommel, German astronomer and mathematician (d. 1562)Godfried van Mierlo, Dutch Dominican friar and bishop (d. 1587)February 7 '' Johann Funck, German theologian (d. 1566)February 13 '' Anton­n Brus z Mohelnice, Moravian Catholic archbishop (d. 1580)February 20 '' Georg, Count Palatine of Simmern-Sponheim, (d. 1569)February 21 '' John of Denmark, Danish prince (d. 1532)February 28 '' Francis III, Duke of Brittany, Duke of Brittany (d. 1536)March 8 '' Sidonie of Saxony, Duchess of Brunswick-Calenberg (d. 1575)April 22 '' Antoine de Bourbon, father of Henry IV of France (d. 1610)July 3 '' Li Shizhen, Chinese physician, pharmacologist and mineralogist (d. 1593)August 8 '' Conrad Lycosthenes, Alsatian humanist and encyclopedist (d. 1561)October 26 '' John Basset, Devonshire gentleman (d. 1541)November 26 '' Guido Ascanio Sforza di Santa Fiora, Italian Catholic cardinal (d. 1564)December 13 '' Clara of Saxe-Lauenburg, Princess of Saxe-Lauenburg and Duchess of Brunswick-Gifhorn by marriage (d. 1576)December 17 '' Ernest III, Duke of Brunswick-Grubenhagen (d. 1567)December 19 '' Enrique de Borja y Arag"n, Spanish noble of the House of Borgia (d. 1540)date unknownJames Halyburton, Scottish reformer (d. 1589)Hubert Languet, French diplomat and reformer (d. 1581)Connor MacLeod, Scottish Highlander & Immortal (d. 2000)Edmund Plowden, English legal scholar (d. 1585)Tintoretto, Italian painter (d. 1594)possible '' Catherine Howard, fifth queen consort of Henry VIII of England (b. between 1518 and 1524; d. 1542)Deaths Edit February 9 '' Jean IV de Rieux, Breton noble and Marshal (b. 1447)May 31 '' Elisabeth of Brandenburg-Ansbach-Kulmbach, German margravine (b. 1494)July 10 '' Sibylle of Baden, Countess consort of Hanau-Lichtenberg (b. 1485)August 16 '' Loyset Comp¨re, French composer (b. c. 1445)August 27 '' Joan of Naples, queen consort of Naples (b. 1478)November 20Marmaduke Constable, English soldier (b. c. 1455)Pierre de La Rue, Flemish composer (b. c. 1452)November 24 '' Vannozza dei Cattanei, mistress of Pope Alexander VI (b. 1442)December 5 '' Gian Giacomo Trivulzio, Italian military commander (b. c. 1440)December 27 '' Mahmood Shah Bahmani II, sultan of the Bahmani Sultanate (b. c. 1470)date unknownMoxammat Amin of Kazan, khan of Kazan (b. c. 1469)Kabir, Indian mystic (b. 1440)Aruj, Ottoman corsair, brother of Hayreddin BarbarossaMuhammad ibn Azhar ad-Din, sultan of Adal (assassinated) (b. c. 1473)References Edit

Link to Article

Archived Version

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 20:56

Dancing plague of 1518, event in which hundreds of citizens of Strasbourg (then a free city within the Holy Roman Empire, now in France) danced uncontrollably and apparently unwillingly for days on end; the mania lasted for about two months before ending as mysteriously as it began.

In July 1518, a woman whose name was given as Frau (Mrs.) Troffea (or Trauffea) stepped into the street and began dancing. She seemed unable to stop, and she kept dancing until she collapsed from exhaustion. After resting, she resumed the compulsive frenzied activity. She continued this way for days, and within a week more than 30 other people were similarly afflicted. They kept going long past the point of injury. City authorities were alarmed by the ever-increasing number of dancers. The civic and religious leaders theorized that more dancing was the solution, and so they arranged for guildhalls for the dancers to gather in, musicians to accompany the dancing, and professional dancers to help the afflicted to continue dancing. This only exacerbated the contagion, and as many as 400 people were eventually consumed by the dancing compulsion. A number of them died from their exertions. In early September the mania began to abate.

The 1518 event was the most thoroughly documented and probably the last of several such outbreaks in Europe, which took place largely between the 10th and 16th centuries. The otherwise best known of these took place in 1374; that eruption spread to several towns along the Rhine River.

Contemporary explanations for the dancing plague included demonic possession and overheated blood. Investigators in the 20th century suggested that the afflicted might have consumed bread made from rye flour contaminated with the fungal disease ergot, which is known to produce convulsions. American sociologist Robert Bartholomew posited that the dancers were adherents of heretical sects, dancing to attract divine favour. The most widely accepted theory was that of American medical historian John Waller, who laid out in several papers his reasons for believing that the dancing plague was a form of mass psychogenic disorder. Such outbreaks take place under circumstances of extreme stress and generally take form based on local fears. In the case of the dancing plague of 1518, Waller cited a series of famines and the presence of such diseases as smallpox and syphilis as the overwhelming stressors affecting residents of Strasbourg. He further maintained that there was a local belief that those who failed to propitiate St. Vitus, patron saint of epileptics and of dancers, would be cursed by being forced to dance.

Get exclusive access to content from our 1768 First Edition with your subscription.

Subscribe today Patricia Bauer History at your fingertips

Thank you for subscribing!

Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 20:54

Engraving of

Hendrik Hondius portrays three women affected by the plague. Work based on original drawing by

Pieter Brueghel, who supposedly witnessed a subsequent outbreak in 1564 in

FlandersThe dancing plague (or dance epidemic) of 1518 was a case of dancing mania that occurred in Strasbourg, Alsace (now modern-day France), in the Holy Roman Empire in July 1518. Somewhere between 50 and 400 people took to dancing for days.

Events Edit The outbreak began in July 1518 when a woman began to dance fervently in a street in Strasbourg.[1] Some sources claim that, for a period, the plague killed around fifteen people per day;[2] however, the sources of the city of Strasbourg at the time of the events did not mention the number of deaths, or even if there were fatalities.[3]

Historical documents, including "physician notes, cathedral sermons, local and regional chronicles, and even notes issued by the Strasbourg city council" are clear that the victims danced.[1] It is not known why.

Controversy Edit Historical sources agree that there was an outbreak of dancing after a single woman started dancing, a group of mostly young women joined in, and the dancing did not seem to die down. It lasted for such a long time that it attracted the attention of the Strasbourg magistrate and bishop, and some number of doctors ultimately intervened, putting the afflicted in a hospital. Where the controversy arises is the matter of whether people ultimately danced to their deaths. The main source for this claim comes from John Waller, who has written several journal articles on the subject and the book "A Time to Dance, a Time to Die: The Extraordinary Story of the Dancing Plague of 1518". There do not appear to be any sources contemporaneous to the events that make note of any fatalities.[3] The sources cited by Waller that mention deaths were all from later retellings of the events. There is also uncertainty around the identity of the initial dancer (either an unnamed woman or "Frau Troffea") and the number of dancers involved (somewhere between 50 and 400).

Theories Edit Modern theories include food-poisoning caused by the toxic and psychoactive chemical products of ergot fungi, which grows commonly on grains in the wheat family (such as rye) that was used for baking bread. Ergotamine is the main psychoactive product of ergot fungi; it is structurally related to the drug lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD-25), and is the substance from which LSD-25 was originally synthesized. The same fungus has also been implicated in other major historical anomalies, including the Salem witch trials. However, John Waller in The Lancet argues that "this theory does not seem tenable, since it is unlikely that those poisoned by ergot could have danced for days at a time. Nor would so many people have reacted to its psychotropic chemicals in the same way. The ergotism theory also fails to explain why virtually every outbreak occurred somewhere along the Rhine and Moselle rivers, areas linked by water but with quite different climates and crops".[4] Waller speculates that the dancing was "stress-induced psychosis" on a mass level, since the region where the people danced was riddled with starvation and disease, and the inhabitants tended to be superstitious. Seven other cases of dancing plague were reported in the same region during the medieval era.[5]

This could have been a florid example of psychogenic movement disorder happening in mass hysteria or mass psychogenic illness, which involves many individuals'--small groups to almost 1,000 people'--suddenly exhibiting the same bizarre behavior. The behavior spreads rapidly and broadly in an epidemic pattern.[6] This kind of comportment could have been caused by the elevated levels of psychological stress, i.e. the despair caused by the ruthless years (even by the rough standards of the Middle Ages) the people of Alsace were suffering.[2]

This psychogenic illness could have created a chorea (Greek khoreia or "to dance"), a situation comprising random and intricate unintentional movements that flit from body part to body part. Diverse choreas (St. Vitus' dance, St. John's dance, tarantism) were labeled in the Middle Ages referring to the independent epidemics of "dancing mania" that happened in central Europe, particularly at the time of the plague.[7][8][9]

Cultural references Edit The Cornwall-based band 3 Daft Monkeys described this dancing plague in their 2010 song "Days of the Dance".The plague is featured as one of the different disease outbreaks that can be encountered in the world of the game Crusader Kings II as a part of The Reaper's Due expansion and in Stellaris as an event on newly colonized planets. Both games are made by same developer, Paradox Interactive.[10]Season 2 episode 3 of television series Legion references the plague in a list of strange occurrences as examples of "conversion disorders".Season 1 episode 10 of TV series Evil talks about the plague in an episode centered around an epidemic of singing or humming a particular song.See also Edit Sydenham's choreaTanganyika laughter epidemicReferences Edit ^ a b Viegas, Jennifer (1 August 2008). " ' Dancing Plague' and Other Odd Afflictions Explained". Discovery News. Discovery Communications. Archived from the original on 13 October 2012 . Retrieved 6 May 2013 . ^ a b Waller J (February 2009). "A forgotten plague: making sense of dancing mania". Lancet. 373 (9664): 624''625. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(09)60386-X. PMID 19238695. Archived from the original on 2014-11-08 . Retrieved 2016-04-08 . ^ a b Clementz, ‰lisabeth (2016). "Waller (John), Les danseurs fous de Strasbourg. Une (C)pid(C)mie de transe collective en 1518". Revue d'Alsace - F(C)d(C)ration des Soci(C)t(C)s d'Histoire et d'Arch(C)ologie d'Alsace. 142: 451''453. ^ Waller, John (2009). "A forgotten plague: making sense of dancing mania". The Lancet. 373 (9664): 624''625. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(09)60386-X. PMID 19238695. ^ "Mystery explained? 'Dancing Plague' of 1518, the bizarre dance that killed dozens". 13 August 2008 . Retrieved 3 July 2017 . ^ Kaufman, David Myland; Milstein, Mark J. (2013). Kaufman's Clinical Neurology for Psychiatrists. Chapter 18: Involuntary Movement Disorders (Seventh ed.). Elsevier. pp. 397''453. ISBN 978-0-7234-3748-2. ^ Cardoso, Francisco; Seppi, Klaus; Mair, Katherina J; Wenning, Gregor K; Poewe, Werner (July 2006). "Seminar on choreas". The Lancet Neurology. 5 (7): 589''602. doi:10.1016/S1474-4422(06)70494-X. PMID 16781989. ^ Haq, Ihtsham U; Tate, Jessica A; Siddiqui, Mustafa S; Okun, Michael S (2017). Youmans and Winn Neurological Surgery: Clinical Overview of Movement Disorders (Seventh ed.). Elsevier. pp. 573''585.e7. ISBN 978-0-323-28782-1. ^ Kaufman, David Myland; Geyer, Howard L; Milstein, Mark J (2017). Involuntary Movement Disorders (Eighth ed.). Elsevier. pp. 389''447. ISBN 978-0-323-46131-3. ^ https://ck2.paradoxwikis.com/Disease#Diseases Further reading Edit Backman, Eugene Louis (1977) [1952]. Religious Dances in the Christian Church and in Popular Medicine. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. ISBN 978-0-8371-9678-7. Waller, John (2008). A Time to Dance, A Time to Die: The Extraordinary Story of the Dancing Plague of 1518. Thriplow: Icon Books. ISBN 978-1-84831-021-6. Waller, John (2009). The Dancing Plague: The Strange, True Story of an Extraordinary Illness. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks, Inc. ISBN 978-1-4022-1943-6. External links Edit "Dancing death" by John Waller. BBC News. 12 September 2008."The Dancing Plague of 1518" by Doug MacGowan. Historic Mysteries. 28 June 2011.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 20:52

by The AstroTwinspublished March 1, 2020

From shaken financial markets to international travel restrictions to a virus yet to be contained'--here's what the stars say is headed our way. Your guide to astrology and the coronavirus.It's been quite a week in the news, and as astrologers, we consider it our job to look for astrological patterns and predictions'--NOT to fan the flames of fear. While panic about a pandemic could feel like an appropriate response, here's a view of astrology and the coronavirus: how the current and impending astrological lineup could shape public health, the economy and more.

A note about our November 2019 prediction of a ''black swan event.'' In our 2020 Horoscope book (published November 2019), we predicted the possibility of an economic ''black swan'' event that could be triggered by the January 12 Saturn-Pluto conjunction in Capricorn, the sign that rules governments and the economy.

These two planets aligned in Capricorn for the first time since 1518, traveling in close contact from December 2019 through late February 2020.

True to the nature of a black swan'--an event that comes completely out of left field and has a major impact, but can only be contextualized after the fact'--this sudden and stunning worldwide occurence is indeed lining up with much of 2020's astrology forecast. While our book was written and printed months before any mention of the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China, an event like this one has a long historical footprint'--at least, according to astrology.

Now, we move into a new week facing shaken global markets, new international travel restrictions and the first recorded coronavirus death in the U.S.'--plus virus outbreaks in over 50 countries. Here's an explainer of astrology and the coronavirus:

1. Saturn and Pluto shake up economies, bring hidden threats to light. As we wrote in our book about Saturn and Pluto's merger, ''the global economy may well be subject to the ever-present dangers of economic deterioration. This could set the stage for the ultimate Plutonian plot twist'--a 'black swan event' a term to denote a random event occurring outside all known statistical modeling and or status quo perspectives, an absolute surprise'...''

At this writing, U.S. stocks took a steep plunge in recent trading sessions due to virus-induced fears and developments. Last week, the Dow Jones had its largest reversal in two years. Markets from Europe to Brazil to Asia were rattled by concerns about the coronavirus economic impact.

China, where the coronavirus originated, is the seat of global manufacturing, and coronavirus shutdowns will result in ''tens of billions of dollars in lost growth this quarter alone,'' according to CNN, in an article that also warns that, ''major outbreaks in Japan, South Korea and Italy underscore the risk posed to other big economies from the coronavirus.'' With the coronavirus spreading at this rate, it's a near-certainty that it will soon affect every nation and their economies as the disrupted global supply chain now exports panic.

2. The first case was detected as Jupiter entered Capricorn, a tricky placement. On December 1, 2019, the very first case of ''2019-nCoV,'' as the virus is called, was detected in Wuhan, China. This occurred as Jupiter'--the planet of international travel and exchange'--was preparing to end a 13-month visit to its home sign of Sagittarius. On December 2, Jupiter moved into ''fall'' (its weakened position) in Capricorn, joining Saturn and Pluto in this sobering sign. The effect of Jupiter's presence could have acted like a bit of a release valve on things that were kept suppressed or hidden'--including a virus.

3. Saturn and Pluto have met up at times of war, recession and financial overhaul. Saturn and Pluto meet every 33-35 years, but in a different zodiac sign, taking nearly three centuries to return to a sign. The last Pluto-Saturn conjunction on November 8, 1982, coincided with the end of a brief recession. Historically, there have been incidences of economic shakeups or wars when these two planets unite.

The Saturn-Pluto unions of 1914-15 dovetailed with the start of World War I and stretched until the next Saturn-Pluto conjunction (in Leo) in 1947, which aligned with the end of World War II.

On November 16, 1914, the U.S. Federal Reserve began operations as Saturn and Pluto (both retrograde) united in Cancer. Right before that, the world was rocked by the Financial Panic of 1914. With impending war threatening global markets, spooked investors pulled out of their securities in a scramble for cash and gold. This led to an unprecedented shutdown of the London Stock Exchange for five months, and the U.S. Stock Exchange for four months. For six weeks during August and early September 1914'--as Saturn and Pluto made close contact'--almost every stock exchange in the world was closed.

4. Bioterrorism and the Year of the Bat, er, Rat. The Year of the Rat began on January 24, 2020, at the Lunar New Year'--and weirdly enough, coronavirus was originally pinned on an animal often mistaken to be part of the rodent family, the bat. From where does the coronavirus actually originate? With crafty, obscuring Pluto shrouding facts in layers of secrecy, it's no surprise that theories are mixed.

Could this be an act of bioterrorism as many are now speculating? With Pluto, the ruler of the underworld, aligned with weighty Saturn in Capricorn, the sign that rules corporate and government interests, that's likely to remain a developing story.

5. Saturn is headed into Aquarius, an air sign, on March 21. On March 21, grizzled Saturn will begin its first leg of a three-year journey into Aquarius, which is an air sign. This indicates that some challenges may come through anything spread through the atmosphere, including respiratory infections and airborne diseases.

As boundary-builder Saturn enters the sign that rules society and community'--all group gatherings'--this phase will impact community and social services. We will likely see Saturn's imprint on public health and government-operated offices under Aquarian rule, with long lines and bureaucracy. With Saturn's tendency to be extra cautious, people could become more divided, quarantining or barring access. Saturn in social Aquarius could bring the cancellation of events, holidays and conferences'--anywhere large groups of people gather.

A shortage of face masks may well be ahead of us since China produces 90% of the world supply, to say nothing of the need for generic medicines, which China also manufactures. Meantime, as we consider astrology and the coronavirus, let's take a cue from Aquarius, the Water Bearer'...and wash our hands.

6. Tightened regulations around community, pharmaceuticals and more. What is going on in that laboratory? And how will the lab-to-market prices and process be impacted? Saturn in Aquarius will reveal. Saturn rules rules, laws and regulations'--and Aquarius rules innovation, including anything chemical or pharmaceutical. The ruling planet of Aquarius, Uranus, is in money-minded Taurus until 2026, which could double this effect.

We may also see more government Internet shutdowns, as authoritarian Saturn descends on the sign that rules public information and technology. This could continue to spark the uprisings associated with Uranus and Aquarius, especially as people clamor for access to information that has a direct bearing on their daily lives.

7. Air travel restrictions (and fears) will be strong until July. Restrictive Saturn's move into airborne Aquarius can impact the flight industry, short-circuiting business travel. Saturn will make its first foray here from March 21 to July 1, then it will return again from December 17, 2020, until March 7, 2023. Recent stats show that the airlines could stand to lose more than $29 billion, according to the International Air Transport Authority. With Jupiter, the planet of global travel, grounded in earth sign Capricorn until December, the coronavirus outbreak could see lots of people planning road trips for the summer instead'--or opting for ''staycations'' for extra safety measures. (In our December 30 interview on Expedia's Viewfinder podcast, we actually recommended this for 2020 travelers.)

8. Cryptic events and crypto'...making way for a new currency? As more industries are impacted by the coronavirus manufacturing shutdown, we may see an acceleration in the development of bitcoin or a new economy'--a trend we predicted all the way back in 2018 when radical changemaker Uranus started its eight-year revolution through Taurus. (Uranus was last here from 1934 to 1942.)

The threat to the supply chain may break open opportunities for the emerging technology of ''blockchain,'' forcing us to get serious about new economic models and attendant payment platforms.

Meantime, Pluto is forging through Capricorn until 2024, which might accelerate developments or alternatives for new money models over the next four years.

We'll keep updating this post about astrology and the coronavirus as events develop. In the meantime, take the precautions you feel are right for you'--and stay safe, friends.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 20:48

How 2020 Repeats the Astrology of 1518 The year 2020 finds a Saturn-Pluto Conjunction in Capricorn which is rare and historic. Not only that, we find Uranus in Taurus and the North Node in Gemini, with the South Node in Sagittarius.

It's an uncanny repeat of the year 1518 when we saw a global boom in people smuggling, human trafficking and slavery. Right on cue, we find the sex trafficking of Jeffrey Epstein and the illegal immigrant trafficking in Essex, on the front pages. I'm sure you've seen both these stories explode in the news. (Images: BBC Television)

Prediction: In January 2020, the alleged suicide of Jeffrey Epstein, his Ponzi Scheme and Towers Financial will finally be uncovered. New York skyscrapers are going to shake. Heads are going to roll.

But what's the connection between the year ahead, 2020, and life as it was, five centuries ago? Put it this way. The world has seen it all before, when it comes to slaves. And the other side of the coin. Paid people smuggling. The History Channel even has a feature on the year 1518 and the rise in human cargo.

The E.U. and Modern Slavery in 2020In the year 1518, slavery boomed. Just over five centuries ago, on 18th August 1518 the King of Spain, Charles I, issued a charter authorising the transportation of slaves direct from Africa to the Americas.

In astrology we don't see literal repeats, but we do see the same stories, themes and episodes repeating, when we see uncanny alignments in the stars. You don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to work out that the dreadful deaths of Vietnamese people crammed into a truck in Essex, Britain '' coming from Europe '' may have been the result of fears that borders would come down after Brexit.

In 1518, we saw a Saturn-Pluto conjunction in Capricorn. We see one again in 2020. This is a classic signature of hard, heavy, cruel reality in the big business and corporate world.

Illegal migrants to the UK are even being sold premium or economy passage, according to research by the Independent Anti-slavery Commissioner.

People Smuggling and the 1518-2020 Horoscope Links People smuggling has long been a problem in the UK. In 2000, 58 Chinese illegal immigrants were found suffocated to death in a truck at Dover port in Kent. In February 2004, at least 21 Chinese workers drowned off the coast of Lancashire when they were trapped by the incoming tide after picking cockles.

According to the BBC again ''Only recently, eighty-six people attempted to cross the English Channel in a single day '' amid claims that people smugglers were using threats about Brexit to pressure migrants.''

On 26th October, 2019 '' as Saturn and Pluto were both in Capricorn, along with Uranus in Taurus '' the Belgian federal prosecutor said that people smugglers in Belgium pretended that the refrigerated container on the lorry where the Vietnamese died, was filled with biscuits. They died in a container that entered Britain following a ferry from Zeebrugge, Belgium. police had traced the trailer to the Netherlands first.

A man from Northern Ireland, 22-year-old Eamonn Harrison was named in connection with the crime '' an uncanny repeat of the tragic slave ships of 1518, almost 500 years before.

The young Vietnamese woman who texted her mum to say ''I'm dying'' sent frantic messages to her family while she was in the refrigerated lorry trailer, writing: ''I am dying, I can't breathe. I love you very much Mum and Dad. I am sorry, Mother.''

Prediction: May 5th to December 17th 2020 Exposes Modern Slavery in the E.U.You might have thought that slavery belonged to history, and to novels, like Philippa Gregory's book, A Respectable Trade. What the astrology suggests, is that in 2020 we are going to see it explode but also be exposed. Sadly, the lorry full of dead Vietnamese in Essex, and the sexual trafficking of girls by Jeffrey Epstein '' all we know about, in November 2019 '' is just the tip of an iceberg.

Why can we predict May 5th to December 17th 2020 is the uncanny repeat of the horrors of 1518, when the slave trade skyrocketed? It's the same exact pattern. Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn. The North Node in Gemini and South Node in Sagittarius. Uranus in Taurus. This time, though, Jupiter is also in Capricorn. So there is hope.

The Taurus, Capricorn, Gemini, Sagittarius Line-Up of 1518 is BackWhy is Pluto conjunct Saturn in Capricorn a slavery signature? Because Capricorn rules the mountain goat who climbs to the top of the pyramid. The very highest point of the ladder, in big business, retail, hospitality, and corporate life. The bottom of the pyramid is modern slavery or human trafficking.

Slavery is big in 2019 and according to the astrology it grows in 2020. Globally, slavery generates as much as $150bn (£116bn) in profits every year, more than one third of which ($46.9bn) is generated in developed countries, including the EU. According to The Guardian, modern slaves feed global supply chains in the agriculture, beauty, fashion and sex industries.

This takes us back to 1518, which began the new era of global economic slavery '' when African slaves were crammed into ships and sent to America,

Revolution in the World Economy

Uranus in Taurus is about a revolution in the world economy. The Pluto-Saturn in Capricorn combination, as we've seen, is about hard cruelty at the top, directed towards those at the bottom. What about the North Node in Gemini and South Node in Sagittarius, coming around again in 2020? I am sure you know both those signs are associated with transport and travel.

In 1518, it was slave ships crammed with people in chains. In 2020,

we are looking at the reality of trucks, lorries and vans '' small boats too '' from the European Union into the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. This is an ephemeris from Astro.com showing the year 1518 and the line-up. It's just the same.

Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn. Uranus in Taurus. The North Node in Gemini. The South Node in Sagittarius. It's a 500-year phenomenon and I predict we're going to see the dreadful truth about modern slavery exposed in 2020 as the cycles come around.

From Romania, Greece, Italy, Cyprus and Bulgaria '' into Great Britain According to CNN, the risk of modern slavery has risen in 20 member states of the European Union, according to a new global ranking released yesterday. Back in 1518 we were looking at a tragedy involving Africa, Spain and America. Today it's the European Union and Great Britain, now on a timer switch.

The Modern Slavery Index 2017, compiled by risk analytics company Verisk Maplecroft, pinpointed five EU countries '' Romania, Greece, Italy, Cyprus and Bulgaria '' as posing the highest risk. It identified these countries as key entry points for migrants who are extremely vulnerable to exploitation.

The Independent newspaper reported, '' Tens of thousands of people are living in slavery in the UK, according to Government estimates. While many come from countries such as Albania, Romania and Vietnam, there are significant numbers of British nationals.''

From Slave Ship to Freedom Road in 2020?Today, children are taught about the slave ships at school, along with the long road to freedom. As we see Britain sailing past her original Brexit deadline of October 31st, 2019, and recent shocking headlines involving both Epstein and Irish people smugglers taking human cargo '' what will we find in 2020?

Unfortunately, you'd have to expect a gathering storm before any break. For that we turn to January 2020. The astrology of January 2020 suggests the full horror of Epstein's sex slavery and E.U. people smuggling routes is going to be revealed. Let's hope and pray that 2020 is the beginning of the end of it.

The Nodes show karma going back in 19-year cycles. As the Nodes once again move into Gemini and Sagittarius, which rule all the transportation involved '' it seems that from the so-called Lolita flights of Epstein, to the lorries passing into Britain '' time's up. If ever there was a year for us all to be asking harder questions about the truth of the traffic, it's 2020. The astrology says that karma will rule. And Freedom Road? Well, Jupiter, the planet of optimism, repair, hope and new beginnings is on side in 2020, in Capricorn. Unlike 1518, that's reason to believe.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Sat, 11 Apr 2020 15:10

By Jonathan Stempel

April 11 (Reuters) - The convicted celebrity lawyer Michael Avenatti has been granted temporary freedom from a New York City jail by a California federal judge who said the spread of the novel coronavirus was a compelling reason to release him.

In an order late on Friday, U.S. District Judge James Selna said Avenatti, who represented adult film actress Stormy Daniels in lawsuits against U.S. President Donald Trump, may stay at a friend's home during the 90-day release period.

Avenatti, 49, must first be quarantined for 14 days at a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility, to ensure he does not have the coronavirus or symptoms, before moving to the home of Jay Manheimer in Venice, California.

Selna, who has called Avenatti a "danger to the community," said the lawyer would wear an electronic monitoring bracelet, have no internet access, and except for health emergencies be unable to leave Manheimer's home without permission. Bond was set at $1 million.

Avenatti was convicted in February of trying to extort up to $25 million from the athletic wear company Nike Inc.

He still awaits criminal trials in Manhattan on charges he defrauded Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, and in Santa Ana, California on charges he defrauded other clients and lied to the Internal Revenue Service and a bankruptcy court.

"Our primary concern has been to prepare for the upcoming trials," Avenatti's lawyer Dean Steward said in an email on Saturday. "Mr. Avenatti's release will help us build our defense."

The U.S. Department of Justice agreed to the release terms.

Avenatti has been housed since mid-January at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan, after Selna revoked his bail in the California case following accusations by prosecutors that Avenatti hid money from creditors.

During his temporary release, Avenatti would be unable to conduct any transactions exceeding $500.

In court papers, Avenatti had said he was at "extreme risk" of contracting the coronavirus at the Manhattan jail, which is often criticized for cramped and unsanitary conditions.

He is one of several celebrity inmates who have recently sought release from U.S. jails and prisons, saying the facilities could become flashpoints for the coronavirus.

Trump's former personal lawyer Michael Cohen and R&B singer R. Kelly have had their requests denied, while the rapper Tekashi69, who has asthma, was released early from his two-year term. The comedian Bill Cosby has also sought freedom. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Bernadette Baum)

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Sun, 12 Apr 2020 08:09

Scott Gottlieb (born June 11, 1972) is an American physician and investor who served as the 23rd commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from 2017 until April 2019. He is presently a resident fellow at the conservative think tank the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), a partner at the venture capital firm New Enterprise Associates (NEA),[1] [2] a member of the board of directors of drug maker Pfizer, Inc[3], and a contributor to the cable financial news network CNBC. Before becoming FDA commissioner he was a clinical assistant professor at New York University School of Medicine, the FDA deputy commissioner for medical and scientific affairs, a venture partner with New Enterprise Associates, a member of the policy board of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and a senior official at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. He was previously a resident fellow at AEI from 2007 to 2017 prior to joining the FDA as commissioner in May 2017.

Early life and education [ edit ] Gottlieb grew up in East Brunswick, New Jersey, the son of Stanley, who is a psychiatrist, and Marsha Gottlieb.[4] He received his bachelor's degree in economics from Wesleyan University. After completing his undergraduate education, he worked as a healthcare analyst at the investment bank Alex. Brown & Sons in Baltimore. Gottlieb attended medical school at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and completed his residency in internal medicine at the Mount Sinai Hospital.[5] He is Jewish.[6]

Career [ edit ] FDA and CMS (2003''2007) [ edit ] Gottlieb worked for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from 2002 to 2003 and 2005 to 2007.[7] He first served as a senior advisor to the FDA Commissioner and then as the FDA's Director of Medical Policy Development from 2002 to 2003.[8] He helped initiate the FDA's generic drug user fee program and the Physician Labeling Rule. He worked on development of the FDA's policies related to the tentative approval of fixed-dose combination drugs for the treatment of HIV/AIDS under the PEPFAR program. He left FDA in the spring of 2003 to become a senior advisor to the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) where he worked on implementation of the Medicare Modernization Act (MMA) and implementation of the new Part D drug benefit.[9]

He returned to FDA from 2005 to 2007 as the agency's Deputy Commissioner for Medical and Scientific Affairs, where he was appointed to the Senior Executive Service and granted a top secret security clearance. He was a member of the Biodefense Interagency Working Group to help draft a strategic plan for U.S. biodefense countermeasures. He also worked on advancing a framework for the creation of a generic drug user fee program, final implementation of the physician labelling and pregnancy labelling rules, and pandemic preparedness. In that latter role, Gottlieb recused himself from key parts of the planning effort on a bird flu vaccine in 2005, because he had done consulting work for companies whose products might be used.[10]

Private sector (2007''2017) [ edit ] Gottlieb practiced internal medicine as an attending physician at New York University's Tisch Hospital in New York City.[11]

In 2007 Gottlieb became a venture partner at New Enterprise Associates (NEA), the world's largest venture capital firm by assets under management.[12] Gottlieb served as an active investing partner in the firm's healthcare division. He served on the boards of directors of NEA portfolio companies, including Bravo Health (a Medicare Advantage health plan) and American Pathology Partners (a specialized anatomical pathology service provider). Gottlieb remained at NEA from 2007 until his appointment to be FDA Commissioner in May 2017.

In 2016, Gottlieb testified before committees of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate on issues related to FDA regulation of drug prices,[13] healthcare reform[14] and medical innovation.[15] During congressional investigations of the rise of the price of EpiPen, Gottlieb presented testimony arguing that generic drug companies set prices according to market demand, and that the generic drug industry is burdened by regulation that slows the development and review of new generic drug applications. These regulations, he argued, made it especially hard to bring forward generic equivalents of complex drugs, including drugs coupled to a device delivery system'--a category of medicines that includes EpiPen. He argued that such excessive regulations "undermine the competitive opportunities that could help inspire more choice and competition, and help lower costs."[13]

He was an independent director at Tolero Pharmaceuticals[16] and Daiichi Sankyo Inc.[17] and a member of GlaxoSmithKline's product investment board, which made decisions on which drugs GSK would take forward in development.[18] He was a senior healthcare advisor to BDO and also a partner at T.R. Winston, a Los Angeles-based merchant bank with a focus on healthcare.[19] In 2015 he served on the Board of Directors of Kure, Corp, a provider of e-juices and vaping pens.[20] Gottlieb served on the editorial board of the Food and Drug Law Institute's publication entitled Food and Drug Policy Forum that "provides for the exchange of ideas and recommendations on state, national, and international food and drug law and policy issues" and serves as a forum for discussion of regulatory policy in the food, drug, and medical device industry.[8][21][22]

FDA commissioner (2017''2019) [ edit ] Gottlieb speaks at the National Press Club in 2017

Gottlieb worked as an advisor to, and then a member of Trump's transition starting in summer 2016. He previously advised the 2016 presidential campaign of Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker.[23]

He was nominated as FDA Commissioner in March 2017.[24][25][26] In advance of confirmation, Gottlieb expressed his intention to recuse himself "for one year from any agency decisions involving about 20 health care companies he worked with" under an ethics agreement, including such companies as Vertex Pharmaceuticals, GSK, Bristol-Myers Squibb,[27] and New Enterprise Associates.[28] Politico reported that Gottlieb was "expected to push the boundaries of FDA reviews and using new authority" to streamline approvals using the 21st Century Cures Act.[29] He testified before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.[30] There, Gottlieb equated the spread of opioid addiction with earlier epidemics of Ebola and Zika.[31][32] Supporting the nominee and addressing the opioid crisis on the Senate floor before the confirmation vote, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said in part, "I'm sure he'll be an ally to states that continue to struggle" with the crisis "because the FDA has a critical role to play." On May 9, 2017, he was confirmed by the Senate[28] by a vote of 57''42,[33] and he was sworn in on May 11, 2017.[34]

As Commissioner, Gottlieb displayed "a collaborative management style, seeming to allay the concerns of some career employees who had balked at his industry ties," according to The New York Times.[35] While Commissioner, Gottlieb testified before Congress 19 times.[36]

On June 8, 2017, Gottlieb requested[37] the market withdrawal of the opioid Opana ER based on a risk associated with the illicit use of the product when the drug was inappropriately reformulated for abuse through injection. It was the first time the FDA sought to withdraw a product based on a risk associated entirely with the illicit use of a medical product.[38]

On July 28, 2017, Gottlieb delayed application deadlines on new tobacco products, including premium cigars and electronic cigarettes, and announced that the FDA would take steps to regulate nicotine levels in combustible cigarettes to render the combustible cigarettes "minimally or non-addictive,"[39] causing shares of tobacco company Altria that day to initially decline by 19%.[40]

Gottlieb approved the first gene therapy product in the U.S. on August 30, 2017.[41]

In December 2017 Gottlieb unveiled a policy to step up FDA's oversight of homeopathic drugs, which had previously gone largely unregulated. At the same time, the FDA issued a series of warning letters seeking to remove certain unsafe and violative homeopathic products from the market.[42]

In March 2018 FDA, under Gottlieb, initiated a rule making to lower the amount of nicotine in cigarettes to make them less addictive'--in "an unprecedented move by the agency'... It's the boldest move yet against cigarette makers by the FDA, which only got permission to regulate tobacco products in 2009."[43][44][45][46]

In May 2018 Gottlieb asked federal courts on opposite sides of the country to permanently stop two stem cell companies from operating after reports of patients being blinded by their treatments and released new guidelines on how the FDA would set enforcement priorities, while helping to advance development of effective products.[47]

In September 2018, citing an epidemic of use of electronic cigarettes by teenagers, Gottlieb announced that the FDA would seek to ban flavors in e-cigs as a way to reduce their appeal to youth.[48] On November 8, 2018, it was reported that the FDA was "expected to announce a ban on the sale of most flavored e-cigarettes in tens of thousands of convenience stores and gas stations across the country", according to senior agency officials, and "the agency will also impose such rules as age-verification requirements for online sales." The reports noted that "Gottlieb also is expected to propose banning menthol in regular cigarettes. The agency has been collecting public comments on such a prohibition, which is a major goal of the public health community but is likely to be strongly opposed by the cigarette industry." It was also reported that Gottlieb would seek to ban flavors in cigars.[49] Gottlieb stated, "I will not allow a generation of children to become addicted to nicotine through e-cigarettes." with the Washington Post editorializing that the new rules "represent an extraordinary step in the fight against nicotine addiction, one that, if successful, would become one of the nation's greatest public-health victories."[50] That policy was formally unveiled in March 2019. Gottlieb also called into question the motives behind the decision by Altria to take a minority stake in Juul and accused the manufacturer of reneging on commitments and representations it had made to FDA.[51]

Gottlieb pursued policies to address barriers to the approval of complex generic drugs, including generic, functionally equivalent alternatives to EpiPen.[52][53][54] Under his leadership, in August 2018 the FDA approved the first generic competitor of EpiPen,[55] and later, in January 2019, the agency approved a generic competitor to the asthma drug Advair. Of the agency's more than 1,000 generic approvals in 2018, about 14 percent were for ''complex generic drugs,'' or drugs that are particularly difficult to ''genericize.''[56]

In November 2018 FDA implemented a new framework, in collaboration with the Department of Defense, to expedite the development of medical products intended to support American soldiers on the battlefield. [57] Gottlieb had fought to maintain FDA control over the review and approval of medical products intended to support the warfighter after the Pentagon had sought to acquire that authority for itself as part of the National Defense Authorization Act. ''I'm fully committed to trying to expedite products for the war fighter, and ... if they pass the language that has been put forward '-- the alternative language '-- we will commit to very quickly putting in place the implementing guidance to stand up that process,'' Gottlieb said as the Pentagon's version of the provision was moving through the House and the Senate. Ultimately, the compromise was to retain the authority with FDA but for FDA to commit to offer products intended for the battlefield a higher priority of review, reflecting the compromise provision that Gottlieb had put forward.[58][59] The episode exposed an unusual "turf war" that pitted Gottlieb and the FDA against Pentagon officials[60] and "puts on public display an internal rift within the administration and in Republican congressional ranks."[61]

Gottlieb advanced initiatives on addressing drug pricing[62] "in ways that the agency hasn't done before."[63] In December 2018 Gottlieb announced a plan to transition the biologicals currently regulated as drugs, including insulin, to be regulated under the Public Health Services Act as a way to open up these drugs to competition from lower cost biosimilars.[64]

He also committed to make fighting opioid addiction one of his highest priorities as Commissioner.[65] He announced that FDA would pursue a comparative approval standard[66] for new opioids seeking to come to market, arguing that new opioid painkillers should show advantages over existing opioid drugs to win FDA approval. He undertook a series of new steps to rationalize prescribing as a way to reduce exposure to opioid drugs in order to cut the rate of new addiction.[67] Under Gottlieb's leadership, "The FDA stirred up a hornet's nest with an unprecedented request to Endo International to remove voluntarily its opioid pain medication, a tamper-resistant reformulation of Opana ER (oxymorphone hydrochloride), from the market."[68]

In February 2019 Gottlieb took action to curtail the marketing of 17 dietary supplements that were making unlawful and unproven medical claims to treat Alzheimer's disease and, at the same time, unveiled a set of policy steps to strengthen the FDA's oversight of dietary supplements that was billed as the most significant modernization of the agency's regulation of supplements in 25 years.[69]

In March 2019 Gottlieb pressed for the market withdrawal of certain cosmetics because they were found to contain asbestos, at the same time that he announced a set of new proposals to strengthen oversight of the cosmetics industry, winning praise from legislators who had been pressing for similar reforms.[70]

On March 5, 2019, Gottlieb announced his resignation as FDA Commissioner, effective in about a month. He said that he wanted to spend more time with his family.[71] [72] [73]At the time of his resignation, Politico observed, "FDA leaders have typically focused much of their attention on a handful of medical topics, but Gottlieb has been active and aggressive on many issues as commissioner without hewing to a strictly conservative or liberal ideology. It's an approach that's won him praise from many in the health sector, while garnering criticism from several of the targeted businesses like tobacco companies and the fast-growing e-cigarette industries."[74]

Gottlieb was called ''an unusually activist regulator in the Trump administration whose agenda touched everything from tobacco to trans-fats,'' and he ''wasn't afraid to speak on topics normally seen as a third rail for FDA commissioner, including drug pricing'... His most high-profile advocacy came in the area of youth smoking, where he aggressively pressed e-cigarette manufacturers and retailers to halt marketing to teens.''[75] At the same time, other reports observed that Gottlieb left FDA with some of his signature tobacco policies still awaiting full implementation, including his plans to ban menthol in cigarettes.[76]

On March 13, 2019, Gottlieb moved to restrict sales of flavored e-cigarettes to try to reduce the soaring rate of teenage vaping. The agency issued a proposal requiring that stores sequester flavored e-cigarettes to areas off-limits to anyone under age 18. The proposal also called for banning the sale of many flavored cigars.[77] Under the policy the FDA would reserve the right to push companies to comply or remove their products from shelves.

On March 27, 2019, Gottlieb advanced a new federal rule stipulating, for the first time, that centers that provide mammograms to screen for breast cancer will have to tell women whether they have dense breast tissue, which can increase the risk of cancer and mask tumors. The rule marked the first changes proposed in 20 years to the FDA's regulations on mammography.[78][79]

Private sector (2019''present) [ edit ] Upon leaving the FDA, Gottlieb returned to the American Enterprise Institute.[80][81] In May 2019 he returned to New Enterprise Associates as a partner in the firm's healthcare practice, and serves on the board of two NEA portfolio companies, Aetion, Inc and Tempus Labs, Inc.[82] [83] [84] He was elected as an independent member of the Board of Directors of Pfizer, Inc on June 27, 2019.[85] [86]

With the advent of the COVID-19 reaching the United States and a great deal of misinformation being presented or correct information not being presented, Gottlieb has spoken out with public information on the virus on many venues.[87]

Other professional activities [ edit ] Gottlieb was a member of the Public Policy Committee to the Society of Hospital Medicine[88] and was an adviser to the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship. He has also worked as a senior policy advisor to the Administrator at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, where he worked on implementation of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act and the Medicare Part D drug benefit, and helped advance the agency's coverage policies related to new medical technology.[89] He has served as an advisor to Cancer Commons.[90] Before first joining the FDA, and in between each of his three tours of government service, Gottlieb was a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.[89]

In April 2020, Gottlieb joined Maryland Governor Larry Hogan's COVID-19 response team. He is also advising Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker.[91]

Writing [ edit ] Gottlieb is a former member of the editorial staff of the British Medical Journal (The BMJ) and was a member of the editorial board of a section of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) from 1996 to 2001.[92] He is a regular contributor to the editorial page of The Wall Street Journal and writes regularly for Forbes.[93] Gottlieb was a frequent and early critic of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.[94] He wrote an editorial in The Wall Street Journal, on the day of the health plan's launch, predicting the ensuing problems with the healthcare.gov website.[95] Gottlieb argued that patients who received Medicaid had worse outcomes, including death, with conditions like head and neck cancer than patients who had no insurance coverage at all.[96] Critics said that his article was based on "a classic misunderstanding: confusing correlation for causation," a limitation explicitly mentioned in papers he cited. [97][98][99] In October 2019, Gottlieb wrote a feature for the conservative editorial page of the Wall Street Journal, where he called for a "reckoning" when it comes to the impasse between state laws legalizing cannabis and the policy of federal prohibition that outlaws cannabis but is largely unenforced. In that op ed, Gottlieb called for a pathway toward federal legalization of cannabis that would allow, among other reforms, easier access to the compound for research.[100] [101] In a separate editorial writing in the Washington Post, Gottlieb called on Congress and the FDA to create a framework for the legal sale of regulated CBD.[102] Gottlieb appears regularly on CNBC[103] and Fox News.[104]

Recognition [ edit ] Fortune magazine identified Gottlieb as one of its 2018 "The World's 50 Greatest Leaders", ranking him number 6.[105] The magazine stated "Gottlieb has gotten credit for being transparent about FDA steps'--and, more important, for using his bully pulpit without being a bully."[106] Fortune magazine selected Gottlieb again in its 2019 survey, raking him 50 among its "World's 50 Greatest Leaders."[107]Time magazine named Gottlieb one of its "50 People Transforming Healthcare in 2018",[108] noting that "Gottlieb gained supporters for grounding his tough policies in scientific evidence"In naming Gottlieb as one of its "50 Politicos for 2018", the publication Politico noted that "This isn't the Scott Gottlieb many people had expected. As a Bush administration official, the physician was an avowed free-marketer, leading liberals to worry he would aggressively try to dismantle the FDA's vast regulatory apparatus. But since his confirmation, as counterparts at other federal agencies have focused on overturning or undermining the rules they inherited, Gottlieb has struck a genuine balance at the FDA."[109]In naming Gottlieb the "Most Influential Physician Executive and Leader" in its 2018 annual survey of 50 physician executives, Modern Healthcare noted that "an unprecedented level of transparency and public disclosure has garnered support from across the industry"[110] In 2019, Modern Healthcare again named Gottlieb the most influential physician executive and leader, noting "Gottlieb accomplished a rare feat during his two-year tenure as head of the Food and Drug Administration'--he earned praise from Republicans and Democrats alike." Modern Healthcare observed "although he stepped down in April, stakeholders hope the former commissioner's endeavors will live on and influence future agency heads."[111]Modern Healthcare also named Gottlieb nineteenth it is survey of the 100 most influential people in healthcare, in 2018,[112] and fifty-fifth, in 2019.[113]Gottlieb was named one of the ''Top 40 Transformers In Healthcare'' in 2019 by Medical Marketing & Media Magazine[114]In October 2018, Gottlieb was elected a member of the National Academy of Medicine.[115]The American Medical Association presented Gottlieb with its 2019 Nathan Davis Award for Outstanding Government Service.[116]Personal life [ edit ] Gottlieb is a survivor of Hodgkin's lymphoma.[117] He is married and has three daughters.[4]

References [ edit ] ^ "Former FDA Commissioner Gottlieb Returns to NEA as Venture Investor". The Wall Street Journal . Retrieved June 2, 2019 . ^ Inc, New Enterprise Associates. "NEA Welcomes Scott Gottlieb, M.D., As Special Partner". www.prnewswire.com . Retrieved October 11, 2019 . ^ "Ex-FDA chief Scott Gottlieb just joined the board of $240 billion drugmaker Pfizer". Business Insider . Retrieved July 5, 2019 . ^ a b Straehley, Steve; Wallechinsky, David (April 24, 2017). "Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration: Who Is Scott Gottlieb?". AllGov . Retrieved May 3, 2017 . ^ "Allyson Nemeroff, Scott Gottlieb". The New York Times. June 13, 2004 . Retrieved January 13, 2017 . ^ "FDA head Scott Gottlieb, a vaping opponent, stepping down after 2 years". The JEWISH TELEGRAPHIC AGENCY. March 7, 2019 . Retrieved June 28, 2019 . ^ "Meet Scott Gottlieb, M.D., Commissioner of Food and Drugs". FDA . Retrieved October 29, 2018 . ^ a b "Dr. Scott Gottlieb". intelligencesquaredus.org. March 1, 2016 . Retrieved January 13, 2017 . ^ "Q&A with Scott Gottlieb, MD". Managed Care magazine. March 10, 2017 . Retrieved April 1, 2019 . ^ Morrow, Brendan (March 10, 2017). "Scott Gottlieb: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". Heavy . Retrieved May 3, 2017 . ^ "Scott Gottlieb M.D." Bloomberg . Retrieved March 7, 2019 . ^ "NEA Venture Partner Scott Gottlieb, M.D., Nominated to be FDA Commissioner". nea.com. March 11, 2017 . Retrieved September 22, 2018 . ^ a b Gottlieb, Scott, "EpiPen Price Increases: How Regulatory Barriers Inhibit Pharmaceutical Competition", Statement before the Senate Committee on Health, Education Labor and Pensions: Subcommittee on Children and Families via AEI,October 7, 2016. ^ Gottlieb, Scott, MD, "Health Care Solutions: Increasing Patient Choice and Plan Innovation", Testimony before the United States House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health via AEI, May 11, 2016. ^ Gottlieb, Scott, "Restoring the Trust for All Generations: Americans at or Near Retirement", Statement before the House Committee on the Budget via AEI, July 13, 2016. ^ "Board of Directors". toleropharma.com . Retrieved January 13, 2017 . ^ "Company Daiichi Sankyo, Inc". us-companies.info . Retrieved January 13, 2017 . ^ "Scott Gottieb's LinkIn profile" . Retrieved February 7, 2018 . ^ "Scott Gottlieb {first-person bio}", forbes.com. Retrieved March 10, 2017. ^ Faux, Zeke; Lawrence, Dune; Kaplan, Jennifer (April 18, 2017). "Vaping Venture Poses Potential Conflict for Trump's FDA Nominee". www.bloomberg.com . Retrieved December 28, 2018 . ^ "Scott Gottlieb, MD - NEA - New Enterprise Associates". nea.com. Archived from the original on November 21, 2016 . Retrieved January 13, 2017 . ^ "Food and Drug Law Institute". National Health Council . Retrieved September 22, 2018 . ^ "Ahead of Obamacare Repeal Rollout, Walker Stocks Up On Advisers Familiar With Capitol Hill", Roll Call. ^ Neel, Joe (March 10, 2017). "Trump Chooses Dr. Scott Gottlieb To Head Food And Drug Administration". NPR . Retrieved March 10, 2017 . ^ Thomas, Katie (March 10, 2017). "F.D.A. Official Under Bush Is Said to Be Trump's Choice to Lead Agency". New York Times . Retrieved March 10, 2017 . ^ Cunningham, Paige Winfield (March 10, 2017). "Trump expected to pick Scott Gottlieb to head FDA". Washington Examiner . Retrieved March 10, 2017 . ^ Thomas, Katie, "F.D.A. Nominee, Paid Millions by Industry, Says He'll Recuse Himself if Needed", New York Times, March 29, 2017. Retrieved May 10, 2017. ^ a b Adams, Ben, "Gottlieb confirmation as FDA commissioner warmly welcomed by biopharma", FierceBiotech, May 10, 2017. Retrieved May 10, 2017. ^ Karlin-Smith, Sarah, and Brent Griffiths, "Gottlieb confirmed as FDA chief", Politico, May 9, 2017. Retrieved May 10, 2017. ^ Siegel, Marc (April 7, 2017). "A vote for Scott Gottlieb and medical discovery". Fox News . Retrieved May 10, 2017 . ^ "FDA nominee says nation's opioid crisis is as serious as Ebola, Zika threats". Washington Post . Retrieved July 15, 2017 . ^ Anna Edney (April 5, 2017). "Opioid Epidemic Is FDA's Top Priority, Says Pick to Head Agency". Bloomberg . Retrieved July 27, 2017 . ^ Thomas, Katie (May 10, 2017). "Senate Confirms Scott Gottlieb to Head F.D.A." The New York Times. p. A13 . Retrieved July 29, 2017 . ^ O'Donnell, Jayne (March 5, 2019). "FDA surprise: Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, aggressive regulator against vaping, resigns". USA Today. p. A13 . Retrieved April 30, 2019 . ^ Kaplan, Sheila; Thomas, Katie (February 11, 2018). "F.D.A. Chief Goes Against the Administration Stereotype". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331 . Retrieved December 28, 2018 . ^ "Dr. Gottlieb's Final Address to FDA". FDA. April 4, 2019. ^ "FDA requests removal of Opana ER for risks related to abuse". FDA. June 8, 2017. ^ "FDA Seems Removal of Opioid Painkiller from the Market". The Washington Post. June 8, 2017. ^ Chon, Gina (July 28, 2017). "A Rare Victory for Science in an F.D.A. Move" '' via NYTimes.com. ^ Kaplan, Sheila (July 29, 2017). "F.D.A. Delays Rules That Would Have Limited E-Cigarettes on Market". The New York Times. p. A13 . Retrieved July 29, 2017 . ^ Commissioner, Office of the (November 3, 2018). "FDA approval brings first gene therapy to the United States". FDA . Retrieved November 22, 2019 . ^ McGinley, Laurie (December 18, 2017). "FDA takes more aggressive stance toward homeopathic drugs" . Retrieved December 26, 2017 '' via www.WashingtonPost.com. ^ "FDA seeks to limit the addictive properties of cigarettes". NBC News. ^ McGinley, Laurie. "FDA takes 'historic' step to lower nicotine in cigarettes". chicagotribune.com. ^ Winfield, Paige (March 16, 2018). "The Health 202: Who knew? A top Trump conservative is aggressively taking on tobacco". The Washington Post . Retrieved April 5, 2019 . ^ "Cigarette nicotine levels could lower after FDA move, making them less addictive". USA TODAY. ^ Wan, William (May 9, 2018). "FDA Seeks Injunction To Stop Two Stem Cell Companies After Patients Blinded". Washington Post . Retrieved March 5, 2019 . ^ "FDA chief calls youth e-cigarettes an 'epidemic ' ". Washington Post . Retrieved October 1, 2018 . ^ "FDA plans curbs on e-cigarette sales over concerns about surge in teen vaping". Washington Post . Retrieved November 12, 2018 . ^ Article, News (November 17, 2019). "The FDA's New Tobacco Rules are a Victory for Public Health". The Washington Post . Retrieved December 5, 2018 . ^ Kaplan, Sheila (January 4, 2019). "F.D.A. Accuses Juul and Altria of Backing Off Plan to Stop Youth Vaping". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331 . Retrieved October 28, 2019 . ^ Commissioner, Office of the. "Press Announcements - Statement from FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D. on new steps to facilitate efficient generic drug review to enhance competition, promote access and lower drug prices". www.fda.gov . Retrieved September 30, 2018 . ^ Commissioner, Office of the. "Press Announcements - Statement from FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D. responding to report from GAO and updating on FDA's ongoing efforts to increase access to complex generic drugs". www.fda.gov . Retrieved September 30, 2018 . ^ Commissioner, Office of the. "FDA Voices: Perspectives From FDA Experts". www.fda.gov . Retrieved September 30, 2018 . ^ Commissioner, Office of the. "Press Announcements - FDA approves first generic version of EpiPen". www.fda.gov . Retrieved September 30, 2018 . ^ Commissioner, Office of the. "2018: A year of Advancing Generic Products and Policies, Laying the Foundation for 2019". www.fda.gov . Retrieved April 28, 2019 . ^ "FDA and DoD formalize collaboration to advance medical products in support of American military personnel". FDA . Retrieved April 3, 2019 . ^ "FDA chief: Keep defense medical approvals in our sphere". The Hill . Retrieved April 3, 2019 . ^ "GOP senators say they'll oppose defense bill if Pentagon drug policy stays in". Politico . Retrieved April 3, 2019 . ^ "FDA and Pentagon in Turf War over Product Approvals". Washington Examiner. ^ "Controversy erupts over plan to let Pentagon authorize unapproved drugs for battlefield use". The Washington Post. ^ Anna Edney. "Drug Prices Become Target for FDA as Chief Expands Purview". Bloomberg . Retrieved July 27, 2017 . ^ Grant, Charley (May 25, 2017). "The Latest Drug Pricing Threat: The FDA" '' via Wall Street Journal. ^ "Statement from FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D., on new actions advancing the agency's biosimilars policy framework". ^ McGinley, Laurie. "FDA commissioner Gottlieb calls for 'more forceful steps' to curb opioid epidemic". The Washington Post . Retrieved July 27, 2017 . ^ "Statement from FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D., on agency's approval of Dsuvia and the FDA's future consideration of new opioids". ^ Burton, Tom (March 28, 2019). "FDA Commissioner Calls for Tighter Standard for Approval of New Opioid Drugs". Wall Street Journal. ^ "In its first big move under Gottlieb, FDA targets Endo International's Opana ER". BioWorld . Retrieved July 27, 2017 . ^ Bursztynsky, Jessica (February 11, 2019). "FDA plans to strengthen oversight of dietary supplements market". www.cnbc.com . Retrieved February 19, 2019 . ^ "Statement from Congressman Frank Pallone". March 5, 2019 . Retrieved March 7, 2019 . ^ McGinley, Laurie; Bernstein, Lenny (March 5, 2019). "FDA Commissioner Gottlieb, who raised alarms about teen vaping, resigns". Washington Post . Retrieved March 5, 2019 . ^ "Popular FDA commish Scott Gottlieb has handed in his resignation". Endpoints News . Retrieved January 16, 2020 . ^ Kaplan, Sheila; Hoffman, Jan (March 5, 2019). "F.D.A. Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, Who Fought Teenage Vaping, Resigns". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331 . Retrieved January 16, 2020 . ^ " ' Something very rare': FDA's Gottlieb aggressively tackled difficult issues". Politico . Retrieved April 3, 2019 . ^ "FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb to step down". Politico . Retrieved May 5, 2019 . ^ "F.D.A. Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, Who Fought Teenage Vaping, Resigns". New York Times . Retrieved May 5, 2019 . ^ "F.D.A. Moves to Restrict Flavored E-Cigarette Sales to Teenagers". March 13, 2019 . Retrieved March 13, 2019 . ^ Commissioner, Office of the. "Press Announcements - FDA advances landmark policy changes to modernize mammography services and improve their quality". www.fda.gov. ^ Grady, Denise (March 27, 2019). "Mammogram Centers Must Tell Women if They Have Dense Breasts, F.D.A. Proposes" '' via NYTimes.com. ^ Hellmann, Jessie (April 4, 2019). "Departing FDA chief to work at conservative think tank". The Hill . Retrieved April 4, 2019 . ^ Leonard, Kimberly (April 4, 2019). "FDA's Scott Gottlieb returning to conservative think tank". Washington Examiner . Retrieved April 4, 2019 . ^ "Former FDA Commissioner Gottlieb Returns to NEA as Venture Investor". The Wall Street Journal . Retrieved June 2, 2019 . ^ Inc, New Enterprise Associates. "NEA Welcomes Scott Gottlieb, M.D., As Special Partner". www.prnewswire.com . Retrieved October 28, 2019 . ^ "Tempus Announces the Appointment of Scott Gottlieb, MD, to Its Board of Directors". BioSpace . Retrieved October 30, 2019 . ^ "Pfizer Names Former FDA Chief Gottlieb to Board of Directors". Bloomberg . Retrieved June 30, 2019 . ^ "Scott Gottlieb Elected to Pfizer's Board of Directors | Pfizer". www.pfizer.com . Retrieved October 11, 2019 . ^ Owermohle, Sarah, and Diamond, Dan, The shadow coronavirus czar, Politico, March 15, 2020 ^ Medicine, Society of Hospital. "Public Policy Committee - Society of Hospital Medicine". hospitalmedicine.org . Retrieved January 13, 2017 . ^ a b "Scott Gottlieb". American Enterprise Institute . Retrieved September 10, 2016 . ^ "Emeritus Advisory Board". Retrieved March 10, 2017. ^ Sherman, Jake; Palmer, Anna. "POLITICO Playbook: Scoop: Trump's 'shadow coronavirus czar' will now advise Larry Hogan". POLITICO . Retrieved April 7, 2020 . ^ "11 Numbers to Know About Scott Gottlieb". U.S. News & World Report. Kaiser Health News. March 14, 2017 . Retrieved May 3, 2017 . ^ Gottlieb, Scott. "Scott Gottlieb - Medical Innovation". forbes.com . Retrieved January 13, 2017 . ^ Gottlieb, Scott (May 12, 2009). "How ObamaCare Will Affect Your Doctor" . Retrieved December 26, 2017 '' via www.WSJ.com. ^ Astrue, Scott Gottlieb And Michael. "Gottlieb and Astrue: ObamaCare's Technology Mess". WSJ.com . Retrieved December 26, 2017 . ^ "Medicaid is worse than no coverage at all". ^ Medicaid Worsens Your Health? That's a Classic Misinterpretation of Research, By AARON E. CARROLL and AUSTIN FRAKT, July 3, 2017 ^ Are You Better Off With Medicaid Than No Insurance? A Landmark Study Says Yes (Guest Opinion), By Jonathan Cohn, Kaiser Health News and New Republic, July 7, 2011 ^ Are Medicaid patients more likely to die than uninsured, as Heritage Action CEO says? By Amy Sherman, Politifact, June 28, 2017 ^ Gottlieb, Scott. "Opinion | Pot Legalization Makes Vaping Deadly". WSJ . Retrieved October 29, 2019 . ^ Owermohle, Sarah. "Former FDA commissioner says feds need to regulate marijuana". POLITICO . Retrieved October 29, 2019 . ^ Gottlieb, Scott. "Opinion | The CBD craze is getting out of hand. The FDA needs to act". Washington Post . Retrieved October 30, 2019 . ^ Gottlieb, Scott (August 29, 2016). "Former FDA official explains why drug makers charge outrageous prices". cnbc.com . Retrieved January 13, 2017 . ^ "Dr. Scott Gottlieb". foxnews.com. January 13, 2017 . Retrieved January 13, 2017 . ^ Fortune Magazine, April 19, 2018 ^ "The World's 50 Greatest Leaders". Fortune . Retrieved December 28, 2018 . ^ "The World's 50 Greatest Leaders". Fortune . Retrieved April 22, 2019 . ^ "Why Dr. Scott Gottlieb Is One of the 50 Most Influential People in Health Care". Time . Retrieved January 21, 2019 . ^ "Scott Gottlieb - POLITICO 50 2018". POLITICO. ^ "Gottlieb sets a new standard for FDA commissioner". Modern Healthcare . Retrieved January 21, 2019 . ^ https://www.modernhealthcare.com/people/gottliebs-legacy-could-be-felt-years ^ "100 Most Influential People in Healthcare in 2018". Modern Healthcare . Retrieved August 18, 2019 . ^ "100 Most Influential People in Healthcare - 2019". Modern Healthcare . Retrieved December 30, 2019 . ^ "Top 40 Transformers". Medical Marketing & Media Magazine . Retrieved August 18, 2019 . ^ "National Academy of Medicine Elects 85 New Members". www8.nationalacademies.org. October 15, 2018 . Retrieved February 26, 2019 . ^ "Scott Gottlieb - Nathan Davis Award for Government Service". AMA. ^ LaMotte, Sandee (April 4, 2017). "Scott Gottlieb: Conflicts surround Trump's FDA pick". CNN . Retrieved May 3, 2017 . External links [ edit ] Biography at FDAAppearances on C-SPANScott Gottlieb on TwitterHomepage at AEIWeb Page at NEACNBC Contributor

Link to Article

Archived Version

Sun, 12 Apr 2020 07:21

EXECUTIVE ORDER

No. 2020-42

Temporary requirement to suspend activities that

are not necessary to sustain or protect life

Rescission of Executive Order 2020-21

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is a respiratory disease that can result in serious illness or death. It is caused by a new strain of coronavirus not previously identified in humans and easily spread from person to person. There is currently no approved vaccine or antiviral treatment for this disease.

On March 10, 2020, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services identified the first two presumptive-positive cases of COVID-19 in Michigan. On that same day, I issued Executive Order 2020-4. This order declared a state of emergency across the state of Michigan under section 1 of article 5 of the Michigan Constitution of 1963, the Emergency Management Act, 1976 PA 390, as amended, MCL 30.401 et seq., and the Emergency Powers of the Governor Act of 1945, 1945 PA 302, as amended, MCL 10.31 et seq.

In the three weeks that followed, the virus spread across Michigan, bringing deaths in the hundreds, confirmed cases in the thousands, and deep disruption to this state's economy, homes, and educational, civic, social, and religious institutions. On April 1, 2020, in response to the widespread and severe health, economic, and social harms posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, I issued Executive Order 2020-33. This order expanded on Executive Order 2020-4 and declared both a state of emergency and a state of disaster across the State of Michigan under section 1 of article 5 of the Michigan Constitution of 1963, the Emergency Management Act, and the Emergency Powers of the Governor Act of 1945.

The Emergency Management Act vests the governor with broad powers and duties to ''cop[e] with dangers to this state or the people of this state presented by a disaster or emergency,'' which the governor may implement through ''executive orders, proclamations, and directives having the force and effect of law.'' MCL 30.403(1)-(2). Similarly, the Emergency Powers of the Governor Act of 1945 provides that, after declaring a state of emergency, ''the governor may promulgate reasonable orders, rules, and regulations as he or she considers necessary to protect life and property or to bring the emergency situation within the affected area under control.'' MCL 10.31(1).

To suppress the spread of COVID-19, to prevent the state's health care system from being overwhelmed, to allow time for the production of critical test kits, ventilators, and personal protective equipment, and to avoid needless deaths, it is reasonable and necessary to direct residents to remain at home or in their place of residence to the maximum extent feasible. To that end, on March 23, 2020, I issued Executive Order 2020-21, ordering all people in Michigan to stay home and stay safe. The order limited gatherings and travel, and required workers who are not necessary to sustain or protect life to stay home.

The measures put in place by Executive Order 2020-21 have been effective, but this virus is both aggressive and persistent: on April 8, 2020, Michigan reported 20,346 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 959 deaths from it. To win this fight, and to protect the health and safety of our state and each other, we must be just as aggressive and persistent. Though we have all made sacrifices, we must be steadfast. Accordingly, with this order, I find it reasonable and necessary to reaffirm the measures set forth in Executive Order 2020-21, clarify them, and extend their duration to April 30, 2020. This order takes effect on April 9, 2020 at 11:59 pm. When this order takes effect, Executive Order 2020-21 is rescinded.

Acting under the Michigan Constitution of 1963 and Michigan law, I order the following:

This order must be construed broadly to prohibit in-person work that is not necessary to sustain or protect life.Subject to the exceptions in section 7 of this order, all individuals currently living within the State of Michigan are ordered to stay at home or at their place of residence. Subject to the same exceptions, all public and private gatherings of any number of people occurring among persons not part of a single household are prohibited.All individuals who leave their home or place of residence must adhere to social distancing measures recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (''CDC''), including remaining at least six feet from people from outside the individual's household to the extent feasible under the circumstances.No person or entity shall operate a business or conduct operations that require workers to leave their homes or places of residence except to the extent that those workers are necessary to sustain or protect life or to conduct minimum basic operations.For purposes of this order, workers who are necessary to sustain or protect life are defined as ''critical infrastructure workers,'' as described in sections 8 and 9 of this order.For purposes of this order, workers who are necessary to conduct minimum basic operations are those whose in-person presence is strictly necessary to allow the business or operation to maintain the value of inventory and equipment, care for animals, ensure security, process transactions (including payroll and employee benefits), or facilitate the ability of other workers to work remotely.Businesses and operations must determine which of their workers are necessary to conduct minimum basic operations and inform such workers of that designation. Businesses and operations must make such designations in writing, whether by electronic message, public website, or other appropriate means. Workers need not carry copies of their designations when they leave the home or place of residence for work.

Any in-person work necessary to conduct minimum basic operations must be performed consistently with the social distancing practices and other mitigation measures described in section 10 of this order.

Businesses and operations that employ critical infrastructure workers may continue in-person operations, subject to the following conditions:Consistent with sections 8 and 9 of this order, businesses and operations must determine which of their workers are critical infrastructure workers and inform such workers of that designation. Businesses and operations must make such designations in writing, whether by electronic message, public website, or other appropriate means. Workers need not carry copies of their designations when they leave the home or place of residence for work. Businesses and operations need not designate:Workers in health care and public health.Workers who perform necessary government activities, as described in section 6 of this order.Workers and volunteers described in section 9(d) of this order.In-person activities that are not necessary to sustain or protect life must be suspended until normal operations resume.Businesses and operations maintaining in-person activities must adopt social distancing practices and other mitigation measures to protect workers and patrons, as described in section 10 of this order. Stores that are open to the public must also adhere to the rules described in section 11 of this order.All in-person government activities at whatever level (state, county, or local) that are not necessary to sustain or protect life, or to support those businesses and operations that are necessary to sustain or protect life, are suspended.For purposes of this order, necessary government activities include activities performed by critical infrastructure workers, including workers in law enforcement, public safety, and first responders.Such activities also include, but are not limited to, public transit, trash pick-up and disposal (including recycling and composting), activities necessary to manage and oversee elections, operations necessary to enable transactions that support the work of a business's or operation's critical infrastructure workers, and the maintenance of safe and sanitary public parks so as to allow for outdoor activity permitted under this order.For purposes of this order, necessary government activities include minimum basic operations, as described in section 4(b) of this order. Workers performing such activities need not be designated.Any in-person government activities must be performed consistently with the social distancing practices and other mitigation measures to protect workers and patrons described in section 10 of this order.Exceptions. Individuals may leave their home or place of residence, and travel as necessary: To engage in outdoor physical activity, consistent with remaining at least six feet from people from outside the individual's household. Outdoor physical activity includes walking, hiking, running, cycling, kayaking, canoeing, or other similar physical activity, as well as any comparable activity for those with limited mobility.To perform their jobs as critical infrastructure workers after being so designated by their employers. (Critical infrastructure workers who need not be designated under section 5(a) of this order may leave their home for work without being designated.)To conduct minimum basic operations, as described in section 4(b) of this order, after being designated to perform such work by their employers.To perform necessary government activities, as described in section 6 of this order.To perform tasks that are necessary to their health and safety, or to the health and safety of their family or household members (including pets). Individuals may, for example, leave the home or place of residence to secure medication or to seek medical or dental care that is necessary to address a medical emergency or to preserve the health and safety of a household or family member (including procedures that, in accordance with a duly implemented nonessential procedures postponement plan, have not been postponed).To obtain necessary services or supplies for themselves, their family or household members, their pets, and their vehicles.Individuals must secure such services or supplies via delivery to the maximum extent possible. As needed, however, individuals may leave the home or place of residence to purchase groceries, take-out food, gasoline, needed medical supplies, and any other products necessary to maintain the safety, sanitation, and basic operation of their residences. Individuals may also leave the home to drop off a vehicle to the extent permitted under section 9(i) of this order.Individuals should limit, to the maximum extent that is safe and feasible, the number of household members who leave the home for any errands.To care for a family member or a family member's pet in another household.To care for minors, dependents, the elderly, persons with disabilities, or other vulnerable persons.To visit an individual under the care of a health care facility, residential care facility, or congregate care facility, to the extent otherwise permitted.To attend legal proceedings or hearings for essential or emergency purposes as ordered by a court.To work or volunteer for businesses or operations (including both religious and secular nonprofit organizations) that provide food, shelter, and other necessities of life for economically disadvantaged or otherwise needy individuals, individuals who need assistance as a result of this emergency, and people with disabilities.To attend a funeral, provided that no more than 10 people are in attendance at the funeral.Individuals may also travel: To return to a home or place of residence from outside this state. To leave this state for a home or residence elsewhere.Between two residences in this state, through April 10, 2020. After that date, travel between two residences is not permitted.As required by law enforcement or a court order, including the transportation of children pursuant to a custody agreement.All other travel is prohibited, including all travel to vacation rentals. For purposes of this order, critical infrastructure workers are those workers described by the Director of the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency in his guidance of March 19, 2020 on the COVID-19 response (available here). This order does not adopt any subsequent guidance document released by this same agency.Consistent with the March 19, 2020 guidance document, critical infrastructure workers include some workers in each of the following sectors:

Health care and public health.Law enforcement, public safety, and first responders.Food and agriculture.Energy.Water and wastewater.Transportation and logistics.Public works.Communications and information technology, including news media.Other community-based government operations and essential functions.Critical manufacturing.Hazardous materials.Financial services.Chemical supply chains and safety.Defense industrial base.For purposes of this order, critical infrastructure workers also include:Child care workers (including workers at disaster relief child care centers), but only to the extent necessary to serve the children or dependents of workers required to perform in-person work as permitted under this order. This category includes individuals (whether licensed or not) who have arranged to care for the children or dependents of such workers.Workers at suppliers, distribution centers, or service providers, as described below.Any suppliers, distribution centers, or service providers whose continued operation is necessary to enable, support, or facilitate another business's or operation's critical infrastructure work may designate their workers as critical infrastructure workers, provided that only those workers whose in-person presence is necessary to enable, support, or facilitate such work may be so designated.Any suppliers, distribution centers, or service providers whose continued operation is necessary to enable, support, or facilitate the necessary work of suppliers, distribution centers, or service providers described in subprovision (1) of this subsection may designate their workers as critical infrastructure workers, provided that only those workers whose in-person presence is necessary to enable, support, or facilitate such work may be so designated.Consistent with the scope of work permitted under subprovision (2) of this subsection, any suppliers, distribution centers, or service providers further down the supply chain whose continued operation is necessary to enable, support, or facilitate the necessary work of other suppliers, distribution centers, or service providers may likewise designate their workers as critical infrastructure workers, provided that only those workers whose in-person presence is necessary to enable, support, or facilitate such work may be so designated.Suppliers, distribution centers, and service providers that abuse their designation authority under this subsection shall be subject to sanctions to the fullest extent of the law.Workers in the insurance industry, but only to the extent that their work cannot be done by telephone or remotely.Workers and volunteers for businesses or operations (including both religious and secular nonprofit organizations) that provide food, shelter, and other necessities of life for economically disadvantaged or otherwise needy individuals, individuals who need assistance as a result of this emergency, and people with disabilities.Workers who perform critical labor union functions, including those who administer health and welfare funds and those who monitor the well-being and safety of union members who are critical infrastructure workers, provided that any administration or monitoring should be done by telephone or remotely where possible.Workers at retail stores who sell groceries, medical supplies, and products necessary to maintain the safety, sanitation, and basic operation of residences, including convenience stores, pet supply stores, auto supplies and repair stores, hardware and home maintenance stores, and home appliance retailers.Workers at laundromats, coin laundries, and dry cleaners.Workers at hotels and motels, provided that the hotels or motels do not offer additional in-house amenities such as gyms, pools, spas, dining, entertainment facilities, meeting rooms, or like facilities.Workers at motor vehicle dealerships who are necessary to facilitate remote and electronic sales or leases, or to deliver motor vehicles to customers, provided that showrooms remain closed to in-person traffic.Businesses, operations, and government agencies that continue in-person work must adhere to sound social distancing practices and measures, which include but are not limited to:Developing a COVID-19 preparedness and response plan, consistent with recommendations in Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19, developed by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration and available here. Such plan must be available at company headquarters or the worksite.Restricting the number of workers present on premises to no more than is strictly necessary to perform the business's, operation's, or government agency's critical infrastructure functions or its minimum basic operations.Promoting remote work to the fullest extent possible.Keeping workers and patrons who are on premises at least six feet from one another to the maximum extent possible.Increasing standards of facility cleaning and disinfection to limit worker and patron exposure to COVID-19, as well as adopting protocols to clean and disinfect in the event of a positive COVID-19 case in the workplace.Adopting policies to prevent workers from entering the premises if they display respiratory symptoms or have had contact with a person with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19.Any other social distancing practices and mitigation measures recommended by the CDC.Any store that remains open for in-person sales under section 5 or 9(f) of this order must:Establish lines to regulate entry in accordance with subsections (c) and (d) of this section, with markings for patrons to enable them to stand at least six feet apart from one another while waiting. Stores should also explore alternatives to lines, including by allowing customers to wait in their cars for a text message or phone call, to enable social distancing and to accommodate seniors and those with disabilities.Consider establishing curbside pick-up to reduce in-store traffic and mitigate outdoor lines.For stores of less than 50,000 square feet of customer floor space, limit the number of people in the store (including employees) to 25% of the total occupancy limits established by the State Fire Marshal or a local fire marshal.For stores of more than 50,000 square feet:Limit the number of customers in the store at one time (excluding employees) to 4 people per 1,000 square feet of customer floor space. The amount of customer floor space must be calculated to exclude store areas that are closed under subprovision (2) of this subsection.Close areas of the store'--by cordoning them off, placing signs in aisles, posting prominent signs, removing goods from shelves, or other appropriate means'--that are dedicated to the following classes of goods:Carpet or flooring.Furniture.Garden centers and plant nurseries.Paint.By April 13, 2020, refrain from the advertising or promotion of goods that are not groceries, medical supplies, or items that are necessary to maintain the safety, sanitation, and basic operation of residences.Create at least two hours per week of dedicated shopping time for vulnerable populations, which for purposes of this order are people over 60, pregnant women, and those with chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and lung disease.The director of the Department of Health and Human Services is authorized to issue an emergency order varying the capacity limits described in subsections (c) and (d) of this section as necessary to protect the public health.No one shall advertise or rent a short-term vacation property except as necessary to assist in housing a health care professional or volunteer aiding in the response to the COVID-19 crisis.Nothing in this order should be taken to supersede another executive order or directive that is in effect, except to the extent this order imposes more stringent limitations on in-person work, activities, and interactions. Consistent with prior guidance, a place of religious worship, when used for religious worship, is not subject to penalty under section 17 of this order.Nothing in this order should be taken to interfere with or infringe on the powers of the legislative and judicial branches to perform their constitutional duties or exercise their authority.This order takes effect on April 9, 2020 at 11:59 pm and continues through April 30, 2020 at 11:59 pm. When this order takes effect, Executive Order 2020-21 is rescinded. All references to that order in other executive orders, agency rules, letters of understanding, or other legal authorities shall be taken to refer to this order.I will evaluate the continuing need for this order prior to its expiration. In determining whether to maintain, intensify, or relax its restrictions, I will consider, among other things, (1) data on COVID-19 infections and the disease's rate of spread; (2) whether sufficient medical personnel, hospital beds, and ventilators exist to meet anticipated medical need; (3) the availability of personal protective equipment for the health-care workforce; (4) the state's capacity to test for COVID-19 cases and isolate infected people; and (5) economic conditions in the state.Consistent with MCL 10.33 and MCL 30.405(3), a willful violation of this order is a misdemeanor.Given under my hand and the Great Seal of the State of Michigan.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Sun, 12 Apr 2020 07:16

The Air Force will test SpaceX-developed technology in an upcoming demonstration that will reportedly include a live-fire exercise targeting drones and cruise missiles, the latest test of experimental technologies.

The April 8 event, the next iteration of the military's Advanced Battle Management System exercises, takes place at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona; White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico; and Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, Defense Daily reported.

The demonstration will include elements of the U.S. Space Command and U.S. Strategic Command working with SpaceX's Starlink mission, which aims ''to provide internet access via proliferated constellations made up of thousands of small satellites in low earth orbit,'' Defense News, a sister publication, previously reported.

The U.S. military hopes to utilize the satellite broadband service for its warfighters.

The Advanced Battle Management System, which will replace the military's E-8C JSTARS surveillance planes, aims to rapidly integrate information and data collected on various platforms for real-time battlespace usage.

The system was first tested in late December 2019 and again in the field late last month.

''We've come so far in ABMS that we realize that it's bigger than just replacing the capability that JSTARS provides,'' said Will Roper, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology and logistics, according to TheDrive. ''If you get ABMS right, you've just built the military's 'internet of things.' That's super exciting.''

Sign up for the Air Force Times Daily News RoundupDon't miss the top Air Force stories, delivered each afternoon

By giving us your email, you are opting in to the Air Force Times Daily News Roundup.

In December, the three-day field test integrated Air Force and Navy fighter jets and the Army High Mobility Artillery Rocket System to detect and respond to a simulated cruise missile attack through ABMS technology, C4ISRNet, another sister publication, reported.

In the January exercise, the Air Force tested the ability of its stealth F-35 and F-22 fighters to communicate with each other in flight via ABMS, as each aircraft currently utilizes different data link systems.

The service plans to further test this data transmission capability to include Kratos Defense's unmanned XQ-58A Valkyrie drone during the April exercise. This system is being developed to accompany manned fighter jets and other aircraft in manned-unmanned combat teams.

The XQ-58A Valkyrie demonstrator, a long-range, high subsonic unmanned air vehicle completed its inaugural flight March 5, 2019, at Yuma Proving Grounds, Arizona. (DoD) Also tested in January was the Air Force's ability to connect its AC-130 gunships with the SpaceX Starlink constellation. Air Force Chief Architect Preston Dunlap previously confirmed the aircraft was able to ''pass data'' through the satellites.

United States Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command listed improving satellite communications capabilities as their No. 1 unfunded priority for fiscal 2021, specifically naming satellite connectivity in the Arctic region, Defense News previously reported.

In January 2018, SpaceX launched a secret U.S. government satellite '-- known as Zuma '-- aboard its Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The mission ended in an apparent, although unconfirmed, failure. SpaceX, however, has denied its rocket was to blame.

The news of the upcoming demonstration complements the unveiling of the U.S. Space Force Vision for Enterprise Satellite Communications by Gen. Jay Raymond, chief of space operations and commander of U.S. Space Command, last week.

''The Enterprise SATCOM Vision outlines the new Service's vision to evolve SATCOM into a single enterprise that can continue to deliver effects to warfighters from and through a contested, degraded and operationally limited (CDO) environment,'' a press release stated.

About Dylan GresikDylan Gresik is a reporting intern for Military Times through Northwestern University's Journalism Residency program.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Sun, 12 Apr 2020 07:14

You are not crazy, my friends

Photo: David McNew/Getty Images*Gaslighting, if you don't know the word, is defined as manipulation into doubting your own sanity; as in, Carl made Mary think she was crazy, even though she clearly caught him cheating. He gaslit her.

Pretty soon, as the country begins to figure out how we ''open back up'' and move forward, very powerful forces will try to convince us all to get back to normal. (That never happened. What are you talking about?) Billions of dollars will be spent on advertising, messaging, and television and media content to make you feel comfortable again. It will come in the traditional forms '-- a billboard here, a hundred commercials there '-- and in new-media forms: a 2020''2021 generation of memes to remind you that what you want again is normalcy. In truth, you want the feeling of normalcy, and we all want it. We want desperately to feel good again, to get back to the routines of life, to not lie in bed at night wondering how we're going to afford our rent and bills, to not wake to an endless scroll of human tragedy on our phones, to have a cup of perfectly brewed coffee, and simply leave the house for work. The need for comfort will be real, and it will be strong. And every brand in America will come to your rescue, dear consumer, to help take away that darkness and get life back to the way it was before the crisis. I urge you to be well aware of what is coming.

For the last hundred years, the multibillion-dollar advertising business has operated based on this cardinal principle: Find the consumer's problem and fix it with your product. When the problem is practical and tactical, the solution is ''as seen on TV'' and available at Home Depot. Command strips will save me from having to repaint. So will Mr. Clean's Magic Eraser. Elfa shelving will get rid of the mess in my closet. The Ring doorbell will let me see who's on the porch if I can't take my eyes off Netflix. But when the problem is emotional, the fix becomes a new staple in your life, and you become a lifelong loyalist. Coca-Cola makes you: happy. A Mercedes makes you: successful. Taking your kids to Disneyland makes you: proud. Smart marketers know how to highlight what brands can do for you to make your life easier. But brilliant marketers know how to rewire your heart. And, make no mistake, the heart is what has been most traumatized this last month. We are, as a society, now vulnerable in a whole new way.

What the trauma has shown us, though, cannot be unseen. A carless Los Angeles has clear blue skies as pollution has simply stopped. In a quiet New York, you can hear the birds chirp in the middle of Madison Avenue. Coyotes have been spotted on the Golden Gate Bridge. These are the postcard images of what the world might be like if we could find a way to have a less deadly daily effect on the planet. What's not fit for a postcard are the other scenes we have witnessed: a health care system that cannot provide basic protective equipment for its frontline; small businesses '-- and very large ones '-- that do not have enough cash to pay their rent or workers, sending over 16 million people to seek unemployment benefits; a government that has so severely damaged the credibility of our media that 300 million people don't know who to listen to for basic facts that can save their lives.

The cat is out of the bag. We, as a nation, have deeply disturbing problems. You're right. That's not news. They are problems we ignore every day, not because we're terrible people or because we don't care about fixing them, but because we don't have time. Sorry, we have other shit to do. The plain truth is that no matter our ethnicity, religion, gender, political party (the list goes on), nor even our socioeconomic status, as Americans we share this: We are busy. We're out and about hustling to make our own lives work. We have goals to meet and meetings to attend and mortgages to pay '-- all while the phone is ringing and the laptop is pinging. And when we get home, Crate and Barrel and Louis Vuitton and Andy Cohen make us feel just good enough to get up the next day and do it all over again. It is very easy to close your eyes to a problem when you barely have enough time to close them to sleep. The greatest misconception among us, which causes deep and painful social and political tension every day in this country, is that we somehow don't care about each other. White people don't care about the problems of black America. Men don't care about women's rights. Cops don't care about the communities they serve. Humans don't care about the environment. These couldn't be further from the truth. We do care. We just don't have the time to do anything about it. Maybe that's just me. But maybe it's you, too.

Well, the treadmill you've been on for decades just stopped. Bam! And that feeling you have right now is the same as if you'd been thrown off your Peloton bike and onto the ground: What in the holy fuck just happened? I hope you might consider this: What happened is inexplicably incredible. It's the greatest gift ever unwrapped. Not the deaths, not the virus, but The Great Pause. It is, in a word, profound. Please don't recoil from the bright light beaming through the window. I know it hurts your eyes. It hurts mine, too. But the curtain is wide open. What the crisis has given us is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see ourselves and our country in the plainest of views. At no other time, ever in our lives, have we gotten the opportunity to see what would happen if the world simply stopped. Here it is. We're in it. Stores are closed. Restaurants are empty. Streets and six-lane highways are barren. Even the planet itself is rattling less (true story). And because it is rarer than rare, it has brought to light all of the beautiful and painful truths of how we live. And that feels weird. Really weird. Because it has'... never'... happened'... before. If we want to create a better country and a better world for our kids, and if we want to make sure we are even sustainable as a nation and as a democracy, we have to pay attention to how we feel right now. I cannot speak for you, but I imagine you feel like I do: devastated, depressed, and heartbroken.

And what a perfect time for Best Buy and H&M and Wal-Mart to help me feel normal again. If I could just have the new iPhone in my hand, if I could rest my feet on a pillow of new Nikes, if I could drink a venti blonde vanilla latte or sip a Diet Coke, then this very dark feeling would go away. You think I'm kidding, that I'm being cute, that I'm denying the very obvious benefits of having a roaring economy. You're right. Our way of life is not ruinous. The economy is not, at its core, evil. Brands and their products create millions of jobs. Like people '-- and most anything in life '-- there are brands that are responsible and ethical, and there are others that are not. They are all part of a system that keeps us living long and strong. We have lifted more humans out of poverty through the power of economics than any other civilization in history. Yes, without a doubt, Americanism is a force for good. It is not some villainous plot to wreak havoc and destroy the planet and all our souls along with it. I get it, and I agree. But its flaws have been laid bare for all to see. It doesn't work for everyone. It's responsible for great destruction. It is so unevenly distributed in its benefit that three men own more wealth than 150 million people. Its intentions have been perverted, and the protection it offers has disappeared. In fact, it's been brought to its knees by one pangolin.

And so the onslaught is coming. Get ready, my friends. What is about to be unleashed on American society will be the greatest campaign ever created to get you to feel normal again. It will come from brands, it will come from government, it will even come from each other, and it will come from the left and from the right. We will do anything, spend anything, believe anything, just so we can take away how horribly uncomfortable all of this feels. And on top of that, just to turn the screw that much more, will be the one effort that's even greater: the all-out blitz to make you believe you never saw what you saw. The air wasn't really cleaner; those images were fake. The hospitals weren't really a war zone; those stories were hyperbole. The numbers were not that high; the press is lying. You didn't see people in masks standing in the rain risking their lives to vote. Not in America. You didn't see the leader of the free world push an unproven miracle drug like a late-night infomercial salesman. That was a crisis update. You didn't see homeless people dead on the street. You didn't see inequality. You didn't see indifference. You didn't see utter failure of leadership and systems.

But you did. You are not crazy, my friends. And so we are about to be gaslit in a truly unprecedented way. It starts with a check for $1,200 (Don't say I never gave you anything) and then it will be so big that it will be bigly. And it will be a one-two punch from both big business and the big White House '-- inextricably intertwined now more than ever and being led by, as our luck would have it, a Marketer in Chief. Business and government are about to band together to knock us unconscious again. It will be funded like no other operation in our lifetimes. It will be fast. It will be furious. And it will be overwhelming. The Great American Return to Normal is coming.

From one citizen to another, I beg of you: Take a deep breath, ignore the deafening noise, and think deeply about what you want to put back into your life. This is our chance to define a new version of normal, a rare and truly sacred (yes, sacred) opportunity to get rid of the bullshit and to only bring back what works for us, what makes our lives richer, what makes our kids happier, what makes us truly proud. We get to Marie Kondo the shit out of it all. We care deeply about one another. That is clear. That can be seen in every supportive Facebook post, in every meal dropped off for a neighbor, in every Zoom birthday party. We are a good people. And as a good people, we want to define '-- on our own terms '-- what this country looks like in five, 10, 50 years. This is our chance to do that, the biggest one we have ever gotten. And the best one we'll ever get.

We can do that on a personal scale in our homes, in how we choose to spend our family time on nights and weekends, what we watch, what we listen to, what we eat, and what we choose to spend our dollars on and where. We can do it locally in our communities, in what organizations we support, what truths we tell, and what events we attend. And we can do it nationally in our government, in which leaders we vote in and to whom we give power. If we want cleaner air, we can make it happen. If we want to protect our doctors and nurses from the next virus '-- and protect all Americans '-- we can make it happen. If we want our neighbors and friends to earn a dignified income, we can make that happen. If we want millions of kids to be able to eat if suddenly their school is closed, we can make that happen. And, yes, if we just want to live a simpler life, we can make that happen, too. But only if we resist the massive gaslighting that is about to come. It's on its way. Look out.

'--

Note: The author and Medium have made minor tweaks since initial publication.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Sun, 12 Apr 2020 06:55

US Attorney General Bill Barr appointed US Attorney from Connecticut John Durham last May to investigate the origins of Spygate.

Award-winning investigative reporter John Solomon told Sean Hannity on Friday's podcast that he knows of few witnesses who have appeared before a DC grand jury.

John Solomon told Hannity he believes that Durham's charges will start with Kevin Clinesmith, the lawyer who fraudulently changed a document to deceive the FISA court.

''What about all the people that signed the FISA applications knowing'...none of it was verified?'' Hannity asked Solomon.

TRENDING: Tyrannical Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer Prohibits Grocery Stores From Selling Vegetable Seeds

John Solomon said he doesn't believe Comey, McCabe, Rosenstein, Yates and others will be prosecuted for signing the FISA applications, however they still may not be in the clear.

John Solomon did say that John Durham is focusing on false testimonies based on the grand jury subpoenas.

''It's possible that some people who gave false representations to Congress could get prosecuted for those false representations,'' he added.

AUDIO:

.@jsolomonReports talking about the grand jury subpoenas'... #QAnon pic.twitter.com/p7vVzYV2z8

'-- M3thods (@M2Madness) April 10, 2020

Comey, McCabe and Brennan all lied to Congress.

The DOJ IG report released in December confirmed former CIA Director John Brennan did indeed rely on the phony dossier for the ICA report on so-called Russian interference in the 2016 election.

John Brennan claimed in a May 2017 testimony under oath that Hillary's phony dossier didn't factor into the Intelligence Community's Assessment report on Russian interference of the 2016 presidential election.

Brennan told Trey Gowdy during his testimony when asked if the CIA relied on the dossier, ''No. Because we '-- we didn't. It wasn't part of the corpus of intelligence information that we had. It was not in any way used as a basis for the Intelligence Community assessment that was done. It was '-- it was not.''

Comey also perjured himself.

In 2017, fired FBI Director James Comey testified to Congress that he decided not to recommend charges in relation to handling of classified information after the FBI interviewed Hillary Clinton on July 2, 2016 '-- However, a report released later revealed Comey penned a memo exonerating Clinton in the Spring.

Will Comey, McCabe and Brennan get indicted for lying to Congress?

Link to Article

Archived Version

Source: ZeroHedge News

Sat, 11 Apr 2020 22:51

It wasn't meant to be like this.

After the Saudis and Russia cobbled a historic OPEC+ oil production cut which at 10 million b/d was the biggest ever, and one which received the blessing - if not the participation - of Donald Trump, the rest of OPEC+ was supposed to applaud the two oil exporting giants who agreed to cut 23% of their, and everyone else's output, and fall in line agreeing to the terms that were imposed upon them in hopes of sending the price of oil slightly higher, because as a reminder even the agreed upon 10 million cut would do nothing to balance an oil market crushed by what Trafigura calculates was a record 36 million b/d drop in oil demand.

However, that did not happen because one country dared to stand up to not just Saudi Arabia, but also Russia and the rest of the OPEC cartel, and even forced Trump to bend to its will with the US president - desperate to get the price of WTI higher in hopes of avoiding mass defaults for the US shale industry - saying he would be responsible for Mexico's production cut balance.

That country is the southern US neighbor, Mexico, which pumps a relatively tiny 1.75 million b/d and which would have been forced to cap its output some 400,000 barrels lower to comply with the deal, however the most Mexico would agree to was a a minuscule 100kb/d cut - a number that is completely meaningless in the grand scheme of the oil market - yet one which openly defies Saudi Arabia which staked its reputation as OPEC's most powerful nation by guaranteeing that every OPEC member would agree to the 23% production cut.

What followed has been the most surreal "Mexican standoff", one which started during the OPEC teleconference on Thursday, continued on Friday when the G-20 was supposed to also join the production cut yet failed to do so over the confusion over Mexico's ongoing intransigence, and has not yet been resolved as of late on Saturday, with Mexico's Energy Minister Rocio Nahle refusing to budge from her insistence that the country could only cut output by 100,000 barrels a day, 300,000 less than its fair share of 23% reductions by everyone in the OPEC+ group. On Friday morning, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said he had resolved the matter in a phone call with Trump. The U.S. would make an additional 250,000 barrels a day of cuts on Mexico's behalf. But such a theatrical sleight of hand was not enough for the Saudis who would appear weak, and unable to reign in the cartel's members, would risk cheating and excess production by virtually every smaller OPEC member who would feel, rightfully so, that it is unfair for Mexico to get preferential treatment.

As a result, two days after oil surged on hopes of (at least) a 10mmb/d cut, the deal that was supposedly finalized on Thursday has yet to emerge, with the that come Sunday evening when trading reopens, Brent could plunge as the production cut ends in disarray.

But why is Mexico risking the collapse of OPEC, and another sharp plunge in oil prices, by refusing to comply with the deal - after all if Mexico cuts just another 250K barrels in output from its adjusted total it will unlock if not higher prices, then at least avoid an even sharper plunge in the price of oil. Sure, it may not balance the market, and $50 Brent won't come back for a long time, but avoiding another dramatic plunge in oil would be worth the cut, right?

Well, no because while that would be the reasonable economic equation for all other OPEC members, Mexico has always had what Bloomberg dubbed a "sector weapon" up its sleeve, one which incentivizes Mexico's president to either get his way, or watch as oil craters... and get paid billions.

We are talking of course about Mexico's famous annual oil hedge, which in recent years has manifested itself mostly in the form of billions of dollars spent on oil puts, which we profiled extensively back in 2016 and 2017.

As Bloomberg's Javier Blas, who has closely followed Mexico's oil hedgers in the recent past writes, for the last two decades, Mexico has bought "Asian" style put options from some of the most prominent US investment banks and oil companies, in what's considered Wall Street's largest - and most closely guarded - annual oil deal. The options give Mexico the right to sell its oil at a predetermined price. They are the equivalent of an insurance policy: the country banks all gains from higher prices but enjoys the security of a minimum floor. So - unlike all of its OPEC peers - if oil prices remain weak or plunge even further, Mexico will still book higher prices.

In 2016, Mexico spent $1.03 billion to protect itself from a downturn in prices, according to data released in the quarterly budget balance. In recent years, Mexico has spent an average $1 billion buying the hedges. The hedge first appeared in 2001, when Mexico made a tentative showing, spending just $217.3 million on put options, a fraction of the approximately $1 billion a year it would spend later. In 2003 and 2004, with oil prices rising, the country opted not to hedge at all. The strategy came into its own in 2005: Mexico has hedged every year since without interruption, giving it a unique peace of mind that should a worst case scenario happen, it would be able to sleep soundly a t night. Agust­n Carstens, who later became head of the central bank, was finance minister when a massive $5.1 billion payout came in 2009; some government officials also refer to the annual oil bet as "the Agust­nian hedge"; then in 2015, after the OPEC Thanksgiving massacre of 2015, the hedge made $6.4 billion and another $2.7 billion in 2016 after Saudi Arabia waged another failed price war aimed to crushing US shale producers.

Mexico's annual spending on its hedge with Wall Street banks is shown in the chart below.

Unfortunately for the rest of the world's oil producers, only Mexico had the foresight to hedge an outcome such as the one we are seeing now, and that is giving Mexico unprecedented leverage to demand... pretty much anything, even preferential treatment from its OPEC peers.

To be sure, the hedge isn't the only reason Mexico is holding out, but it strengthens the country's hand and makes it less desperate for a deal than countries whose budgets have been ravaged by the collapse in oil prices since the start of the year. As we reported on Thursday, the biggest reason driving leftwing populist President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to resist the deal, was his pledge to revive oil production via state-owned Pemex. Slashing 400,000 barrels a day to comply with the OPEC+ deal, rather than the 100,000 barrels a day that Mexico has counter-offered to Saudi Arabia, would put on hold his ambitious plan to return Pemex to its former glory.

But a token 100,000 cut - one which flaunts the Saudi demands for equal sacrifice by all the cartel members - is unacceptable to Crown Price MbS, hence the Mexican standoff continues.

"The insurance policy isn't cheap," Mexican Finance Minister Arturo Herrera told broadcaster Televisa on March 10. ''But it's insurance for times like now. Our fiscal budget isn't going to be hit." Pemex, the state-owned company, has its own separate, smaller oil hedge.

As Bloomberg reports, Mexico has disclosed very few details about its insurance for 2020 after it declared the sovereign hedge a state secret. However, based on limited public information, alongside historical data about previous years, it's possible to make a rough estimate of the potential payout if prices remain low. The government told lawmakers it has guaranteed revenues to support the assumptions for oil prices made in the country's budget - of $49 a barrel for the Mexican oil export basket, equivalent to about $60-$65 a barrel for Brent crude.

Mexico locks in that revenue via two elements: the hedge, and the country's oil stabilization fund. The fund historically has only provided $2-$5 a barrel, so one can assume that Mexico hedged at $45 a barrel at least for its crude. In the past, Mexico has hedged around 250 million barrels, equal to nearly all its net oil exports in an operation that runs from Dec. 1 to Nov. 30.

Putting these calculations together suggests that if the Mexican oil export basket were to remain at current levels, the country would receive a multi-billion dollar payout. Since December, the Mexican oil basket has averaged $42 a barrel.In other words, if current low prices for Mexican oil continue until the end of November, the average would drop to just above $20 a barrel, and the hedge would pay out close to $6 billion, according to Bloomberg News calculations.

In short, Mexico may be far more incentivized to see oil prices stay low, or drop lower, than rebound modestly while also losing out on an additional 250kb/d in potential output.

It is this math that is threatening to collapse not only the production cut deal, but OPEC itself because if the Saudis are seen as too weak to get even tiny oil exporters Mexico to heel - and absent MbS paying AMLO billions they won't be able to - then all bets are off as Riyadh loses what little respect it had before the deal. and the "cartel" becomes an every oil producer for himself free for all.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Sat, 11 Apr 2020 21:10

Republican governor of Texas Greg Abbott said he plans to allow businesses to reopen with an executive order that would lift the coronavirus lockdown in a "safe" way.

The announcement from the second largest state is likely sharpen debate over how long Americans should endure crippling economic restrictions to contain a pandemic that has claimed more than 18,000 lives. The medical community and many Democrats have argued for extended closures to reduce infection rates. The business community and many Republicans want to end the deepest recession since the Great Depression before it does lasting economic damage.

Abbott said Texas, which would be the world's 11th largest economy it were an independent country, could find a balance between personal safety and economic security.

"We will focus on protecting lives while restoring livelihoods," Abbott said on Friday at a news conference.

"We can and we must do this. We can do both, expand and restore the livelihoods that Texans want to have by helping them return to work. One thing about Texans, they enjoy working and they want to get back into the workforce. We have to come up with strategies on how we can do this safely."

Abbott said details of the executive order would be available next week and it is expected to provide businesses with a list of guidelines on how to safely reopen.

"We will operate strategically," Abbott added. "If we do it too fast without appropriate strategies, it will lead to another potential closure."

Newsweek reached out to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for comment.

Abbott also promised testing for the coronavirus that causes the disease COVID-19 would be part of the plan. On Wednesday, the governor announced that Walgreens locations would soon offer a test that can be administered via the drive-thru window, and will provide results within 15 minutes. Abbott estimates that each Walgreens store could test as many as 3,000 people a day. The tests are developed by Abbott Labs; despite the similar name, Gov. Abbott has no connection to the company.

Gov. Greg Abbott displays COVID-19 test collection vials as he addresses the media during a press conference held at Arlington Emergency Management on March 18, 2020 in Arlington, Texas. Tom Pennington/GettyAbbott also announced updated statistics for COVID-19's effect on Texas. Approximately 116,000 Texans have been tested for coronavirus; of those, 11,449 tested positive. Texas has seen 221 COVID-19 related deaths, 1,532 hospitalizations and 1,336 recoveries from the disease. To be considered recovered, a previously-infected person must go 14 days without the virus in their system. Abbott also said that Texas had 7,834 ventilators available.

Currently, Texas is under a stay-at-home order closing non-essential businesses and dine-in restaurants which is due to last until April 30. Abbott did not reveal an updated timeline for reopening Texas. President Donald Trump came under fire last month for saying he hoped to reopen the United States by Easter, April 12. He later backtracked on these comments, and Trump now says he hopes the country can open by early May.

Though Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and member of Trump's coronavirus task force, has argued in favor of a nationwide lockdown to stop COVID-19 from spreading, Trump has refused to do so.

"We can't have the cure be worse than the problem," Trump said on March 23. "We have to open our country because that causes problems that, in my opinion, could be far bigger problems."

The graphic below, provided by Statista, illustrates the spread of COVID-19 across the United States.

The spread of the COVID-19 virus in the U.S. Statista Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Advice on Using Face Coverings to Slow Spread of COVID-19CDC recommends wearing a cloth face covering in public where social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.A simple cloth face covering can help slow the spread of the virus by those infected and by those who do not exhibit symptoms.Cloth face coverings can be fashioned from household items. Guides are offered by the CDC.Cloth face coverings should be washed regularly. A washing machine will suffice.Practice safe removal of face coverings by not touching eyes, nose, and mouth, and wash hands immediately after removing the covering.World Health Organization advice for avoiding spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19)Hygiene adviceClean hands frequently with soap and water, or alcohol-based hand rub.Wash hands after coughing or sneezing; when caring for the sick; before, during and after food preparation; before eating; after using the toilet; when hands are visibly dirty; and after handling animals or waste.Maintain at least 1 meter (3 feet) distance from anyone who is coughing or sneezing.Avoid touching your hands, nose and mouth. Do not spit in public.Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or bent elbow when coughing or sneezing. Discard the tissue immediately and clean your hands.Medical adviceAvoid close contact with others if you have any symptoms.Stay at home if you feel unwell, even with mild symptoms such as headache and runny nose, to avoid potential spread of the disease to medical facilities and other people.If you develop serious symptoms (fever, cough, difficulty breathing) seek medical care early and contact local health authorities in advance.Note any recent contact with others and travel details to provide to authorities who can trace and prevent spread of the disease.Stay up to date on COVID-19 developments issued by health authorities and follow their guidance.Mask and glove usageHealthy individuals only need to wear a mask if taking care of a sick person.Wear a mask if you are coughing or sneezing.Masks are effective when used in combination with frequent hand cleaning.Do not touch the mask while wearing it. Clean hands if you touch the mask.Learn how to properly put on, remove and dispose of masks. Clean hands after disposing of the mask.Do not reuse single-use masks.Regularly washing bare hands is more effective against catching COVID-19 than wearing rubber gloves.The COVID-19 virus can still be picked up on rubber gloves and transmitted by touching your face.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Source: The Western Journal

Sat, 11 Apr 2020 15:12

The Trump administration on Monday made anti-terrorism history by designating a Russia-based far-right group and its leaders as global terrorists.

The action marked the first time that a classification often used for Islamic terrorists has been applied to a white supremacist group.

The action came despite countless examples of the left and the establishment media referring to President Donald Trump as a racist.

For example, when Trump used the phrase ''Chinese virus'' to describe the coronavirus '-- which originated in Wuhan, China '-- NBC News quoted New York state Assembly member Yuh-Line Niou, who represents the Chinatown area of New York City, as saying that Trump is ''fueling the flames of racism with all of his comments.''

Democratic Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina, the House minority whip, has told Axios that Trump is a racist who has hired white supremacists, and that America ''could very well go the way of Germany in the 1930s.''

TRENDING: Body of 8-Year-Old Gideon, Robert F. Kennedy's Great-Grandson, Has Been Found

However, in announcing that the Russian Imperial Movement and its top leaders were being labeled ''specially designated global terrorists,'' a State Department official said the president has sent a message that white supremacism will not be tolerated.

''Today's designations send an unmistakable message that the United States will not hesitate to use our sanctions authorities aggressively, and that we are prepared to target any foreign terrorist group, regardless of ideology, that threatens our citizens, our interests abroad or our allies,'' Ambassador Nathan Sales, the State Department's coordinator for counterterrorism, said during a Monday news briefing.

''These designations are unprecedented,'' Sales said. ''This is the first time the United States has ever designated foreign white supremacist terrorists, illustrating how seriously this administration takes the threat. We are taking actions that no previous administration has taken to counter this threat.''

The State Department said the RIM was added to the list because it runs two paramilitary training camps in St. Petersburg, Russia, that attract neo-Nazis from around the world.

''This group has innocent blood on its hands,'' Sales said.

The State Department's action means the group cannot access any American property or assets.

Americans also cannot conduct financial dealings with the group.

''[W]e are aware of public reports that RIM has reached out to Americans or even travel to the United States to reach out to Americans,'' Sales said. ''We're not in a position to comment on whether or not those reports are accurate, but I can tell you that, as a general matter, any foreign terrorist group, if it seeks to make common cause with Americans, is a grave concern to the United States, a grave concern to the State Department, and we will not hesitate to aggressively use our authorities to counter such groups.''

Three of the group's leaders '-- Stanislav Anatolyevich Vorobyev, Denis Valliullovich Gariev and Nikolay Nikolayevich Trushchalov '-- were officially designated as terrorists.

Mary McCord, a former head of the Justice Department's National Security Division, said the Trump administration's action was significant.

RELATED: Attorney General Barr Vows To 'Get to the Bottom' of Russia Investigation: 'Something Far More Troubling Here'

''It is important,'' she told The New York Times. ''Far-right extremist causes, in particular white supremacy and white nationalism, have become more international. It is appropriate for the State Department to have been scrutinizing whether there are organizations that meet the criteria for that designation because with it, the organization becomes poison in terms of doing business with it or providing funds, goods or services to it.''

Connections between domestic and foreign terror groups are growing, some commentators said.

''Every counterterrorism professional I speak to in the federal government and overseas feels like we are at the doorstep of another 9/11,'' Elizabeth Neumann, a senior Department of Homeland Security official, said this year during a hearing on white supremacist terrorism, according to Foreign Policy. ''Maybe not something that catastrophic in terms of the visual or the numbers but that we can see it building and we don't quite know how to stop it.''

Sales said white supremacist extremism is international.

''The global white supremacist terrorist community is very much a transnational phenomenon,'' he said. The man who carried out the mass shooting at an El Paso Walmart last year later told investigators he was inspired by the Christchurch attacks on mosques in New Zealand '-- representing ''a bloody and grisly demonstration of how these networks interrelate with one another and inspire one another,'' Sales added.

The U.S. wants Russia to join its crackdown.

''As for RIM and its relationship to the Russian government, we call on all partners, our allies in other countries around the world, to take actions commensurate with what we have taken today,'' Sales said.

Was Trump right to declare this organization a terrorist group?

97% (1660 Votes)

3% (47 Votes)

''We encourage Russia, we encourage other countries to use domestic legal authorities available to them to designate this group, to deny it the ability to travel, and to cut off its access to the international financial system,'' he said. ''[W]e encourage the Russian Federation to live up to the commitments it has made to countering terrorism. We have identified this group as a terrorist organization and we encourage all partners around the world, including the Russian government, to take this threat as seriously as we take it.''

Michael Carpenter, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense for Russia and Eurasia, said that is not likely.

''[T]hey are not legally sanctioned and cannot be really considered Kremlin proxies either,'' he told Foreign Policy. ''It's more of an adversarial symbiosis. Under the watchful eye of the [Russian] secret services, many of these extremist groups are given a great deal of latitude to interact with neo-Nazi and far-right extremist groups in the West '-- but only as long as they don't cause too much trouble in Russia.''

During his briefing, Sales said fighting white supremacist terrorism is ''a top priority for the Trump administration.

''After the El Paso attack, President Trump said, 'In one voice, our nation must condemn racism, bigotry, and white supremacy. These sinister ideologies must be defeated,''' Sales said. ''This administration isn't just talking the talk. We're also walking the walk. We're taking decisive actions to counter this threat.''

However, Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden has not been shy about using the El Paso shooting to link Trump to white supremacists.

''How far is it from Trump saying this is an invasion to the shooter in El Paso declaring, quote, 'this attack is a response to the Hispanic invasion of Texas?' How far apart are those comments,'' Biden said, according to ABC News. ''I don't think it's that far at all. It's both clear language and in code. This president has fanned the flames of white supremacy in this nation.''

We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Sat, 11 Apr 2020 14:20

Joe Biden faces the most important decision of his five-decade political career: choosing a vice president.

The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee expects to name a committee to vet potential running mates next week, according to three Democrats with knowledge of the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal plans. Biden, a former vice president himself, has committed to picking a woman and told donors this week that his team has discussed naming a choice well ahead of the Democratic convention in August.

Selecting a running mate is always critical for a presidential candidate. But it's an especially urgent calculation for the 77-year-old Biden, who, if he wins, would be the oldest American president in history. The decision carries added weight amid the coronavirus pandemic, which, beyond its death toll, threatens to devastate the world economy and define a prospective Biden administration.

''We're still going to be in crisis or recovery, and you want a vice president who can manage that,'' said Karen Finney, a Democratic strategist who worked for Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign. The vice president is ''always important,'' Finney added. But she pointed to Biden's role in the Obama administration's 2009-10 recovery efforts as evidence that a crisis makes the choice of a running mate an even ''more important decision than usual.''

Biden faces pressure on multiple fronts. He must consider the demands of his racially, ethnically and ideologically diverse party, especially the black women who propelled his nomination. He must balance those concerns with his stated desire for a ''simpatico'' partner who is ''ready to be president on a moment's notice.''

The campaign's general counsel, Dana Remus, and former White House counsel Bob Bauer are gathering information about prospects. Democrats close to several presumed contenders say they've not yet been contacted.

Biden has offered plenty of hints. He's said he can easily name 12 to 15 women who meet his criteria, but would likely seriously consider anywhere from six to 11 candidates. He's given no indication of whether he'll look to the Senate, where he spent six terms, to governors or elsewhere.

Some Biden advisers said the campaign has heard from many Democrats who want a woman of color. Black women helped rescue Biden's campaign after an embarrassing start in predominately white Iowa and New Hampshire. Yet there's no firm agreement that Biden must go that route.

''The best thing you can do for all segments of the population is to win,'' said Biden's campaign co-chairman Cedric Richmond, a Louisiana congressman and former Congressional Black Caucus chairman. ''He has shown a commitment to diversity from the beginning. But this has to be based on, like the VP says, who he trusts.''

Biden has regularly praised California Sen. Kamala Harris, a former rival who endorsed him in March and campaigned for him. When she introduced him at a fundraiser this week, Biden did little to tamp down speculation about her prospects.

Full Coverage: Election 2020''I'm coming for you, kid,'' he said.

He's also spoken positively of Stacey Abrams, who narrowly missed becoming the first African American female governor in U.S. history when she lost the 2018 Georgia governor's race.

Yet those two women highlight Biden's tightrope. At 55, Harris is talented and popular with Democratic donors, a valuable commodity for a nominee with a fundraising weakness. But she's also a former prosecutor who faces the same skepticism among progressives as Biden. Meanwhile, her home state is already firmly in the Democratic column and could make her an easy target for Republicans eager to blast the party as too liberal.

Abrams, 46, is a star for many younger Democrats, a group Biden struggled to win over in the primary. And she could help turn Georgia into a genuine swing state. But the highest post she's ever held is minority leader in the Georgia House of Representatives, a possible vulnerability in a time of crisis.

Paul Maslin, a Democratic pollster based in the battleground state of Wisconsin, said it will be impossible for Biden to please everyone.

''You can ask too much of a vice president pick to bridge everything '-- ideology, generational gap, gender, race, experience,'' he said. ''There's going to be something wrong with every one of these choices.''

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is Democrats' only nonwhite female governor. Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada has reportedly vouched for his state's Latina senator, Catherine Cortez Masto. Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth is a veteran who lost limbs in combat. She's of Thai heritage and has notably jousted with President Donald Trump. And Rep. Val Demings, a black congresswoman from the swing state of Florida, helped lead the House impeachment efforts against Trump.

Yet all four women are relative unknowns nationally.

Biden could go beyond Washington to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, one of the three Great Lakes states that delivered Trump his Electoral College majority in 2016. She's won plaudits during the pandemic and meshes with Biden's pragmatic sensibilities, winning her post in 2018 with promises to ''fix the damn roads.''

But it's not clear that a 48-year-old white woman from the Midwest brings Biden advantages he doesn't already have or can't find elsewhere.

It's a similar conundrum for others, including Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a former rival who fits seamlessly with Biden's politics. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, meanwhile, could offer a bridge to progressives, but several Democrats said her age, 70, is a bigger liability than potential policy differences with Biden.

Several African American advocates and progressive leaders said the Democratic ticket's policies and empathetic appeals are what's most important.

Black voters ''have to trust the messenger,'' said Adrianne Shropshire, executive director of Black PAC, and ''a black woman could stand up and have moral authority to lead on those big issues facing the country right now.''

But she said that doesn't mean a white, Asian or Latina vice presidential nominee couldn't ''speak to the systemic issues, the structural issues that allow for inequalities to persist.''

___

Associated Press writer Thomas Beaumont contributed to this report from Des Moines, Iowa.

___

Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast, ''Ground Game.''

Link to Article

Archived Version

Sat, 11 Apr 2020 14:16

WarnerMedia hoped to launch its new streaming service HBO Max next month with a reunion special for the hit comedy ''Friends.'' It won't be ready.

Also grounded is ''The Flight Attendant,'' a new drama starring Kaley Cuoco based on a novel about a flight attendant who fears she might have killed someone in a drunken haze, according to people familiar with the situation. HBO Max had also planned that as a centerpiece.

Both are victims of the coronavirus pandemic and shutdown, which has led to canceled movie and TV shoots across Hollywood. ''Production is entirely shut down,'' said John Stankey, president and chief operating officer of WarnerMedia-parent AT&T Inc.

Many American industries have seen demand for their products collapse while the U.S. economy retracts and the deadly virus rages across the country. The streaming video business has the opposite problem: It faces diminishing supply for a product that is'--at least for now'--in very high demand.

Millions of Americans who are now at home are craving shared experiences and escapism, or are seeking activities for restless children. For many households, more streaming video is the answer. Americans spent an average of $37 a month on streaming services in March, up from $30 in November, according to a survey of nearly 2,000 people in recent days by The Wall Street Journal and the Harris Poll. New subscriptions were most popular among parents with children or adults working from their homes.

''The reports that we get are jaw-dropping,'' said Albert Cheng, chief operating officer and co-head of television at Amazon Studios. ''Across the board all the metrics are up significantly.''

Walt Disney Co. 's Disney+ said Thursday it has surpassed 50 million global subscribers five months after its launch. The company initially told investors it expected Disney+ to have 60 million to 90 million subscribers by the end of fiscal 2024.

Maintaining a pipeline of content to satisfy these users will get harder the longer the pandemic lingers, raising the stakes for many streaming video services that are designed to challenge Netflix Inc. Disney+, Apple Inc.'s TV+ and soon-to-debut services including HBO Max and NBCUniversal's Peacock are still in building mode. Their cupboards of original content could get bare quickly.

Every major player in the entertainment industry is rethinking its strategy, considering how it can gain market share and keep costs in check. The companies with deep libraries of older programming will be on stronger footing, Hollywood executives say. Programming that doesn't require big sets in public places'--animation, for example'--will be easier to produce. Companies that have been spending ever-larger sums to make content will retrench and avoid bidding wars for hot titles, executives say. Pitching a new product also becomes more difficult without big sporting events that advertisers use to reach mass audiences.

''You are going to see a lot of changes in our industry after this,'' said Jeff Frost, president of Sony Pictures Television Studios.

Surging demand for streaming is a prime example of the epic shifts under way in the U.S. economy. With restaurants and retail stores closed, consumers in some parts of the country are ordering much more from food-delivery services and e-commerce sales'--from goods like hand soap to children's books'--are way up. Likewise, with movie theaters and big events shut down, streaming is the go-to entertainment.

Still, some veteran Hollywood executives warn a recession could make it even tougher to persuade consumers to pay for subscriptions. Some 37% of streaming households would drop a subscription if they lost their job during the pandemic, according to a survey by Kagan, a unit of S&P Global Market Intelligence.

''I do think it will stunt the growth of the new services. People are pretty insecure about their finances,'' said Gary Newman, a former president of Twentieth Century Fox Television who is now a consultant.

Entertainment companies are taking a hit in the crisis, with movie theaters and theme parks shut down. That will make it even more important to capitalize on the rising demand for streaming'--the future of their businesses, entertainment executives say.

AT&T's Mr. Stankey acknowledged that the $14.99 a month HBO Max service will be forced to launch without some programming it hoped to have, and that additional productions will be delayed for several months.

NBCUniversal's Peacock is also going to debut without some of its most-anticipated original programming including the drama ''Dr. Death'' starring Jamie Dornan, Alec Baldwin and Christian Slater'--based on the podcast of the same name about surgeon Christopher Duntsch, who was sentenced to life in prison for gross malpractice. An executive at NBCUniversal, which is a unit of Comcast Corp., said some originals planned for the service's July national launch will get pushed to next year. Customers of Comcast and some other providers will get Peacock for free, while others will pay $4.99 a month for a version with ads and $9.99 a month for a commercial-free version. One version, with limited content, will also be free to all.

The second season of Apple TV+'s most popular program, ''The Morning Show,'' starring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, is on hold. So are several other shows for the nascent streaming service that was launched with much fanfare last November.

While HBO Max, Peacock and Disney+ all have large libraries of popular shows, Apple TV+ doesn't, which could make the production shutdown painful for the service if it drags on.

''If there are no new originals, it's tough to see where the subscribers would come from,'' said Wells Fargo & Co. analyst Steven Cahall of Apple's $4.99 a month service. Conversely, he added, ''even if Disney had no new content for a year, subscribers will come on just for the existing library.'' Apple and Disney declined to comment.

Likewise, incumbents such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video have built up caches of original content and may be better prepared to endure this period. Netflix, which has 167 million global subscribers, has ''a content pipeline that probably takes them to the end of the year,'' said David George, chief executive of ITV America, the production company which makes ''Queer Eye'' for the service. Netflix declined to comment.

The Journal-Harris Poll survey found Netflix was the biggest streaming beneficiary in the crisis, with some 30% of respondents saying they added a Netflix subscription in March. Since subscription services also lose customers each month, the survey doesn't reflect their net gain.

Although content production is halted, development of story ideas and scripts continues at a brisk place through Zoom videoconferences. Basketball star LeBron James is benched due to the suspension of the NBA season but the production companies working on his show ''Becoming'' for the Disney+ streaming service are charging ahead.

''It's one of the few shows on our entire slate that we're actually able to finish,'' said Brent Montgomery, chief executive of Wheelhouse Entertainment, whose Spoke Studios is one of the ''Becoming'' producers. The documentary series about artists and athletes doesn't have a premier date yet but will be ready if other Disney+ shows are delayed, because primary shooting was done and it's being edited.

Postproduction houses where editing is done after filming is complete have retooled to adapt to the situation. Atlas Digital, which works with a range of networks, studios and streaming services, has set up 200 remote systems for producers and editors to work from home. ''It was an overnight change,'' said Chief Executive Shawn Sanbar.

Children's programming, which has enjoyed a jump in viewership during the crisis, could be a go-to genre as companies look to fill out their offerings. Animation is insulated from production delays, since artists and modelers can work at home, said Michael Hirsh, chief executive of Wow! Unlimited Media Inc., a Toronto-based animation company that has created content for Netflix and AT&T's Cartoon Network.

Fox's ''The Simpsons'' continues to produce original episodes during the crisis. Table reads where cast and writers and producers go over scripts are happening on Zoom as are meetings among writers. Animators are working from home and the actors record their voice parts usually from home studios.

''Animation is something you can order and actually count on getting delivered today,'' Mr. Hirsh said. He said he is in talks with several major streaming services and if some of those deals come to fruition he would need to increase the company's animation staff by about 50% within a few months.

Unscripted programming'--reality TV and documentaries'--may fill the original content void after production resumes because it is often quicker to turn around. ''We are by nature the scrappiest people in the food chain of entertainment,'' Mr. Montgomery said.

Parents with children at home are spending $60 a month, on average, for streaming subscriptions'--well above the general population'--and have 3.8 services, compared with 1.7 for households with no children, according to the Journal-Harris Poll survey. A fifth of homes with children are watching more than four additional hours of streaming content a day. ''Parents have hired streaming services as nannies to keep their kids occupied,'' said John Gerzema, chief executive of the Harris Poll.

Adults working from home also are driving usage, with nearly two-fifths paying $100 or more a month, the survey found.

Ian Bass, 23, who lives in Dallas and will leave for Marines boot camp in coming weeks, said he didn't watch much TV before being forced to stay at home, but quickly found refuge in streaming. ''Disney+ is getting me through this time. I've been watching it a lot in the evenings,'' he said. Mr. Bass has been watching Marvel Studios movies in chronological order.

Roland Heusser, 30, a software engineer who's been working from home in Daly City, Calif., has been cycling through the Star Trek Voyager series on Netflix and said he's considering adding Disney+ to watch the Star Wars offshoot ''The Mandalorian.'' He enjoyed Apple TV +, but canceled his subscription earlier this year because there weren't enough shows.

One attraction of the streaming services is they will be home to some major movie releases that studios can't launch in theaters. But the new programming services still face unanticipated marketing challenges. Quibi, which was founded by Hollywood veteran Jeffrey Katzenberg and has raised $1.75 billion, billed itself as a service that could entertain on-the-go commuters or lunchtime viewers during their brief snatches of free time.

Now it is launching at a moment when millions of Americans are quarantined in their homes. Mr. Katzenberg said homebound Quibi viewers still have plenty of time between tasks.

''You've got kids, you're home schooling them, you're trying to keep them occupied and entertained and you're answering FaceTimes and emails and doing Zoom calls,'' Mr. Katzenberg said. ''But you absolutely have in-between times. Nobody can sit at a desk from eight in the morning until six in the evening.''

Quibi executives said the streaming service will be free for 90 days for early subscribers. In place of a planned splashy red carpet promotion featuring talent who made content for Quibi, including Chrissy Teigen, Chance the Rapper and Jennifer Lopez, executives organized a marketing campaign with social media posts from some of its biggest stars.

While most Americans are stuck at home in front of their TVs, many big events advertisers use to reach consumers have been canceled. HBO Max was planning to bombard the March Madness college basketball tournament with promotional spots.

''Suddenly there are no social and iconic events in society,'' said AT&T's Mr. Stankey.

For its part, ViacomCBS Inc. will strive to reposition its existing CBS All Access service into a broader offering with additional programming from its cable networks. The company is targeting 16 million subscribers by the end of the year.

NBCUniversal's Peacock was banking on the 2020 Summer Olympics in Japan to promote the service, but the games are being delayed until 2021. The virus is causing Peacock to rethink some of its strategy. News content was originally supposed to have a strong presence on the platform, but now executives are reassessing.

''People are turning to streaming services as a distraction or an escape'' from the virus, the NBCUniversal executive said.

Corrections & Amplifications An earlier version of this article misspelled Chrissy Teigen's surname. (April 11)

Link to Article

Archived Version

Sat, 11 Apr 2020 13:38

Need help? Contact us We've detected unusual activity from your computer networkTo continue, please click the box below to let us know you're not a robot.

Why did this happen?Please make sure your browser supports JavaScript and cookies and that you are not blocking them from loading. For more information you can review our Terms of Service and Cookie Policy.

Need Help?For inquiries related to this message please contact our support team and provide the reference ID below.

Block reference ID:

Link to Article

Archived Version

Sat, 11 Apr 2020 11:29

The House on Thursday voted to temporarily repeal much of the GOP tax law's cap on the state and local tax (SALT) deduction, a key priority for many Democrats.

The bill passed on a near party line vote of 218-206.

Republicans, though, got their own victory in the process when Democrats agreed to adopt their motion to amend, bringing changes to the legislation.

Five Republicans voted for the bill '-- Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick Brian K. FitzpatrickDemocrats bullish on bill to create women's history museum: 'It's an election year' This week: Trump's budget lands with a thud on Capitol Hill House approves pro-union labor bill MORE (Pa.), Peter King (N.Y.), John Katko John Michael KatkoDemocrats struggle to keep up with Trump messaging on coronavirus To fight the rising tide of hate in our country, we must stop bias-based bullying in the classroom Hillicon Valley: House passes key surveillance bill | Paul, Lee urge Trump to kill FISA deal | White House seeks help from tech in coronavirus fight | Dem urges Pence to counter virus misinformation MORE (N.Y.), Tom Reed Thomas (Tom) W. ReedHillicon Valley: Google bans Zoom from its work computers | Dem cautions White House against using surveillance to fight virus | Lawmakers push House leaders on remote voting Lawmakers outline proposals for virtual voting Infrastructure bill gains new steam as coronavirus worsens MORE (N.Y.), and Chris Smith Christopher (Chris) Henry SmithLawmakers propose waiving travel fees for coronavirus evacuations abroad Cheese, wine importers reeling from Trump trade fight House approves pro-union labor bill MORE (N.J.). Fitzpatrick, Katko and Reed voted for the GOP tax law.

Sixteen Democrats voted against the bill, including progressives such as Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Alexandria Ocasio-CortezThe Hill's Coronavirus Report: David Miliband says world won't be safe until poor nations get more aid; Cuomo rips WHO Trump jokes Fauci should run for Congress against AOC The Hill's Morning Report - Presented by Facebook - Small businesses, unemployed await Congress's next moves MORE (N.Y.) and Mark Pocan Mark William PocanHospitals face shortage of drugs for ventilators Work Share: How to help workers, businesses and states all at once Students with disabilities could lose with COVID-19 stimulus package MORE (Wis.), as well as vulnerable freshmen Democrats in Trump districts such as Reps. Kendra Horn Kendra Suzanne HornOvernight Energy: Iconic national parks close over coronavirus concerns | New EPA order limits telework post-pandemic | Lawmakers urge help for oil and gas workers Bipartisan lawmakers urge assistance for oil and gas workers Overnight Defense: Pentagon curtails more exercises over coronavirus | House passes Iran war powers measure | Rocket attack hits Iraqi base with US troops MORE (Okla.) and Ben McAdams (Utah).

The vote underscored how the SALT deduction cap is a tricky issue for Democrats. Lawmakers in high tax states '-- including many freshman Democrats who flipped Republican-held seats in 2018 '-- strongly oppose the cap. But analysts across the ideological spectrum, including at progressive think tanks, argue that repealing the SALT deduction cap would largely benefit high earners.

Shortly before the vote on the final passage of the bill, Democrats agreed to accept a Republican motion to recommit (MTR) '-- a procedural tool used by the minority to make eleventh-hour changes to a bill. It was adopted in an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 388-36.

The Republicans' motion would prevent the repeal of the SALT deduction cap from applying to taxpayers with income more than $100 million, and would also boost the size of an increase in deductions for educators' expenses and for first responders' expenses in the bill.

This was a rare instance of an MTR being successful, indicating that Democrats were struggling to get the votes to defeat it.

The change followed Democratic leadership holding an unexpected recess ahead of the vote due to concerns over the MTR, with the fate of the bill remaining uncertain just hours before its expected passage.

A senior Democratic aide said that Republicans' MTR "was an attempt to play games with teachers and first responders and we were not going to engage with that, so we accepted it."

"If they really wanted to improve this bill, they had every opportunity to do it when it was in committee or when it went through rules, but obviously no one opposes teachers or first responders," the aide said.

President Trump Donald John TrumpCalifornia governor praises Trump's efforts to help state amid coronavirus crisis Trump threatens to withhold visas for countries that don't quickly repatriate citizens Trump admin looks to cut farmworker pay to help industry during pandemic: report MORE 's 2017 tax-cut law, enacted two years ago this weekend, put a $10,000 limit on the SALT deduction. The cap is $10,000 for both single filers and married couples filing jointly.

The cap was included in order to raise revenue to pay for tax cuts elsewhere in the measure, and because Republicans wanted to put a limit on the tax code subsidizing high state taxes.

But Democrats from high-tax states such as New York, New Jersey, California and Illinois have strongly opposed the cap. They argue that the cap punishes their residents and will make it harder for their states to provide public services such as emergency services and education.

The bill restores ''the longstanding tax precedent that protects state and local governments' ability to raise revenue to fund these services,'' said Rep. Mike Thompson Charles (Mike) Michael ThompsonInsurance industry warns its companies not built withstand 'catastrophic and nearly universal' losses Pelosi digs in on impeachment rules fight House votes to temporarily repeal Trump SALT deduction cap MORE (D-Calif.), the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee's tax-policy subcommittee.

The bill would raise the cap to $20,000 for married couples for 2019, fixing the marriage penalty. It then would largely eliminate the cap for 2020 and 2021. It also would increase the amount of a deduction for educators' expenses and create a new deduction for first responders' expenses. As a result of the GOP motion, those educators and first responders would be able to deduct up to $1,000 of expenses, up from $500 in the earlier version of the bill.

To offset the cost of these changes, and to curb the benefits of the bill for high earners, the bill would raise the top individual tax rate from 37 percent to its pre-GOP tax law level of 39.6 percent. That change would take effect for 2020 through 2025, after which time nearly all of the 2017 law's tax changes for individuals, including the SALT deduction cap, expire.

House Democrats concerned about the SALT deduction cap have been working throughout the year to tackle the issue. Lawmakers formed a working group on the deduction in April, and the House Ways and Means Committee held hearings on the topic in June.

One group of lawmakers that the SALT deduction cap is particularly a priority for is freshman Democrats who flipped Republican seats. Those freshmen campaigned against the SALT deduction cap in 2018 when they defeated Republican incumbents or won open seats previously held by the GOP.

"I want to start by thanking my colleagues across the aisle for passing the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. My predecessor campaigned on it, and I wouldn't be here otherwise," said Rep. Sean Casten Sean CastenIllinois governor endorses Biden one day before primary House votes to temporarily repeal Trump SALT deduction cap Pelosi warns of 'existential' climate threat, vows bold action MORE (D-Ill.) on the House floor. In 2018, Casten defeated former Rep. Peter Roskam Peter James RoskamHouse votes to temporarily repeal Trump SALT deduction cap Feehery: How Republicans can win back the suburbs Ex-GOP Rep. Roskam joins lobbying firm MORE (R-Ill.), who was a key player in writing the GOP tax law.

The vote came one day after nearly every House Democrat voted to impeach Trump. It also came the same day as Democrats voted on Trump's trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, which like the SALT deduction cap was a priority for a number of freshman Democrats.

Some freshman lawmakers said that there has been work all year on the SALT issue and that a vote on the topic likely would have happened regardless of whether there was an impeachment vote. They see the vote as showing that they are taking action on an issue they said they would tackle while on the campaign trail.

''I think it should be pretty clear by now that the only House of Congress that has been holding the president accountable happens to also be the only House of Congress that's passing legislation,'' freshman Rep. Tom Malinowski Thomas (Tom) MalinowskiDemocrats eye remote voting options Hispanic Caucus campaign arm unveils non-Hispanic endorsements Safety in sick leave MORE (D-N.J.) told The Hill ahead of the House vote. Passing the SALT bill by the end of the year is ''one more in a long list of bills that respond to what middle-of-the-road voters in swing districts elected us to do,'' he added.

Dave Wasserman, House editor for the Cook Political Report, said that the vote on the SALT deduction cap ''shows Democrats are aware of the lessons from 2018, which is that health care and taxes drove support for Democrats, not impeachment.''

Wasserman said that the House seats that Democrats flipped in areas where the SALT deduction cap is a big issue '-- such as Orange County, Calif., and northern New Jersey '-- are not the seats Democrats are the most vulnerable of losing in 2020. But the SALT vote can give Democrats insurance against attacks that they were focused only on impeachment and not on their campaign promises.

While several House Republicans from high-tax states joined most Democrats in supporting the bill, most opposed the measure, arguing that the bill amounts to a tax cut for the rich. They also point out that most people even in high-tax states are getting a tax cut under the 2017 law.

''This bill is a tax cut for the wealthy and a green light for state and local politicians to raise taxes on local families even higher,'' said Rep. Kevin Brady Kevin Patrick BradyIG finds Treasury handled House request for Trump tax returns properly On The Money: Mnuchin, Schumer in talks to strike short-term relief deal | Small businesses struggling for loans | Treasury IG sends Dems report on handling of Trump tax returns EXCLUSIVE: Treasury IG sends report to House Dems on handling of Trump tax returns MORE (R-Texas), the top Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee. He cited criticisms of the bill from prominent liberal think tanks.

Rep. Lee Zeldin Lee ZeldinThe Hill's Coronavirus Report: Dybul interview; Boris Johnson update Sanders: 'Unfair to simply say everything is bad' in Cuba under Castro Trump allies blast Romney over impeachment vote: 'A sore loser' MORE (R-N.Y.), who voted against the GOP tax law because of concerns about the SALT deduction cap, said he couldn't support the bill in its current form because it would make a longer term increase in the top individual tax rate in exchange for a temporary repeal of the cap.

Thompson defended the bill, saying it ''isn't about cutting taxes for high earners. This bill is about tax fairness, ensuring that taxpayers are not double taxed by being required to pay federal income tax on earnings they pay in state and local taxes.''

The House's bill isn't expected to advance in the GOP-controlled Senate. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley Charles (Chuck) Ernest GrassleyIG finds Treasury handled House request for Trump tax returns properly Grassley joins Trump in blaming WHO for coronavirus lapses Senators urge Treasury to protect coronavirus checks from private debt collectors MORE (R-Iowa) indicated earlier this year that he's not planning to revisit the SALT deduction cap.

In October, Senate Democrats forced a vote on a measure to overturn regulations that blocked blue states' workarounds to the SALT deduction cap, but the resolution did not pass.

The White House has threatened to veto the bill, with the Office of Management and Budget saying that the legislation would ''unfairly force all Federal taxpayers to subsidize a tax break for the wealthy, as well as excessive government spending by fiscally irresponsible States."

Updated at 5:10 p.m.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Sat, 11 Apr 2020 09:53

As reported yesterday at The Gateway Pundit.

The government models used to predict the extent of the coronavirus pandemic are off by huge margins in the latest coronavirus tracking numbers.

The government predictions reported by the IHME Covid Tracking (https://covidtracking.com/data/ ) for Apr 5th were as follows:

'' All beds needed: 179,267'' ICU beds needed: 33,176'' Invasive ventilators: 26,544

TRENDING: Barack Obama Uses Coronavirus as Excuse to Push For 'Vote-by-Mail' in November

These numbers were posted on their website on Sunday.

Those were the predictions.

The actual numbers as recorded at The Covid Tracking Project:

'' Actual hospitalizations: 22,158'' In ICU: 5,207'' On ventilator: 656

The actual numbers show:Via Dr. Ned Nikolov.

'' Overestimation of hospitalizations: 8 times'' Overestimation of of ICU beds needed: 6.4 times'' Overestimation of ventilators needed: 40.5 times

Now this'...

After The Gateway Pundit reported on the hugely flawed hospitalization and ICU predictions on Monday the tracking website '-- ''The Covid Tracking Project'' '-- decided to remove ALL of their national hospitalization and ICU numbers.The COVID Tracking Twitter page announced the changes to their reporting on Monday night.

They are no longer releasing hospitalization numbers '-- It didn't fit their narrative.What frauds!

These people are really something else!

Link to Article

Archived Version

Sat, 11 Apr 2020 09:53

Our daily update is published. We've now tracked more than 1.9+ million tests, up 155k from yesterday. ~360k have been positive.Note that we can only track tests that a state reports. And not all states report all tests.For details, see:

covidtracking.com View details · Some unexpected numbers came from Indiana today. Despite only having ~5000 confirmed cases, the state said today it has 924 COVID patients in the ICU and 500 on ventilators. That's not too far from California's ICU count and closing in on Pennsylvania and Louisiana's vent usage.

View conversation · The nation passed 10,000 deaths today. New York stands at 4,758 deaths. New Jersey passed 1,000. 16 states have lost more than 100 people to COVID-19.

View conversation ·

Link to Article

Archived Version

Sat, 11 Apr 2020 07:45

Politics | Bannon's Work With Wanted Chinese Billionaire Began Shortly After He Left White HouseStephen K. Bannon, once President Trump's top political adviser, struck up a business relationship with a mysterious and wanted Chinese billionaire just after his White House job ended.

Stephen K. Bannon, President Trump's former chief strategist, right, and Guo Wengui last month at a news conference in New York. Credit... Carlo Allegri/Reuters Almost immediately after ending his White House employment, Stephen K. Bannon, the former chief strategist to President Trump, forged a lucrative financial relationship with a mysterious Chinese billionaire who was sought by Beijing for extradition from the United States.

China's government had already accused Guo Wengui, a real estate magnate also known as Miles Kwok, of money laundering, bribery and rape when he and Mr. Bannon developed a mutually beneficial relationship that began with a $150,000 loan to Mr. Trump's onetime confidant, according to a memo written in May 2019 and obtained by The New York Times.

It escalated to a yearlong million-dollar contract, for which Mr. Bannon promised to introduce executives of Guo Media to ''media personalities,'' according to the news outlet Axios.

Mr. Guo has denied accusations of lawbreaking and says Beijing's extradition request is retaliation for his outspoken criticism of Chinese corruption. He has forged relationships with China hard-liners like Mr. Bannon in the United States, has a membership to Mr. Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Fla., and is seeking asylum while in the United States staying at his palatial apartment overlooking Central Park.

Mr. Bannon, through a spokeswoman, declined to comment on his relationship with Mr. Guo. A spokesman for Mr. Guo and a person close to Mr. Bannon said the initial loan to Mr. Bannon related to a film project critical of the Chinese Communist Party. According to the memo, it was repaid last year by being taken out of a portion of Mr. Bannon's contract with Guo Media.

Aides to both men have described their relationship as grounded in a mutual disdain for the Chinese Communist Party.

The loan reveals a financial relationship that began when Mr. Guo's whereabouts was a focus of Chinese officials, who had put out notices for his arrest through Interpol.

Mr. Bannon, who left the White House in August 2017, has been focused on issues related to China for years, and Mr. Guo's conflict with the Chinese government was on his radar while he was working for Mr. Trump, according to a person close to him.

Daniel Podhaskie, an attorney for Mr. Guo, said Mr. Bannon and Mr. Guo first met in October 2017, after an appearance by Mr. Guo at the Hudson Institute, a conservative research organization, was canceled.

He said Mr. Guo then introduced Mr. Bannon to the media group associated with Mr. Guo. Mr. Podhaskie told Axios that Mr. Guo was ''merely the face'' of Guo Media.

Mr. Bannon is said to have finished his contract and is no longer being paid by Guo Media.

But Mr. Bannon broadcast a radio show critical of the Chinese Communist Party from Mr. Guo's apartment in Manhattan. The show does not air in the United States but has been broadcast into China, a person close to Mr. Bannon said.

That is in keeping with other projects that Mr. Bannon has taken on since his widely publicized falling out with Mr. Trump. Broadcasting from Washington, Mr. Bannon leads a radio show defending Mr. Trump in his impeachment battle called the ''War Room.''

He has also helped raise money to privately build part of the wall that Mr. Trump wants along the border with Mexico. And he has been working on the Tibetan independence movement and in support of Muslim Uighurs who face persecution in China.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Sat, 11 Apr 2020 07:03

Several 5G broadcasting masts across the Netherlands were damaged in what authorities have described as ''a worrying development.'' Similar acts of sabotage have previously been seen in the UK.

The Netherlands has experienced a string of arson attacks in the past fortnight, with the latest one happening on Friday in the northern city of Groningen, according to a report by newspaper De Telegraaf. The outlet cites Rob Bongelaar, director of the Monet Foundation, an industry group in charge of installing cellular broadcasting towers in the country.

Bongelaar believes that radical protesters opposing the roll-out of 5G technology were behind the attacks. A bold message that read ''F***k 5G'' was sprayed next to one of the burnt-out masts, he revealed.

The ultra-fast cellular connections ''are desperately needed for hospitals and nursing homes, for example, and then there are those who deliberately set radio masts on fire,'' he complained, adding that Dutch mobile service providers are still doing their utmost to keep their networks running ''in this difficult time.''

The acts of sabotage garnered the attention of the government's National Coordinator for Security and Counter-Terrorism (NCTV), which also believes that opposition to the 5G technology is a possible cause.

''This is a worrying development," the agency acknowledged. While anti-5G sentiment is ''not new,'' it has never before led to ''extremist protests such as sabotage and arson in recent days.''

As in some other European countries, Dutch activists seem to believe 5G antennas emit radiation, thus provoking incurable illnesses.

In nearby Britain, weird rumors and conspiracy theories have gained traction, with some insisting there is a link between the 5G rollout and the spread of Covid-19. The UK also experienced several attacks in late March, in which telecom masts were set alight.

Also on rt.com Swedish minister's 'Russian trolls' fanning 5G fears turn out to be'... anti-radiation activists led by local granny Like this story? Share it with a friend!

Link to Article

Archived Version

Sat, 11 Apr 2020 07:00

A woman who accused Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden of sexually assaulting her when she worked for him in 1993 has filed a formal criminal complaint with the Washington, DC, police about the alleged incident, Business Insider has learned.

Tara Reade says she told police that Biden assaulted her in a Senate corridor, shoving his hand under her skirt and penetrating her with his fingers. She was a staffer in his Senate office at the time. The statute of limitations for the alleged assault has passed.

Reade first made her allegations late last month, in a podcast interview, saying that Biden had assaulted her and touched her without consent while the two were alone after she delivered him a gym bag.

Late Thursday afternoon, Reade filed a report of the incident with the sexual assault unit of the Washington, DC, Metropolitan Police Department. Business Insider has obtained a public incident report recording the allegation.

When Reade first made the sexual assault allegation last month, Biden's team issued a blanket denial: "Women have a right to tell their story, and reporters have an obligation to rigorously vet those claims," Kate Bedingfield, Biden's communications director said. "We encourage them to do so, because these accusations are false."

SUBSCRIBE TO READ OUR STORY: Former staffer files criminal complaint against Joe Biden over 1993 sexual assault allegation.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Fri, 10 Apr 2020 19:38

Generic Name: BCG vaccine (BCG VAX een)Brand Name:

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com on Mar 16, 2020 '' Written by Cerner Multum

OverviewSide EffectsInteractionsBreastfeedingMore What is BCG vaccine?BCG vaccine is used to help prevent tuberculosis (TB) in adults and children who have never had this disease and test negative for tuberculosis. BCG vaccine is recommended if you live with or have close contact with someone who is infected with tuberculosis.

This vaccine helps your body develop immunity to the TB, but will not treat an active infection you already have.

Like any vaccine, the BCG vaccine vaccine may not provide protection from disease in every person.

BCG vaccine may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Important InformationYou should not receive this vaccine if you have a weak immune system caused by disease such as HIV or cancer, or by using steroids or receiving chemotherapy or radiation.

Before taking this medicineYou should not receive BCG vaccine if you are allergic to it, or if you have a weak immune system caused by:

HIV or AIDS;

leukemia, lymphoma, or other cancers;

chemotherapy or radiation; or

steroid medication.

You should not receive this vaccine if you are breast-feeding.

Tell your doctor if you have ever had:

a positive TB skin test; or

an inherited immune system problem (in you or a family member).

It is not known whether BCG vaccine will harm an unborn baby. However, this vaccine is not recommended for pregnant women.

How is BCG vaccine given?Before you receive BCG vaccine, your doctor will perform a skin test to make sure you do not have tuberculosis.

BCG vaccine is not given with a needle and syringe, as most other vaccines are. Instead, the BCG vaccine is a liquid placed directly onto the skin of your upper arm. Then a multi-pronged needle device is used to prick the skin through the liquid to deliver the vaccine into the shallow layers of skin. These needle sticks are not deep, but they will cause some soreness and minor bleeding.

You may have flu-like symptoms for up to 2 days after you receive BCG vaccine. Call your doctor at once if you have a fever of 103 degrees F or higher.

Within 10 to 14 days after receiving this vaccine, you should see small red bumps on your skin where the vaccine and needle device were placed. This red area will gradually grow larger after 4 to 6 weeks, and then scale and fade. After 6 months you will most likely have little to no scar.

BCG vaccine contains a live form of tuberculosis bacteria, which can "shed" from your injection site. This means that for a short time after you receive the vaccine, your vaccination sore will be contagious and could spread the bacteria to anything or anyone who touches it.

Keep your vaccination sore loosely covered with clothing or a light gauze dressing for at least 24 hours.

Tell your doctor if you have any unexpected skin changes or severe irritation, lesions, or oozing where the needle sticks were placed. These reactions could occur up to 5 months after you received BCG vaccine.

You will need another TB skin test 2 to 3 months after you received the BCG vaccine.

What happens if I miss a dose?This vaccine is usually given as a single dose. You may need a repeat vaccine if your TB skin test is still negative 2 to 3 months after you received your first BCG vaccine.

What happens if I overdose?Since this vaccine is given by a healthcare professional, an overdose is unlikely to occur.

What should I avoid after receiving BCG vaccine?Avoid touching your vaccination sore for at least 24 hours.

BCG vaccine side effectsGet emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have:

drainage, ulcers, or other unexpected skin changes where the injection was given;

severe skin swelling that lasts longer than 2 or 3 days;

a high fever (103 degrees F or higher);

loss of appetite, weight loss;

extreme tiredness; or

bone pain in your legs.

Some side effects may occur up to 5 months after you receive BCG vaccine. These side effects may also last for several weeks.

Common side effects may include:

mild fever or flu-like symptoms;

muscle aches;

swollen glands in your neck or underarms; or

tenderness or small bumps on your skin where the medicine was injected.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What other drugs will affect BCG vaccine?Before receiving this vaccine, tell the doctor about all other vaccines you have received in the past 30 days.

Tell your doctor about all medicines you use, especially:

an antibiotic; or

drugs that weaken the immune system such as cancer medicine, steroids, and medicines to prevent organ transplant rejection.

This list is not complete. Other drugs may affect BCG vaccine, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible drug interactions are listed here.

Further informationRemember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.

Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.

Copyright 1996-2018 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version: 1.03.

Related questionsDoes the BCG vaccine for TB help with COVID-19 (coronavirus)?Medical Disclaimer

Link to Article

Archived Version

Fri, 10 Apr 2020 17:44

''¸ Martin Nuver - 112groningen.nl

Bij antennes in Liessel, Beesd, Rotterdam en Nuenen is de bekabeling door het vuur zwaar beschadigd, zegt directeur Rob Bongelaar van Monet, dat namens de mobiele netwerkoperators KPN, T-Mobile en VodafoneZiggo de plaatsing van antennes afstemt met overheden. Vrijdagavond was er een incident aan de Koningsweg in Groningen, waarvoor een Burgernetmelding uitging. Mogelijk gaat het weer om brandstichting.

'žDe operators doen ongelooflijk hun best in deze moeilijke tijd de mobiele netwerken draaiende te houden'', zegt Monetdirecteur Bongelaar. 'žDe beschikbaarheid van een betrouwbare digitale infrastructuur is van essentieel belang. De verbindingen zijn hard nodig voor bijvoorbeeld ziekenhuizen en verzorgingstehuizen en dan zijn er mensen die moedwillig zendmasten in de fik steken. Onbegrijpelijk en onacceptabel.''

De antenneguerrilla heeft te maken met zorgen over 5G. Volgens Bongelaar was bij (C)(C)n van de brandstichtingen de tekst 'Fuck 5G' op de zendkast geschreven. In januari protesteerden zo'n honderd mensen op de Dam in Amsterdam tegen het nieuwe 5G-netwerk. De actievoerders beweren dat de straling van antennes slecht is voor de gezondheid, een gedachte die ook bij een groep wetenschappers leeft op basis van wetenschappelijk onderzoek naar andere stralingsvormen. Afgelopen maand kreeg het Europees Parlement nog een kritisch adviesrapport. Eerder zei de Utrechtse hoogleraar Hans Kromhout, tevens voorzitter van de Gezondheidsraadcommissie EMV, tegen De Telegraaf dat de risico-inschatting van straling in Nederland tekortschiet.

Archieffoto van een 5G-antenne.

''¸ Hollandse Hoogte / AFP

Die vrees voor stralingsgevaar lijkt nu uit te monden in militante acties. Monet-directeur Bongelaar dacht bij de eerste brandstichting nog aan een incident. 'žMaar nu is het al vier keer gebeurd en dan ga je toch denken dat het geen toeval is. Ik spreek verder geen vermoedens uit, maar hoop wel dat de politie kan achterhalen wie hier achter zitten.''

NCTV: dit zijn extremistische protestactiesBongelaar spreekt van schade die in de tienduizenden euro's kan lopen. Erger is dat zendmasten door de brandstichting tijdelijk kunnen uitvallen en er geen mobiel bereik is, zegt hij. 'žIn een straal van 5 kilometer is er dan even geen dekking en dat kan uren duren. Als 112 tijdelijk niet bereikbaar is in een regio, kan dat grote gevolgen hebben.''

De Nationaal Co¶rdinator Terrorismebestrijding en Veiligheid (NCTV) noemt de sabotage en brandstichting van zendmasten in een reactie een 'žzorgelijke ontwikkeling'', vooral vanwege de eventuele impact. 'žDe uitval van zendmasten kan gevolgen hebben voor de dekking van het telefoonnetwerk en daarmee de bereikbaarheid van hulpdiensten'', meldt de NCTV op zijn website.

De nationaal co¶rdinator stelde vorig jaar al vast dat er groeiend protest is tegen zendmasten vanwege de uitrol van het 5G-newerk. 'žVeelal in de vorm van demonstraties, maar het heeft nog niet eerder geleid tot extremistische protestacties zoals de sabotage en brandstichting van afgelopen dagen.''

Iedere middag de belangrijkste corona-updates en het laatste nieuws in je inbox.Ongeldig e-mailadres. Vul nogmaals in aub.

Uitschrijven kan met 1 klik

Link to Article

Archived Version

Fri, 10 Apr 2020 16:56

Apple and Google announced a system for tracking the spread of the new coronavirus, allowing users to share data through Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) transmissions and approved apps from health organizations.

The new system, which is laid out in a series of documents and white papers, would use short-range Bluetooth communications to establish a voluntary contact-tracing network, keeping extensive data on phones that have been in close proximity with each other. Official apps from public health authorities will get access to this data, and users who download them can report if they've been diagnosed with COVID-19. The system will also alert people who download them to whether they were in close contact with an infected person.

Apple and Google will introduce a pair of iOS and Android APIs in mid-May and make sure these health authorities' apps can implement them. During this phase, users will still have to download an app to participate in contact-tracing, which could limit adoption. But in the months after the API is complete, the companies will work on building tracing functionality into the underlying operating system, as an option immediately available to everyone with an iOS or Android phone.

Apple/Google Contact tracing '-- which involves figuring out who an infected person has been in contact with and trying to prevent them from infecting others '-- is one of the most promising solutions for containing COVID-19, but using digital surveillance technology to do it raises massive privacy concerns and questions about effectiveness. Earlier this week, the American Civil Liberties Union raised concerns about tracking users with phone data, arguing that any system would need to be limited in scope and avoid compromising user privacy.

Unlike some other methods '-- like, say, using GPS data '-- this Bluetooth plan wouldn't track people's physical location. It would basically pick up the signals of nearby phones at 5-minute intervals and store the connections between them in a database. If one person tests positive for the novel coronavirus, they could tell the app they've been infected, and it could notify other people whose phones passed within close range in the preceding days.

To help public health officials slow the spread of #COVID19, Google & @Apple are working on a contact tracing approach designed with strong controls and protections for user privacy. @tim_cook and I are committed to working together on these efforts.https://t.co/T0j88YBcFu

'-- Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) April 10, 2020The system also takes a number of steps to prevent people from being identified, even after they've shared their data. While the app regularly sends information out over Bluetooth, it broadcasts an anonymous key rather than a static identity, and those keys cycle every 15 minutes to preserve privacy. Even once a person shares that they've been infected, the app will only share keys from the specific period in which they were contagious.

Crucially, there is no centrally accessible master list of which phones have matched, contagious or otherwise. That's because the phones themselves are performing the cryptographic calculations required to protect privacy. The central servers only maintain the database of shared keys, rather than the interactions between those keys.

Contact tracing can help slow the spread of COVID-19 and can be done without compromising user privacy. We're working with @sundarpichai & @Google to help health officials harness Bluetooth technology in a way that also respects transparency & consent. https://t.co/94XlbmaGZV

'-- Tim Cook (@tim_cook) April 10, 2020The method still has potential weaknesses. In crowded areas, it could flag people in adjacent rooms who aren't actually sharing space with the user, making people worry unnecessarily. It may also not capture the nuance of how long someone was exposed '-- working next to an infected person all day, for example, will expose you to a much greater viral load than walking by them on the street. And it depends on people having apps in the short term and up-to-date smartphones in the long term, which could mean it's less effective in areas with lower connectivity.

It's also a relatively new program, and Apple and Google are still talking to public health authorities and other stakeholders about how to run it. This system probably can't replace old-fashioned methods of contact tracing '-- which involve interviewing infected people about where they've been and who they've spent time with '-- but it could offer a high-tech supplement using a device that billions of people already own.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Fri, 10 Apr 2020 12:02

The goals within a goal: Health targets for SDG 33.1 By 2030, reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100 000 live births.

3.2 By 2030, end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age, with all countries aiming to reduce neonatal mortality to at least as low as 12 per 1000 live births and under-5 mortality to at least as low as 25 per 1000 live births.

3.3 By 2030, end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases.

3.4 By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.

3.5 Strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including narcotic drug abuse and harmful use of alcohol.

3.6 By 2020, halve the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents.

3.7 By 2030, ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programmes.

3.8 Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all.

3.9 By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination.

3.a Strengthen the implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in all countries, as appropriate.

3.b Support the research and development of vaccines and medicines for the communicable and non-communicable diseases that primarily affect developing countries, provide access to affordable essential medicines and vaccines, in accordance with the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health, which affirms the right of developing countries to use to the full the provisions in the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights regarding flexibilities to protect public health, and, in particular, provide access to medicines for all.

3.c Substantially increase health financing and the recruitment, development, training and retention of the health workforce in developing countries, especially in least developed countries and small island developing States.

3.d Strengthen the capacity of all countries, in particular developing countries, for early warning, risk reduction and management of national and global health risks.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Fri, 10 Apr 2020 05:45

Ivanka Trump listens as President Donald Trump speaks during a conference call with banks on efforts to help small businesses during the coronavirus pandemic, at the White House, Tuesday, April 7, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

OAN NewsroomUPDATED 2:00 PM PT '-- Wednesday, April 8, 2020Ivanka Trump has thanked the nation's biggest banks for agreeing to help out small businesses. They will be providing over $1 billion in payroll funding to keep workers employed amid the pandemic.

Ivanka, who has been appointed as the president's job czar, offered praise to financial giants like Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, Chase, Citibank and Wells Fargo this week for supplementing programs like the Paycheck Protection Program.

The first daughter has partnered with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on these efforts. The move included private loans and forgiveness programs, which stemmed from Ivanka's national jobs initiative, 'Pledge to America's Workers.'

''When we began making phone calls a couple of weeks ago to each of you, some of the largest lenders in the country,'...we asked you to provide private sector driven relief to our incredible small businesses. You've answered that call. Among the things we've discussed and that you'll announce today include policies that will offer debt relief to your clients and customers, payment deferrals, loan modifications, and outright hardship relief.'' '' Ivanka Trump, Senior White House Adviser

According to reports, we can expect Ivanka Trump to be taking larger role in helping craft new congressional stimulus legislation for small businesses in the coming weeks.

MORE NEWS: Gov. Newsom: Calif. Set To Receive 200M Masks A Month From A New Contract Deal

President Donald Trump listens as Ivanka Trump speaks during a conference call with banks on efforts to help small businesses during the coronavirus pandemic, at the White House, Tuesday, April 7, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Link to Article

Archived Version

Fri, 10 Apr 2020 05:42

Far-left CBS has been caught broadcasting misleading hospital footage for a second time during the coronavirus pandemic.

About two weeks ago, on March 22, CBS News used deceptively-edited footage the first time. Breitbart News reported then that ''Far-left CBS News was caught red-handed using chaotic footage from an Italian hospital in a story about New York City hospitals.''

''It was an editing mistake. We took immediate steps to remove it from all platforms and shows,'' CBS News explained unconvincingly at the time.

The establishment media's coronavirus agenda is as sociopathic as it is obvious: up the death count. Why else would the media be actively looking to discourage those suffering from the Chinese virus from taking perfectly safe (as long as it's in consultation with a doctor) anti-malaria drugs?

Simply put, the more Americans who die, the more it hurts President Trump's 2020 reelection chances. And one way to mislead the American people into believing the death count is unnecessarily high is to air chaotic hospital footage from Italy '-- a country with socialized medicine, by the way '-- and tell us this is an American hospital.

In the case of the first CBS fake news broadcast, the Italian footage was used to exaggerate and misrepresent a New York hospital.

Over the weekend, CBS News again used this video to mislead its viewers, this time while talking about a Philadelphia hospital:

After @CBSNews was called out for airing footage of a hospital in Italy and saying it was New York, they apologized and said it was an error.

Less than a week later, they aired the same footage, this time when talking about Pennsylvania.

(h/t @lieggiji) pic.twitter.com/omTu6twgPm

'-- ALX 🇺🇸 (@alx) April 8, 2020

As I mentioned in my earlier piece the first time CBS intentionally misled its viewers with this footage:

Am I the only one who's noticed how these so-called ''mistakes'' only ever fall in one direction?

'...

Am I saying the media are hoping for death and chaos? Am I saying the media care more about beating Trump in 2020 than they do American lives? You're goddamned right that what's I'm saying.

And that's why these mistakes only ever fall one way: in favor of the fake news media's anti-Trump agenda.

Has the media ever made a mistake in Trump's favor?

No. But you already knew that.

Look at the legion of coronavirus lies we have already caught the establishment media spreading, and now we're supposed to believe this was just '-- oopsies! '-- an editing error.

What's more, and let's never forget this'... CBS was also caught lying when it spread the fake news that Trump told those suffering from the coronavirus to go to work.

After CBS was busted using this footage the first time, CBS said it ''took immediate steps to remove [the clip] from all platforms and shows.''

Well, obviously CBS didn't.

But here's the thing'...

Ask yourself this'... Why is CBS News forced to use another country's B-roll to try to fool the American people into believing things are worse than they are?

The asking of the question answers the question'... because CBS cannot get its hands on legitimate footage of U.S. hospital chaos.

And don't for a minute believe that's due to a lack of trying.

But as we have seen over the past few weeks, although things are bad, they are nowhere near as bad as the media hoped. Everyone who has so far needed a ventilator has gotten one. Nearby hospitals have been able to handle any overflow, so our hospitals are not overwhelmed, not even in New York, and coronavirus patients are not stacked one upon the other.

But just don't call CBS News the enemy of the people. That would be wrong.

Follow John Nolte on Twitter @NolteNC. Follow his Facebook Page here.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Sun, 12 Apr 2020 07:34

Link to Article

Archived Version

Sun, 12 Apr 2020 06:00

Link to Article

Archived Version

Sun, 12 Apr 2020 05:57

Generic Drugs - Down the rabbit hole

Link to Article

Archived Version

Sun, 12 Apr 2020 05:55

In this episode, Katherine Eban, investigative journalist and author of Bottle of Lies , illuminates the prevalence of fraud in generic drug manufacturing which brings into question the idea that generics are identical to brand-name drug as we are lead to believe. Katherine walks us through how this widespread corruption came to be, including the shocking story of one particularly egregious (and unfortunately not uncommon) example of an Indian drug company, Ranbaxy, whose business model was completely dependent on falsifying data in their drug applications to the FDA. We then discuss the subsequent investigation into Indian and Chinese drug manufacturing plants which revealed that nearly 80% of them are tainted with fraud. We conclude this discussion on a positive note with i) how individuals can investigate their own drugs to protect themselves ii) an innovative pharmacy attempting to disrupt the market and iii) some ideas on how to reform to the regulations around generic drugs, the FDA, and more.

Subscribe on: APPLE PODCASTS | RSS | GOOGLE | OVERCAST | STITCHER

We discuss: How Peter found Katherine's book, and what convinced her to investigate the generic drug industry [5:45]; Branded vs. generic drugs: Why they aren't the same thing [11:15]; The Food and Drug Administration: Why it was originally created and what it does today [20:45]; How the generic drug industry really got its start in the U.S., and the flaw of the Hatch-Waxman Act [28:20]; PEPFAR: How a well-intentioned plan to help Africa with the AIDS epidemic laid the groundwork for corruption [36:30]; The story of Ranbaxy: An Indian drug company whose business model was fraud and deceit [40:45]; How the FDA approves drugs, the impact of ''first to file'', and Peter's tangent on moral corruption [47:30]; A booming generic drug market and the FDA struggling to keep up [57:15]; Dinesh's internal investigation finds widespread fraud and falsified data inside Ranbaxy [1:00:15]; Presenting the famous SAR document to Ranbaxy's board of directors which spells out the company-wide fraud [1:09:15]; Dinesh blows the whistle on Ranbaxy which leads to a raid on their US plant [1:19:45]; Formal investigation of Ranbaxy is launched, but the FDA keeps approving Ranbaxy drug applications [1:33:30]; What role does the culture in India play in the high prevalence of fraud in the drug industry? [1:41:00]; The extreme prevalence of data fraud/manipulation in foreign generic drug factories [1:52:30]; Concluding the Ranbaxy story [2:06:15]; How concerned should you be when buying a generic drug from your local pharmacy? [2:11:15]; How to investigate your own drugs for quality to ensure you are getting what you need [2:18:30]; An innovative pharmacy that tests all its drugs for quality [2:24:45]; Reforming the FDA and generic drug industry: Why we need reform and ideas on how to do it [2:27:45]; The importance of taking individual ownership and not waiting for Congress to bail us out [2:34:00]; Closing thoughts from Katherine [2:36:50]; and More. §

Sign up to receive Peter's expertise in your inboxSign up to receive the 5 tactics in my Longevity Toolkit, followed by non-lame, weekly emails on the latest strategies and tactics for increasing your lifespan, healthspan, and well-being (plus new podcast announcements). How Peter found Katherine's book, and what convinced her to investigate the generic drug industry [5:45] How did Peter come upon Katherine's work?

Sam Harris recommended Katherine's book, Bottle of Lies, to Peter Sam found the content infuriating which got Peter intrigued (since he views Sam as someone who never gets mad) Katherine's book: Bottle of Lies: The Inside Story of the Generic Drug Boom

Figure 1. Cover of Bottle of Lies by Katherine Eban. Image credit: katherineeban.com

What got her into the topic of generic drug manufacturing?

'' Before I started with this project, I thought about generics the way I think most people do, which is we need them, they're affordable, nobody can afford their brand name drugs and they're sort of an engine that makes government health programs run. '' In 2008, however, Katherine got a call from Joe Graydon (runs an NPR podcast called The People's Pharmacy ) He informed her that he had been getting sent a ton of messages from listeners who were complaining about side effects from their generic drugs and/or that they weren't working the same way that their brand name drugs had been Joe took the complaints to the FDA who shrugged it off as all in the patients heads since the drugs had a different name and color, ''but the drugs are fine.'' What made Katherine think there was something to this situation that made her want to dig into it?

As an experienced investigative journalist, Katherine said you develop a sense, a ''tingle'', when something seems like a legitimate issue Branded vs. generic drugs: Why they aren't the same thing [11:15] Analogy : Kleenex (brand) vs. facial tissue paper (generic)

* Misconception about generic drugs : Most people believe (because the FDA told them so) that generic drugs are identical to the brand name (just at a lower price point)

How to generics come to be?

-A generic is a version of a brand name drug that is made either after a brand name drug has

gone off patent so it's no longer legally protected, or if the generic company has successfully challenged the brand patent in court and then the FDA gives them permission to make a generic But is it identical?

No In fact, if you make two batches of drugs in the same manufacturing plant using the same ingredients, those two batches will be a little bit different Steps to making a generic (and why it can be different from the brand name) :

A drug company has reverse engineered the brand drug So they have broken it down in a lab tried to figure out how to put it together maybe with a different set of manufacturing steps They have then concocted the drug However, they might have used additional ingredients as long as the central molecule which has already been tested for safety and efficacy is present Then they have to present data to the FDA The FDA recognizes there's going to be differences, so they've provided a range The range is measured in terms of the absorption of the drug into the blood The generic drug company has to present data to the FDA showing through their testing that they've hit within that range And if so, the drug is considered bioequivalent But wait'...why do the generic companies have to reverse engineer the drugs? Don't they get the blueprint once the patent expires?

Turns out'... {end of show notes preview}

Would you like access to extensive show notes and references for this podcast (and more)?Check out this post to see an example of what the substantial show notes look like. Become a member today to get access.

Become a Member

Katherine Eban Katherine Eban, an investigative journalist, is a Fortune magazine contributor and Andrew Carnegie fellow. Her articles on pharmaceutical counterfeiting, gun trafficking, and coercive interrogations by the CIA, have won international attention and numerous awards. She has also written for Vanity Fair, the New York Times, Self, The Nation, the New York Observer and other publications. Her work has been featured on 60 Minutes, Nightline, NPR, and other national news programs. She lectures frequently on the topic of pharmaceutical integrity.

Her first book, Dangerous Doses: a True Story of Cops, Counterfeiters and the Contamination of America's Drug Supply, was named one of the Best Books of 2005 by Kirkus Reviews and was a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers pick. Her account of reporting on 9/11 was anthologized in At Ground Zero: 25 Stories From Young Reporters Who Were There. Her work has also been awarded grants from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Fund for Investigative Journalism, the Alicia Patterson Foundation and the McGraw Center for Business Journalism at CUNY's Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism. Educated at Brown University and Oxford, where she was a Rhodes Scholar, she lives in Brooklyn with her husband, two daughters and Newfoundland dog Romeo. [katherineeban.com]

Link to Article

Archived Version

Sun, 12 Apr 2020 03:12

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a member of the White House coronavirus task force, said the nation could return to a "degree of normality" by fall.

The physician and immunologist made the comments on MSNBC's The 11th Hour on Friday evening.

Asked by host Brian Williams if by November voters will be able to participate in the upcoming presidential election, Fauci said that while this was not his area of expertise, "I would hope that by November we would have things under such control that we could have a real degree of normality."

Fauci made the forecast as the country continues to lead the world in reported COVID-19 cases, with more than half a million, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic started in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year, more than 18,000 people have died in the U.S. of the disease caused by the new coronavirus. In the past 24 hours, the U.S. became the first country to report more than 2,000 COVID-19 deaths in a day.

Worldwide, more than 1.6 million people have been diagnosed with COVID-19, almost 103,000 people have died, and more than 377,040 are known to have recovered. As shown in the Statista map below, the coronavirus has reached every continent except Antarctica.

A graphic provided by Statista shows the global spread of the new coronavirus as of early April 9. More than 1.5 million people have been afflicted, over 346,000 of whom have recovered and over 93,000 of whom have died. StatistaIn hard-hit New York, more people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 than any country outside the U.S. Attempting to temper the tragic figures with a glimmer of hope, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo told his daily press briefing on Friday that following a record high on Wednesday, 22 fewer people died on Thursday at 777.

"The leveling off of the number of lives lost is [a] somewhat hopeful sign," he said.

Earlier in the week, the governor said it appeared measures taken to tackle COVID-19 were "flattening the curve so far," but warned letting up would risk seeing figures worsen again.

On Friday, Cuomo said there was a "dramatic decline" in the three-day average of hospitalizations, although the change was not down relative to Thursday. ICU admissions were down "for the first time since we started this intense journey," he said.

That day, President Donald Trump told a White House coronavirus press briefing that deciding how and when to re-open the economy would be one of the hardest he's made.

"I don't know that I've had a bigger decision. But I'm going to surround myself with the greatest minds. Not only the greatest minds, but the greatest minds in numerous different businesses, including the business of politics and reason," Trump said.

"And we're going to make a decision, and hopefully it's going to be the right decision."

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Advice on Using Face Coverings to Slow Spread of COVID-19 CDC recommends wearing a cloth face covering in public where social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.A simple cloth face covering can help slow the spread of the virus by those infected and by those who do not exhibit symptoms.Cloth face coverings can be fashioned from household items. Guides are offered by the CDC. ( https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html )Cloth face coverings should be washed regularly. A washing machine will suffice.Practice safe removal of face coverings by not touching eyes, nose, and mouth, and wash hands immediately after removing the covering.World Health Organization advice for avoiding spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Hygiene advice

Clean hands frequently with soap and water, or alcohol-based hand rub.Wash hands after coughing or sneezing; when caring for the sick; before, during and after food preparation; before eating; after using the toilet; when hands are visibly dirty; and after handling animals or waste.Maintain at least 1 meter (3 feet) distance from anyone who is coughing or sneezing.Avoid touching your hands, nose and mouth. Do not spit in public.Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or bent elbow when coughing or sneezing. Discard the tissue immediately and clean your hands.Medical advice

Avoid close contact with others if you have any symptoms.Stay at home if you feel unwell, even with mild symptoms such as headache and runny nose, to avoid potential spread of the disease to medical facilities and other people.If you develop serious symptoms (fever, cough, difficulty breathing) seek medical care early and contact local health authorities in advance.Note any recent contact with others and travel details to provide to authorities who can trace and prevent spread of the disease.Stay up to date on COVID-19 developments issued by health authorities and follow their guidance. Mask and glove usage

Healthy individuals only need to wear a mask if taking care of a sick person.Wear a mask if you are coughing or sneezing.Masks are effective when used in combination with frequent hand cleaning.Do not touch the mask while wearing it. Clean hands if you touch the mask.Learn how to properly put on, remove and dispose of masks. Clean hands after disposing of the mask.Do not reuse single-use masks.Regularly washing bare hands is more effective against catching COVID-19 than wearing rubber gloves. The COVID-19 virus can still be picked up on rubber gloves and transmitted by touching your face.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Sun, 12 Apr 2020 03:11

Language & region English (United States)

Link to Article

Archived Version

Sat, 11 Apr 2020 22:27

ðŸ"

@BillGates explaining the risk profile of the get out of jail card he's developing: one size fits all vaccine for everyone on the planet. He doesn't want it to have side effects but because of human variables as such, he'll need to be indemnified 🤷''¸ Meaning you can't sue him.

pic.twitter.com/DOOnXbg179

Link to Article

Archived Version

Sat, 11 Apr 2020 13:26

Medical professionals work at a drive-thru coronavirus testing site run by George Washington University Hospital in Washington, DC. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

With more confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. everyday, what exactly will it take to reopen the economy?

A new report from the American Enterprise Institute provides a roadmap for navigating the pandemic, starting with a major increase in resources for hospital and public health operations. Co-author Dr. Caitlin Rivers, an epidemiologist at John Hopkins University, spoke with ''Marketplace'' host Kai Ryssdal about the public health standards that must be in place before we can lift social distancing.

''Getting people back to work to bring a paycheck home and earn a living is also very important to health and well-being; it's not just about the virus,'' Rivers said. ''But then again, this is a pandemic that we've never seen before in modern times. So we do need to lead with public health.''

If you're a member of your local public radio station, we thank you '-- because your support helps those stations keep programs like Marketplace on the air. But for Marketplace to continue to grow, we need additional investment from those who care most about what we do: superfans like you.

Your donation '-- as little as $5 '-- helps us create more content that matters to you and your community, and to reach more people where they are '' whether that's radio, podcasts or online.

When you contribute directly to Marketplace, you become a partner in that mission: someone who understands that when we all get smarter, everybody wins.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Sat, 11 Apr 2020 12:57

You are not permitted to download, save or email this image. Visit image gallery to purchase the image.

NewsGlobal InsightWatch full video below

A call for a temporary one world government to tackle Covid-19 makes sense, Professor Robert Patman says.

The University of Otago international relations specialist says the call by former United Kingdom prime minister Gordon Brown cuts across the populist message that states can go it alone.

"Governments have to accept that this is a global emergency. And that a global challenge, like Covid-19, requires by definition a global response," Professor Patman told Global Insight.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Sat, 11 Apr 2020 12:50

Link to Article

Archived Version

Sat, 11 Apr 2020 12:48

Link to Article

Archived Version

Sat, 11 Apr 2020 12:17

Link to Article

Archived Version

Sat, 11 Apr 2020 12:06

Link to Article

Archived Version

Sat, 11 Apr 2020 12:03

Posted: Thu 10:28 PM, Apr 09, 2020 &nbsp|&nbsp

Updated: Thu 10:49 PM, Apr 09, 2020

LOMA, Colo. (KKCO) -- The governor of Utah has announced that out-of-state travelers will now have to sign a declaration upon entering the state. One of the checkpoints is at the I-70 Colorado-Utah border.

Utah's governor announced that anyone over 18-years-old traveling to Utah will have to complete a travel declaration starting April 10. The declaration will include questions about whether they've been tested, have symptoms and where they have recently traveled. Drivers will receive a text message through the state emergency system upon entering the state with a link to a declaration form.

If Easter travels have you visiting Utah, you can expect something a little different.

"We're asking everybody; visitors, residents and people that work in the state to fill out the online form," said Utah Department of Transportation's John Gleason.

Those that enter Utah will receive an alert.

"What happens is when they come in from Colorado, they are going to receive a text that asks them to fill out an online form within three hours of a stop," Gleason said.

This in an effort to track and prevent the spread of coronavirus. Even ahead of the holiday weekend, it is unknown how many people will be crossing state lines.

(john gleason) "Easter weekend is generally one of those weekends where we would see a lot of travel," said Gleason. "I guess that remains to be seen with the current situation on our roads right now. On any given day, we are seeing a 30-50% traffic reduction on all of our major routes."

The online declarations will go on as long as it's needed.

"We just want to make sure we are being welcoming to visitors," Gleason said. "That's still the case. We just really want to make sure we are using every tool available to help stop the spread of this virus."

Link to Article

Archived Version

Sat, 11 Apr 2020 09:49

After a serious Friday segment on the coronavirus pandemic, Dr. Anthony Fauci had to laugh when he was asked by CNN's Alisyn Camerota who he would like to play him when Saturday Night Live returns this weekend.

At first, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said he hoped he was not a character on the show, but when pressed a tad and given some options, it was clear who he wanted.

"Oh, Brad Pitt, of course," he said with a chuckle. Another actor who has been floated as a possible SNL Fauci is Ben Stiller, Camerota noted.

Dr. Fauci has become a household name for his matter-of-fact delivery of information during White House press conferences amid the pandemic.

News that SNL would return broke Thursday; the plan being a special remote episode.

Saturday's episode, which will air at 11:30 p.m. ET/PT, will include the popular "Weekend Update" segment as well as other original content from SNL castmembers. There will not be a host.

It is unclear if SNL will return on a regular weekly basis or if the special is a stand-alone test of sorts.

Watch the entire CNN segment below.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Sat, 11 Apr 2020 09:45

Monday on ABC's ''The View,'' co-host and network legal analyst Sunny Hostin accused President Donald Trump of ''endangering American lives'' with ''misinformation'' during the administration's press conferences on the coronavirus pandemic.

Hostin said, ''I just don't even think that certain networks should even air these press conferences. I think they are akin to Trump's rallies. I think they're dangerous for the American Public. I mean, I almost think that you listen to them at your own peril.''

She continued, ''You know, February 26th, you have Donald Trump saying, there were 15 cases of coronavirus in the United States, known cases because there wasn't a lot of testing. He was saying things like, you know, we're going to get control of this, and it will be down to zero. As of today, we have about almost 10,000 deaths in the United States. We have 338,000 cases, known cases because, again, there isn't enough testing. So the fact that people are tuning in at 7:00 p.m. on a Sunday night and listening to all of this misinformation, I think, is endangering American lives.''

She added, ''I don't even know at this point why people are tuning in and why networks are broadcasting it. I think you don't tune in. Networks don't broadcast it, and then on the back end, you only listen to people like Dr. Fauci, perhaps like Sanjay Gupta, but you don't listen to them in realtime because I think people's lives are at stake.''

Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN

Link to Article

Archived Version

Sat, 11 Apr 2020 09:44

Tuesday on MSNBC's ''Deadline,'' former FBI official and MSNBC national security contributor Frank Figliuzzi accused President Donald Trump of ''exploiting'' the coronavirus pandemic.

He claimed Trump was working ''to dismantle the rule of law and the Constitution.''

When asked about Trump removing the inspector general who was to oversee stimulus spending, Figliuzzi said, ''Here we have a president who is exploiting a national crisis to move forward his own agenda, his own revenge, his own profit. It's the very concept of what an inspector general stands for, Nicolle, that is anathema, it's diametrically opposed to everything that this president stands for. What do I mean by that? IG's stand for unvarnished truth, reporting the facts, crunching the numbers, the rule of law and compliance. That's what they do for a living, and it just rubs Trump the wrong way that someone is going to get the truth out.''

He continued, ''He doesn't want to hear the truth. Not only do we have to fight this virus to save these lives, we have to fight it, we got to save this democracy. This president is exploiting a virus to dismantle the rule of law and the Constitution.''

He added, ''He sees the truth as an adversary. Those who represent the truth and advocate for rule of law and compliance are simply not compatible with his administration. So he found a way to start doing it. I predict, I hope I'm wrong, but we might even see pardons come next. As the death toll mounts in a national healthcare crisis, we are seeing him slip in anything that advances his agenda. If he thinks the American people are not going to remember this, if he thinks that the military sailors on that ship with Captain Crozier are going to forget that their captain was removed for fighting for them, if he thinks the healthcare workers are going to forget that they don't have PPE that they are put their lives on the line every day, if he thinks people are going to forget that they have to endanger their lives to go vote in a primary in Wisconsin, right, death or democracy, he's sadly mistaken. I think this is going to be a strategic error on his part.''

Figliuzzi concluded, ''I hate to draw the analogy between bracing this week for perhaps the deadliest time in American history, but I also think sadly we should be bracing for the person in the White House to exploit this time. You know back in my FBI days, Nicolle, some of the most heinous criminals that I saw were those who exploited crises, humanitarian crisis '-- 9/11, Hurricane Katrine '-- for their own benefit. I thought that was the most despicable thing that I had seen, and I have to tell you, I see the president's conduct as akin to that kind of inhumane exploitation of a crisis.''

Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN

MOST POPULARFROM THE HOMEPAGE

Link to Article

Archived Version

Sat, 11 Apr 2020 08:40

Log in Sign up Tim Pool @ Timcast Bill Maher getting spicy, says what needs to be said about China

twitter.com/billmaher/stat'... 5:43 AM - 11 Apr 2020 Jeff ðŸ'£#¸'ƒ£ðŸ'¥ðŸ‘ŒðŸ¥'🇺🇸🇺🇸 @ JPfaff1028

53m Replying to

@Timcast #ChinaIsAsshoe pic.twitter.com/MCREXmK06Y View conversation · Sweet Jones''ŒðŸ‡ºðŸ‡¸ @ TheSkinnyRage

56m Replying to

@Timcast Wasn't he wishing for economic collapse?

View conversation · UfoundMe @ MakeNDAAfamous

56m Replying to

@Timcast He was also on the "it's just the flu train"

View conversation · American KitKat #'­¸'­¸'­¸ @ framfred1

52m Replying to

@MakeNDAAfamous @Timcast You can think one thing and get more info and change your thinking.

View conversation · Lydia Leigh of Whiterun @ sourpatchlyds

53m Replying to

@Timcast He is reviving my respect for him. I think I almost forgive him for wishing economic disaster on the US to pwn the cons.

View conversation · Just you wait... @ NoPaint_NoGaint

42m Replying to

@sourpatchlyds @Timcast Almost. It's weird how the wet markets(which should be closed anyway) are going to be named the culprit because the alternative would be biolab release. Seems like mitigated damage control.

View conversation · Del0Nova @ Del0Nova

51m Replying to

@Timcast Ironically he is getting the economic recession he wanted for Christmas

View conversation · American KitKat #'­¸'­¸'­¸ @ framfred1

52m Replying to

@Timcast He licked the red pill but won't swallow.

View conversation · Culpeper Minutemen @ GEOTUS_2020

41m Replying to

@framfred1 @Timcast Knowing Bill Maher he cracked it open and snorted some

View conversation · Enter a topic, @name, or fullname

Settings Help Back to top ·

Turn images off

Link to Article

Archived Version

Sat, 11 Apr 2020 08:39

Link to Article

Archived Version

Sat, 11 Apr 2020 08:07

АÐ>>екР@ andrianoff1986

26 Oct 17 Replying to

@ladygaga @Alekzzzzz and

2 others Joe Biden knows what he's talking about

pic.twitter.com/LzERscQKOs View conversation · #deepstatederp @ OpenThePrimary

26 Oct 17 Replying to

@andrianoff1986 @ladygaga and

3 others Jeff Sessions knows about Joe Biden

m.youtube.com/watch?v=GOz4UF'... View conversation · Spirit Seeker @ Nightwind56

25 Oct 17 Replying to

@ladygaga @JoeBiden @ItsOnUs LOL. Such Irony to pick Gropin' Joe Biden to help head this program. Good Luck!

pic.twitter.com/SqAzxaJOZr View conversation · SANDEEJAY @ MyFancyOne

26 Oct 17 Replying to

@Nightwind56 @ladygaga and

2 others What r they thinking? Let me guess, Bill Clinton is the backup 4 Biden should he not b able 2 perform his duties.....

View conversation · packergirl @ p9cker_girl

25 Oct 17 Replying to

@ladygaga @JoeBiden @ItsOnUs wait did Joe denounce his perverted actions yet?ðŸ¤--

View conversation · think for yourself @ ganais_anais

26 Oct 17 Replying to

@p9cker_girl @ladygaga and

2 others Videos on YouTube of

#joebiden touching children inappropriately in full view of adults that are clearly uncomfortable!

#Where'sTheOutrage ?

View conversation · 🇺🇸#IAmTheNRA Rosenblum @ StevenRosenblum

26 Oct 17 Replying to

@ladygaga @JoeBiden @ItsOnUs This isn't just ironic, it's the fox guarding the hen house.

#GropingUncleJoe pic.twitter.com/jFEMsE5OsI View conversation · Nova 👹 @ inked_nova

Apr 1 Replying to

@StevenRosenblum @ladygaga and

2 others I let out a loud throw up noise when i saw this vid....

View conversation · Andr(C)s | Lady Gaga @ slayjoannex

25 Oct 17 Replying to

@ladygaga @JoeBiden @ItsOnUs NOTHING BUT RESPECT FOR MY PRESIDENT, LADY GAGA

pic.twitter.com/nlAd7CT7Hq View conversation · Noam Chomsky's Mom @ Swagl331Sp3ak

Mar 31 Replying to

@slayjoannex @ladygaga and

2 others The neoliberal cringe here

View conversation ·

Link to Article

Archived Version

Fri, 10 Apr 2020 11:40

Link to Article

Archived Version

Fri, 10 Apr 2020 11:37

Link to Article

Archived Version

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 15:51

In an interview with FNC's Laura Ingraham, Attorney General Bill Barr said when the 30-day quarantine period ends we must "consider alternative ways of protecting people" that will ensure civil liberties are balanced properly. He stated that the coronavirus response is not an excuse for "broad deprivations of liberty." Barr also spoke about his concern about the Bill Gates Foundation initiative to tag people who have been cleared of the coronavirus."I think we have to be very careful to make sure... that the draconian measures that are being adopted are fully justified, and there are not alternative ways of protecting people," Barr said Wednesday. "And I think, you know, when this '' when this period of time is -- at the end of April expires, I think we have to allow people to adapt more than we have and not just tell people to go home and hide under the bed, but allow them to use other ways '' social distancing and other means '' to protect themselves."Barr criticized the media for going on a "jihad" against President Trump to discredit the use of hydroxychloroquine."The politicization of decisions like hydroxychloroquine has been amazing to me," the attorney general said. "Before the president said anything about it, there was fair and balanced coverage of this very promising drug, and the fact that it had such a long track record, that the risks were pretty well known, and as soon as he said something positive about it, the media's been on a jihad to discredit the drug, it's quite strange.""One of the things that I think the president has done very well here is to use the strength of the federal system where certain decisions should be made in Washington perhaps, but also allowing each state to adapt to the situation that confronts it and make their own choices," Barr said of the state response."There is a power for the government to take extraordinary steps in genuine emergencies," Barr said. "That obviously creates a slippery slope, what do you call an emergency. And I am concerned that we not get into the business of declaring everything an emergency, and then using these kinds of sweeping extraordinary steps.""I think the president has made the right decisions for the right reasons," he said. "I think against the advice of many people, he closed the borders. And I think when the history of this is written, that's going to have saved a lot of lives."Full transcript, via FOX News:

LAURA INGRAHAM, FOX NEWS HOST: Mr. Attorney General, it's great seeing you, thanks for being with us. BILL BARR, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: Thanks for having me, Laura. LAURA: Right now we have no freedom of worship, public worship to go, to gather, we have no real freedom of assembly, not even freedom of movement, given what some of the states are doing. What can you tell our viewers tonight about what the Justice Department will do after this limited period, to ensure that our civil liberties are balanced properly against the need to protect the public? BARR: Well, generally speaking, there are occasions where liberties have to be restricted during certain emergencies such as war, or in this case, a potentially devastating pandemic. But they have to be balanced -- whatever steps you take have to be balanced against the civil liberties of the American people, and it cannot be used as excuse for broad deprivations of liberty. So as things proceed, we're going to be interested in both what the federal government is imposing, and also making sure that that's justified, but also what the states do. The states have very broad, as you know, what we call, police powers. They have very broad powers that the federal government doesn't have to regulate the lives of their citizens, as long as they don't violate the Constitution. So we'll be keeping a careful eye on that. LAURA: Governor Cuomo spoke out this week very forcefully, this Holy Week for Christians, obviously Passover as well for Jewish Americans, about the importance of not gathering together to celebrate, and I want you to listen. GOV. ANDREW CUOMO//ALBANY, NY/TODAY: Now is not the time for large religious gatherings. We paid this price already. We have learned this lesson //// you do no one a service by making this worse and infecting more people. LAURA: At what point in time do Americans feel like they're going to be able to have that right back and that the federal government will stand up if local officials continue this all out prohibition going forward? BARR: Well, you know, as you know and as I indicated in my Notre Dame speech, I think religious liberty is the first liberty. It is the foundation of our republic, and a free society depends upon a vibrant religious life among the people. So anytime that's encroached upon by the government, I'm very, very concerned. As a technical matter, as you know, in facing an emergency, the government can put -- whatever restrictions the government's willing to put on everybody else like athletic events or concerts and so forth, they can technically do it to religion as well, as long as they're not singling out religion, and as long as it's really necessary. So I would hate to see restrictions on religion continue longer than they're strictly necessary. And also I think we '' when this '' when this 30 day period ends, I think we have to consider alternative ways of protecting people. LAURA: I guess that he's focused on a lot of the funerals that the Hasidic Jews are having in New York where people do gather -- they gather, you know, tightly together to mourn and to pray. And so, that's the concern. I tweeted out something earlier today just about, you know, these are inalienable rights. It means '' and there are a lot of Americans today who are mourning those who've lost their lives in this horrible virus who also say, the government doesn't have this right to take our rights away, even when the experts are saying this is a horrible time for us health-wise. And they're very worried. Increasingly worried I think as time goes on, but they've been very patient as well. BARR: Yes. I think they '' I think they have been patient, and I think we have to be very careful to make sure this is '' you know, that the draconian measures that are being adopted are fully justified, and there are not alternative ways of protecting people. And I think, you know, when this '' when this period of time is -- at the end of April expires, I think we have to allow people to adapt more than we have and not just tell people to go home and hide under the bed, but allow them to use other ways '' social distancing and other means '' to protect themselves. LAURA: Would there become a time in the future, perhaps after this April 30th date, where a state somewhere or local official who declares no religious services with no accommodation, that there's a lawsuit filed, federal civil rights lawsuit against that government action, whether it's by executive decree locally or statewide or whether it's by the federal government? I mean, when would that happen? Would it take a lawsuit? Or would you take action? BARR: Well we've seen situations even up until now where some jurisdictions have imposed special burdens on religion that they weren't also applying to other kinds of gatherings and events, and we jawboned the local governments that point saying they really couldn't do that, that whatever they were doing to churches, they had to do to everybody. And they changed their rules to be neutral in that respect. So we're going to keep an eye on all these actions that restrict people's liberty. But by the same token, in a situation that is essentially akin to wartime, there are -- the government can impose certain limitations. LAURA: But in wartime, we had a Supreme Court that still was in session, we had a Congress that I don't believe ever went out of session for any length of time. And now we're in a wartime now, and we have the executive branch, Congress is back home in their district, and Supreme Court is closed. What's that -- how is that the whole of government approach to fighting a pandemic when it's just the executive branch? BARR: Well, the Congress has taken action - LAURA: Spending a lot of money, yes. BARR: fairly substantial action. They certainly had the ability to provide guidance and restrictions on how we responded to this, they've chosen to do what they've done, and they're certainly free to come back into session any time they want to make a course adjustment. The Supreme Court has for a period of time, certainly during this 30 day period, stopped their usual business. INGRAHAM: But you see what I'm saying, the rule of law still applies during a pandemic -- the rule of law, our inalienable rights, the law of the land. I mean, this -- it all still exists, and we don't want to set a precedent where every time experts declare a crisis, and it's scary and a lot of people are going to die, that we just lose our ability to function as a government and the executive branch -- I mean, I know you're the executive branch now, but where we don't have that whole of government real approach to safeguard the liberties of the American people. BARR: Well one of the things that I think the president has done very well here is to use the strength of the federal system where certain decisions should be made in Washington perhaps, but also allowing each state to adapt to the situation that confronts it and make their own choices. And that's a form of protecting liberty. The federal system is a form or protecting liberty, to have the government closest to the people make those decisions. So I think we do have that protection. You're right in the general sense that there is a power for the government to take extraordinary steps in genuine emergencies. That obviously creates a slippery slope, what do you call an emergency. And I am concerned that we not get into the business of declaring everything an emergency, and then using these kinds of sweeping extraordinary steps. But given where we were back in March, I think the president made the right decision. I think the president has made the right decisions for the right reasons. I think against the advice of many people, he closed the borders. And I think when the history of this is written, that's going to have saved a lot of lives. I think that given the uncertainty that surrounded this and the possibility that it was so contagious that it would swamp our healthcare system, he supported the appropriate moves for a limited period of time. LAURA: Will you be recommending going forward any type of changes to protocols at our borders, our ports of entry? There's obviously a lot of legal implications there. Health screenings of people coming into the country? Again, given the deprivation of Americans' liberties due to a virus that came '' without getting into the details '' but it came from a foreign entity namely here China? BARR: Absolutely. And I think as horrible as this is and as tragic as it is, there are a couple of good things that could flow from this experience. And one is to, again '' once again, appreciate the importance of borders and controlling who is coming into the country. I felt for a long time, as much as people talk about global warming, that the real threat to human beings are microbes and being able to control disease. And that starts with controlling your border. So I think people will be more attuned to more protective measures, but also the supply chain issue. The idea that much of what we need to protect the health of the American people is in the control of foreign governments who can interdict and say, we're not shipping stuff to the United States. When everyone else in the world wants it during a pandemic, it was a crazy situation to get into. It happened before this administration, and the president's trying to deal with it. LAURA: This virus originated in China, we still don't have all the data, we still don't really know about Patient Zero in China. A lot of that data is being withheld still from the United States, and top medical people are saying that. What about the Justice Department getting involved more, I guess obviously, to the American people in this battle against the ongoing propaganda machine of China in the United States at our universities, in businesses '' hey, in the White House Press Room the other day. BARR: Yes. The Department is heavily engaged in that, in fact that's one of our highest priorities in the counter intelligence realm, counter espionage realm, and protection of trade secrets as our activity's directed to defend against the Chinese. The Chinese are engaged in a full-court blitzkrieg of stealing American technology, trying to influence our political system, trying to steal secrets at our research universities and so forth. And we are focused on it. We have something we call the China Initiative. We've brought a lot of indictments, but it's something that we also have to expose by letting the business community understand exactly the nature of the threat. LAURA: Given what you know today about the panoply of abuses internationally against the United States, who's the bigger threat to America's election security '' Russia, or China? BARR: In my opinion it's China. And not just to the election process, but I think across the board there's simply no comparison. China is a very serious threat to the United States geopolitically, economically, militarily, and a threat to the integrity of our institutions given their ability to influence things. LAURA: And yet our premier academic institutions '' Harvard University, our top schools across the country have welcomed Chinese students in to learn, and to take part in research here. We've had documented abuses, ongoing federal investigation now '' indictments in Boston -- BARR: Yes. LAURA: -- against a Harvard University professor for conspiring with the Chinese, allegedly. Any thoughts on those ongoing federal grants to institutions where, again, this is an all-out blitzkrieg -- why are we allowing all these Chinese researchers in to the United States? BARR: We have to '' well, I think we are trying to tighten up on those programs. And a number of the universities are working closely with the government to understand what the nature of the threat is. But it's not just universities '' I mean, universities are a part of the problem, but a lot of American business is just for short-term profit, or what they see as a short-term profit. They know over the long-run it's not going to be long-term benefit to their business. But just for short-term gain they are perhaps not doing what is necessary in the long-term interest of the United States. LAURA: Bill Gates, the Gates Foundation are in favor of developing digital certificates that would certify that individuals, American citizens, have an immunity to this virus and potentially other viruses going forward to then facilitate travel and work and so forth. What are your thoughts from a civil libertarian point of view about these types of '' what some would say tracking mechanisms that would be adopted going forward to reopen our broader economy? BARR: Yeah, I'm very concerned about the slippery slope in terms of continuing encroachments on personal liberty. I do think during the emergency, appropriate, reasonable steps are fine. LAURA: But a digital certificate to show who has recovered or been tested recently or when we have a vaccine who has '' of people who've received it. That's his answer in a Reddit ask me anything. They had a little forum. BARR: Yeah, I'd be a little concerned about that, the tracking of people and so forth, generally, especially going forward over a long period of time. LAURA: Are you surprised at how wildly partisan a response to this pandemic has become in the United States? I know everything's political, but this is about saving lives and saving the broader life of America, and yet from a drug like hydroxychloroquine that's been around for 65 years, 70 years, to other measures the president's taken, working with Democrat governors quite well, looks like, it never seems to be good enough. BARR: No, I have been surprised at it. In fact, it was very disappointing because I think the president went out at the beginning of this thing and really was statesman like, trying to bring people together, working with all the governors, keeping his patience as he got these snarky, gotcha questions from the White House media pool. And it '' the stridency of the partisan attacks on him has gotten higher and higher, and it's really disappointing to see. And the politicization of decisions like hydroxychloroquine has been amazing to me. Before the president said anything about it, there was fair and balanced coverage of this very promising drug, and the fact that it had such a long track record, that the risks were pretty well known, and as soon as he said something positive about it, the media's been on a jihad to discredit the drug, it's quite strange. LAURA: There's a lot of concern now, given the -- again, the length of this time, the concern when you hear Dr. Fauci say, well we probably can't go back to normal life until a vaccine, would be like 12 months, 18 months, that if things don't open up pretty soon, over some gradual reopening with new protocols and all that, there's a concern about social unrest. You're seeing a lot of stores boarded up in San Francisco, Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis, and you're seeing more of that, small businesses affected, especially by theft and -- and other criminal activity. How concerned are you about the social unrest and criminal activity in an ongoing shutdown? BARR: I mean, I think if we extend a full shutdown, that's a real -- that's a real threat in some of our communities. But, I don't think it's limited to that. I think the president's absolutely right, we cannot keep, for a long period of time, our economy shut down. Just on the public health thing, you know, it means less cancer -- cancer researchers are at home. A lot of the disease researchers, who will save lives in the future, that's being held in abeyance. The money that goes into these institutions, whether philanthropic sources or government sources, is going to be reduced. We will have a weaker healthcare system if we go into a deep depression. So, just measured in lives, the cure cannot be worse than the disease. But when you think of everything else, generations of families who have built up businesses, for generations in this country -- and recent immigrants who have -- who have built businesses, snuffed out. Small business that may not be able to come back if this goes on too long. So, we have to find, after the 30 day period, we have to find a way of allowing businesses to adapt to this situation and figure out how they can best get started. That's not necessarily instantaneously going back to the way life was -- LAURA: Well, people are going to be afraid to go out for a long period of time. BARR: A period of time. LAURA: And they're going to be afraid to restaurants, not -- maybe won't go to the re-up at their health club -- BARR: Right. Right. LAURA: -- but people have to have confidence that it's decently safe out there to move around. BARR: Right. And that's why they have to be given accurate information. But also we have to make PPE more broadly available. Restaurants have to change their protocols, perhaps, or other businesses -- LAURA: A lot of them can't stay in business if they can't pack it in. You know D.C., and they've got to pack -- that's the only way they make money paying these jacked up rents. BARR: That's -- right, that's a danger. That's a danger. So, I think we have to allow people to figure out ways of getting back to work and keep their workers and customers safe. I'm not suggesting we stop social distancing overnight. There may come a time where we have to worry less about that. So, you know, I don't know when that will be. LAURA: One question I didn't ask before -- federalism, states rights, the president has been very clear on that during this health crisis. Are you surprised that certain states, New Jersey, in particular, had come in to say that gun stores are nonessential, gun shops are nonessential, but abortion facilities are essential, given -- given what we're facing? BARR: Well, I'm not surprised. I mean, that's where our politics are these days. But, obviously, the federal government agreed that gun stores are essential. LAURA: And abortion facilities in Texas deemed nonessential by the governor, lieutenant governor very strong on that, that saw a lot of legal challenges. Do you foresee -- BARR: I think it was just upheld. INGRAHAM: Yes. Will you -- do you foresee that continuing those types of challenges going forward, against what is essential in a crisis? BARR: Well, I mean, again, after this -- this period where we're -- we have very strong restrictions in place, hopefully there won't be a need for those kinds of distinctions to be made. LAURA: Oh, you think the people are going to have the benevolent approaches? I mean that -- the left is clearly trying to use this to reshape American society. This is -- never let a crisis go to waste. Now we're going to do climate change policy and a massive wealth redistribution for the disparities in healthcare. That's what all the Democrat politicians are now talking about going forward. BARR: Yes, I'm concerned about that. INGRAHAM: How has this changed your daily life? I mean, it's changed everybody's lives. We've never lived through anything like this. Just personally reflect on it. BARR: I still come in most days, and we sit at the conference very spread out when we've - when we need a meeting. We do more by telephone and by a group teleconference and video conference than we have before. And -- INGRAHAM: Do you take your temperature when you come in? Do you -- BARR: I take my temperature. I was -- I'm tested occasionally at the White House when I'm going in to see the president. And, you know, we're starting to wear more -- as PPE becomes available beyond the healthcare industry, we're wearing more PPE. INGRAHAM: Will you wear a mask going out in public if you just had to go to the grocery today? I know you don't go to the grocery store, but if you had to go to the grocery store, Mr. Attorney General -- BARR: Yes, I actually wear a mask -- INGRAHAM: -- would you? BARR: -- I wear a mask and my security detail wear masks when we go in every morning and when we go home, and frequently I'll wear it here in the office. I didn't think you'd let me wear it on this show (laughter). LAURA: Yes, would you -- is there a little -- BARR: Although maybe it would be better. LAURA: -- is there a little design or anything? Or is it just classic -- BARR: Yes, you have to put a little smiley face on it. (laughter) LAURA: Yes, you don't have anything good. OK. All right, Mr. Attorney General, thank you so much for joining. BARR: Thank you. Thanks. Thank you. LAURA: We appreciate it.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 15:18

Gov. Jay Inslee's office on Wednesday announced that the state will be returning a field hospital deployed to CenturyLink Field Event Center to the U.S. Department of Defense.

The 250-bed facility, for which setup began on March 30, was intended to help Washington state's health care system tend to non Covid-19 patients in the event of a hospital surge.

But just three days after announcing the facility was ready to receive patients, officials say they're returning the hospital to the federal government.

The action is aimed at helping another state with a more significant need for hospital capacity at this time, according to the Governor's Office. The facility did not see any patients during the time it was slated to operate in Seattle.

"We requested this resource before our physical distancing strategies were fully implemented and we had considerable concerns that our hospitals would be overloaded with Covid-19 cases," Inslee said in a press release.

"But we haven't beat this virus yet, and until we do, it has the potential to spread rapidly if we don't continue the measures we've put in place."

Photos: The military field hospital at CenturyLink is ready to receive patients

State officials also say they've recently procured 1,000 hospital beds and over 900 ventilators to assist hospitals responding to the Covid-19 emergency.

Additionally, the state is leasing the former Astria Regional Medical Center in Yakima to serve as a 250-bed field hospital if a need arises in Central Washington.