Kansas Official: Pandemic Isn’t a Problem Here Because There Are Few Chinese People

/0 Comments/in , /by

(Editor’s note: as is typical of the fake news media, things are always twisted for maximum effect against friends of Liberty, like Marvin Rodriguez. The below article is an example of that)

The chairman of the Riley County Commissioners suggested this week that the global coronavirus pandemic is not a problem locally because unlike in Italy, there are not a lot of Chinese people living in central Kansas, according to two other officials who attended the meeting Wednesday night. . .

Usha Reddi, the mayor of Manhattan, Kansas, went to the meeting hoping that the commissioners would declare an emergency, which they ultimately did. But what she heard from the chairman, Republican Marvin Rodriguez, was this: “I’m paraphrasing, but he said we don’t have a problem here because Italy has a lot of Chinese people, and we don’t have that problem here.”

Reached by phone, Rodriguez told The Star Editorial Board, “I didn’t necessarily say it like that.” So how did he say it? “Italy has a problem with its health department, first. It’s health for everybody. I have a friend in the Navy, and he said in that area” of Northern Italy where that country’s first cases were reported, “there’s a garment industry and a lot of Chinese. If we were like Italy, we’d have it already.” . . .

“Well, they say it came out of China,” he answered, “and I’m not putting it past the Chinese government in communist China.” Meaning, to export a virus on purpose? “Normally, this kind of thing spreads slowly,” he answered, so “I put two and two together. I’ve been around a long time, girl.”

He also said that his only public policy goal in saying all of this was to try to discourage panic. “We’re hurting a lot of people in Manhattan” by overreacting, he said. “Places are being shut down for no reason at all.” (Read more from “Kansas Official: Pandemic Isn’t a Problem Here Because There Are Few Chinese People” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE

Background Checks Surge 300 Percent as Americans Flood Gun Stores

/0 Comments/in , /by

The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) is reporting background checks are up 300 percent over where they were at this same time last year.

Mark Oliva, NSSF Public Affairs director, told Breitbart News, “FBI NICS informed NSSF that on Monday, March 16, 2020, volume for background checks was 300 percent higher than it was on March 16, 2019.”

Oliva added, “Since Feb. 23, background checks have been roughly double every day what they were this time last year.” . . .

Brown said, “We’ve seen increases in firearm purchases in response to uncertain or worrisome current events in the past. Unfortunately, we know that not only do more guns not make you safer, but that the opposite is true.”

She added, “Unsafe storage practices correlate to unintentional shootings in the home, what we call ‘Family Fire.’ Everyday, approximately eight children and teens die from these preventable Family Fire incidents.” (Read more from “Background Checks Surge 300 Percent as Americans Flood Gun Stores” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE

Sanders Curses out CNN Reporter When Asked About Failing Campaign; Is Bernie Sanders Ready to Bail on 2020?

/0 Comments/in , /by

By New York Post. Bernie Sanders exploded into expletives when asked Wednesday if he would pull the plug on his ailing campaign.

“I’m dealing with a f—ing global crisis,” the Vermont senator, back on Capitol Hill to vote on the $1 trillion Coronavirus bailout package, blew up at a veteran CNN reporter when pressed on the future of his White House bid after being thumped by Joe Biden in Tuesday night’s primaries.

[Warning: tweet contains explicit language.]

The foul rant was noted in a tweet by CNN Senior Congressional Correspondent Manu Raju recounting their conversation.

“You know, we’re dealing with,” Sanders hastily added, trailing off. . .

“Right now, I’m trying to do my best to make sure that we don’t have an economic meltdown and that people don’t die. Is that enough for you to keep me busy for today?” Sanders griped.

(Read more from “Sanders Curses out CNN Reporter When Asked About Failing Campaign” HERE)

_________________________________________________

Is Bernie Sanders Ready to Bail on 2020?

By Vanity Fair. Just a few weeks ago, the Democratic primary—and the state of the country—looked completely different. Bernie Sanders had claimed victory in the first three contests and seemed to be running away with the nomination. Joe Biden, by contrast, was perhaps one more disappointing finish away from being knocked out of the race he’d led in national polls since entering it. But now, after racking up primary victories across the country, including some in decisive fashion, Biden has built a commanding delegate lead, is easily outpacing Sanders in national polls, and has forced his progressive rival to consider the future of his campaign.

Sanders was recently sending signals that he had no intention of leaving the race just yet. “I want the senator to stay in,” Nina Turner, one of the national co-chairs of his campaign, said earlier this week. But after another drubbing Tuesday in which Biden swept three more states, there are signs that Sanders may be preparing to exit. After losing Arizona, Florida, and Illinois on Tuesday, Sanders suspended Facebook advertisements, fueling speculation that his once-promising run was drawing to an end. An email to supporters updating them on the state of play which did not include the typical request for donations kept the rumor-mill churning. And while Axios pulled back its Wednesday report that Sanders was suspending his campaign, the Washington Post reported later that his campaign has been in regular contact with Biden’s team, apparently to discuss policy ideas about the novel coronavirus that has upended American life—a sign, potentially, that Sanders could soon step aside and cement Biden as the party nominee to take on Donald Trump in November. . .

In an email to supporters after Tuesday’s losses, Sanders campaign manager Faiz Shakir acknowledged that the contests “did not go the way we wanted” and said the candidate was returning to Vermont to “seek input” from supporters and “assess the path forward for our campaign.” But Shakir also noted that the next primary “is at least three weeks away,” suggesting he’s not in a hurry to decide. Sanders himself has appeared understandably focused on the pandemic threatening the nation: “I’m dealing with a f***ing global crisis,” he snapped at CNN’s Manu Raju Wednesday when asked about the status of his campaign. “Is that enough for you to keep me busy for today?” (Read more from “Is Bernie Sanders Ready to Bail on 2020?” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE

20-Year-Old Coronavirus Victim in Spain Was Reportedly Told by Doctors to Go Home and Not to Worry. He Died Less Than a Week Later.; Italy Stops Counting Bodies After Major Surge

/0 Comments/in , /by

By The Blaze. A 20-year-old from Spain who recently died after contracting the coronavirus was allegedly sent home and told not to worry by doctors less than a week before the disease killed him.

Francisco Garcia, a youth soccer coach at Malaga club Atletico Portada Alta, initially thought he had the common cold when he went he first became ill on March 6, his family told the Sun in a recent interview. . .

Three days later, when Garcia still wasn’t recovering from the illness, Fernandez took him to a doctor who then allegedly told him to “take paracetamol [acetaminophen] and sent him home and said there was no need to worry.”

When his health deteriorated again overnight, Garcia’s family decided to take him to another doctor for a second opinion. That doctor sent him home again — this time with antibiotics. . .

Once at the hospital, he was diagnosed with pneumonia and was placed under a quarantine due to suspicion that he had contracted the coronavirus. The following day, he tested positive for COVID-19 as well as leukemia. Four days later he died. (Read more from “20-Year-Old Coronavirus Victim in Spain Was Reportedly Told by Doctors to Go Home and Not to Worry. He Died Less Than a Week Later.” HERE)

____________________________________________________________

Coronavirus in Italy: Health Care Workers Stop Counting Bodies

By New York Post. Italy’s death toll from the coronavirus has surpassed China, with so many dead that soldiers were brought in to haul away coffins and health care workers said they stopped counting bodies.

Officials said Thursday that 427 new deaths were recorded over just 24 hours, bringing the COVID-19 death toll to 3,403, nearly 200 more than China, where the virus originated.

This comes despite the fact that Italy has 41,035 confirmed cases — just over half as many as China.

“Unfortunately we can’t contain the situation in Lombardy,” said Daniela Confalonieri, a nurse in Milan. “There’s a high level of contagion and we’re not even counting the dead anymore.”

“Look at the news that’s coming out of Italy and take note of what the situation is like,” she said. “It’s unimaginable.” (Read more from “Coronavirus in Italy: Health Care Workers Stop Counting Bodies” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE

Economists Warn Jobless Claims Could Top 1.5 Million by Next Week

/0 Comments/in , /by

By The Hill. U.S. unemployment claims could reach a record 1.5 million by next week as service industry workers are forced to stay home amid the coronavirus outbreak, economists warned Thursday.

The U.S. Labor Department reported that 281,000 Americans filed for unemployment benefits the week of March 14 — a 70,000 jump from the week before, and 60,000 claims more than economists had expected.

“State filings offices for Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut report claims filings this week are running six to 14 times higher than the same week last year,” Conrad DeQuadros, senior economic advisor at Brean Capital in New York, told Reuters. (Read more from “Economists Warn Jobless Claims Could Top 1.5 Million by Next Week” HERE)

________________________________________________________

Washington Scrambles to Prevent Massive Unemployment Spike

By The Hill. The coronavirus is quickly taking a sledgehammer to the historically low unemployment rates that have defined much of President Trump’s time in office.

The pandemic’s toll on the economy is now a key focus of Washington’s response to the growing public health crisis, with Congress and the White House scrambling to provide relief for struggling workers and businesses.

“It’s going to be a big problem,” said Jay Shambaugh, director of the Hamilton Project and a senior economics fellow at the Brookings Institution. “Unemployment is going to be where we see the economic damage, and is rising, frankly, faster than we expected just a week or two ago.”

Restaurants and bars have already initiated severe staff cutbacks, with similar actions underway in the travel and entertainment industries, leading to widespread layoffs at companies large and small. (Read more from “Washington Scrambles to Prevent Massive Unemployment Spike” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE

Iran Repeatedly Attacks U.S. Troops as Coronavirus Outbreak Distracts Public Attention; U.S. Slaps New Sanctions on Iran

/0 Comments/in , /by

By Washington Examiner. Iran-controlled forces are launching rockets at U.S. troops in Iraq while Western leaders focus on a coronavirus pandemic that threatens to overwhelm hospital networks around the world.

“It feels like part of the American public may have forgotten that two Americans died in Iraq,” Behnam Ben Taleblu, an expert on the Iranian regime at Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told the Washington Examiner.

American forces targeted five weapons depots controlled by Kataib Hezbollah, a Shia militia that the United States blamed for the attack that killed two Americans and one British service member last week. Yet the militias remain undeterred, as a Tuesday morning barrage marked the third attack on bases housing U.S.n troops in the last week, even as Tehran struggles to manage one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in the world.

“They view this as a kind of continuing campaign to push Americans out of Iraq,” retired Army Lt. Gen. Thomas Spoehr, who directs the Heritage Foundation’s Center for National Defense, told the Washington Examiner. “They’ve lost a lot of citizens to corona, but for those kinds of regimes, it’s really kind of inconsequential to them. They don’t place as high a premium on life as we do.” . . .

Some analysts believe that Iran has renewed attacks on U.S. forces in order to distract from the coronavirus outbreak. “Iranians are fiercely nationalistic,” American Enterprise Institute scholar Michael Rubin, who specializes in Iran and the Middle East, told the Washington Examiner. “And so, basically, it’s a no-brainer on the part of the Iranian regime to try to distract people from their own incompetence. And, even though — yeah, I’m a neocon, I’m a hawk, and so forth — I think the worst possible thing would be for Trump to hit Iran.” (Read more from “Iran Repeatedly Attacks U.S. Troops as Coronavirus Outbreak Distracts Public Attention” HERE)

______________________________________________________

U.S. Slaps New Sanctions on Iran Amid Renewed Rocket Attacks in Iraq

The State Department on Wednesday announced it is slapping new sanctions on Iran as renewed rocket attacks have been launched at U.S. forces in Iraq by what are believed to be Tehran-backed militias.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement that the sanctions will target nine entities and three individuals “who have engaged in activity that could enable the Iranian regime’s violent behavior.”

“The actions of these individuals and entities provide revenue to the regime that it may use to fund terror and other destabilizing activities, such as the recent rocket attacks on Iraqi and Coalition forces located at Camp Taji in Iraq,” he said.

The sanctions mainly target Iran’s petrochemical industry and are intended to “further Iran’s economic and diplomatic isolation.” (Read more from “U.S. Slaps New Sanctions on Iran Amid Renewed Rocket Attacks in Iraq” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE

If China Had Acted 3 Weeks Earlier Than They Did, Cases Would’ve Been Reduced 95%

/0 Comments/in , /by

By Axios. Axios has compiled a timeline of the earliest weeks of the coronavirus outbreak in China, highlighting when the cover-up started and ended — and showing how, during that time, the virus already started spreading around the world, including to the United States.

Why it matters: A study published in March indicated that if Chinese authorities had acted three weeks earlier than they did, the number of coronavirus cases could have been reduced by 95% and its geographic spread limited.

This timeline, compiled from information reported by the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, the South China Morning Post and other sources, shows that China’s cover-up and the delay in serious measures to contain the virus lasted about three weeks. (Read more from “If China Had Acted 3 Weeks Earlier Than They Did, Cases Would’ve Been Reduced 95%” HERE)

__________________________________________________

Early and Combined Interventions Crucial in Tackling COVID-19 Spread in China

By University of South Hampton. A study by the University of Southampton examining non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) in response to the new coronavirus (COVID-19) in China shows that a range of early, coordinated and targeted measures are needed to help significantly reduce its spread.

Researchers in the population mapping group WorldPop ran complex modelling, using anonymised data on both human movement and illness onset, to help simulate different outbreak scenarios for cities in mainland China. This allowed them to understand how variations in the timing, level and combinations of interventions affect speed and transmission of the disease. . .

The study estimates that by the end of February 2020 there was a total of 114, 325 COVID-19 cases in China. It shows that without non-pharmaceutical interventions – such as early detection, isolation of cases, travel restrictions and cordon sanitaire – the number of infected people would have been 67 times larger than that which actually occurred.

The research also found that if interventions in the country could have been conducted one week, two weeks, or three weeks earlier, cases could have been reduced by 66 percent, 86 percent and 95 percent respectively – significantly limiting the geographical spread of the disease. However, if NPIs were conducted one week, two weeks, or three weeks later than they were, the number of cases may have shown a 3-fold, 7-fold, or 18-fold increase, respectively.

Study author Dr Shengjie Lai, of the University of Southampton, comments: “Our study demonstrates how important it is for countries which are facing an imminent outbreak to proactively plan a coordinated response which swiftly tackles the spread of the disease on a number of fronts. We also show that China’s comprehensive response, in a relatively short period, greatly reduced the potential health impact of the outbreak.” (Read more from “Early and Combined Interventions Crucial in Tackling COVID-19 Spread in China” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE

Helpful Reminder: CNN Was Calling Wuhan Virus the China Virus Months Ago

/0 Comments/in , /by

CNN, of course, referring to China News Network, which is the name they prefer, I hear.

People everywere, please stop eating Pangolins and Bats. I don’t think that’s part of the natural order. Thank you in advance for your consideration. (For more from the author of “Helpful Reminder: CNN Was Calling Wuhan Virus the China Virus Months Ago” please click HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE

China Lied and People Died: Chinese Scientists Destroyed Coronavirus Evidence in December; GOP Senator Says China ‘to Blame’ for Spread Because of Culture; Woman Who Flew From U.S. to China Faces Criminal Charges After Lying About Symptoms; Trump Doubles Down on ‘China Virus’

/0 Comments/in , , /by

By Townhall. The Chinese are to blame for this Wuhan coronavirus pandemic. Their containment methods were laughable, their officials refused to inform the public, and people died. They allowed Wuhan to celebrate Chinese New Year, exposing potentially tens of thousands to the disease. Some five million left the city before they enacted a quarantine. And now we’re hearing that they knew about human transmissions. The Wall Street Journal’s piece on how this whole international fiasco began all but places the blame where it should rightfully be directed: China . . .

And now, there are reports that Chinese scientists destroyed evidence about the virus back in December (via The Times UK):

Chinese laboratories identified a mystery virus as a highly infectious new pathogen by late December last year, but they were ordered to stop tests, destroy samples and suppress the news, a Chinese media outlet has revealed.

A regional health official in Wuhan, centre of the outbreak, demanded the destruction of the lab samples that established the cause of unexplained viral pneumonia on January 1. China did not acknowledge there was human-to-human transmission until more than three weeks later.

The detailed revelations by Caixin Global, a respected independent publication, provide the clearest evidence yet of the scale of the cover-up in the crucial early weeks when the opportunity was lost to control the outbreak. Censors have been rapidly deleting the report from the Chinese internet.

(Read more from “China Lied and People Died: Chinese Scientists Destroyed Coronavirus Evidence in December” HERE)

______________________________________________________

GOP Senator Says China ‘to Blame’ for Coronavirus Spread Because of ‘Culture Where People Eat Bats and Snakes and Dogs’

By USA Today. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, drew a backlash on social media and from Asian American advocates on Wednesday for claiming China was “to blame” for the spread of the coronavirus because of a “culture where people eat bats and snakes and dogs and things like that.”

‘These viruses are transmitted from the animal to the people and that’s why China has been the source of a lot of these viruses like SARS, like MERS, the Swine flu, and now the coronavirus, so I think they have a fundamental problem, the Texas Republican said to reporters, saying he did not object to a geographic name for the virus.

Asked about Asian Americans’ concerns about racism, Cornyn said, “I disagree. We’re not talking about Asians. We’re talking about China, where these viruses emanate from and created this pandemic.” . . .

The CDC says the coronavirus has its origins in bats and might have jumped to humans through a “wet market,” or a live animal market in Wuhan, China.

Swine flu was first detected in the United States in 2009, and MERS was first identified in Jordan in 2012, according to the CDC. The CDC says the first cases of SARS were reported in China’s Guangdong province in 2002. (Read more from “GOP Senator Says China ‘to Blame’ for Coronavirus Spread Because of ‘Culture Where People Eat Bats and Snakes and Dogs'” HERE)

______________________________________________________

Woman Who Flew From U.S. to China for Coronavirus Test Faces Criminal Charges

By Los Angeles Times. A woman who flew last week from Massachusetts to Los Angeles — then to Beijing, where she tested positive for coronavirus — is under investigation on allegations of concealing her symptoms and putting fellow travelers at risk of infection.

The woman took fever-reducing medication before boarding a plane and lied to flight attendants, according to Beijing’s disease control center and an Air China representative, who held a news conference on Monday.

The woman, who was hospitalized and is receiving treatment, is under investigation for the crime of “impeding prevention of infectious diseases.” According to Chinese law, she could face up to three years of imprisonment or detention with possible forced labor, or up to seven years of prison if there are “serious consequences.”

As the pandemic worsens around the world but slows in China, authorities in Beijing are tightening controls. All passengers arriving in Beijing from abroad, including Chinese nationals, are required to quarantine in government centers for 14 days. (Read more from “Woman Who Flew From U.S. to China for Coronavirus Test Faces Criminal Charges” HERE)

______________________________________________________

Trump Doubles Down on ‘China Virus,’ Demands to Know Who in White House Used Phrase ‘Kung Flu’

By Fox News. President Trump on Wednesday continued to call COVID-19, the “China virus,” and said he doesn’t think labeling the novel coronavirus is racist or puts Asian-Americans at risk.

“No, not at all,” Trump said during the noon press conference. “I think they probably would agree with it, 100 percent. It comes from China.”

Trump has been under pressure from China as well as some Democrats to stop using the term “China virus” or “Wuhan virus.” They believe the term stigmatizes China and borders on being racist. But instead if stopping, Trump has upped his use. . .

In the bizarre exchange, Trump asked Alcindor to repeat the phrase “Kung-Flu” and asked her directly which White House official had used the term. She said she did not get a name.

Earlier in the day, White House advisor Kellyanne Conway took a more combative tone with reporters and though she said using the phrase “Kung-Flu” was wrong, she refused to engage in a “hypothetical” and demanded to know who in the White House had the exchange with Jiang. (Read more from “Trump Doubles Down on ‘China Virus,’ Demands to Know Who in White House Used Phrase ‘Kung Flu'” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE

Trump Closing Southern Border to Asylum Seekers (and Illegals); Canadian Border Closing to Non-Essential Traffic; Very Disturbing Video from Italy

/0 Comments/in , /by

By Daily Caller. President Donald Trump confirmed reports that his administration will turn away illegal aliens and asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Trump confirmed speculation that the southern border will be closed off to asylum seekers and anyone else who attempts to enter the United States illegally during a White House press briefing Wednesday regarding the latest developments on the coronavirus pandemic.

“On asylum seekers and people who cross the southern border illegally, are you planning to invoke [42 U.S. Code § 265] which would allow you to prohibit entry of certain people across the board,” a reporter asked Trump on Wednesday.

“The answer is yes,” he answered.

When asked when this order will take place, Trump said it would be executed “very soon, probably today.” (Read more from “Trump Confirms He Is Shutting off Southern Border to Illegal Aliens and Asylum Seekers” HERE)

_______________________________________________

Coronavirus Response: U.S. and Canada Closing World’s Longest Border to Non-Essential Traffic, Trump and Trudeau Say

By CNBC. The United States border with Canada will temporarily close to “non-essential traffic” due to the coronavirus pandemic, the leaders of both countries said Wednesday morning.

The U.S.-Canada is the world’s longest border between two countries. The closing will affect tourism, but not trade, or workers involved in so-called essential work.

“We will be, by mutual consent, temporarily closing our Northern Border with Canada to non-essential traffic,” President Donald Trump wrote on Twitter.

“Trade will not be affected.”

Canada’s prime minister Justin Trudeau, at a press conference in Ottawa, said “I just spoke to President Trump again this morning, and we have agreed that both Canada and the United States will temporarily restrict all non-essential travel across the Canada-U.S. border.” (Read more from “Coronavirus Response: U.S. and Canada Closing World’s Longest Border to Non-Essential Traffic, Trump and Trudeau Say” HERE)

_______________________________________________

Italian Hospitals Overwhelmed as this Disturbing Video from Yesterday Shows

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE