Posted on

SHOW US THE MONEY: States Join Small Businesses In Filing Lawsuits Against China Over SARS-CoV-2

Small business owners in California, Nevada and Florida have filed class-action lawsuits against China for lost income caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, charging that the communist country covered up the outbreak of the deadly virus. And now, states are suing China, too, saying the Chinese “lied to the world” about the virus.

Earlier this month, a group of small businesses in California — including Cardiff Prestige Property, Little Saigon Chamber of Commerce, First Premier X and others — filed a lawsuit against China, the city of Wuhan, where the virus reportedly first emerged, and the country’s Health Commission.

That lawsuit claims China knew long before it announced to the world that a virus was spreading across the country and did not inform the World Health Organization (WHO) or neighboring nations in a timely way. The suit seeks a whopping $8 trillion for lost income and other damages.

Meanwhile, a “20-page complaint filed in federal court in Florida last month detailed how China censored doctors as early as January about the virus, knew it spread human to human but did not disclose the information immediately, and attempted to conceal the country’s real number of COVID-19 deaths and cases,” The Washington Times reported on Sunday.

Class-action lawsuits against China seeking retribution for damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic are being filed in courts across the country, reflecting mounting outrage over the conduct of the communist regime in Beijing.

A Harris poll released this month revealed bipartisan distrust among Americans against the Chinese government over its statements about the coronavirus pandemic, and a Pew Research Center poll last month found Americans’ unfavorable view of China is at a record high.

A Las Vegas law firm has also filed a class action lawsuit against China, charging that the country is part of a “totalitarian government system” that engaged in a cover-up, which allowed the virus to spread.

Now states are getting in on the act. Missouri’s attorney general last week filed a lawsuit against the Chinese government over its handling of the virus, charging that China’s slow response to the virus caused devastating economic losses for the state. The suit seeks billions of dollars in restitution.

“The Chinese government lied to the world about the danger and contagious nature of COVID-19, silenced whistleblowers, and did little to stop the spread of the disease,” state Attorney General Eric Schmitt, a Republican, said in a statement. “They must be held accountable for their actions.”

“COVID-19 has done irreparable damage to countries across the globe, causing sickness, death, economic disruption, and human suffering. In Missouri, the impact of the virus is very real — thousands have been infected and many have died, families have been separated from dying loved ones, small businesses are shuttering their doors, and those living paycheck to paycheck are struggling to put food on their table,” Schmitt said.

China is rejecting the claims in the lawsuits.

The lawsuit from Missouri “has no factual or legal basis” and “it only invites ridicule,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Wednesday, according to an official transcript of a regular press briefing, NBC News reported.

Geng said the Chinese government “has been nothing but open, transparent and responsible” in informing the World Health Organization, relevant countries and the U.S. about the pandemic and related information.

“Such (a) lawsuit is nothing short of frivolous litigation which defies the basic theory of the law,” said Geng.

Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch also filed suit against the Chinese government. The suit “allows Mississippians to seek justice and hold China accountable. Because if you look at what they’ve done, this has been a very malicious … a very dangerous cover-up,” she said Saturday on “Fox & Friends Weekend.”

“The coronavirus has killed. The coronavirus has caused serious medical damage and harm across our country, our state. It’s destroyed our businesses, and it’s functionally altered the way Americans will live,” Fitch said. “We have to rebuild. … We see the damages, the issues that they [China] have caused Mississippians. So I’m bringing the suit on behalf of Mississippians.”

The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a subscriber.

via The Daily Wire

Enjoy this article? Read the full version at the authors website: https://www.dailywire.com

Posted on

Drug Overdose, Head Trauma Deaths Added To Coronavirus Death Toll

A 37-year-old California man who died of a drug overdose has been added to the novel coronavirus death toll.

Though the death of the unidentified man was caused by a drug overdose, he also tested positive for the novel coronavirus, which was coded as a “significant continuing condition,” according to Ventura County spokeswoman Ashley Bautista, VA Star reported Thursday.

“Ventura County’s coronavirus death toll increased to 16 on Thursday as county officials reported two additional deaths, including a 37-year-old man,” the report said.

“The man died as a result of a drug overdose while infected with COVID-19, a significant contributing condition, according to county spokeswoman Ashley Bautista. He is the youngest victim to die from the virus yet in the county,” VA Star added.

Last month, a 61-year-old Pennsylvania man who died from a head injury and tested positive for COVID-19 was added to the coronavirus death toll, too.

“Lehigh County Coroner Eric Minnich confirmed the patient died Friday night at St. Luke’s University Hospital in Fountain Hill,” Lehigh Valley Live reported. “He said the primary cause of the man’s death was a head injury from a fall at home, but that the virus was listed as a contributing factor to his death.”

Earlier this month, leading voice on the White House Coronavirus Task Force Dr. Deborah Birx explained that COVID-19 deaths in the United States have “very liberal” recording guidance, noting that anyone who tests positive for the virus and dies would be included in their numbers of coronavirus deaths.

“I think in this country, we are taking a very liberal approach to mortality. And I think the reporting here has been pretty straightforward over the last five to six weeks,” she said, adding, “If someone dies with COVID-19, we are counting that.”

“There are other countries, that if you have a pre-existing condition, and let’s say the virus called you to go to the ICU (intensive care unit) and then have a heart or kidney problem,” she added. “Some countries are recording that as a kidney issue, or a heart issue, and not a COVID-19 death.” In the U.S., Dr. Birx suggested, “we’re still recording it” as a COVID-19 death.

Pennsylvania has had to remove hundreds of coronavirus deaths from its official death count, following questions of accuracy and highlighted discrepancies by area coroners.

“The PA health department decided to include ‘probable’ coronavirus deaths, or an assumed COVID-19-related death without testing for the virus, to their death tolls, dating back days and even weeks ago. But the death toll spike raised questions from coroners who came forward to highlight a discrepancy in death totals, which were not adding up to the number of all-cause deaths,” The Daily Wire reported Saturday. “The scrutiny triggered multiple revisions and statements from the department, including the removal of 200 ‘probable’ COVID-19 deaths and a claim of computer ‘glitching.’”

Related: Yes, Hospitals Get Paid More For Coronavirus-Coded Patients, Even If They Haven’t Been Tested

The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a subscriber.  

via The Daily Wire

Enjoy this article? Read the full version at the authors website: https://www.dailywire.com

Posted on

White House: China ‘Vacuumed Up World’ For Masks Before COVID-19 News Broke, WH Adviser Says

A top White House trade adviser on Monday said China “vacuumed up” masks and other protective gear in the weeks between learning that a deadly virus had emerged in Wuhan and notifying the World Health Organization (WHO).

Peter Navarro, who serves as White House Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy director, also said China exported “low-quality” antibody tests as he accused the communist country of “profiteering” off the coronavirus pandemic.

“They hid it for six weeks,” Navarro said of China. “They could have contained it in Wuhan. They vacuumed up the world for personal protective equipment — over 2 billion masks — depriving public health care workers around the world from the defenses they need, and today China’s profiteering, basically, from this situation.”

On antibody tests — which show who has already had the virus and therefore cannot be reinfected, most physicians say — Navarro said China is providing faulty equipment.

“One of the things that’s on my radar that’s really troublesome is there’s a lot of these antibody tests coming in from China now that are low-quality, false readings and things like that, and we’ve got to be really careful,” Navarro said on “Fox & Friends.”

Most of the tests now on the market have not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and many yield unreliable results.

Before the outbreak of the virus, China was making about half the world’s medical masks, some 20 million each day, Newsweek reported. “China’s mask industry has exploded in response to the pandemic, with producers in the nation now making more than 116 million every day,” the site says.

“The Chinese Communist Party’s tighter control over the production and distribution of masks has left some governments and firms unable to secure the equipment they need, according to multiple reports.”

Navarro said the U.S.-based 3M company, which has factories in China, saw those plants “nationalized, effectively” by the Chinese government.

Meanwhile, Forbes reports in a piece headlined “China Has ‘Nationalized’ Its N95 Mask Makers” that the move is “making it harder for buyers here to get their hands on a product that, once again, China dominates, says a big U.S. importer.”

“All of our orders, for millions of N95 masks, were canceled last week,” Leo Friedman, CEO of iPromo in Chicago, who has been importing tens of millions of masks all month, told Forbes. “They were for hospitals and state governments. We told them last week that we can’t get them.”

“Our China partners said they couldn’t get them to us because the government nationalized them a month ago,” Friedman says. “There are only a handful of N95 factories in China and now they are all enforcing the nationalization. They are busy with back orders to service Russian and European orders, I was told. This is the first time in my 20 years in business that I had to cancel orders and give money back.”

The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a subscriber.

via The Daily Wire

Enjoy this article? Read the full version at the authors website: https://www.dailywire.com

Posted on

Hundreds Flood Hong Kong Shopping Mall for First Post-Coronavirus Protest

Hundreds of people filled the inside of Cityplaza mall in Taikoo Shing, Hong Kong, on Sunday for a pro-democracy sing-along, the first major act of protest against the increasingly autocratic local government since the Chinese coronavirus limited public gatherings.

The event ended when riot police stormed the mall and attacked the participants, potentially exacerbating any spread of coronavirus that may have occurred if anyone in the crowd was contagious. Police stopped the protest before they could sing any songs, but some did sing the protest anthem “Glory to Hong Kong” while being forced out.

Monday marked the fourth time in eight days that Hong Kong did not document a single new Chinese coronavirus case. Some medical experts in the city are urging the government to remove restrictions on movement in the city given its notably small number of cases. At press time, Hong Kong has documented 1,037 cases of Chinese coronavirus and four deaths.

The Hong Kong Free Press (HKFP) reported that the protest, titled “Singing with You,” was scheduled to begin at the mall at 6 p.m. local time and attracted hundreds of people, appearing in videos to keep some distance from each other while in the open space of the center of the mall.

Many protested by chanting the now-familiar slogans of the 2019 Hong Kong protest movement, including “Liberate Hong Kong, Revolution of Our Times” and more specific demands like “Disband the Police Force.” Some of the protesters also waved Taiwanese flags, supporting the island nation’s independence and calling for a similar status for Hong Kong.

Others still called for the release of the over a dozen Hong Kong protest figures, most of them seniors, arrested last week for their role in encouraging democratic reform in China. Among the arrested were 81-year-old Democratic Party founder Martin Lee and 71-year-old owner of anti-communist newspaper Apple Daily Jimmy Lai, who was already out on bail for charges related to his support for the protest movement. Also arrested was Leung Kwok-hung, an ousted lawmaker stabbed in an attack the week before.

The raids last week were allegedly necessitated by the detainees engaging in “illegal assembly” in August.

Police stormed the mall on Sunday around 6:40 p.m., the HKFP reported, wearing riot gear and carrying pepper spray to attack the reportedly calm crowd. The publication noted government officials did not provide any particular reason for riot police, as opposed to a less aggressive police reaction proportional to the tenor of the crowd.

RTHK, a Hong Kong television and radio broadcaster, reported that police stopped and searched journalists covering the protests as well as threatening them with pepper spray canisters to force them to stop reporting on the incident. In Hong Kong, journalists at mass events often wear brightly colored vests to identify them as separate from participants in the event.

The rush of police into the mall caused panic, RTHK reported: “Stores pulled down their shutters after police burst in – some with customers still inside.”

Officials claimed the action was necessary as protesters were violating “social distancing” guidelines.

While mandating most common “social distancing” activities, Hong Kong’s courts recently upheld a ban on wearing masks at anti-China events.

The Taikoo Shing protest was actually the second such event during the weekend. On Friday, the South China Morning Post reported that about 100 people organized a protest event at a different mall, IFC Mall, similarly chanting protest slogans and urging the government to resist communist pressure from Beijing. The Post noted that the crowd attempted to organize “sparsely,” leaving space between them to respect Chinese coronavirus “social distancing” guidelines.

“Friday’s action was in support of prominent lawyers, activists and legislators arrested last week over anti-government unrest last year, and to rail against recent criticism of pan-democrat legislators by two central government bodies overseeing the city,” the Post noted. As a smaller protest, it did not attract the violent police response of Sunday’s event.

Pro-China lawmakers held a press conference on Monday to condemn the protests, claiming that lawmakers who supported human rights and democracy were guilty of “encouragement, tolerance and beautification” of violence, despite no evidence of any violence perpetrated by anyone but police officers this weekend.

“These are very serious crimes and this is extreme violence,” lawmaker Martin Liao reportedly said, referring to criminal charges against Hong Kong protest participants for alleged violent acts last year. “We are here to reprimand the pan-dem[ocracy] legislators for the encouragement and tolerance and the refusal to condemn violence in the past few months. That has, to some extent, contributed to this scenario.”

Hong Kong has reached a turning point on the Chinese coronavirus pandemic, some officials have suggested, given the lack of new cases in half of the past eight days. Hong Kong has documented 12 coronavirus cases in the past week.

“The last time Hong Kong had gone two consecutive days without a single confirmed infection was all the way back in January,” RTHK noted, though cases rose significantly after that dip. “No new Covid-19 cases were recorded on January 27 and 28, although there was a spike infections by the end of March.”
Even at the local epidemic’s peak, however, the largest number of daily cases Hong Kong reported was 65 people.

“I think schools can resume classes – either morning session or afternoon session but not the whole day of school,” Leung Chi-chiu, the chairman of Hong Kong’s Medical Association’s advisory committee on communicable diseases told RTHK. “We may consider partial resumption of our schools, step by step.”

With the need for “social distancing” eliminated, Hong Kong may soon see a resurgence of the protest movement that brought millions to the streets for half of 2019.

Follow Frances Martel on Facebook and Twitter.

via Breitbart News

Enjoy this article? Read the full version at the authors website: https://www.breitbart.com

Posted on

NYT’s Friedman: ‘Depths of Despair’ by Crushing the Economy Will Kill More People Than Coronavirus Itself

Monday on CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman discussed his recent column, entitled, “We Need Herd Immunity From Trump and the Coronavirus.”

As states and local governments weigh when to reopen the economy after a lengthy quarantine around the United States, Friedman urged the importance of finding a balance in saving lives and saving livelihoods because he believes a poor economy will “kill so many more people than the virus itself.”

“I really believe we have to harmonize our desire to save lives and livelihoods,” Friedman emphasized. “Because depths of despair by crushing the economy will, in the end, kill so many more people than the virus itself. So, I think we have to take very seriously how to harmonize those. But I do believe you have to do it in a very strategic and coordinated way if you’re going to lift these closures.”

Friedman went on to suggest quarantining and protecting the most vulnerable to severe outcomes with the coronavirus and then slowly phasing in those who are immune and the ones least likely to be killed by the virus to help acquire herd immunity, which he noted is the approach in Sweden.

Follow Trent Baker on Twitter @MagnifiTrent

via Breitbart News

Enjoy this article? Read the full version at the authors website: https://www.breitbart.com

Posted on

Donald Trump Criticizes ‘RINO Paul Ryan’ and Fox News

President Donald Trump on Sunday criticized Fox News on Twitter, including former House Speaker Paul Ryan, who now sits on the board of Fox Corp.

“Fox keeps on plugging to try and become politically correct,” Trump wrote on Twitter. “They put RINO Paul Ryan on their Board. They hire “debate questions to Crooked Hillary fraud Donna Brazile (and others who are even worse),” he continued.

Ryan was appointed to the Fox Corp. board of directors in March after retiring from Congress, and according to some reports, is pushing Fox News to pivot from President Trump. In 2019, Ryan rented a home in the Washington, DC, area, and launched a nonprofit organization called The American Idea Foundation.

“Fox News just doesn’t get what’s happening!” Trump wrote. “They are being fed Democrat talking points, and they play them without hesitation or research.”

Trump also criticized Fox News reporter Chris Wallace.

“Chris Wallace is nastier to Republicans than even Deface the Nation or Sleepy Eyes,” he said, referring to his favorite nickname for NBC’s Chuck Todd.

Trump noted that, thanks to him, Fox News has record ratings but that conservatives are eager for something better.

“The people who are watching Fox News in record numbers (thank you President Trump), are angry,” he wrote. “They want an alternative now. So do I!”

Donald Trump attacks Fox on Twitter

via Breitbart News

Enjoy this article? Read the full version at the authors website: https://www.breitbart.com

Posted on

YouTube and Twitter Censor Pharma Company Researching UV Light Treatment for Chinese Virus

Twitter and YouTube have censored AYTU BioScience, a publicly-traded Colorado-based pharmaceutical company, after it promoted ultraviolet (UV) light developed in conjunction with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center as a potential treatment for the Chinese virus. Twitter later reversed its censorship, saying the company’s account was “mistakenly” caught in a spam filter.

AYTU is publicly traded on the NASDAQ index. In its research on UV light treatment for the coronavirus, it is working with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, a major hospital in Los Angeles. The hospital was founded in 1902 and employs over 2,000 physicians.

More information about the “Healight” UV Light treatment being researched by AYTU and Cedars-Sinai can be found on the latter’s website.

UV light has recently been discussed by President Donald Trump as a potential treatment for the coronavirus, leading to a slew of articles from the mainstream media condemning his comments as “dangerous.”

For example, the New York Times recently published a piece titled “Trump Muses About Light as Remedy, but Also Disinfectant, Which Is Dangerous.” The article highlights the links between UV light, a natural byproduct of sunlight that is also used in indoor tanning facilities, and skin cancer. Business Insider quoted experts who called Trump’s UV light comments “exceedingly dangerous,” while NBC News suggested the treatment is being pushed by “conspiracy theorists.”

YouTube and Twitter both took down material from AYTU BioScience, a pharmaceutical company that is investigating UV light treatment as a potential treatment for Wuhan coronavirus. Twitter briefly banned AYTU’s official account, while YouTube has taken down a video from the company about UV light treatment.

Twitter later reversed its censorship and reinstated AYTU’s account. A Twitter spokeswoman said the account had been mistakenly banned after it was caught in a spam filter, and that this has now been reversed.

AYTU’s video about UV treatment remains banned on YouTube. It was taken down by the Google-owned company after New York Times reporter David Alba reached out to the tech giant.

Attempts to access the video now return a message saying the video has been banned for violating YouTube’s community guidelines.

Google has yet to return Breitbart News’ request for comment about the video’s removal. Breitbart News also requested comment from AYTU Bioscience but did not receive a response before publishing.

Are you an insider at Google, Reddit, Facebook, Twitter, or any other tech company who wants to confidentially reveal wrongdoing or political bias at your company? Reach out to Allum Bokhari at his secure email address allumbokhari@protonmail.com. 

Allum Bokhari is the senior technology correspondent at Breitbart News.

via Breitbart News

Enjoy this article? Read the full version at the authors website: https://www.breitbart.com

Posted on

INSANE! Dr. Deborah Birx: Social Distancing to Remain “Throughout Summer”

These doctors and their flawed models are going to destroy this country if they are not stopped.

White House coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx said on Sunday that the current social distancing laws will remain “throughout summer.”

This is pure madness!

Dr. Birx and Dr. Fauci have been completely off in all of their predictions since day 1 of this pandemic.

THE LIST: Dr. Fauci’s 12 Deadly Mistakes and Contradictions — Including His Worst Mistake of Delaying Herd Immunity While Destroying US Economy

The coronavirus was NEVER as dangerous as these so-called experts predicted.
Millions of Americans have had the virus and didn’t even know they had it.
And the mortality rate of those under 50 is less than the flu.

President Trump better reverse course or these deranged doctors are going to ruin this country for good.

The post INSANE! Dr. Deborah Birx: Social Distancing to Remain “Throughout Summer” appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

via The Gateway Pundit

Enjoy this article? Read the full version at the authors website: https://www.thegatewaypundit.com

Posted on

Study: Historic Drop in U.S. Reading and Math Scores Since Common Core ‘Debacle’

A study released Monday by the Boston-based Pioneer Institute reveals a historic drop in national reading and math scores among U.S. students since the adoption of the Common Core Curriculum Standards a decade ago.

“Nearly a decade after states adopted Common Core, the empirical evidence makes it clear that these national standards have yielded underwhelming results for students,” said Pioneer executive director Jim Stergios in a statement. “The proponents of this expensive, legally questionable policy initiative have much to answer for.”

The study, titled “The Common Core Debacle” and authored by education policy researcher Theodor Rebarber, asserts the “shocking trends” in American student performance in critical math and reading skills since the creation of the U.S. Education Department 40 years ago recommends reevaluation of federal involvement in education.

Performance in reading and math since the adoption of Common Core has especially declined in the nation’s lowest-achieving students – many of whom come from low-income families and failing public schools – widening the achievement gap and creating further inequality.

Supporters of Common Core, however, touted the Obama-era federally incentivized standards would be “rigorous” and also “level the playing field.” The Common Core State Standards Initiative boasted that the standards are “important” because:

[h]igh standards that are consistent across states provide teachers, parents, and students with a set of clear expectations to ensure that all students have the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in college, career, and life upon graduation from high school, regardless of where they live. … The standards promote equity by ensuring all students are well prepared to collaborate and compete with their peers in the United States and abroad.

Rebarber observed, however, that while national fourth- and eighth-grade reading scores were rising at about half a point each year from 2003 to 2013, since that time, reading scores have dropped.

“Over the past decade, there has been no progress in either mathematics or reading performance,” Dr. Peggy Carr, associate commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics, said in October 2019 following the release of the Nation’s Report Card [National Assessment of Educational Progress] assessments in math and reading for fourth- and eighth-graders.

“The lowest performing students – those readers who struggle the most – have made no progress in reading from the first NAEP administration almost 30 years ago,” she added:

Rebarber also noted U.S. school children have suffered as a result of the poor-quality Common Core, yet another progressive education reform touted at the federal level:

Dissatisfied with the pace of improvement, most states were persuaded to set aside their own efforts for the promise of a single set of national curriculum standards: the Common Core. Substantive criticism of the national standards, especially by a group of scholars and experts associated with Pioneer Institute, found them not to be internationally competitive, weak on literary content, and based on misguided progressive instructional assumptions and dogmas. In response, Common Core proponents mostly circled the wagons and refused to address substantive criticism of the quality of the standards.

“Several of us allied with Pioneer Institute have been pointing out, ever since it was introduced, the deeply flawed educational assumptions that permeate the Common Core and the many ways in which it is at odds with curriculum standards in top-achieving countries,” Rebarber said.

In the wake of the Common Core “debacle,” a national organization of parents has risen and is calling for an end to federal involvement in education and a return to policy-making at the local level.

United States Parents Involved in Education (USPIE) has produced Truth and Lies in American Education, a film focused on what the coalition of parents says is “the scheme behind the workforce development model of education and liberal indoctrination of children in government schools”:

The parents’ coalition states the film will “inform Americans of the trillions of dollars wasted on federal education in the last 40 years with nothing to show for it but stagnant test scores and declining student academic achievement.”

USPIE observes about its project:

Serious conversations are happening throughout the country about the legitimate and effective role of the federal government in education. Many on both sides of the political aisle agree the federal government has become unreasonably intrusive and ineffective in education policy and practice. State leaders from around the country fed up with being ignored on education policy, have joined forces to abolish the US Department of Education (USED) and put an end to all federal education mandates. It is the goal of USPIE to return America’s education to its proper local roots and restore parental authority over their children’s education.

“The sustained decline we’re now seeing, especially among our most vulnerable students, simply cannot be allowed to continue,” Rebarber also said.

“It’s time for federal law to change to allow states as well as local school districts to try a broader range of approaches to reform,” he added. “With a more bottom-up approach, more school systems will have the opportunity to choose curricula consistent with our international competitors and many decades of research on effective classroom teaching.”

via Breitbart News

Enjoy this article? Read the full version at the authors website: https://www.breitbart.com