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Exclusive– Congressman: Nancy Pelosi Blocking Investigation into Chinese Coronavirus Origins, Tax Money to Wuhan Lab

Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA) told Breitbart News this weekend that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi would rather investigate President Donald Trump again than focus on the actual origins of the Chinese coronavirus and U.S. tax dollars that went to the Wuhan Institute of Virology from which intelligence officials increasingly believe the virus leaked.

Appearing on Breitbart News Saturday on SiriusXM 125 the Patriot Channel, Reschenthaler discussed his efforts to investigate tax dollars that flowed through a New York firm to the Wuhan lab. He said that Pelosi and House Democrats are not interested in holding the Chinese Communist Party accountable and, instead, want to focus their oversight efforts on politically harming President Trump again just like they tried and failed with the partisan impeachment last year and earlier this year.

LISTEN:

Breitbart

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Breitbart News Saturday – Rep. Guy Reschenthaler – May 2, 2020

“We should have an investigative body looking at these grants, but Nancy Pelosi is not going to do that,” Reschenthaler said. “So you have myself and House Republicans. I can tell you I’m going to continue to look into these grants. I’m going to continue to look into the Department of Homeland Security as well to see what grants are going from there to China. I’m also looking at defunding the World Health Organization and we can talk about that as well. But the bottom line of the Democrats’ behavior is this: They hate this president so badly that they would rather side with the Chinese Communist Party than defend Americans and defend our spending and spend wisely and just be honest. That is their hatred for President Trump and disdain for President Trump’s supporters.”

Reschenthaler wrote a letter this week to Secretary of Defense Mark Esper inquiring about a Pentagon grant to EcoHealth Alliance, Inc., a New York firm that has had a history of funding the Wuhan Institute of Virology with subgrants from American taxpayers. The Pentagon grant the congressman was inquiring about was for research into bat-borne zoonotic diseases and their potential as weapons of mass destruction or biological weapons. While it is unclear if that grant saw U.S. taxpayer money flowing from it out to the Wuhan lab, it is known that another grant that EcoHealth Alliance received did partially spend U.S. tax dollars in the Chinese lab.

That grant, from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) — in particular the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), which is run by the now-famous Dr. Anthony Fauci — saw U.S. tax dollars sent to EcoHealth Alliance for researching coronaviruses from bats flow out to the Chinese lab in Wuhan. Some of the money went to other labs around the world too, an NIH official confirmed to Breitbart News last week. But the NIH was so concerned about the money and this lab in Wuhan that the government notified EcoHealth Alliance that it would be investigating the matter and that any funds to the Wuhan lab must be halted while the investigation occurred.

“The NIH funded EcoHealth Alliance, which then, in turn, turned around and partially funded the Wuhan Institute of Virology,” Reschenthaler told Breitbart News. “The DOD also gave EcoHealth Alliance $6.5 million in a grant, and like you said, that grant was to understand bat-borne zoonotic disease in context with weapons of mass destruction. So what I’m trying to find out is whether or not the DOD funding that went to EcoHealth also went to the Wuhan Institute of Virology. We know that the NIH funding did, and we also know that all money is fungible, but I want to see if we can trace that money to Wuhan to see how much and to what extent the DOD and American taxpayers actually funded the Wuhan Institute of Virology.”

What is perhaps most interesting about all this is how little the Democrats on Capitol Hill seem to care about the origins of the virus in Wuhan, China, or about U.S. taxpayer dollars flowing to this lab in China. Many Democrats have brushed off holding China accountable for the virus and, instead, intend to focus their efforts on attacking President Trump over the Chinese coronavirus. Pelosi, whose Articles of Impeachment effort against Trump failed in grand fashion this year as the U.S. Senate acquitted the president, has even launched the creation of a select committee to investigate the Trump administration’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic — a select committee that Republicans are considering boycotting.

The members Pelosi named to the committee last week are highly partisan Democrats. First and foremost, Pelosi named House Majority Whip Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC) — the Democrat who publicly mused that the chaos of the pandemic provided Democrats an opportunity to remake America in their vision — to chair it. Then she named several others directly involved in the failed effort to impeach President Trump, including House Oversight Committee chairwoman Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and House Financial Services Committee chairwoman Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA). Maloney and Waters chair two of the committees that were involved in the partisan impeachment inquiry of President Trump.

The others — House Small Business Committee chairwoman Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-NY) and Reps. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Bill Foster (D-IL), and Andy Kim (D-NJ) — all voted for impeachment as well. Raskin, as a member of the House Judiciary Committee, gained particular prominence during hearings last year.

As such, Rep. Kevin McCarthy — the House GOP leader — has said he does not believe Republicans will participate in the sham investigation because he sees it simply as “another impeachment committee.”

Reschenthaler said on Breitbart News Saturday that if Americans want Congress to have a real investigation into the origins of the Chinese coronavirus and hearings about their tax dollars going to this lab in Wuhan, Republicans would need to retake the House majority in November and commence those hearings next year.

“It’s imperative that we as House Republicans take back the House in this next election because Nancy Pelosi and the far-left Democrats are thwarting everything we do,” Reschenthaler said. “I do have to say I cringe when the media says ‘Nancy Pelosi and the Squad’ because that minimizes how far left this party has gone. It’s just not the Squad. It’s not just Nancy Pelosi. It’s most of their members. Look at the Green New Deal. When that was floated, half of their co-sponsors were on the Green New Deal. Most of these Democrats vote 90 plus percent of the time with [Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez]. This party has moved drastically to the left to the point of siding with the CCP over Americans. They don’t want to get to the bottom of these grants and they also don’t want my resolution run on the floor about defunding the World Health Organization or at least getting Dr. Tedros to resign and getting an international organization to investigate how the World Health Organization was either grossly negligent in dealing with the Wuhan virus or how they worked hand-in-glove with the Chinese Communist Party in trying to cover up the virus early on. But that’s the extent of their hatred, again, of this president and his supporters where they will not run these bills and they will not do these investigations because, again, they would rather side with the CCP than do the right thing.”

To retake the House majority, Republicans need to win just 18 net seats back from Democrats. There are 30 districts across America that Trump won in 2016 currently represented by a Democrat, so the prospect is very possible that the GOP could flip the House back. In the meantime, however, while Democrats on Capitol Hill dither in partisan politics, the Trump administration and the U.S. Intelligence Community are investigating these matters, Reschenthaler said.

“The Intel Community hasn’t ruled out the virus may have originated in the lab,” Reschenthaler said. “We know that. That’s coming from the Intel Community. We also know that the NIH in a letter to EcoHealth stated that they believe — this is again the NIH letter I’m stating — that they believe the virus may have originated in the lab. That was the Wuhan Institute of Virology in Lab IV. We know that. But I think whether or not this disease came from a bat through a wet market or it came from a lab, we’ve got to see where it originated and we’ve got to see what we can do to make sure we stop these pandemics in the future. That could be something like encouraging other nations to stop interactions at wet markets, which should be happening anyhow. If it originated in a lab and somehow leaked from the lab, we shouldn’t be funding labs that study virology and weapons of mass destruction in terms of biological weapons. We shouldn’t fund these labs unless they have procedures in place where the disease won’t leak out and kill 60,000 Americans and hundreds of thousands around the world. This is a very responsible thing to do as good stewards of taxpayer money.”

Reschenthaler also hopes to get answers as to whether the Chinese Communist Party, while it was getting these U.S. tax dollars into the Wuhan Institute of Virology, was even being forthcoming with U.S. officials about research that was compiled there on such coronaviruses, including potentially the one plaguing the planet right now.

“I’d like to add, as we get to the bottom of this, I’d like to see what information we were getting back from the Institute of Virology in Wuhan because something tells me the Chinese Communist Party was taking the money from EcoHealth Alliance — which was, again, a large part came from the United States and our taxpayers — then doing this research, and I don’t know if they were giving us any actual data or scientific findings from what we were funding,” Reschenthaler said. “They certainly didn’t allow American doctors and scientists into Wuhan at the start of this disease. They’ve kept us shut out for a large part. So I want to see if we were being taken advantage of. I suspect that we were by the Chinese Communist Party, and I want to see in the future, when we do give these grants, there is transparency and we get the research that comes from us funding these labs.”

Breitbart News Saturday airs on SiriusXM Patriot 125 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern.

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MUST WATCH: Tearful Nurse Blows Whistle on New York Hospitals ‘Murdering’ COVID Patients With ‘Complete Medical Mismanagement’

A Nevada nurse who travelled to New York to help treat COVID-19 patients has posted a tearful Facebook Live video claiming that patients are not dying from the virus, but are being “murdered” by “gross negligence and complete medical mismanagement.”

Nicole Sirotek, a nurse from Elko, Nevada, was assigned to two different hospitals in New York City.

“I am literally telling you that they are murdering these people,” Sirotek says in the terrifying video.

The video begins with Sirotek explaining that every time she attempts to advocate on behalf of one of her patients, management takes them away and reassigns her to another unit. She said that this happened at both of the hospitals she has worked at in the city. “I legitimately don’t even know what to do anymore. Even advocacy groups don’t give a sh-t about these people,” she said. “Black lives don’t matter here.”

“I know not everybody is going to live. I’m not that f-cking green, or ignorant, or bright eyed and bushy tailed to think that, okay? I know we’re going to have a sh-t ton of people die — but these people aren’t dying from COVID.”

Sirotek then gave several specific examples of patients who have died from medical negligence, including a resident nurse killing a patient by using a defibrillator on him when he had a pulse and it wasn’t necessary. When she ran out of the room to get help stopping him from doing it, the director of nursing just shook their head at her. The patient ultimately died, but not from COVID.

In another example, she said that a patient was given the wrong type of insulin. Even more alarmingly, she said that the hospital was refusing to give blood transfusions to patients who are low on blood unless they have internal bleeding. Without proper blood flow, she explained, the ventilators will not do anything to help them — and she said that this is a common problem for patients with the virus.

“Nobody is listening. They don’t care what is happening to these people. They don’t. I’m literally coming here every day and watching them kill them,” she said.

Posted by Nicole Sirotek on Saturday, May 2, 2020

Here is a copy of the video:

Sirotek explained that “we’re not even treating the COVID guys, for real, we’re not treating the COVID.” She said that the bare minimum is being done to keep them alive, but not to help them get better. This has lead to a 100% mortality rate in her unit, she claims.

Sirotek asserted that the hospitals are so neglectful of the COVID patients that she has actually been assigned to people who are already dead, but nobody knew it.

“How long have they been dead? Nobody knows!” Sirotek exclaimed.

The situation has become so dire, Sirotek said, that the only way she can put it into context is by comparing it to the Holocaust.

“This is going to be kind of an extreme example, but this is really the only thing I can come up with,” Sirotek began. “It’s like if we were in Nazi Germany and they were like, taking the Jews to go put them in a gas chamber, I’m the one there saying like, ‘hey, this is not good, this is bad, this is wrong, we should not be doing this.’ Then everyone tells me ‘hang in there, you’re doing a great job, you can’t save everybody — you’re amazing, you’re a great nurse.’”

Sirotek explained that she knows she is a great nurse, but what she needs is someone to help her actually treat and save her patients “from being killed.”

At this point Sirotek broke down in tears saying she is out of ideas on what to do. “Am I the only one who is not a sociopath?” Sirotek asks, referring to the other nurses.

She explained that while some patients will legitimately have multi-organ failure and die from COVID, that hasn’t been the case with cases she has seen.

“I am literally telling you that they are murdering these people — and nobody will listen to me. Like I said, I’m not a doctor, but I’m pretty sure that when you defibrillate somebody with a heartbeat of 40 and a stable rhythm, and you kill them, that’s murder.”

Sirotek cited multiple cases that she believes to be beyond malpractice, accusing the hospital staff of murder.

She said that she has reached out to news organizations, hospital administrators, and even black advocacy groups for help without any luck.

“Stay safe. Stay out of NYC for your healthcare,” her video concludes.

The post MUST WATCH: Tearful Nurse Blows Whistle on New York Hospitals ‘Murdering’ COVID Patients With ‘Complete Medical Mismanagement’ appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Reminder for Americans: Freedom includes risk

I ride motorcycles.  I take that risk because I still have enough freedom left to do so.  My state’s government requires that I wear a helmet in its utopian effort to protect me from my own reckless behavior.  I would wear that helmet anyway, as well as boots, gloves, and jacket, in order to mitigate the risk.

Freedom, it seems to me, requires I decide how much risk I am willing to take and how I want (or not) to mitigate it.  If I wanted to be completely protected, I would stay in my house and never ride a motorcycle.  If I wanted the experience of feeling the wind blowing across my bald head, I would ride without a helmet.  I enjoy riding and feel comfortable with my level of risk, given the mitigating steps I have chosen.

The world is a dangerous place even without this particular virus in it.  Once I leave my house, I could be hit by a bus, be stabbed in the park, contract the seasonal flu, or die from a myriad of other lethal factors.  I mitigate each of those risks daily through prudent behavior, all the while knowing I can never eliminate them.  That is my right and responsibility as a free human being.

I resent my rights being curtailed so others don’t have to be responsible for mitigating their risk, but instead put faith in politicians and functionaries to do it for them.  The reward of living my life freely is worth any risk of dying in the process.  If that prospect scares the hell out of you, “Stay Home — Stay Safe.”

I ride motorcycles.  I take that risk because I still have enough freedom left to do so.  My state’s government requires that I wear a helmet in its utopian effort to protect me from my own reckless behavior.  I would wear that helmet anyway, as well as boots, gloves, and jacket, in order to mitigate the risk.

Freedom, it seems to me, requires I decide how much risk I am willing to take and how I want (or not) to mitigate it.  If I wanted to be completely protected, I would stay in my house and never ride a motorcycle.  If I wanted the experience of feeling the wind blowing across my bald head, I would ride without a helmet.  I enjoy riding and feel comfortable with my level of risk, given the mitigating steps I have chosen.

The world is a dangerous place even without this particular virus in it.  Once I leave my house, I could be hit by a bus, be stabbed in the park, contract the seasonal flu, or die from a myriad of other lethal factors.  I mitigate each of those risks daily through prudent behavior, all the while knowing I can never eliminate them.  That is my right and responsibility as a free human being.

I resent my rights being curtailed so others don’t have to be responsible for mitigating their risk, but instead put faith in politicians and functionaries to do it for them.  The reward of living my life freely is worth any risk of dying in the process.  If that prospect scares the hell out of you, “Stay Home — Stay Safe.”

via American Thinker Blog

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Coronavirus panic raises government contempt of privacy to new heights

Over the past month or so, as governors across America have attempted to address coronavirus concerns within the nuanced confines of their states’ borders, the question of just how far we should allow the government to intrude upon our rights in the name of public health concerns has continued to surface.

We have seen what many consider to be the needless overstepping of boundaries on issues including the use of state and national parks, with the National Park Service’s website stating that 150 of the 419 locations in the national park system were either partially or fully closed as a result of COVID-19, despite the relative ease which with these locations can be enjoyed while fully complying with government-mandated social distancing guidelines.

After a difficult six weeks or so that saw unemployment spike nationally while Congress scrambled to put together multiple relief packages for businesses and private citizens, states like Texas, Tennessee, and Georgia are now beginning to lead the charge toward the eventual reopening of the American economy.

While America begins to take its first steps toward the normalization of human interaction, the methods used to track any subsequent surges in new coronavirus cases geographically — not only in the U.S., but also internationally — are being developed in real time.

According to the website OneZero, at this point in time, “at least 30 governments around the world have instituted temporary or indefinite efforts to single out infected individuals or maintain quarantines.”  The “indefinite” part should be cause for concern in many countries, some which fail to place any premium on an individual’s right to privacy.

These countries, which include the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, Italy, Israel, Pakistan, Iran, and Germany, are all employing new surveillance tactics under the guise of “the greater concern of public health interests.”

In the U.S., surveillance of the citizenry is nothing new.  Part of the fallout of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks was the institution of the PATRIOT Act, which gave government sweeping new surveillance powers with limited oversight.  These powers included the ability to demand customer data and communication records from telecommunication companies without the need for a proper warrant.

Now, in light of the coronavirus outbreak, the already intrusive mobile advertising industry will supply location data to local, state, and federal government organizations to help determine whether citizens are complying with stay-at-home directives and if parks are being frequented.  In addition, the app Foursquare, which people use to “check in” at various locations, is said to be in talks with numerous government organizations regarding aiding the government’s effort to track potential carriers of COVID-19, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Other Examples of governmental tracking efforts internationally include:

Iran: The Iranian government has developed an app that has recorded millions of users’ location data as part of a questionnaire that claims to detect their likelihood of infection with the coronavirus.  A message promoting the app was sent to tens of millions of Iranians, with instructions to take the questionnaire prior to being tested for COVID-19.  According to the Iranian government, this tactic netted the location data for at least 3.5 million people.

Australia: Although the Australian government has opted to not use cell phone–based location-tracking, people diagnosed with COVID-19 and forced into quarantine may either have surveillance devices installed in their homes or be forced to wear an electronic device, according to a new law in the state of Western Australia.

Poland: An new app named Home Quarantine requires Polish citizens currently under quarantine to randomly check in with the government by sending a picture of themselves while at home within 20 minutes or face the possibility of a fine.  This app employs the use of facial recognition to determine whether it is actually the person under quarantine orders, and additionally, the phone’s location information is used to ensure that he’s really at home.

With all the new tracking applications being rolled out internationally, it is also very important to make sure you aren’t interacting with rogue applications designed to steal information for hackers looking to make a profit on the coronavirus frenzy.  Libyan hackers have recently developed a remote access trojan (RAT) known as SpyMax, which poses as a tool to aid users in following the latest news regarding COVID-19 and imitates the popular Johns Hopkins University coronavirus dashboard.  The creators of SpyMax are currently spreading the RAT to victims via text messages.

The progressive deterioration of individual privacy rights has found an accelerant in the frenzy surrounding our current pandemic.  Like with many other major events in history, when provided justification in “the interest of public safety,” the statists within governments globally were more than up to the task of finding new ways to keep track of their “subjects.”  

Julio Rivera is a business and political strategist, the editorial director for Reactionary Times, and a political commentator and columnist.  His writing, which is focused on cyber-security and politics, has been published by websites including The Hill, Real Clear Politics, Townhall, and American Thinker.

Over the past month or so, as governors across America have attempted to address coronavirus concerns within the nuanced confines of their states’ borders, the question of just how far we should allow the government to intrude upon our rights in the name of public health concerns has continued to surface.

We have seen what many consider to be the needless overstepping of boundaries on issues including the use of state and national parks, with the National Park Service’s website stating that 150 of the 419 locations in the national park system were either partially or fully closed as a result of COVID-19, despite the relative ease which with these locations can be enjoyed while fully complying with government-mandated social distancing guidelines.

After a difficult six weeks or so that saw unemployment spike nationally while Congress scrambled to put together multiple relief packages for businesses and private citizens, states like Texas, Tennessee, and Georgia are now beginning to lead the charge toward the eventual reopening of the American economy.

While America begins to take its first steps toward the normalization of human interaction, the methods used to track any subsequent surges in new coronavirus cases geographically — not only in the U.S., but also internationally — are being developed in real time.

According to the website OneZero, at this point in time, “at least 30 governments around the world have instituted temporary or indefinite efforts to single out infected individuals or maintain quarantines.”  The “indefinite” part should be cause for concern in many countries, some which fail to place any premium on an individual’s right to privacy.

These countries, which include the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, Italy, Israel, Pakistan, Iran, and Germany, are all employing new surveillance tactics under the guise of “the greater concern of public health interests.”

In the U.S., surveillance of the citizenry is nothing new.  Part of the fallout of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks was the institution of the PATRIOT Act, which gave government sweeping new surveillance powers with limited oversight.  These powers included the ability to demand customer data and communication records from telecommunication companies without the need for a proper warrant.

Now, in light of the coronavirus outbreak, the already intrusive mobile advertising industry will supply location data to local, state, and federal government organizations to help determine whether citizens are complying with stay-at-home directives and if parks are being frequented.  In addition, the app Foursquare, which people use to “check in” at various locations, is said to be in talks with numerous government organizations regarding aiding the government’s effort to track potential carriers of COVID-19, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Other Examples of governmental tracking efforts internationally include:

Iran: The Iranian government has developed an app that has recorded millions of users’ location data as part of a questionnaire that claims to detect their likelihood of infection with the coronavirus.  A message promoting the app was sent to tens of millions of Iranians, with instructions to take the questionnaire prior to being tested for COVID-19.  According to the Iranian government, this tactic netted the location data for at least 3.5 million people.

Australia: Although the Australian government has opted to not use cell phone–based location-tracking, people diagnosed with COVID-19 and forced into quarantine may either have surveillance devices installed in their homes or be forced to wear an electronic device, according to a new law in the state of Western Australia.

Poland: An new app named Home Quarantine requires Polish citizens currently under quarantine to randomly check in with the government by sending a picture of themselves while at home within 20 minutes or face the possibility of a fine.  This app employs the use of facial recognition to determine whether it is actually the person under quarantine orders, and additionally, the phone’s location information is used to ensure that he’s really at home.

With all the new tracking applications being rolled out internationally, it is also very important to make sure you aren’t interacting with rogue applications designed to steal information for hackers looking to make a profit on the coronavirus frenzy.  Libyan hackers have recently developed a remote access trojan (RAT) known as SpyMax, which poses as a tool to aid users in following the latest news regarding COVID-19 and imitates the popular Johns Hopkins University coronavirus dashboard.  The creators of SpyMax are currently spreading the RAT to victims via text messages.

The progressive deterioration of individual privacy rights has found an accelerant in the frenzy surrounding our current pandemic.  Like with many other major events in history, when provided justification in “the interest of public safety,” the statists within governments globally were more than up to the task of finding new ways to keep track of their “subjects.”  

Julio Rivera is a business and political strategist, the editorial director for Reactionary Times, and a political commentator and columnist.  His writing, which is focused on cyber-security and politics, has been published by websites including The Hill, Real Clear Politics, Townhall, and American Thinker.

via American Thinker Blog

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The Washington Post publishes a hit piece against Trump

The Washington Post has long been a Democrat party house organ, but it used to pretend to impartiality. Those days are over. It is so deeply committed to its anti-Trump narrative that its slogan, rather than being “Democracy Dies in Darkness,” should be “Whatever Trump’s for, we’re against it!” In this case, Trump stands for blaming China for its unconscionable behavior vis-à-vis the Wuhan virus and for wanting to reopen the economy before America looks like Venezuela.

On Saturday, the WaPo published a lengthy “investigative” piece entitled “34 days of pandemic: Inside Trump’s desperate attempts to reopen America.” The five people who wrote the piece boast about having spoken with 82 administration officials, but this is not an objective look at the data. The article’s premise is that is a moron Trump who cares only about reelection. Along the way, it misstates and ignores facts, and spins so fast it makes a person motion sick.

There are three useful things to keep in mind before looking at the piece. First, its publication coincides with a Gallup poll showing that Trump’s approval rating has gone up six points in two weeks. Second, even anti-Trump stalwarts such as Nate Silver are finding it hard to look at the evidence and then continue to attack Trump:

Third, WaPo’s people are generally struggling with reality. For example, a WaPo video acknowledges that the Wuhan virus is found in bats used at labs near Wuhan, but not in bats anywhere near the Wuhan wet market. Nevertheless, the WaPo says it’s “doubtful” the virus escaped from a lab. This conclusion would surprise America’s 17 intelligence agencies, which are agreed “that COVID-19 originated in the Wuhan lab,” although they believe the release was accidental. What was not accidental was the cover-up.

With those facts in mind, the WaPo’s hit piece against Trump makes more sense. The outlet cannot acknowledge that he handled the virus well, that China is an enemy, and that people are beginning to support Trump’s efforts to protect America.

The article argues that Trump’s entire focus in March and April wasn’t about saving American lives. His focus was saving the economy so he could be reelected.

The authors don’t understand that Trump realized immediately that either too many deaths or too much economic disruption would be disastrous for America. He was always threading the needle to save American lives and prevent America from plunging into a devastating and deadly depression.

According to the piece, when Trump was told the best case scenario was 100,000 to 240,000 dead Americans, he insisted on an analysis that would look at the economic risks to America. It turns out Trump’s focus was probably correct.

To date, the Wuhan virus (thankfully) has killed maybe 64,283 Americans (the numbers are highly questionable), which is the same as a bad flu season. Meanwhile, flu deaths have plummeted, as have car accident deaths and violent crimes. Americans are dying at a normal pace, just from different things.

Doctors have also learned how best to treat the Wuhan virus which means, among other things, avoiding ventilators. Trump was instinctively correct that they weren’t that necessary. It turns out they seem to kill people by putting pressure on already fragile lungs.

The reporters berate Trump for believing in hydroxychloroquine, which they call a “fantasy cure-all.” However, outside of the useless CDC and its obsession with double-blind studies, a successful hydroxychloroquine cocktail proves Trump was probably correct.

For its part, the WaPo is enchanted with the VA’s hydroxychloroquine study. That study, though,  was fatally flawed, both because it did not use zinc, which seems to be a necessary mediator for the other drugs, and because the VA used it on a handful of patients who were already in extremis.

The reporters claim that, even though Trump is correct that the U.S. is testing more people than anywhere else in the world, we’re still not testing enough people. This position ignores the fact that, other than providing statistical data, there’s no clear benefit from testing every American.

And of course, the authors voice their real gripe, which is that Trump is letting the states make their own plans for returning to normal, something consistent with both federalism and a constitutionally limited executive. How dare the guy who was supposed to be Hitler not act like Hitler?

And though administration health officials produced detailed guidelines for reopening, those released by Trump were intentionally vague and devoid of clear metrics, making it easier for the president to avoid responsibility and harder for local leaders to interpret.

There’s more, much more, all of it spin rather than reporting. It’s certainly red meat for the WaPo’s core readership. Whether it will change the minds of those people who are beginning to think that Trump did a surprisingly good job in a fluid, dangerous situation remains to be seen.

The Washington Post has long been a Democrat party house organ, but it used to pretend to impartiality. Those days are over. It is so deeply committed to its anti-Trump narrative that its slogan, rather than being “Democracy Dies in Darkness,” should be “Whatever Trump’s for, we’re against it!” In this case, Trump stands for blaming China for its unconscionable behavior vis-à-vis the Wuhan virus and for wanting to reopen the economy before America looks like Venezuela.

On Saturday, the WaPo published a lengthy “investigative” piece entitled “34 days of pandemic: Inside Trump’s desperate attempts to reopen America.” The five people who wrote the piece boast about having spoken with 82 administration officials, but this is not an objective look at the data. The article’s premise is that is a moron Trump who cares only about reelection. Along the way, it misstates and ignores facts, and spins so fast it makes a person motion sick.

There are three useful things to keep in mind before looking at the piece. First, its publication coincides with a Gallup poll showing that Trump’s approval rating has gone up six points in two weeks. Second, even anti-Trump stalwarts such as Nate Silver are finding it hard to look at the evidence and then continue to attack Trump:

Third, WaPo’s people are generally struggling with reality. For example, a WaPo video acknowledges that the Wuhan virus is found in bats used at labs near Wuhan, but not in bats anywhere near the Wuhan wet market. Nevertheless, the WaPo says it’s “doubtful” the virus escaped from a lab. This conclusion would surprise America’s 17 intelligence agencies, which are agreed “that COVID-19 originated in the Wuhan lab,” although they believe the release was accidental. What was not accidental was the cover-up.

With those facts in mind, the WaPo’s hit piece against Trump makes more sense. The outlet cannot acknowledge that he handled the virus well, that China is an enemy, and that people are beginning to support Trump’s efforts to protect America.

The article argues that Trump’s entire focus in March and April wasn’t about saving American lives. His focus was saving the economy so he could be reelected.

The authors don’t understand that Trump realized immediately that either too many deaths or too much economic disruption would be disastrous for America. He was always threading the needle to save American lives and prevent America from plunging into a devastating and deadly depression.

According to the piece, when Trump was told the best case scenario was 100,000 to 240,000 dead Americans, he insisted on an analysis that would look at the economic risks to America. It turns out Trump’s focus was probably correct.

To date, the Wuhan virus (thankfully) has killed maybe 64,283 Americans (the numbers are highly questionable), which is the same as a bad flu season. Meanwhile, flu deaths have plummeted, as have car accident deaths and violent crimes. Americans are dying at a normal pace, just from different things.

Doctors have also learned how best to treat the Wuhan virus which means, among other things, avoiding ventilators. Trump was instinctively correct that they weren’t that necessary. It turns out they seem to kill people by putting pressure on already fragile lungs.

The reporters berate Trump for believing in hydroxychloroquine, which they call a “fantasy cure-all.” However, outside of the useless CDC and its obsession with double-blind studies, a successful hydroxychloroquine cocktail proves Trump was probably correct.

For its part, the WaPo is enchanted with the VA’s hydroxychloroquine study. That study, though,  was fatally flawed, both because it did not use zinc, which seems to be a necessary mediator for the other drugs, and because the VA used it on a handful of patients who were already in extremis.

The reporters claim that, even though Trump is correct that the U.S. is testing more people than anywhere else in the world, we’re still not testing enough people. This position ignores the fact that, other than providing statistical data, there’s no clear benefit from testing every American.

And of course, the authors voice their real gripe, which is that Trump is letting the states make their own plans for returning to normal, something consistent with both federalism and a constitutionally limited executive. How dare the guy who was supposed to be Hitler not act like Hitler?

And though administration health officials produced detailed guidelines for reopening, those released by Trump were intentionally vague and devoid of clear metrics, making it easier for the president to avoid responsibility and harder for local leaders to interpret.

There’s more, much more, all of it spin rather than reporting. It’s certainly red meat for the WaPo’s core readership. Whether it will change the minds of those people who are beginning to think that Trump did a surprisingly good job in a fluid, dangerous situation remains to be seen.

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Meet the Florida Firefighter Who Refused to Close His Gun Store

On the afternoon of March 24, two Delray Beach, Fla., code enforcement officials walked into Wex Gunworks and told owner Brandon Wexler that he had to shut down over concerns about coronavirus. Wexler’s mind immediately went to the customers who had begun flooding his shop as the deadly virus spread. Florida law requires stores to hold guns purchased by residents without gun-carry permits for at least five days. Wexler had more than 500 people waiting on their purchases at the time.

"You’re violating their rights. They can’t protect their families, their property. And God forbid if this thing turned sideways," Wexler said. "I need to help these people. I went into fireman mode." 

In addition to running the gun shop, Wexler is a Palm Beach County firefighter. The 13-year department veteran had already taken steps to keep his customers safe from the virus by canceling classes and enforcing social distancing. He bristled at the notion that the store had to shutter completely. Wexler sees no difference between his job as a first responder and his role as a shop owner. Both are more essential than ever in times of crisis.

"Forget me being a business owner, I’m more concerned about my customers," he said. "This is stupid. They are violating our constitutional rights." 

After the March visit, Wexler reached out to the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), which represents firearms manufacturers and retailers, for help as he prepared a lawsuit. Mark Oliva, an NSSF spokesman, said the organization is working with gun stores across the country facing similar fights. 

"It comes down to this: You don’t have the ability to exercise your fundamental Second Amendment rights unless you have the ability to buy a gun. It all starts at the gun counter," Oliva told the Washington Free Beacon. "If you don’t have the ability to buy that gun, you can’t exercise your right to keep and bear arms."

Delray Beach did not respond to a request for comment. 

Most states and localities have allowed gun stores to operate as "essential" businesses during the shutdowns, echoing federal guidelines released in March. But a handful of areas have demanded the stores close. Massachusetts, Los Angeles, and New Mexico have become legal battlegrounds for retailers and gun-rights groups alike. The outcomes of those fights will set precedents on how to balance constitutionally protected rights and state emergency powers. 

"Right now, I think we’re looking at 45 states are open and able to do business," Oliva said. "Five states are giving us issues, and we’re working to get those figured out. But even states that you thought would be easy, like Texas, have been problems. " 

Travis County, which includes Austin, did not exempt gun stores from its March shutdown order. Michael Cargill, owner of Central Texas Gun Works, has refused to close his doors to customers regardless of the order. 

"What we’re saying is that we’re not going to close down at all," he told the Free Beacon. "I’ve had people call me and threaten to contact the city and the county and let them know that we’re not closing and I said, ‘Fine, feel free to call because we’re not going to close because we are an essential business.’ People need food, they need water, they need medicine, they need medical care, and they also need firearms for personal protection." 

The store has not yet received a visit from local authorities. Travis County did not respond to a request for comment about whether the order applies to gun stores.

Cargill said he did not believe local authorities had the power to close his gun store. 

"Your cities, your counties, your municipalities do not have the authority to regulate the use or sale of firearms. That is reserved for the state legislature," he said. "We have laws on the books right now to protect our gun rights. These cities cannot implement any gun laws at all that are stricter than the state law. When it comes to firearms, I don’t recognize that ability." 

Cargill’s opinion has received backing from the state’s highest law enforcement official. Following inquiries from lawmakers about the status of firearms retailers, Texas attorney general Ken Paxton (R.) released a legal opinion telling localities that they "may not regulate or restrict the sale of firearms." 

Wex Gunworks achieved a similar victory. Code enforcement officials returned to the shop on March 25 to tell managers that the city had changed its policy.  

"Code enforcement came in. I wasn’t there, I was on duty [at the fire station]," Wexler said. "And they said, ‘Okay, you guys are good. You’re essential,’ with their tail between their legs. So, it was resolved quickly." 

Bob’s Little Sport Shop in Glassboro, N.J., questioned the wisdom and legality of being ordered to shut down by Gov. Phil Murphy (D.).  

"I don’t understand how they can judge the liquor store an essential business, but your Second Amendment isn’t essential," Wayne Viden, vice president of the store, told the Free Beacon. "What other recourse do you have to protect yourself?" 

The store wanted to keep its doors open, but Murphy’s order extended beyond businesses: He shut down the state’s background check system as well. The move prevented any New Jersey resident from purchasing a legal firearm. The store supported three generations of the Viden family, all of whom were hurt by the shutdown order.

"His agenda and the agenda of a majority of the New Jersey Democrats is that they don’t want our stores to be open," Viden said. "So, if this cripples or destroys our stores, they’re fine with it. They don’t really care about families that rely on this type of business." 

Gun-store owners said they appreciated the severity of the coronavirus, which has claimed the lives of more than 60,000 Americans. Viden’s store has now reopened on an appointment-only basis after Murphy backed away from his shutdown. 

"We get the dangers of it," Viden said. "My parents live above our store. My father is 78. My mother is 75. They’re the ones who are the most in danger." 

All three stores have implemented enhanced cleaning and social distancing practices in an effort to keep customers as safe as possible. 

"We are obviously practicing social distancing," Wexler said. "We’re decontaminating. We have Xs in the store. No more than six people. We’re wearing gloves. We have masks. We’re decontaminating the place. Everything—the doors, the handles, the computer keyboards, the cabinets, the pens. Everything." 

Gun sales hit a record high in March as customers flocked to stores, but those sales provide low-margins for most firearms businesses. Training classes and other courses—the types of activities they have eliminated to keep customers safe—are the real money-maker. The owners who spoke to the Free Beacon said their efforts to stay open during the pandemic are driven less by profit and more by principle. 

"This is not a financial decision at all because we don’t make our money on selling guns," Cargill said. "We make our money on training and classes. I’m actually not able to do those classes now because I can’t have that many people in a class. We’ve had to postpone them." 

"I saw the wave of fear or panic that people needed to protect their person, property, and family," Wexler said. "I have a huge responsibility. I need to help the people protecting their families." 

He said that whatever happened, he was going to find a way to get guns to the customers—especially first-time gun owners—who had passed a background check and bought them.

"It’s about our constitutional right," Wexler said. "It’s about being an American." 

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Woman Says Biden Commented on Her Breasts and Her Age When She Was Only 14-Years-Old — SIX People Back Up Her Claim

Another woman has come forward with allegations about Joe Biden’s inappropriate behavior — claiming that he commented on her age and her breasts when she was only 14-years-old.

Speaking to Law & Crime, Eva Murry, 26, claims that she was sexually harassed by Biden at First State Gridiron Dinner & Show in 2008, a swanky political roast for Delaware press and politicians similar to the White House Correspondents Dinner.

Murry is the niece of former Republican Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell, who was running for senate against Biden at the time and had occasionally went to political events for school credit. She was in Middle School at the time.

At the dinner, Murray says that when she met Biden he asked her age and then, surprised by her youth, commented about how she was “very well endowed for fourteen!”

“I remember walking into the lobby and being in awe of all the people in such fancy clothes,” Murry told Law & Crime. “Our two parties of people gravitated towards each other and everyone started saying their hellos. When it was Biden and my aunt’s turn to say hello he quickly turned to me and asked how old I was. I replied with my age and he replied with the comment ‘Fourteen? You’re very well endowed for 14!’ I was confused but it was definitely weird, he looked me up and down and hovered his eyes on my chest so I had some clue [about] the notion of his comment but didn’t fully understand at the time. We quickly separated from his area after the encounter.”

Murry has six people to corroborate her claims, as well.

“One friend and her sister said that Murry told her details of the alleged incident more or less immediately after it happened. Four other friends of Murry’s said they were told about the incident, with the same details, between two and three years after it originally occurred,” Law & Crime reports.

Multiple friends who Murry told about the event spoke to the outlet on the record.

“She was telling me about the event and explained what happened,” Victoria Anstey, a friend of Murry, said. “I remember being so shocked. I didn’t know who Biden was or anything. Just [that] she said he was an ‘older man’ was enough for me to not like the situation.”

“Eva is telling the truth,” she added. “She told me he looked at her chest and she was well endowed. She looked very uncomfortable. I asked how old he was. She said like an older man. I said like old like a teacher or elderly and she said old like a teacher. I remember myself getting mad.”

Anstey said that she is a Democrat and she “can’t stand Trump” and that it isn’t about politics, it’s about men in power abusing their positions.

Another friend, Katielynn Weaver, said that Murry told her about the incident over ten years ago.

Aileen Callaghan, another friend, said Murry told her when they were teenagers. “It was probably 2010 when she told me,” she told Law&Crime. “She mentioned that he was at an event she was with with her aunt and that he was a creep and was looking at her chest the whole time.”

Eva Murry’s older sister, Jenna Murry, said she was told about the alleged incident “within a week or so of the dinner.”

Following the incident, Murry says that she would some times have to see him at campaign events and would feel sick to her stomach knowing he would be there. She said that she encountered him “about three times after that” at similar events and that “his eyes never were on my face.”

“I feel his comments were verbal sexual harassment,” Murry said. “I think I was too naive to realize exactly what it meant at the time but I vividly remember the uncomfortable feeling I had in the pit of my stomach during the whole encounter. It wasn’t Biden’s words alone that made me so uncomfortable, it was the look, the tone, the whole general vibe was off.”

Murry’s reason for going public isn’t political, according to the young woman. She explained that she was becoming upset with seeing him all over her Facebook feed when he became the presumptive nominee. She began telling the story on her friend’s Facebook posts when they would share something about him and wanted them to know what kind of person he was.

“It got overwhelming repeating myself on everyone’s post,” she said. “So I made a master thread with the intentions of informing my friends and family who I care very much about, just what kind of man Biden is.”

Murry has two children and is currently engaged.

“No man or woman should get away with acting that way and that is what this boils down to,” she said.

The post Woman Says Biden Commented on Her Breasts and Her Age When She Was Only 14-Years-Old — SIX People Back Up Her Claim appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Biden Makes COVID Comment So Outrageously False Even Pathologically Fake MSNBC Corrects Him

If there is one thing left-wing establishment media personalities simply cannot stomach, it’s fact-checking popular Democratic Party politicians and talking points.

From former President Barack Obama’s widely refuted “if you like your health care plan, you can keep your health care plan” to the 21st century racial unrest slogan that is “hands up, don’t shoot,” asking the Jim Acostas and Rachel Maddows of the world to correct the record on left-wing misinformation is like asking a toddler to eat his vegetables.

Unfortunately for them, however, the advent of yet another high-profile Joe Biden candidacy has left precious few alternatives.

A gaffe machine very much unlike a fine red wine — worsening with age, that is — presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is a figure so often in error that his every speaking engagement seems to leave the establishment media on edge as to whether another fact-check will have to be — begrudgingly — issued.

And the former vice president’s Friday appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” with Joe Scarborough was no exception.

TRENDING: New Mexico Governor Closes All Roads to City of 22,000, Forces Strict Lockdown

Supposedly elucidating how his administration might better handle a public health crisis as serious as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Biden was, rather embarrassingly, corrected on air over repeat claims the virus had killed more than 600,000 Americans.

“Over 600,000 dead, many of them are people who are those workers, those nurses, doctors, some of them,” Biden said. “Because they have put themselves in the position to save other people’s lives, protect the rest of society.”

“And we talk about that number, like 600-plus thousand people. If each and every one of them,” the candidate continued, interrupted by Scarborough.

“Sixty,” the host corrected. “Sixty thousand.”

“Si– Six– sixty thousand,” Biden stammered for a moment. “I misp… 60,000.”

According to Politico, self-reported data from hospitals across the nation indicated the U.S. toll had surpassed 60,000 and was steadily approaching 61,000 Wednesday, making Scarborough spot-on in his correction.

That doesn’t stop me from wondering, however, where on earth Biden got a number like 600,000.

Ruling out blatant deviousness, the most reasonable explanation would seem to be that declining mental acuity either caused Biden to tack on the extra zero, unconsciously inflating the stateside coronavirus death toll by an order of magnitude, or to believe that the death toll really is that high.

RELATED: Longtime Liberal Tara Reade Sees the Light, Admits Conservatives Are Right About the Media

I don’t think Joe Biden is a fool, but he certainly does have a lengthy track record when it comes to letting his mind get away from his mouth.

For example, seeking to score political points on the Democratic debate stage for appearing stronger on gun control than radical Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, Biden alleged in February that 150 million Americans had died as a result of gun violence since 2007, according to the Washington Examiner.

Much like in Biden’s Friday flub, the actual number happened to be nowhere near as high — not that anyone needed to point that out, considering that 150 million people is nearly half the current U.S. population.

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These two instances of major mathematical malfunction fail to do justice to Biden’s record of absent-minded statements, however.

From aggressively berating his own rally-goers and insulting constituents to seeming often to lose track of which state he’s in on the campaign trail, Biden often has trouble making his mouth cooperate with his brain.

And how a man who can barely steer a conversation plans to steer an entire nation, I can only speculate.

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MUST READ: 15 Questions for Dr. Fauci and Dr. Birx Before They Completely Annihilate the US Economy

We now know that it was Dr. Tony Fauci  and Dr. Deborah Birx who persuaded President Trump to kill the economy and force Americans into a lockdown… And we also know they did this based on wildly inaccurate models and predictions.

Back in March the two doctors went into the Oval Office and urged President Trump to lock down the economy or 2.2 million Americans would die.

Of course, their original mortality predictions were 33 times what has occurred and yet they have not altered their lockdown recommendations to date.

In interviews to date the two doctors have been given softball questions.  Their expertise is respected despite the fact that over 30 million Americans have lost their jobs and livelihoods thanks to these doctors and their faulty models.

If Americans are asked to give up their livelihoods and their businesses, it is only fair that these two doctors answer a few important questions. 

We list 15 questions below:

1.)  Did you believe WHO Director Tedros when he claimed the coronavirus mortality rate was 3.4% on March 3rd?  Do you believe it was appropriate for him to compare this mortality rate with that of the flu which has an estimated mortality rate of 0.1%?  Did you know at the time that the comparison was completely inaccurate?  Did you know the flu mortality rate includes millions of Americans who have had the flu but are not tested?  Why did you not highlight this error in the WHO’s reporting?

2.) How many more children and young adults die from the flu than coronavirus?

3.) What is the average age of coronavirus deaths in the US?  In Italy the average age of deceased victims was 81-years-old.  Is that what we are seeing in the US?  Why are you hiding this from the American public?

4.) How many of the US fatalities were in nursing homes?  What percentage of US coronavirus victims were living in nursing homes or assisted living?

5.)  When did you learn that children are not carriers of the disease? What percent of victims are under 20-years-old?

6.) Now that we know MILLIONS of Americans have had the virus and were asympotmatic why would you not reevaluate your original lockdown orders?

7.) Does it make sense to lock down and decimate the economy because your initial predictions were completely inaccurate?

8.) Why do you keep moving the goalposts? …From “flattening the curve” to “herd immunity” to “we must have a vaccine”?

9.) Why do you recommend closing schools and playgrounds when children have almost zero fatality risk from the China coronavirus?

10.) Why do you recommend shutting down outdoor activities like surfing, golfing and hiking when there is almost no chance of passing the coronavirus doing these activities?

11.) Why are you not telling us what the real mortality rate is for the China coronavirus?  Is this because this will show your absolute errors in predicting this outbreak?

12.) Why do you think the entire country should be shut down when more than 50% of China coronavirus deaths are in the New York City area?

13.) Some believe it is a federal crime to intimidate or coerce the population  under domestic terrorism laws.  Do you believe your miscalculations that were based on faulty if not fraudulent computer models were intimidating and caused the US to shut down the economy which has cost lives and massive financial losses in the trillions?

14.) Is the Swedish model working?

15.) What do you say to the 30 million Americans who have lost their jobs because of your faulty models and predictions?

These two doctors have gotten away with so much and have caused so much pain in the process.  Their work has diminished Americans’ perceptions of their profession.  It’s time for a new direction.

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Cruz: China ‘the Single-Greatest Political Threat the United States Faces over the Next Century’

Saturday, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) outlined the threat communist Asian superpower China poses to the United States, calling it the “single-great political threat” to the country over the next 100 years.

“China is in my judgment the single-greatest political threat the United States faces over the next century,” he said. “They engage in espionage. They engage in censorship. They engage in torture and murder of their own citizens. They cover up free speech.”

Cruz pointed to legislation that he was introducing. One imposes sanctions on Chinese government officials for the coronavirus “coverup,” as he deemed it. Another he was introducing took aim at Hollywood for kowtowing to the Chinese government in movie scripts.

“The Script Act says we’re not going to allow the Pentagon to cooperate with moviemakers, to let them use ships and jet airplanes and equipment if they are going to allow the Chinese government to censor,” he said. “And so it uses the power of government to stop Chinese censorship through Hollywood.”

The Texas Republican U.S. Senator pointed to the soon-to-be-released sequel to “Top Gun,” which stars Tom Cruise. Reportedly, the Japanese and Taiwanese flags were removed from a jacket worn by Cruise’s “Maverick” in the sequel at the behest of Chinese censors.

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