Stembridge News Digest
  • House Democrats want to nationalize California's war on gig workers Tue, 07 Apr 2020 04:00:55 GMT
    The Washington Examiner reported bad news on March 30 for those watching California destroy its gig economy. House Democrats are trying to take that state's bad idea and nationalize it.
  • Truck drivers make it possible for everyone else to work from home Tue, 07 Apr 2020 04:00:50 GMT
    SHIPPENSBURG, Pennsylvania — Chet Eby is making sure you are going to get all of the bacon you need for breakfast, or maple-glazed ham for that now-modified family Easter dinner you are going to make, or that thinly sliced prosciutto and provolone sandwich you’ve been craving. It is a Wednesday afternoon, and the 31-year-old has his young sons, Austin and Evan, with him hauling a load of piglets from Cumberland County to Iowa, one of millions of road warriors behind the wheel of a truck traveling across the country every hour of every day making sure the food and necessities you need and enjoy are available at your local grocers.
  • How Congress can prevent conflicts of interest Tue, 07 Apr 2020 04:00:34 GMT
    One of the greatest challenges our country faces in the 21st century is a loss of confidence in our most important institutions. The news that some members of Congress may have dumped stocks in response to confidential congressional briefings, briefings which laid bare the magnitude of the coronavirus crisis we are now all facing, comes at the worst possible time.
  • Lesson from coronavirus: Federalism works, not centralized government Tue, 07 Apr 2020 04:00:32 GMT
    Democrats and liberals increasingly seem to believe that it's the federal government that needs to do almost everything. Sure, we take the point that it was federalism, states’ rights, that allowed racial segregation and Jim Crow, and thus, there's rightly a certain suspicion of the idea. Yet in light of how the coronavirus crisis is playing out, it’s time for localism's critics to reconsider.
  • Hydroxychloroquine may work against the coronavirus, but the media are refusing to acknowledge it Tue, 07 Apr 2020 01:09:59 GMT
    Television journalists think they’re making a searing point by endlessly pointing out that hydroxychloroquine has not been 100% proved as an effective treatment against the coronavirus. In reality, they’re foolishly refuting a claim that no one is making.
  • If US-North Korea talks stall, take stalemate over war Mon, 06 Apr 2020 21:46:53 GMT
    At the G-7 virtual meeting last week, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States urged “the G-7, and all nations, [to] remain united in calling on North Korea to return to negotiations and [to] stay committed to applying diplomatic and economic pressure over [North Korea’s] illegal nuclear and ballistic missile programs.”
  • The latest coronavirus model should result in updated social distancing policies Mon, 06 Apr 2020 21:19:55 GMT
    Social distancing works, and we have the numbers to prove it.
  • Trump’s firing of inspector general is unethical and tyrannical Mon, 06 Apr 2020 21:19:38 GMT
    President Trump’s firing of intelligence community inspector general Michael Atkinson is clearly unethical, and it contradicts the obvious intent of the Inspector General Reform Act of 2008.
  • This questionable Biden rape allegation should kill the Kavanaugh standard Mon, 06 Apr 2020 20:59:49 GMT
    Hollywood starlet-cum-liberal icon Alyssa Milano has had a revelation of sorts. Maybe, just maybe, holding to the "Believe All Women" standard as ideological dogma actually does more harm than good.
  • Gretchen Whitmer, meet federalism Mon, 06 Apr 2020 20:57:03 GMT
    Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer believes that the lack of a unified federal approach to the coronavirus pandemic has made things worse. The states are on their own, she told Fox News on Sunday, which has created a “more porous situation” that has allowed the virus to spread.
  • Either 'naive' or 'stupid': Acting Navy Secretary slams ousted captain in speech to crew of USS Theodore Roosevelt Tue, 07 Apr 2020 04:02:45 +0000


    Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly used bold language in rebuking the former captain of the USS Theodore Roosevelt during a speech to the ship's crew on Monday, after making a special trip to Guam to deliver the message.

    The subject of Modly's criticism was Capt. Brett Crozier, who was relieved of his command from the aircraft carrier last week after the media obtained a letter he wrote begging for officials to help his sailors as COVID-19 spread throughout the ship.

    What are the details?

    The Daily Caller first broke the story of the speech and released the transcript, showing that Modly told the crew that if Crozier "didn't think, in my opinion, that this information wasn't going to get out into the public, in this day and information age that we live in, then he was either A, too naive, or too stupid to be a commanding officer of a ship like this. The alternative is that he did this on purpose."

    Sec. Modly's speech was quickly leaked to the press in both text and audio formats.

    According to audio of the speech obtained by Task & Purpose, the speech did not go over well — at least with some of crew. One person can be heard responding, "What the f***."

    Capt. Crozier's letter made headlines, his firing made headlines, his crew cheering him as he left the ship made headlines, news that he subsequently tested positive for COVID-19 made headlines, and the reaction from President Donald Trump made headlines.

    President Trump told the press in reaction to Crozier's dismissal, "He shouldn't be talking that way in a letter. I thought it was terrible what he did," Fox News reported.

    Capt. Crozier had said in his letter to senior military officials, "We are not at war. Sailors do not need to die. If we do not act now, we are failing to properly take care of our most trusted asset — our Sailors."

    In response to that, Sec. Modly explained in his speech, "One of the things about his email that bothered me the most was saying that we are not at war, that we aren't technically at war. But let me tell ya something, the only reason we are dealing with this right now is a big authoritative regime called China was not forthcoming about what was happening with this virus and they put the world at risk to protect themselves and to protect their reputations."

    "We don't do that in the Navy," he continued. "We are transparent with each other, using the proper channels and with each other."

    Sec. Modly also disclosed to the crew of the USS Theodore Roosevelt that it was their shipmates "on the shore right now who told me when Captain Crozier's email made it to the San Francisco Chronicle after working 15 hour days—they were demoralized because they knew what they had been doing for you guys since the 25th of March to get you guys what you needed."

    Yet, Modly acknowledged to the crew, "I understand you may be angry with me for the rest of your lives," but promised his word, "We will get you the help that you need."

    After the speech was leaked to the press, Modly stood by his comments, releasing a statement saying, "I have not listened to a recording of my remarks since speaking to the crew so I cannot verify if the transcript is accurate. The spoken words were from the heart, and meant for them. I stand by every word I said, even, regrettably any profanity that may have been used for emphasis. Anyone who has served on a Navy ship would understand. I ask, but don't expect, that people read them in their entirety."

  • 'You're a third rate reporter!' — Trump berates Jon Karl in latest coronavirus briefing blowup Tue, 07 Apr 2020 03:13:11 +0000


    President Donald Trump berated a reporter at the Monday coronavirus task force update over what he saw as an unfair question.

    Jon Karl of ABC News asked him to respond to a report about a survey of 300 hospitals saying there was a severe and widespread shortage of coronavirus tests. The president demanded to know when the author of the report, a Health and Human Services inspector general, was appointed.

    "A follow up on the question of the HHS inspector general, and by the way her name was Christi Grimm, and it wasn't so much her opinion but they interviewed 323 different hospitals," Karl said.

    "It still could have been her opinion. Uh, when was she appointed? When was she appointed?" demanded the president.

    "I'm not sure when she was appointed," replied Karl.

    "Well would you do me a favor and let me know?" said Trump.

    The president returned to Karl later in the briefing and berated him for the answer.

    "How long has that person been in government?" asked the president.

    "She did serve in the previous administration," admitted Karl.

    "Oh! You didn't tell me that, I see! You didn't tell me that, Jon!" Trump mocked. "You didn't tell me that! Did serve in the previous administration, you mean the Obama administration, thank you for telling me that!"

    "Well, you asked me when she was appointed," replied Karl.

    "See there's a typical fake news deal! No, look, look! You're a third rate reporter, and what you just said is a disgrace!" said Trump.

    "OK? You asked me, you said, 'sir, just got appointed!'" he mocked Karl.

    "Take a look at what you said, now I said, when did they, when did this person, how long in government? Well it was appointed in the Obama administration!" Trump continued.

    "Thank you very much Jon, thank you very much!" he added.

    "You will never make it!" the president concluded before taking a different question.

    Some used the heated response from the president to pressure news networks against carrying the president's task force presentations live.

    "Donald Trump's treatment of Jonathan Karl is predictably disgraceful," tweeted Joe Scarborough of MSNBC. "Why is anyone carrying this farce live?"

    Also on Monday, an update to the coronavirus model used by the White House showed a lower expected death count and a quicker peak to the graph of the contagion in the United States.

    Here's the video of the heated interaction:

    Trump berates reporters when asked about report by his official www.youtube.com

  • Researchers revise coronavirus model used by White House to show lower death estimate, earlier peak Tue, 07 Apr 2020 01:08:23 +0000


    A model predicting the coronavirus contagion in the United States has been revised to show a lower number of deaths expected an an earlier peak date.

    The numbers are compiled by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington School of Medicine, and are used by the White House to help guide the national coronavirus response.

    The new number of expected deaths is 81,766, with a higher range of 136,401 and a lower range of 49,431, according to U.S. News and World Report.

    Previously the coronavirus task force said that the U.S. could expected between 100,000 and 200,000 deaths.

    The IHME model has also moved up the estimated date of the peak for the contagion to April 16. On that day, 3,130 deaths are expected nationwide.

    At the time of this writing, there have been 9,619 deaths in the United States due to the coronavirus.

    The model similarly decreased the number of expected need for acute-care beds, intensive-care beds and ventilators.

    "As we obtain more data and more precise data, the forecasts we at IHME created have become more accurate," said Dr. Christopher Murray, who helped created the model, in a statement.

    "And these projections are vital to health planners, policymakers, and anyone else associated with caring for those affected by and infected with the coronavirus," he added.

    Here's more about the coronavirus model:

    What experts are using to predict peak of coronavirus cases www.youtube.com

  • At least 750,000 people traveled from China directly to the United States since the outbreak of COVID-19 Tue, 07 Apr 2020 00:17:39 +0000


    New information from the Department of Homeland Security and National Travel and Tourism Office shows that at least 750,000 people traveled to the United States from China in the months after the first reported COVID-19 case — over 300,000 more than were previously reported.

    On Monday, the New York Times reported that more than 430,000 people had entered the U.S. on direct flights from China after December 31, when the Chinese government first disclosed the mystery pneumonia-related illness to the country's World Health Organization office.

    The report noted that the large majority of the passengers — more than 380,000 — entered the U.S. in January while the communist Chinese government was actively downplaying the growing pandemic and before President Trump banned travel from the country.

    But the truth is that the illness had been circulating within the country for weeks prior to the disclosure. By New Year's Eve, when China opened up about the outbreak, officials indicated that at least 41 people had contracted the disease.

    In a scientific study published in The Lancet, researchers noted that "the symptom onset date of the first patient identified was Dec. 1." Additionally, the South China Morning post reported that, according to government data, the first COVID-19 case could be traced back to Nov. 17.

    From a public health standpoint, then, it is important for Americans to know just how many people entered the country from China in months following the first case — this includes at least December and possibly November.

    According to information provided to TheBlaze upon request, in December, 329,210 passengers arrived in the U.S. on direct flights from China. When added to the 430,000 reported by the Times, that number exceeds 750,000. If part of November's total is included the number jumps closer to one million.

    Moreover, the figures listed above do not account for the number of passengers who arrived indirectly, departing from China on itineraries that stopped in a different country before landing in the U.S. A DHS spokeswoman told the Times that indirect fliers make up approximately one quarter of travelers from China.

    While Chinese obstruction has hindered the search for the true "patient zero," there is good reason to believe the outbreak began much earlier than initially reported. And if hundreds of thousands of travelers were flooding into the U.S. from China at the early stages of the outbreak, there is good reason to believe that the virus touched down in America much sooner than January 21, when the first confirmed case was reported here.

    Americans are justified in wondering how many lives could have been spared had China been more forthcoming about the virus from the start.

    In fact, a study released last month found that if preventative measures in China had been "conducted one week, two weeks, or three weeks earlier, cases could have been reduced by 66 percent, 86 percent and 95 percent respectively — significantly limiting the geographical spread of the disease."

  • Democratic state lawmaker says Trump touting hydroxychloroquine as coronavirus treatment saved her life Mon, 06 Apr 2020 22:43:37 +0000


    A Democratic representative in Detroit, Michigan, is crediting hydroxychloroquine for saving her life after she began suffering from coronavirus, and she is thanking President Donald Trump.

    State Rep. Karen Whitsett says that she likely would not have received the drug had the president not publicized it so greatly.

    "It has a lot to do with the president ... bringing it up," Whitsett said to the Detroit Free Press. "He is the only person who has the power to make it a priority."

    Whitsett said she sought treatment on March 18, and began taking hydroxychloroquine on March 31.

    "It was less than two hours" before the drug began to relieve her of the symptoms from coronavirus, which included shortness of breath, swollen lymph nodes. She also felt as if she had a sinus infection and a headache.

    Whitsett tested positive for coronavirus on Monday.

    She said that she believes the president saved her life. "I do thank him for that," she added.

    The president has been criticized by many for touting the benefits of hydroxychloroquine publicly based on anecdotal evidence from numerous sources. The media excoriated him after an Arizona couple ingested fish tank additive, mistakenly equating it to the drug, and the husband died as a result.

    Dr. Anthony Fauci, a leader of the president's Coronavirus task force, has cautioned against overly optimistic hope until there's randomized control groups to prove its efficacy. Medical experts also say the drug should only be prescribed for serious cases in order to prevent a shortage for the treatment of other maladies.

    Here's more about the coronavirus drug:

    Trump bristled when asked about promoting hydroxychloroquine. Then he cut Fauci off. www.youtube.com

  • Alyssa Milano says it's wrong for innocent men to be destroyed by #MeToo — now that Joe Biden has been accused Mon, 06 Apr 2020 22:01:14 +0000


    Actress and #MeToo activist Alyssa Milano has broken her silence on the sexual assault allegation against Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden — whom she endorsed for 2020 — and is facing criticism from the political left and right for not immediately believing his accuser as she did for the woman who accused Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

    Milano says Biden deserves due process over the claim against him, and argues now that it would be wrong for innocent men to be destroyed by the movement she helped launch.

    What are the details?

    Milano marched in Washington, D.C. during the confirmation hearings of Justice Kavanaugh in 2018, claiming his accuser from decades earlier should be believed despite a lack of corroborating evidence. But now that Milano's candidate of choice is facing a sexual assault allegation, the actress has changed her tune.

    Last month, Tara Reade, a former staff assistant of Biden's from his days in the U.S. Senate, came forward and claimed Biden sexually assaulted her in 1993.

    While the Biden campaign eventually issued a statement saying that the allegation was false, Mr. Biden has not addressed Ms. Reade's claim and neither has much of the mainstream media as Bernard Goldberg pointed out in The Hill.

    In a recent interview with Andy Cohen, Milano was asked about the claim against Biden and allegations against her for appearing politically motivated in defending the former vice president. The actress explained, "I'm still trying desperately to stand back and be sort of objective about this, because I sent the #MeToo tweet out over two years ago, [and] I never thought that it would be something that was going to destroy innocent men."

    She added, "So, we have to find this balance in the 'Believe Women' movement, and also giving men their due process."

    Alyssa Milano explains silence on Joe Biden allegation www.youtube.com

    Milano reiterated Monday on Twitter, "#BelieveWomen does not mean everyone gets to accuse anyone of anything and that's that. It means that our societal mindset and default reaction shouldn't be that women are lying."

    "I believe, along with many others in this space, that accusations need to be investigated with due process for the accused," she continued. "This is the only way for the movement to work & create the change we are fighting for. Anything less puts the entire movement and women's equality at risk."

  • UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson moved to intensive care following COVID-19 diagnosis Mon, 06 Apr 2020 21:00:09 +0000


    British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been moved to an intensive care unit amid his fight against COVID-19.

    Johnson announced last week that he was diagnosed with the coronavirus, but pledged to keep working as long as he was able.

    What are the details?

    Johnson, 55, was admitted to the hospital on Sunday for treatment after his condition took a turn for the worse and he began running a fever and a persistent cough.

    The hospital moved him to the intensive care unit on Monday.

    A spokesperson for the British government told Bloomberg that Johnson remains conscious, but was taken to the intensive care unit in case he needed a ventilator to breathe.

    "Over the course of this afternoon, the condition of the prime minister has worsened, and, on the advice of his medical team, he has been moved to the intensive care unit at the hospital," the spokesperson said.

    According to reports, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab will "stand in" for Johnson, and running the country on an as-needed basis.

    The BBC reported that a further statement from Downing Street reads, "The PM is receiving excellent care, and thanks all NHS staff for their hard work and dedication."

    Raab added that there is an "incredibly strong team spirit" rallying for Johnson's recovery.

    Johnson is the first major world leader to contract COVID-19 and is the first to be hospitalized because of the virus.

    What else?

    On Monday, Johnson tweeted, "Last night, on the advice of my doctor, I went into hospital for some routine tests as I'm still experiencing coronavirus symptoms. I'm in good spirits and keeping in touch with my team, as we work together to fight this virus and keep everyone safe."

    He added, "I'd like to say thank you to all the brilliant NHS staff taking care of me and others in this difficult time. You are the best of Britain. Stay safe everyone, and please remember to stay at home to protect the NHS and save lives."

  • NYC reportedly set to temporarily bury bodies of COVID-19 victims in a local park if the death toll does not slow down Mon, 06 Apr 2020 20:35:06 +0000


    New York City will reportedly bury some of its dead in a local park if the COVID-19 pandemic continues to devastate all municipal resources — including managing the influx of deaths due to the coronavirus.

    What are the details?

    According to a report in The Week, New York City Councilmember Mark Levine made the announcement on Monday.

    Levine — who is chair of New York City Council health committee — insisted that the city's medical examiner is "now dealing with the equivalent of an ongoing 9/11" due to coronavirus-related deaths in the city.

    "It's not just deaths in hospitals which are up," he wrote in a lengthy Twitter thread. "On an average day before this crisis there were 20-25 deaths at home in NYC. Now in the midst of this pandemic the number is 200-215. *Every day*."

    He continued, "A typical hospital morgue might hold 15 bodies. Those are now all full. So OCME has sent out 80 refrigerated trailers to hospitals around the city. Each trailer can hold 100 bodies. These are now mostly full too. Some hospitals have had to add a 2nd or even a 3rd trailer."

    "Grieving families report calling as many as half a dozen funeral homes and finding none that can handle their deceased loved ones," he added. "Cemeteries are not able to handle the number of burial requests and are turning most down."

    Levine insisted that in order to prevent the city from becoming fully overwhelmed, it seems that there is no other choice but to temporarily bury the city's coronavirus victims in a temporary spot.

    "Soon we'll start 'temporary interment,'" he wrote. "This likely will be done by using a NYC park for burials (yes you read that right). Trenches will be dug for 10 caskets in a line. It will be done in a dignified, orderly — and temporary — manner. But it will be tough for NYers to take."

    "The goal," he concluded, "is to avoid scenes like those in Italy, where the military was forced to collect bodies from churches and even off the streets."

    What's next?

    Levine later clarified that the process would begin if the death toll did not slow.

    He wrote, "This tweet has gotten a lot of attention. So I want to clarify: the is a contingency NYC is preparing for BUT if the death rate drops enough it will not be necessary."

    At the time of this writing, New York City has seen at least 67,820 cases of COVID-19. At least 2,475 have died because of the virus.

  • 'Welcome to Nazi Germany': Cops get earful of 'f*** the police' while shutting down NJ house concert — with middle-aged attendees in lawn chairs Mon, 06 Apr 2020 20:20:08 +0000


    Police in Rumson, New Jersey, said they received an "unfortunate call" Saturday evening regarding 30 "adults" assembled on the front lawn of a house — and spilling into the street — listening to a pair of guitarists perform songs by famed British rock band Pink Floyd.

    Cops said the attendees appeared between 40 and 50 years of age — and "some even brought lawn chairs."

    What happened next?

    "When we informed everyone that they must leave — in accordance with [Democratic] Governor [Phil] Murphy's executive orders regarding these so called 'corona-parties' — we were met with well wishes of 'F*** the police' and 'Welcome to Nazi Germany,'" police said.

    But cops added that "in the middle of the 1975 classic 'Wish You Were Here,'" the musicians were "advised" that "they must stop the show."

    Police noted that they took "no enjoyment in ruining anyone's fun! However we ALL have a responsibility to take this pandemic SERIOUSLY and adhere to the social distancing requirement. We also need to be a good role model for our children and be kind and understanding during these times."

    For the uninitiated, "Wish You Were Here" is one of many popular songs Pink Floyd recorded. Here's a look at the band playing the tune for the very last time at the Live 8 concert:

    Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (Live 8) (Promo Only) youtu.be

    The cops also warned readers to "use this incident as a learning experience for everyone! If we have to respond to another 'corona party' we will be using a zero-tolerance approach and everyone involved will be charged with disorderly conduct. We are all in this together and together we need to make smarter choices."

    What happened to the 'people involved'?

    Police added that the department is still investigating the incident and that "charges are pending" against the "people involved" and another post will go up on Facebook once a criminal complaint is served.

    Nothing new

    New Jersey's police have been reacting swiftly against defiant revelers due to Murphy's March executive order that canceled "gatherings of individuals, such as parties, celebrations, or other social events" in order to combat the spread of the coronavirus in the state.

    Late last month police arrested a man for hosting a "corona party" with 47 guests in his 550-square foot apartment. "The organizer was charged, as they should have been and deserved to be," Murphy later said. "This is not a game. Stay home. Be smart."

    Earlier in March two residents were arrested for hosting gatherings of over 50 people in defiance of the order. One of the gatherings was a pop-up wedding held at a resident's home.

    "We are really damned unhappy" about disobedient residents "and we're going to take action," Murphy said, according to the Atlantic City Press. He added that there are "too many people not paying attention to this" and "we've about had it," the paper noted.

  • A liberal Washington state nonprofit is suing Fox News for its coverage of the coronavirus pandemic Mon, 06 Apr 2020 20:05:07 +0000


    A Washington nonprofit has filed a lawsuit against Fox News alleging that the media company violated the state's consumer protection laws by airing false information about the coronavirus pandemic — and one Fox executive says the network is expecting other similar lawsuits to follow close behind.

    What are the details?

    According to the Times of San Diego, the Washington League for Increased Transparency and Ethics, or WASHLITE, filed the 10-page complaint last Thursday, peddling the claim that Fox News called the pandemic a "hoax" in the early days of the outbreak.

    In the suit, plaintiffs argue that Fox News and other outlets controlled by Rupert Murdoch "falsely and deceptively disseminat[ed] 'News' via cable news contracts that the novel Coronavirus, COVID-19 was a 'Hoax,' and that the virus was otherwise not a danger to public health and safety."

    "While acting in the broad stream of commerce, Defendants knowingly disseminated false, erroneous, and incomplete information," the lawsuit added.

    "Which had the effect of delaying and interfering with the implementation of effective mitigation and countermeasures against the virus."

    The lawsuit demands an injunction against the media company to prevent it from "interfering with or undermining the legitimate control measures" until the pandemic is brought under control.

    One of WASHLITE's board members, 59-year-old Arthur West, bragged that he has made "a very good living beating the government in court" as he described his background in lawsuits against taxpayer-funded agencies that have resulted in six-figure awards. But, he assured that the complaint against Fox is no public relations stunt.

    "We're not doing this to make a million dollars," he said. "We're doing this because we seriously believe that Fox's coverage was outrageous and intolerable and interfered with an effective response to the coronavirus."

    Fox News shot back after the complaint was announced. Lily Fu Claffee, general counsel for Fox News Media, blasted the lawsuit in a statement, calling it "wrong on the facts" and "frivolous on the law."

    "We will defend vigorously and seek sanctions as appropriate," she added.

    The Murdochs are lawyering up

    In a conversation about the lawsuit, an anonymous top Murdoch executive reportedly told the Daily Beast that Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch, the father-and-son moguls who control Fox, are ready to go to war with other potential plaintiffs should more lawsuits be filed.

    The executive reportedly said that the Murdochs don't plan to cave to public interest lawsuits. He claimed that the company's decision to part ways with Fox Business anchor Trish Regan was a move to placate critics.

    "She was a sacrificial lamb," he said before adding that the Murdochs are not going to make any more concessions. "The strategy is no settlements, even if it costs way more to fight the lawsuit and seek sanctions for ambulance-chasing lawyers," he added.

    The Daily Beast notes, however, that lawsuits such as WASHLITE's will likely fight an uphill battle in court on First Amendment grounds.

    West disagrees. He told the Times of San Diego that "it's like the theater thing."

    "Up to the point where you get up in the theater and yell 'Fire!' you can say whatever you want. But when you get to the point where you are endangering the community — that transcends the limits of the First Amendment," he argued.

    On March 30, days before the filing, former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly tweeted in support of her former employer, saying that any lawsuits attacking Fox for misinformation "would be laughed out of court."

  • NYC landlord, citing his Catholic faith, waives April rent for 200 tenants during COVID-19 crisis Mon, 06 Apr 2020 19:49:49 +0000


    A kind and generous New York City landlord is providing needed relief for his 200 tenants during the COVID-19 crisis by waiving their rent for the month of April, citing his Catholic faith as a major motivation for doing so.

    "I told them not to worry, not to panic. We're going through some very tough times with this monster disease. I would waive all the rent through the month of April," Mario Salerno told reporter Colm Flynn in a video for EWTN.

    According to NBC News, Salerno, 59, owns about 80 apartments across Brooklyn. After speaking with some of his tenants, he realized many of them were facing economic hardship from lost jobs and were struggling to feed their families.

    "I had a lot of my tenants losing their jobs. I wanted them to have some peace of mind making sure that they had food on their table, which several of them didn't."


    Salerno posted a sign on the front doors of his buildings announcing, "Due to the recent pandemic of Coronavirus COVID-19 affecting all of us, please note I am waiving rent for the month for April. Stay safe, help your neighbors, and wash your hands!"

    Asked about the personal financial cost he faces by waiving rent, Salerno said the issue was "irrelevant to the value of a human life." He also explained how his strong Catholic faith motivated him to help his tenants.

    "My Catholic faith brought it upon me to make this decision," he explained. "I pray and I ask the good Lord to please conquer this vicious virus."

    Salerno isn't the only landlord who has been motivated to help those in need. Nathan Nichols, a landlord from Portland, Maine, also told his tenants he would not be collecting rent in April.

    "COVID19 is going to cause serious financial hardship for service and hourly workers around the country. I own a two unit in South Portland and all of my tenants are in this category. Because I have the good fortune and of being able to afford it and the privilege of being in the owner class, I just let them know I would not be collecting rent in April. I ask any other landlords out there to take a serious look at your own situation and consider giving your tenants some rent relief as well," Nichols wrote in a Facebook post that has since gone viral.

  • China attempts to leverage stockpile of medical equipment to get other countries to use Huawei 5G Mon, 06 Apr 2020 19:25:05 +0000


    China, the country where the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 originated, has been providing personal protective equipment to other countries that have been hurt by the pandemic. Sometimes, however, that offer of assistance comes with a catch.

    Republican Rep. Mark Green of Tennessee said on Fox News on Sunday that when France asked for some medical masks, China attempted to leverage that need to get France to use its Huawei 5G network.

    "In France, we were told yesterday on a conference call that [French President Emanuel] Macron was talking to [Chinese President] Xi and Macron asked for a billion masks, and Xi said, 'We'll give them to you if you implement 5G with Huawei,'" Green said. "That's who China is, and it's time the world wake up and recognize it."

    China leads the world in the area of 5G technology and would like to expand that dominance by establishing its networks in other countries. Using Huawei networks carries significant national security risks, however, said Attorney General William Barr.

    "If China establishes sole dominance over 5G, it will be able to dominate the opportunities arising from a stunning range of emerging technologies that will be dependent on, and interwoven with, the 5G platform," Barr said, according to the Daily Wire. "From a national security standpoint, if the Industrial Internet becomes dependent on Chinese technology, China would have the ability to shut countries off from technology and equipment upon which their consumers and industry depend. The power the United States has today to use economic sanctions would pale by comparison to the unprecedented economic leverage we would be surrendering into the hands of China."

    Some hospitals in the U.S. are facing shortages of personal protective equipment and ventilators, and some of that need is being met by China. USA Today reported that in February, before the coronavirus crisis exploded in the U.S., exports of personal protective equipment and ventilators to China increased dramatically.

  • NBC reporter rejects evidence of fake news published about 'chloroquine lady' Mon, 06 Apr 2020 19:14:36 +0000


    If you're inclined to believe that journalistic integrity died-off long before COVID-19 became a thing, well, here's Steven Crowder to offer one more reason to doubt the integrity of the media.

    Monday, on "Good Morning Mug Club," Crowder aired a phone call with an NBC reporter who wrote the "chloroquine lady" segment.

    Later, Ted Nugent joined the program. But first, here's Crowder to illustrate how journalistic integrity goes down the toilet! Enjoy...

    #4 Good Morning #MugClub youtu.be


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  • Trust the experts — but which ones? Mon, 06 Apr 2020 19:08:49 +0000


    When it comes to SARS-2 Coronavirus, we're being told to "trust the experts." But which experts?

    Are Yale, Oxford, Stanford, and Carnegie Mellon just some Podunk JUCOs? No, they're some of the most renowned universities on this planet, and their models/analysis paint a different tale than the supposedly infallible Dr. Anthony Fauci's current doomsaying — which is now his fourth different opinion on SARS-2 Coronavirus just since January.

  • Spain to implement universal basic income in response to coronavirus — and the change will be permanent Mon, 06 Apr 2020 18:33:07 +0000


    Spain is responding to the coronavirus crisis with a plan to launch a universal basic income program in the near future, Forbes reported, but the program isn't just for the pandemic — it will become permanent, Spain's Economy Minister Nadia Calvino said.

    What's the story? Spain, like other nations whose economies have been devastated by the coronavirus-related shutdowns, passed a stimulus package to ease the disruption. Measures include pausing all mortgage payments and giving money to businesses that are struggling.

    The next step is a universal basic income that Calvino said is a direct response to the coronavirus emergency, but which will also remain after COVID-19 has passed. From Bloomberg:

    Social Security Minister Jose Luis Escriva is coordinating the project and plans to put some sort of basic income "in place as soon as possible," with the main focus on assisting families, Calvino, who also serves as deputy prime minister, said in an interview Sunday night with Spanish broadcaster La Sexta.

    But the government's broader ambition is that basic income becomes an instrument "that stays forever, that becomes a structural instrument, a permanent instrument," she said.

    Desperate times, desperate measures: Spain is among the countries hardest hit by COVID-19, along with China, Italy, and the United States. More than 13,000 people in Spain have reportedly died from the coronavirus.

    Spain using an emergency to implement a drastic, permanent policy change like universal basic income is an example of what some in the U.S. fear politicians will attempt to do.

    California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom said last week that he views the coronavirus outbreak as an opportunity to move toward a new "progressive era." South Carolina Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn said last month that the crisis presented a chance for Democrats to "restructure things to fit our vision."

    The economic problems in the U.S. have led Congress to pass a stimulus bill that includes direct cash payments to Americans based on their reported income. There are no plans at this time for future aid payments, although that is subject to change depending on the length of time non-essential businesses are closed.

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