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VIDEO - (407) 'This Should Worry All Americans': Fmr. CIA Head On Trump Unleashing DOJ On 'Enemies' | MSNBC - YouTube
Sun, 17 May 2020 08:25
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Sun, 17 May 2020 05:54
VIDEO-Remarks by President Trump at Presentation of the United States Space Force Flag and Signing of an Armed Forces Day Proclamation | The White House
Sun, 17 May 2020 03:12
Oval Office
1:28 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you very much. This is a very special moment because this is the presentation of the Space Force flag. So we've worked very hard on this. And it's so important from a defensive standpoint, from an offensive standpoint, from every standpoint there is.
As you know, China and Russia, perhaps others, started off a lot sooner than us. We should have started this a long time ago, but we've made up for it in spades. We have developed some of the most incredible weapons anyone has ever seen, and it's moving along very rapidly. And we have tremendous people in charge.
And I '-- what I'd like to do is I'd like to just start by asking some of those folks to say a few words. And the importance strategically, militarily, and even from a pure civilian standpoint, and from bringing our economy back '-- everything '-- it's going to help so much. All made right here in the USA. And it's going to be very special, very important. Space Force.
First time in 72 years-plus that we've opened up a new branch of the United States military.
And, Mark, maybe I'll start with you. You'll saw a few words. Please.
SECRETARY ESPER: Yes, sir. Let me just say it's a very historic moment. The United States has been a spacefaring nation for decades, but we know that our adversaries in the last several years have weaponized space. They've made it a warfighting domain. And so with the establishment of Space Force and the establishment of Space Command, the United States is now doing what it needs to do to protect our assets in space and ensure that space remains the heavens by which we not only protect America, but we sustain our economy, we sustain our commercial capabilities, we sustain Americans' way of life.
So again, another very historic moment. I'm confident that both the Space Force and the Space Command will do what is necessary to defend us in space and to keep America great.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. Great job you're doing, too.
General Milley? Please.
GENERAL MILLEY: Sir. Thank you, Mr. President. And as the Secretary said, this is a historic day. Some time ago, we made a decision to establish the Space Force, and that's because we're undergoing a changing character of war, which is of historic importance for all nations.
And as part of that, the space part of our universe opened up as a domain of warfare. And it's critical that if we are going to sustain our way of life, if we're going to defend our nation, that we're going to have to defend ourselves in space and therefore the need for Space Force.
And it's a great day for the nation, it's a great day, really, for the world that the United States of America establishes its first Space Force.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much.
Please.
GENERAL RAYMOND: Mr. President, thank you for your leadership.
THE PRESIDENT: Congratulations, by the way.
GENERAL RAYMOND: Thank you.
THE PRESIDENT: Number one.
GENERAL RAYMOND: Yes, sir.
THE PRESIDENT: That's great.
GENERAL RAYMOND: I appreciate the honor.
Sixteen thousand space professionals assigned to the Space Force. We're proud of this flag. They come to work every day focusing on providing space capabilities for our nation, for our joint coalition forces, and for the world. We're proud of this flag. We're proud to have an opportunity to present it to you here for display in the White House.
THE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you.
GENERAL RAYMOND: Thank you for your leadership '--
THE PRESIDENT: Appreciate it.
GENERAL RAYMOND: '-- very much.
Secretary, please.
SECRETARY BARRETT: Thank you, Mr. President. You've really demonstrated leadership in establishing the Space Force. This is an important moment and an important month, actually.
Most of the Americans, before their first cup of coffee in the morning, have used space, but very few people realize how important space is '--
THE PRESIDENT: That's right.
SECRETARY BARRETT: '-- to everything that we do, and that it's vulnerable, because we need to up our game in space. And you've recognized that and built a force that will help to protect our assets in space and deter aggressive action in space and, if deterrence doesn't work, to be able to defend our assets in space and those of our allies.
So we thank you very much for the leadership you've demonstrated and we're excited for this breakthrough moment.
THE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you very much. I appreciate it. We're building, right now, incredible military equipment at a level that nobody has ever seen before. We have no choice. We have to do it '-- with the adversaries we have out there.
We have a '-- I call it the ''super-duper missile.'' And I heard the other night, 17 times faster than what they have right now.
SECRETARY ESPER: Yes, sir.
THE PRESIDENT: And you take the fastest missile we have right now '-- you've heard Russia has five times, and China is working on five or six times. We have one 17 times. And it's just gotten the go-ahead. Seventeen times faster, if you can believe that, General. That's something, right? Seventeen times faster than what we have right now. Fastest in the world by a factor of almost three.
So I just want to congratulate everybody and thank everybody. Space is going to be '-- it's going to be the future, both in terms of defense and offense and so many other things.
And already, from what I'm hearing and based on reports, we're now the leader in space, and that took place. Don't forget, we're having a meeting today. This is really to unfurl the flag. But we've been doing this now for quite a while. I have to say that from my standpoint, having a force '-- a space force, in this case, but to be adding to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, which I've known about and read about and heard about all my life '-- just like General Milley to be the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is something that's a very special thing.
Well, to add another force into the Joint Chiefs and '-- and we're getting a four star. In this case, we're getting a four-star general on your board. So we're doing something '-- right here. So we're doing something that is such a monumental task.
So it's been more than 72 years. The Air Force, I believe, was the last one. And so we have Air Force. And not since the Air Force has anything like this happened, and now we have Space Force added on with '-- with full honors, I must add. With full honors.
So today, we're here for a very important '-- it's really an important occasion because we're unfurling the flag. And with us is Chief Master Sergeant Roger Towberman. And he is '-- I'd like you to say exactly, because his rank is a very special rank. Tell us about that rank.
CHIEF MASTER SERGEANT TOWBERMAN: Yes, sir. I'm the senior enlisted advisor for the United States Space Force.
THE PRESIDENT: And the highest '-- highest sergeant by far, right?
CHIEF MASTER SERGEANT TOWBERMAN: Yes, sir.
THE PRESIDENT: There's no '--
CHIEF MASTER SERGEANT TOWBERMAN: And at the moment, the only one. So I give counsel to the Secretary and to the Chief '--
THE PRESIDENT: That's '-- that's pretty good.
GENERAL RAYMOND: Mr. President, this rank is custom designed.
THE PRESIDENT: Wow. That's beautiful. Wow. That's it.
GENERAL RAYMOND: And he's the only '-- the only Airman '--
THE PRESIDENT: That's beautiful.
GENERAL RAYMOND: '-- the only Airman that wears that rank and will be the only Airman that wears that rank. He's the senior enlisted leader.
THE PRESIDENT: That's fantastic. And I heard tremendous things about you, Roger.
CHIEF MASTER SERGEANT TOWBERMAN: Thanks.
THE PRESIDENT: It's a very important position. And you're with all these generals. But you know what? He's an important guy, right?
So why don't we go ahead and do it? Let's do it. Yes, please.
CHIEF MASTER SERGEANT TOWBERMAN: Thank you.
Thank you.
(The flag is unfurled.) (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: That's fantastic, Roger. I'll walk over there. That is great. You stay right there.
That's fantastic. Isn't that great? Please, get in the picture. That's beautiful.
SECRETARY ESPER: And, Mr. President, it will stand in your office alongside the other service flags.
THE PRESIDENT: Very, very great honor. It's a great honor. That's a beautiful flag, too. Roger, hold that up so they can see. That's really beautiful. Wow.
It's a big '-- that's a big day.
Q Can somebody explain the logo?
SECRETARY ESPER: General Raymond?
THE PRESIDENT: Please. Go ahead.
GENERAL RAYMOND: So the delta in the middle is a symbol that the space community has used for years and years and years. The North Star signifies our core value '-- our guiding light, if you will. And the orbit around the globe signifies the space capabilities that fuel our American way of life and our American way of war.
THE PRESIDENT: That's great. I'm going to do this for Roger. Here, Roger. Please don't put this on eBay tonight. (Laughter.) Here, Roger. Come here a minute.
And we're going to sign. Okay, Roger, that's for you.
CHIEF MASTER SERGEANT TOWBERMAN: Thank you so much.
THE PRESIDENT: That's for you.
SECRETARY BARRETT: Thank you.
THE PRESIDENT: Okay. So let's do it. This is great stuff.
(The proclamation is signed.)
Okay. Let's see, I have '-- I think we have no choice, right? General, come on over here.
GENERAL RAYMOND: Absolutely.
THE PRESIDENT: Good luck.
GENERAL RAYMOND: Mr. President, thanks you, sir.
THE PRESIDENT: Good luck. Okay?
GENERAL RAYMOND: Thanks for your '-- thanks for the honor.
THE PRESIDENT: Fantastic. And these are going for everybody, please. Okay?
(Pens are distributed.)
SECRETARY BARRETT: Thank you very much.
THE PRESIDENT: Roger. Thank you very much. Mark, you're all set? General, come on over here. General Kellogg has been fantastic. Done a great job. He's working on a special project now, aren't you?
LIEUTENANT GENERAL KELLOGG: I am, sir. And we're going to get it done.
THE PRESIDENT: It's a very special project. (Applause.)
Okay? Got it? Thank you all very much. Thank you.
I'll be going to Camp David tonight with a lot of different people. We have some big things happening. So I'll be at Camp David tonight with various people.
Q Who's going?
THE PRESIDENT: Various people, including some of the folks on the Hill and some of our great leaders.
Q To talk about what exactly?
THE PRESIDENT: Different things. Different things.
Q Phase four?
THE PRESIDENT: Uh, no, not so much phase four. Phase four could happen, but it will happen the right way. We have all the cards because we have the cards for the American people. I know what they want. And I've always known what they want. That's why I'm sitting here.
No, phase four is going to happen, but it's going to happen in a much better way for the American people.
Okay. Thank you all very much.
END 1:39 P.M. EDT
VIDEO-U.S. Space Force To Launch Secret Mission Devoted To Coronavirus Victims & Frontline Workers | TODAY - YouTube
Sat, 16 May 2020 22:27
VIDEO-"We worden onnodig bang gemaakt". Maurice de Hond en Pim van Galen - YouTube
Sat, 16 May 2020 22:23
VIDEO-Tensions rise between the White House and CDC as Birx critiques virus tracking - CNNPolitics
Sat, 16 May 2020 22:20
By Kristen Holmes and Nick Valencia, CNN
Updated 1:27 PM EDT, Sat May 16, 2020
Washington(CNN) As the coronavirus pandemic stretches past its ninth week, tensions are rising between the White House and the nation's leading public health agency. In interviews with CNN, senior administration officials in Washington, as well as top officials at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta describe a growing sense of mistrust and animosity between the White House and CDC over how quickly the US should reopen and how the government tracks data on the virus.
In particular, Dr. Deborah Birx, coordinator for the President's coronavirus task force, has become increasingly critical of the CDC, making clear in recent meetings that she is more than frustrated with the agency, according to two senior administration officials. Specifically, Birx believes the way the CDC gathers data on the coronavirus is antiquated, causing inaccurate and delayed numbers on both virus cases and deaths.
Birx has expressed her agitation during recent task force meetings, where at least one conversation between her and CDC Director Robert Redfield has grown heated, according to a source close to the task force. Birx and Redfield have known each other for decades, due to their work on HIV research together. And while Birx defended Redfield to their peers earlier this year over the CDC's faulty test kits, her tone toward him has shifted dramatically in recent weeks, according to multiple officials and a source close to the task force.
There has also been significant tension between the White House and CDC over guidelines on how to reopen the country.
Last week, Redfield was forced to apologize to administration officials after a draft of the CDC's guidelines to reopening America were leaked to the media. The 68-page document outlined a detailed approach for how states, businesses and individuals could safely ease back into normalcy and were far more strict and detailed than the White House's own road map toward a return to normal, a CNN review found.
On Thursday the CDC published just 6 pages of graphics labeled "decision trees" as updated guidance. After spending "innumerable hours" on the guidance draft of recommendations, which they say was asked for specifically by Dr. Birx, two senior CDC officials tell CNN that the White House decision to shelve it for now in favor of a 6-page outline has only added to mounting frustration toward Birx within the CDC.
Tension between Birx and the CDC was first reported by the Washington Post.
One senior administration official told CNN that the slimmed down guidelines should not been seen as a rebuke of Redfield or the CDC inside the White House, since a whole national strategy was never on the table.
"It makes no sense for a movie theatre in a rural Tennessee town with zero COVID cases to be under the same restrictions as a theatre in New York," the official said.
Still, the limited guidelines combined with Birx's dust up with Redfield have underscored to many top officials the level of sway Birx has inside the White House, particularly with Trump.
Even as the President has publicly rebuked Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, he remains totally supportive of Birx, officials tell CNN. "She is charming and listens to him. She has found a way to shut down his bad ideas without making him feel diminished, unlike Fauci and some of the others," said one senior administration official. The President has expressed on multiple occasions how great he thinks Birx is, the official said, "It is clear that she has his ear."
Since Birx first joined the task force as its coordinator, there has been a healthy amount of skepticism toward her among senior CDC officials who spoke to CNN.
One senior official, who has known Birx since she served as the division director of Global HIV/AIDS at the CDC from 2005 to 2014, said Birx has always "enjoyed being front and center."
"From the beginning of her role at the White House, Debbie Birx is out for Debbie Birx," the official said.
In interviews with CNN over the past several weeks, CDC officials have expressed a disappointment that Birx has not done more to correct some of the misinformation that Trump has touted during many of the coronavirus press briefings. "As a scientist when you stand-up in front of all that, it doesn't help your credibility," said the same official in describing the prevailing view of officials within the CDC about Birx.
Regardless, Birx's criticism of the CDC data collection system doesn't appear to be without merit. According to health industry sources familiar with the system, there are numerous flaws in the way the CDC tracks the coronavirus, including that it is unable to track symptoms in real time.
In some cases with flu-like illnesses, primary care physicians who receive patients aren't getting the information out and processed by CDC for as long as a week -- which makes contact tracing nearly impossible. Additionally, these sources note that state public health departments still use outdated technology like fax machines to transmit information.
As of May 16, CDC data still indicated 60,299 deaths and was last updated on May 15, while CNN's US death count, fueled by Johns Hopkins University data, stood at more than 87,000.
The CDC says states report at different rates. Currently, 63% of all US deaths are reported within 10 days of the date of death, but there is significant variation between states, the agency said.
"That's part of the problem, we don't know how far of a lag there is, but there definitely is a lag," one CDC official told CNN.
The CDC has been working on a major data modernization initiative to "spruce up the system," primarily by giving the state and local health departments the ability to gather data electronically in real time, federal officials said.
The system, which would help digitize the data using modern technology, will not be up and running until later this year, one official said.
VIDEO-Kramer won't wear an AIDS ribbon - YouTube
Sat, 16 May 2020 18:30
VIDEO-TheSharpEdge on Twitter: "Holy crap! This Italian lawmaker is ð--¥ð--¥ð--¥! Watch as she exposes Bill Gates for his depopulation agenda and calls for his arrest for crimes against humanity. This is what we need worldwide. #WWG1WGA_WORLDWIDE https://
Sat, 16 May 2020 18:29
Eneri @ Enerichaos
May 15 Thank you for sharing this!!! Her speech needs to be seen worldwide! She's a brave woman, the only one in our parliament who spoke for us. She doesn't have the support of other parties, she just have us, the people (and unfortunately a lot of italian are not awake yet...)
View conversation ·
VIDEO - FDA halts Bill Gates coronavirus testing program | TheHill
Sat, 16 May 2020 13:03
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) halted a coronavirus testing program promoted by billionaire Bill Gates and Seattle health officials pending reviews.
The program sought to send test kits to the homes of people both healthy and sick to try to bring the country to the level of testing officials say is necessary before states can begin safely reopening. The program, which had already gone through thousands of tests, found dozens of cases that had been previously undiagnosed.
The Seattle Coronavirus Assessment Network (SCAN) said on its website that the FDA had asked it to pause testing while it receives additional authorizations but maintained its procedures are safe.
The FDA "recently clarified its guidance for home-based, self-collected samples to test for COVID-19. We have been notified that a separate federal emergency use authorization (EUA) is required to return results for self-collected tests," SCAN said. "The FDA has not raised any concerns regarding the safety and accuracy of SCAN's test, but we have been asked to pause testing until we receive that additional authorization."
The pause is emblematic of the fractured national response to the coronavirus, with federal officials proposing guidelines but leaving much of the implementation and administration of tests to states and localities.
Concerns have recently arisen over the reliability of coronavirus antibody tests, which can gauge if someone previously had COVID-19. However, the SCAN tests do not test for antibodies, and SCAN said it is working on getting its program up and running again.
"We are actively working to address their questions and resume testing as soon as possible," SCAN said.
Gates, the billionaire founder of Microsoft who has dedicated much of his personal fortune to global health issues, said the program could be an effective tool in guiding public health responses.
"Not only will it help improve our understanding of the outbreak in Seattle, it will also provide valuable information about the virus for other communities around the world," Gates wrote in a blog post this week.
An FDA spokesperson told The New York Times, which was the first to report on the pause, that the home testing kits raised concerns about the safety and accuracy of the results.
VIDEO - Coronavirus: Salem, Oregon salon to be fined for reopening early
Sat, 16 May 2020 12:01
CLOSE
About 50 to 60 protesters waiving signs showed up to show their support for owner Lindsey Graham, who could face significant fines. Salem Statesman Journal
Glamour Salon in Salem will be fined $14,000 as early as Monday after reopening against Gov. Kate Brown's executive orders.
The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division, known as OSHA, is fining salon owner and stylist Lindsey Graham specifically, requiring that she and her independently contracted stylists close until approved to reopen.
Once she receives the notice, expected early next week, Graham will have three days to close doors. If not, she will be fined again.
"(Graham) is unquestionably operating in violation of the governor's executive order, designed to protect workers and the public," Aaron Corvin with OSHA told the Statesman Journal.
"Our jurisdiction is indeed limited to exposure of employees," he said, "but as many employers in industries such as construction have learned, not everyone whose employer refers to them as an independent contractor actually falls outside our jurisdiction."
Corvin said at least some of those working at the salon qualify as employees under the Oregon Safe Employment Act, based on the findings of OSHA's inspection, and they have "acted accordingly."
He said the penalty reflects both the nature of the violation and the employer's willful decision to violate the law.
Buy Photo Lindsey Graham details the government action against her re-opening Glamour Salon in downtown Salem on May 15, 2020. (Photo: MADELEINE COOK / STATESMAN JOURNAL)
The salon, located downtown at 195 Liberty St. SE, reopened May 5 in defiance of Brown's order that such businesses must remain closed to avoid making the COVID-19 pandemic worse.
About 40 protesters waiving signs and American flags '-- including Joey Gibson, a nationally known far-right activist and founder of Patriot Prayer '-- rallied at the salon that Tuesday, and in days following, to show their support for Graham.
Graham argues it's her right to work so she can provide for her family.
She and her husband own six businesses, all of which have been closed because of the virus. They are under the same parent company, Glamour! LLC. Graham could not confirm the company's total annual revenue when asked Friday.
Buy Photo Glamour Salon independent contractors and supporters stand behind Lindsey Graham at a press conference she called at her salon in downtown Salem on May 15, 2020. (Photo: MADELEINE COOK / STATESMAN JOURNAL)
Two GoFundMe accounts were created for Graham to help pay any fines or attorney fees expected for reopening early.
Graham is the only stylists who has received a fine so far. Neither the three other stylists who came back to work, nor their patrons, have received any. There are currently no threats of jail time.
Contact from child services, licensing Graham told members of the media at a press conference outside the salon Friday, along with about a dozen supporters who attended and asked questions, that none of the 23 artists who work at the salon have received unemployment checks.
Additionally, the $30,000 in federal relief funds Graham's LLC has received cannot be used for payroll, she said. Graham has no official employees since the stylists are independent contractors.
She said the money will pay for about a month of overhead at only a few of their locations.
Backstory: Salem cautions Glamour for reopening against orders, cites lease violation
A day after reopening, the City of Salem '-- which owns the building that houses Glamour Salon downtown '-- issued a letter to Graham stating she is in violation of her lease agreement by breaking state orders. The city is not charging rent for this property through June 20.
The day after that, May 7, Graham said Oregon Child Protective Services showed up at her house and interviewed her son without allowing Graham or her husband in the room.
Buy Photo A supporter of Lindsey Graham films the press conference she called at Glamour Salon in downtown Salem on May 15, 2020. (Photo: MADELEINE COOK / STATESMAN JOURNAL)
Health agencies have also contacted Graham to tell her she is at risk of having her licenses revoked.
Graham said she's been closed for six weeks, though she announced in March she planned to reopen in early May.
"Every job is essential," she said, "... because it's how we make a living."
Support local journalism: Keep up on Marion and Polk county news with reporter Natalie Pate. Become a Statesman Journal subscriber and get unlimited digital access to stories that matter.
Stylists in unique positionSarah Washburn, a former stylist at Glamour Salon, stopped working at the salon in large part because her boyfriend is a Type 1 diabetic and she wanted to limit possible exposure to him and her son.
She shared her concerns about Graham reopening on Facebook because she "didn't want (her) clients to think (she) is OK with it."
"I feel bad for Lindsey," Washburn said, "but the way she's doing it isn't appropriate."
Washburn said Graham told the stylists she would not be liable for them if they started working again '-- concerning health, fines or legal help. Because stylists are essentially small businesses under a small business, they make the choices individually.
"What I really wish was out there is how much hair stylists are hurting," Washburn said. "I've signed up for unemployment, grants, everything and been denied for weeks.
"What you're seeing is people being desperate."
Reopening delay frustrates businessesEarlier this week, Brown denied reopening applications from Marion and Polk counties due to increased hospitalizations.
Some counties had pending applications and some chose not to apply, but Marion and Polk were the only two that originally applied and were denied.
County officials plan to apply again and reopen soon. But Graham said she doesn't have a set date to plan around, so she will move forward herself.
Meanwhile, several businesses across the state are suing Brown and Oregon's Public Health Director Lillian Shirley, arguing the shut-down orders violated the business owners' constitutional rights.
Buy Photo Supporters of Lindsey Graham praise her as she speaks at a press conference she called at Glamour Salon in downtown Salem on May 15, 2020. (Photo: MADELEINE COOK / STATESMAN JOURNAL)
Officials from Brown's office have previously called the premature opening of businesses "irresponsible," adding "these business owners are putting the public at risk."
"A public health crisis should never be used as a marketing opportunity," governor staff members wrote in a statement shared with the Statesman Journal.
"As a state, and as a community, we have a shared responsibility to protect our friends, neighbors, and loved ones from COVID-19."
Graham said she feels persecuted and targeted by Brown herself.
She argues consenting adults should be allowed to choose to go to the salon and that the workers know how to operate safely, adding, "I don't want anyone to get sick."
If Graham's license is revoked, she said she would fight it and sue. Her attorneys are challenging the OSHA fines now.
"I'm almost broken, I'm almost closing, which is terrifying," Graham said. "I would love to see Kate Brown be as brave as me."
For more information regarding state orders and fines, go to www.oregon.gov/gov/admin/pages/executive-orders.aspx or osha.oregon.gov.
Contact reporter Natalie Pate at npate@StatesmanJournal.com, 503-399-6745, on Twitter @Nataliempate or Facebook at www.Facebook.com/nataliepatejournalist.
Read or Share this story: https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/politics/2020/05/15/glamour-salon-salem-oregon-fine-reopen-early-governor-brown-order-coronavirus/3101171001/
VIDEO - Last Word 5/14/20 | MSNBC
Sat, 16 May 2020 10:21
Atty. General Barr gives a full-throated defense of Trump in Senate testimony
VIDEO - Stacey Abrams' Soul Dies On Live TV As Joe Biden Punts On Announcing Her As His Running Mate - YouTube
Sat, 16 May 2020 10:19
VIDEO - Joe Biden Says He Would Not Pardon President Donald Trump | The Last Word | MSNBC - YouTube
Sat, 16 May 2020 10:12
VIDEO - Greta Thunberg being CNNs expert ðð - YouTube
Sat, 16 May 2020 09:50
VIDEO - Local restaurant owner appears to be mocking Pa. Secretary of Health in since removed social media posts
Sat, 16 May 2020 09:28
BRADDOCK, Pa. '-- A local restaurant owner appeared to be mocking the person who is leading the state's fight against coronavirus on social media.
Robert Portogallo is the owner of Peppers N'at in Braddock.
It's super popular in our region, but Portagallo is coming under fire for recent Facebook comments that he posted on his personal page -- comments that some say are transphobic.
In one of the Facebook posts, Portogallo is wearing a wig, glasses and pearls, appearing to mimic the look of Pennsylvania Secretary of Health, Dr. Rachel Levine, who is a transgender woman.
Another post shows Portogallo appearing to impersonate Levine holding a news conference around rolls of toilet paper with the caption ''Now we know who hoarded all the toilet paper.''
While Portogallo said his intent was to be funny, members of the LGBTQ community aren't laughing.
''She's done nothing but be a wonderful, compassionate leader in guiding the commonwealth in making sure they stay safe,'' said Christine Bryan.
Bryan is with the Delta Foundation of Pittsburgh whose mission is to fight for the LGBTQ rights.
''I know there's a lot of people that didn't realize that she was a member of the transgender community and truthfully it doesn't matter. She's a human being just like everybody else with an extensive resume that is so impressive,'' Bryan said.
Portogallo said he wasn't aware Levine was transgender. He said he constantly impersonates public figures for fun, like in a video he posted on Saturday where he impersonates President Donald Trump.
''A lot of people got a good laugh out of it and obviously some people were offended by it, but there was no intention of offending anybody,'' Portogallo said.
Portogallo spoke to Channel 11's Christine D'Antonio about it over the phone this afternoon.
''If my humor was in poor taste I apologize because they're offended by it,'' Portogallo said. ''I'm not seeing it through their eyes but like I said there was no harm intended. If I would've thought there was harm intended I would've never posted that. That's just not me. I'm never going to degrade or insult someone on Facebook or embarrass them.''
Portogallo said he has permanently removed all of the posts.
Local restaurants getting hit especially hard by COVID-19 pandemic
(C) 2020 (C) 2020 Cox Media Group
VIDEO - Watch: Gaffes Pile Up During Bumbling Biden "Virtual Roundtable" | Zero Hedge
Sat, 16 May 2020 09:16
Presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden continues to struggle through media appearances where he consistently has trouble communicating basic stances and policies, or even articulating coherent sentences for that matter, teleprompter or not.
Of course, as we've highlighted multiple times things get drastically worse any time he has to field questions not specifically scripted, making it deeply awkward for the mainstream media interviewers who seem desperate to prop him up as the only "serious" candidate, not to mention raising serious questions of the sharpness of the 77-year old's mental faculties.
On Thursday afternoon Biden held a "virtual roundtable" despite what seems a past half-year of his team finding any excuse possible to keep him away from interacting with the public, given the number of times things go horribly wrong into hilarity and embarrassment.
Biden struggles badly during "virtual roundtable" as gaffes continue to pile up https://t.co/qbQHpvOj0Q pic.twitter.com/df27XS4yXS
'-- Disrn (@DisrnNews) May 14, 2020From nearly the beginning of the event, Biden made bizarre and confused tongue-tied claims, saying:
"We're ... in the middle of a pandemic that has cost us more than 85,000 jobs as of today. Lives of millions of people. Millions of people. Millions of jobs. You know, and we're in a position where, you know we just got new unemployment insurance, this morning, uh, numbers '-- 36.5 million claims since this crisis began."
Currently there are a little over 300,000 deaths from COVID-19 globally, and over 85,000 in the United States. It's hard to know exactly what Biden was trying to say, considering too he references "unemployment insurance... uh, numbers".
The Daily Mail describes of his switch-up on the numbers, something he didn't seem aware he was doing:
And the self-proclaimed 'gaffe machine' did little to mitigate those apprehensions during a monologue about soaring unemployment levels on Thursday, in which he wrongly claimed 85,000 jobs have been lost in the US as a result of COVID-19, and millions of Americans have died.
The former Vice President appears to have got his numbers confused. In reality, at least 85,000 Americans have died, while 36.5 million have lost their jobs.
Democrats might prefer that their presidential hopeful front-runner be hidden away somewhere until the general election, given that the more he talks the more it's impossible to ignore what's clearly not just the usual gaffes and Bidenisms, but which actually raise questions of cognitive capacities and potential senility.
''Biden claims '85,000 jobs have been lost in the US and millions of Americans have died'''Should we be concerned? If it was just a one (or two, or three) off, no one would care. But Biden's ''gaffes'' are becoming harder to ignore.#BidensMarbles https://t.co/kajj3j4GzH
'-- Amy Holmes (@realamymholmes) May 15, 2020Likely the Dem party bosses simply hope they can put a warm body in the White House after next November while they write the script, but this too could be overreaching given Biden at this point seems to struggle even when reading off a teleprompter.
* * *
As for Thursday's roundtable '-- in consolation we can say at least there was no "lying dog-faced pony soldier" moment...
VIDEO - New COVID-19 Death Dispute: Colorado Coroner Says State Mischaracterized Death '' CBS Denver
Sat, 16 May 2020 08:40
CORTEZ, Colo. (CBS4) '' When police in Cortez, Colorado were called to Cortez City Park early on the morning of May 4, they found Sebastian Yellow, 35, lying on the ground and called it out as a code ''Frank,'' meaning Yellow had died, according to a police report obtained by CBS4.
Within a week, local Montezuma County Coroner George Deavers determined Yellow had died of acute alcohol poisoning, his blood alcohol measured at .55, nearly twice the lethal limit.
(credit: Sebastian Yellow)
''It was almost double what the minimum lethal amount was in the state'', said Deavers, during an interview with CBS4.
But Deavers said that before he even signed the death certificate, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment had already categorized Yellow's death as being due to COVID-19 and it was tabulated that way on the state's website.
''I can see no reason for this'', said Deavers.
Yellow's death is the latest in Colorado raising eyebrows over the way the CDPHE is reclassifying deaths that runs contrary to what doctors and coroners initially ruled.
Last month, a CBS4 Investigation revealed the state health department reclassified three deaths at a Centennial nursing home as COVID-19 deaths, despite the fact attending physicians ruled all three were not related to coronavirus.
In each case, the residents had tested positive for COVID-19, but in each case, on-scene doctors ruled the deaths were not related to the virus. Still, in their official tally, the state increased the number of coronavirus deaths at the Someren Glen facility from four to seven, based on the disputed deaths.
(credit: CBS)
On Thursday, state Rep. Mark Baisley, a Republican representing Douglas and Teller Counties, wrote a letter to District Attorney George Brauchler of the 18th Judicial District, asking for a criminal investigation into the reclassification of the Someren Glen deaths and criminal charges against Jill Ryan, the director of the state health department. Baisley wrote that what occurred was ''deliberate acts of certificate falsification'' and said Baisley, ''I believe these acts of falsely altering death certificates to be criminal acts of tremendous concern to you and my constituents. I hereby request that you investigate this matter with the intent of bringing criminal charges against Jill Ryan.''
Now Montezuma County Coroner George Deavers finds himself in a similar situation in southwestern Colorado, officially ruling Yellow's death as ''ethanol toxicity'' but seeing the state record it differently.
''They should have to be recording the same way I do. They have to go off the truth and facts and list it as such,'' said Deavers.
He said following Yellow's death, the man was tested for COVID-19 since he had been associating with someone who was positive for the virus, and the information can be useful in tracking the path of the virus. Deavers said that test on Yellow came back positive, but the coroner insists that had nothing to do with Yellow's death. In fact, Deavers says a secondary cause was cirrohsis of the liver.
(credit: iStock/Getty Images Plus)
''It wasn't COVID, it was alcohol toxicity,'' said Deavers.''Yes, he did have COVID but that is not what took his life.''
Deavers said he has been calling officials at the CDPHE this week to understand why they classified Yellow's death as related to the virus, but he said as of Thursday morning, he had not yet received an explanation. He said in Cortez, citizens are wondering what's going on.
''They're thinking the state is trying to inflate numbers which it does look like it, whether they are or not, I don't know,'' said Deavers. He said some have suggested, ''They're trying to make it look like its worse than it really is, I don't know if that's what their intentions are. Maybe they're trying to do it for some of the two trillion budgeted in for the COVID.''
However some statisticians, epidemiologists and medical experts, like Dr. Anthony Fauci, have suggested that COVID-19 deaths are likely being undercounted, not over counted. Fauci testified this week before the Senate and was asked if 80,000 deaths from COVID was accurate.
''Most of us feel that the number of deaths are likely higher than that number,'' said Fauci. He told the Senate, ''I don't know exactly what percent higher, but almost certainly it's higher.''
CBS4 contacted the state health department Thursday requesting an explanation for how Yellow's death was categorized. No immediate explanation was given. But in the case of the Someren Glen deaths, a CDPHE spokesperson said, ''The department follows the CDC's case definition of COVID-19 cases and deaths'... When a person with a lab-confirmed case of COVID-19 dies, their death is automatically counted as a COVID-19 death unless there is another cause that completely rules out COVID-19 such as a fatal physical injury.''
Regardless, in Cortez, Deavers says the death of Sebastian Yellow and how the state is handling it is proving problematic. The county has recorded 25 coronavirus cases but 13 of those have recovered, so there are just a dozen active cases, and before Sebastian Yellow, two deaths.
The county applied May 4 for a variance from the statewide safer-at-home public health order to allow restaurants, retail establishments and other businesses to reopen. In its application the county cited its low number of coronavirus cases, but the CDPHE denied that request. The state health department said, ''Our reviewers have some concerns about vulnerabilities in Montezuma County and want to monitor the situation before further considering a variance.''
Deavers said, ''We have a low number of cases, low number of deaths in our county and we have businesses here that possibly are not going to reopen. Apparently this specific case was what helped them deny letting the variance go through.''
The state health department cited the number of coronavirus cases but other factors as well, including high death and infection rates in adjacent counties in New Mexico. In a letter to Montezuma County, CDPHE said it was concerned with increasing local cases and the situation in New Mexico which could cause problems for the health care system in Montezuma county.
CDPHE responded with this statement: We classify a death as confirmed when there was a case who had a positive SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) laboratory test and then died. We also classify some deaths as probable. You can find the full criteria for that on our website under ''About our Data,'' but the gist is that there must be strong epidemiological evidence of COVID-19 such as a combination of close contact with a confirmed case and symptoms of COVID-19. We will also count a death as a COVID-19 death when there is no known positive laboratory test but the death certificate lists ''COVID-19'' as a cause of death.
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VIDEO - DNC: Convention Must Happen, We Are Not Officially Nominating Biden
Fri, 15 May 2020 12:19
Xochitl Hinojosa, communications director for the Democratic National Committee (DNC), sparked confusion this week after stating during an appearance on Fox News that it is crucial for the party to hold its convention, because they are '' not officially nominating Joe Biden in order to take Donald Trump.''
''There's a real possibility the convention does not happen or it happens in a virtual sense. Is that correct as of today?'' Fox News anchor Bill Hemmer asked.
''First of all, our convention has to happen, because we are not officially nominating Joe Biden in order to take Donald Trump,'' Hinojosa replied. ''So our convention is happening. There is business that has to happen'':
Someone should probably tell Joe Biden that the DNC Comms Director just said this on national television. pic.twitter.com/tjoXCKTjeO
'-- Lauren Boebert for Congress (R-CO3) (@laurenboebert) May 14, 2020
Joe Biden (D) officially became the Democrat Party's presumptive nominee following Sen. Bernie Sanders' (I-VT) departure from the race, as he was the last challenger standing. Sanders vowed, prior to dropping out, that he would support the eventual Democrat nominee '-- a promise he fulfilled last month.
''Today I am asking all Americans '-- I'm asking every Democrat, I'm asking every independent, I'm asking a lot of Republican '-- to come together in this campaign to support your candidacy which I endorse,'' Sanders said during a livestream event with the former vice president in April.
''If I am the nominee, which it looks like now you just made me, I am going to need you, not just to win the campaign, but to govern,'' Biden replied.
The DNC rescheduled the party's July convention to August, citing coronavirus-related concerns. This week, the Rules and Bylaws Committee voted to ''grant convention organizers in Milwaukee the authority to design an event that won't require delegates to attend in person amid the coronavirus pandemic.''
The plan, according to DNC Chair Tom Perez, ensures that ''every delegate is able to accomplish their official business without putting their own health at risk '' whether that be participating in person or by other means to allow for social distancing.''
The move effectively opens the door for a virtual convention.
Hinojosa, as of Thursday evening, had yet to clarify her remark on social media.
VIDEO - NBC News contributor Dr. Joseph Fair sick with coronavirus
Fri, 15 May 2020 10:19
One of NBC News' and TODAY's most knowledgeable experts on the coronavirus outbreak has now been diagnosed with COVID-19.
On Wednesday morning, NBC News contributor and virologist Dr. Joseph Fair tweeted that he's been hospitalized after contracting the coronavirus. He last appeared on TODAY in late April.
Download the TODAY app for the latest coverage on the coronavirus outbreak.
"My friends wondering where I've been: I came down with #COVID19 & am hospitalized," he wrote. "I'm on the other end of it, but not out of the woods yet. Please continue to social distance. I used max precautions, but still managed to contract it. Back as soon as I'm able, friends. #StaySafe."
My friends wondering where I've been: I came down with #COVID19 & am hospitalized. I'm on the other end of it, but not out of the woods yet. Please continue to social distance. I used max precautions, but still managed to contract it. Back as soon as I'm able, friends. #StaySafe pic.twitter.com/Ck75sKLOU3
'-- Dr. Joseph Fair (@curefinder) May 13, 2020It's possible that Fair contracted the virus during a recent flight from New York City to New Orleans, he told TODAY. He was flying home, and his airline did not enforce social distancing measures.
"I had a mask, I had gloves on, I did ... my normal wipe-down, but you can still get it through your eyes," he said. "I was seated right next to someone. The flight was full."
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Once Fair arrived, he left his home once to go to the grocery store, where he practiced "max precautions," he said. Three to four days after his flight, he started to develop "a complete lack of appetite," muscle aches and a slight fever.
"At that point, it wasn't 'classic COVID symptoms,' but nothing is. That's what we're learning," he explained. "It's just so variable."
For the first three to four days of symptoms, Fair said it wasn't serious enough for him to seek medical attention. He had spikes in his fever that got as high as 104 degrees, but he opted to self-treat with Tylenol, lots of fluids and fruit '-- "basically what you do when you have any cold or flu," he added.
But heading into last weekend, his symptoms started to worsen, and on Saturday, he noticed he was getting very short of breath.
"By Monday, I couldn't take a full breath and had to call an ambulance," he recalled.
After visiting the emergency room, he was admitted to Tulane Medical Center because of a bacterial lung infection, which caused his shortness of breath. He received four tests for COVID-19, all of which were negative, but doctors told him that they had no doubt that's what he had.
Fair said that a plausible explanation for his negative tests was that "the virus itself has passed out of my system, but my system is still responding to the damage that the virus did."
Even for Fair, who's been on the front lines of outbreaks, including Ebola, the first day in the hospital was "very frightening," he said. "There's something particularly scary about not being able to get air. That part was anxiety (inducing)."
He added that he asked his doctors only to intubate him if "there was no other choice," so they treated him with an oxygen mask, visible in the image in his tweet. After three days in the hospital, he's still a little short of breath, but he's responded well to oxygen.
At 42 years old, Fair runs 5-10 miles a day, has a "good" lung capacity and no underlying conditions. So he said one of the learnings of his experience is "if it can take me down, it can take anyone down."
As he told one fan who responded to his announcement on Twitter, "Nobody is immune! Not even a virus hunter."
Fair hopes to be discharged from the hospital this weekend and has recently left the critical care floor.
Nobody is immune! Not even a virus hunter. For doubters of the seriousness of the virus, let me assure it can take you down.
'-- Dr. Joseph Fair (@curefinder) May 13, 2020Finally, he stressed: Don't be in such a hurry to get back to life as normal.
"Your life is more valuable than any kind of short-term discomfort you may have, (even) economic," he said. "Do not put yourself in a situation that instinctively feels dangerous, and you'll know when it does."
Maura Hohman
Maura Hohman is a weekend editor for TODAY.com.
VIDEO - (20) Quoth the Raven on Twitter: "Smug fuckin Keynesians. This is unbearably arrogant." / Twitter
Fri, 15 May 2020 10:02
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VIDEO - Unfortunate audio glitch during Dr David Clark's speech picked up by international media | Newshub
Fri, 15 May 2020 09:50
First, Health Minister Dr David Clark courted international media attention for his infamous beach trip during lockdown, now he's in the headlines overseas after what looks to be an unfortunate audio glitch during one of his speeches.
Dr Clark announced on Wednesday that up to 50 people would be able to attend funerals and tangihanga if the funeral directors registered the service with the Ministry of Health and had adequate health and safety measures in place. It was a change in policy for the Government, which previously limited such gatherings to ten people.
While the announcement was positively received by funeral directors and families of those who recently died, Dr Clark's speech has picked up international traction for something not of his own making.
At about 23:53 in the RNZ livestream of his speech found below, Dr Clark is speaking about second waves of infection "just as countries were getting on top of the virus, like we are now".
However, what appears to be a slight audio glitch in the livestream cuts off the end of the word "countries", making it sound like Dr Clark had just dropped the c-bomb. Immediately following that, the vision shifts slightly and the insert which typically shows the sign language interpreter disappears.
The glitch becomes even clearer if you compare the RNZ livestream to others broadcasting the exact same speech, including TVNZ's and Newshub's. They show Dr Clark did say the full word - "countries".
Unfortunately for Dr Clark, glitches are regularly seized upon by people on social media, with a clip of the livestream shared by comedian Tim Batt receiving thousands of likes and retweets.
"This is completely unedited footage of the New Zealand Health Minister. Seriously," Batt said.
"A defining cultural moment for this nation."
"Obviously he was saying countries and missed," one user replied.
"I just snort-laughed and scared my dog," another said.
"I'm bookmarking this and when I feel down, this will move me to hysterics and cheer me up again."
However, other users did point out the tiny glitch.
International media and websites have now picked up on the moment. Most notably, LadBible, a haven of social media fails and oddities, shared it.
"Anyone tuning into the New Zealand Health Minister's press conference yesterday might have had a rude shock," that story began.
MSN used an Evening Standard version of the story, while an assortment of other sites with tabloid-like stories also told their audiences of the awkward glitch.
"Viewers watching New Zealand's Health Minister providing a COVID-19 update yesterday were left in shock when he appeared to drop the c-word during a press conference," outlet Tyla said.
"And nope, we're not talking about the word 'coronavirus'."
Many also made mention of what Dr Clark may have previously been best-known for internationally.
"At least [the glitch is] not going to be the biggest issue that Dr Clark has endured during the pandemic," LadBible said.
Dr Clark was demoted to the bottom of the Cabinet rankings in April and stripped of his Associate Finance Minister role after taking a trip to the beach with his family while Kiwis were instructed to stay at their homes during the lockdown. He previously got caught at a mountain biking track as well.
VIDEO - Joe Buck: Fox NFL TV broadcasts might add CGI fans
Fri, 15 May 2020 09:41
The 2020 schedule has been released, but little else is known about the upcoming NFL season as the coronavirus pandemic rages on.
Should the NFL season begin on time, Joe Buck '-- Fox Sports' lead play-by-play announcer for football '-- believes we might be looking at a campaign without fans in the stands. In an interview with SiriusXM's Andy Cohen, Buck said that Fox is exploring a few routes to provide for a more normal viewing experience should these fan-less games come to pass.
"There's probably going to be a season in doing games with no fans, which will be difficult," Buck said. "I think Fox and these networks have to put crowd noise under us to make it a normal viewing experience at home."
When pressed by Cohen, Buck said he was certain crowd noise will be added to potential broadcasts without fans, and went as far as to say "I know they'll do it" and that it's "pretty much a done deal."
"I think whoever's going to be at that control is going to have to be really good at their job and be realistic with how a crowd would react depending on what just happened on the field, so it's really important."
Von Miller details coronavirus fight: 'My lungs were constricting'
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Buck also said the network is looking into ways to at least simulate a packed house for viewers at home.
"On top of that, they're looking at ways to put virtual fans in the stands, so when you see a wide shot it looks like the stadium is jam-packed and in fact it'll be empty," Buck said.
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VIDEO - (3) The Hill on Twitter: "Joe Biden: "We're in the middle of a pandemic that has cost us more than 85,000 jobs as of today. Lives of millions of people, millions of people, millions of jobs." https://t.co/P4b2CA27Yf" / Twitter
Fri, 15 May 2020 09:40
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VIDEO - Coronavirus-tracking project gets put on hold due to FDA concerns
Fri, 15 May 2020 09:24
SCAN makes use of at-home collection of nasal samples. (GatesNotes via YouTube)The organizers of the Seattle Coronavirus Assessment Network, a virus-tracking project supported by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, say their efforts are being paused while they deal with concerns raised by the Food and Drug Administration.
Word of SCAN's suspension came just a day after the world's second-richest person praised the effort in GatesNotes, his personal blog. ''It has the potential to become an important tool for health officials seeking insights about the spread and behavior of the virus,'' Gates wrote.
SCAN aims to track the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19 throughout the Seattle area by sending out at-home tests and picking them up for analysis, with logistical support from Amazon Care, the health care program for Amazon employees. Over the past seven weeks, tests have been sent out to about 12,500 test subjects, including people with symptoms and people without symptoms.
The project had been operating under an arrangement by which the FDA let state public health officials issue Emergency Use Authorizations for coronavirus tests developed within their states. Today, SCAN said it was notified that separate federal authorization is now required to return test results, due to revisions in the guidance that were issued last week.
SCAN said it's been working to address the FDA's questions and hopes to have full authorization ''soon.''
According to SCAN, the FDA is seeking data about the self-swab technique that's being used for the at-home tests, and about the testing of people who aren't reporting symptoms.
SCAN's organizers said they've drawn upon the experience gained since the project began on March 23, as well as their experience with an earlier project known as the Seattle Flu Study.
''With regard to proper specimen collection outside of a clinical setting, our experience from more than 18 months of sampling with the Seattle Flu Study and now SCAN also shows a low rate of insufficient nasal sampling,'' the organizers said in today's blog posting. ''The internal control in our assay readily identifies whether a sufficient specimen is collected.''
Coronavirus Live Updates: The latest COVID-19 developments in Seattle and the world of techThe organizers also said it was important to test subjects who aren't feeling sick. ''This can not only help us learn more about the virus, it can help us identify positive cases of COVID-19 that might otherwise go undetected,'' they said.
Separate efforts that focus on people in homeless shelters and long-term care facilities can continue under the banner of the Seattle Flu Study because the sampling is supervised by health care workers and doesn't involve self-swabbing.
This isn't the first time regulators have made things complicated for the Seattle research team. The Seattle Flu Study's pilot project to track the spread of coronavirus also ran into roadblocks. Despite the difficulties, that project found the first evidence tracing the virus' community transmission within the U.S.
SCAN is a partnership between the Seattle Flu Study and Public Health '' Seattle & King County. It's funded by Gates Ventures, the private office of Bill Gates, and is getting technical guidance from experts at organizations including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Institute for Disease Modeling provides data modeling support.
The Seattle Flu Study was developed by the Brotman Baty Institute in league with UW Medicine, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Seattle Children's. University of Washington geneticist Jay Shendure is the Brotman Baty Institute's scientific director as well as the Seattle Flu Study's lead principal investigator.
VIDEO - Pausing elective surgeries is harmful to America's economy: Doctor | Fox Business Video
Fri, 15 May 2020 09:15
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VIDEO - Resentment Builds When COVID-19 Reopening Rules Apply To Some Businesses, But Not Others '' CBS San Francisco
Fri, 15 May 2020 09:07
BERKELEY (KPIX) '' When the COVID-19 shutdown began, we were ''all in this together,'' but as some businesses like Tesla are allowed to reopen in defiance of the shelter in place order, there is growing resentment among those that can't.
Tesla's ability to defy Alameda County's health directive with no consequences sent a strong message to owners of businesses that are still shut down.
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The resentment can be seen at the corner of Telegraph and Ashby, in Berkeley.
''At the beginning we immediately closed our store, shut off our lights, put up messages to the community saying 'we're all in this together and we'll be back,'' said Marcy Simon, co-owner of Ashby Flowers.
But even now, the tiny shop is not allowed to bring flowers outside for curbside pickup by customers. It's legal in the rest of Alameda County but Berkeley has its own health rules that say florists can only deliver. Meanwhile large Whole Foods Market right next to it''which also sells flowers'--has a long line of people waiting to get inside.
Simon is like a lot of others who thought they were doing the right thing, but are now starting to get mad.
''I think that many people are now definitely looking for ways to get around the rules, there's no question about it,'' she said.
Clinical psychologist Judye Hess says that shouldn't be a surprise. She says people naturally lose respect for laws when it feels like they're being unfairly applied.
''I think it incites some kind of rebellion that often will go back to their childhood when their brother or sister was getting more than they were,'' Hess said.
She attributes it to uneven rules and a lack of strong leadership and wonders if social disorder may increase because of it.
''I think it could really turn into something like that, where there's just, everybody out for themselves and not being willing to go on like that,'' Hess said.
Back at the flower shop they seem pretty sure what's going to happen.
''I think people are going to start defying the rules much more now that Tesla has done that, for sure,'' said Simon. ''We won't, but others will.''
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VIDEO - DA, FF Plus, AfriForum head to court to challenge lockdown regulations - SABC News - Breaking news, special reports, world, business, sport coverage of all South African current events. Africa's news leader.
Fri, 15 May 2020 08:57
President Cyril Ramaphosa says that government will continue to face legal challenges in the way it's dealing with the coronavirus pandemic but adds that sacrifices must be made.
FF PLUS will go to court on an urgent basis to put an end to lockdown. @GroenewaldPJ #COVID19SA #LockdownSA pic.twitter.com/qaaLZrZFpW
'-- VRYHEIDSFRONT PLUS / FREEDOM FRONT PLUS (@VFPlus) May 14, 2020
This as the Democratic Alliance (DA), Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) and lobby group AfriForum announce intentions to file court papers over a number of issues, including forcing the government to lift the lockdown entirely to allow full economic activity to start and the constitutionality of aspects of the Disaster Management Act.
The threat posed by this lockdown crisis is so much greater than the threat of the virus, that we have no choice but to end the hard lockdown now and start our economy up. #EndTheLockdown
'-- Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) May 14, 2020
RKP Attorneys' Rehana Khan Parker explains on Morning Live:
'Bad faith'
Political analyst Ongama Mtimka says the Democratic Alliance's decision to take the government to court after questioning the rationality of some lockdown regulations is in bad faith.
Mtimka says the DA does not appreciate the unique circumstances in which COVID-19 has placed the country in.
The President on Thursday in the Eastern Cape said that the legal challenges that the government was facing against the national lockdown were part of the country's constitutional democracy.
''The lockdown has disrupted people's lives '' there are quite a number of people, organisations who do feel aggrieved and we did say right from the beginning that all of us will be required to make some sacrifices as we deal with this health challenge which has also turned out to be an economic challenge. Our constitution and our legal system allow anyone who is aggrieved to have the right to approach the courts and a number of people have done so and even I as president could never stand in the way of anybody who wants to challenge what we have put in place but also any decision that we take,'' says Ramaphosa.
In the video below, President Cyril Ramaphosa says legal challenges against lockdown are part of constitutional democracy.
'Lack of oversight'
DA interim leader, John Steenhuisen, defends that these restrictions are in place due to the lack of oversight on the decisions taken by the National Command Council during the State of Disaster. The party is calling for an immediate easing of the national lockdown, saying it will force government to take the hard decisions that this entails via the courts.
''It is our opinion that is shared by many South Africans that all three of these decisions should be immediately reversed as there are no rational justifications for a military-enforced curfew, a restriction on e-commerce business and a limited three-hour window for exercise. But it must also be said that these irrational decisions are taken by the National Command Council because they are acting with no checks and balances. The State of Disaster which we are currently under is governed by the Disaster Management Act, and it makes zero provision for Parliamentary oversight which means that the secretive National Command Council actually answers to no one,'' says Steenhuisen
We must fight back against being imprisoned by a night curfew enforced by armed soldiers and against the slew of irrational, petty regulations that do nothing but kill businesses, destroy jobs and turn decent people into criminals. #Day49ofLockdown #EndTheLockdown
'-- Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) May 14, 2020
High Court challenge
Steenhuisen says the party will file papers in the High Court challenging the rationality of three separate lockdown-related issues, namely the night curfew, the ban on e-commerce or online shopping as well as the restriction on exercise hours.
Steenhuisen said this is what South Africans want. But when asked when and where did South Africans speak about these lockdown restrictions, here is his response. Video below:
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Fri, 15 May 2020 08:28
VIDEO-BlueSky'¸'¸'¸ on Twitter: "[Brennan] is very nervous #PANIC" / Twitter
Fri, 15 May 2020 07:27
Log in Sign up BlueSky'¸'¸'¸ @ QBlueSkyQ [Brennan] is very nervous
#PANIC twitter.com/RealSLokhova/s'... 6:18 PM - 14 May 2020 James Paul @ JamesPa49494414
11h Replying to
@QBlueSkyQ You don't need to be a psychologist to realise how fraught this delivery was with anxiety and inner conflict. The subconscious is burbling to the surface!
View conversation · AMERICAN PATRIQT @ MERICAN_PATRIQT
11h Replying to
@QBlueSkyQ @SheilaPicciocca ''TRUST WRAY''- Q
View conversation · Travis ðºð¸ @ STP3073
11h Replying to
@MERICAN_PATRIQT @QBlueSkyQ @SheilaPicciocca Not only Patriots read the boards. Misinformation is necessary.
View conversation · Jane Surm @ JaneSurm
11h Replying to
@QBlueSkyQ OBAMAtable abuse of authority, indeed!!
View conversation · Joy L. Whidden @ joybird4u
10h Replying to
@QBlueSkyQ Was he trying to say abominable or Obamanable use of authority? Oh well, either way I'm sure he would have said it better in Arabic.
#ObamaGate View conversation · J&J PSALM:91 @ jcandjc
11h Replying to
@QBlueSkyQ Abuse of authority....well now that's something you would know a lot about isn't it?
View conversation · Renee @ Renee08728213
10h Replying to
@QBlueSkyQ @GeorgiaMAGA That tells you right there Christopher Wray is the Enemy!!!Pass it On!
View conversation · April Bosworth @ AprilBosworth5
10h Replying to
@QBlueSkyQ @februarykel He needs to go down!!!!
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VIDEO-ðºð¸Lionelðºð¸ on Twitter: "#BillGates in charge of the @WHO?! Do you see what's happening here? We've a new battle line: the number of entrenched shadow government operatives who are now promoting the Bill Gates worldview and this pro-v
Fri, 15 May 2020 07:12
Log in Sign up ðºð¸Lionelðºð¸ @ LionelMedia #BillGates in charge of the
@WHO?!Do you see what's happening here? We've a new battle line: the number of entrenched shadow government operatives who are now promoting the Bill Gates worldview and this pro-vaccine frame of reference. This is nuts.
pic.twitter.com/HO2giFBDzi 3:36 AM - 15 May 2020 Twitter by: Q Research Notables @QAnonNotables Aaron @ hupotassoway
1h Replying to
@LionelMedia @WHO Graham - sellout to the New World Order. Bill Gates is very bad.
View conversation · 2020vision @ Inthegulag1
1h Replying to
@LionelMedia @WHO He says gates. Bannon recommends *DOCTOR* Ben Carson.
View conversation · Stars4Patriots @ Stars4P
33m Replying to
@LionelMedia @WHO Lindsay Graham must resign.
View conversation · johnny @ johnnynuke
1h Replying to
@LionelMedia @WHO Now you don't have to wonder any more as to the senator being deep state.
View conversation · David Stoll Sr @ StollSr
1h Replying to
@LionelMedia @WHO Sen. Twinkletoes is dirty as the day is long.
View conversation · April Bowen @ AprilBowen7
1h Replying to
@LionelMedia @WHO Graham needs to go
View conversation · Brian Paul @ BrianAn44567733
27m Replying to
@LionelMedia @fedagentmark and
2 others How big was the payoff check
@LindseyGrahamSC?
View conversation · Sun Of Abyss @ AmatKiwai
1h Replying to
@LionelMedia @WHO been using "Windows" too long.
View conversation · Ed Hand @ deerlake12
1h Replying to
@LionelMedia @WHO He would double the funding it's not his decision.
View conversation · Peace, Liberty & Crypto @ tholm4
1h Replying to
@LionelMedia @WHO Anything the gonad from SC says, do the opposite!!
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VIDEO-James (Jim) Pyers on Twitter: "@LouDobbs @jsolomonReports and thousands of sealed indictments .... @adamcurry" / Twitter
Thu, 14 May 2020 20:02
and thousands of sealed indictments ....
@adamcurry
VIDEO-Trump War Room - Text TRUMP to 88022 & get the APP on Twitter: "WATCH: Joe Biden can't remember who briefs him: "Um, and uh, and I'm not, and I, I have a, I have a uh, like all of you but every day I get between an hour & an hour & a half br
Thu, 14 May 2020 17:53
rumblin bumblin stumblin puppet.
VIDEO-Katie Hopkins on Twitter: "This is now law in New Zealand. The PM has complete power to make new rules; The police can enter your home or marae without a warrant Can close your business without notice or reason using an enforcer Can lock groups down
Thu, 14 May 2020 17:51
Log in Sign up Katie Hopkins @ KTHopkins This is now law in New Zealand. The PM has complete power to make new rules; The police can enter your home or marae without a warrantCan close your business without notice or reason using an enforcerCan lock groups down in their homes or elsewhereLISTEN
pic.twitter.com/BMtHuiEkjk 3:52 AM - 14 May 2020 Twitter by: Katie Hopkins @KTHopkins Reef Stewart @ reefstewartnz
12h Replying to
@KTHopkins Katie, here in New Zealand we beg for international coverage of this! Please make sure this makes the tabloids! We are living in an authoritarian state!!
View conversation · Tom Anderson @ Proofbycontradi
12h Replying to
@reefstewartnz @KTHopkins NZ fast on its way to becoming like China. Will be a complete dump of a place in a few short years
View conversation · Louis @ louisvz63
12h Replying to
@KTHopkins pic.twitter.com/aHN5I51avz View conversation · Trick Or Treaty @ OrTreaty
12h Replying to
@KTHopkins This is what tyranny looks like.
View conversation · ðºð¸ Tabitha ðºð¸ @ Bicentennial42
12h Replying to
@KTHopkins This is no time for the citizens of New Zealand to act civilized. Their rights have been completely stripped! Horrific!
View conversation · ð·mamahash'¸'¸'¸ @ mamahashman
9h Replying to
@Bicentennial42 @KTHopkins Good luck. No options. Are they going to ''protest'' ? Look at Hong Kong ~ should have kept their guns. Very naive.
View conversation · Robert Dawson @ SteelCityRaver
12h Replying to
@KTHopkins These laws aren't designed for the virus, it's for dissenters when they implement the social credit system in their new world order,the banksters want to make sure they can never be removed from power
View conversation · Leon @ leon_texas
10h Replying to
@KTHopkins @Adelgary This is crazy. I have been to New Zealand many times & this sort of law can have terrible consequences. This is very dangerous for every single person living & visiting ð"ð. This is even dangerous for tourists visiting beautiful New Zealand.
View conversation · Sandra @ SpeckBella
12h Replying to
@KTHopkins They took all the guns away last year.
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VIDEO-Trump says he would mobilize military to distribute coronavirus vaccine when it's ready - CBS News
Thu, 14 May 2020 16:05
President Trump says he would "rapidly" mobilize the U.S. military to distribute a coronavirus vaccine once it's ready, focusing first on nursing homes and the elderly most vulnerable to deadly complications from the virus. Mr. Trump made the comments during an interview with Fox Business' Maria Bartiromo.
"We're mobilizing our military and other forces but we're mobilizing our military on the basis that we do have a vaccine. You know, it's a massive job to give this vaccine. Our military is now being mobilized so at the end of the year we're going to be able to give it to a lot of people very, very rapidly," the president said.
"We will have a tremendous force because assuming we get it, then you have to distribute it," he added. "And unless you're mobilized and ready, you're not going to be able to do it for a long time. So we're starting now."
The president said he expects a vaccine to be available by the end of this year, a very optimistic timeline given that many experts, including Coronavirus Task Force member Dr. Anthony Fauci, say it will take at least 12 to 18 months. The virus has killed more than 84,000 Americans so far, as states begin to reopen their economies. The president indicated he expects that number to continue to climb.
"We will lose over 100,000, perhaps, in this country," the president said in the interview that aired Thursday.
Trump repeats that coronavirus is "going to go away" A CBS News poll released Thursday shows 43% of Americans think the president is doing a good job handling the virus, down from 48% in April and 53% in March.
Most Americans also don't trust the president for information about the virus, the poll found. Only 38% of Americans said they do, compared with 61% who trust their governor and 62% who trust Fauci.
VIDEO-Google News -
Thu, 14 May 2020 16:04
Language & region English (United States)
VIDEO-"Obama Phone" Remix (parody song) - YouTube
Thu, 14 May 2020 15:48
VIDEO-Kathleen McKinley on Twitter: "Oh come on!" / Twitter
Thu, 14 May 2020 15:41
Dougleaffanð'ð¥
' @ Dougleaffan
4h Replying to
@KatMcKinley 𤣠Are we really surprised by this?
View conversation · Kirk Merritt @ Kirk4Defiance
4h Replying to
@KatMcKinley @benshapiro @AmbJohnBolton If
@AmbJohnBolton can say no to Congress, so can everyone.Take it to the Supreme Court!
View conversation · Georgia Bean ðºð¸ @ GeorgiaBeannie
4h Replying to
@KatMcKinley @benshapiro There ya go. Now we know there will never be a vaccine.
View conversation · Brad @ 2muchpeppapig
4h Replying to
@KatMcKinley @benshapiro COP-OUT!!!! He is a phony!!!
View conversation · Bernermom55 @ bernermom55
4h Replying to
@KatMcKinley @benshapiro Then he had better not be seen going anywhere.
View conversation · Cyberman @ michaeldhess
4h Replying to
@KatMcKinley @benshapiro .Sure, let him stay in his house but if he leaves nab him!
#OBAMAGATEGATE View conversation · Patrick Fiorito @ FioritoPatrick
4h Replying to
@KatMcKinley @benshapiro Nah. I agree with ClapperIt's an INVESTIGATION, not a death sentenceI don't want to agree with him but I agree with him.
View conversation · Vinces Labarum @ VLabarum
4h Replying to
@KatMcKinley @benshapiro He's afraid. GOOD! ððºð¸
View conversation · Esteban Zorrilla @ Grandmaster_Z
4h Replying to
@KatMcKinley @benshapiro Give that man a mask!
View conversation · The Fitness Minimalist @ Jolivery1
4h Replying to
@KatMcKinley @benshapiro Do it through video ð¤·ð>>''¸
View conversation ·
VIDEO-TV News HQ on Twitter: "Watch: Clapper just conceded on CNN that ''No, I did not'' find evidence of Trump-Russia collusion. Then, after being asked about leaking to the press, his video connection went dead... https://t.co/Ab13DVFVQa" /
Thu, 14 May 2020 15:34
Log in Sign up TV News HQ @ TVNewsHQ Watch: Clapper just conceded on CNN that ''No, I did not'' find evidence of Trump-Russia collusion. Then, after being asked about leaking to the press, his video connection went dead...
pic.twitter.com/Ab13DVFVQa 5:09 AM - 14 May 2020 Twitter by: TV News HQ @TVNewsHQ TV News HQ @ TVNewsHQ
8h Replying to
@TVNewsHQ Once Clapper was back, he was asked whether he leaked the Flynn call to David Ignatius. He says: ''No, I did not.''
pic.twitter.com/mAww8wsp9U View conversation · Valarie J Lutz @ lutz_valarie
8h Replying to
@TVNewsHQ @BretBaier Yes We have known this for years,thats why we Support TRUMP ( DRAIN THE SWAMP)
View conversation · JustTheFacts @ ConservaTarian3
8h Replying to
@TVNewsHQ @BretBaier I wonder if his lawyer was there with him and cut the video to prevent him from further self-incrimination.
View conversation · John F. Lemke @ brabarig1
6h Replying to
@TVNewsHQ @UrUnpaidPundit It's going to be a long summer for traitors.
View conversation · Old Man and the Ski @ Oldmanandtheski
1h Replying to
@brabarig1 @TVNewsHQ @UrUnpaidPundit Hope so.
View conversation · Mary Martin @ mosaics7
8h Replying to
@TVNewsHQ @BretBaier I love it!!!
#OBAMAGATE.
#BIDENGATE View conversation · lindsey blu @ blu_lindsey
7h Replying to
@TVNewsHQ @BretBaier The guy has lied on National TV for years it goes back to the Lois Lerner days I bet this corrupt player is receiving a taxpayer pension too
View conversation · Joy @ Joy17123083
7h Replying to
@TVNewsHQ @BretBaier The connection didnot go dead with clapper, he knew he should not lie and could not tell the truth either thus the disconnevtuon
View conversation · BoumtjeBoumtje '¸'¸'¸ @ BoumtjeBoumtje
5h Replying to
@TVNewsHQ @dbongino Keep him talkin' ... this is all admissible as evidence in court
#ObamaGatepic.twitter.com/FURRWWRu8s View conversation · Stephan Penn @ PennStephan
7h Replying to
@TVNewsHQ @gehrig38 This is CNN. Hahahaha ð
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STORIES
Germany criminalises the burning of foreign flags - The Local
Sun, 17 May 2020 08:15
You will be connected to www.thelocal.de in just a moment...
Learn about Project Shield
Senate rejects FISA amendment to bar warrantless surveillance of web browser history | Fox News
Sun, 17 May 2020 08:14
The Senate on Wednesday narrowly rejected an amendment to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) which would have prohibited law enforcement officials from monitoring people's web browsing or internet search history without obtaining a warrant first.
The Senate voted 59-37 in favor of the amendment, which would have tacked on measures to a FISA reform bill that already passed in the House with substantial bipartisan support, but 60 senators needed to approve it for the amendment to pass.
FISA REFORM TO HIT THE SENATE FLOOR: HERE'S WHAT TO KNOW
The amendment, which came from Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Steve Daines, R-Mont., is one of several being considered by the Senate as possible add-ons to the House bill.
"We need to get the government out of our phones & out of our lives," Daines tweeted before the vote. "They shouldn't have access to Americans' extremely personal browser data & internet search history w/o a warrant."
The House bill, which passed by a 278-136 vote, brought together the staunchest President Trump supporters like Reps. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., and Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and some of his fiercest critics like Reps. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., and Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who wanted improvements to protect Americans' privacy and safeguard against surveillance abuses.
Senators including Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Mike Lee, R-Utah, have voiced opposition to the House bill and submitted amendments of their own.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
FISA reform has been a hot topic since a report from the Justice Department Inspector General revealed significant inaccuracies and omissions by the FBI in FISA warrant applications that led to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court authorizing surveillance of Trump campaign adviser Carter Page in 2016.
A subsequent report showed that the FBI's violations of FISA-related rules went beyond the Russia investigation.
Fox News' Chad Pergram contributed to this report.
Inside Moderna Therapeutics, biotech's most secretive startup
Sun, 17 May 2020 08:03
C AMBRIDGE, Mass. '-- At first glance, Moderna Therapeutics looks like the most enviable biotech startup in the world. It has smashed fundraising records and teamed up with pharmaceutical giants as it pursues a radical plan to revolutionize medicine by transforming human cells into drug factories.
But the reality is more complicated.
A STAT investigation found that the company's caustic work environment has for years driven away top talent and that behind its obsession with secrecy, there are signs Moderna has run into roadblocks with its most ambitious projects.
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At the center of it all is St(C)phane Bancel, a first-time biotech CEO with an unwavering belief that Moderna's science will work '-- and that employees who don't ''live the mission'' have no place in the company. Confident and intense, Bancel told STAT that Moderna's science is on track and, when it is finally made public, that it will meet the brash goal he himself has set: The new drugs will change the world.
But interviews with more than 20 current and former employees and associates suggest Bancel has hampered progress at Moderna because of his ego, his need to assert control and his impatience with the setbacks that are an inevitable part of science. Moderna is worth more than any other private biotech in the US, and former employees said they felt that Bancel prized the company's ever-increasing valuation, now approaching $5 billion, over its science.
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As he pursued a complex and risky strategy for drug development, Bancel built a culture of recrimination at Moderna, former employees said. Failed experiments have been met with reprimands and even on-the-spot firings. They recalled abusive emails, dressings down at company meetings, exceedingly long hours, and unexplained terminations.
At least a dozen highly placed executives have quit in the past four years, including heads of finance, technology, manufacturing, and science. In just the past 12 months, respected leaders of Moderna's cancer and rare disease programs both resigned, even though the company's remarkable fundraising had put ample resources at their disposal. Each had been at the company less than 18 months, and the positions have yet to be filled.
Lower-ranking employees, meanwhile, said they've been disappointed and confused by Moderna's pivot to less ambitious '-- and less transformative '-- treatments. Moderna has pushed off projects meant to upend the drug industry to focus first on the less daunting (and most likely, far less lucrative) field of vaccines '-- though it is years behind competitors in that arena.
The company has published no data supporting its vaunted technology, and it's so secretive that some job candidates have to sign nondisclosure agreements before they come in to interview. Outside venture capitalists said Moderna has so many investors clamoring to get in that it can afford to turn away any who ask too many questions. Some small players have been given only a peek at Moderna's data before committing millions to the company, according to people familiar with the matter.
''It's a case of the emperor's new clothes,'' said a former Moderna scientist. ''They're running an investment firm, and then hopefully it also develops a drug that's successful.''
Like many employees and former employees, the scientist requested anonymity because of a nondisclosure agreement. Others would not permit their names to be published out of fear that speaking candidly about big players in the industry would hurt their job prospects down the road.
Moderna just moved its first two potential treatments '-- both vaccines '-- into human trials. In keeping with the culture of secrecy, though, executives won't say which diseases the vaccines target, and they have not listed the studies on the public federal registry, ClinicalTrials.gov. Listing is optional for Phase 1 trials, which are meant to determine if a drug is safe, but most companies voluntarily disclose their work.
Investors say it'll be worth the wait when the company finally lifts the veil.
''We think that when the world does get to see Moderna, they're going to see something far larger in its scope than anybody's seen before,'' said Peter Kolchinsky, whose RA Capital Management owns a stake in the company.
Bancel, meanwhile, said he is aware of the criticism of him and has taken some steps to address it. After scathing anonymous comments about Moderna's management began showing up online, Bancel went to Silicon Valley to get tips on employee retention from the human resources departments of Facebook, Google, and Netflix. But he makes no apologies for tumult past or present, pointing to the thousands of patients who might be saved by Moderna's technology.
''You want to be the guy who's going to fail them? I don't,'' he said in an interview from his glassy third-floor office. ''So was it an intense place? It was. And do I feel sorry about it? No.''
The Moderna offices in Cambridge, Mass. Aram Boghosian for STATAn ambitious CEO dreams bigBancel, 44, had no experience running a drug development operation when one of biotech's most successful venture capitalists tapped him to lead Moderna. He'd spent most of his career in sales and operations, not science.
But he had made no secret of his ambition.
A native of France, Bancel earned a master's in chemical engineering from the University of Minnesota and an MBA from Harvard in 2000. As Harvard Business School classmates rushed to cash in on the dot-com boom, Bancel laid out a plan to play ''chess, not checkers.''
''I was always thinking, one day, somebody will have to make a decision about me getting a CEO job,'' he told an audience at his alma mater in April. '''... How do I make sure I'm not the bridesmaid? How do I make sure that I'm not always the person who's almost selected but doesn't get the role?''
He went into sales and rose through the operational ranks at pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly, eventually leading the company's Belgian operation. And in 2007, at just 34, he achieved his goal, stepping in as CEO of the French diagnostics firm bioM(C)rieux, which employs roughly 6,000 people.
The company improved its margins under Bancel's tenure, and he developed a reputation as a stern manager who got results, according to an equities analyst who covered bioM(C)rieux at the time.
''He doesn't suffer fools lightly,'' the analyst said, speaking on condition of anonymity to comply with company policy. ''I think if you're underperforming, you'll probably find yourself looking for another job.''
Bancel's rise caught the eye of the biotech investment firm Flagship Ventures, based here in Cambridge. Flagship CEO Noubar Afeyan repeatedly tried to entice him to take over one of the firm's many startups, Bancel said. But he rejected one prospect after another because the startups seemed too narrow in scope.
Moderna was different.
The company's core idea was seductively simple: cut out the middleman in biotech.
''It's a case of the emperor's new clothes. They're running an investment firm, and then hopefully it also develops a drug that's successful.''
Former Moderna scientist
For decades, companies have endeavored to craft better and better protein therapies, leading to new treatments for cancer, autoimmune disorders, and rare diseases. Such therapies are costly to produce and have many limitations, but they've given rise to a multibillion-dollar industry. The anti-inflammatory Humira, the world's top drug at $14 billion in sales a year, is a shining example of protein therapy.
Moderna's technology promised to subvert the whole field, creating therapeutic proteins inside the body instead of in manufacturing plants. The key: harnessing messenger RNA, or mRNA.
In nature, mRNA molecules function like recipe books, directing cellular machinery to make specific proteins. Moderna believes it can play that system to its advantage by using synthetic mRNA to compel cells to produce whichever proteins it chooses. In effect, the mRNA would turn cells into tiny drug factories.
It's highly risky. Big pharma companies had tried similar work and abandoned it because it's exceedingly hard to get RNA into cells without triggering nasty side effects. But if Moderna can get it to work, the process could be used to treat scores of diseases, including cancers and rare diseases that can be death sentences for children.
Bancel was intrigued. He knew it was a gamble, he told STAT, ''but if I don't do it, and it works, I'm just going to kick myself every morning.''
And so he became the company's CEO '-- and soon developed an almost messianic reverence for the mRNA technology.
Despite having never worked with RNA before, Bancel said he sat around the table with his core team in the early days of the company, dreaming up experiments. As a result, he is listed as a co-inventor on more than 100 of Moderna's early patent applications, unusual for a CEO who is not a PhD scientist.
Though he's been here several years now, Bancel stands out in the freewheeling startup hub of Kendall Square. He prefers tailored suits over the industry's fleece-heavy wardrobe, and he doesn't shy away from sweeping promises that might trouble CEOs more concerned with managing expectations.
Under Bancel, Moderna has been loath to publish its work in Science or Nature, but enthusiastic to herald its potential on CNBC and CNN, taking part in segments on the world's most disruptive companies and the potential ''cure for cancer.''
Bancel lays out those grand ambitions in an accent that bends his own company's name into something more akin to the Italian city. In conversation, Bancel has a salesman's skill of making complex concepts seem simple, but with an earnestness that keeps his spiel from feeling like a con.
He peppers his speech with Silicon Valley buzzwords, many of which are scrawled on a giant whiteboard in his spacious office. Messenger RNA ''is like software,'' he explained: If it works in one disease, it should work for thousands.
Most biotech startups focus on one or two leading drug candidates at first, pushing them through human trials before turning to another target. Moderna, by contrast, has nearly 100 projects going at once. With mRNA, ''you can just turn the crank and get a lot of products going into development,'' Bancel explained, flashing a smile as though he himself was bemused by the idea's simplicity.
Resignations, dismissals, and churnFrom the beginning, Bancel made clear that Moderna's science simply had to work. And that anyone who couldn't make it work didn't belong.
The early Moderna was a chaotic, unpredictable workplace, according to former employees. One recalls finding himself out of a job when a quick-turnaround experiment failed to pan out. Another helped train a group of new hires only to realize they were his replacements.
''There was a kind of Jack Welch-ian, 'We fire the bottom 10 percent' from the very beginning,'' said a former Moderna manager. ''That's probably the biggest HR difference between Moderna and virtually any other biotech, where they talk so much about developing their people.''
Moderna went through two heads of chemistry in a single year, according to former employees, and its chief scientific officer and head of manufacturing left shortly thereafter. Those who fell out of favor with Bancel would find themselves excluded from key meetings, pushed aside until they resigned or ultimately got dismissed, employees said.
''You want to be the guy who's going to fail [patients]? I don't. So was it an intense place? It was. And do I feel sorry about it? No.''
St(C)phane Bancel, Moderna CEO
Most stunning to employees was the abrupt departure of Joseph Bolen, who came aboard in 2013 to lead Moderna's R&D efforts.
Bolen was a big-name hire in biotech circles, an experienced chief scientific officer who had guided Millennium Pharmaceuticals to FDA approval for a blockbuster cancer drug. He'd been profiled in The Scientist, which dubbed him ''the people's CSO'' for his ability to keep morale high and research focused. Landing him was a coup.
But two years into his tenure at Moderna, he abruptly stepped down last October, making no public statement save for changing his LinkedIn status to ''resigned.''
''No scientist in his right mind would leave that job unless there was something wrong with the science or the personnel,'' said a person close to the company at the time.
Insiders said Bancel had effectively pushed Bolen out, hiring parallel executives until Bolen was in charge of just ''a postage stamp'' worth of territory, as one former Moderna manager put it. Bolen declined to comment.
For his part, Bancel acknowledged the changes that limited Bolen's power but insisted the parting was friendly. Bancel said he tried to convince Bolen to stay, but the scientist ''voted himself off the island.''
Bolen wasn't alone. Chief Information Officer John Reynders joined in 2013 to make Moderna what he called the world's ''first fully digital biotech,'' only to step down a year later. Michael Morin, brought in to lead Moderna's scientific efforts in cancer in 2014, lasted less than 18 months. As did Greg Licholai, hired in 2015 to direct the company's projects in rare diseases. The latter two key leadership positions remain unfilled.
''You wonder,'' influential biotech blogger Derek Lowe wrote last year, ''if Moderna really is a rocket ship getting ready to launch and spray a formation of new drugs across the sky, then why are these people leaving?''
The company has a simple explanation: Moderna lives in dog years compared with other biotechs.
''We force everyone to grow with the company at unprecedented speed,'' Moderna Chief Financial Officer Lorence Kim said. ''Some people grow with the company; others don't.''
Bancel is sprightly in describing the company's future, but his tone hardens on the topic of its formative years '-- Moderna 1.0, as he calls it.
''The people in the 1.0 team who did not really live the mission ended up either leaving or being asked to leave because they were not accomplishing what we needed them to accomplish,'' he said.
Moderna's internal turmoil came spilling messily into public view starting in late 2012, as more than a dozen harsh critiques popped up on Glassdoor, a website that allows a company's employees '-- or anyone, for that matter '-- to write anonymous reviews of management and workplace culture.
The posts, full of invective for company leaders, eventually came to the attention of the board. ''And you'd be lying to say it didn't affect you emotionally,'' said the company's president, Dr. Stephen Hoge, a former emergency medicine physician whose tendency for self-deprecation cuts a disarming contrast to Bancel's intensity. ''Like, what if my dad sees that?''
The company sought to improve its workplace, and Hoge said the once-high turnover rate has fallen to within industry standards, though he declined to disclose specifics.
''You wonder, if Moderna really is a rocket ship getting ready to launch and spray a formation of new drugs across the sky, then why are these people leaving?''
Derek Lowe, biotech blogger
Moderna '-- which now offers Silicon Valley-style perks like a daily catered lunch and iPhones for all employees '-- has roughly doubled in size each year, meaning most of the company's current workforce of about 450 has joined since 2013. They're spread out among three locations, and many are siloed off from top executives. Survey data from such junior employees helped vault Moderna to Science magazine's list of top employers of 2015.
Those who buy in are all in: Some employees speak with respect bordering on awe about Moderna's promise, with one likening the technology to ''magic.''
The two current employees put forward by the company to talk with STAT sounded a note of pride at Moderna's reputation for driving its staff hard.
''In a way, it's a blessing in disguise,'' said Edward Miracco, a senior scientist who started at Moderna in 2014. ''It separates the wheat from the chaff.''
Not everyone is cut out to work at Moderna, where ''things change daily, hourly,'' said Dan Brock, an associate director who joined the company in February. ''Everyone who comes here already kind of gets it.''
But the recent departures and vacancies suggest that turmoil continues in the top ranks '-- those who most closely deal with upper management, including Bancel.
''He believes in a bigger stick than carrot,'' a former manager said. ''Moderna has some growing up to do, no question about it.''
Talia Bronshtein/STAT Source: PitchBook Data A gold rush for ModernaHoge, who joined the company in 2012, describes the early days of Moderna as ''when we were living in the caves.'' The company often had only enough cash to keep the lights on for six months at a time, he said. ''The strategy was just to survive.''
Moderna 1.0, and life in the caves, came to a close in 2013, according to company lore.
That's when Moderna '-- which had just 25 employees '-- signed a staggering $240 million partnership with UK pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca. It was the most money pharma had ever spent on drugs that had not yet been tested in humans.
The agreement is commemorated in one of Moderna's offices by a framed clipping from the New York Times. Page B7 of the March 21, 2013 edition: ''AstraZeneca Makes a Bet On an Untested Technique.''
For AstraZeneca, the unprecedented deal came at a time of uncertainty. A series of clinical failures had led the firm to fire its head of research and lay off 1,600 scientists. Pascal Soriot, just six months into his tenure as CEO, was under pressure from investors to chart a new course. And Moderna, with its brash ambition to bring 100 drugs to clinical trials within a decade, gave Soriot a way forward.
The rich deal started a gold rush for Moderna. Everyone, it seemed, wanted in.
Before the end of 2013, Moderna would turn heads again with a $110 million investment round, followed by a high-dollar partnership with biotech giant Alexion.
In early 2015, Moderna disclosed a $450 million financing round, the largest ever for a private biotech company. This month, the company broke its own record, raising another $474 million.
The run-up was ''biotech fervor to the extreme,'' according to a venture capitalist not involved with the company, requesting anonymity to speak candidly. While bigger investors got to see all the company's data from animal experiments, some of Moderna's smaller investors put in funds based on just a peek, according to people familiar with the process. Moderna's fundraising success had created a seller's market: Why deal with the questions of one potential investor when it had 10 more lined up?
Afeyan, Moderna's chairman and cofounder, insists the company's investors have done their homework. To say they bought in without due diligence ''would be a bit of an insult to these people,'' he said.
''I hope they solve those challenges, because it's not going to be good for the broader biotech industry in general if this thing implodes.''
Biotech investor
Though it has yet to reveal data from a single clinical trial, Moderna is now valued at $4.7 billion, according to Pitchbook.
That's twice as much as Spark Therapeutics, the company widely expected to market the United States's first gene therapy, which has shown signs in clinical trials that it can reverse blindness caused by a rare genetic disorder. Moderna is also worth billions more than Juno Therapeutics and Kite Pharma, startups developing novel treatments for cancer that have demonstrated promising results in early human trials.
Moderna has long shaken off rumors that it is soon to market its shares on Wall Street, with Hoge likening the company to a child star: ''You don't want to go through your adolescence publicly,'' he told STAT.
But that's about to change. Moderna's next planned step is an initial public offering, according to a person close to the company. Bancel declined to say just when Moderna might go public, but the company has already prepared: In its latest filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Moderna changed its business structure from an LLC to a C corporation, completing a necessary step before mounting an IPO.
Moderna's mission statement, which is painted on various walls throughout its Cambridge, Mass., offices. Aram Boghosian for STATA strategic shift to less ambitious targetsWith a public listing come required disclosures, and many are eager to see what Moderna's been keeping under wraps all these years.
Outsiders and competitors, looking only at Moderna's public statements, have noted a shift in strategy that might signal undisclosed setbacks.
From the start, Moderna heralded its ability to produce proteins within cells, which could open up a world of therapeutic targets unreachable by conventional drugs. The most revolutionary treatments, which could challenge the multibillion-dollar market for protein therapy, would involve repeated doses of mRNA over many years, so a patient's body continued to produce proteins to keep disease at bay.
But Moderna's first human trials aren't so ambitious, focusing instead on the crowded field of vaccines, where the company has only been working since 2014.
First are the two vaccine trials for undisclosed infectious diseases. Coming next is a one-time treatment for heart failure, developed in partnership with AstraZeneca, followed by another experimental vaccine, for Zika virus, which several other pharma companies are also working to develop. And after that, Moderna is planning a human trial of a personalized cancer vaccine using mRNA, something it just came up with last year.
The choice to prioritize vaccines came as a disappointment to many in the company, according to a former manager. The plan had been to radically disrupt the biotech industry, the manager said, so ''why would you start with a clinical program that has very limited upside and lots of competition?''
The answer could be the challenge of ensuring drug safety, outsiders said.
Delivery '-- actually getting RNA into cells '-- has long bedeviled the whole field. On their own, RNA molecules have a hard time reaching their targets. They work better if they're wrapped up in a delivery mechanism, such as nanoparticles made of lipids. But those nanoparticles can lead to dangerous side effects, especially if a patient has to take repeated doses over months or years.
Novartis abandoned the related realm of RNA interference over concerns about toxicity, as did Merck and Roche.
''Now, as we're going to human [trials], it's pretty clear no one else is going to catch us.''
Kenneth Chien, scientist who works with Moderna
Moderna's most advanced competitors, CureVac and BioNTech, have acknowledged the same challenge with mRNA. Each is principally focused on vaccines for infectious disease and cancer, which the companies believe can be attacked with just a few doses of mRNA. And each has already tested its technology on hundreds of patients.
''I would say that mRNA is better suited for diseases where treatment for short duration is sufficiently curative, so the toxicities caused by delivery materials are less likely to occur,'' said Katalin Karik", a pioneer in the field who serves as a vice president at BioNTech.
That makes vaccines the lowest hanging fruit in mRNA, said Franz-Werner Haas, CureVac's chief corporate officer. ''From our point of view, it's obvious why [Moderna] started there,'' he said.
Moderna said it prioritized vaccines because they presented the fastest path to human trials, not because of setbacks with other projects. ''The notion that [Moderna] ran into difficulties isn't borne in reality,'' said Afeyan.
But this is where Moderna's secrecy comes into play: Until there's published data, only the company and its partners know what the data show. Everyone outside is left guessing '-- and, in some cases, worrying that Moderna won't live up to its hype.
''Frankly, I hope that there's real substance and I hope they solve those challenges, because it's not going to be good for the broader biotech industry in general if this thing implodes,'' said one investor not involved with Moderna.
And it could still go either way, former employees said. If Moderna's promises come to fruition, it could be a pillar of the biotech industry. If they don't, it could find a place among a short list of companies that have cast a shadow over the entire industry and left investors disillusioned.
''Either we'll be talking about it as the next Genentech,'' a former Moderna manager said, ''or we'll think, 'Well, back then, first there was Turing, then there was Valeant, and then there was Moderna.''
Enough cash to absorb some setbacksModerna's management and its investors are keeping the faith, pointing to the company's pipeline of 11 drug candidates and more than 90 preclinical projects.
And with Moderna's huge cash reserves '-- estimated at $1.5 billion '-- it can afford a few setbacks, proponents said. The company said it's pouring money into its manufacturing operation, planning to spend $100 million this year on a new plant. Moderna has pioneered an automated system modeled on the software Tesla uses to manage orders, Bancel said: Scientists simply enter the protein they want a cell to express, and testable mRNA arrives within weeks.
''If we have a bump in the road in the clinic, we will not have to wait years to go back to the drawing board,'' Bancel said.
That has always been part of the plan, former employees said, pointing to Bancel's fascination with the tech industry. Uber and Amazon were not the first to come up with their respective business ideas, but they were the ones that built enough scale to ward off competition. And Moderna is positioning itself to do the same in mRNA.
''Now, as we're going to human [trials], it's pretty clear no one else is going to catch us,'' said Dr. Kenneth Chien, a professor at Karolinska Institutet working with Moderna and AstraZeneca.
Dr. Tal Zaks, Moderna's chief medical officer, promises that the company will soon break its silence on the publishing front. He said next year Moderna will disclose the animal data that helped get its two vaccines into the clinic. The company has also committed to publishing full results from all of its human trials, starting with the vaccine studies next year.
Moderna's reticence to share data earlier is ''not because we decided to be secret,'' Zaks said. ''This is the natural evolution of a platform. As we go into the clinic, we will be very transparent.''
For all the tumult at Moderna these past few years, Bancel said the company remains true to its mission statement: ''Deliver on the promise of mRNA science to create a new generation of transformative medicines for patients.''
The message, which adorns the walls of Moderna's offices, was first to be printed on posters, but Bancel insisted it be inscribed in paint.
''Because that,'' he said, pointing to the first word, ''is not ever going to change.''
Correction: A previous version of this story misstated the age at which Bancel became CEO of bioM(C)rieux.
An Inward Perspective '' Travel, Photography and Random Thoughts
Sun, 17 May 2020 07:02
Over the past few months, most of us have probably had more time to think than we would have necessarily liked to have had. Personally I've been lucky enough to have found a crutch in my work, but many have not been so fortunate.
How do you come to terms with a conflicting inner battle that is fighting between a feeling that we are all being oppressed by rather draconian authoritarian rules and one where you tell yourself that it's for the good of public safety?
As the data evolves, one would hope that the responses of governments will become more measured. How can nations effectively close their economies based on what have been proven to be inaccurate computer models, such as is the case with the Imperial College of London model led by Neil Ferguson?
The model, spearheaded by a man who went against his own recommendations by admitting that he met up with his mistress during a lockdown, is largely flawed. It has emerged that it ran on thirteen year old, undocumented code, only capable of running on single thread.
Circumstantial technical jargon aside, it was out by an order of magnitude.
Knee jerk decisions were made based on this model, mainly in the UK and the US, but carrying over into the decision making processes of many governments. Up until the model predicted over 500,000 deaths in the UK and 2.2 million deaths in the US from COVID19, the UK were planning to take a similar course of action to the one that has been followed through by Sweden.
Then there is the matter of reporting. It's very difficult to compare the figures reported by one country, directly to the figures of another, even when demographics and the standard of health care appear to be similar.
Volumes of testing heavily influence both the numbers of confirmed cases and the ability to determine how many people need medical attention or require isolation to prevent further spread.
The declaration of COVID19 deaths is also a major factor in determining the mortality rate. Some countries are more generous than others in how deaths are reported. While keeping track of all of the deaths is important for future records, wouldn't it make far more sense to split the data out for further clarity?
If deaths were broken down into primary cause, contributory cause or died with COVID19 we would see a far more accurate picture. If a person dies right now of anything, and are found to test positive for COVID19, it's treated as a COVID19 death in many countries.
A notable example of this was in Italy, where according to an article in The Telegraph, Professor Walter Ricciardi, scientific adviser to Italy's Minister for Health, the death toll was very high due to a combination of demographics and how deaths were recorded in the country.
He stated that ''all people who die in hospitals with the coronavirus are deemed to be dying of the coronavirus''. This is a very important and largely overlooked factor by most of the media.
In addition, at the time of publication of the article in The Telegraph, upon a review carried out by the Italian Institute of Health, only 12% of the death certificates showed a direct casualty from coronavirus, with 88% having at least one pre-morbidity, with many having two or three.
Why then is this not more widely reported and discussed by mainstream media? As a child I wanted to be a journalist. As I grew older I held an idealised view that journalism was about holding people to account and getting people to ask questions. In the past 10 years however, this idealised view was abruptly shattered with the realisation that it's really more about keeping sponsors (advertisers) happy and not being too controversial.
I'm not really suggesting that there is any sort of cover up happening with COVID19, am I? I still cling to the hope that this is not the case, but I'm lacking the evidence that the media are asking the right questions in order to dispel any notions that something untoward may be occurring. It's one thing to tell people that they should steer clear of 'misinformation', but it's a whole other thing to provide transparent, detailed and accurate information in order to remove all reasonable doubt as to whether everything is above board. I find myself asking if this is down to an unfortunate drop in standards in journalism as a whole or whether there is a lack of evidence to completely rule out the former.
One thing is certain, we have come face to face with a new virus, regardless of it's origin, that has disrupted our lives. It's certain that people have died and this is a horrible reality. This article is no way meant to disrespect those who have died from COVID19. It's certainly possible to respect those who have been affected, while simultaneously asking questions.
There is much talk about the hope for a vaccine this year. I am 100% pro safe vaccinations. The world has changed for the better thanks to many of the vaccines that we have today. The keyword is safe. There is plenty of evidence that mistakes have been made in the past, particularly in the early stages of vaccine development. A notable example is the early Polio vaccines, where failure to acknowledge the presence of live Polio in the vaccine led to a virulent vaccine being disseminated, resulting in the largest Polio outbreak ever. 200,000 people were infected with 70,000 becoming sick, resulting in 200 children becoming paralysed and ten dying.
In that instance, Dr. Bernice Eddy, who discovered that some of the monkeys during testing had become paralysed, raised the alarm but her research was dismissed. To add insult to injury, Eddy also discovered that SV40, a cancer causing virus in monkeys, had contaminated ninety-eight million of the vaccine batches.
At the risk of going down a rabbit hole, I only hope that if a vaccine for COVID19 is discovered, that it remains immune from corruption and an urge to be first to patent. Honest, well intentioned science is what will ultimately protect us, while the type of corruption that has been seen on more than one occasion in the past could potentially lead to one of the largest scandals to ever see the light of day, especially due to the likely global rapid dissemination of any such vaccine.
On more than one occasion in this article I refer to an inner conflict, one that is causing me to lose sleep on a regular basis. It's an inner debate as to whether the type of extreme measures such as the ones that we are currently living through in Ireland are really necessary.
We are entering a phase that has seen the announcement of a slight relaxation of those measures from this coming Monday. As I speak we are entering week eight of one of Europe's strictest sets of measures designed to curb the spread of COVID19 and to flatten the now infamous curve, which has long since happened.
We are now permitted to exercise within 5km of our homes, up from 2km when the measures first came into force. The extension of this radius already occurred approximately two weeks ago, but little else has changed. Outside of that, we are only permitted to venture further for essential reasons such as going to work, grocery shopping, going to the pharmacy, caring for animals and a small number of other reasons.
From Monday, the only changes are that we can meet as a group of four people from different households in an outdoor setting while keeping two meters apart, as well as the reopening of a number of other types of businesses. The 5km rule will also apply to those social visits. The regulations are Dublin centric and have been inflicted upon those of us living in rural Ireland.
I could theoretically, although currently against the law, walk for 20km where I live and not come even close to within two metres of another human being.
When we drive on main routes, we are subjected to Garda (Irish Police) checkpoints. Whilst I must commend the fine people of the Garda for being courteous and professional, it does amount to a less than pleasant intrusion on our civil liberties. I'm sure that if pressed to comment, many of the Garda would say that they do not agree with having to encroach on the freedom of healthy, normally free citizens.
I often wonder what the people who fought for the freedom of our state would say if they learned that emergency legislation had been passed, by an unelected caretaker government to forcefully restrict the free movement of ordinary decent people. Many people will find this an absurd comparison and are more than happy with the sense of security, false or real, that these measures have provided us.
Personally, I feel that the types of forced measures that have been put in place amount to a gross overreach by government. That's not to say that I feel that we shouldn't exercise caution and use common sense by keeping two meters away from people and avoiding crowds for a while.
The problem for me lies in the fact that we are not given a choice to use our common sense and choose to be sensible ourselves. Instead, we face fines and up to six months in prison if we fail to adhere to the ridiculous 5km radius rule or fail to turn around if instructed to do so if a Garda decides that our journey is unnecessary.
If I drive 100km, don't come in contact with anyone and go for a hike on a mountain alone, I have done no harm to anyone yet would face the draconian penalties mentioned above.
Benjamin Franklin once said: ''Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety''. History has taught us that when we give up privacy or freedom in exchange for perceived safety, despite promises to the contrary, we rarely have them restored to their previous levels. I lay awake at night, hoping that I am wrong.
Sources:
Italian Deaths '' The Telegraph, 'Why have so many coronavirus patients died in Italy?', March 23rd 2020
Polio Vaccine Issues '' Plague of Corruption: Restoring Faith in the Promise of Science, published by Skyhorse, April 14th 2020
Neil Fergusson breech of lockdown '' The Evening Standard, Professor Neil Ferguson resigns from Government's Sage committee 'after breaching lockdown rules to meet woman', May 5th 2020
Steven Horsford admits affair with intern | Las Vegas Review-Journal
Sun, 17 May 2020 06:50
Nevada Rep. Steven Horsford on Friday acknowledged that he'd carried on a longstanding affair with a former intern for Sen. Harry Reid who has detailed the relationship in a series of podcast episodes and on Twitter.
The woman, Gabriela Linder, told the Review-Journal that she is ''Love Jones,'' the pseudonym of a person who first began sharing her story through a public podcast, ''Mistress for Congress,'' in April. The podcast and a related Twitter account have relayed what she claims are various details of the affair, including a purported screenshot of a message exchanged between Horsford, D-Nev., and Linder in 2018.
She agreed to an interview with the Review-Journal on Friday. She said Horsford offered her financial support, introduced her to political connections and filmed a segment for her young son's YouTube show using his congressional staff.
Reached for comment on Linder's allegations on Friday evening, Horsford provided this statement:
''It is true that I had a previous relationship outside of my marriage, over the course of several years. I'm deeply sorry to all of those who have been impacted by this very poor decision, most importantly my wife and family. Out of concern for my family during this challenging time, I ask that our privacy is respected.''
Linder said the affair began in 2009, when she met Horsford '-- then the majority leader of the Nevada state Senate '-- during her time as an intern in former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's Nevada office. She claims she met Horsford at an event then later arranged to meet him through a friend.
They had a sexual relationship that continued intermittently until September 2019, Linder said, though the two remained in contact until April. Linder never worked for Horsford in any capacity.
On April 1, Horsford appeared on a children's YouTube show hosted by Linder's young son. Linder asked Horsford to appear by calling him on a personal phone, and not through his office, she said. (Linder says on her podcast that she had her son while in another relationship while attending law school at the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis, Minnesota, during a period when she and Horsford were not seeing each other.)
The video shows Horsford speaking broadly about politicians and their role during the COVID-19 pandemic in what appears to be his Washington, D.C., congressional office. Linder said his staff shot the video with him and sent it to her.
Linder and Horsford stopped speaking shortly after the appearance, she said.
Off-and-on relationship
In total, she said, their sexual relationship took place between 2009-10 and 2017-2019, though they remained in regular contact for the entire decade.
Linder stressed she was not seeking to damage Horsford during an election year, but rather sees her podcast as ''an empowering journey'' as she moves on from the relationship. She said she was not paid any money to produce it, nor was she asked or contacted by any candidate in Horsford's 4th District race. She said she was writing a book about her experience.
Linder does, however, believe Horsford should end his bid for re-election.
''If this was a story in 2018 (when Horsford successfully recaptured the seat after having lost it in 2014), he wouldn't have run,'' Linder said. ''He obtained this position under false pretenses that he was a family man and man of God. He should take a step back, atone, and if people are satisfied, then he can come back into politics.''
Horsford represented the 4th District from 2013 to 2014, when he lost his re-election bid to Republican Cresent Hardy. He won the seat back in 2018, after then-Rep. Ruben Kihuen decided not to seek re-election because of sexual harassment allegations.
Horsford has been married since 2000 and has three children.
Ending the relationship
Linder also claimed she broke off her relationship with Horsford, whom she said had discussed leaving his wife for her but could not do so during the 2020 election season.
''I decided I can't wait, deserved more and didn't want to be that person anymore,'' she said. ''And I realized someone who could lie that way is not someone who would be honorable to me.''
During the third episode of her podcast, Linder said Horsford ''looked out for her over the years, from anything from a job recommendation to financial support.''
In her interview with the Review-Journal, Linder declined to elaborate on this support. As an attorney, she said, she worried saying anything further could get her caught up in divorce proceedings should Horsford's marriage be dissolved. (State Bar of Nevada records show no one with her name is licensed to practice law in Nevada.)
Reached for comment Friday night, a Horsford aide said Linder ''never received any compensation from the congressman or from the campaign over the course of their private relationship.''
''This was a private relationship of the congressman's and this was in no way related to his public office,'' the aide said.
Linder said that as far as she knew, Horsford never used campaign funds or money from his state Senate or congressional accounts to purchase anything for her.
'Loyal to a fault'
Linder, who was a 21-year-old senior at UNLV when the relationship began, claims she now realizes that Horsford, who was 36 at the time and is now 47, used his status as an older, powerful man to take advantage of her and control her. He never explicitly asked her not to tell anyone, she said.
''He knew how in love with him I was, and he knew what he could do and get away with,'' she said. ''He knows I would support him. He never told me to keep quiet. He didn't have to. He knew I was loyal to a fault.''
She said she now has a ''disdain'' for men in politics who fail to support women. She hopes her story will serve as a cautionary tale to women who participate in or even seek out similar relationships with older, powerful men.
Linder said she recently reached out to Horsford through her publicist to have him appear on her podcast. She told the Review-Journal she has an email on her personal account purportedly from Horsford that pointed her to a Washington, D.C., attorney, Howard Schiffman.
She said Horsford told her he thought they were resolving the situation amicably, and that failing to do so would be damaging to everyone.
Linder plans to release a new podcast episode on Sunday.
Contact Rory Appleton at rappleton@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0276. Follow @RoryDoesPhonics on Twitter.
Texas Open Carry Explained | Texas Gun Laws
Sun, 17 May 2020 06:30
NEW! Starting January 1, 2016, folks with a concealed carry license will be permitted to now carry openly in TEXAS, per House Bill 910 of the 2015 legislative session. Non-Texans from states whose permits are also recognized by Texas will be allowed to open carry under the new law January 1, 2016. This website is not meant to be legal counsel. We are not lawyers.
Q: Can I Open Carry in Texas (in Public)?A: You can openly carry rifles and shotguns. Yes you can, as of January 1 '' 2016, folks can carry a handgun openly or concealed. However, you do have to be licensed. By Texas law, the gun must be carried using a ''shoulder or belt holster.'' Long arms still do not require a license.
Q: Why Can't I Open Carry my Handgun in Texas (in Public)?A: You can now openly carry with a license as of January 2016. Before that, Texas has long had a prohibition on the open display of handguns. This dates back to the days of Cowboys in the ''Wild West'' era of the 1800s; contrary to public opinion.
Q: Can I Open Carry on my own Property?A: Yes, you may carry openly on property that you own or that is directly under your control.
Q: Can I Open Carry on Private Land?A: Yes and No. You can carry openly if you are in the act of hunting or directly en route to your residence which can include a motor vehicle. You cannot openly carry on property that is not yours, even if the owner gives you permission to do so.
Q: I have a CHL, can I Carry Openly?A: At this time the CHL enables you to carry concealed or in the open.
Q: Can everyone open carry in Texas? 'A: No, most minors under the age of 18 cannot, people convicted of various crimes cannot. You must have a license to open carry in Texas
Q: I live out of state, can I open carry in Texas?A: Yes. There is not a residency restriction legally open carry as long as you have a handgun license with Texas reciprocity.
Richard Morris: Top British diplomat missing after going for a run as Foreign Office 'extremely worried' | UK News | Sky News
Sun, 17 May 2020 05:56
Police in Hampshire have issued a new appeal for information about a top British diplomat who has been missing since he went for a run last week.
People in and around the Bentley area of Farnham were urged to check sheds and gardens to help in the search for Richard Morris, 52, who has a distinctive birthmark on his face.
Police also appealed for any CCTV footage that might offer clues on what happened to the married father-of-three, as the Foreign Office says it is "extremely worried" about his disappearance.
Mr Morris, who is due to become the UK's high commissioner to Fiji in July, was last seen at around 10.30am on 6 May when he left his home in Bentley.
A diplomatic colleague said his disappearance was very out of character. Mr Morris's previous diplomatic posting was as ambassador to Nepal.
Hampshire Police issued an appeal for information on the day he went missing. It noted that he has a port wine birthmark on his face, is white, 6ft tall, with greying hair and a beard.
"His family are understandably concerned for his welfare," the statement said.
The second police appeal on Monday thanked the public for their response.
"We are now asking residents in the surrounding areas if they could assist by checking sheds, outbuildings and gardens," the police statement said.
"We would also love to hear from any residents or businesses with CCTV that could help our enquiries."
Image: Mr Morris has not been seen since going for a jogThe police urged local people not to attempt to look for Mr Morris outside of their own property.
"We would like to reassure people that we have professional search teams conducting a thorough search of local areas," the statement said.
"This is so teams can accurately monitor all areas that have been police searched to a professional standard and so potential tracking can be conducted by search dogs.
"We again appeal for anyone with information and also ask residents to check their outbuildings for any signs that someone might have been sheltering there or for discarded items.
"If you can help please get in touch by phoning 101 and quote the reference 44200160398."
An FCO spokesperson said: "Richard is a much valued and well liked colleague. We are extremely worried that he is missing and we all hope he will be found safe and well soon."
A career diplomat, Mr Morris was ambassador to Nepal for four years until November 2019.
Before that post, he was head of pacific department at the Foreign Office.
He had previously been consul general in Sydney and served in Mexico City.
A graduate from Aberystwyth University, Mr Morris joined the Foreign Office in 1990.
He worked in multiple departments, including on defence issues, cultural relations and spent time at the UK mission to the United Nations in New York.
He has a wife, a daughter and two sons.
His Foreign Office biography says that he "enjoys long-distance running, reading, travel, music and spending time with his family".
Mr Morris had completed a marathon up Mount Everest for a charity to support people with facial disfigurement.
He had finished the 42km race from Base Camp to Namche in seven hours and 51 minutes on 30 May last year.
Chinese ambassador to Israel found dead in Herzliya home - The Jerusalem Post
Sun, 17 May 2020 05:56
There are reportedly no signs of violence. Wei's death comes a week after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Israel in an apparent attempt to convince the gov't to limit Chinese investment. China's Ambassador to Israel Du Wei attends a briefing in his previous post in Ukraine.
(photo credit: REUTERS/VALENTYN OGIRENKO)
The Chinese Ambassador to Israel, Du Wei, was found dead in his Herzliya home on Sunday morning, a Foreign Affairs Ministry official confirmed. Police are currently in his home and investigating.
The Chinese embassy, however, said that it cannot confirm the reports as of yet.
Army Radio claims that at the moment, there are no signs of violence, leading investigators to believe that Wei passed from a heart attack.
Foreign Ministry Director-General Yuval Rotem spoke to China's Deputy Ambassador to Israel Dai Yuming, and expressed his condolences over the ambassador's death.
Rotem said the Foreign Ministry will help in any way necessary.
The 57-year-old ambassador was a husband and father to a boy. His family is not in the country with him. He arrived in Israel to hold the position of ambassador in February, having served as Chinese ambassador to Ukraine before that.
He had written an article for
The Jerusalem Post a few days prior to his death about the resilience of the Chinese and Israeli people alike.
"We have a lot to offer each other, and we have much to achieve through our cooperation," the ambassador said on the embassy's website when he first took the position, speaking about potential cooperation between China and Israel. "The Chinese Embassy in Israel is committed to promoting friendship and cooperation between our two countries."
Wei's death comes one week after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Israel in what seemed to be an attempt to convince the government to limit Chinese investments.
The spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Israel, Wang Yongjun, wrote an opinion piece for the
Post after his visit, calling Pompeo's claims and comments "absurd."
"Historical experience also shows that pandemic is accompanied by conspiracies and the dark mentality of seeking scapegoats," Yongjun said. "Jewish friends know it well."
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U.S. state attorneys general likely to bring antitrust lawsuits against Google -source
Sun, 17 May 2020 03:25
FILE PHOTO: A 3D printed Google logo is seen in this illustration taken
(Reuters) - A group of state attorneys general led by Texas are likely to file an antitrust lawsuit against Alphabet Inc's Google and are working on potential litigation for later this year, a person familiar with the situation said on Friday.
The Justice Department is also moving toward bringing a case as soon as this summer, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.
Shares of Alphabet fell about 1.5% in after-hours trading.
Google - along with Facebook Inc, Amazon.com Inc and Apple Inc - are under a series of probes into allegations that the tech behemoths use their clout to unfairly defend their market share, including one by the House Judiciary Committee's antitrust panel.
The federal probe of Google focuses on search, advertising and management of its Android operating system. The Federal Trade Commission settled an antitrust investigation of Google in 2013 with a reprimand.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is leading the multi-state investigation, said they were talking to companies who said that they had been hurt by the search and advertising giant.
"Our antitrust investigation into Google has not been slowed down by the coronavirus pandemic," he said in a statement. "We hope to have the investigation wrapped up by fall. If we determine that filing is merited, we will go to court soon after that."
Paxton said in February he has not taken any possible punishment off the table, including breaking up the search and advertising giant.
Google said it would not comment on speculation about the potential for litigation.
"We continue to engage with the ongoing investigations led by the Department of Justice and Attorney General Paxton, and we don't have any updates or comments on speculation," a Google spokesperson said in an email statement.
The Justice Department did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
The four tech giants, which are powerhouses in search and online advertising, social media, online sales and smartphones, have caused concern among progressive Democrats and conservative Republicans alike because of their outsized clout.
The Justice Department is believed to be looking at all four companies while the FTC is probing Facebook and Amazon.com. Dozens of state attorneys general, led by New York, are also investigating Facebook.
(Reporting by Diane Bartz in Washington and Akanksha Rana in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber and Sonya Hepinstall)
Coronavirus and a savage memoir may kill Anna Wintour's career
Sun, 17 May 2020 03:24
Given its virulence and staying power, it's looking like COVID-19 might do what decades of rumors, Cond(C) Nast power plays, Page Six leaks and ''The Devil Wears Prada'' '-- the book and the movie '-- could not: Kill off Anna Wintour's career.
The first sign she was newly vulnerable came in March, with the announcement that the Met Gala, which doubles as Wintour's annual re-coronation as high fashion's queen, would be postponed indefinitely.
Then last week, her former longtime Vogue consigliere-slash-apologist Andr(C) Leon Talley did the classic double-air-kiss before plunging the knife in Wintour's back.
''I love her,'' Talley told People magazine while promoting his campily titled memoir ''The Chiffon Trenches,'' out Tuesday.
''People may see my book as a vengeful, bitchy tell-all. It is not.''
Oh, but it is.
''Ruthless,'' ''incapable of human kindness'' and ''immune to anyone other than the powerful and famous people who populate the pages of Vogue'' are just three ways Talley describes her in his book.
Designer Ralph Rucci, historically excluded from Vogue, rushed to Instagram to call Wintour ''satanic'' and the root of ''so much personal evil and destruction.''
It's not like any of this is news. In 2009, Wintour sat for a biting ''60 Minutes'' profile in which journalist Morley Safer called her ''Darth Vader in a frock,'' wondered to her face if she was, in fact, ''a bitch'' and compared Meryl Streep's portrayal of her in ''Devil'' as ''a teddy bear'' compared to the real thing.
This year's Met Gala, which doubles as Wintour's annual re-coronation as high fashion's queen, has been postponed indefinitely. Getty ImagesWintour did herself no favors by telling Safer what she thought of the average American fashion consumer. ''I had just been on a trip to Minnesota,'' she said, ''where I can only kindly describe most of the people I saw as little houses.''
Only kindly!!!!
Talley is 6-foot-6 and has long been so obese he wears only caftans. What must he have felt when he watched that interview?
And yet, he stuck around, through a significant demotion, until Wintour ousted him in 2018.
Even back in 2009, rumors '-- and hopes '-- were swirling that Anna was on her way out, that her loftiness, her imperiousness and her excess (a $200,000 annual clothing budget provided by Cond(C) Nast atop daily hair and makeup) had no place in recession-era America.
''Twenty years on the throne,'' Safer intoned, and ''her days may be numbered.''
Yet here she is, still. Even as Vogue slides ever downward in profitability and relevance '-- the rise of reality shows, YouTube stars and influencers has new generations looking elsewhere for fashion and beauty guidance '-- Wintour has clung to her considerable power, one that had her reportedly dictating which stars wore which designers' gowns to the Met Gala (a'k'a ''The Fashion World's Oscars''). Anna even made Oprah lose weight before she'd put her on Vogue's cover!
She may be a bully, but she is also an expert strategist, failing so upward at Cond(C) that she was named the company's creative director in 2013 and ''global content advisor'' for Cond(C)'s international brands in 2019.
This, despite star editors Graydon Carter and Cindi Leive departing in 2017. That same year, Teen Vogue, Wintour's baby, folded its print edition. The print frequency of Glamour, Allure, GQ, Architectural Digest, W, Bon Appetit and Cond(C) Nast Traveler all shrunk. Observers noted that Wintour, approaching 70 at this point, had a penchant for remaking other titles in the image and likeness of, yes, Vogue.
But it's only now, as this pandemic has disrupted nearly every industry on the planet, that Wintour is facing real danger. Just three months ago, her cruelty was on full display when she gathered her flock at Paris Vogue's headquarters during that city's fashion week as the teams from other fashion magazines headed home, fleeing coronavirus.
''The message from Anna was, 'This is not a big deal,'''' one staffer told The New York Times. Left unsaid but understood: None of her people, no matter how scared or vulnerable, were to ask to go home.
Wintour also, according to the Times, ''made arch jokes about people who had fled,'' then later told her staff to keep coming to Vogue's downtown offices in New York until the mayor issued his shelter-in-place edict.
Just three months ago, Wintour's cruelty was on full display when she gathered her flock at Paris Vogue's headquarters during that city's fashion week as the teams from other fashion magazines headed home, fleeing coronavirus. EPASince then, Wintour has been forced to take a 20 percent pay cut off her reported $2 million annual salary and desperately reinvent herself as one who understands the masses. So here is the new COVID-ready Wintour, posting photos of herself working from home in athleisure (one category soaring in sales as luxury brands plummet). Here she is introducing ''Vogue Global Conversations'' (online discussions with top designers), available to the great unwashed for free. Here she is partnering with Amazon, till now frozen out by luxury brands and niche designers, in a last-ditch attempt to save her dying industry.
Ironically, the theme of this year's Met Gala was ''About Time: Fashion and Its Duration.'' As Americans hunker down in sweats and slippers, realizing that comfort is the ultimate '-- and affordable '-- luxury, Wintour surely must wonder if her own time is over.
Stacey Abrams Wants More Than the Vice Presidency - The New York Times
Sat, 16 May 2020 22:20
She wants the Democrats to reach a different kind of swing voter '-- those who otherwise stay home. And she says she can help Joe Biden do it.
Stacey Abrams, who has made no secret of her desire to be Joseph R. Biden Jr.'s running mate, says Democrats must do more to persuade Americans of color to vote. Credit... Johnathon Kelso for The New York Times May 16, 2020Updated 1:07 p.m. ET
The clapping hands appeared on the screen '-- one, two, a flurry of emojis '-- flashing under the Facebook Live feed of the former minority leader of the Georgia House of Representatives, Stacey Abrams. It was the socially distanced derivative of the applause she has often encountered in the past year or so, since her narrow loss in the race for governor of Georgia in 2018.
Ms. Abrams was addressing the virtual audience of the New Hampshire Democratic Party convention. She was there last Saturday to talk voter suppression, the focal point of her work since 2018, and by the looks of the comments, had found a receptive crowd. ''Go Stacey!'' popped one, then, 13 seconds later: ''Stacy for VP!''
This, of course, was the subtext of Ms. Abrams's appearance Saturday, and again Thursday night when she appeared with Joseph R. Biden Jr. on MSNBC to talk about voting rights.
In early April, on a call with Georgians to discuss her work on ballot access in the pandemic, Ms. Abrams said: ''You don't do these things for the title.'' But in her recent run of appearances and interviews, she has nevertheless been open about the title she wants '-- vice president '-- and what she thinks her name on the ticket would mean for the future of the Democratic electorate.
With Mr. Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, nearing 78, the question of his running mate has largely been one of experience '-- who is capable of stepping into the top job on Day 1. It is not a standard that favors the chances of someone with the limited national political r(C)sum(C) of Ms. Abrams, which for some Democrats has made her candid ambition for the nomination off-putting.
Yet to Ms. Abrams, 46, the value of whomever Mr. Biden chooses is not just about experience: It is about signaling which voters the party wants to cultivate, both ahead of November and beyond.
Traditionally, Democrats have sought a vice-presidential pick that appeals to swing voters, those suburban whites whose operative variable is not whether they show up to the polls, but whether they go blue or red upon arrival. Such a priority this year would elevate the appeal of a running mate like Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota or Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan.
But there is another, oft-overlooked slice of the electorate that Ms. Abrams argues is equally crucial to the party's success, voters who grapple with a different binary: voting Democratic, or not voting at all.
''The focus on persuasion has often been trying to persuade someone to shift from their conservative ideology to a more moderate or liberal ideology,'' Ms. Abrams said in an interview. ''But for voters of color, it isn't about shifting ideology '-- it's persuading them that voting actually will have an effect.''
These other swing voters, oscillating between voting Democratic or not at all, are the Americans '-- largely racial minorities and young people '-- whom Ms. Abrams has devoted her career to reaching. As she explains it, there are overt voter suppression tactics, and then there is this more insidious thread, often unwittingly perpetuated by her own party, that tells this segment of swing voters that they are less worthy of courting.
Melanye Price, a professor of African-American studies and political science at Prairie View A&M University, said what was striking was not so much that Ms. Abrams views these unreliable voters as essential to the Democratic playbook, but that so few party leaders recognize their own role in alienating them. ''It's the biggest failure of the Democratic Party of the last decade,'' she said. ''I don't think it's malicious. I think it's just benign neglect.''
Image Supporters at Ms. Abrams's primary night party in May 2018, when she became the first black woman nominated by a major party in a governor's race. Credit... Melissa Golden for The New York Times As the first black woman to run as either major party's candidate for governor in any state, Ms. Abrams became the face of the issue of voting rights in 2018, after narrowly losing her race to Brian Kemp, a Republican. She argued that racially motivated voter suppression had sealed Mr. Kemp's victory, and shortly after launched Fair Fight, a PAC dedicated to expanding voter education and ballot access across the United States.
She still lived in her Atlanta townhouse, still read as many as three books at a time for fun (on rotation now: A biography of Huey Long, a novel called ''A Place for Us,'' and the latest from the sci-fi writer N.K. Jemisin). But she committed herself to the question of civic participation broadly and intensely, crisscrossing the country to raise money and give speeches, and starting another organization to educate voters on the importance of the census.
Since 2018, Fair Fight, along with its nonprofit arm, Fair Fight Action, has raised millions of dollars and funded teams at state Democratic parties across the country. In 2019, for example, Fair Fight helped Kentucky Democrats file a lawsuit that restored to the rolls some 175,000 voters who had been purged by the Republican governor. And amid the pandemic, the organization has shifted its focus to the expansion of voting by mail.
Ms. Abrams stressed that these efforts can matter little if citizens do not buy into the act of voting itself '-- in other words, if the barrier to participation is not so much a law or policy but a belief that the system has never valued one's voice to begin with.
For Americans of color, it is often impossible to believe that there are any leaders who ''want more for them,'' Ms. Abrams said. It is critical, then, for Democrats to commit to persuading these communities that voting is still worth it, that ''more and better is possible.''
Allowing disenchantment to fester unchecked, she reiterated, is its own blemish on the party. Few elections underscored the consequences better than in 2016, when black turnout dropped '-- and in many regions plummeted '-- contributing to Hillary Clinton's losses in states like Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
As Lauren Groh-Wargo, Fair Fight's chief executive and Ms. Abrams's former campaign manager, explained it, campaigns often don't turn to black voters until after Labor Day, sending a cursory crush of mailers following a summer of intensive and individualized outreach to white so-called ''persuadables.''
''And then we wonder why, come Election Day, we don't see the type of African-American enthusiasm and engagement and support levels that we want to win,'' she said.
For Ms. Abrams, the issues of access to the vote, and African-American political engagement, are intensely personal.
Storytime for Ms. Abrams and her five siblings growing up in Mississippi and Georgia included the day their father was arrested while trying to register older black voters in Hattiesburg, Miss. He was around 14 or 15 years old, far too young himself to register, ''but he knew the fact that he could not even imagine voting was wrong,'' Ms. Abrams said.
They learned about the dogs, the police officers, the time that either a cop or an ''angry segregationist'' '-- she can't remember which '-- shot at her father and clipped his heel. (''My mom was different,'' Ms. Abrams said. ''She was also involved in activism, we just like to joke she was smart enough not to get caught.'')
Ms. Abrams remembered jumping up the morning of her 18th birthday to register to vote herself, feeling grown up using her Spelman College P.O. Box in Atlanta as her address. She set out a table on campus, clipboard and pen in hand, helping other people register as Bill Clinton ran his first campaign for president.
The story of voter suppression today is no longer the stuff of billy clubs and hoses that Ms. Abrams heard about as a child. But what was once a ''very clear, bright line where the government said 'you cannot,''' Ms. Abrams said, has been replaced with ''labyrinthine rules and invisible barriers.''
As Dr. Price sees it, such issues are rarely discussed at the national level in part because voter suppression can be incorrectly viewed as a uniquely Southern menace '-- and because they don't think they can win there, she argued, Democrats ''don't take the South seriously.''
The question, then, is at what point Democratic leaders start to incorporate voices like Ms. Abrams's into the party's identity, regardless of immediate electoral prospects. ''I know what Stacey Abrams feels,'' said Representative James E. Clyburn, Democrat of South Carolina and the House majority whip. ''I know what it is to operate in Washington, D.C., with people looking upon Southerners as being sort of outside the mainstream.''
''And black Southerners,'' he added, ''my God.''
Mr. Clyburn, whose endorsement before the South Carolina primary in February helped propel Mr. Biden to the nomination, said Ms. Abrams was ''among the 10 or 12 people'' he thinks would be ''highly qualified'' to be Mr. Biden's running mate, though in a Financial Times interview in late March he questioned whether she had the requisite experience. (''Qualifications are not the problem,'' he said in a recent interview with The New York Times. ''It's the chemistry that's got to be there.'')
Image Mr. Biden and Ms. Abrams appeared at a church service in Selma, Ala., in March. Credit... Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, via Associated Press Mr. Clyburn said that as the father of three black women, he thought it would be ''great'' if Mr. Biden picked a black woman, but he did not see it as a ''must'' '-- certainly not a political necessity in the same way that he believed Mr. Biden's pledge to pick a female running mate was.
But he argued that his party should heed Ms. Abrams's message about the kind of voter it can no longer take for granted. ''The South has given too much not to get the respect in return,'' he said.
This is, in some ways, the crux of Ms. Abrams's case for vice president. In her 2018 campaign for governor, in which she achieved record turnout among African-Americans, Latinos, Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders, and young people, Ms. Abrams showed how an investment in such voters '-- those least likely to show up to the polls and thus most likely to be ignored '-- could make the Democratic Party competitive even in a state as conservative as Georgia. (She struggled, however, to pick up votes in rural areas.)
All of which may bolster Ms. Abrams's claim that she knows how to ''translate progressive to Southern.'' Nevertheless, close as that race may have been, Ms. Abrams lost, meaning her highest-profile political experience remains leading Democrats in the Georgia state legislature.
Donald Trump, of course, upended any traditional notion of what constitutes experience when he won the presidency in 2016. ''But what Democrats were looking for this year is the anti-Trump,'' said Alan Abramowitz, a political science professor at Emory University in Atlanta. ''That was always Biden's appeal, someone with a lot of national political experience, a sharp contrast to Trump. If anything, that criterion is even more important for vice president, because that person has to be someone who's ready to serve as president.''
Ms. Abrams, he said, ''is just not strong in that area.''
But Ms. Abrams says her qualifications, if not her experience in the strictest sense, stack up with anyone else's. She's not worried about surviving a full political vetting, arguing that things like her debt, which she paid off in full last year, are not red flags, but evidence she has ''lived a real life.'' On foreign policy, she stressed that she had traveled to over a dozen countries ''not on vacation, but learning.'' And asked if she was prepared to be president on Day 1 if needed, amid a pandemic no less, she answered with an unequivocal ''yes.''
Beyond her r(C)sum(C), critics have questioned Ms. Abrams's unwillingness to play the game, to act as though her ambition is an afterthought '-- a candor some Democrats have objected to, especially in light of reports that Mr. Biden does not view her as a top contender. Representative William Lacy Clay, a Missouri Democrat, said in April he found Ms. Abrams's lobbying for the job ''offensive'' and ''inappropriate.''
But as Ms. Abrams sees it, campaigning on questions of who has a voice, and whose voice is heard, means she is speaking for far more than just herself.
''We know extrapolations are made from single moments,'' she said. ''Part of my directness in answering the question about V.P. is that I don't want anyone'' '-- whether a Southerner, an African-American, a woman, or all of the above '-- ''to ever look at my answer and say, 'Well, if she can't say it, then I can't think it.'''
Updated May 15, 2020
Joseph R. Biden Jr.'s presidential campaign is planning a substantial expansion of its operation and eyeing an ambitious battleground map. A Republican flipped former Representative Katie Hill's seat in California. Wisconsin and Nebraska also held votes Tuesday. See the results. Get an email recapping the day's news Download our mobile app on iOS and Android and turn on Breaking News and Politics alerts Listen to our podcast, The Field, on Apple Podcasts and Spotify
HEROES Act Passes House; Omits $2,000 Recurring Stimulus Checks And Other Notable Items
Sat, 16 May 2020 22:18
718,239 views | May 16, 2020, 08:20am EDT
Shahar Ziv Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. I teach students and employees how to ace their personal finances.
to secure passage of the HEROES Act last night
Barcroft Media via Getty Images
Last night, the House of Representatives passed the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act, or the HEROES Act, by a vote of 208-199. The sweeping $3 trillion legislation was dismissed by Senate Republicans with Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell, deriding it as a ''big laundry list of pet priorities.'' The ''grab bag'' bill included many provisions seemingly disconnected from stabilizing the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic, such as ones related to cannabis banking. For a messaging bill meant to outline Democratic priorities, the HEROES Act is as notable for what it omits as for what it includes.
No Paycheck Guarantee ActSpearheaded by Representative Pramila Jayapal and the Congressional Progressive Caucus, the Paycheck Guarantee Act would have guaranteed 100 percent coverage of workers' wages up to $90,000 a year. The sponsors argued that given the economic carnage inflicted by coronavirus, Congress needed to ''think bigger'' and offer ''workers as well as businesses, nonprofits and local governments of all sizes a better path forward in this uncertain environment.''
Interestingly, an analysis by Moody's chief economist, Mark Zandi, estimated that the net costs of the program would be $654 billion over six months, which is actually less than the two rounds of small business loans approved by Congress as part of the Paycheck Protection Program. Another interesting feature of the proposal would have taken out banks as the intermediary to disburse payments, instead facilitating payments straight from the IRS to employers.
Exclusion of the Paycheck Guarantee Act led to a mini-rebellion with progressives initially threatening to vote against the HEROES Act. Most members eventually fell in line with Speaker Nancy Pelosi and voted in favor of the HEROES bill.
No Recurring $2,000 Monthly Stimulus ChecksThe HEROES Act included a proposal for a second round of direct payments to Americans '' $1,200 for an individual, $2,400 for joint filers, and $1,200 for up to three dependents. This one-time infusion of cash would provide relief to many Americans who exhausted their funds from the first round of stimulus payments, received a lower amount than anticipated, or are still waiting to receive it.
Pelosi and Democrats chose the single-payment route instead of a recurring stimulus payment that would have provided ongoing relief for up to 12 months. Representatives Ro Khanna and Tim Ryan had introduced The Emergency Money for the People Act, which had attracted increasing support from other House Democrats. Other similar proposals were introduced by Pramila Jayapal and Rashida Tlaib in the House as well as by counterparts in the Senate, including a proposal by Ed Markey, Kamala Harris, and Bernie Sanders that would provide a monthly $2,000 check to those struggling to make ends meet during the COVID-19 pandemic. ''A single check is not sufficient for households that are struggling during this health and economic crisis.'' said Senator Markey. ''Americans need more than just one payment.''
No Automatic StabilizersAs argued in a previous column, ''there is a looming disconnect between the sluggish speed of recovery and the duration of unemployment benefits that were included in the $2 trillion CARES Act passed by Congress.'' This problem could have been solved through the use of automatic stabilizers, which would have tied federal aid to economic conditions. Use of stabilizers would have removed the need to continuously pass additional legislation for more aid, instead, automatically extending aid, such as enhanced unemployment insurance, until the economy recovers.
MORE FROM FORBES New Proposal Would Extend $600 Unemployment Benefit Indefinitely Until Coronavirus Crisis Ends By Shahar Ziv The Worker Relief and Security Act, introduced by Senators Michael Bennet and Jack Reed, along with Representative Don Beyer, aimed to align relief with the span of the COVID-19 pandemic as opposed to allowing benefits to lapse after a fixed period of time. However, this proposal, along with automatic stabilizers of any kind, were left out of the HEROES Act passed by the House. Instead, the bill would simply extend the enhanced unemployment benefits through January, 2021.
No Improvements To Get Funds To Individuals Quicker and More AccuratelyProblems with the CARES Act weren't limited to eligibility or duration of funding, they also involved executional mistakes. The process of delivering funds to individuals and small businesses was riddled with friction and complexity. Many individuals have still not received their stimulus checks from the CARES Act. Others received checks, but for a lower amount than expected and are being told by the IRS that they won't be able to receive the difference until 2021 when they file their taxes. Instead of spending over 1,800 pages on futile proposals, many not germane to the coronavirus pandemic, it would have behooved Democrats to develop proposals to deliver funds more quickly and more accurately to Americans.
Further Coronavirus-Related Reading:4.3 Million Adults Eligible For Two $1,200 Stimulus Checks If HEROES Act Signed Into Law
Get My Payment: IRS Formally Addresses What To Do If Your Stimulus Check Amount Was Wrong
New Proposal Would Extend $600 Unemployment Benefit Indefinitely Until Coronavirus Crisis Ends
Here's An Idea: Don't Give Americans Second Stimulus Checks Of Equal Face Value; Save $35 Billion
IRS Explains Why Your Stimulus Check Payment May Be Different Amount Than Anticipated
9 Potential Hacks To Escape IRS ''Payment Status Not Available'' Purgatory And Track Your Stimulus Check
Proposal: $5,000 Stimulus Check In Exchange For Slightly Delayed Social Security Benefits
Don't Be Fooled By Official Unemployment Rate Of 14.7%; The Real Figure Is Even Scarier
Romney Proposal Calls For Up To $5,760 In Hazard Pay Bonuses For Essential Workers
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Twitter or LinkedIn. Check out my website. Shahar is the founder of Acing Your Finances (www.acingyourfinances.com), where he helps students and employees develop healthy financial habits. He co-founded a popular
'... Read More Shahar is the founder of Acing Your Finances (www.acingyourfinances.com), where he helps students and employees develop healthy financial habits. He co-founded a popular personal financial management course at Harvard University and has worked with students at Wharton, Columbia, and NYU as well as lawyers at Skadden and Debevoise, resident physicians at Mount Sinai Hospital, and employees at DoorDash.
All opinions expressed are my own
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Musk tries to explain Bitcoin to JK Rowling, attacks central banks - Business Insider
Sat, 16 May 2020 18:32
A composite photo showing Elon Musk (left) at a conference in March 2020 and J.K. Rowling (right) at a film premiere in December 2019. AP/Business Insider JK Rowling asked Twitter to explain bitcoin to her, and was bombarded by replies '-- including from Elon Musk.Rowling ultimately gave up engaging with the topic, a decision Musk supported.In the process, he took a swipe at conventional central banks, which he said had undermined their credibility and made even bitcoin "look solid by comparison."Banks like the Federal Reserve and European Central Bank have pumped trillions of dollars into the global economy via quantitative easing programs.Many of these have been expanded in an attempt to mitigate the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.Elon Musk intervened in a Twitter thread to attempt to explain bitcoin to J.K. Rowling, and ended up attacking central banks whom he said made the cryptocurrency "look solid by comparison."
Musk chimed in after Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter novels, was bombarded by replies after tweeting: "I don't understand bitcoin. Please explain it to me."
Bitcoin advocates and skeptics then rushed to explain the cryptocurrency '-- a financial asset which exists solely in digital form.
Unlike traditional currencies, it is not tied to a central bank controlled by a government, and instead is regulated by complicated mathematics and a public log '-- called a blockchain '-- of all transactions.
Its value has ballooned since its creation. According to Markets Insider data, a single Bitcoin was worth almost $20,000 in December 2017. Its price at the time of writing was around $9,410.
Despite lofty predictions by its advocates, it has not found widespread use.
Rowling eventually gave up trying to understand bitcoin, posting a tweet that implied that she was no longer interested.
Musk responded essentially agreeing with her, but taking a swipe at the behavior of traditional central bankers in the process.
Musk said that central banks '-- like the Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, Bank of Japan, and Bank of England '-- made bitcoin "look solid by comparison" because of their recent behavior.
Since the financial crisis in 2008, banks embarked on a huge program of "quantitative easing" '-- essentially pumping vast sums into the economy '-- to prevent the collapse of the economy.
It also left interest rates at historic lows and, critics say, has distorted financial markets in ways we are yet to understand fully.
Many banks have renewed their easing programs in light of the coronavirus pandemic. A report in late April by Fitch Ratings said that central banks around the world had already committed to $6 trillion worth of easing programs.
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The American Genie '' Engineering a Catastrophe - American Herald Tribune
Sat, 16 May 2020 13:05
The first signs that something terrible had gone wrong with the security at the Fort Detrick bio-defence facility fifty miles north-west of Washington DC were when cases of a previously unknown and serious respiratory illness appeared at a retirement village on the western outskirts of the capital in July 2019. The first cases were noted on June 30th amongst the 260 residents of the Greenspring Assisted Living unit, with the infectious disease later affecting 19 staff and taking the lives of some older residents.
''The notice that went out on July 10 from Donna L. Epps, an administrator at Greenspring, said several residents had been having symptoms of respiratory illness, including fever, coughing and body aches. Epps's notice, which says the symptoms recede in about five to seven days with treatment but have caused pneumonia, also announced limits on visitors, enhanced sanitation measures and other steps.''
The story was rapidly picked up, and statements issued to ease concerns:
''-- the two patients who died in the outbreak had been hospitalized with pneumonia but were "older individuals with complex medical problems."
"One of the things about skilled nursing facilities and assisted living facilities is that when you have a lot of people in close proximity, who have underlying medical conditions, there is an increased risk for outbreaks," he said. "Seeing a respiratory outbreak in a long-term care facility is not odd. ... One thing that's different about this outbreak is just that it's occurring in the summer when, usually, we don't have a lot of respiratory disease."
The Centre for Disease Control was alerted on July 8th and took samples but ''was unable to identify the organism responsible''. As if. Perhaps it was just a sensible precaution to close down the Fort Detrick research facility two weeks later, where infection control mechanisms had previously been suspect.
''The statement said the Center for Disease Control and Prevention decided to issue a ''cease and desist order'' last month to halt the research at Fort Detrick because the center did not have ''sufficient systems in place to decontaminate wastewater'' from its highest-security labs.''
While the organisms Fort Detrick conducted research on and with included such lethal ones as Ebola, concerns had been raised back in 2015 about their research on genetically engineered and mutant viruses that posed an unacceptable risk to humans should they escape. This research, known as ''gain of function'' or GOF had been banned in 2014 by the Obama administration, but some programs appear to have continued, and in November 2015 caused scientists to issue a warning. While this warning has been widely publicised, as well as used to support the theory that SARS-CoV-2 came from a lab and not from nature, the GOF research it referred to, published a little earlier in Nature medicine has had little attention.
This research was a collaborative project between the scientists at the University of Carolina and a team led by ''Bat Woman'' Shi Zhengli at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. While the research is complex and the motives obscure, there is little doubt that the researchers successfully engineered a ''chimaera'' which combined a lethal coronavirus from a bat with one capable of easily infecting human cells, and proved its ''gain of function'' both in vitro and in vivo.
*(Shi Zhengli. Credit: Weibo)
Further information has now come to light on evidence that SARS-CoV-2 was genetically engineered following a detailed scientific study into the genome of the virus. Ironically perhaps, the focus of the anonymous analyst seems to have been to incriminate the Chinese government ''communist party'' and its research lab in Wuhan. As explained by ''GM Watch'', despite this political angle and the suspect anonymity of the unpublished research, the science it presents is very persuasive. Significantly however, they question the analyst's view that the synthetic virus was designed as a bioweapon, ''though it may have been''. They conclude:
''In our view, the evidence presented above shows that there is an urgent need for a credible and independent international investigation into the origins of SARS-CoV-2 and the roles played by Shi Zhengli, the Chinese government, and the US bodies that helped fund the virus research at the WIV, including the National Institutes of Health and the EcoHealth Alliance.''
It may be a surprise for some to learn of US involvement in research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, but it should be a shock to learn how this collaboration came about and who was involved. As recently revealed in the mainstream publication Newsweek, America's high-profile scientific expert Dr Anthony Fauci strongly supported GOF research, and following the ban in the US was involved in funding a similar project in Wuhan. That five-year project ended in 2019 and was extended:
''A second phase of the project, beginning that year, included additional surveillance work but also gain-of-function research for the purpose of understanding how bat coronaviruses could mutate to attack humans. The project was run by EcoHealth Alliance, a non-profit research group, under the direction of President Peter Daszak, an expert on disease ecology. NIH canceled the project just this past Friday, April 24th, Politico reported. Daszak did not immediately respond to Newsweek requests for comment.''
Newsweek notes that Dr. Fauci also did not respond to their requests, and other media didn't pick up the story. But:
''according to Richard Ebright, an infectious disease expert at Rutgers University, the project description refers to experiments that would enhance the ability of bat coronavirus to infect human cells and laboratory animals using techniques of genetic engineering. In the wake of the pandemic, that is a noteworthy detail.
Ebright, along with many other scientists, has been a vocal opponent of gain-of-function research because of the risk it presents of creating a pandemic through accidental release from a lab.''
As well as supporting GOF research, for reasons described by Newsweek, Dr. Fauci was renowned for his work on HIV, and more recently on bird flu viruses. He also was involved in the development of Remdesevir, which he has recently promoted as a treatment for COVID-19 cases despite little evidence for its efficacy, in contrast to the widely used Hydroxychloroquine favored by the US President '' and many others around the world.
But the treatment or consequences of the release of this novel Coronavirus are not my concern at this crucial junction point '' or rather disjunction point '' in history.
Having concluded some time ago that the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 virus was most probably the bio-insecure facility at Fort Detrick, the one question that remained unanswered was how and why it appeared in Wuhan, and what happened in the months before it was first identified there.
A number of impossibly unlikely coincidences led to that conclusion, in particular the first detected appearance of the virus in the hotel where US soldiers stayed during the World Military Games, held between October 18th and 27th 2019 in Wuhan. Coincidentally and indicatively also, a ''novel Coronavirus'' pandemic simulation exercise was held in New York on the very day the games began, sponsored by and involving some key actors in the health and pharmaceutical industry, as well as significant international experts.
The apparent suppression of reporting on ''Event 201'' in the mainstream media has led observers to interpret this pandemic rehearsal in the way that other coincidental exercises have been '' as further evidence of ''conspiracy''. The involvement of CEPI director Jane Halton in Event 201 is the most indicative of these coincidences, given the role Australia is playing in pushing for an ''inquiry'' targeting China, and Halton's role in the National Coronavirus Coordination committee.
It is instructive to read the recommendations issued following the Event 201 exercise, particularly on the development of public-private partnerships and on the control of false information in the media, as this is reflected in the control of the ''COVID-19 Pandemic'' narrative here in Australia.
Although there is a divergence of opinion on how to treat the escalating conflict with China, particularly following the Chinese Government's actions on food imports from Australia, no-one in the Government, Opposition, think tanks or media is saying that China is not to blame for the pandemic, in some way or another. Influential commentators, as well as union leaders, are portraying the dispute as a choice between taking China's money or protecting our sovereignty, a position that is both idiotic and mistaken, ignoring the reality of our dependence on Chinese exports and imports.
Australians may not be able to see it, but for the Chinese foreign ministry it is crystal clear '' that Australia's proposals and actions are in no-ones interest, except America's.
Until now the situation appeared paradoxical. Concluding that the US had intentionally introduced the novel Coronavirus into Wuhan made little sense, given the inevitable blowback. Four months on it is the US which has suffered worst from the Coronavirus Pandemic, while China is restarting its temporarily disabled economy after successfully suppressing the epidemic in Wuhan. Barring some of the wilder conspiracy theories that might see a benefit for some elites and vested interests in health and security in the chaos induced by the lock-downs, the question of ''cui bono'' remained unanswered, until now.
Some of the US soldiers in the team sent to Wuhan for the games reportedly fell ill and even went to hospital, but it now appears that athletes in teams from other countries were infected by contact with them. Two French athletes recently reported having suffered a strange respiratory illness after returning home from Wuhan, which they now realize was very probably CV19. Apparently similar cases have been reported in athletes from other teams who participated in the Wuhan games, with Luxemburg and Sweden cited in this report. A more recent but still early appearance of a distinct strain of the virus in France suggests an origin in those early cases from Wuhan. The distinct and early outbreaks in Italy and Iran may well have also originated similarly from returning athletes.
So now the possibility arises that far from the Wuhan Military Games being the point where the novel Coronavirus was introduced into China, they were the point from which the infection fanned out across the world, potentially to all the countries participating in the Games. Except for one.
As with Italy and France, they were early reports of an unusually severe pneumonia occurring in the US in December and November, but with cases mistaken for influenza at that time of year, except by the CDC, which recognized the infection as ''COVID 19'' but kept quiet about it until questioned in senate hearings. Unsurprisingly, China picked up on this admission from the CDC, asking the question to which we now have the answer '' ''where was your patient zero?''.
Perhaps they may also be considering a new ''conspiracy theory'' following the revelation of the July outbreak at Greensprings retirement village. This would be my suggestion:
To say that the escape of the Coronavirus Genie from Fort Detrick was a monumental disaster looming for the US health system and for the economy is a gross understatement. As we can see from the way the world has been turned upside down by the chaotic response to the pandemic, being held responsible for this long predicted catastrophe could bring the world down on you. So rather than admit to the viral Genie's escape and the total failure of the Centre for Disease Control to control this unknown and deadly disease, they had to come up with a plan.
Because of the collaboration with Wuhan on GOF research and the presence of similar or identical viruses at the WIV, a scheme might be devised to plant the infection in the centre of the city and lay the blame for the subsequent predicted pandemic on China. When the virus later reached the US, its already established presence there would be effectively concealed, at least from the public. Concealing such things from epidemiologists and virologists is clearly harder, and it has been noted that while cases in Washington State are closely related to the Wuhan strain, those in New York are not. (It has also been reported that Italy has requested the exhumation of bodies in the US following suspicions on the origins of the Italian outbreak; the US has so far refused.)
I propose that the scheme devised in desperation last summer for this ''diversionary tactic'', was to send the Fort Detrick Virus with the soldiers set to compete at the Wuhan games in three months' time, while trying to keep a lid on the domestic epidemic until the new year, and a lock on the inquisitive media. Rehearsing for the subsequent global pandemic called for ''Event 201'' to prepare participants for what they might have to face, and bring their organizational and media responses into line. Shi Zhengli's presence in Wuhan also looks to be an important part of this US operation, with stories about her work with Horseshoe Bats, and her recent insistence on the natural origins of the Virus playing a vital role in the cyber-warfare side of the operation. Given Zhengli's role in the controversial genetic engineering research project in 2015, those stories are clearly vital disinformation.
Whether this theory is the correct one may not yet be proven, but it does provide an explanation to the conundrum of the genie that was accidentally released from the bottle but intentionally released from Wuhan. And we must all now suffer the consequences of that US ''culpable manslaughter'' as we learn to live with their engineered Genie. Just don't take it out on China.
*(Top image: Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper tours the U.S Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRID) with Army Brig. Gen. Mike Talley, commanding general of U.S. Army Medical Research Development Command (USARMDC) during his visit to Fort Detrick, Md., March 17, 2020. Credit: DoD photo by Army Staff Sergeant Nicole Mejia)
'The American friends': New court files expose Sheldon Adelson's security team in US spy operation against Julian Assange | The Grayzone
Sat, 16 May 2020 13:00
An exclusive investigation by The Grayzone reveals new details on the critical role Sheldon Adelson's Las Vegas Sands played in an apparent CIA spying operation targeting Julian Assange, and exposes the Sands security staff who helped coordinate the malicious campaign.By Max Blumenthal ''I was the CIA director. We lied, we cheated, we stole.''
'' Mike Pompeo, College Station, TX, April 15, 2019
As the co-founder of a small security consulting firm called UC Global, David Morales spent years slogging through the minor leagues of the private mercenary world. A former Spanish special forces officer, Morales yearned to be the next Erik Prince, the Blackwater founder who leveraged his army-for-hire into high-level political connections across the globe. But by 2016, he had secured just one significant contract, to guard the children of Ecuador's then-President Rafael Correa and his country's embassy in the UK.
The London embassy contract proved especially valuable to Morales, however. Inside the diplomatic compound, his men guarded Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, a top target of the US government who had been living in the building since Correa granted him asylum in 2012. It was not long before Morales realized he had a big league opportunity on his hands.
In 2016, Morales rushed off alone to a security fair in Las Vegas, hoping to rustle up lucrative new gigs by touting his role as the guardian of Assange. Days later, he returned to his company's headquarters in Jerez de Frontera, Spain with exciting news.
UC Global CEO David Morales (left) at a 2016 security fair in Las Vegas ''From now on, we're going to be playing in the first division,'' Morales announced to his employees. When a co-owner of UC Global asked what Morales meant, he responded that he had turned to the ''dark side'' '' an apparent reference to US intelligence services. ''The Americans will find us contracts around the world,'' Morales assured his business partner.
Morales had just signed on to guard Queen Miri , the $70 million yacht belonging to one of the most high profile casino tycoons in Vegas: ultra-Zionist billionaire and Republican mega-donor Sheldon Adelson. Given that Adelson already had a substantial security team assigned to guard him and his family at all times, the contract between UC Global and Adelson's Las Vegas Sands was clearly the cover for a devious espionage campaign apparently overseen by the CIA.
Unfortunately for Morales, the Spanish security consultant charged with leading the spying operation, what happened in Vegas did not stay there.
Following Assange's imprisonment, several disgruntled former employees eventually approached Assange's legal team to inform them about the misconduct and arguably illegal activity they participated in at UC Global. One former business partner said they came forward after realizing that ''David Morales decided to sell all the information to the enemy, the US.'' A criminal complaint was submitted in a Spanish court and a secret operation that resulted in the arrest of Morales was set into motion by the judge.
Morales was charged by a Spanish High Court in October 2019 with violating the privacy of Assange and abusing the publisher's attorney-client privileges, as well as money laundering and bribery. The documents revealed in court, which were primarily backups from company computers, exposed the disturbing reality of his activities on ''the dark side.''
Obtained by media outlets including The Grayzone, the UC Global files detail an elaborate and apparently illegal US surveillance operation in which the security firm spied on Assange, his legal team, his American friends, US journalists, and an American member of Congress who had been allegedly dispatched to the Ecuadorian embassy by President Donald Trump. Even the Ecuadorian diplomats whom UC Global was hired to protect were targeted by the spy ring.
The ongoing investigation detailed black operations ranging from snooping on the Wikileaks founder's private conversations to fishing a diaper from an embassy trash can in order to determine if the feces inside it belonged to his son.
According to witness statements obtained by The Grayzone, weeks after Morales proposed breaking into the office of Assange's lead counsel, the office was burglarized. The witnesses also detailed a proposal to kidnap or poison Assange. A police raid at the home of Morales netted two handguns with their serial numbers filed off, along with stacks of cash.
One source close to the investigation told The Grayzone that an Ecuadorian official was robbed at gunpoint while carrying private information pertaining to a plan to secure diplomatic immunity for Assange.
Throughout the black operations campaign, US intelligence appears to have worked through Adelson's Las Vegas Sands, a company that had previously served as an alleged front for a CIA blackmail operation several years earlier. The operations formally began once Adelson's hand-picked presidential candidate, Donald Trump, entered the White House in January 2017.
In its coverage of the alleged relationship between the CIA, UC Global, and Adelson's Sands, the New York Times claimed it was ''unclear whether it was the Americans who were behind bugging the embassy.'' Though he outlined work for an ''American client'' in company emails, Morales insisted before a Spanish judge that the spying he conducted in the embassy was performed entirely on behalf of Ecuador's SENAIN security services. He has even claimed to CNN Espa±ol that he was merely seeking to motivate his employees when he boasted about ''playing in the first division'' after returning from his fateful trip to Las Vegas.
This investigation will further establish the US government's role in guiding UC Global's espionage campaign, shedding new light on the apparent relationship between the CIA and Adelson's Sands, and expose how UC Global deceived the Ecuadorian government on behalf of the client Morales referred to as the ''American friends.''
Thanks to new court disclosures, The Grayzone is also able to reveal the identity of Sands security staff who presumably liaised between Morales, Adelson's company, and US intelligence.
According to court documents and testimony by a former business associate and employees of Morales, it was Adelson's top bodyguard, an Israeli-American named Zohar Lahav, who personally recruited Morales, then managed the relationship between the Spanish security contractor and Sands on a routine basis. After their first meeting in Vegas, the two security professionals became close friends, visiting each other overseas and speaking frequently.
During the spying operation, Lahav worked directly under Brian Nagel, the director of global security for Las Vegas Sands. A former associate director of the US Secret Service and cyber-security expert, Nagel was officially commended by the CIA following successful collaborations with federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies. At Sands, he seemed to be an ideal middleman between the company and the US national security state, as well as a potential guide for the complex surveillance tasks assigned to Morales.
When Adelson's favored candidate, Donald Trump, moved into the Oval Office, the CIA came under the control of Mike Pompeo, another Adelson ally who seemed to relish the opportunity to carry out illegal acts, including spying on American citizens, in the name of national security.
Pompeo outlines the attack on Assange Pompeo's first public speech as CIA Director , hosted at the Washington DC-based Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank on April 13, 2017, was one of the most paranoid and resentful addresses ever delivered by an agency chief.
The former Republican congressman from Kansas opened his speech with an extended tirade against the ''Philip Agees in the world,'' referring to the CIA whistleblower who handed over thousands of classified documents to leftist publishers that revealed shocking details of illegal US regime change and assassination plots around the world.
Alluding to Agee's contemporary ''soulmates,'' Pompeo declared, ''The one thing they don't share with Agee is the need for a publisher. All they require now is a smart phone and internet access. In today's digital environment, they can disseminate stolen US secrets instantly around the globe to terrorists, dictators, hackers, and anyone else seeking to do us harm.''
The CIA director made no secret about the identity of his target. ''It is time to call out WikiLeaks for what it really is '' a non-state hostile intelligence service often abetted by state actors like Russia,'' he rumbled from the podium.
For the next several minutes, Pompeo ranted against Assange, branding him as a ''narcissist,'' ''a fraud,'' ''a coward.'' The right-wing Republican even quoted criticism of the Wikileaks publisher by The Intercept's Sam Biddle .
Next, Pompeo pledged a ''long term'' campaign of counter-measures against Wikileaks. ''We have to recognize that we can no longer allow Assange and his colleagues the latitude to use free speech values against us. To give them the space to crush us with misappropriated secrets is a perversion of what our great Constitution stands for. It ends now,'' he vowed.
Though Pompeo said he recognized that ''the CIA is legally prohibited from spying on people through electronic surveillance in the United States,'' he seemed to have already put into motion an aggressive program to spy not only Assange, but on his American friends, lawyers, and virtually everyone in his immediate vicinity. Carried out by UC Global, the campaign entailed recording private conversations of US targets, opening their phones, photographing their personal information, and even stealing their email passwords.
The CIA's apparent attack on Assange had been activated weeks earlier, when Wikileaks announced the publication of the CIA's Vault 7 files. It would not be long before Adelson's security team began preparing space for Morales in Las Vegas.
Journey to ''the dark side'' On February 26, 2017, Wikileaks announced the forthcoming release of a major tranche of CIA files revealing details of the agency's hacking and electronic surveillance tools. One such spying application called ''Marble '' allowed agency spies to implant code that obfuscated their identity on computers they had hacked. Other files contained evidence of programs that allowed hackers to break into encrypted messaging applications like Signal and Telegram, and to turn Samsung smart TVs into listening devices.
Two days after Wikileaks' initial announcement, on February 28, Morales was junketed from Spain to a hotel in Alexandria, Virginia '' just a stone's throw from CIA headquarters in Langley. Though UC Global had no publicly known contracts with any company in Virginia, court documents obtained by The Grayzone establish that Morales sent encrypted emails from an Alexandria IP address and paid bills from a local hotel for the next eight days.
From that point on, he traveled back and forth almost each month between Spain, the DC area, New York City, Chicago, or the Las Vegas base of Adelson's operations.
When in DC, Morales sent emails from a static IP address at the Grand Hyatt Hotel just four blocks from the White House.
The Instagram posts of Morales' wife and travel partner, Noelia Pez, highlighted the frequency of his trips:
Instagram posts by Morales' wife, Noelia Pez , posted while in Las Vegas on January 20, 2017 Fellow UC Global executives began to grow suspicious of Morales and his secretive dealings in the US. According to their testimonies, he spoke constantly about his working relationship with the Americans. Yet UC Global had been contracted by Ecuador's intelligence agency, SENAIN, to provide security to the country's embassy in London '' not to spy on its occupants.
It was increasingly clear to them that Morales was deceiving one client in Quito to serve a more powerful force in Washington.
''I remember that David Morales asked a person from the company to prepare a safe phone, with safe applications, just like an encrypted computer to communicate with 'the American friends,' to take his relationship with the US out of the company's range,'' a former UC Global employee recalled.
A former business partner at UC Global stated in their testimony, ''Sometimes, when I insistently asked him who his 'American friends' were, on some occasions David Morales answered that they were 'the US intelligence.' However, when I asked him for a particular person from intelligence he was meeting with to give them information, Mr. Morales cut the conversation and pointed out that the subject was exclusively managed by him aside from the company.''
The ex-partner suspected that Morales was receiving payments from US intelligence through a bank account managed by his wife, Pez. ''On one occasion,'' they testified, ''I heard a conversation related to payments to that account from which Mr. Morales didn't want to inform the rest of the company members about.''
Suspicion turned to rage when the former UC Global partner recognized the full extent of Morales' subterfuge. ''I started [lashing out] at him openly in violent discussions in which I reiterated to him that a company like ours is based on 'creating trust' and that he can't 'give out information to the opposing side,''' the ex-associate recalled. At the end of several such arguments, he said Morales tore open his shirt, puffed out his chest and exclaimed, ''I am a wholehearted mercenary!''
One camera feed for Ecuador, another for ''the American client'' Two former UC Global workers and the ex-business partner said Morales began implementing a sophisticated spying operation at the embassy in London in June 2017. His testimony was corroborated by emails Morales sent to employees who oversaw the surveillance.
Before that point, the cameras in and around Ecuador's embassy in London were standard CCTV units. Their sole function was to detect intruders. Most importantly, they did not record sound.
To transform the cameras from security instruments into weapons of intrusion, Morales emailed a friend, ''Carlos C.D. (spy),'' who owned a surveillance equipment company called Espiamos, or, ''We Spy.'' He informed Carlos that ''our client'' demanded new cameras be placed in the embassy that were equipped with undetectable microphones.
On the 27th of the same month, Morales wrote to the same employee: ''the client wants to have streaming control of the cameras, this control will have to be possessed from two different locations.'' He requested a separate storage server that could be operated ''from out of the enclosure where the recorder is located.''
By altering the cameras so they could be controlled from the outside, and outfitting them with hidden microphones, Morales put in place the mechanism to snoop on Assange's intimate conversations with friends and lawyers. He also took steps to feed the footage to a separate, exterior storage server, thus keeping the operation hidden from Ecuador's SENAIN. His marching orders came from an organization he described simply as ''the American client.''
Every 15 days or so, Morales sent one of the workers to the embassy to collect DVR recordings of the surveillance footage and bring it to company headquarters in Jerez, Spain. Some important clips were uploaded to a server named ''Operation Hotel,'' which was later changed to a website-based system. In cases when the DVR size was too large to upload, Morales personally delivered it to his ''client'' in the US.
In December 2017, Morales was summoned to Las Vegas Sands for a special session with ''the American friends.'' On the 10th of that month, he sent a series of emails from a static IP address at Adelson's Venetian Hotel to his spy team. The messages contained a new set of instructions.
''Nobody can know about my trips, mainly my trips to the USA,'' Morales emailed his employees, ''because SENAIN is onto us.''
To further limit the Ecuadorian government's access to the surveillance system installed in the embassy, he instructed his workers, ''We can't give them access to some of the program's services, so they don't realize who has more log-ins or who is online inside the system'... [but] everything must look like they have access to it.''
Morales sent his team a powerpoint presentation containing instructions for the new system. The aim of the instructions was to create two separate users: an administrator for the Ecuadorian client with no access to the log-in so they would not be able to notice the second user; and a separate security log-in for the Americans, who would be in full control of the system's surveillance features.
Obtained by The Grayzone, the slides were composed in perfect English by a native speaker who was clearly not Morales.
From the powerpoint surveillance instructions provided to Morales by the ''American client'' while he stayed at Adelson's Venetian hotel in December 2017 ''David Morales obviously didn't have the technical knowledge,'' a former UC Global IT specialist who received the instructions, ''so the document must have been sent by another person. Because it was in English, I suspect that it could've been [created by] US intelligence.''
Whoever authored the powerpoint instructions was clearly an expert in cyber-security with experience in electronic surveillance and hacking. That person demonstrated their tradecraft by erasing all of the document's metadata except for the username, ''PlayerOne.'' The powerpoint was handed down in the apparent physical presence of Morales, who proceeded to tell his employees, ''these people have given me the following instructions, drafted in English.''
In Adelson's orbit, there was at least one cyber-security expert with a long record of collaboration with US law enforcement and intelligence: senior vice president and global head of security at Las Vegas Sands, Brian Nagel.
From top US cyber-crime investigator to Adelson's security chief During his lengthy career in the US Secret Service, Nagel worked at the nexus of federal law enforcement and US intelligence. In the 1990s, Nagel not only served on the personal protection detail of Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton; he was assigned to ''work with two foreign protective services after the assassination and attempted assassination of their respective heads of state,'' he said in sworn testimony in a US District Court in 2011. Nagel also stated that he later protected the director and deputy director of a federal agency that he neglected to name.
During the same testimony, Nagel said he received the CIA's Intelligence Community Seal Medallion , an award given to non-CIA personnel ''who have made significant contributions to the Agency's intelligence efforts.''
As the deputy director of the Secret Service, he appeared alongside then-US Attorney General John Ashcroft at a November 2003 press conference on combating cybercrime, and testified before the House Homeland Security Subcommittee in March 2007. Besides those two public events, Nagel has not appeared on camera.
One of just a few publicly available photos of Las Vegas Sands Director of Global Security Brian Nagel, from his congressional testimony in 2007 While the public tends to associate the US Secret Service with burly men in dark suits and aviator shades who whisper into their sleeves while shadowing presidents, the agency also functions as the country's leading computer crime investigative body.
In November 2002, the LA Times reported on Nagel's role in creating the Los Angeles Electronic Crimes Task Force, a massive federal operation that occupied an entire floor of a downtown LA skyscraper. Dedicated to fighting electronic crime and cyber terrorism, the task force included the FBI, local law enforcement, private security contractors, and the US Secret Service. The initiative, said Nagel, ''was all about enhancing our current partnerships and building new ones.''
In October 2004, Nagel was credited with taking down a major international cybercrime outfit called shadowcrew.com (no relation to the Shadow Brokers hacker outfit that leaked NSA secrets). According to TechNewsWorld , under Nagel's watch, ''The Secret Service used wiretaps, an undercover informant and their own hackers to gain access to the private portions of the [shadowcrew] site.''
These tactics seemed remarkably similar to those deployed 13 years later to spy on Assange.
Before leaving public life in 2008, Nagel helped the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) create the National Computer Forensic Institute. Then-DHS Director Michael Chertoff vowed the institute would ''turn the tables on criminal groups'' by empowering law enforcement to use ''the same technologies'' hackers and cyber-criminals typically employed.
Two years later, when Wikileaks first appeared, the special federal cyber-security units Nagel helped create were likely on the frontlines of the US fight to combat Assange's online information clearinghouse.
Adelson's Israeli-American bodyman turns spying middleman When Nagel joined Las Vegas Sands as its global security director, he was placed in charge of securing an international financial and political empire that spanned from the US to Israel to Macau in the People's Republic of China. Sands chairman Sheldon Adelson possessed a fortune valued at around $30 billion that placed him consistently in the top 10 of Forbes' list of the wealthiest Americans.
Adelson's political activities were guided by two factors: his desire to expand his gambling operations around the globe, and his fanatical Zionism. He is so committed to the self-proclaimed Jewish state, he once lamented having served in the US Army as a young man rather than in Israel's military.
As a personal friend and financial benefactor of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Adelson plowed his money into a failed attempt to prevent President Barack Obama's re-election and halt the signing of the Iran nuclear deal. In 2016, he became a top donor to Trump's presidential campaign, helping to cultivate the most pro-Likud administration in US history.
To ensure his personal protection, Adelson assembled a collection of former Israeli soldiers and intelligence officers as bodyguards. At the head of his security detail was Zohar Lahav, an Israeli citizen who served as the vice president for executive protection at Las Vegas Sands.
Adelson with a top bodyguard Naturalized in the US, Lahav worked for a period in the 1990s as an administrator at the Israeli consulate in Miami. He was the subject of minor controversy in 1996 when the Miami New Times reported that the city of Miami had hired him as sergeant-in-arms, entrusting him with protecting the mayor along with an array of undefined roles, including personal aide.
Lahav found himself in the news again in 2011 when nine members of Adelson's executive team sued his employer at Las Vegas Sands for refusing to pay them overtime. Three of the staffers amended the lawsuit to allege that they were denied promotions because they were African American.
''The [executive protection team], for all of its 14 years of existence, has been managed and controlled by an executive management team which has been comprised exclusively of former Israeli citizens who are white males,'' their lawyer complained. (Besides Lahav, the legal complaint named Adi Barshishat as an Israeli who helped direct Adelson's security team. On his LinkedIn profile , Barshishat lists extensive training surveillance by an unnamed ''Israeli Government Agency.'')
In their complaint against Sands, the plaintiffs alleged that Lahav routinely told racially charged jokes. One of them accused Lahav of forcing team members to ''transport firearms in violation of state law'' and making them operate an unregistered x-ray machine that placed their health in danger. Two of the security guards subsequently sued Adelson for causing them to ''suffer injuries, including sterilization,'' by forcing them to x-ray every piece of the billionaire's mail. Lahav was also accused of ordering security staff not to communicate with Brian Nagel under any circumstance.
Sands retaliated swiftly against the disgruntled security guards, reassigning them to humiliating mall cop-style roles. Next, Adelson's attorney accused the opposing counsel of anti-Semitism, claiming he had harassed Lahav with ''insulting questions about race, his religion,'' and Adelson's family. Finally, Nagel pushed to prevent the legal proceedings from being filmed, insisting before a district judge that televised coverage would ''create material for viral use on the internet by extremist hate groups and terrorists'' that could result in harm to Adelson's personal safety.
It was an ironic claim by a security operative whose company appeared to have participated in a highly intrusive and possibly illegal spying operation against Assange and numerous lawyers, journalists, politicians, US citizens, and Ecuadorian diplomats.
A CIA front in Chinese territory? By the time of the lawsuit, Adelson's company appeared to have been working closely with the CIA. A confidential 2010 report by a private investigator contracted by the gambling industry pinpointed Adelson's casino in Macau as a front for Agency operations against China.
''A reliable source has reported that central Chinese government officials firmly believe that Sands has permitted CIA/FBI agents to operate from within its facilities. These agents apparently 'monitor mainland government officials' who gamble in the casinos,'' it stated.
Previously detailed by the Guardian in 2015 and viewed by The Grayzone this May, the confidential report cited evidence from Chinese official sources of '''US agents' operating from Sands, 'luring' and entrapping mainland government officials, involved in gaming, to force them to cooperate with US government interests.''
A spokesman for Adelson's Sands issued a non-denial denial of the report, dismissing it as ''an idea for a movie script.'' Not long after, another collaboration between Adelson and Langley seemed to be in the works, and it too contained all the elements of a blockbuster spy thriller.
''I sense that this person offered him to collaborate with American intelligence authorities'' A 2016 security industry fair in Las Vegas at the Sands Expo provided the occasion for Adelson's company '' and presumably the CIA '' to enlist David Morales. His personal recruiter, according to witness testimony, was Lahav.
When Morales returned from Vegas to his home base in Spain, he divulged details of the deal to his then-business partner.
''I deduced from the conversations with David Morales, where he confessed in detail his agreements achieved at his US trip,'' the ex-partner later testified in Spanish court, ''the head of security of Las Vegas Sands, a Jewish guy named Zohar Lahav, made contact with Mr. Morales, getting to become good friends with him at the security fair in Las Vegas. I sense that this person offered him to collaborate with American intelligence authorities to send information about Mr. Assange.''
Morales confirmed his and Lahav's close friendship during an interview in Spanish court conducted this February by Aitor Martinez, a Spanish lawyer representing Assange in the case. In an earlier court appearance, the Spanish prosecutor asked Morales directly about the connection between Lahav and US intelligence services; Morales claimed he had no idea.
A former business partner of Morales recalled an incident ''when Zohar [Lahav] came to Spain and stayed at [Morales'] usual house for a week.''
Further evidence of the relationship between Lahav and Morales can be found in an undated recommendation letter Lahav wrote for his pal. Authored on Sands letterhead, Lahav stated that he had ''worked with Mr. David Morales CEO in UC Global S.L. for 3 years,'' praising him for his ''loyalty and consistency.''
By the end of 2017, the alleged collaboration between Morales and Sands had fully matured, with the CIA apparently providing a guiding hand. Together, these entities ratcheted up their surveillance of Assange's associates and foiled his plan to leave the embassy under the protection of diplomatic inviolability.
Spying, stealing diapers, and burglary plans Stefania Maurizi, an Italian journalist who visited Assange regularly at the embassy in London, remembered relaxed encounters with minimal security and friendly interactions with embassy staff for the first five years of the Wikileaks founder's stay. It was in December 2017 that everything changed.
During a visit to interview Assange that month, the Spanish security guards from UC Global demanded Maurizi hand over her backpack and all belongings inside for the first time. She protested the new and seemingly arbitrary procedure, but to no avail.
''They seized everything,'' Maurizi told The Grayzone. ''They took my two telephones, one which was encrypted; my iPod, and many USB sticks. There was no way to get my backpack back. The guard told me, 'Don't worry, everything will be fine, no one will access your materials or open your backpack.' I was very suspicious. I wasn't even allowed to bring a pen inside to take notes.''
It turned out that UC Global employees photographed the unique International Mobile Equipment Identity number and the SIM card number inside the phone of Maurizi and many other visitors. In one photograph obtained by The Grayzone, the security contractors removed the SIM to get a clear image of the codes. It seemed this was the information they needed to hack the phones.
UC Global photo of journalist Stefania Maurizi's mobile phone Maurizi knew nothing at the time about the relationship currently under investigation between the CIA and the security team at the embassy. She was only aware that Correa, the leftist president of Ecuador who advocated for Assange, had been succeeded months earlier, in May 2017, by Lenin Moreno, his former vice president whom he branded as a Trojan horse for US interests.
The new administration took a sudden pro-US turn that mandated hostility towards Assange and his organization. As the IMF dangled a massive loan before his cash-strapped government, Moreno denigrated Assange as a ''hacker'' and cut off his internet access as well as visits from the outside for a prolonged period.
Assange, for his part, had become convinced that the embassy security was spying on him. By late 2017, he was using a white noise machine in the main conference room to keep his conversations with lawyers secure, and held the most sensitive meetings with his attorneys in the women's bathroom, opening the faucets to drown out the sound of their conversations. UC Global countered by planting a magnetic microphone on the bottom of a fire extinguisher, enabling them to snoop through the white noise. A second microphone was installed in the women's bathroom.
Other plans exposed in UC Global company emails called for planting a mic capable of listening through walls, and placing it secretly inside the office of the ambassador, who was referred to in emails as ''Director of the Hotel.''
Morales also proposed installing listening devices in Assange's bedroom, and even put a program in place to swap out all fire extinguishers and replace them with new ones with hidden mics. The mic in the main conference room recorded the bulk of conversations, and is currently in the possession of the Spanish judge overseeing the case.
''Julian was extremely worried. He said the guards were working for intelligence,'' his lawyer, Martinez, recalled. ''I told him they were just working-class guys from southern Spain, where I'm from. But now I realize he was totally right.''
On December 12, two days after receiving the powerpoint instructions at Las Vegas Sands on creating separate surveillance camera feeds, Morales sent an email to his embassy spy team identifying specific individual targets. According to a former UC Global worker, the list was created by ''the Americans.''
Among the first he ordered them to focus on was ''Fix,'' a German cyber-security expert; and ''MULLER,'' a reference to Andrew M¼ller-Maguhn, a German hacker and internet rights activist who was close friends with Assange. On a visit to the embassy, UC Global security photographed the contents of M¼ller-Maguhn's backpack and the contact numbers in his mobile phone.
Morales also demanded the surveillance of Ola Bini, a Swedish software developer who visited Assange, and Felicity Ruby, a colleague of Bini at the company ThoughtWorks, which Morales described as ''a team of hackers.''
In a September 2017 bulletin, Morales issued a list of 10 individual targets for investigation, demanding updated profiles on Assange lawyers such as Renata Avila, Jennifer Robinson, and Carlos Poveda, as well as Spanish judge Baltasar Garzon.
Morales urged ''special attention'' to Stella Morris, a member of the legal team who recently revealed she began a relationship with Assange and had two children with him during his time in the embassy. After proposing ''a person thoroughly dedicated to the activity'' of spying on Morris, Morales eventually instructed an employee to steal a diaper from one of Morris' infant sons in order to extract DNA which could prove she was the mother of Assange's children. ''At the time,'' the employee testified, ''Morales deliberately indicated that 'the Americans' insisted in confirming [the DNA results].''
Upset by the bizarre assignment, the UC Global staffer eventually intercepted Morris outside the embassy to inform her about the planned diaper theft and to warn her against taking the child inside.
''They were obsessed with American visitors, all of them, from lawyers to journalists to friends. They focused a lot on Glenn Greenwald, even opening his passport, taking pics of his visa to Russia and sending it to their headquarters,'' Martinez said, referring to the Brazil-based, American journalist who had visited Assange. (The Grayzone has viewed UC Global's photo of the entry visa in Greenwald's passport.)
The December 12 email from Morales also called for attention to any ''Russian citizens'' visiting Assange. The directive seemed to reflect the growing American obsession with connecting Wikileaks to Russian intelligence and the alleged hacking of the Democratic National Committee email servers in 2016.
UC Global spy footage of comedian and activist Randy Credico visiting Julian Assange in November 2017 As a result of the ramped-up surveillance, Garzon, the Spanish judge who led Assange's legal team, was followed by UC Global spies when he picked up former Ecuadorian President Correa at Barajas Airport in Madrid, Spain. The two were photographed while at Garzon's home. Morales subsequently emailed a report and photographs of the meeting.
A former UC Global employee testified that in November 2017, Morales proposed breaking into the Garzon's Madrid office in order ''to obtain relevant information about Mr. Assange and giving it to [the Americans].'' The ex-staffer noted that two weeks later, Garzon's office was burglarized and no money or valuables were taken. The Spanish daily El Pais reported that three hooded men dressed in black broke into Garzon's office on December 18, 2017, took no money, but ''shuffled through documents.''
All surveillance, tracking, and communications requests on Baltasar Garz"n, according to what David Morales said, ''came from the Americans,'' the former employee testified.
Morales also sent reports about a meeting Correa held in Brussels, with details of the serial numbers of his devices, intimate information on the people he met, and the content of those conversations. Strangely, the report was drafted by Morales in English and sent to his team in order to be shared on the special server created for the ''American client.'' He claimed implausibly that the report was for Ecuador's SENAIN.
Yet when he was asked by the prosecutor and by Martinez, the lawyer for Assange, why he composed an email to Spanish-speaking Ecuadorian officials in English, Morales struggled for an excuse. ''Sometimes I like to write in English,'' he claimed.
Maurizi, for her part, found that calls, emails, and texts from her editors, then at the Italian daily La Repubblica, were failing to go through. ''No one could explain this disruption,'' Maurizi said. ''I wonder if it had anything to do with these espionage activities. To this day I cannot say.''
Meanwhile, Pamela Anderson, the American actress who became a friend of Assange, had her email and mobile phone passwords stolen by UC Global during a visit. The theft occurred when Anderson wrote her passwords on a notepad so Assange could verify the security of her accounts. With the camera system they installed, UC Global spies managed to photograph the pad, allowing them access to her accounts.
The spying dragnet ensnared virtually everyone who entered the embassy, even then-US Representative Dana Rohrabacher. Assange's lawyer Jennifer Robinson attended the August 2017 meeting with Rohrabacher and claimed he announced himself as an official emissary of Trump. She said the congressman offered a presidential pardon on the condition that the Wikileaks publisher could provide concrete evidence the Russian government did not hack the DNC's email server.
Rohrabacher later admitted that he dangled the possibility of a pardon, but maintained his visit was a personal ''fact-finding mission'' unrelated to any Trump initiative.
A former UC Global worker testified that ''the Americans were very nervous about the visit'' by Rohrabacher, and ''personally asked Morales to control and monitor absolutely everything related to that visit.'' During the meeting, Rohrabacher was required to leave his phone with UC Global spies.
Sabotaging Assange's exit strategy, robbery and assassination plots Throughout December 2017, Assange and his lawyers were formulating a plan to exit the embassy under the protections granted to diplomats under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. One proposal called for appointing Assange as a diplomat for a friendly government like Bolivia or Serbia, thus guaranteeing him diplomatic immunity. The final component of the plan relied on cooperation from the head of Ecuador's SENAIN, Rommy Vallejo, who was technically the boss of Morales. Vallejo arrived at the embassy on December 20, 2017 '' just five days before Assange planned to leave the embassy.
''It was the last step,'' said Martinez of the visit by the SENAIN chief. ''[Vallejo] was going to speak with Julian [Assange] about final details to leave the embassy and arrange a diplomatic vehicle. Now, after checking all the records and emails, we found that when he visited Julian, Morales told [his spy team] to record everything, open all the cameras, and take all data of all telephone mobiles.''
Indeed, as soon as the meeting was finished, Morales asked his employees to send the full surveillance records to him by Dropbox. The UC Global team proceeded to open Vallejo's phones and take his mobile codes.
On December 21, the day after Assange's meeting with the SENAIN chief, US prosecutors secretly filed charges against Assange in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia.
According to a source involved in the plan to grant Assange diplomatic immunity, the US ambassador to Ecuador, Todd Chapman, informed Ecuadorian authorities that he had learned of the initiative, and warned them against executing it.
The source also told The Grayzone that when one of the Ecuadorian officials involved in conceiving the strategy to free Assange from the embassy returned to Quito, his official government vehicle was stopped on a road by masked gunmen on a motorcycle who robbed him of his laptop. The computer contained detailed information about the plan to legally allow Assange to leave the embassy.
Guillaume Long, the foreign minister of Ecuador under Correa, told The Grayzone that the US-coordinated spying operation targeting Assange at the Ecuadorian embassy was '' a major breach of sovereignty, of international law and the rules by which international diplomacy is regulated. And it's completely illegal and, I would argue, really undermines the US case for the extradition of Julian Assange.''
The alleged robbery of an Ecuadorian official in Quito was consistent with another violent plan divulged by a former UC Global employee in the Spanish court.
T he ex-staffer recalled Morales mentioning that '' the Americans were desperate'' to end Assange's presence in the embassy. Thus they were ''proposing to activate more extreme measures against him,'' including ''the possibility of leaving one diplomatic mission door open, arguing that it was an accidental mistake, to allow the entrance and kidnapping of the asylum seeker; or even the possibility of poisoning Mr. Assange.''
The staffers were shocked when they learned of the proposal and protested to Morales that the direction he was taking ''was starting to get dangerous.''
After a campaign of espionage, an Espionage Act prosecution On April 11, 2019, British police raided the Ecuadorian embassy in London and dragged Assange into a waiting van. It was the first time in history a government had allowed a foreign law enforcement agency to enter its sovereign territory to arrest one of its citizens.
That same day, Ola Bini '' the Swedish computer programmer branded as a ''hacker'' by Morales and placed under apparent US surveillance '' was arrested in Ecuador and detained for months without charges. Accused of collaborating with Assange and various cyber-crimes, Bini has been held in Ecuador's El Inca prison, where US authorities have reportedly requested to interrogate him. Amnesty International has labeled Bini a ''digital defender'' and condemned ''undue government interference'' as well as the intimidation of his legal defense team.
Assange, an Australian citizen, was subsequently jailed in Belmarsh Prison, where he now awaits possible extradition to the US and trial for 18 charges, 17 of which relate to violating the Espionage Act. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 175 years in prison.
During the first extradition hearing this February 24, Assange was confined to a glass box that prevented him from directly conferring with his lawyers. Observers including former British diplomat Craig Murray said they noticed US agents conferring outside the courtroom with UK prosecutors.
One witness to the extradition hearing provided The Grayzone with photographs of several attendees they claimed were US Department of Justice officials who sat directly behind British prosecutors throughout the proceedings. The photos, seen below, show the alleged officials outside the courtroom.
After the hearing began, according to Assange's lawyer, Martinez, a female British barrister arrived and demanded permission to observe. She was representing Las Vegas Sands, a clear indication that Adelson was deeply concerned about the outcome of the proceedings.
Having been promoted from CIA director to secretary of state, Mike Pompeo has reportedly laid the groundwork to run for US senate in Kansas. The first step in Pompeo's fledgling campaign, according to a raft of articles, was outreach to Sheldon Adelson to ''gauge interest'' in financing the Senate bid.
By the end of 2019, following the exposure of Sands' relationship with UC Global, former employees of Morales revealed a rumor that Adelson's bodyguard, Zohar Lahav, had been fired by Las Vegas Sands. When Morales was asked during an appearance before the Spanish court this February if the rumor was true, he confirmed it, stating that Lahav was terminated because of the ''mess'' that he helped create.
Reached by phone by The Grayzone on May 12, Lahav immediately hung up when told he was speaking with a reporter.
Max Blumenthal is an award-winning journalist and the author of several books, including best-selling Republican Gomorrah, Goliath, The Fifty One Day War, and The Management of Savagery. He has produced print articles for an array of publications, many video reports, and several documentaries, including Killing Gaza. Blumenthal founded The Grayzone in 2015 to shine a journalistic light on America's state of perpetual war and its dangerous domestic repercussions.
reddit: the front page of the internet
Sat, 16 May 2020 12:45
I'm getting back into the hobby after an 8 year hiatus. I pulled out my heavily used FT-817 (not ND) and after an evening of frustration with no success at 20m FT8 (pskreporter says it never heard me) I finally decided to test my output with a power meter. Nothing.
I assume the finals are blown, as that's a pretty common issue with the FT-817.
My question is, where would I find a replacement board? Googling has not been successful. Any and all advice (even recommendations to dump the old FT-817) are appreciated.
73 Derron KB3EAW
Liberation theology - Wikipedia
Sat, 16 May 2020 12:00
A synthesis of Christian theology and Marxist socio-economic analyses
Liberation theology is a synthesis of Christian theology and socio-economic analyses, based in far-left politics, particularly Marxism, that emphasizes "social concern for the poor and political liberation for oppressed peoples."[1] In the 1950s and the 1960s, liberation theology was the political praxis of Latin American theologians, such as Gustavo Guti(C)rrez of Peru, Leonardo Boff of Brazil, Juan Luis Segundo of Uruguay, and Jon Sobrino of Spain, who popularized the phrase "Preferential option for the poor."
The Latin American context also produced evangelical advocates of liberation theology, such as C. Ren(C) Padilla of Ecuador, Samuel Escobar of Peru, and Orlando E. Costas of Puerto Rico, who, in the 1970s, called for integral mission, emphasizing evangelism and social responsibility.
Theologies of liberation have developed in other parts of the world such as black theology in the United States and South Africa, Palestinian liberation theology, Dalit theology in India, and Minjung theology in South Korea.
Latin American liberation theology [ edit ] The best-known form of liberation theology is that which developed within the Catholic Church in Latin America in the 1950s and 1960s, arising principally as a moral reaction to the poverty and social injustice in the region. The term was coined in 1971 by the Peruvian priest Gustavo Guti(C)rrez, who wrote one of the movement's defining books, A Theology of Liberation. Other noted exponents include Leonardo Boff of Brazil, Jon Sobrino of Spain, and Juan Luis Segundo of Uruguay.[2][3]
Latin American liberation theology met opposition in the United States,[4] which accused it of using "Marxist concepts", and led to admonishment by the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) in 1984 and 1986. While stating that "in itself, the expression "theology of liberation" is a thoroughly valid term", [1] The Vatican rejected certain forms of Latin American liberation theology for focusing on institutionalized or systemic sin and for identifying Catholic Church hierarchy in South America as members of the same privileged class that had long been oppressing indigenous populations from the arrival of Pizarro onward.[5]
History [ edit ] A major player in the formation of liberation theology was the Latin American Episcopal Conference (CELAM). Created in 1955 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, CELAM pushed the Second Vatican Council (1962''1965) toward a more socially oriented stance.[6] However, CELAM never supported liberation theology as such, since liberation theology was frowned upon by the Vatican, with Pope Paul VI trying to slow the movement after the Second Vatican Council.[7][citation needed ]
More or less at the same time as the initial publications of Latin American liberation theology are also found voices of Black liberation theology and feminist liberation theology.[8]
After the Second Vatican Council, CELAM held two conferences which were important in determining the future of liberation theology: the first was held in Medelln, Colombia, in 1968, and the second in Puebla, Mexico, in January 1979.[6] The Medelln conference debated how to apply the teachings of Vatican II to Latin America, and its conclusions were strongly influenced by liberation theology.[5] Although liberation theology grew out of these officially recognized ideas, the Medelln document is not a liberation theology document. It did, however, lay the groundwork, and since then liberation theology has developed rapidly in the Latin American Catholic Church.[9]
Cardinal Alfonso L"pez Trujillo was a central figure after the Medelln Conference, who as priest in Bogota he did not attend, and was elected in 1972 as general secretary of CELAM, and then, its president in 1979 (at the Puebla conference). He represented a more orthodox position, becoming a favourite of Pope John Paul II and the "principal scourge of liberation theology."[10] Trujillo's faction became predominant in CELAM after the 1972 Sucre conference, and in the Roman Curia after the CELAM conference in Puebla, Mexico, in January 1979.
Despite the orthodox bishops' predominance in CELAM, a more radical form of liberation theology remained much supported in South America. Thus, the 1979 Puebla Conference was an opportunity for orthodox bishops to reassert control of the radical elements, but they failed. At the Puebla Conference, the orthodox reorientation was met by strong opposition from the liberal part of the clergy, which supported the concept of a "preferential option for the poor". This concept had been approved at the Medelln conference by Ricard Durand, president of the Commission about Poverty.
Pope John Paul II gave the opening speech at the Puebla Conference. The general tone of his remarks was conciliatory. He criticized radical liberation theology, saying, "this idea of Christ as a political figure, a revolutionary, as the subversive of Nazareth, does not tally with the Church's catechesis";[11] however, he did acknowledge that "the growing wealth of a few parallels the growing poverty of the masses,"[11] and affirmed both the principle of private property and that the Church "must preach, educate individuals and collectivities, form public opinion, and offer orientations to the leaders of the peoples" towards the goal of a "more just and equitable distribution of goods".[11]
Some liberation theologians, however, including Gustavo Guti(C)rrez, had been barred from attending the Puebla Conference. Working from a seminary and with aid from sympathetic, liberal bishops, they partially obstructed other clergy's efforts to ensure that the Puebla Conference documents satisfied conservative concerns. Within four hours of the Pope's speech, Guti(C)rrez and the other priests wrote a 20-page refutation, which was circulated at the conference, and has been claimed to have influenced the final outcome of the conference. According to a socio-political study of liberation theology in Latin America, a quarter of the final Puebla documents were written by theologians who were not invited to the conference.[12]
Theology [ edit ] Liberation theology could be interpreted as an attempt to return to the gospel of the early church where Christianity is politically and culturally decentralized.[13]
Liberation theology proposes to fight poverty by addressing its alleged source, the sin of greed. In so doing, it explores the relationship between Christian theology (especially Roman Catholic) and political activism, especially in relation to economic justice, poverty, and human rights. The principal methodological innovation is seeing theology from the perspective of the poor and the oppressed. For example, Jon Sobrino argues that the poor are a privileged channel of God's grace.
Some liberation theologians base their social action upon the Bible scriptures describing the mission of Jesus Christ, as bringing a sword (social unrest), e.g., Isaiah 61:1, Matthew 10:34, Luke 22:35''38 '-- and not as bringing peace (social order).[better source needed ] This biblical interpretation is a call to action against poverty, and the sin engendering it, to affect Jesus Christ's mission of justice in this world.
Gustavo Guti(C)rrez gave the movement its name with his 1971 book, A Theology of Liberation.[14] In this book, Guti(C)rrez combined populist ideas with the social teachings of the Catholic Church. He was influenced by an existing socialist current in the Church which included organizations such as the Catholic Worker Movement and the Jeunesse Ouvri¨re Chr(C)tienne, a Belgian Christian youth worker organization. He was also influenced by Paul Gauthier's The Poor, Jesus and the Church (1965). Guti(C)rrez's book is based on an understanding of history in which the human being is seen as assuming conscious responsibility for human destiny, and yet Christ the Saviour liberates the human race from sin, which is the root of all disruption of friendship and of all injustice and oppression.[15]
Guti(C)rrez also popularized the phrase "preferential option for the poor", which became a slogan of liberation theology and later appeared in addresses of the Pope.[16] Drawing from the biblical motif on the poor, Guti(C)rrez asserts that God is revealed as having a preference for those people who are ''insignificant", "marginalized", ''unimportant", "needy", "despised", and "defenseless". Moreover, he makes clear that terminology of "the poor" in scripture has social and economic connotations that etymologically go back to the Greek word, ptÅchos.[17] To be sure, as to not misinterpret Guti(C)rrez's definition of the term "preferential option", he stresses, "Preference implies the universality of God's love, which excludes no one. It is only within the framework of this universality that we can understand the preference, that is, 'what comes first'."[18]
Guti(C)rrez emphasized practice (or, more technically, "praxis") over doctrine. Guti(C)rrez clarified his position by advocating a circular relationship between orthodoxy and orthopraxis seeing the two as having a symbiotic relationship.[19] Gutierrez' reading of prophets condemning oppression and injustice against the poor (i.e., Jeremiah 22:13''17) informs his assertion that to know God (orthodoxy) is to do justice (orthopraxis).[20] Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI), however, criticized liberation theology for elevating orthopraxis to the level of orthodoxy.[21] Richard McBrien summarizes this concept as follows:
God is disclosed in the historical "praxis" of liberation. It is the situation, and our passionate and reflective involvement in it, which mediates the Word of God. Today that Word is mediated through the cries of the poor and the oppressed.[22]
Another important hallmark for Guti(C)rrez's brand of liberation theology is an interpretation of revelation as "history". For example, Guti(C)rrez wrote:
History is the scene of the revelation God makes of the mystery of his person. His word reaches us in the measure of our involvement in the evolution of history.[23]
Guti(C)rrez also considered the Church to be the "sacrament of history", an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace, thus pointing to the doctrine of universal salvation as the true means to eternal life, and assigning the Church itself to a somewhat temporal role, namely, liberation.
Practice [ edit ] One of the most radical aspects of liberation theology was the social organization, or reorganization, of church practice through the model of Christian base communities. Liberation theology strove to be a bottom-up movement in practice, with biblical interpretation and liturgical practice designed by lay practitioners themselves, rather than by the orthodox Church hierarchy. In this context, sacred text interpretation is understood as "praxis". Liberation theology seeks to interpret the actions of the Catholic Church and the teachings of Jesus Christ from the perspective of the poor and disadvantaged. In Latin America, liberation theologians specifically target the severe disparities between rich and poor in the existing social and economic orders within the nations' political and corporate structures. It is a strong critique of the various economic and social structures, such as an oppressive government, dependence upon First World countries and the traditional hierarchical Church, that allow some to be extremely rich while others are unable to even have safe drinking water.[9]
The journalist and writer Penny Lernoux described this aspect of liberation theology in her numerous and committed writings intended to explain the movement's ideas in North America. Base communities were small gatherings, usually outside of churches, in which the Bible could be discussed, and Mass could be said. They were especially active in rural parts of Latin America where parish priests were not always available, as they placed a high value on lay participation. In May 2007, it was estimated that 80,000 base communities existed in Brazil.[24]
Contemporaneously, Fanmi Lavalas in Haiti, the Landless Workers' Movement in Brazil, and Abahlali baseMjondolo in South Africa are three organizations that make use of liberation theology.[25]
Brazilian liberation theology [ edit ] The Brazilian Catholic Church is arguably one of the most theologically progressive Catholic congregations due, in large part, to a history of violent military and political conflicts as well as a divisive socioeconomic climate. During Brazil's military rule from 1964 to 1985, the Catholic Church and its members assumed responsibility to provide services to the poor and disenfranchised, often under threat of persecution. The Vatican II and Medelln conference innovations in liberation theology entered the Brazilian Church as the Brazilian lower classes experienced sharply deteriorating economic and political conditions. Among these were an increase in landownership concentration, a decline in wages and standards of living, and a rise in the military state's political repression and violence, including mass detainment, torture, and the assassination of political opponents.[26]
Base ecclesial communities [ edit ] After decades of repression from the government authorities, the liberationist Catholic Church in Brazil is absent of traditional centralization and encourages an increased lay participation. Faced with a severe priest shortage, much of the Brazilian Catholic Church is organized into Base Ecclesial Communities or, "CEBs" in which the Mass, community spirituality programs, and community needs are led or addressed by a single clergy member or a trained lay member in either a small chapel or an individual's home. The CEBs introduced new social ideas and democratic methods which led to many participants' active involvement in popular movements of Brazil that worked for progressive social change. An example of progressive social change initiated by the CEBs is in Nova Igua§u. A health program began there to try to organize the population in order to remedy widespread malnutrition, open sewers, and other health hazards.[9] Eventually the neighbourhood initiative reached a national interest level where it then became a mass movement in nearly every neighbourhood. Initiatives like the health program in Nova Igua§u illustrate how CEBs have helped the transition from military to democratic rule.
While liberation theology has brought about significant progressive reforms in Brazil, anthropologist Robin Nagle questions the effectiveness of Catholic Church theology in Brazil. Nagle concentrates on the conflict between conservatives and liberationists in Recife, Brazil, in 1990. The poor neighbourhood of Morro da Concei§£o had a liberationist priest named Reginaldo who was expelled by the traditionalist archbishop because the archbishop found Reginaldo's politics and social theology annoying and adverse to his own agenda. When Reginaldo and his followers refused to accept the expulsion and the new priest, the archbishop called in the Military Police. Conversely, the event did not cause a mass response because the liberationist agenda aroused distrust and even hatred among many of its intended audience. The main reason was that it was too much to ask poor parishioners to embrace a Church focused more on the troubles of this life than solace in the next.[27]
While Robin Nagle claims that liberation theology is ineffective for genuine social change, anthropologist Manuel Vsquez argues that liberation theology embraced by CEBs create a twofold effect, because it not only provided moral justification for resistance but it also served as a means to organize the resistance. Many people come to the CEB through conversion experiences, but also because they are keenly concerned with the spiritual and infrastructural needs of their community.[28] Through his fieldwork in working-class neighbourhoods of Rio de Janeiro, Vsquez reveals that CEBs combat disenfranchisement but also serve to overcome the obstacles associated with materialism and globalization. The social and political impact can be viewed in terms of initial consciousness-raising, the motivation for involvement, the sense of community they develop, the experience of grassroots democracy, the direct actions they engage in, and finally, directly political actions.[9]
Liberation theology and indigenous Brazil [ edit ] The Tapeba [ edit ] Anthropologist and author Max Maranh£o Piorsky Aires analyzes the influence of liberation theology on the transformation of the indigenous Tapeba people of Brazil from poor, uneducated inhabitants neglected by the state to rights-bearing and involved citizens. Specifically he largely attributes the work of the Brazilian Catholic Church to the progression of the Tapeba. The Catholic Church enlisted state authorities, anthropologists, and journalists to help uncover the identity of neglected indigenous peoples of Brazil. Early recognition by missionaries and followers of liberation theology stimulated indigenous identification of the Tapeba population as a possibility for attaining rights, especially land, health, and education.[29] The Church gathered and contributed historical knowledge of indigenous territory and identity of the Tapeba in Caucaia that ultimately succeeded in the tribes obtaining a legally codified identity as well as a rightful place as Brazilian subjects.
Gurup [ edit ] In Gurup, the Catholic Church employed liberation theology to defend indigenous tribes, farmers, and extractors from land expropriation by federal or corporate forces. New religious ideas, in the form of liberation theology, have fortified and legitimized an evolving political culture of resistance.[26] Meanwhile, the Church-supported Base Ecclesial Communities (CEBs) have promoted stronger social connections among community members that has led to more effective activism in Gurup. Anthropologist Richard Pace's study of Gurup revealed that CEBs assured safety in united activism, and, combined with liberation theology, encouraged members to challenge landowner's commercial monopolies and fight for better standards of living. Pace references a specific incident in the CEB of Nossa Senhora de Ftima, in which a community of 24 families of farmers, timber extractors, and traders resisted an extra-regional timber extraction firm. The community negotiated an agreement with the firm that gained them a higher standard of living that included imported goods, increased food availability, and access to health care. While severe social dislocations such as government-initiated capitalist penetration, land expropriation, and poor wages persist, small-farmer activism is fortified by liberation theology and receives structural support from unions, political parties, and church organizations.[26]
[ edit ] Joseph Ratzinger [ edit ] In March 1983, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI), head of the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), made ten observations of Gustavo Guti(C)rrez's theology, accusing Guti(C)rrez of politically interpreting the Bible in supporting temporal messianism, and stating that the predominance of orthopraxis over orthodoxy in his thought proved a Marxist influence. Ratzinger objected that the spiritual concept of the Church as "People of God" is transformed into a "Marxist myth". In liberation theology he declared, the "'people' is the antithesis of the hierarchy, the antithesis of all institutions, which are seen as oppressive powers. Ultimately anyone who participates in the class struggle is a member of the 'people'; the 'Church of the people' becomes the antagonist of the hierarchical Church."[30]
Ratzinger did praise liberation theology in some respects, including its ideal of justice, its rejection of violence, and its stress on "the responsibility which Christians necessarily bear for the poor and oppressed".[30] He subsequently stated that no one could be neutral in the face of injustice, and referred to the "crimes" of colonialism and the "scandal" of the arms race. Nonetheless, media reports tended to assume that the condemnation of "liberation theology" meant a rejection of such attitudes and an endorsement of conservative politics.[citation needed ]
In 1984, it was reported that a meeting occurred between the CDF and the CELAM bishops, during which a rift developed between Ratzinger and some of the bishops,[10] with Ratzinger issuing official condemnations of certain elements of liberation theology.[31][32] These "Instructions" rejected as Marxist the idea that class struggle is fundamental to history, and rejected the interpretation of religious phenomena such as the Exodus and the Eucharist in exclusively political terms. Ratzinger further stated that liberation theology had a major flaw in that it attempted to apply Christ's sermon on the mount teachings about the poor to present social situations.[33] He asserted that Christ's teaching on the poor meant that we will be judged when we die, with particular attention to how we personally have treated the poor.
Ratzinger also argued that liberation theology is not originally a "grass-roots" movement among the poor, but rather, a creation of Western intellectuals: "an attempt to test, in a concrete scenario, ideologies that have been invented in the laboratory by European theologians" and in a certain sense itself a form of "cultural imperialism". Ratzinger saw this as a reaction to the demise or near-demise of the "Marxist myth" in the West.[30]
Throughout the 1990s, Ratzinger, as prefect of the CDF, continued to condemn these elements in liberation theology, and prohibited dissident priests from teaching such doctrines in the Catholic Church's name. Leonardo Boff was suspended and others were censured. Tissa Balasuriya, in Sri Lanka, was excommunicated. Sebastian Kappen, an Indian theologian, was also censured for his book Jesus and Freedom.[34] Under Ratzinger's influence, theological formation schools were forbidden from using the Catholic Church's organization and grounds to teach liberation theology in the sense of theology using unacceptable Marxist ideas, not in the broader sense.
Towards reconciliation under Pope Francis [ edit ] According to Roberto Bosca, a historian at Austral University in Buenos Aires, Jorge Bergoglio (later Pope Francis) had "a reputation as an opponent of liberation theology during the 1970s" but he "accepted the premise of liberation theology, especially the option for the poor, but in a 'nonideological' fashion."[35] Before becoming Pope, Bergoglio said, "The option for the poor comes from the first centuries of Christianity. It's the Gospel itself. If you were to read one of the sermons of the first fathers of the Church, from the second or third centuries, about how you should treat the poor, you'd say it was Maoist or Trotskyist. The Church has always had the honor of this preferential option for the poor ... At the Second Vatican Council the Church was redefined as the People of God and this idea really took off at the Second Conference of the Latin-American bishops in Medelln."[36] Bosca said Bergoglio was not opposed to liberation theology itself but to "giving a Catholic blessing to armed insurgency", specifically the Montoneros, who claimed liberation theology as part of their political ideology.[35] Blase Bonpane, a former Maryknoll father and founding director of the Office of the Americas, said "The new pope has not been comfortable with liberation theology."[37]
On September 11, 2013, Pope Francis hosted Guti(C)rrez in his residence, where he concelebrated mass with Guti(C)rrez and Gerhard M¼ller, then Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.[38] Some saw this meeting as a sign of warming relations between the hierarchy and liberation theologians.[39][40] The same month, L'Osservatore Romano published an article by Archbishop M¼ller praising Guti(C)rrez.[39] On January 18, 2014, Pope Francis met with Arturo Paoli, an Italian priest whom the Pope knew from Paoli's long service in Argentina. Paoli is recognized as an exponent of liberation theology avant la lettre and the meeting was seen as a sign of "reconciliation" between the Vatican and the liberationists.[41]
Miguel d'Escoto, a Maryknoll priest from Nicaragua, had been sanctioned with an a divinis suspension from his public functions in 1984 by Pope John Paul II, for political activity in the leftist Sandinista government in Nicaragua. Pope Francis lifted the suspension in August 2014, in response to a request by d'Escoto.[42]
At a 2015 press conference in the Vatican hosted by Caritas International, the federation of Catholic relief agencies, Guti(C)rrez noted that while there had been some difficult moments in the past dialogue with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, liberation theology had never been condemned. Although he saw an increasingly clear emphasis on Church teachings on the poor, he did not consider that liberation theology was undergoing a rehabilitation, since it had never been "dishabilitated".[43]
In January, 2019, during the World Youth Day in Panama, Pope Francis discussed changing attitudes to liberation theology during an extended discussion with a group of thirty Jesuits from Central America. He noted that he had a devotion to the martyred Salvadoran Jesuit priest, Rutilio Grande, even before he came to know 'scar Romero well. Francis commented that "Today we old people laugh about how worried we were about liberation theology. What was missing then was communication to the outside about how things really were."[44]
Accusations [ edit ] Communist era general of Romania's secret police, Ion Mihai Pacepa, claims that the KGB created liberation theology.[45] Commentators, notably John L. Allen of Crux on the left[46] and Damian Thompson of The Spectator on the right,[47] have suspected these claims are exaggerated.
[ edit ] In 1983 US vice president George H. W. Bush said he could not comprehend how Catholic theologians could harmonize Catholicism and Marxism and support revolutionaries in Central America. "I'm puzzled. I just don't understand it."[48]
Latin American integral mission [ edit ] Integral mission or holistic mission is a term coined in Spanish as misi"n integral in the 1970s by members of the evangelical group Latin American Theological Fellowship (or FTL, its Spanish acronym) to describe an understanding of Christian mission which embraces both the evangelism and social responsibility. Since Lausanne 1974, integral mission has influenced a significant number of evangelicals around the world.[49][50]
The word integral is used in Spanish to describe wholeness (as in wholemeal bread or whole wheat).[50] Theologians use it to describe an understanding of Christian mission that affirms the importance of expressing the love of God and neighbourly love through every means possible. Proponents such as C. Ren(C) Padilla of Ecuador,[51] Samuel Escobar of Peru,[52] and Orlando E. Costas of Puerto Rico[53] have wanted to emphasize the breadth of the Good News and of the Christian mission, and used the word integral to signal their discomfort with conceptions of Christian mission based on a dichotomy between evangelism and social involvement.
The proponents of integral mission argue that the concept of integral mission is nothing new '' rather, it is rooted in Scripture and wonderfully exemplified in Jesus' own ministry. "Integral mission" is only a distinct vocabulary for a holistic understanding of mission that has become important in the past forty years in order to distinguish it from widely held but dualistic approaches that emphasize either evangelism or social responsibility.[50]
Camilo Torres [ edit ] The priest Camilo Torres (a leader of the Colombian guerrilla group ELN)[54] celebrated the Eucharist only among those engaged in armed struggle against the army of the Colombian state. He also fought for the ELN.[55]
Black theology [ edit ] Black theology refers to a theological perspective which originated in some black churches in the United States and later in other parts of the world, which contextualizes Christianity in an attempt to help those of African descent overcome oppression. It especially focuses on the injustices committed against African Americans and black South Africans during American segregation and apartheid, respectively.
Black theology seeks to liberate people of color from multiple forms of political, social, economic, and religious subjugation and views Christian theology as a theology of liberation'--"a rational study of the being of God in the world in light of the existential situation of an oppressed community, relating the forces of liberation to the essence of the Gospel, which is Jesus Christ," writes James Hal Cone, one of the original advocates of the perspective. Black theology mixes Christianity with questions of civil rights, particularly raised by the Black Power movement and the Black Consciousness Movement.
Palestinian liberation theology [ edit ] Palestinian liberation theology is an expression of political theology and a contextual theology that represents an attempt by a number of independently working Palestinian theologians from various denominations'--mostly Protestant mainline churches'--to articulate the gospel message in such a way as to make that liberating gospel relevant to the perceived needs of their indigenous flocks. As a rule, this articulation involves a condemnation of the State of Israel, a theological underpinning of Palestinian resistance to Israel as well as Palestinian national aspirations, and an intense valorization of Palestinian ethnic and cultural identity as guarantors of a truer grasp of the gospel by virtue of the fact that they are inhabitants of the land of Jesus and the Bible. The principal figure in Palestinian liberation theology is the Anglican cleric Naim Ateek, founder of the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center in Jerusalem.[56]
[ edit ] Abahlali baseMjondolo in South Africa[57]Dalit theology in IndiaLandless Workers' Movement in BrazilLavalas in Haiti[57]Jean-Bertrand AristideFSLN in Nicaragua (see The Catholic Church and the Nicaraguan Revolution)FMLN in El SalvadorChristians for Socialism (Cristianos por el socialismo)See also [ edit ] People [ edit ] Paulo Freire'scar RomeroTheologians [ edit ] Marcella Althaus-Reid, Argentina '' Scotland (1952''2009)Paulo Evaristo Arns, Brazil (1921''2016)Rubem Alves, Brazil (1933''2014)Naim Ateek, Palestine (b. 1937)Alan Boesak, South Africa (b. 1945)Leonardo Boff, Brazil (b. 1938)Robert McAfee Brown, US (1920''2001)H(C)lder Cmara, Brazil (1909''1999), Archbishop of Olinda and RecifePedro Casaldliga, Spain '' Brazil (b. 1928)Ernesto Cardenal, Nicaragua (1925''2020)Fernando Cardenal, Nicaragua (1934''2016)Jos(C) Severino Croatto [es; de] , Argentina (1930''2004)Miguel A. De La Torre, US CubanMiguel d'Escoto Brockmann, Nicaragua (1933''2017)Jean Marc Ela, Cameroon (b. 1936)Virgilio Elizondo, US (1935''2016)Ignacio Ellacura, S.J., Spain '' El Salvador (1930''1989)Marc H. Ellis, US (b. 1952)Giovanni Franzoni, Italy (b. 1928)Paul Gauthier, France (1914''2002)Ivone Gebara, Brazil (b. 1944)Gustavo Guti(C)rrez, Peru (b. 1928)Ada Maria Isasi-Diaz, Cuba (1943-2012)G(C)rard Jean-Juste, Haiti (b. 1947)Sebastian Kappen, India (1924''1993)Aloisio Leo Arlindo Lorscheider, Brazil (1924''2007)Ignacio Martn-Bar", S.J., Spain '' El Salvador (1942''1989)Johann Baptist Metz, Germany (b. 1928)J¼rgen Moltmann, Germany (b. 1926)Segundo Montes, S.J., Spain '' El Salvador (1933''1989)Ivan Petrella, Argentina (b. 1969)Rubin Phillip, South Africa (b. 1948)Samuel Ruiz, Mexico (1924''2011)Juan Luis Segundo, S.J., Uruguay (1925''1996)Jon Sobrino, S.J., Spain '' El Salvador (b. 1938)Dorothee S¶lle, Germany (1929''2003)George V. Pixley, US (b. 1937)Jung Mo Sung, Brazil (b. 1957)References [ edit ] ^ Dictionary of Historical Terms (1998), Second Edition, Chris Cook, ed., p. 203. ^ Richard P. McBrien, Catholicism (Harper Collins, 1994), chapter IV. ^ Gustavo Gutierrez, A Theology of Liberation, First (Spanish) edition published in Lima, Peru, 1971; first English edition published by Orbis Books (Maryknoll, New York), 1973. ^ Travis Kitchens (June 21, 2010). "Chomsky on Religion" . Retrieved October 17, 2017 '' via YouTube. ^ a b Wojda, Paul J., "Liberation theology," in R.P. McBrien, ed., The Catholic Encyclopedia (Harper Collins, 1995). ^ a b Robert Pelton, "Latin America, Catholicism in" in R.P. McBrien, ed., The Harper Collins Encyclopedia of Catholicism, Harper Collins, 1995. ^ According to Cardinal Alfonso L"pez Trujillo, liberation theology was simultaneously created by the Reflection Task Force of CELAM, and by Rubem Alves's book, Towards a Theology of Liberation (1968). However, Cardinal Trujillo had himself been general secretary of CELAM, and president of CELAM's Reflection Task Force. Cardinal Samor¨, who as leader of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America was in charge of relations between the Roman Curia and CELAM, was ordered to put a stop to liberation theology, which was judged antithetical to the Catholic Church's global teachings. ^ Vuola, Elina (2005). "Liberation Theology". New Dictionary of the History of Ideas . Retrieved January 15, 2015 . ^ a b c d Liberation Theology and Its Role in Latin America. Elisabeth Erin Williams. Monitor: Journal of International Studies. The College of William and Mary. ^ a b Curti, Elena (May 8, 2010). "Study in Scarlet". The Tablet. p. 4. ISSN 0039-8837. (Available upon request) ^ a b c "To members of the 3rd General Conference of the Latin American Episcopate, Puebla '' Republic of Mexico (January 28, 1979) '' John Paul II". w2.vatican.va . Retrieved October 17, 2017 . ^ Smith, Christian. The Emergence of Liberation Theology ^ ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF PEOPLES, Populorum Progressio, Encyclical Letter of His Holiness Pope Paul VI promulgated on March 26, 1967 ^ Guti(C)rrez, Gustavo (1971). Teologa de la liberaci"n: perspectivas. Lima, Perº: Centro de Estudios y Publicaciones (CEP). ^ Gustavo Gutierrez, A Theology of Liberation(London: SCM Press,1974) 36f ^ Ratzinger, Joseph (February 21, 2008). "Address of His Holiness Benedict XVI to the Fathers of the General Congregation of the Society of Jesus". Speeches February 2008. The Holy See. ^ Gutierrez, Gustavo. The God of Life. Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis, 1991. (Original: El Dios de la vida. Lima: CEP, 1989.) p. 112 ^ Nickoloff, James B. ed. Gustavo Gutierrez: Essential Writings. Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis, 1996, p. 145 ^ Gutierrez, Gustavo. The Truth Shall Make You Free: Confrontations. Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis, 1990. (Original: La verdad los hara libres: confrontaciones. Lima: CEP, 1986) ^ Gutierrez, Gustavo. The Power of Poor in History. Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis, 1983. (Original: La fuerza historica de los obres: seleccion de trabajos. Lima: CEP, 1971.) ^ Ratzinger, Joseph Cardinal (2007). "Liberation Theology: Preliminary Notes," in The Ratzinger Report. (2007). Reprinted in: J.F. Thornton and S.B. Varenne, eds., The Essential Pope Benedict XVI. Online version: Harper Collins. CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) ^ McBrien, R.P. "Catholicism" (Harper Collins, 1995), pp. 249''250. ^ Gutierrez, G. "Faith as Freedom," ''Horizons'' 2/1, Spring 1975, p.32 ^ "As Pope Heads to Brazil, a Rival Theology Persists" The New York Times May 7, 2007. ^ Liberation Theology Archived March 11, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, Canada & the World, February 10, 2010 ^ a b c Pace, R (1992). "Social conflict and political activism in the Brazilian Amazon: a case study of Gurup". American Ethnologist. 19: 710''732. doi:10.1525/ae.1992.19.4.02a00050. ^ Claiming the Virgin:The Broken Promise of Liberation Theology in Brazil. Robin Nagle. New York: Routledge, 1997. xii+224 pp., addendums, notes, glossary, bibliography, index. ^ The Brazilian Popular Church and the Crisis of Modernity. Manuel A. Vasquez. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998. 302 pp. ^ Maranhao Piorsky Aires, Max (2012). "Legalizing Indigenous Identities: The Tapeba Struggle for Land and Schools in Caucaia, Brazil". The Journal of Latin American and Caribbean Anthropology. 17 (2): 320''340. doi:10.1111/j.1935-4940.2012.01220.x. ^ a b c Ratzinger, Joseph Cardinal (2007). "Liberation Theology: Preliminary Notes," in The Ratzinger Report. Reprinted in: J.F. Thornton and S.B. Varenne, eds., The Essential Pope Benedict XVI. Online version: Harper Collins, 2007. ^ Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (September 13, 1984). "Instruction on certain aspects of the 'Theology of Liberation,'" Origins 14/13. Online version. Online version ^ Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, . (April 17, 1986). "Instruction on Christian Freedom and Liberation," Origins 15/44. ^ Ratzinger, Cardinal (1985). op cit. ^ Kappen, Sebastian (1977). Jesus and Freedom. In 1980, the CDF asked the General of the Society of Jesus (of which Kappen was a member) to disavow this book. Kappen responded with a pamphlet entitled "Censorship and the Future of Asian Theology." No further action was taken by the Vatican on this matter. ^ a b Allen, John L. Jr. (April 12, 2013). "Hard questions about Francis in Argentina and a lesson from Chile". National Catholic Reporter. ^ Transcript of 2010 judicial inquiry, "Bergoglio Declara ante el TOF No 5 Archived June 11, 2013, at the Wayback Machine," translated in Ivereigh, Austen (November 25, 2014), The Great Reformer: Francis and the Making of a Radical Pope (Kindle ed.), New York: Henry Holt and Co. (published 2014), locations 1897''1903, ISBN 978-1-62779-158-8 ^ Bernstein, Dennis J. (March 19, 2013). "Liberation Theology Haunts New Pope". Consortium News. ^ McElwee, Joshua J. (February 14, 2019), "Francis reveals he concelebrated Mass with Cardinal Muller and Gustavo Gutierrez", National Catholic Reporter , retrieved February 14, 2019 ^ a b Rocca, Francis X. (September 13, 2013). "Under Pope Francis, liberation theology comes of age". Catholic News Service . Retrieved January 25, 2014 . ^ McElwee, Joshua J. (September 25, 2013). "Pope meets with liberation theology pioneer". National Catholic Reporter . Retrieved January 25, 2014 . ^ Allen Jr., John L. (January 24, 2014). "Truisms in Catholic life and a rundown of Rome news". National Catholic Reporter . Retrieved January 25, 2014 . ^ "BBC News '' Pope reinstates suspended Nicaraguan priest D'Escoto". BBC News. ^ O'Connell, Gerard (May 12, 2015), "Updated: Guti(C)rrez: 'The Vatican Never Condemned the Theology of Liberation ' ", America, archived from the original on May 26, 2015 , retrieved May 25, 2015 ^ Pope Francis (February 14, 2019), Spadaro, Antonio (ed.), " ' Put your lives at stake': Pope Francis in dialogue with the Jesuits of Central America", La Civilit Catolica , retrieved February 14, 2019 ^ Former Soviet spy: We created Liberation Theology, Catholic News Agency, 1 May 2015. ^ Allen, John L. Jr. (May 5, 2015). "Did the KGB 'create' Latin America's liberation theology?". Crux . Retrieved March 14, 2017 . ^ Thompson, Damian (May 2, 2015). "Former Communist spy: KGB created Catholic liberation theology". The Spectator . Retrieved March 14, 2017 . ^ John M. Goshko, "Catholic Aid to Marxists Puzzles Bush," Washington Post, 1983 March 3 ^ Stanley, Brian (2013). The Global Diffusion of Evangelicalism: The Age of Billy Graham and John Stott. Grand Rapids, MI: InterVarsity Press. pp. 151''180. ISBN 978-0-8308-2585-1. ^ a b c Kirkpatrick, David C. (2016). "The Widening of Christian Mission: C. Ren(C) Padilla and the Intellectual Origins of Integral Mission". In Sexton, Jason S.; Weston, Paul (eds.). The End of Theology: Shaping Theology for the Sake of Mission. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press. pp. 193''210. ISBN 978-1-5064-0592-6. ^ Padilla, C. Ren(C) (2010). Mission Between the Times: Essays on the Kingdom. Carlisle: Langham Monographs. ISBN 978-1-907713-01-9. ^ Escobar, Samuel (2003). A Time of Mission: The Challenge for Global Christianity. Carlisle: Langham Global Library. ISBN 978-1-907713-02-6. ^ Costas, Orlando E. (1974). The Church and its Mission: A Shattering Critique from the Third World . Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers. ISBN 978-0-8423-0275-3. ^ "Bienvenido/a a nuestra pgina Web '' Ej(C)rcito de Liberaci"n Nacional". Eln-voces.com. May 26, 2008 . Retrieved December 29, 2011 . ^ "Camilo Torres Restrepo 1929''1966". Filosofia.org . Retrieved December 29, 2011 . ^ Ateek, Naim (1989). Justice and only Justice. Orbis. ^ a b "Interactivist: Liberation Theology '' Abahlali baseMjondolo". abahlali.org. Further reading [ edit ] Lernoux, Penny, Cry of the people: United States involvement in the rise of fascism, torture, and murder and the persecution of the Catholic Church in Latin America. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1980.Alves, Rubem, Towards a Theology of Liberation (1968).De La Torre, Miguel A., Handbook on U.S. Theologies of Liberation (Chalice Press, 2004).Ratzinger, Joseph Cardinal, "Liberation Theology" (preliminary notes to 1984 Instruction)Guti(C)rrez, Gustavo, A Theology of Liberation: History, Politics and Salvation, Orbis Books, 1988.Kirylo, James D. Paulo Freire: The Man from Recife. New York: Peter Lang, 2011.Nash, Ronald, ed. Liberation Theology. First ed. Milford, Mich.: Mott Media, 1984. ISBN 0-88062-121-4Smith, Christian, The Emergence of Liberation Theology: Radical Religion and the Social Movement Theory, University of Chicago Press, 1991.Marxism and Missions / Missions et Marxisme, special issue of the journal Social Sciences and Missions, Volume 22/2, 2009Pacepa, I. M. and Rychlak, R. J, "Disinformation," Washington, DC: WND Books, Inc., 2013.Stefan Silber / Jos(C) Mara Vigil (eds.): Liberation Theology in Europe / La Teologa de la Liberaci"n en Europa. Voices 40 (2017) 2, November-December, 304 pp., ISSN: 2222-0763 (pdf)External links [ edit ] Liberation Theology Video from the Dean Peter Krogh Foreign Affairs Digital Archives.BBC Religion and Ethics theological obituary of Pope John Paul II: his views on liberation theologyCentre for Liberation Theologies, Faculty of Theology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, BelgiumPapal suspension against Miguel d'Escoto is liftedKey Concepts of Revolution Theology
Colorado amends coronavirus death count - says fewer have died of COVID-19 than previously reported | Fox News
Sat, 16 May 2020 11:58
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Colorado has made a stunning and significant change to the way it counts COVID-19 deaths that reduced the statewide figure from more than 1,000 to 878, according to a report.
The change came after Colorado's Department of Public Health admitted that its COVID-19 death toll was counting those who tested positive for the coronavirus but had died of other causes, Fox 31 Denver reported late Friday.
The department now says 1,150 Coloradoans who died had COVID-19 but only 878 of those deaths were ''due to'' COVID-19.
AS US CORONAVIRUS DEATH TOLL MOUNTS, SO DOES THE BELIEF BY SOME THAT IT IS EXAGGERATED
Colorado Governor Jared Polis makes a point while wearing a face mask with the logo of Major League Baseball's Colorado Rockies during a news conference to update the state's efforts to control the spread of the new coronavirus Friday, May 15, 2020, in the State Capitol in Denver. (AP)
''We have been reporting at the state, deaths among people who had COVID-19 at the time of death and the cause of that death may or may not have been COVID-19,'' Dr. Eric France, the health department's chief medical officer told the station.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE
''We started to hear stories about 'are these correct or are these incorrect?''' France said.
Fox News on Friday reported on one of those stories as part of a report that found that the hodgepodge way states counted COVID-19 deaths was a reason why some people believe the U.S. COVID-19 death figure was exaggerated.
The story involved a 35-year-old man from Montezuma County who died May 4 of alcohol poisoning but whose death was counted in Colorado's COVID-19 death toll.
CDC CHIEF REDFIELD PREDICTS CORONAVIRUS DEATHS TO TOP 100,000 IN JUNE
''The state is reporting that death as a COVID death, but our health department wanted to let people know that even though the person did have the virus, they did not die from it,'' the Montezuma County Health Department said about the man's death.
The national COVID-19 death toll climbed to 87,568 Saturday with the deaths of 1,662 more people due to the virus, John Hopkins University data showed. But that latest number does not take into account Colorado's amended figure, listing the death toll at 1,150.
France blamed the confusion on the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System that states use to report COVID-19 deaths to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
COLORADO MAN DIED OF ALCOHOL POISONING, BUT DEATH WAS LATER BLAMED ON CORONAVIRUS: REPORT
Hours before the health department lowered the death count a somber Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, had told a coronavirus news briefing that the state had reached a ''reflection point'' as the number of COVID-19 deaths had surpassed 1,000.
"It's important to remember that every number has a name," Polis said. "It's easy to say over 1,000 people. Each one of those is a person with friends, loved ones and family. If you're fortunate enough not to have known someone who was lost, take a moment and remember why we all need to do our part."
Fox 31 obtained a statement from Polis' office after the death count was reduced that said the governor fully supported efforts by the health department to specify how many deaths were specifically due to COVID-19 ''and not just specific to CDC guidelines that include people who died with Coronavirus but not necessarily from it.''
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''State epidemiologists believe that once the data is up to date then the number will, unfortunately, be higher,'' the statement concluded.
Polis will appear exclusively on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace Sunday morning.
Tesla Plans To Open New Factory In Texas As Musk Spurns "Fascist" California | Zero Hedge
Sat, 16 May 2020 09:22
Several days after Tesla CEO Elon Musk threatened to move out of California after a highly publicized spat with Alameda County over Musk's push to reopen Tesla's Fremont Plant and force workers to return despite questions about safety. Many longtime Tesla fans turned against the company as many accused Musk of placing Tesla's share price - not to mention his own personal gain - above the safety of his workers.
After President Trump spoke out in Musk's defense, Alameda County folded and Musk mostly got his way.
But apparently, the bad taste that the incident left in Musk's mouth has prompted him to leak a story about Tesla picking Austin, Texas as the site of its next Gigafactory. Tesla has three "gigafactories" - one in Nevada, one under construction in Berlin, and one in Shanghai.
The news was reported by Elektrek, a blog and frequent recipient of Tesla-related leaks, which it often reports uncritically, leading many to suspect that the blog's "extremely reliable source" is none other than Musk himself.
As Elektrek notes, while Musk has been leaning toward Texas for months, the timing of the announcement is "surprising" and the timelines is "surprisingly aggressive" (just like all of Musk's "timelines").
Giga Texas is expected to produce the new Tesla Cybertruck.
According to a reliable source familiar with the matter, Tesla CEO Elon Musk is set on bringing the next Tesla Gigafactory, or now Terafactory, to Austin, Texas, or at least close to the city.
The people familiar with the project said that Musk has tasked the engineering team working at Gigafactory Nevada to start the process for the new factory, which is expected to make the Tesla Cybertruck electric pickup truck and the Model Y.
Tesla's CEO also reportedly wants to move extremely fast.
We are told that the decision for the site is not set in stone since Tesla was apparently given a few options in the greater Austin area, but Musk is said to want to start construction extremely soon and aims to have Model Y vehicles coming out of the plant by the end of the year.
It would be an even more aggressive timeline than Gigafactory Shanghai.
Tesla already has a small office in Austin, adding to the convenience of opening the factory in or near the city.
When Tesla started building a team of chip engineers for its Autopilot hardware 3.0, it hired several engineers from AMD's corporate offices in Austin and Tesla decided to open an office there for its Autopilot hardware engineers.
Recently, Musk has been talking about moving Tesla's California operations to Nevada and/or Texas due to the automaker's difficulties working with the local government to reopen the Fremont factory, where it currently produces most of its vehicles.
This project is not directly related to that announcement.
We are talking here about Tesla's previously announced plans to build a 'Cybertruck Gigafactory' in ''central US''.
Musk infamously accused California of "fascism" in a now-infamous Q1 earnings call where Musk bashed the Golden State for its restrictive stay at home order. The big question now: If Tesla puts down more roots in Texas, will Musk soon follow by moving his personal residence to the Lone Star State as well?
The Cabildo budgets '¬1 million for "firefighter sheep" to clear public land and combat forest fires - The Canary - News, Views & Sunshine
Sat, 16 May 2020 08:52
The island government, the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, have allocated a budget of one million euros for utilising what they have termed as 'firefighter sheep' to help in the prevention of forest fires on Gran Canaria. The money will be used to support shepherds, on the basis that their livestock can be used as an important method of reducing flammable vegetation in the natural environment. GPS systems will be used to monitor flocks and fencing will help to protect repopulations. In addition to flocks and herds clearing an estimated 115 hectares of public lands, training will be provided, for adults and children, on the reality of forest fires on Gran Canaria.
Firefighting Sheep on the GC41 near Valsequillo
The package of measures was announced this week using a phrase echoed earlier in the month by actual firefighters who posted pictures on social networks to highlight this vital element of fire prevention on the island. The plan will be rolled out over the course of the next year and include other actions in coordination with the island government's Food Sovereignty policies, aimed at subsidising the cleaning and clearing of debris from around 4,600 ''abandoned'' private farmlands that occupy 536 hectares in high-risk areas. an especially important measure considering that the most recent large incidents on Gran Canaria started on private lands with enormous accumulations of dead vegetation and dry materials, that literally fuelled the rapid spread of the fires.
Controlled burning and roaming livestock herds are two of the main tools in fire prevention on Gran Canaria, for this reason the Cabildo has allocated a sum of '¬332,000 to incorporate sheep herds as allies in the official prevention measures, so that the herds can be strategically deployed to graze in high-risk areas, indicated by the administration, and participate in the creation of firewalls, a job that will be monitored using 70 geolocation devices.
' The provision includes boundaries created using 7,000 stock trees to make areas compatible with grazing' Livestock will be monitored using 70 GPS devices' A popular 136 page comic book, by local illustrator J. Morgan, and published last year by the Cabildo, will be reissued and distributed at more than 100 workshop talks about forest fire risk areas
The Cabildo has authorised 50 shepherds, tending to 7,000 head, to graze on nearly 3,500 hectares of public land designated Zones of High Risk of Forest Fire (ZARI), as well as another 2,000 hectares of private land, also in the areas of risk, totally 5,500 hectares of grazing lands that are either difficult or near impossible to reach in the event of a fire. The reduction of the vegetal load will help facilitate the tasks extinguishing fires that could occur
The Cabildo and local shepherds signed an historic agreement in 2018 to work together in the fight against forest fires by providing this important environmental service for which the pastors also receive a direct payment of between 40 and 180 euros per hectare, depending on the distance of moving their herd, the type of vegetation ''such as reed beds in ravines-, and the strategic importance of the place.
Controlled grazing is, in addition to being effective, an economic and ecological tool for the prevention of large forest fires, which are too often rooted in the excessive accumulations of dried vegetative debris resulting in the progressive abandonment of the more traditional rural life. This measure also has the advantage of contributing to the survival of grazing and the primary sector, necessary to create mosaic landscapes, which are seen as the true shields against forest fires.
China Admits Destruction of Early Coronavirus Samples
Sat, 16 May 2020 08:29
Chinese National Health Commission official Liu Dengfeng admitted on Friday that his government did indeed destroy early samples of the Wuhan coronavirus, as has long been alleged by skeptics.
Liu claimed this was done to ''prevent the risk to laboratory biological safety and prevent secondary disasters caused by unidentified pathogens.''
The South China Morning Post (SCMP) noted that critics such as U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have criticized the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for refusing to provide samples to the international medical community when the Wuhan outbreak began in late 2019 and for destroying those samples. Liu insisted there was nothing nefarious about the destruction:
''The remarks made by some US officials were taken out of context and intended to confuse,'' [Liu] said at a briefing in Beijing.
When the pneumonia-like illness was first reported in Wuhan, ''national-level professional institutes'' were working to identify the pathogen that was causing it, Liu said.
''Based on comprehensive research and expert opinion, we decided to temporarily manage the pathogen causing the pneumonia as Class II '' highly pathogenic '' and imposed biosafety requirements on sample collection, transport and experimental activities, as well as destroying the samples,'' he said.
Liu added that this was in line with China's standard practice for handling highly pathogenic samples, which should not be done by labs that do not meet the requirements.
The SCMP quickly pointed out that Liu's statements were not accurate since it has been established by earlier reports that major Chinese virus labs were ordered to destroy their samples after correctly identifying the mysterious new disease that emerged in December as a member of the SARS family.
As the New York Post summarized in February:
In late December, several genomics companies tested samples from sick patients in Wuhan '-- the center of the coronavirus outbreak '-- and noticed alarming similarities between their illnesses and the 2002 SARS virus, the Sunday Times of London reported, citing Chinese business news site Caixin Global.
The researchers alerted Beijing of their findings '-- and on Jan. 3, received a gag order from China's National Health Commission, with instructions to destroy the samples.
Rather than hunkering down to contain the virus, Wuhan officials went ahead with their annual potluck dinner for 40,000 families.
The alleged cover-up continued when representatives from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Jan. 8 visited Wuhan, where officials intentionally withheld information that hospital workers had been infected by patients '-- a telltale sign of contagion.
News of the virus' highly contagious nature didn't surface publicly until Jan. 20. Wuhan was locked down and a mass quarantine ordered three days later.
In early May, a leaked Western intelligence document described Chinese laboratories deliberately destroying evidence that the coronavirus could be transmitted between humans, including virus samples, during the early weeks of the outbreak when the CCP was eager to conceal that dangerous information. The document described China's actions as an ''insult to international transparency.''
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reportedly produced an analysis at roughly the same time that said China wanted to keep the rest of the world from knowing how contagious the coronavirus was because Chinese companies were frantically buying up medical supplies and protective gear from other countries, and would have encountered difficulty making those bulk purchases if the other countries understood how rapidly the virus could spread.
The SCMP reported that Chinese National Health Commission officials on Friday also denied multiple statements by World Health Organization (W.H.O.) officials that they have been refused access to Wuhan and its virology institute, the lab frequently discussed as a possible source of the outbreak.
''The W.H.O. has never made a request to visit a certain laboratory, so the statement that the WHO was denied a visit to the Wuhan laboratory is untrue,'' said senior Chinese official Li Mingzhu.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Tuesday that the CCP is still stalling investigations into Wuhan, its notorious virus-spreading ''wet markets,'' and the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Eyewitnesses in China confirmed they gathered data and physical evidence from Wuhan in December that is still hidden from the world by the Chinese government, despite its constant claims of transparency and cooperation.
The Chinese National Health Commission pointedly refused to answer the WSJ's questions about this evidence, responding with CCP political boilerplate about how ''the virus should not be linked to any particular country, region, or people'' and all nations should ''join forces and work together, rather than blaming each other and shirking responsibility.''
The WSJ also noted that despite China's denials that it has stymied W.H.O. investigations, W.H.O. officials confirmed that investigative data long promised by China still has not been delivered to the organization, and China is indeed still thwarting efforts by international investigators to visit the outbreak area in Wuhan.
First Case of 2019 Novel Coronavirus in the United States | NEJM
Sat, 16 May 2020 08:19
20 References481 Citing Articles Letters Related ArticlesSummaryAn outbreak of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) that began in Wuhan, China, has spread rapidly, with cases now confirmed in multiple countries. We report the first case of 2019-nCoV infection confirmed in the United States and describe the identification, diagnosis, clinical course, and management of the case, including the patient's initial mild symptoms at presentation with progression to pneumonia on day 9 of illness. This case highlights the importance of close coordination between clinicians and public health authorities at the local, state, and federal levels, as well as the need for rapid dissemination of clinical information related to the care of patients with this emerging infection.
IntroductionOn December 31, 2019, China reported a cluster of cases of pneumonia in people associated with the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan, Hubei Province.1 On January 7, 2020, Chinese health authorities confirmed that this cluster was associated with a novel coronavirus, 2019-nCoV.2 Although cases were originally reported to be associated with exposure to the seafood market in Wuhan, current epidemiologic data indicate that person-to-person transmission of 2019-nCoV is occurring.3-6 As of January 30, 2020, a total of 9976 cases had been reported in at least 21 countries,7 including the first confirmed case of 2019-nCoV infection in the United States, reported on January 20, 2020. Investigations are under way worldwide to better understand transmission dynamics and the spectrum of clinical illness. This report describes the epidemiologic and clinical features of the first case of 2019-nCoV infection confirmed in the United States.
Case ReportOn January 19, 2020, a 35-year-old man presented to an urgent care clinic in Snohomish County, Washington, with a 4-day history of cough and subjective fever. On checking into the clinic, the patient put on a mask in the waiting room. After waiting approximately 20 minutes, he was taken into an examination room and underwent evaluation by a provider. He disclosed that he had returned to Washington State on January 15 after traveling to visit family in Wuhan, China. The patient stated that he had seen a health alert from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about the novel coronavirus outbreak in China and, because of his symptoms and recent travel, decided to see a health care provider.
Figure 1.
Figure 1. Posteroanterior and Lateral Chest Radiographs, January 19, 2020 (Illness Day 4). No thoracic abnormalities were noted.
Apart from a history of hypertriglyceridemia, the patient was an otherwise healthy nonsmoker. The physical examination revealed a body temperature of 37.2°C, blood pressure of 134/87 mm Hg, pulse of 110 beats per minute, respiratory rate of 16 breaths per minute, and oxygen saturation of 96% while the patient was breathing ambient air. Lung auscultation revealed rhonchi, and chest radiography was performed, which was reported as showing no abnormalities (Figure 1 ). A rapid nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) for influenza A and B was negative. A nasopharyngeal swab specimen was obtained and sent for detection of viral respiratory pathogens by NAAT; this was reported back within 48 hours as negative for all pathogens tested, including influenza A and B, parainfluenza, respiratory syncytial virus, rhinovirus, adenovirus, and four common coronavirus strains known to cause illness in humans (HKU1, NL63, 229E, and OC43).
Given the patient's travel history, the local and state health departments were immediately notified. Together with the urgent care clinician, the Washington Department of Health notified the CDC Emergency Operations Center. Although the patient reported that he had not spent time at the Huanan seafood market and reported no known contact with ill persons during his travel to China, CDC staff concurred with the need to test the patient for 2019-nCoV on the basis of current CDC ''persons under investigation'' case definitions.8 Specimens were collected in accordance with CDC guidance and included serum and nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swab specimens. After specimen collection, the patient was discharged to home isolation with active monitoring by the local health department.
On January 20, 2020, the CDC confirmed that the patient's nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs tested positive for 2019-nCoV by real-time reverse-transcriptase''polymerase-chain-reaction (rRT-PCR) assay. In coordination with CDC subject-matter experts, state and local health officials, emergency medical services, and hospital leadership and staff, the patient was admitted to an airborne-isolation unit at Providence Regional Medical Center for clinical observation, with health care workers following CDC recommendations for contact, droplet, and airborne precautions with eye protection.9
On admission, the patient reported persistent dry cough and a 2-day history of nausea and vomiting; he reported that he had no shortness of breath or chest pain. Vital signs were within normal ranges. On physical examination, the patient was found to have dry mucous membranes. The remainder of the examination was generally unremarkable. After admission, the patient received supportive care, including 2 liters of normal saline and ondansetron for nausea.
Figure 2.
Figure 2. Symptoms and Maximum Body Temperatures According to Day of Illness and Day of Hospitalization, January 16 to January 30, 2020. On days 2 through 5 of hospitalization (days 6 through 9 of illness), the patient's vital signs remained largely stable, apart from the development of intermittent fevers accompanied by periods of tachycardia (Figure 2 ). The patient continued to report a nonproductive cough and appeared fatigued. On the afternoon of hospital day 2, the patient passed a loose bowel movement and reported abdominal discomfort. A second episode of loose stool was reported overnight; a sample of this stool was collected for rRT-PCR testing, along with additional respiratory specimens (nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal) and serum. The stool and both respiratory specimens later tested positive by rRT-PCR for 2019-nCoV, whereas the serum remained negative.
Treatment during this time was largely supportive. For symptom management, the patient received, as needed, antipyretic therapy consisting of 650 mg of acetaminophen every 4 hours and 600 mg of ibuprofen every 6 hours. He also received 600 mg of guaifenesin for his continued cough and approximately 6 liters of normal saline over the first 6 days of hospitalization.
Table 1.
Table 1. Clinical Laboratory Results. The nature of the patient isolation unit permitted only point-of-care laboratory testing initially; complete blood counts and serum chemical studies were available starting on hospital day 3. Laboratory results on hospital days 3 and 5 (illness days 7 and 9) reflected leukopenia, mild thrombocytopenia, and elevated levels of creatine kinase (Table 1 ). In addition, there were alterations in hepatic function measures: levels of alkaline phosphatase (68 U per liter), alanine aminotransferase (105 U per liter), aspartate aminotransferase (77 U per liter), and lactate dehydrogenase (465 U per liter) were all elevated on day 5 of hospitalization. Given the patient's recurrent fevers, blood cultures were obtained on day 4; these have shown no growth to date.
Figure 3.
Figure 3. Posteroanterior and Lateral Chest Radiographs, January 22, 2020 (Illness Day 7, Hospital Day 3). No acute intrathoracic plain-film abnormality was noted.
Figure 4. Figure 4. Posteroanterior Chest Radiograph, January 24, 2020 (Illness Day 9, Hospital Day 5). Increasing left basilar opacity was visible, arousing concern about pneumonia.
A chest radiograph taken on hospital day 3 (illness day 7) was reported as showing no evidence of infiltrates or abnormalities (Figure 3 ). However, a second chest radiograph from the night of hospital day 5 (illness day 9) showed evidence of pneumonia in the lower lobe of the left lung (Figure 4 ). These radiographic findings coincided with a change in respiratory status starting on the evening of hospital day 5, when the patient's oxygen saturation values as measured by pulse oximetry dropped to as low as 90% while he was breathing ambient air. On day 6, the patient was started on supplemental oxygen, delivered by nasal cannula at 2 liters per minute. Given the changing clinical presentation and concern about hospital-acquired pneumonia, treatment with vancomycin (a 1750-mg loading dose followed by 1 g administered intravenously every 8 hours) and cefepime (administered intravenously every 8 hours) was initiated.
Figure 5.
Figure 5. Anteroposterior and Lateral Chest Radiographs, January 26, 2020 (Illness Day 10, Hospital Day 6). Stable streaky opacities in the lung bases were visible, indicating likely atypical pneumonia; the opacities have steadily increased in density over time.
On hospital day 6 (illness day 10), a fourth chest radiograph showed basilar streaky opacities in both lungs, a finding consistent with atypical pneumonia (Figure 5 ), and rales were noted in both lungs on auscultation. Given the radiographic findings, the decision to administer oxygen supplementation, the patient's ongoing fevers, the persistent positive 2019-nCoV RNA at multiple sites, and published reports of the development of severe pneumonia3,4 at a period consistent with the development of radiographic pneumonia in this patient, clinicians pursued compassionate use of an investigational antiviral therapy. Treatment with intravenous remdesivir (a novel nucleotide analogue prodrug in development10,11) was initiated on the evening of day 7, and no adverse events were observed in association with the infusion. Vancomycin was discontinued on the evening of day 7, and cefepime was discontinued on the following day, after serial negative procalcitonin levels and negative nasal PCR testing for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
On hospital day 8 (illness day 12), the patient's clinical condition improved. Supplemental oxygen was discontinued, and his oxygen saturation values improved to 94 to 96% while he was breathing ambient air. The previous bilateral lower-lobe rales were no longer present. His appetite improved, and he was asymptomatic aside from intermittent dry cough and rhinorrhea. As of January 30, 2020, the patient remains hospitalized. He is afebrile, and all symptoms have resolved with the exception of his cough, which is decreasing in severity.
Methods Specimen CollectionClinical specimens for 2019-nCoV diagnostic testing were obtained in accordance with CDC guidelines.12 Nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swab specimens were collected with synthetic fiber swabs; each swab was inserted into a separate sterile tube containing 2 to 3 ml of viral transport medium. Serum was collected in a serum separator tube and then centrifuged in accordance with CDC guidelines. The urine and stool specimens were each collected in sterile specimen containers. Specimens were stored between 2°C and 8°C until ready for shipment to the CDC. Specimens for repeat 2019-nCoV testing were collected on illness days 7, 11, and 12 and included nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs, serum, and urine and stool samples.
Diagnostic Testing for 2019-nCoVClinical specimens were tested with an rRT-PCR assay that was developed from the publicly released virus sequence. Similar to previous diagnostic assays for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), it has three nucleocapsid gene targets and a positive control target. A description of this assay13 and sequence information for the rRT-PCR panel primers and probes14 are available on the CDC Laboratory Information website for 2019-nCoV.15
Genetic SequencingOn January 7, 2020, Chinese researchers shared the full genetic sequence of 2019-nCoV through the National Institutes of Health GenBank database16 and the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID)17 database; a report about the isolation of 2019-nCoV was later published.18 Nucleic acid was extracted from rRT-PCR''positive specimens (oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal) and used for whole-genome sequencing on both Sanger and next-generation sequencing platforms (Illumina and MinIon). Sequence assembly was completed with the use of Sequencher software, version 5.4.6 (Sanger); minimap software, version 2.17 (MinIon); and freebayes software, version 1.3.1 (MiSeq). Complete genomes were compared with the available 2019-nCoV reference sequence (GenBank accession number NC_045512.2).
Results Specimen Testing for 2019-nCoV Table 2. Table 2. Results of Real-Time Reverse-Transcriptase''Polymerase-Chain-Reaction Testing for the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). The initial respiratory specimens (nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs) obtained from this patient on day 4 of his illness were positive for 2019-nCoV (Table 2 ). The low cycle threshold (Ct) values (18 to 20 in nasopharyngeal specimens and 21 to 22 in oropharyngeal specimens) on illness day 4 suggest high levels of virus in these specimens, despite the patient's initial mild symptom presentation. Both upper respiratory specimens obtained on illness day 7 remained positive for 2019-nCoV, including persistent high levels in a nasopharyngeal swab specimen (Ct values, 23 to 24). Stool obtained on illness day 7 was also positive for 2019-nCoV (Ct values, 36 to 38). Serum specimens for both collection dates were negative for 2019-nCoV. Nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal specimens obtained on illness days 11 and 12 showed a trend toward decreasing levels of virus. The oropharyngeal specimen tested negative for 2019-nCoV on illness day 12. The rRT-PCR results for serum obtained on these dates are still pending.
Genetic SequencingThe full genome sequences from oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal specimens were identical to one another and were nearly identical to other available 2019-nCoV sequences. There were only 3 nucleotides and 1 amino acid that differed at open reading frame 8 between this patient's virus and the 2019-nCoV reference sequence (NC_045512.2). The sequence is available through GenBank (accession number MN985325).16
DiscussionOur report of the first confirmed case of 2019-nCoV in the United States illustrates several aspects of this emerging outbreak that are not yet fully understood, including transmission dynamics and the full spectrum of clinical illness. Our case patient had traveled to Wuhan, China, but reported that he had not visited the wholesale seafood market or health care facilities or had any sick contacts during his stay in Wuhan. Although the source of his 2019-nCoV infection is unknown, evidence of person-to-person transmission has been published. Through January 30, 2020, no secondary cases of 2019-nCoV related to this case have been identified, but monitoring of close contacts continues.19
Detection of 2019-nCoV RNA in specimens from the upper respiratory tract with low Ct values on day 4 and day 7 of illness is suggestive of high viral loads and potential for transmissibility. It is notable that we also detected 2019-nCoV RNA in a stool specimen collected on day 7 of the patient's illness. Although serum specimens from our case patient were repeatedly negative for 2019-nCoV, viral RNA has been detected in blood in severely ill patients in China.4 However, extrapulmonary detection of viral RNA does not necessarily mean that infectious virus is present, and the clinical significance of the detection of viral RNA outside the respiratory tract is unknown at this time.
Currently, our understanding of the clinical spectrum of 2019-nCoV infection is very limited. Complications such as severe pneumonia, respiratory failure, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and cardiac injury, including fatal outcomes, have been reported in China.4,18,20 However, it is important to note that these cases were identified on the basis of their pneumonia diagnosis and thus may bias reporting toward more severe outcomes.
Our case patient initially presented with mild cough and low-grade intermittent fevers, without evidence of pneumonia on chest radiography on day 4 of his illness, before having progression to pneumonia by illness day 9. These nonspecific signs and symptoms of mild illness early in the clinical course of 2019-nCoV infection may be indistinguishable clinically from many other common infectious diseases, particularly during the winter respiratory virus season. In addition, the timing of our case patient's progression to pneumonia on day 9 of illness is consistent with later onset of dyspnea (at a median of 8 days from onset) reported in a recent publication.4 Although a decision to administer remdesivir for compassionate use was based on the case patient's worsening clinical status, randomized controlled trials are needed to determine the safety and efficacy of remdesivir and any other investigational agents for treatment of patients with 2019-nCoV infection.
We report the clinical features of the first reported patient with 2019-nCoV infection in the United States. Key aspects of this case included the decision made by the patient to seek medical attention after reading public health warnings about the outbreak; recognition of the patient's recent travel history to Wuhan by local providers, with subsequent coordination among local, state, and federal public health officials; and identification of possible 2019-nCoV infection, which allowed for prompt isolation of the patient and subsequent laboratory confirmation of 2019-nCoV, as well as for admission of the patient for further evaluation and management. This case report highlights the importance of clinicians eliciting a recent history of travel or exposure to sick contacts in any patient presenting for medical care with acute illness symptoms, in order to ensure appropriate identification and prompt isolation of patients who may be at risk for 2019-nCoV infection and to help reduce further transmission. Finally, this report highlights the need to determine the full spectrum and natural history of clinical disease, pathogenesis, and duration of viral shedding associated with 2019-nCoV infection to inform clinical management and public health decision making.
Funding and Disclosures Disclosure forms provided by the authors are available with the full text of this article at NEJM.org.
The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
This article was published on January 31, 2020, at NEJM.org.
We thank the patient; the nurses and clinical staff who are providing care for the patient; staff at the local and state health departments; staff at the Washington State Department of Health Public Health Laboratories and at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Division of Viral Disease Laboratory; CDC staff at the Emergency Operations Center; and members of the 2019-nCoV response teams at the local, state, and national levels.
Author AffiliationsFrom the Epidemic Intelligence Service (M.L.H.), the National Center for Immunizations and Respiratory Diseases (A.C., L.F., A.P.), the Division of Viral Diseases (S.I.G., L.K., S.T., X.L., S. Lindstrom, M.A.P., W.C.W., H.M.B.), the Influenza Division (T.M.U.), and the Division of Preparedness and Emerging Infections (S.K.P.), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta; and the Washington State Department of Health, Shoreline (M.L.H., C.D., S. Lindquist, K.H.L., J.W.), Snohomish Health District (H.B., C.S.), Providence Medical Group (K.E.), and Providence Regional Medical Center (S.W., A.T., G.D.), Everett, and Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle (C.S.) '-- all in Washington.
Address reprint requests to Ms. Holshue at the Washington State Department of Health Public Health Laboratories, 1610 NE 150th St., Shoreline, WA 98155, or at [email protected] .
A full list of the members of the Washington State 2019-nCoV Case Investigation Team is provided in the Supplementary Appendix, available at NEJM.org.
Supplementary Material References (20)1. World Health Organization. Pneumonia of unknown cause '-- China. 2020 (https://www.who.int/csr/don/05-january-2020-pneumonia-of-unkown-cause-china/en/).
2. World Health Organization. Novel coronavirus '-- China. 2020 (https://www.who.int/csr/don/12-january-2020-novel-coronavirus-china/en/).
3. Chan JF-W , Yuan S , Kok K-H , et al. A familial cluster of pneumonia associated with the 2019 novel coronavirus indicating person-to-person transmission: a study of a family cluster. Lancet 2020 January 24 (Epub ahead of print).
4. Huang C , Wang Y , Li X , et al. Clinical features of patients infected with 2019 novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China. Lancet 2020 January 24 (Epub ahead of print).
5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2019 Novel coronavirus, Wuhan, China: 2019-nCoV situation summary. January 28 , 2020 (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/summary.html).
6. Phan LT , Nguyen TV , Luong QC , et al. Importation and human-to-human transmission of a novel coronavirus in Vietnam. N Engl J Med 2020 ;382: 872 - 874 .
7. Johns Hopkins University CSSE. Wuhan coronavirus (2019-nCoV) global cases (https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6).
8. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Interim guidance for healthcare professionals: criteria to guide evaluation of patients under investigation (PUI) for 2019-nCoV. 2020 (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/clinical-criteria.html).
9. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Infection control. 2019 Novel coronavirus, Wuhan, China. 2020 (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/infection-control.html).
10. Mulangu S , Dodd LE , Davey RT Jr , et al. A randomized, controlled trial of ebola virus disease therapeutics. N Engl J Med 2019 ;381: 2293 - 2303 .
11. Sheahan TP , Sims AC , Leist SR , et al. Comparative therapeutic efficacy of remdesivir and combination lopinavir, ritonavir, and interferon beta against MERS-CoV. Nat Commun 2020 ;11: 222 - 222 .
12. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Interim guidelines for collecting, handling, and testing clinical specimens from patients under investigation (PUIs) for 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). 2020 (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/guidelines-clinical-specimens.html).
13. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Respiratory Viruses Branch, Division of Viral Diseases. Real-time RT-PCR panel for detection 2019-novel coronavirus. 2020 (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/rt-pcr-panel-for-detection-instructions.pdf).
14. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Respiratory Viruses Branch, Division of Viral Diseases. 2019-novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) real-time rRT-PCR panel primers and probes. 2020 (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/rt-pcr-panel-primer-probes.pdf).
15. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Information for laboratories. 2019 novel coronavirus, Wuhan, China. 2020 (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/guidance-laboratories.html).
16. National Institutes of Health. GenBank overview (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genbank/).
17. GISAID (Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data) home page (https://www.gisaid.org/).
18. Zhu N , Zhang D , Wang W , et al. A novel coronavirus from patients with pneumonia in China, 2019. N Engl J Med 2020 ;382: 727 - 733 .
19. Washington State Department of Health. Novel coronavirus outbreak 2020 (https://www.doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/Coronavirus).
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Citing Articles (481) Letters
The Strange Tale of Remdesivir and a Black-Market Cat Drug - The Atlantic
Sat, 16 May 2020 07:35
Cat owners are resorting to China's underground marketplace to buy antivirals for a feline coronavirus.
Sarah Zhang May 8, 2020 Shutterstock / The AtlanticWhen Robin Kintz's two kittens, Fiona and Henry, contracted a fatal cat disease last year, she began hearing of a black-market drug from China. The use of the drug, known as GS-441524, is based on legitimate research from UC Davis, but the ways to get it seemed much less so. ''It was, 'If you want to save your cat, send me thousands of dollars, and I'll DHL you some unmarked vials,''' she says. And she did. Kintz transferred the thousands of dollars, got the unmarked vials from China, and then injected the clear liquid into her dying cats every day for months.
The first remarkable thing, given the nature of the transaction, is that Kintz says the vials actually worked. Henry lived for almost another year, and Fiona made a full recovery. She's still scampering around today, fluffy and alive'--a miracle considering that vets had long thought her disease, feline infectious peritonitis, to be incurable and 100 percent fatal. Kintz now runs a 22,000-member Facebook group that helps cat owners using GS-441524. Thousands of cats have reportedly been cured of FIP.
Read: Why the coronavirus is so confusing
The second remarkable thing is that GS-441524 is almost identical to a much buzzed-about human drug: remdesivir, the antiviral currently our best hope for treating COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Although early data suggest that the drug shortens recovery time at best, Anthony Fauci has touted remdesivir from the White House. The Food and Drug Administration has authorized it for emergency use. And Gilead Sciences, the company that makes remdesivir, is donating 1.5 million doses of the drug amidst the pandemic.
Henry (L) and Fiona (R) were both treated with GS-441524. Henry died earlier this year, but Fiona is still alive, which her owner Robin Kintz attributes to the drug. (Courtesy of Robin Kintz)Gilead invented and patented GS-441524, too. Its scientists co-authored the UC Davis studies showing effectiveness against FIP. But the company has refused to license GS-441524 for animal use, out of fear that its similarity to remdesivir could interfere with the human drug's FDA-approval process'--originally for Ebola. When that failed, and a global pandemic of a novel coronavirus later arose, the company began testing it against COVID-19. Remdesivir has a small but clever modification that makes it better at entering cells, but it and GS-441524 work in exactly the same way to inhibit viruses.
FIP is also caused by a coronavirus'--not the same one that causes COVID-19, but one that specializes in infecting cats. (Although humans may be able to pass COVID-19 to cats in rare cases, humans cannot get FIP from cats.) In most cats, this feline coronavirus, or FCoV, causes mild diarrhea or no symptoms at all. But in a small minority of cases, the virus infects white blood cells, and the immune system goes haywire into full-blown FIP. The disease comes in two forms, both fatal: wet, in which the cat's chest or belly swells with fluid, or dry, in which there is no fluid but the cat is still feverish and sick. Eventually, it dies. For decades, vets have had little to offer but euthanasia.
Then GS-441524 came along. Small trials at UC Davis published in 2018 and 2019 suggested that cats were not just having their life prolonged by days or weeks, but were seemingly cured. ''It really was a game changer,'' says Drew Weigner, a veterinarian and the president of the Winn Feline Foundation, which funded some of the UC Davis research. ''Three years ago, we told patients, 'Your cat is going to die.' Now we can tell them something else. It's quite a story.''
The story of a drug first tested against Ebola (that failed), whose close cousin became a groundbreaking treatment for a cat disease (but only illegally), and that has been resurrected in the pandemic of an entirely new virus underscores the vagaries of drug development. To be clear, while remdesivir is in clinical trials, GS-441524 has not been tested in humans for safety or efficacy against COVID-19. The black-market formulations of GS-441524 are also incredibly expensive. A 12-week regimen for cats can cost upwards of $10,000, depending on the brand, type of FIP, and weight of the cat. Plus, there is no legal way to buy GS-441524 as medicine'--not for cats, not for humans.
The drug probably would have never been tested in cats, if not for the fact that Niels Pedersen, a longtime FIP researcher at UC Davis, personally knew the former chief scientific officer of Gilead. The two met 30 years ago, when Gilead was testing antiviral HIV drugs in monkeys and Pedersen was working at a primate research center. But Pedersen's true love has always been cats. He grew up surrounded by them on a poultry farm. A colleague of his warned me, lovingly, that Pedersen was ''irascible,'' and he was difficult to get on the phone. But his voice softened when he talked about taming those barn cats and finding homes for their kittens.
Pedersen became fascinated with FIP in vet school in the 1960s, when it was still a mysterious disease with a mysterious cause. Over the decades, scientists would discover the feline coronavirus behind FIP and then spend years trying but failing to develop a working vaccine. Pedersen ended up devoting his career to the disease. And when the vaccines failed, he began thinking about antivirals, and he began thinking, again, of Gilead. The California-based company specializes in developing antivirals, including Tamiflu, Truvada, and a host of HIV and hepatitis C drugs.
Around five years ago, Pedersen got in touch with his Gilead contact, and the company sent him 25 or 30 molecules, drawn from the large library of drug candidates that pharmaceutical companies typically maintain. Two of the molecules worked marvelously in cat cells infected with the FIP virus: GS-441524 and GS-5734, the latter of which is now better known as remdesivir.
Read: Why some people get sicker than others
Both GS-441524 and remdesivir work by blocking viral replication. They are nucleoside analogues, meaning they mimic the nucleoside building blocks'--A, U, C, or G'--that make up the virus's genetic material. Specifically, they mimic ''A,'' and when the virus is tricked into incorporating a GS-441524 or remdesivir molecule instead of ''A'', the replication process gets jammed up. Eventually, no more letters can be added, and the virus cannot replicate. Where the two drugs differ is that remdesivir has an extra phosphate group, a small change that helps it enter a cell and get used in replication. This modification is commonly used to enhance the effectiveness of similar antivirals. ''It's just one of those really clever things that worked perfectly,'' says Katherine Seley-Radtke, an antiviral researcher at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
For whatever reason, though, this modification did not make much difference in cat cells infected with the FIP virus. Both molecules were effective, so Pedersen decided to pursue the simpler one, GS-441524. He then infected 10 cats with FIP and dosed them with GS-441524. All 10 cats recovered.
''We almost fell out of our chairs,'' says Weigner.This is ridiculous, he remembers thinking. This can't work this well. Wait, wait, stop, go back? It did what? The initial study was small and under artificial conditions, but in a follow-up field trial of 31 pets with naturally acquired FIP, 25 ultimately made it'--an unheard-of recovery rate. Pedersen had previously tested another antiviral out of Kansas State University, but only seven out of 20 cats had gone into remission. Those results seemed impressive at the time, but GS-441524 appeared to be even better.
Pedersen is 76 now, and he has devoted 50 years of his career to FIP research. Finally, it seemed, a cure was at hand. ''I felt really good,'' he told me, ''and I thought this was a good capstone for my career.'' But the capstone never materialized, at least not in the way that he expected. Despite the success, Gilead refused to license GS-441524 for use in cats.
While Pedersen was testing GS-441524 in cats, a different virus'--a human virus'--was raging halfway around the world in West Africa: Ebola. The virus that causes Ebola is not a coronavirus, but remdesivir is unusually broad-acting for an antiviral, and early results against Ebola were promising. So promising, in fact, that the company was eyeing FDA approval of remdesivir in humans.
According to Pedersen, Gilead worried that the cat research could impede the approval process for remdesivir. Because GS-441524 and remdesivir are so similar, any adverse effects uncovered in cats might have to be reported and investigated to guarantee remdesivir's safety in humans. Gilead's caution about generating unnecessary cat data is standard industry practice. ''One of the rules in drug development is never perform a test you don't have to, if the results could be problematic,'' says Richard Sachleben, a retired pharma-industry researcher. (Gilead declined to comment for this story.)
For Pedersen, the explanation was hard to accept. ''It was a blow,'' he said. ''It hits you very hard, especially when you didn't see any reason for it.'' He still published the studies, as academic researchers do, and results became public in 2018 and 2019.
Jeremy Samuel Faust: Medication shortages are the next crisis
Not long after, Pedersen began hearing from people in China. One company wanted to license the drug from Gilead, he told me, and it asked Pedersen to be the intermediary. The company failed to get a license but started selling an FIP drug anyway, and its exact formula is unclear. Other companies explicitly advertise their formulations as GS-441524. China has a large base of pharmaceutical manufacturing, and raw GS-441524 is not particularly difficult to synthesize. FIP is also a growing problem in the country as cats'--especially purebred cats, which are more prone to the disease'--become more popular in China. A black market has sprung up to fill the vacuum left by Gilead.
The use of drugs from China was at first controversial in the FIP community. ''I got a lot of hate mail for it. I lost a lot of supporters,'' says Peter Cohen, an early supporter of the drugs. Cohen runs ZenByCat, a nonprofit that raises money for two groups funding FIP research, SOCK FIP and the Winn Feline Foundation's Bria Fund for FIP Research. Earlier iterations of Facebook support groups, such as FIP Fighters, initially banned any discussion of the black-market drugs too.
Susan Gingrich, a former administrator of that Facebook group, has focused on pressuring Gilead. Gingrich, whose brother is former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, is also the founder of the Bria Fund. Her cat Bria died of FIP in 2005, and she established the fund with donations from her brother and herself and her husband that same year. ''It would be so much easier if Gilead would have either marketed it or let another entity market it,'' she says. Gingrich bought stock in Gilead after early research into GS-441524 seemed promising. In June 2019, she wrote a letter to Gilead, as well as to President Donald Trump and her congressman and senators in Tennessee, imploring the company to allow animal use of the drug. She says she's received no response.
When Kintz was trying to save Fiona and Henry, she asked about GS-441524 in one of those Facebook groups that had banned discussion of the drug. Her post in the group went nowhere, but two women privately messaged her with advice. Kintz ended up starting a new group, now called FIP Warriors, so they could exchange tips and feedback on different brands. The group grown to 22,000 members on Facebook'--as well as 25 admins and 26 moderators. It has satellite groups in different countries and languages around the world. ''It feels like a global corporation sometimes,'' says Kintz, who is a design consultant in upstate New York when she's not running the Facebook group. If she is going to be offline for, say, six hours, she notifies her fellow admins and moderators. The Facebook group has morphed into a 24/7 international organization.
FIP Warriors also has a network of emergency group chats for every state. Because shipping from China can take a long time and because the earlier that GS-441524 treatment is started, the better, the emergency chats connect new members with those who have vials of extra GS-441524.
Zina Lemesh, a lawyer and cat breeder in New York, joined the group in February, when her cat Nora grew jaundiced and stopped eating, and her belly swelled up like a bowling ball. Lemesh recognized the signs of wet FIP, and she knew it as a hopeless disease. She was preparing to call her vet about euthansia when she came across the group in a frantic online search for a treatment. She posted an emergency plea for GS-441524. ''Within 10 minutes, I was in contact with someone,'' she told me. ''Within the next two hours, my cat already had shots.'' And within a couple days, Nora started eating again. She is almost done with her 84-day regimen. Her swollen belly is completely gone.
''This is a cat mom and an attorney speaking at the same time and I try to balance the two in my brain, which it's hard,'' Lemesh said. On one side is the cat mom who would go to great lengths to save her cat; on the other is the rules-minded lawyer who can't believe she injected her cat with unlabeled drugs from a stranger. But if it's between letting Nora die and a small chance at saving her, the choice was clear. Of course, Lemesh told me, she would rather go the legitimate route'--if that were an option. ''Do you think people would like to send $7,000 to $12,000 to some weird source?'' she said. ''Or would they prefer to pay their vet?''
The black-market availability of GS-441524 puts veterinarians in a bind. They can't prescribe the drug or legally buy it for cat owners. Some do agree to help owners with the injections, which can be difficult and painful for the cat. But others want nothing to do with the unapproved drug. Linda Pendergrass-Nethery, who lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee, told me she ended up switching vets. Her first vet refused to help, she said. The second prescribed the sedative gabapentin to mellow out her cat, Sundance, for injections. So every afternoon, a couple hours before Sundance's daily injection, Pendergrass-Nethery and her husband give him a dose of gabapentin. When the time comes, they burrito him up into a white towel'--''like a mummy,'' she said'--and inject him with GS-441524. It's definitely a two-person job.
In the meantime, FIP Warriors has grown prominent enough that Chinese sellers are now approaching the group to market their GS-441524. They seem to pop up and then disappear. ''It's hard to say if they're companies or sort of backdoor dealers,'' Kintz says. But the group has tried to institute a small measure of accountability. It had, at one point, tested a few popular brands to verify the concentration and content of their GS-441524 vials. When new sellers approach, the group asks for samples to send to cat rescues, which might not be able to afford GS-441524 for kittens that would otherwise certainly die of FIP. ''That's generally how we determine if it works and if it's going to be okay,'' Kintz says. But the group is also rife with disclaimers about not being able to verify any particular drug.
Case in point: This January, a popular brand of GS-441524 appeared to kill cats that had been given the drug. When the group started noticing a pattern, admins began collecting data and warning against the brand's most recent batch. The man who had been selling it online disappeared, with several members of the group posting that he still owes them money. Rumor was that he and his wife had divorced acrimoniously; she had been the brains behind the operation and he had tried and failed to continue the business. Then a new brand of GS-441524 popped up'--reportedly made by his wife. It's all impossible to verify half a globe away. ''It's truly like the Wild West,'' Kintz says.
The recent surge of interest in remdesivir could change some of this dynamic. After Ebola trials found little benefit, remdesivir became a drug in search of a (human) disease. Should remdesivir ever be granted proper FDA approval beyond emergency use for COVID-19, and if it becomes common enough to prescribe through pharmacies, then vets could legally use it extra-label in cats. ''It may be five years down the road, and COVID is a distant memory, and then it is used for FIP,'' Weigner says. For now, at least, the cat-specific data on remdesivir is still lacking.
Kintz hopes that GS-441524 can, one day, be legally available for cats. Then, she says, ''no one would need me anymore, but that's okay.''
We want to hear what you think about this article. Submit a letter to the editor or write to letters@theatlantic.com.
Sarah Zhang is a staff writer at
The Atlantic.
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Sat, 16 May 2020 07:28
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Sat, 16 May 2020 07:27
John Ruskin helps shed light on what it means to have an economy that demands we die for it
''There is no wealth but life.''
'-- John Ruskin, Unto This Last (1860)
A chilling experiment is underway in America, with plenty of unwilling human guinea pigs.
Many parts of the country are reopening for business against the warnings of medical experts, flying in the face of grim predictions of sharply rising body counts. Two-thirds of Americans fear that the restart is happening too quickly, and the President himself acknowledges that by easing restrictions, ''there'll be more death.'' Yet he presses on, even as his own White House suffers a viral outbreak.
News screens flash with tallies of death and tallies of wealth: New York's Governor Andrew Cuomo has declared that lives must be saved ''whatever it costs,'' insisting that for Americans the choice ''between public health and the economy'' is ''no contest.'' But he did not ask celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz, who some weeks ago expressed his view that reopening schools could give the country its ''mojo back,'' and perhaps ''only cost us 2-3% in terms of total mortality. (2% sounds conveniently small compared to its equivalent in human lives, 6,560,000. Oz later apologized after public outrage).
Meanwhile Dan Patrick, lieutenant governor of Texas, offered his own assessment of the trade-off between capitalism and the lives of America's senior citizens, explaining, ''there are more important things than living.''
Since the days of Adam Smith, free market capitalists have held that human beings are rational actors who pursue economic gain for self-interested motives. But here is Patrick, a free marketer if there ever was one, talking about a gift-sacrifice economy model in which people '' some people, at least '' lay down their lives to keep the economic engines revved.
Patrick's words reveal an unspoken truth about capitalism. For the system to work smoothly, there have always been requirements of human sacrifice '-- a certain portion of the population was expected to act not as self-serving homo economicus, but self-sacrificing homo communis, focused upon what benefits the collective at their own expense. If these people can't social distance at the workplace, they are expected to show up anyway. If there isn't enough safety equipment, they are declared essential workers who must put their lives and that of their families at risk for the greater good.
But for whom and for what is this sacrifice intended? How much dying will be figured into state budgets and gross domestic product (GDP)? When ranked by GDP, the U.S. is the wealthiest economy in the world, but is a country's wealth something totally separate from, or even contrary to, the health and life the majority of its citizens?
Wealth v. ''illth''
To help us navigate these questions, it is useful turn to someone who offered potent challenges to the economic calculus of his day: John Ruskin, the 19th-century art critic-turned-political economist. He was one of the most outspoken critics of capitalism and prevailing economic ideas of the Victorian era, and his work presciently points to shortcomings that have followed us into the present day.
Ruskin questions the premises on which free market capitalism is based, returning to first principles: what is wealth? What do we value? How should we understand the relationship between people, the economy, and the state?
In his view, economies are, above all, social systems whose true end is to benefit the people, and not, as the Texan politician would have it, the other way around. Anticipating the behavioral economics of our own day, Ruskin rejected the idea advocated by such economists as John Stuart Mill that there could be a deductive science of economics based on the assumption that the human being is ''a covetous machine'' that when applied to actual situations could take ''the social affections,'' the non-rational aspects of human behavior, into account. Ruskin recognized that such a system implicitly removed the marketplace from the constraints of religion and morality that are supposed to apply to all human behavior. He compared it to an assumption that humans are essentially a skeleton with flesh, blood and consciousness as add-ons founding ''an ossifiant theory of progress on this negation of a soul.''
Ruskin defined wealth quite differently from many of his contemporaries, and ours. For him, wealth is anything that supports life and health, from the supplies in your storeroom to the song in your heart: ''There is no wealth but life. Life, including all its powers of love, of joy, and of admiration. That country is the richest which nourishes the greatest number of noble and happy human beings; that man is richest who, having perfected the functions of his own life to the utmost, has also the widest helpful influence, both personal, and by means of his possessions, over the lives of others.'' (Unto this Last).
By that definition, America is looking increasingly impoverished. And it is not a virus which is stealing our wealth away.
Playing on the root of the word ''wealth'' from the Old English word ''weal,'' signifying health, Ruskin proposed that while wealth was anything life-supporting that could be used and enjoyed, it had a dark counterpart that he called ''illth'' from the Old Norse word for bad '' the things that make people ill, their lives stunted and despairing, their environment polluted. Wealth cannot be produced without illth, but great fortunes have been made by extracting the means of wealth without paying the cost of illth. To take a Ruskinian example, a factory that pollutes the water it uses, fouls the air and pays its workers below what a healthy life requires will be more profitable than a business that cleans up after itself and pays a living wage, but its illth becomes a form of national debt expressed in damage to the health of others and the environment. Think of something like a toxic Superfund site.
Economists have a term for Ruskin's concept of illth, referring to it as ''negative externalities,'' even though they are not external to the capitalist economic system, but intrinsic to it. The most daunting problems of the current age, environmental disaster and inequality, are fueled by illth.
The Covid-19 crisis has merely amplified trends of rising illth, of despair, sickness, and alienation, which have been on the rise for decades as globalization, money-driven politics, decimated workers' rights, and privatization have tipped the economic balance far in favor of the very few. If we are to judge a country's health not by GDP, which rises in the face of a massive oil spill, but according to the criteria of the World Happiness Report (WHR), which measures things like social trust and faith in institutions, America is in bad shape when it comes to the ratio of wealth to illth. Scandinavian countries top the WHR, while the U.S. ranks a dismal 19th.
According to the Columbia University study of the 2020 WHR report, the key factors that account for the relative happiness of Scandinavian countries '-- what makes them wealthy in Ruskin's terms '-- are precisely those that have been under pressure or cut back in the U.S. since the rise of neoliberalism: ''emancipation from market dependency in terms of pensions, income maintenance for the ill or disabled, and unemployment benefits'' together with labor market regulation such as a high minimum wage. Of course, no one likes to pay taxes, but Scandinavian ''citizens' satisfaction with public and common goods such as health care, education, and public transportation that progressive taxation helps to fund,'' meets with approval at all income levels.
Pandemics are exacerbated by illth. We can see it in communities of color where the coronavirus strikes down those whose resources and access to health care have been limited by discriminatory policies and high contact employment. We can see it in factory farms where broken supply chains have caused farmers to euthanize livestock and plow under crops while people across the country go hungry. Airlines got immediate stimulus aid in the U.S., but there has been no subsidy for the restaurant supply chain that could be diverted for distribution by food banks and favorably located restaurants thus sustaining at least some of our much-vaunted small businesses. No one has to fly, but everyone must eat.
We sense illth accumulating in the comments of Las Vegas mayor Carolyn Goodman, who, in her eagerness to get the casinos back in business, told an astonished Anderson Cooper on CNN that she would offer up the city's workers as a ''control group'' in a reopening experiment. If they weren't able to social distance, Goodman was unconcerned: ''In my opinion, you have to go ahead,'' she said. ''Every day you get up, it's a gamble.''
Ruskin saw the capitalists of his day as gamblers heedless of the costs they foisted onto ordinary people: ''But they neither know who keeps the bank of the gambling-house, nor what other games may be played with the same cards, nor what other losses and gains, far away among the dark streets, are essentially, though invisibly, dependent upon theirs in lighted rooms.'' (Unto This Last).
In other words, not only do capitalists gamble with other peoples' lives; they are oblivious to the fact that there are other ways to arrange society, to deal the cards differently, more fairly.
Witness the post-Covid reality imagined by Governor Cuomo. Instead of focusing on what changes could better support the health and lives of ordinary people, he has called in Google CEO Eric Schmidt to head a commission to reimagine New York state with more technology permanently inserted into every dimension of civic life. A better deal for Silicon Valley, to be sure. But what is in the cards for everyone else? When educational platforms and health protocols are mapped by gigantic and unaccountable corporations, who gets lost? Surely the answer is those who can least afford it.
President Trump says that it is time to move on from the coronavirus and get on with economy. Ruskin would have recognized the deity worshipped by country's leader, which he called the ''Goddess of getting on.'' Only Ruskin recognized that she tended to favor ''not of everybody's getting on '' but only of somebody's getting on,'' '-- what he called a ''vital, or rather deathful, distinction.'' For capitalists, getting on post-Covid means executives working remotely while the rank and file return to the factory floor without adequate face masks, and large corporations, not public input, determines the blueprints for our lives.
The issue of worker safety does matter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, but not because he fears that some will get sick or die, but for a potential ''epidemic of litigation.'' In the next pandemic relief legislation, McConnell is looking to solve the problem of worker safety by shielding corporations from lawsuits rather than supporting Centers for Disease Control (CDC) mandated regulations that would both promote safety and sort out what is and is not actionable.
The Visible Hand
Instead of Adam Smith's Invisible Hand, Ruskin advocated a Visible Hand of reasoned management, a government which could allocate resources effectively and create stores of what citizens most needed in a crisis. In our day this need not be a literal storehouse but surge capacity. The Obama administration, for example, contracted with Halyard Health to design a machine that could turn out 1.5 million N95 masks per day. They were ready to build the machine in 2018 when the Trump administration cancelled the program.
In Ruskin's view, the Visible Hand was the guardian of the lives of the citizens, especially the poor, whose health and lives were their essential property. Ruskin actually defined an economy as the wise management of labor, applying labor, carefully preserving what it produces, and wisely distributing those products. A country's wealth is in the people's strength and health, not their illness and death.
Ruskin's concepts of wealth and illth help us understand the centrality of ethics and responsibility to economic activity, and how economies are not an assemblage of atomistic human units but whole systems of people interacting, where the activities of some impact the lives of all. His work indicates the need for a whole systems approach to a crisis in which what happens on the beaches of Georgia impacts a nursing home in North Carolina, and visitors to New York City or New Orleans can carry the infection home. The decisions of one business in a complex international supply chain can impact the fate of millions.
In unregulated capitalism, Ruskin sussed out what Sigmund Freud might have recognized as the death drive. Decisions about the economy, he held, must be informed by the essential biologic basis of life itself: ''The real science of political economy, which has yet to be distinguished from the bastard science, as medicine from witchcraft, and astronomy from astrology, is that which teaches nations to desire and labour for the things that lead to life; and which teaches them to scorn and destroy the things that lead to destruction'' (Unto This Last).
The Covid crisis has exposed contradictions in market and America First ideology. Without federal aid to state and local governments, essential personnel are being laid off even as we declare them heroes. Employer based insurance is failing, but few American politicians are willing to fully embrace single payer insurance. Meat plant workers are declared essential, but still subject to deportation, as if famed Revolutionary patriot Nathan Hale had said, ''I only regret that you have but one life to give for my country.''
Ultimately, the most dangerous pestilence that threatens the country is not a packet of RNA called Covid-19 but an economic and political system that does not value true wealth, and promotes the life of the few while condemning the many to literal sickness unto death.
Moncef Slaoui | Medicxi
Sat, 16 May 2020 07:11
Moncef is a Partner at Medicxi and has been with the firm since September 2017. He currently serves on the board of Divide & Conquer, Monopteros and has an active role in several other Medicxi portfolio companies to support their development.
Prior to Medicxi, Moncef was GlaxoSmithKline's Head of Pharmaceutical R&D and Chairman of its Vaccines division. From this leadership role, Moncef spearheaded a profound overhaul of GSK's pharmaceutical R&D, resulting in a substantial improvement in productivity, a late-stage pipeline comprising more than 30 phase 3 programmes and a totally redesigned discovery organisation comprising 38 highly focused and accountable Discovery Performance Units. During his career at GSK, he also headed the development of a robust vaccines pipeline, including Rotarix to prevent infantile gastroenteritis, Synflorix to prevent pneumococcal disease and Cervarix to prevent cervical cancer.
Outside of his role at Medicxi, Moncef is chairman of the board at Galvani Bioelectronics, chairman of the board at SutroVax and sits on the boards of Artisan Biosciences, Human Vaccines Project and Moderna Therapeutics.
Moncef received a PhD in Molecular Biology and Immunology from the Universit(C) Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium and completed postdoctoral studies at Harvard Medical School and Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston. He was a professor of Immunology at the University of Mons, Belgium and has authored more than 100 scientific papers and presentations. A citizen of Morocco, Belgium and the USA, he is fluent in English, French and Arabic.
Trump to name former pharma exec Moncef Slaoui as vaccine czar
Sat, 16 May 2020 07:10
Moncef Slaoui
Jodi Gralnick | CNBC
President Donald Trump is set to name a former pharmaceutical executive to lead his administration's all-out effort to produce and distribute a coronavirus vaccine by the end of the year.
Moncef Slaoui, a former GlaxoSmithKline executive, will lead "Operation Warp Speed," Trump's push to accelerate the vaccine development process for Covid-19, according to an administration official. Slaoui is to serve in a volunteer capacity, and will be assisted by Army Gen. Gustave Perna, the commander of United States Army Materiel Command.
The move comes as the president and White House aides hope to produce vaccines for the coronavirus faster than what many scientists believe is realistic. The administration is aiming to have 300 million doses to distribute to Americans by the end of the year, believing a reliable vaccine is the only way to promote an economic rebound.
"Operation Warp Speed" is operating largely independently of the existing White House coronavirus task force, which is also shifting its focus toward vaccine development.
The initiative is being promoted by White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, and involves officials from the Defense Department and the Department of Health and Human Services.
On Tuesday, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government's top infectious disease expert, said a vaccine would not be available by the beginning of the next academic year.
"The idea of having treatments available or a vaccine to facilitate re-entry of students into the fall term would be something that would be a bit of a bridge too far," he said, "even at the top speed we're going."
Steve Linick: Trump fires state department inspector general - BBC News
Sat, 16 May 2020 07:08
Image copyright EPA
Image caption Steve Linick was appointed by Barack Obama, to oversee spending and detect mismanagement at the state department The US state department's inspector general, Steve Linick, has become the latest senior official to be fired by US President Donald Trump.
Mr Trump said Mr Linick no longer had his full confidence and that he would be removed in 30 days.
Mr Linick had begun investigating Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for suspected abuse of office, reports say.
Democrats say Mr Trump is retaliating against public servants who want to hold his administration to account.
'Ousted' US vaccine expert to file complaint The White House revolving door: Who's gone?"It is vital that I have the fullest confidence in the appointees serving as inspectors general. That is no longer the case with regard to this inspector general," Mr Trump is quoted as saying in a letter sent late on Friday to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, US media report.
Not long after Mr Linick's dismissal was announced, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee said Mr Linick had opened an investigation into Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
"This firing is the outrageous act of a president trying to protect one of his most loyal supporters, the secretary of state, from accountability," Eliot Engel, a Democrat, said in a statement.
"I have learned that the Office of the Inspector General had opened an investigation into Secretary Pompeo. Mr Linick's firing amid such a probe strongly suggests that this is an unlawful act of retaliation."
Mr Engel did not provide any further details about the content of this investigation into Mr Pompeo.
Congressional aides, speaking on condition of anonymity, have been quoted in different media as saying that Mr Linick was examining complaints that Mr Pompeo may have improperly used staff and asked them to perform personal tasks.
Mr Linick, a former prosecutor, was appointed by Mr Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama, to oversee spending and detect mismanagement at the state department.
'Retaliation'Democrats have been reacting to the move. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Mr Linick was "punished for honourably performing his duty to protect the constitution and our national security".
"The president must cease his pattern of reprisal and retaliation against the public servants who are working to keep Americans safe, particularly during this time of global emergency," she added in a statement.
Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut, said the Senate Foreign Relations Committee needed to learn more about the dismissal.
This is the latest in a series of dismissals of independent government watchdogs.
Last month, Mr Trump dismissed Michael Atkinson, the inspector general of the intelligence community.
Mr Atkinson first alerted Congress to a whistleblower complaint that led to Mr Trump's impeachment trial.
Cernovich on Twitter: "HUGE. The FBI will no longer be giving intelligence-based threat briefings to candidates, those briefings will now be handled by the U.S. Intelligence Community. This is a polite way of saying that the FBI is no longer trusted. http
Sat, 16 May 2020 01:20
Tokak @ Propaga32344514
9h Replying to
@Cernovich All career employees of the FBI must be immediately fired. The entire organization is compromised. Burn it down and start from scratch, with appropriate legislation. The American people must know they can trust our nation's largest law enforcement agency.
View conversation · We Don't Know the Denominator @ nnnanceee
9h Replying to
@Propaga32344514 @Cernovich We have city, county and state police forces. We don't need a national police force. Ruby Ridge and Waco prove the FBI does more harm than good.
View conversation · William @ fore7iron
9h Replying to
@Cernovich Fallen Bureau of Investigation
View conversation · Adam Lawson @ cigarsandlegs
9h Replying to
@fore7iron @Cernovich Also works with "Fake" and "Fraudulent".
View conversation · JC Denton @ JD3nt0n
9h Replying to
@Cernovich I don't think the FBI is salvageable at this point....it needs to be abolished and we need a lifetime ban on any current and former FBI from working in law enforcement at any level
View conversation · Steven Raposeiro @ stvrap79
9h Replying to
@JD3nt0n @Cernovich That may be a little harsh on some of the low level agents. The agency and it's leadership are corrupt as hell, but there are many honest agents who are working the job for the right reasons.
View conversation · Max Dread @ MaxDread3
10h Replying to
@Cernovich I wonder why?
pic.twitter.com/6ZDYWJkRKI View conversation · Debra Garrett @ debragarrett
9h Replying to
@Cernovich @RichardGrenell @RichardGrenell taking care of business
View conversation · Chesty Puller's Ghost ðºð² @ Priv_Sht_Lord
10h Replying to
@Cernovich @realDonaldTrump That is monumental, and I don't think I've ever heard of it happening in the past.Absolutely incredible.
@realDonaldTrump making history yet again.
View conversation ·
Notorious hacker group claims they have damaging info on Trump '-- and they're demanding $42 million
Sat, 16 May 2020 00:09
A notorious hacker group says they have obtained damaging information on President Donald Trump and they're going to release it if they don't receive what amounts to the biggest cyber-ransom recorded.
The group is known as Sodinokibi, and they have a history of successful cyber-attacks. In their most recent, they obtained the files of a prominent lawyer that represents celebrities including Lady Gaga, Madonna and Bruce Springsteen.
That cyber-theft from the Grubman, Shire, Meiselas and Sacks law firm reportedly involved 756 gigabytes of sensitive information, some of which has been released on the dark web.
The original ransom was $21 million, but it doubled after it wasn't paid, according to a Forbes report.
"The next person we'll be publishing is Donald Trump," said a statement from the hacker group.
"There's an election race going on, and we found a ton of dirty laundry on time. Mr. Trump, if you want to stay president, poke a sharp stick at the guys, otherwise you may forget this ambition forever. And to you voters, we can let you know that after such a publication, you certainly don't want to see him as president," they continued.
"Well, let's leave out the details," they said. "The deadline is one week."
Here's more about the cyber-ransom: Entertainment firm hacked, and hackers want $42M or they'll release infowww.youtube.com
FDR wouldn't have fought the Axis the way Trump is fighting covid-19 - The Washington Post
Fri, 15 May 2020 23:42
The 75th anniversary of the Allied victory over Nazi Germany got me thinking about how World War II might have turned out if President Franklin D. Roosevelt had acted like President Donald J. Trump.
Picture the scene a few months after Pearl Harbor. The first U.S. troops have arrived in England, and the Doolittle raiders have bombed Tokyo. But even though the war has just begun, the Trumpified FDR is already losing interest. One day he says the war is already won; the next day that we will just have to accept the occupation of France because that's the way life is. He speculates that mobilization might be unnecessary if we can develop a ''death ray'' straight out of a Buck Rogers comic strip. He complains that rationing and curfews are very unpopular and will have to end soon. He tells the governors that if they want to keep on fighting, they will have to take charge of manufacturing ships, tanks and aircraft. Trumpy FDR prefers to hold mass rallies to berate his predecessor, Herbert Hoover. He even suggests that Hoover belongs in jail along with the leading Republican congressmen '-- ''Martin, Barton and Fish.''
In reality, of course, Roosevelt focused with single-minded devotion on defeating the United States' enemies until the day of his death. Old political battles and agendas fell by the wayside. ''Dr. New Deal'' had been transformed, he explained, into ''Dr. Win-the-War.''
Trump, by contrast, cannot focus on a single subject for the length of a paragraph. So it is no surprise that he has already gotten bored with a war against the coronavirus that isn't going his way. He is taking his cues not from FDR but from Sen. George Aiken, the Vermont Republican whose plan for the Vietnam War was summed up as ''declare victory and get out.'' In Trump's case, that means getting Americans out of the home whether it's safe to do so or not.
Coronavirus deaths are surging past 86,000 and unemployment claims past 36 million, but Trump sounded on Monday as if the pandemic is already over. ''We have met the moment and we have prevailed,'' he declared. It's as if Roosevelt had declared Victory in Europe before D-Day.
Full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic
Medical experts argue that it's necessary to dramatically ramp up testing, but Trump has no national plan to do so, and said on Thursday that testing might be ''frankly overrated.'' ''When you test you find something is wrong with people,'' he declared. ''If we didn't do any testing, we would have very few cases.'' The mind reels. This is akin to FDR saying that if no one reported the attack on Pearl Harbor, it wouldn't have happened.
Rather than turn into ''Dr. Defeat the Virus,'' Trump has become Dr. Demento trying to distract the public by replaying golden oldies. Have you heard the one about Joe Scarborough killing an aide (who actually collapsed because of a heart problem)? Play it again, Sam.
And rewind ''Obamagate'' while we're at it. ''This is the greatest political scam, hoax in the history of our country. ... People should be going to jail for this stuff,'' Trump thundered on Thursday, even though a few days earlier he was unable to explain what law President Barack Obama supposedly violated. ''You know what the crime is,'' he told a Post reporter. ''The crime is very obvious to everybody. All you have to do is read the newspapers, except yours.''
Actually no one knows what the crime is, because there isn't one. As the Bulwark's Tim Miller explains, Trump's theory seems to be that a high-level cabal framed him for colluding with Russia but neglected to make the information public before the election when it could have helped Hillary Clinton. When stated so concisely it sounds preposterous '-- so Trump prefers not to spell it out. Instead he darkly suggests that routine occurrences '-- such as Obama officials ''unmasking'' surveillance transcripts that revealed future national security adviser Michael Flynn speaking with the Russian ambassador '-- are worse than Watergate.
The scandal is not that Flynn was unmasked or prosecuted. It is that Attorney General William P. Barr is now trying to drop charges to which Flynn already pleaded guilty and acting director of national intelligence Richard Grenell is releasing information about the unmasking requests. They are politicizing the Justice Department and the intelligence community to save Trump from his own misconduct '-- which included (lest we forget) welcoming Russian interference in the U.S. election.
The Opinions section is looking for stories of how the coronavirus has affected people of all walks of life. Write to us.
It remains to be seen whether the ''very stable genius'' will succeed in distracting the public. He has definitely distracted himself. The Post reports: ''Trump has been distracted recently from managing the pandemic by fixating on Flynn and related matters, ranting in private about the Russia investigation, complaining about Comey and others in the FBI and making clear he wanted to talk in the run-up to the election about law enforcement targeting him, according to one adviser who spoke with the president last week.''
If FDR had taken Trump's approach, this column would be in German.
Watch the latest Opinions video:
Read more:
Henry Olsen: America needs a new FDR. Trump is not him.
Greg Sargent: The 'wartime president' has gone AWOL. More Americans will die.
Paul Waldman and Greg Sargent: No, Trump is not going to suddenly become FDR
Dana Milbank: Trump calls the pandemic 'worse than Pearl Harbor' '-- and declares a cease-fire
Michael Beschloss: What Trump can learn from real wartime presidents
Tom Toles: Donald Trump, you're no FDR
Balaji S. Srinivasan on Twitter: "The person responsible for this decision is Jeffrey Shuren, director of CDRH. On his watch: - labs were told to stop doing emergency COVID-19 testing - at-home tests were blocked - and now Gates' test is being yanked Jour
Fri, 15 May 2020 23:11
Log in Sign up Balaji S. Srinivasan @ balajis The person responsible for this decision is Jeffrey Shuren, director of CDRH. On his watch:- labs were told to stop doing emergency COVID-19 testing- at-home tests were blocked- and now Gates' test is being yankedJournalists, you can reach him here.
fda.gov/about-fda/fda-'... twitter.com/ByMikeBaker/st'... pic.twitter.com/Uw7bJzMGZO 4:03 PM - 15 May 2020 Twitter by: Balaji S. Srinivasan @balajis Steven Waterhouse(7) @ deseventral
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@balajis What do you expect? The plan is to lockdown until there is a vaccine right?
View conversation · Tyler Winklevoss @ tylerwinklevoss
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@deseventral @balajis Can someone remind me how many vaccines have been discovered for any COVID strain?
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@balajis FDA thought it was just a surveillance study but they were returning results to patients as well. That's a whole different type of study. ''test results are being used not only by researchers for surveillance of the virus..but that the results are also being returned to patients''
View conversation · 4tian @ 4tian
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@balajis Given as true. What explains this
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@balajis This is no more numbers, never wanted numbers and Jack Ma assault. Guy is taking material off the board at each opportunity
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@balajis twitter.com/MichaelHawaii/'... View conversation · 'rad Wears A Mask - #Masks4All ð§ ðºð¸ - ''¤¸'/ð' @ b05crypto
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Vice Media CEO slams Big Tech as 'great threat to journalism'
Fri, 15 May 2020 22:38
Nancy Dubuc, chief executive officer of Vice Media
Christopher Goodney | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Vice Media is laying off around 155 employees globally as the coronavirus pandemic continues to strain the media industry, according to multiple reports.
It's just the latest in a string of cuts across publishing companies such as Buzzfeed, Conde Nast, Meredith, Vox and others.
But in an unusual move, CEO Nancy Dubuc is placing the blame not only on coronavirus, but on Big Tech companies taking the lion's share of digital advertising growth.
In a memo announcing the layoffs, which was obtained by the Hollywood Reporter, Dubuc wrote that "Big Tech" poses a "great threat to journalism."
"We grew our digital business faster than anyone at a time when we believed that as more pies were baked, we'd keep getting a slice," she wrote.
"But we aren't seeing the return from the platforms benefiting and making money from our hard work. Now, after many years of this, the squeeze is becoming a chokehold. Platforms are not just taking a larger slice of the pie, but almost the whole pie... 36,000+ lost jobs in journalism is enough to take your breath away," she added.
Dubuc echoes complaints from other publishers, notably News Corp, which has publicly blamed Google and Facebook for hurting the newspaper industry by publishing (or allowing users to share) excerpts from news stories without sharing a fair portion of ad revenues. The two companies account for about 60% of all digital advertising spend, according to estimates from eMarketer.
Dubuc's memo said that 55 employees in the United States will be cut Friday, and approximately 100 people will be laid off globally in the coming weeks. The company will be providing severance pay and outplacement aid as they search for new jobs, and will receive extended health benefits coverage through 2020, she added.
Disclosure: CNBC parent company NBCUniversal is an investor in Buzzfeed and Vox.
Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube.
Who can the Flynn leaker be?
Fri, 15 May 2020 22:27
May 14, 2020 | 10:19pm
Who leaked to The Washington Post the fact that Michael Flynn had spoken to the Russian ambassador during the presidential transition? The phone call was not unusual '-- but leaking information about it was a felony.
That there were 49 requests made by dozens of Obama officials during a period from November 2016 to January 2017 to ''unmask'' Flynn's identity in transcripts of foreign-intelligence intercepts is evidence of a massive espionage campaign targeting Donald Trump's closest adviser.
Joe Biden sits at the top of the list of senior Obama officials who spied on Trump's then-incoming national security adviser.
But on closer inspection, the list declassified Wednesday goes higher than Biden. Barack Obama is in there, too. But he's hidden behind senior staff who would have done the spying to keep the former president's hands clean.
One obvious route by which Obama would have been briefed on unmaskings of US persons was through Chief of Staff Denis McDonough. The list of Obama officials who asked for Flynn's name shows that McDonough made one request on Jan. 5, 2017.
However, according to a former senior White House official I spoke with, Obama's requests for unmaskings likely took a different route. Michael Dempsey is identified on the list of Flynn's unmaskers as the deputy director of national intelligence for intelligence integration. Dempsey was also responsible for the President's Daily Brief (PDB), a highly classified document produced by the DNI with input from the intelligence community's 17 agencies that is given to the president each morning.
''This is how Obama would have made his unmasking requests,'' said the source. ''He's shown a summary of a report, which in Flynn's case would have said something like 'senior transition official.' Obama wants to know exactly who it is, so he asks the person giving him the PDB to request an unmasking.''
The list shows that Dempsey made a request for Flynn's identity on Jan. 7. According to an FBI interview with former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, Obama knew by Jan. 5 about the intercept of the phone call between Flynn and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.
Why then request information the president already had? Perverse curiosity?
Michael Flynn arrives for his sentencing hearing at US District Court in 2018. AFP via Getty ImagesThe answer may lie in the names notably absent from the unmasking list, like Obama deputies National Security Adviser Susan Rice and Deputy National Security Adviser for Strategic Communications Ben Rhodes. The PDB is shared with senior officials of the president's choosing and the source explains that this is likely why those names aren't on the unmasking list.
''They would have gotten the unmaskings through the PDB or they sat in on the meeting,'' said the former White House official. By the second week of January 2017, numerous administration officials knew that Flynn had spoken with the Russian ambassador.
A former journalist who worked the national-Security beat told me that after Washington Post columnist David Ignatius published his Jan. 12 story with Flynn's name leaked from a transcript, he was stunned to see how quickly colleagues were able to confirm an account typically difficult, if not impossible, to confirm.
Did the White House play a part in the criminal leak of a classified intercept? There are certainly plenty of suspects.
Lee Smith is author of the bestselling book ''The Plot Against the President.''
Rick Bright - Wikipedia
Fri, 15 May 2020 15:01
American immunologist and whisteblower
Rick Arthur Bright is an American immunologist and public health official.[1][2] Bright is the former director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, leading the authority from 2016 to 2020. In May 2020, he filed a whistleblower complaint, alleging that his early warnings about the 2019''20 coronavirus pandemic were ignored and that he was moved to a new position and ousted from his role.[3][4][5]
Early life and education Bright was born and raised in Hutchinson, Kansas.[6]
In 1984, Bright graduated from Hutchinson High School.[6] After a few years at the University of Kansas, Bright received a Bachelor of Science (magna cum laude[7]) in 1997 with a double-major in Biology (medical technology) and Physical Science (chemistry) from Auburn University-Montgomery.[8][9] His undergraduate academic advisor was Jeff Barksdale.[7] In 2002, Bright earned a Ph.D. in immunology and molecular pathogenesis (virology) from the Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences at Emory University School of Medicine.[10][8] His dissertation was titled, Studies on pathogenicity and control of H5N1 influenza A viruses in mice.[7] Bright's doctoral advisor was Jacqueline Katz.[7] In 2010, Bright completed the Advanced Course in Vaccinology (ADVAC) from the Fondation M(C)rieux and University of Geneva in Annecy, France.[8]
Career After high school, from 1990 to 1992, Bright worked as a product manager in the Research & Development Department of Osborn Laboratories in Olathe, Kansas. During college, from 1994 to 1995, he was a research assistant in the Flow Cytometry Department of the Alabama Reference Lab in Montgomery, Alabama.[8] After college, from 1997 to 2000, Bright worked at the Emory University Department of Microbiology and Immunology and in the Vaccine Research Center at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center in Atlanta, Georgia.[8]
From 1998 to 2002, Bright worked at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, in the Influenza Branch, Immunology and Viral Pathogenesis Section, where he studied Influenza A virus subtype H5N1.[8]
From 2002 to 2003, Bright shifted to working at the pharmaceutical company, Altea Therapeutics (a subsidiary of Nitto Denko) in Atlanta, Georgia, where he was a senior research scientist in their Vaccine and Immunology Programs.[8][11]
In 2003, Bright rejoined the CDC as an immunologist/virologist in their Disease Control and Prevention, Influenza Division,Strain Surveillance Branch in Atlanta, Georgia, where he worked on their influenza antiviral drug program and focused on avian influenza. He held that position until 2006.[8][12]
From 2006 to 2008, Bright returned to working in the private sector of the biotechnology industry at Novavax in Maryland, where he was vice president of their global influenza programs as well as of their vaccine research and development. During this time, he participated in World Health Organization committees on vaccine development and pandemic preparedness.[8][11][13]
In February 2008, Bright worked at the non-profit PATH on a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation grant funded project as the director in vaccine manufacturing capacity building in Viet Nam. He was also the scientific director of the influenza vaccine project as well as the global vaccine development program, a position he held until October 2010.[8]
In 2010, Bright joined the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) governmental agency Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). He was the program lead of BARDA International Programs, then in June 2011 became acting chief of the influenza antiviral drug advanced development program, a position he held until December 2011. From June 2011 to December 2015, he was both deputy director and acting director of BARDA's Influenza and Emerging Diseases Division, eventually serving as director of the division from December 2014 to November 2016. From February 2016 to November 2016, he was an incident commander in the ASPR/BARDA Zika Response.[8][14]
On November 15, 2016, President Obama appointed Bright to the position of Director of BARDA.[10][15] Bright succeeded founding director Robin Robinson. In addition to his role as Director of BARDA, Bright was also Deputy Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR).[13][16]
On April 20, 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, Bright was reassigned to the National Institutes of Health.[17] An HHS spokesperson said Bright's new role will be to help "accelerate the development and deployment of novel point-of-care testing platforms".[18] Bright characterized his transfer as a retaliatory demotion and asked the HHS Inspector General to investigate it.[19] As of May 5, Bright had not reported to NIH to start his new assignment.[20]
COVID-19 whistleblower complaint On May 5, 2020 Bright filed a whistleblower complaint,[21] alleging that his early warnings about the coronavirus were ignored.[22] In his complaint, delivered through videoconference, Bright asked to be reinstated as director at BARDA, accusing the Trump Administration of firing him in retaliation for his warnings about the virus and his opposition to off-label use of the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine. He also suggested that the administration was prioritizing "cronyism over science".[19][23][24][25][26][27] On May 8, 2020, the United States Office of Special Counsel, an independent agency which protects whistleblowers, reported that it found reasonable grounds for an investigation, and said he should be reinstated as head of BARDA while the investigation is undertaken. However, the recommendation is not binding on HHS.[28] On May 14, 2020 he testified before the health subcommittee of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. In a written statement issued the day before, he warned that 2020 could be "the darkest winter in modern history" if the country does not undertake a vigorous response to fight the virus. "Our window of opportunity is closing. If we fail to develop a national coordinated response, based in science, I fear the pandemic will get far worse and be prolonged, causing unprecedented illness and fatalities," he said[29]
Selected works and publications Selected works Bright, Rick Arthur (2002). Studies on pathogenicity and control of H5N1 influenza A viruses in mice (PhD thesis). Emory University. Crawford, PC; Dubovi, EJ; Castleman, WL; Stephenson, I; Gibbs, EP; Chen, L; Smith, C; Hill, RC; Ferro, P; Pompey, J; Bright, RA; Medina, MJ; Johnson, CM; Olsen, CW; Cox, NJ; Klimov, AI; Katz, JM; Donis, RO (21 October 2005). "Transmission of equine influenza virus to dogs". Science (New York, N.Y.). 310 (5747): 482''5. doi:10.1126/SCIENCE.1117950. PMID 16186182. Wikidata ()Bright, RA; Shay, DK; Shu, B; Cox, NJ; Klimov, AI (22 February 2006). "Adamantane resistance among influenza A viruses isolated early during the 2005-2006 influenza season in the United States". JAMA. 295 (8): 891''4. doi:10.1001/JAMA.295.8.JOC60020. PMID 16456087. Wikidata ()Bright, Rick A.; Carter, Donald M.; Daniluk, Shannon; Toapanta, Franklin R.; Ahmad, Attiya; Gavrilov, Victor; Massare, Mike; Pushko, Peter; Mytle, Nutan; Rowe, Thomas; Smith, Gale; Ross, Ted M. (May 2007). "Influenza virus-like particles elicit broader immune responses than whole virion inactivated influenza virus or recombinant hemagglutinin". Vaccine. 25 (19): 3871''3878. doi:10.1016/J.VACCINE.2007.01.106. PMID 17337102. Wikidata ()Deyde, Varough M.; Xu, Xiyan; Bright, Rick A; Shaw, Michael; Smith, Catherine B.; Zhang, Ye; Shu, Yuelong; Gubareva, Larisa V.; Cox, Nancy J.; Klimov, Alexander I. (15 July 2007). "Surveillance of Resistance to Adamantanes among Influenza A(H3N2) and A(H1N1) Viruses Isolated Worldwide". The Journal of Infectious Diseases. 196 (2): 249''257. doi:10.1086/518936. PMID 17570112. Wikidata ()Bright, Rick A.; Carter, Donald M.; Crevar, Corey J.; Toapanta, Franklin R.; Steckbeck, Jonathan D.; Cole, Kelly S.; Kumar, Niranjan M.; Pushko, Peter; Smith, Gale; Tumpey, Terrence M.; Ross, Ted M.; Rodrigues, Mauricio (30 January 2008). "Cross-Clade Protective Immune Responses to Influenza Viruses with H5N1 HA and NA Elicited by an Influenza Virus-Like Particle". PLoS ONE. 3 (1): e1501. doi:10.1371/JOURNAL.PONE.0001501. PMC 2200794 . PMID 18231588. Wikidata ()Sheu, Tiffany G.; Deyde, Varough M.; Okomo-Adhiambo, Margaret; Garten, Rebecca J.; Xu, Xiyan; Bright, Rick A.; Butler, Ebone(C) N.; Wallis, Teresa R.; Klimov, Alexander I.; Gubareva, Larisa V. (September 2008). "Surveillance for Neuraminidase Inhibitor Resistance among Human Influenza A and B Viruses Circulating Worldwide from 2004 to 2008". Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. 52 (9): 3284''3292. doi:10.1128/AAC.00555-08. PMC 2533500 . PMID 18625765. Wikidata ()Selected publications Bright, Rick (10 May 2019). "Building New Models To Support The Ailing Antibiotics Market". Forbes. Bright, Rick (24 September 2019). "A Newly FDA-Licensed Vaccine for the Prevention of Smallpox". U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Bright, Rick (22 April 2020). "Read: Statement from leader of federal vaccine agency about his reassignment". CNN. References ^ Brangham, William; Kane, Jason (19 June 2019). "Why the race to stop the next flu outbreak starts at state fairs and the beach". PBS NewsHour. ^ Stolberg, Sheryl Gay (5 May 2020). "Who is Rick Bright? The Coronavirus Whistle-Blower Who Said the Trump Administration Steered Contracts to Cronies // Virus Whistle-Blower Says Trump Administration Steered Contracts to Cronies". The New York Times. ^ Shear, Michael D.; Haberman, Maggie (22 April 2020). "Health Dept. Official Says Doubts on Hydroxychloroquine Led to His Ouster". The New York Times. ^ Collins, Kaitlan; Diamond, Jeremy; Liptak, Kevin (5 May 2020). "Ousted vaccine director files whistleblower complaint alleging coronavirus warnings were ignored". CNN. ^ Florko, Nicholas (5 May 2020). "Vaccine expert says demotion followed criticism of coronavirus response". STAT. ^ a b Booker, Ashley (15 November 2016). "Hutchinson native selected for two Health and Human Services positions". The Hutchinson News. ^ a b c d Bright, Rick Arthur (2002). Studies on pathogenicity and control of H5N1 influenza A viruses in mice (PhD thesis). Emory University. ProQuest 276273683. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Witness Disclosure Requirement, CV: Rick A. Bright, PhD" (PDF) . Committee on Energy and Commerce, U.S. House of Representatives. 6 March 2018. ^ Archibald, John (8 May 2020). "Scientist at odds with Trump Admin has Alabama roots". AL.com. ^ a b "Rick Bright Selected as New BARDA Director". Global Biodefense. 15 November 2016. ^ a b "BIO 2019 '' Profile '' Dr. Rick Bright". 2019 BIO International Convention. 2019. ^ Savage, Neil (18 September 2019). "The push for better flu therapies". Scientific American. ^ a b "R&D Blueprint: Rick A. Bright". World Health Organization, Scientific Advisory Group members. May 2016. ^ Owens, Brian (1 February 2018). "Zika vaccine development: two years on from the outbreak". The Pharmaceutical Journal. ^ "Director Rick Bright Moves to NIH to Head COVID-19 Testing R&D". Xconomy. 21 April 2020. ^ "Biography: Rick A. Bright, Ph.D." U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response. Archived from the original on 4 April 2020. ^ Segers, Grace (23 April 2020). "HHS ousts vaccine expert who pushed back on COVID-19 treatment". CBS News. ^ Diamond, Dan (22 April 2020). "Ousted vaccine expert battles with Trump team over his abrupt dismissal". Politico. ^ a b Rupar, Aaron (22 April 2020). "The HHS official overseeing coronavirus vaccine development says he was ousted after his objections to hydroxychloroquine". Vox. ^ Abutaleb, Yasmeen; McGinley, Laurie (5 May 2020). "Ousted vaccine official alleges he was demoted for prioritizing 'science and safety ' ". The Washington Post. ^ "U.S. Office of Special Counsel Complaint & Disclosure Form: R Bright Complaint (redacted). Addendum to the Complaint of Prohibited Personnel Practice and Other Prohibited Activity by the Department of Health and Human Services Submitted by Dr. Rick Bright" (PDF) . Katz Marshall & Banks. 5 May 2020. ^ Bright, Rick (22 April 2020). "Read: Statement from leader of federal vaccine agency about his reassignment". CNN. ^ Adams, Ben (23 April 2020). "Ex-BARDA chief decries science taking back seat to politics, demands investigation into Trump administration". FierceBiotech. ^ " ' Ousted' US vaccine expert to file complaint". BBC News. 24 April 2020. ^ "Dr. Bright: I was pressured to let politics, cronyism drive decisions over science". MSNBC. 5 May 2020. ^ Mangan, Dan (22 April 2020). "Top vaccine doctor says his concern about Trump's coronavirus treatment theory led to ouster from federal agency". CNBC. ^ Diamond, Jeremy; Collins, Kaitlan; Hoye, Matthew (23 April 2020). "Bright's ouster shines light on months of HHS turmoil". CNN. ^ Stolberg, Sheryl Gay (8 May 2020). "Federal Watchdog Says Coronavirus Whistle-Blower Should Be Reinstated as It Investigates". The New York Times. ^ Diamond, Jeremy; Collins, Kaitlin (May 13, 2020). "Rick Bright will warn Congress of 'darkest winter in modern history' without ramped up coronavirus response". CNN. External links Appearances on C-SPANScientific Integrity in the COVID-19 Response. Written Testimony to the House Subcommittee on Health, May 14, 2020
The sun has entered a 'lockdown' period, which could cause freezing weather, famine
Fri, 15 May 2020 10:58
By Chris Pollard, The Sun
May 14, 2020 | 2:58pm | Updated May 15, 2020 | 8:29am
Our sun has gone into lockdown, which could cause freezing weather, earthquakes and famine, scientists say.
The sun is currently in a period of ''solar minimum,'' meaning activity on its surface has fallen dramatically.
Experts believe we are about to enter the deepest period of sunshine ''recession'' ever recorded as sunspots have virtually disappeared.
Getty ImagesAstronomer Dr. Tony Phillips said: ''Solar Minimum is underway and it's a deep one.''
''Sunspot counts suggest it is one of the deepest of the past century. The sun's magnetic field has become weak, allowing extra cosmic rays into the solar system.''
''Excess cosmic rays pose a health hazard to astronauts and polar air travelers, affect the electro-chemistry of Earth's upper atmosphere and may help trigger lightning.''
NASA scientists fear it could be a repeat of the Dalton Minimum, which happened between 1790 and 1830 '-- leading to periods of brutal cold, crop loss, famine and powerful volcanic eruptions.
Temperatures plummeted by up to 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) over 20 years, devastating the world's food production.
On April 10, 1815, the second-largest volcanic eruption in 2,000 years happened at Mount Tambora in Indonesia, killing at least 71,000 people.
It also led to the so-called Year Without a Summer in 1816 '-- also nicknamed ''eighteen hundred and froze to death'' '-- when there was snow in July.
So far this year, the sun has been ''blank'' with no sunspots 76 percent of the time, a rate surpassed only once before in the Space Age '-- last year, when it was 77 percent blank.
Buried in N.Y. Budget: Legal Shield for Nursing Homes Rife With Coronavirus - The New York Times
Fri, 15 May 2020 10:22
In New York, 5,300 nursing home residents have died of Covid-19. The nursing home lobby pressed for a provision that makes it hard for their families to sue.
Family members visiting Vera Scheer, 94, at a Long Island nursing home. Credit... Stephen Speranza for The New York Times In the chaotic days of late March, as it became clear that New York was facing a catastrophic outbreak of the coronavirus, aides to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo quietly inserted a provision on Page 347 of New York's final, voluminous budget bill.
Many lawmakers were unaware of the language when they approved the budget a few days later. But it provided unusual legal protections for an influential industry that has been devastated by the crisis: nursing home operators.
The measure, lobbied for by industry representatives, shielded nursing homes from many lawsuits over their failure to protect residents from death or sickness caused by the coronavirus.
Now, weeks later, more than 5,300 residents of nursing homes in New York are believed to have died from the outbreak, and their relatives are finding that because of the provision, they may not be able to pursue legal action against the homes' operators over allegations of neglect.
Several state lawmakers, besieged by complaints that poor staffing and shoddy conditions allowed the virus to spread out of control in the homes, said they were blindsided by the provision. At least one called for it to be repealed.
Mr. Cuomo's aides said nursing homes were not singled out for protection, noting that the provision also shields hospitals and other health care facilities. As New York anticipated a surge of patients, officials wanted other facilities, including nursing homes, to take in Covid-19 patients and expand bed capacity, they said. Their goal was to protect health care workers from litigation during an emergency.
''This legislation is not intended to shield any bad-acting facilities during this tragic time, but rather to ensure facilities could continue to function in the face of potential shortages and other evolving challenges the pandemic presented,'' said Dani Lever, a spokeswoman for Mr. Cuomo.
As the coronavirus has ravaged nursing homes, killing more than 29,100 residents and staff members as of Wednesday, lobbyists across the country have pushed for immunity from lawsuits over how the homes have responded to the crisis.
New York is one of at least 15 states that have granted some form of legal protection to nursing homes and other health care facilities since the beginning of the pandemic. This immunity does not cover willful or criminal misconduct or gross negligence. But it would most likely cover harm that arose from a shortage in staffing or protective equipment.
The nursing home industry's push for immunity comes as businesses nationwide lobby the Trump administration and Congress to protect American companies from a range of potential lawsuits, including those from customers or employees who contract the virus and accuse the business of being the source of the infection.
Nursing home operators said they were not to blame for the terrible losses caused by the outbreak, emphasizing that they faced a formidable challenge that taxed them in ways they could not have foreseen. Many homes said they struggled to obtain testing kits for coronavirus and basic protective gear like gowns and N95 masks, leaving them powerless to stop the contagion.
''People need to know that they're not going to be sued as a result of going to work,'' said Jim Clyne, chief executive of LeadingAge New York, a group that represents nonprofit nursing homes and that lobbied for New York's law. ''Providers need to feel safe to take care of people.''
But in recent weeks, reports of horrific scenes within nursing homes have emerged: severe staffing shortages as workers became sick, terrified residents pleading to the outside world for help, the bodies of dead residents piling up in makeshift morgues.
Some homes run by for-profit companies had been previously cited by regulators for poor infectious-disease control and chronic understaffing. Families said they had difficulties prying even basic information from the facilities '-- like how many residents had died or had been infected with Covid-19.
Family members of those who died said they were dismayed that they might not be able to sue the homes for neglect. Vivian Rivera-Zayas said a Long Island, N.Y., nursing home waited until her mother, who had tested positive for Covid-19, was gasping for breath with a collapsed lung before transferring her to a hospital next door. Her mother died two days later.
Image Ana Martinez, left, and her daughter, Vivian Rivera-Zayas''They can't just shrug their shoulders and say, 'It's a pandemic,''' said Ms. Rivera-Zayas, who plans to sue the nursing home. ''There has to be accountability.''
Advocates for nursing home residents said there were three longstanding safeguards against bad homes: family members who frequently visit; regular inspections by government regulators; and, as a last resort, lawsuits that can hold negligent homes accountable. But families can no longer visit. Regulators have largely stopped inspecting.
''All of the systems there to protect people are gone,'' said Toby Edelman, a senior policy attorney at the Center for Medicare Advocacy. ''To me, the combination '-- rules are waived, protections are waived, nobody is going in to check. And now immunity? That is a lethal combination.''
New Jersey, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Utah and Wisconsin have also passed new measures to shield health care facilities, including nursing homes, from liability.
Image Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center II, in New Jersey, was the site of an outbreak of fatal coronavirus infection among residents. Credit... Gregg Vigliotti for The New York Times Governors in at least nine other states '-- Arizona, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Mississippi, Rhode Island and Vermont '-- issued executive orders shielding health care facilities from most lawsuits related to their response to the pandemic.
Nursing homes are pressing for legal protections in other states, including Florida, Pennsylvania and California.
At the epicenter of the outbreak, New York decided early to protect staff members at health care facilities, including nursing homes, from lawsuits. Mr. Cuomo issued an executive order on March 23 that shielded the workers '-- but not facilities '-- from most lawsuits related to their handling of coronavirus cases.
At the same time, the state required nursing homes to take Covid-19 patients from hospitals and also loosened record-keeping requirements for patient care, which would be crucial to any lawsuit. Almost a month later, Mr. Cuomo clarified at a press conference that nursing homes had to accept Covid-19 patients '-- but only if they could do so safely.
Image ''I miss you! Why can't you come inside?'' Laurel Witting, 74, asked her son Greg Guinard during a Mother's Day visit at the Grand Rehabilitation and Nursing at South Point on Long Island. Credit... Chang W. Lee/The New York Times Lobbyists wanted Mr. Cuomo to do more. The Greater New York Hospital Association, an influential lobbying group for hospitals (some of which also run nursing homes), drafted legislation calling for hospitals, as well as workers, to be shielded from most civil and criminal liability during the pandemic.
LeadingAge New York, one of several nursing home lobbying groups in the state, also asked the Cuomo administration to include nursing homes in the immunity protections.
''If the worker has immunity, the next thing you'd do is sue the provider, so you need to extend the liability to the facility as well,'' Mr. Clyne said.
The legal provision on immunity was stuck in the middle of a seemingly unrelated piece of legislation '-- concerning education, labor and family assistance '-- in an omnibus bill typically referred to as ''the big ugly.''
On April 2, the Legislature approved the budget, which included the immunity provisions shielding hospitals and nursing homes from lawsuits over Covid-19 care, as long as the facilities were acting in good faith. The immunity does not protect the homes from intentional criminal misconduct or gross negligence.
Several lawmakers said they did not know about the immunity provisions and worried they went too far.
''It's very troubling,'' said Richard N. Gottfried, the chairman of the Assembly's health committee, who voted for the budget bill but said he did not have a chance to thoroughly review the immunity provisions. ''There's a very long history of abuse and neglect of nursing home residents. And to add to that a reduction in the ability of patients and family members to seek relief in the courts is very scary.''
Ron Kim, a Democratic assemblyman from Queens, a borough that has been particularly hard-hit by nursing home deaths, said he was deeply concerned by the protections, which he learned about from The Times. He introduced a bill Monday that would strike the immunity provisions altogether.
Image Sapphire Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing of Central Queens, in Flushing, has been hard-hit in the outbreak. Credit... Hilary Swift for The New York Times ''For us to change the liability standard without any discussion is borderline criminal,'' said Mr. Kim, who voted against the budget for other reasons. ''It's ridiculous. Why would anyone comply with rules if they felt like they couldn't be touched?''
The spokeswoman for Mr. Cuomo's office said lawmakers had ample opportunity to weigh in on the provisions and denied that outside lobbyists influenced the immunity decision.
''This bill was not done in the dark, and elected officials cannot be blindsided by language in a bill, unless they don't read it,'' Ms. Lever said.
Realizing the extent of the crisis, Mr. Cuomo announced that the state attorney general would investigate homes over their handling of coronavirus cases. And last weekend, Mr. Cuomo issued an executive order that hospital patients had to test negative for Covid before being discharged to nursing homes, rolling back an earlier directive.
Ms. Rivera-Zayas, whose mother contracted Covid in Our Lady of Consolation Nursing & Rehabilitative Care Center, a Long Island nursing home, said she wants answers. She said she felt the home failed to provide her mother with proper medical care until it was too late.
She spent her first Mother's Day without her mother, protesting in front of the home with other families who lost loved ones. At least 39 other residents with Covid-19 died.
Image Vivian Rivera-Zayas, right, protested on Mother's Day in front of the Long Island nursing home where her mother contracted Covid-19.Being barred from suing, she said, would be a final indignity. ''Cuomo may have tied our hands,'' she said.
A spokeswoman for Catholic Health Services, which runs the Our Lady of Consolation home, said the facility ''takes great care of each and every patient.''
''We are vigilant in monitoring staff and residents for any Covid-19 symptoms and immediately take appropriate steps, if symptoms should appear,'' said Chris Hendricks, the spokeswoman.
Brett Leitner, a New York lawyer who over the years has brought hundreds of cases against nursing homes for abuse and neglect, said he had received more than 100 calls from families who have lost loved ones to Covid-19 in nursing homes.
While he is still taking on clients for future cases, he said the immunity law would make it harder to hold negligent homes accountable.
''It will be an uphill battle,'' he said.
Michael Rothfeld, John Leland, J. David Goodman and Nick Corasaniti contributed reporting. Susan Beachy contributed research.
I've reported on war for years. I'm more afraid now than I've ever been.
Fri, 15 May 2020 10:13
Angry and armed protesters shout down authorities and call for the imprisonment of a democratically elected leader.
In a neighboring state, another irate gathering is marching on a capitol and demanding change, or else.
I've seen episodes like these while reporting on conflict and unrest in Afghanistan, Iraq, Haiti, and elsewhere.
But I never expect to see it in Michigan, Ohio, and Kentucky, like we have in recent days. Protesters furious with the shutdown orders and social distancing, some waving Trump flags and others bearing swastikas.
For years I kept one eye on the hysteria and extremism that's been brewing in America while I covered atrocities half a world away.
Now that I spend more time in the states covering the Rust Belt and Appalachia, I must admit: I'm more afraid now than I ever was in a war zone.
Let me be clear: I'm not afraid of being killed in a gun battle or bombing on American soil, although by the looks of some of those protesters with the semi-automatic, military-style weapons, they appear to be itching for armed insurrection. They may just be waiting for some supreme conspiracy theorist, like QAnon or the president, to give them the green light.
Warzone deaths, while horrible, can at least be instantaneous and painless.
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Nowadays, I'm afraid that America's demise, (not to mention my own), will be slow, agonizing and too much to bear.
The last four-plus years of U.S. happenings have been fraught with the kind of anti-intellectualism and hatred of ''outsiders'' I've seen peddled by inept, tinpot dictators the world over and those with cruel acumen to sustain their tyrannical rules.
I've seen some of what's playing out in America in countries riddled with bullet holes and craters where suicide bombers drove into a crowded market. Before they were destroyed, some of them were pretty nice, stable places.
I'm afraid this hatred of reason and logic that pervades Trump's daily televised rallies from the White House is just the beginning of our slow painful decay into one of those nations that ''once was'' much more than it is now.
I'm afraid this country's decline into economic shambles will drive some to act on their darkest instincts.
I'm afraid too many people still think it ''can never happen here,'' even though I assure them it already is.
I'm afraid it's too late to halt the unraveling of the sometimes grand ''American Experiment'' led by a president seemingly hell bent on accelerating it with the help of his well-armed sycophants.
I'm afraid that as an American, I will be persona non grata around the world for months or years to come because my country is struggling to contain the virus, which brings me to my greatest fear.
My 3-year-old daughter Francesca is in Croatia, where I split my time. I was looking forward to being with her again, until my flight was cancelled last month.
Every day I video chat with her and her mother. But it's no substitute for being there and hugging my daughter. Instead, I watch from afar as her hair gets longer, her drawings get better and her reading improves. I also watch her endure this hardship without her daddy.
Now, Croatian leaders are saying they won't accept people from countries, like say the United States, to keep their own infection rate low.
I'm afraid I may not be with my little girl for a very long time.
That's what scares me the most.
Carmen Gentile is a longtime conflict reporter and author of ''Blindsided by the Taliban,'' the story of his injury in Afghanistan, recovery and return to front line reporting.