Wednesday, May 06, 2020
Should Identity Politics Dictate Vaccine Research? | City Journal
Should Identity Politics Dictate Vaccine Research? | City Journal
"The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) are not taking the coronavirus epidemic seriously, to judge from their funding priorities.
On April 20, those two agencies announced the availability of grants to increase the “diversity” of biomedical research labs.
Academic virologists working on respiratory failure, say, could receive hundreds of thousands more taxpayer dollars if they could find a “diverse” student to add to the project.
No scientific justification for the new diversity hire is needed; indeed, high school students are eligible, despite the virtual certainty that they will contribute nothing of value..."
Read all.
Academic virologists working on respiratory failure, say, could receive hundreds of thousands more taxpayer dollars if they could find a “diverse” student to add to the project.
No scientific justification for the new diversity hire is needed; indeed, high school students are eligible, despite the virtual certainty that they will contribute nothing of value..."
Read all.
Coronavirus Reality Check | R. R. Reno | First Things
Coronavirus Reality Check | R. R. Reno | First Things
"Data are coming in, and their import is clear.
The coronavirus pandemic is not and never was a threat to society.
COVID-19 poses a danger to the elderly and the medically compromised.
Otherwise, for most who present symptoms, it can be nasty and persistent, but is not life-threatening. A majority of those infected do not notice that they have the disease.
Coronavirus presents us with a medical challenge, not a crisis.
The crisis has been of our own making.
On March 16, Neil Ferguson of Imperial College London predicted a coronavirus death toll of more than two million in the United States alone.
He arrived at this number by assuming that infection would be nearly universal and the fatality rate would be high—a terrifying prospect.
The next day, Stanford epidemiologist John Ioannidis sifted through the data and predicted less widespread infection and a fatality rate of between 0.05 and 1.0 percent—not that different from the common flu.
...Nevertheless, all data trends since mid-March show that Ferguson was fantastically wrong and Ioannidis was largely right about its mortal threat.
But Ferguson’s narrative has triumphed, helped by our incontinent and irresponsible media.
...By the end of March, most of the United States had been locked down.
Tens of millions of Americans have lost their jobs.
More than $6 trillion has been spent to save society from complete collapse.
Relentless warnings have whipped the populace into frenzies of fear.
All of this to contain a disease that, as far as we can tell at this point, is not significantly more fatal than the flu.
....But a study from the Oise region of France found an infection rate of 25 percent—which, if it is true for France as a whole, suggests that the virus fatality rate in that country (which is considered hard-hit) is 0.13 percent..."
Read all.
And this: https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/05/uk/neil-ferguson-imperial-coronavirus-sage-gbr-intl/index.html
"Data are coming in, and their import is clear.
The coronavirus pandemic is not and never was a threat to society.
COVID-19 poses a danger to the elderly and the medically compromised.
Otherwise, for most who present symptoms, it can be nasty and persistent, but is not life-threatening. A majority of those infected do not notice that they have the disease.
Coronavirus presents us with a medical challenge, not a crisis.
On March 16, Neil Ferguson of Imperial College London predicted a coronavirus death toll of more than two million in the United States alone.
He arrived at this number by assuming that infection would be nearly universal and the fatality rate would be high—a terrifying prospect.
The next day, Stanford epidemiologist John Ioannidis sifted through the data and predicted less widespread infection and a fatality rate of between 0.05 and 1.0 percent—not that different from the common flu.
...Nevertheless, all data trends since mid-March show that Ferguson was fantastically wrong and Ioannidis was largely right about its mortal threat.
But Ferguson’s narrative has triumphed, helped by our incontinent and irresponsible media.
...By the end of March, most of the United States had been locked down.
Tens of millions of Americans have lost their jobs.
More than $6 trillion has been spent to save society from complete collapse.
Relentless warnings have whipped the populace into frenzies of fear.
All of this to contain a disease that, as far as we can tell at this point, is not significantly more fatal than the flu.
....But a study from the Oise region of France found an infection rate of 25 percent—which, if it is true for France as a whole, suggests that the virus fatality rate in that country (which is considered hard-hit) is 0.13 percent..."
Read all.
And this: https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/05/uk/neil-ferguson-imperial-coronavirus-sage-gbr-intl/index.html
Nobel Prize-winning scientist shares COVID-19 data showing strict lockdowns were an overreaction - TheBlaze
Professor Michael Levitt, who teaches structural biology at the Stanford School of Medicine, won the 2013 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for "the development of multiscale models for complex chemical systems."
And according to Levitt, coronavirus data show that sweeping lockdown measures were an overreaction that may actually backfire.
Nazification of America-----Police step up patrols at medic's home after he is targeted by vigilantes for not social distancing | Daily Mail Online
Police step up patrols at medic's home after he is targeted by vigilantes for not social distancing | Daily Mail Online
- Dr. David Murdock was suspended from his role as a cardiologist at Aspirus medical group last month
- He faced a backlash after photos emerged on Facebook of him flouting social distancing rules and not wearing a mask at the Open Wisconsin Now protest
- The doctor was exposed when Kevin Rusch spotted the photo and shamed him for putting patients at risk as he breaks the state's stay-at-home order
- Authorities have had to step up protection for Murdock after someone left a bag of feces on the front steps of his home
- This comes as the public is increasingly divided over the response to the virus
- A growing spate of social distancing vigilantism has emerged with citizens calling each other out for flouting executive orders..
Read all.
History for May 6
History for May 6 - On-This-Day.com
Maximilien Robespierre 1758 - French revolutionary, Sigmund Freud 1856 - Psychiatrist, originated psychoanalysis, (George) Orson Welles 1915 - Actor ("War of the Worlds", "A Man for All Seasons", "Catch-22")
Willie (Howard) Mays 1931 - Baseball player, George (Timothy) Clooney 1961 - Actor (TV: "The Facts of Life", "E/R", Movies: "Batman & Robin", "Ocean's 11"), son of broadcast journalist Nick Clooney, nephew of singer Rosemary Clooney, Roma Downey 1963 - Actress ("Touched by an Angel")
1937 - The German airship Hindenburg crashed and burned in Lakehurst, NJ. Thirty-six people (of the 97 on board) were killed.
1994 - Former Arkansas state worker Paula Jones filed suit against U.S. President Clinton. The case alleged that he had sexually harassed her in 1991.
Tuesday, May 05, 2020
Why The Daily Caller News Foundation Is Suing For Documents Regarding China And The WHO | The Daily Caller
We have a legitimate and urgent news purpose for seeking these documents regarding U.S. officials’ communications with the WHO and demand that the agencies in question stop stalling and start following FOIA, which clearly entitles us to this vital information.
The FOIA lawsuit also seeks documents related to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Dr. Bruce Aylward, a WHO official who led the mission to China.
Your Guide To The Obama Administration's Hit On Michael Flynn
Your Guide To The Obama Administration's Hit On Michael Flynn
"...Beyond exposing the depth of this despicable personal and political hit job on a 30-year military veteran, the newly discovered documents hold great legal significance.
Here’s your legal primer.
...Flynn pleaded guilty to the Section 1001 charge in December 2017...
He later moved to withdraw his guilty plea, arguing his prior Covington and Burling lawyers had provided ineffective counsel.
More significantly, Flynn maintained that he is innocent of the charge and had only pleaded guilty because Mueller’s prosecutors threatened to go after his son if he refused...
...This evidence confirms Flynn’s claim that he was coerced into the plea agreement. (It also provides an independent basis for a plea withdrawal, although outright dismissal is a more appropriate remedy to respond to the outrageous prosecutorial misconduct.)
That coercion explains why Flynn would have pleaded guilty to lying when he did not knowingly misrepresent his conversation with the Russian ambassador to the FBI agents.
Now It All Starts to Make Sense...
Read all.
- New documents in the Michael Flynn case cemented that a small cadre of high-level FBI agents set a perjury trap for President Trump’s then-national security advisor.
"...Beyond exposing the depth of this despicable personal and political hit job on a 30-year military veteran, the newly discovered documents hold great legal significance.
Here’s your legal primer.
...Flynn pleaded guilty to the Section 1001 charge in December 2017...
He later moved to withdraw his guilty plea, arguing his prior Covington and Burling lawyers had provided ineffective counsel.More significantly, Flynn maintained that he is innocent of the charge and had only pleaded guilty because Mueller’s prosecutors threatened to go after his son if he refused...
...This evidence confirms Flynn’s claim that he was coerced into the plea agreement. (It also provides an independent basis for a plea withdrawal, although outright dismissal is a more appropriate remedy to respond to the outrageous prosecutorial misconduct.)
That coercion explains why Flynn would have pleaded guilty to lying when he did not knowingly misrepresent his conversation with the Russian ambassador to the FBI agents.
Now It All Starts to Make Sense...
Read all.
Meat Shortages Leave Wendy’s Diners Asking, ‘Where’s the Beef?’
(Bloomberg) -- With meat shortages roiling the U.S., some Wendy’s Co. restaurants have taken burgers -- their hallmark item -- off the menu.
Customers have taken to Twitter to complain they couldn’t order burgers from the restaurant, which touts its beef as fresh and never frozen in its marketing.
A check on Wendy’s app showed that only chicken items were available for takeout or delivery orders from at least some of its stores in California.
The situation has prompted a number of customers to ask “Where’s the beef?” on social media, invoking a Wendy’s catch phrase from the 1980s that poked fun of the small burgers sold by other chains.
North America’s meat-supply chain has fallen apart as outbreaks shutter slaughterhouses, heightening the prospect that pork, beef and chicken may go missing from grocery shelves and restaurant menus..."
Read all.
Judge Napolitano: Politicians Are Taking Our Rights Away In The Name Of Public ‘Safety’ | The Daily Caller
Fox News senior judicial analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano said Friday that Americans are increasingly falling for “the illusion of safety” and are forgetting “the idea of liberty.”
Napolitano, commenting on the increasingly strict lockdown regulations that governors across America are imposing on Americans during the coronavirus crisis, said, “It will be allowed if a politician believes he can get away with it.”
An 11-year-old changed election results on a replica Florida state website in under 10 minutes | PBS NewsHour Weekend
An 11-year-old changed election results on a replica Florida state website in under 10 minutes | PBS NewsHour Weekend
"An 11-year-old boy on Friday was able to hack into a replica of the Florida state election website and change voting results found there in under 10 minutes during the world’s largest yearly hacking convention, DEFCON 26, organizers of the event said.
The boy, who was identified by DEFCON officials as Emmett Brewer, accessed a replica of the Florida secretary of state’s website.
He was one of about 50 children between the ages of 8 and 16 who were taking part in the so-called “DEFCON Voting Machine Hacking Village,” a portion of which allowed kids the chance to manipulate party names, candidate names and vote count totals.
“These are very accurate replicas of all of the sites,” Sell told the PBS NewsHour on Sunday.
“These things should not be easy enough for an 8-year-old kid to hack within 30 minutes, it’s negligent for us as a society.”...
Read all.
The boy, who was identified by DEFCON officials as Emmett Brewer, accessed a replica of the Florida secretary of state’s website.
He was one of about 50 children between the ages of 8 and 16 who were taking part in the so-called “DEFCON Voting Machine Hacking Village,” a portion of which allowed kids the chance to manipulate party names, candidate names and vote count totals.
“These are very accurate replicas of all of the sites,” Sell told the PBS NewsHour on Sunday.
“These things should not be easy enough for an 8-year-old kid to hack within 30 minutes, it’s negligent for us as a society.”...
Read all.
Fans of Best of the Web Today
Fans of Best of the Web Today--Michael Smith"Perhaps the greatest weakness we have on the right is that we think we are engaged in a political war.
Nothing could be farther from the truth - we're engaged in a cultural war.
If the culture can be changed, politics will follow.
As an example, I am watching our local morning news and in a cut to the CBS national news for a coronavirus update, the reporterette uncritically reported that "Trump delayed and downplayed the pandemic for weeks, worsening its effects" as if it was God's honest truth.
At best, that's an opinion and at worst, it is just a lie that has been adopted as an article of faith by the left and NeverTrumpers.
But more and more, this is being entered into our collective consciousness as a proven fact.
No timelines, no coverage of what the "experts" or media were saying at the same time, no explanation of why, no "some experts say", just presented as objective fact.
This is how the culture gets changed - how through repetition, an opinion becomes a "fact".
(Read the comments!)
As an example, I am watching our local morning news and in a cut to the CBS national news for a coronavirus update, the reporterette uncritically reported that "Trump delayed and downplayed the pandemic for weeks, worsening its effects" as if it was God's honest truth.
At best, that's an opinion and at worst, it is just a lie that has been adopted as an article of faith by the left and NeverTrumpers.
But more and more, this is being entered into our collective consciousness as a proven fact.
No timelines, no coverage of what the "experts" or media were saying at the same time, no explanation of why, no "some experts say", just presented as objective fact.
This is how the culture gets changed - how through repetition, an opinion becomes a "fact".
(Read the comments!)
US could rebound from coronavirus with historic growth rate in 2021: Kudlow | Fox Business
US could rebound from coronavirus with historic growth rate in 2021: Kudlow | Fox Business:
President Trump's chief economic adviser Larry Kudlow said Sunday the U.S. economy could see a historically high growth rate in 2021 despite the current economic contraction caused by coronavirus.
"President Trump cut taxes and regulations for middle-income folks, better trade deals, boosting the energy system, that worked. We had terrific growth in earlier years, even the beginning of this year," Kudlow told "Sunday Morning Futures." "We will build on those incentives so that coming off of this pandemic, we could have one of the greatest economic growth rates in American history in 2021 next year."
President Trump's chief economic adviser Larry Kudlow said Sunday the U.S. economy could see a historically high growth rate in 2021 despite the current economic contraction caused by coronavirus.
"President Trump cut taxes and regulations for middle-income folks, better trade deals, boosting the energy system, that worked. We had terrific growth in earlier years, even the beginning of this year," Kudlow told "Sunday Morning Futures." "We will build on those incentives so that coming off of this pandemic, we could have one of the greatest economic growth rates in American history in 2021 next year."
Please read and watch this video. Send it to your kids!-----Why eco-leftists are suddenly turning on Michael Moore
Why eco-leftists are suddenly turning on Michael Moore
"I pay as little attention to Michael Moore as humanly possible.
But when his latest documentary opened on Earth Day to attacks from fellow leftists, including calls for censorship, it got my attention.
Moore’s new documentary has led to calls for censorship from the eco-warriors on the left.
Right now, you can only see it on YouTube.
...Powering the nearby city of Lansing, Mich., he says with a grin, would require 15 square miles of panels.
You want to talk about “footprints?”
...Moore’s sometime friends in the eco-left movement are not amused and apparently have already convinced the distributor of his film to take it down.
For now, you can still watch Moore’s epic take-down of “green energy” on YouTube, but you’d better move fast.
"I pay as little attention to Michael Moore as humanly possible.
But when his latest documentary opened on Earth Day to attacks from fellow leftists, including calls for censorship, it got my attention.
Moore’s new documentary has led to calls for censorship from the eco-warriors on the left.
Right now, you can only see it on YouTube.
...Powering the nearby city of Lansing, Mich., he says with a grin, would require 15 square miles of panels.
You want to talk about “footprints?”
...Moore’s sometime friends in the eco-left movement are not amused and apparently have already convinced the distributor of his film to take it down.
For now, you can still watch Moore’s epic take-down of “green energy” on YouTube, but you’d better move fast.
There’s a campaign underway to remove it from that service as well...
Please read all and watch video WHILE YOU CAN!
BEFORE THEY TAKE IT DOWN!
BEFORE THEY TAKE IT DOWN!
Screw the stockholders, bondholders, suppliers. It's legal and will be common soon.-----J. Crew the first national retailer to file for bankruptcy since coronavirus closures - UPI.com
May 4 (UPI) -- Apparel chain J. Crew on Monday become the first national retailer to file for bankruptcy since the coronavirus pandemic ushered in total closures for non-essential brick and mortar businesses.
J. Crew Group and parent company Chinos Holdings announced they filed under Chapter 11 in bankruptcy court in Virginia.
- More than 300 J. Crew and Madewell locations will remain open
- under $400 million in debtor-in-possession financing from existing lenders, the company said... lenders will convert about $1.7 billion in J. Crew debt into equity.
- The bankruptcy will restructure the company's debt and "deleverage" its balance sheet, positioning J. Crew and Madewell "for long-term success," CEO Jan Singer said...
Read More
If you had any doubts about the financial incentive to 'diagnose" every illness as COVID-19----Michigan hospitals to receive $1.3 billion for treating coronavirus patients - mlive.com
Michigan hospitals to receive $1.3 billion for treating coronavirus patients - mlive.com"Michigan hospitals are set to receive nearly $1.3 billion in federal funds for treating COVID-19 patients during the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says.
The grants include $900 million to 30 “high-impact provider" hospitals that treated more than 100 COVID-19 patients as of April 10, the third largest allocation nationwide...
In total, the federal government plans to divvy up $24 billion dollars, including $12 billion to 395 hospitals nationally that treated more than 100 patients..."
Read all.
Michigan Gov. Whitmer Extends Lockdown, Grabs More Emergency Powers And Executive Authority | The Daily Caller
Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Thursday extended her state’s lockdown until May 28 and increased her executive powers — unleashing a torrent of protest from opponents who want the economy to reopen.
Whitmer said the Republicans who control the state legislature are endangering lives by not keeping the lockdown in place to prevent infection from the coronavirus, Fox News reported.
History for May 5
History for May 5 - On-This-Day.com
Soren Kierkegaard 1813 - Philosopher, poet, theologian, Karl Marx 1818 - Socialist writer ("Das Kapital", "The Communist Manifesto"), founder of communism, John B. Stetson 1830 - Hat manufacturer, inventor of cowboy hat
Nellie Bly (Elizabeth Cochran Seaman) 1865 - Journalist, wrote about taboo subjects for her time period (divorce, poverty, capital punishment, insanity), women’s rights advocate, Tammy Wynette (Virginia Wynette Pugh) 1942 - Country singer, Annette Bening 1959 - Actress
1892 - The U.S. Congress extended the Geary Chinese Exclusion Act for 10 more years. The act required Chinese in the U.S. to be registered or face deportation.
1961 - Alan Shepard became the first American in space when he made a 15 minute suborbital flight.
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