Information on the "Ike Dike" Coastal Barrier

July 12: The Washington Examiner: MO AG slams St. Louis prosecutor for “politically motivated decisions”
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt said the prosecutor in the case of Mark and Patricia McCloskey has “a record of making politically motivated decisions not based on the law.”  The McCloskeys made headlines earlier this summer for brandishing their guns at Black Lives Matter protesters who marched through their gated community. On Friday, St. Louis police seized the rifle seen in viral videos of the couple after officers executed a search warrant at their home. An attorney for the couple said he hopes to meet with St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly Gardner soon, as she was weighing charges against them.

July 12: The Washington Times: Dead cat gets a voter registration application in the mail
In a presidential election year, there’s always a push to get people registered to vote. For one Atlanta family, that push got a little interesting.  Ron Tims said he checked his mail Wednesday and found a voter registration application addressed to Cody Tims - his cat, who died 12 years ago.  “Third-party groups all over the country are targeting Georgia to help register qualified individuals,” the Secretary of State’s Office said in a statement. “This group makes you wonder what these out-of-town activists are really doing. Make no mistake about it, this office is dedicated to investigating all types of fraud.”

July 12: Fox News: Iran admits responsibility for shoot down of Ukrainian
airliner, blames miscommunication for the incident
A report released Saturday by Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization blames the shootdown of a Ukrainian jetliner on a misaligned missile battery and miscommunication between troops and their commanders.  The report signals a new phase in the investigation into the crash, as the aircraft's black box flight recorder is due to be sent to Paris, where international investigators will finally be able to examine it. It also comes as public opinion remains low over Iran's government as it faces both crushing U.S. sanctions and vast domestic economic problems.

July 12: United Press International:  Fire breaks out on USS Bonhomme Richard, 21 injured
At least 21 people were injured after a three-alarm fire broke out following an explosion on the USS Bonhomme Richard, the Navy said.  A fire was called at 8:30 a.m. as the ship was docked at a Naval base in San Diego; 17 sailors and four civilians sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were transferred to hospitals for treatment, Naval Surface Forces reported on Twitter.   "USS Bonhomme Richard is going through a maintenance availability and has a crew size of approximately 1,000," they said. The cause of the fire was not immediately clear. USS Bonhomme Richard is a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship, commissioned in 1998. It’s name is derived from the pen name of Ben Franklin.

July 11; The Washington Examiner:  People will die with violent US-China
clash possible, says GOP lawmaker
A violent confrontation between the United States and China could take place within months, according to an American lawmaker wary of Beijing’s expansionist foreign policy.   “I would predict there will be a clash within the next three to six months,” Florida Rep. Ted Yoho, the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee for Asia, said.  Yoho’s forecast attests to the suspicion that has come to characterize U.S.-China relations in recent years, as U.S. intelligence officials  assess that the world’s largest communist power is waging “a cold war” against Washington. That competition has played out in the economic sphere and between spy agencies, but Yoho thinks it could soon turn percussive as China seeks to tighten control of the shipping lanes around its borders.

July 11: The Hill: Trump wears mask during visit to Walter Reed
President Trump wore a face mask during his visit to Walter Reed hospital on Saturday, marking the first time he has done so in front of cameras.  Trump visited the medical center in Maryland to meet with wounded soldiers and health care staff who have been caring for COVID-19 patients. He wore a mask as he walked down a hallway with hospital officials, but the rest of his time at Walter Reed was closed to the press. 

July 11: Fox News: Rep Collins: Trump will ultimately prevail against Biden
Joe Biden maybe leading President Trump in some recent 2020 presidential election  polls, but Biden will soon have to answer for and explain his recent policy pitches, U.S. Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA)said Saturday night.  "I'm not worried because when you put up this president against Joe Biden, Joe Biden has to come out of the basement more than just to give a speech and a plan and remarks that he's going to have," Collins said.

July 10: The Washington Examiner: FBI concluded Flynn wasn’t
an agent of Russia and wasn’t lying
An internal Justice Department draft memo from late January 2017 indicates that the FBI concluded retired Lt. General Michael Flynn was not acting as an agent of Russia and noted that agents believed he did not think he was lying to them during an interview about his calls with Russia's ambassador.   The heavily redacted document (dated Jan. 30, 2017) was released to the Flynn defense team earlier this week and was made visible to the public on Friday in a filing with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

July 10: United Press International: Trump commutes Stone sentence
President Trump on Friday commuted the sentence of former campaign adviser Roger Stone, allowing him to avoid prison time for lying to Congress.  Stone had been scheduled to begin his 40-month prison sentence on Tuesday, though his lawyers were attempting to delay his report date because of the coronavirus pandemic.

July 10: The Washington Free Beacon: Iran reels after mysterious explosions
A large explosion rocked Iran’s capital for the third time in three weeks, according to the New York Times.  Though the exact site of the Thursday night explosion remains unspecified, analysts have reason to suspect "sabotage" due to its proximity to military and training institutions.  The incident is the latest in a series of explosions occurring near Iranian military sites between midnight and 3 a.m. since June. The first two transpired near Iran’s largest missile production facility and near the centrifuge of a nuclear base. Though the exact cause is unclear, intelligence analysts speculate that other countries looking to curb Iranian ambitions may be conducting sabotage while Tehran deals with internal crises, including the coronavirus pandemic.

July 9: Fox News: Supreme Court ruling in “Little Sister’s” case
big victory for religious freedom
The Supreme Court bolstered its standing as a defender of religious liberty with two decisions Wednesday vindicating that ideal. One of them, the Little Sisters of the Poor Saint Peter and Paul Home v. Pennsylvania.  The Little Sisters, a Roman Catholic nuns order runs homes for the elderly poor all over the world.  The Obama Administration forced them to comply with the Obamacare requirement to provide free contraceptives to employees.   Things changed when President Trump’s administration arrived and adopted a rule that expanded the conscience protection to cover the Little Sisters and other previously unprotected entities with sincere religious or moral objections to providing contraceptive coverage.  Then Democrats in Pennsylvania and New Jersey went to court and secured a nationwide injunction against enforcement of the accommodation.  Thankfully, the Supreme Court’s decision upheld the conscience protection. This is a victory for freedom of religion and conscience.   

July 9: United Press International: Australia ends Hong Kong extradition
treaty, extends visas with residency path
Australia said Thursday it will suspend its extradition treaty with Hong Kong and create a path to permanent residency for citizens from the former British colony with temporary visas in response to a draconian national security law Beijing imposed last week. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said duringa press conference hat Australia has formally notified Hong Kong and advised Chinese authorities of plans to end their extradition treaty, stating the new security law "constitutes a fundamental change of circumstances" in regards to Australia's relationship with Hong Kong.

July 8: Townhall.com: With NYC in crisis what should happen to Mayor DeBlasio
The Democratic mayor of New York City has led his constituents into a circumstance involving multiple crises, including widespread violence, murders, looting, economic devastation, and abandoned school children. Now is the time for him to end the damage he has wreaked on the nation’s most populous city by vacating Gracie Manor

July 8:The Washington Times: Gap between social distancing vs. free pass on COVID-19 protests
For three weeks, Seattle officials allowed hundreds of protesters to take over a six-block area of Capitol Hill that included Cal Anderson Park, but parents still isn’t allowed to take her child to the local playground. “Apparently, my toddler is much more dangerous [than protesters],” said Ms.Sadovnik, a Seattle-based lawyer for the Freedom Foundation. “I guess all the law-abiding people have to be subject to all these restrictions, but if you’re protesting and looting and rioting, that’s OK, you don’t spread coronavirus.”

July 8: The Daily Signal: Supreme Court decides in favor of religious liberty
The Supreme Court strengthened the separation of church and state Wednesday and, for once, that’s a good thing.  The 7-2 keeps government out of decisions by religious institutions about who may teach their faith.   The high court’s decision combined two cases in which Catholic schools in California each fired a fifth-grade teacher, the fired teacher in one school said age was the real reason for her firing, while the teacher in the other one claimed it was disability.  The issue in these cases was whether religious institutions, such as schools and churches, may make certain personnel decisions without government interference. Federal courts have recognized that the First Amendment creates what is often called a “ministerial exception” to employment discrimination laws regarding certain positions.

July 8: The Daily Caller: Democrat Houston Mayor cancels Texas GOP
in-person convention while defending Floyd protests
Democratic Houston mayor Sylvester Turner announced during a virtual City Council meeting Wednesday that the Texas GOP would not be allowed to hold an in-person convention in Houston, but defended the George Floyd protests that took place in the city.  Turner said he instructed the publicly-owned Houston First Corporation, which operates the George R. Brown Convention Center, to cancel its contract with the Texas GOP.  The convention had been scheduled to take place July 16 and expected an audience of roughly 6,000 people.

July 8: The Washington Free Beacon: Maine Senate Democrat candidate’s
husband benefits -- $1-2 million – from program she opposes
Maine Senate candidate Sara Gideon's husband directly benefited from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) even as the Democrat railed against Sen. Susan Collins (R., Maine) for supporting the small business relief fund.  Gideon, who serves as the state House speaker, has frequently criticized the PPP in the last few months, accusing Collins of creating a fund that bails out large corporations but abandons small businesses. What Gideon did not say in her PPP attack ads—one of which earned three out of four “Pinocchios” from fact-checkers—was that her husband's law firm received between $1 to $2 million in financial assistance from the fund.

July 7: Breitbart News: SD Governor: Monument debate “This isn’t
about equality anymore – This is a radical rewriting of history”
Gov.  Kristi Noem rejected the claim the push to remove statues and monuments was about “equality.”  She praised President Donald Trump’s efforts, including his July 3 speech at Mount Rushmore in her state, to defend monuments.  “I think it’s important we protect our history,” she said. “This isn’t about equality anymore. This is a radical rewriting of our history to take away our freedoms and liberties. It’s really trying to rewrite the foundation of this country. And so it’s alarming to me. I’m thankful that the president made the statement that he made in his speech about protecting Mount Rushmore and other monuments across the country.”

July 7: United Press International: US restricts Chinese over human rights record
In its latest reproach of China's human rights record, the U.S. State Department on Tuesday said they will deny Chinese officials entry to the United States who have restricted access of American government officials, journalists, independent observers and tourists to the Tibetan Autonomous Region.  In a statement, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said access to the Tibetan areas was of "increasingly vital" importance to regional stability due to the People's Republic of China's human rights abuses in the area and its failures to prevent environmental degradation near Asia's major waterways there.

July 7: Townhall.com:  USA Today twists itself into a pretzel trying to
explain about party roots of the KKK and the Civil War
Well, if you ever want to see linguistic gymnastics, just take a look at this USA Today’s fact check of the claim that the Democrats didn’t create the Ku Klux Klan or start the American Civil War. Are they really just low on material over there? Because this wasn’t even said by a major politician. It was an Instagram user. Yeah, so for USA Today to pull out the fact check guns on this is a tell-tale sign that the Left is fully aware of their racist past. And given how left-wing mob violence has grown and ‘woke’ crybabies taking scalps at major publications, best to just show you’re part of the team and strike back whenever you can. 
[The opinions expressed in this column are not necessarily those of this blog or its contributors]

July 7: The Washington Times: Obama judges undermine pipelines
in sneak peek of the Biden energy pan
The nation may be awash in oil and natural gas, but U.S. pipelines are running on fumes after three high-profile conduits ran aground in 24 hours, the victims of Obama-appointed judges and regulatory uncertainty under the possibility of a climate-woke Biden presidency.  In Monday’s triple whammy, a federal judge ordered the three-year-old Dakota Access Pipeline to empty pending an environmental review. The still-under-construction Keystone XL pipeline was further delayed after the Supreme Court upheld a lower-court order blocking a permit.  And despite winning its Supreme Court case last month, Dominion Energy and Duke Energy stunned the industry by abandoning after six years the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline, citing the “increasing legal uncertainty that overhangs large-scale energy and industrial infrastructure development in the United States.”

July 7: United Press International: Lawmakers urge Pentagon to stop buying F-35 parts from Turkey
A bipartisan group of US senators sent a letter to Defense Secretary Mark Esper this week asking the Pentagon to more quickly end its F-35 partnership with Turkey.  The U.S. formally removed Turkey from the international F-35 partnership in 2019 after it received delivery of a Su-35 Russian missile defense system, which the U.S. has warned could compromise the F-35.  Turkish manufacturers have been involved in building more than 900 parts for the F-35, and while Pentagon officials have found replacement suppliers for most, the shift could cost more than $500 million.

July 7: Fox News: Iowa BLM activist faces felony leak charges for allegedly
showing confidential police document on TV
Prosecutors in Iowa have filed a rarely used leak charge against Black Lives Matter (BLM) protestors accused of stealing a confidential police documents and displaying it during a television news broadcast.  Two protesters have been charged with this felony that carries upto five years in prison.  The statute was intended to punish officers and others who share information that could undermine criminal investigations or violate privacy protections.  The document in question was a Des Moines Police Department bulletin that included photos of suspects.  It is document officers and state troopers had with them while patrolling a July 1 protest at the Iowa Capitol.

July 6: The Washington Times: “Unlock Michigan” launches veto-proof drive
to repeal Governor’s powers
Organizers said Monday that they will begin collecting voter signatures within days for a veto-proof measure that would repeal a law that has given Gov. Gretchen Whitmer broad emergency powers during the pandemic.  The ballot committee Unlock Michigan announced its plan after the state elections board approved a summary of the petition. It would rescind a 1945 law that the Democratic governor has cited to close businesses, limit gathering sizes and restrict other activities to curb the coronavirus.

July 6: Reuters.Com: U.S. Supreme Court curbs “faithless electors” in electoral college
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to free “faithless electors” in the Electoral College system that decides the outcome of presidential elections from state laws that force them to support the candidate who wins the state’s popular vote.  The justices unanimously rejected the idea that electors, who act on behalf of a state in the Electoral College vote that occurs weeks after voters go the polls, can exercise discretion in the candidate they back. The decision erased a potential complicating factor in the Electoral College as President Donald Trump seeks re-election on Nov. 3 against Democratic challenger Joe Biden.

July 6: United Press International: ICE authorized to deport foreign students
who are taking courses only online
International students in the United States on student visas cannot attend a university this fall if their studies are entirely online, Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Monday.  In a statement, ICE announced that students on non-immigrant F-1 and M-1 visas who attend universities that operate entirely online amid the COVID-19 pandemic "may not take a full online course load and remain in the United States."

uly 5: The Washington Times: Supreme Court Justice Roberts decisions are about politics
Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. has been labeled the Supreme Court’s swing vote after siding several times with the liberal wing, but both conservative and liberal court watchers say his judicial moves are all about politics.  Conservatives say he’s trying to strike a balance so the high court doesn’t appear too political. Critics say that balancing act is falling short and is resulting in an inconsistent record that appears to be more political than rooted in a particular jurisprudence.

July 5: The Washington Examiner: NYC shootings up 205% since disbanding police unit
After making the decision to disband its plainclothes "anti-crime" unit, New York City has seen a 205% increase in shootings in comparison to the same time period last year.   According to the New York Post, 116 shootings took place in the city since the officers were reassigned from June 15 to July 2.  In 2019 there were 38 shootings during the same period.   "I feel like we are giving the streets back to the criminals," said the mother of one shooting victim, whose son was shot just days after the unit was disbanded. "Whatever the problem they have, address it. But don’t disband the unit. Many lives would have been saved. Not just my son," she said.

July 5: Fox News: Trump announces second rally, this one in New Hampshire
President Trump’s re-election campaign announced Sunday that the president will headline an outdoor rally in the battleground state of New Hampshire next weekend, just his second rally since the Chinese coronavirus pandemic swept across the nation in March.  Campaign staffers said the rally will be held next Saturday, July 11, at the Portsmouth International Airport in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

July 4: WhiteHouse.gov: The text of President Trump’s remarks at Mount Rushmore
“Angry mobs are trying to tear down statues of our Founders, deface our most sacred memorials, and unleash a wave of violent crime in our cities.  Many of these people have no idea why they are doing this, but some know exactly what they are doing.  They think the American people are weak and soft and submissive.  But no, the American people are strong and proud, and they will not allow our country, and all of its values, history, and culture, to be taken from them,” Trump said.

July 4: The New York Post: Trump gives fiery speech at Mount Rushmore
In a fiery speech at Mount Rushmore Friday night, President Trump slammed what he called the “left-wing cultural revolution” that has led to “violent mayhem” in the streets and the toppling of historic statues.  “They want to silence us. But we will not be silenced,” Trump said to cheers of “USA! USA!”  “We will not be intimidated by bad, evil people. It will not happen!” he said to more cheers from the thousands of supporters in the monument’s amphitheater before a Fourth of July fireworks show.  “We will never surrender the spirit and the courage and the cause of July 4, 1776,” he said.

July 4: Fox News: Trump announces new national monument
President Trump signed an executive order to establish a garden honoring “historically significant Americans who have contributed positively to America throughout our history,” Trump said.   It comes as a response to the anti-monument fervor that has gripped segments of the country, who have taken to either calling for the removal of, or simply attempting to tear down, monuments and statues of past American figures.   The proposed names on the list include Supreme Court Justice Anthony Scalia, the conservative justice who died in 2016, black major league baseball player Robinson, teacher and Challenger astronaut Christa McAuliffe, the Wright Brothers, educator Booker T. Washington, and women’s rights activist Susan B. Anthony.

July 4: United Press International: Trump signs bill extending pay check protection program
President Donald Trump signed a law Saturday extending the deadline for small business loans under the Paycheck Protection Program.  The extension of PPP, which was established to provide small businesses relief from the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, was passed by Congress earlier in the week. Trump signed the legislation to extend the PPP, which expired Tuesday with $130 million unspent.  The new deadline for this program is August 8.

July 4: The Washington Examiner: Kavanaugh declines permission for
Illinois GOP to hold political rallies
Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh rejected an application from Illinois Republicans challenging the governor's ban on political activity during the coronavirus pandemic.  Kavanaugh, a conservative member of the high court, declined the emergency request (which was placed to him by geography alone) that complained that Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat, allowed religious gatherings and protests but not political rallies or gatherings beyond 50 people.

July 3: The Daily Caller: Getting out of hand – protestors block roads
to Mount Rushmore ahead of Trump’s arrival
Protesters blocked the roads leading up to Mount Rushmore ahead of President Donald Trump’s Fourth of July speech that is scheduled to take place there Friday evening. Footage shows protesters standing on top of several large white vans and blocking traffic into the monument ahead of Trump's appearance. The protesters were holding signs and flags and had reportedly slashed the tires of the vans they were standing on.

July 3: Fox News: Seattle police arrest ten in clearing out protestors
Seattle police clashed with protesters after being attacked with rocks, bottles and fireworks overnight Thursday in the now-cleared Capitol Hill Organized Protest zone. Police said 10 people were arrested after violence erupted.  Helmeted police forcibly cleared the area after the mayor ordered the response following weeks of non-action and two recent fatal shootings.  When the zone was cleared Wednesday, more than three dozen people were arrested on charges of failure to disperse, obstruction, assault and unlawful weapon possession.

July 2: United Press International:  Senate passes bill to punish China
over its actions against Hong Kong
The U.S. Senate on Thursday unanimously passed bipartisan legislation to punish China for imposing a new sweeping national security law on Hong Kong, sending the bill to President 's desk to be signed into law.  The bill, the "Hong Kong Autonomy Act" will impose mandatory sanctions on persons and entities who contribute to China's defiance of its responsibilities to Hong Kong and those who infringe upon its autonomy as well as banks that conduct "significant transactions" with those people.

July 2: The Washington Free Beacon: WHO backtracks on China’s telling world about COVID-19
According to a WHO timeline tracking the spread of the virus, contrary to claims from both Chinese officials and the World Health Organization, China did not report the existence of the coronavirus in late 2019. Rather, international health officials discovered the virus through information posted to a U.S. website.  The quiet admission from the international health organization, which posted an "updated" timeline to its website this week, flies in the face of claims from some of its top officials, including WHO director general Tedros Adhanom, who maintained for months that China had informed his organization about the emerging sickness.

July 2: The Washington Times: Jobs Report shatters expectations
Employers added a record 4.8 million jobs in June as the economy bounced back from coronavirus shutdowns, prompting President  Trump to celebrate the “spectacular” news four months before he faces voters, while a key government forecaster warned that a full recovery is still years away.  The robust job gains bolstered nearly every sector of the U.S. economy. as the unemployment rate declined to 11.1% from 13.3% in May.  Combined with a revised 2.7 million jobs added in May, the Labor Department said 7.5 million Americans went back to work over two months. 
The DOL reported the ten states with the highest unemployment rates at the end of June were Nevada: 25.3%, Hawaii: 22.6%, Michigan: 21.2 %, Rhode Island: 16.3, Massachusetts: 16.3%, California: 16.3%, Delaware: 15.8%, New Jersey: 15.2%, Illinois: 15.2%, and Washington: 15.1%, most controlled by Democrats.

July 2: The Washington Examiner: U.S. Attorney: 150 cases tied to rioting
The top prosecutor in the nation’s capital said the Justice Department has charged 150 people in cases related to acts of violence during protests that followed the death of George Floyd.   Acting U.S. Attorney for D.C., Michael Sherwin, selected by Attorney General William Barr in mid-May after a stint as deputy attorney general for national security, revealed the number on Tucker Carlson’s Fox News show Thursday evening while providing an update on the Justice Department’s law enforcement efforts tied to the demonstrations over the past five weeks. 

July 2: Townhall.com: Liberal journalist reports on Minneapolis riots and media coverage
Reporter Michael Tracey walked by the Minneapolis police headquarters, noting that the place looked like Bosnia. He also said that the breadth of the destruction is probably not being covered by the media because it could be seen as helping President Trump, who has promised to maintain law and order during the chaos. He found one dentist’s office that was used to give care to the uninsured in the community that was utterly destroyed. 

July 1: The Daily Caller: Hong Kong police arrest more than
300 less than a day after enacting security law
Hong Kong police arrested more than 300 people Wednesday during protests less than a day after China enacted a national security law for the autonomous territory.  Thousands of protesters gathered downtown Wednesday for a rally marking the 23rd anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover to China from the United Kingdom, and were met with riot police deploying pepper spray and pellet rounds, Reuters reported. The police made arrests as crowds reportedly chanted “resist till the end.”

July 1: The Washington Times: D.C. sued over BLM painted street
Judicial Watch filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday demanding access to D.C.’s streets to paint its own messages, after the city painted Black Lives Matter on one street and allowed protesters to paint their own “Defund the police” message next to it.  The conservative group said it wants to paint its own motto, “Because No One is Above the Law,” on a street near its D.C. officers.  Judicial Watch said the city has turned its streets into a public forum for political expression by painting and allowing the other messages, which means that it cannot shut out other competing messages or else it runs afoul of the First Amendment.

July 1: The Washington Examiner: Pompeo accuses China of “hostage taking”
to pressure Canada on Huawei
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused the Chinese Communist Party of “hostage-taking” for its imprisonment of two Canadians, a move the Chinese government made after Canada arrested and began the extradition process for a top Huawei executive.   Huawei’s chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, was arrested by Canadian authorities in December 2018 at the request of the United States, indicted in the Eastern District of New York in January 2019, and charged with bank fraud and wire fraud as well as conspiracy to commit both alleged crimes. In the same 13-count indictment in the Brooklyn court, Huawei was charged with wire fraud, bank fraud, conspiracy, money laundering, and violations of sanctions against Iran.  After Meng’s arrest, China arrested two Canadian citizens who remain imprisoned.

June 30:  The Wall Street Journal:  Supreme Court: Decision on CFPB
The Supreme Court ordered changes to a government consumer-finance watchdog created in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, capping a 10-year battle over the agency by ruling its structure was unconstitutional because the director held too much unchecked power.  To address the problem, the court held that the president can remove the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for any reason.  The court rejected the broader argument that it should strike down the bureau altogether.

June 30: The Wall Street Journal: India bans Chinese apps
India banned dozens of Chinese mobile apps, including widely used TikTok and WeChat, after a border clash between troops from the two countries left 20 Indian soldiers dead this month.  New Delhi cited cybersecurity concerns in blocking the Chinese apps from one of the largest and fastest-growing markets in the world. A senior Indian government official said the ban was imposed because the apps.

June 30: The Wall Street Journal:  Hong Kong Security Law gives Beijing broad new powers
China’s legislature approved a sweeping new law aimed at quashing threats to national security in Hong Kong, rejecting Western criticism that Beijing’s efforts will curb people’s freedoms in the protest-torn city.   Senior members of the National People’s Congress voted unanimously Tuesday to pass the legislation, which is meant to prevent and punish subversives, sessionists, and terrorists.

June 29: Fox News: Justice Thomas about the Supreme Court’s decision on abortion
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas filed a blistering opinion dissenting from a Monday decision to strike down a Louisiana law that required abortion doctors to obtain admitting privileges at a nearby hospital, calling the court’s record on abortion "grievously wrong."    "The plurality and [Chief Justice John Roberts] ultimately cast aside this jurisdictional barrier to conclude that Louisiana’s law is unconstitutional under our precedents,” Thomas wrote.  "But those decisions created the right to abortion out of whole cloth, without a shred of support from the Constitution’s text. Our abortion precedents are grievously wrong and should be overruled."

June 29: The New York Post: Supreme Court: Administration has unfettered power to fire officials
A divided Supreme Court on Monday put the brakes on Congress’ attempt to limit the president’s power to remove executive branch officials in a win for President Trump.  The justices ruled, 5-4, that the Constitution requires the president have unfettered discretion to fire the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. 

June 29: Townhall.com: Another virus, another possible pandemic, from where?  China!
As the world continues to deal with the Wuhan coronavirus, researchers are warning about another strain of the flu that has the potential to turn into a pandemic. Pigs are the source of the strain but have the potential to be transmitted to humans, the BBC reported. Because of how new the strain is, the chances of humans having immunity to it is little to none.  This new strain is said to be similar to the swine flu, which came from China in 2009. The humans that are being infected with the new strain, as of now, work in China's pig industry.  10.4 percent of those working in the swine industry are positive for the new strain. Those between the ages of 18 and 35 are most at risk of being infected.

June 28: The Washington Times: Feds charge four men with attack on statue
Four men have been charged with damaging and trying to tear down the Andrew Jackson statue near the White House, federal prosecutors announced Saturday night.   One, Connor Matthew Judd, has already been arrested and appeared in court Saturday.  The other three were at large as of the announcement, prosecutors said. They are identified as Lee Michael Cantrell, Ryan Lane and Graham Lloyd.  Prosecutors said all four were caught on video using straps to try to pull down the statue, which stands on federal land in Lafayette Park, across the street from the White House. The statue was targeted earlier this week as an outgrowth of the Black Lives Matter protests that have roiled cities across the country over the last month.

June 27: The Washington Examiner: Four men charged with voter fraud in New Jersey
Four people have been charged with voter fraud stemming from a May 12 special election in New Jersey.   Paterson, New Jersey, City Councilman Michael Jackson, Council-Elect Alex Mendez, and two other men have been charged with voter fraud after the Passaic County Board of Elections had opted not to count 800 ballots across several different municipalities.  Jackson, 48, and Mendez, 45, were charged with fraud related to casting mail-in votes, unauthorized possession of ballots, tampering with public records, and falsifying public records. Mendez was also charged with election fraud.  The investigation began when the U.S. Postal Inspection Service alerted the N.J. Attorney General’s Office that hundreds of mail-in ballots were found in a mailbox in Paterson.  Numerous additional ballots were found in a mailbox in nearby Haledon, NJ.  Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all voting in May 12 elections in New Jersey was done by mail-in ballots.  [See additional information: InsideNJ.com]

June 27: Fox News: TX AG on absentee ballots and voter fraud (video)
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton was asked on Fox and Friends   “What do you say about to those who say that accusations that there is increased fraud with absentee ballots is bogus?” 
“Well they obviously haven’t been investigating fraud in my state,” Paxton said, “ because we have a team of lawyers and investigators whose sole job is to investigate voter fraud.  Two-thirds of our cases over the last decade have been about mail in ballots. We know for a fact that there is mail in ballot fraud going on … so we are dealing with it, we’re prosecuting it, and if we had more resources we’d be prosecuting more! There is a lot of voter fraud going on,” he concluded.

June 27: The Washington Examiner: AG Barr on mail-in ballots
Attorney General William Barr said he supports mail-in balloting for a “limited” amount of people but is concerned about expanding the process.   “I think there’s a range of concerns about mail-in ballots. And let me just clarify here, I’m not talking about a mail-in ballot for a limited number of cases where somebody is going to be traveling around the world, and the way that the state has provided for that is, you mail in your ballot,”  Barr said in an  NPR interview.  “I’m talking about a comprehensive rule where all the ballots are essentially mail-in, and there’s so many occasions for fraud there that cannot be policed.”

June 27: The Washington Times:  US Supreme Court refuses to consider
challenge to Texas absentee voting challenge
The U.S. Supreme Court refused Friday to take a case attempting to force Texas to allow mail-in voting for anyone who fears contracting COVID-19.  The decision leaves in place an appeals court ruling that had already shot down the request by Democrats.  Texas law allows mail-in voting only for those who will be traveling or otherwise unable to make the polls on Election Day, and for those over 65 or who have a disability. The state Democratic Party had argued that the danger of contracting the coronavirus should count as a disability, freeing the entire state to vote by mail. They also said it was age discrimination to allow those over 65 to vote by mail, but not anyone younger.

June 25: The Washington Examiner: Carlson: Trump could lose the election
Fox News host Tucker Carlson warned conservatives that President Trump may lose the election.  Carlson said that it may be “tough” for Trump to win reelection if he does not adequately respond to civil unrest in the country.   “Not many people are saying it out loud on the Right. But the fact is that President Trump could well lose this election. In fact, unless fundamental facts change soon, it could be tough for him to be reelected,” Carlson said in his opening monologue. He said if former Vice President Joe Biden wins in November, the White House will be controlled by "radicals" who will "remake the country."

June 25: The New York Post: NYPD Commander quits in protest
A Bronx NYPD precinct commander is quitting to protest the department’s handling of police reform and anti-brutality protests, The Post has learned.   Deputy Inspector Richard Brea is hanging it up after nearly three decades, Guardian Angels leader Curtis Sliwa told The Post on Thursday following a phone conversation with Brea, who led the Bronx’s 46th Precinct.   Brea put in his papers because his bosses are not giving him enough guidance on how to get guns and drugs off the street now that the department has disbanded and reassigning its anti-crime unit, Sliwa said.

June 25: The Daily Caller: Biden strongly overstates COVID-19 deaths
Former Vice President Joe Biden said Thursday that “over 120 million” people have died from the novel coronavirus before correcting himself – the actual number is closer to 126,000 with 2.4 million cases reported.  The live stream of Biden’s campaign event appeared to cut out as the former vice president was preparing to correct himself.

June 25: Global News (Canada): Trump Administration
awards  $5.5 billion Navy contract for building frigates
in Wisconsin
Donald Trump announced a US$5.5 billion Navy contract awarded to Fincantieri Marinette Marine in Wisconsin on Thursday, which would see the company build the service’s first new frigate, which is a type of ship, with options for nine more. This is a deal that is expected to lead to the hiring of about 1,000 American workers.

June 24: The Washington Examiner: Appeals Court sides with DOJ on
dropping the Michael Flynn Case
U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan, a Clinton appointee,  issued a minute order Wednesday evening after an appeals court panel sided with the Justice Department in its effort to force the judge to allow it to drop its case against President Trump's first national security adviser.  "In light of the Opinion and Order issued by the Court of Appeals on Mr. Flynn's petition for writ of mandamus, the deadlines and hearing date set forth in the Minute Order of May 19, 2020 are HEREBY STAYED," the order by Sullivan said.

June 24: The Washington Times: Former policy toward China is being reversed
by the current Administration
Decades of coaxing China’s rulers into moderating the communist system backfired and instead have produced the “greatest failure of American foreign policy since the 1930s,” President Trump’s top security aide argued in a major policy address Wednesday.  White House National Security Adviser Robert C. O’Brien said the failure was the result of misunderstanding the nature of the Marxist-Leninist system that guides China’s rulers to this day.  The Trump administration has begun reversing past policies toward Beijing that it says ignored massive theft of data and technology and abuse of conciliatory American trade and other policies, he said.

June 24: Fox News:  Newly uncovered FBI notes shed light on Comey, Obama,
and Biden’s knowledge on the issue
Michael Flynn’s lawyers said newly uncovered notes from former FBI official Peter Strzok indicate then-FBI Director James Comey appeared to downplay Flynn’s calls during the presidential transition with Russia's ambassador as “legit” during a meeting where then-President Barack Obama and then-Vice President Joe Biden also weighed in.  The handwritten notes, purportedly penned by Strzok, were submitted by Flynn’s legal team on Wednesday as part of his court case, after acting U.S. Attorney Michael Sherwin and the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia shared them with his attorneys.

June 23: The New York Post: Oregon issues face mask order exempting non-whites
Lincoln County, Oregon, has exempted non-white people from a new order requiring that face coverings be worn in public — to prevent racial profiling.  Health officials announced last week residents must wear face coverings in public settings where they may come within six feet of another individual who is not from the same household.  But people of color do not have to follow the new rule if they have “heightened concerns about racial profiling and harassment” over wearing the masks, officials said.

June 23: Fox News: Trump visits part of the 220 miles of new southern border wall
President Trump on Tuesday toured new construction of the wall at the southern border in Arizona, marking more than 200 miles of wall built -- as he seeks to show that he has delivered on what became a central and controversial 2016 election promise.  “So my administration has done more than any administration in history to secure our southern border, our border has never been more secure,” he said in remarks at a roundtable in Yuma, Ariz., before he toured the wall.

June 23: United Press International:  Appeals court rules Trump can expand
expedited deportation policies
A federal appeals court on Tuesday ruled that the Trump administration can move forward with a measure to more quickly deport undocumented immigrants although it faces legal challenges.  The District of Columbia U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a preliminary injunction blocking the administration from expanding the Department of Homeland Security's ability to conduct expedited removals.

June 23: The Daily Caller: DOJ turns over Peter Strzok notes to Michael Flynn’s lawyers
The Justice Department on Tuesday provided Michael Flynn’s lawyers with handwritten notes that former FBI official Peter Strzok took in early 2017 as part of the investigation into the former national security adviser.  The acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, told Flynn’s lawyers that a federal prosecutor appointed to review the Flynn case discovered the documents.  He said Strzok, the former deputy chief of FBI counterintelligence, compiled the notes likely between Jan. 3 and Jan. 5, 2017, a key date range in the FBI’s investigation of Flynn.

June 23: The Washington Times: Trump addresses young conservatives: US
“will never surrender to mob violence”
President Trump told cheering conservative students Tuesday that America “will never surrender to mob violence,” warning that Democratic rival Joseph R. Biden would be a caretaker president who would allow leftist activists to control the streets.  “We will never cave to the left wing and the left-wing intolerance,” Trump told the crowd of about 3,000 in Phoenix, Arizona, a swing state where Mr. Biden has held a slim lead in polls.  He also repeated his opposition to the push for widespread voting by mail, saying the November contest is shaping up “the most corrupt election in the history of our country.”

June 22: United Press International: Amazon driver follows delivery
instructions to a “T” ... Trust me... you’ll want to watch this!
A Delaware woman's doorbell camera footage of an  Amazon delivery driver complying with her son's "additional instructions" for delivery -- shouting "abra cadabra" and running away.  Lynn Staffieri said her 13-year-old son, Jacob, ordered a package from Amazon and left a message for the driver in the section of the order that asked, "Do we need additional instructions to find this address?"   

June 22: The Washington Times: Trump to cut 525,000 foreign guest-workers
in order to speed up COVID-19 jobs recovery
President Trump unleashed American workers to begin the coronavirus recovery Monday, announcing a series of immigration moves that will block hundreds of thousands of new foreign workers the rest of this year and push businesses to offer better pay to those who do come in the future.  Defying the Washington consensus that has long supported higher immigration, Mr. Trump said he’s betting on American workers to lead the country out of the coronavirus-induced slump.  He issued a proclamation tripling the size of his immigration pause, blocking about 525,000 visas that would have been issued over the next six months and, he hopes, saving those spaces for Americans.

June 22: Fox News: Seattle to “dismantle” the CHOP area after killing where
police were not able to respond
Seattle will move to end the police-free zone known as the "Capitol Hill Organized Protest," or "CHOP," after two recent shootings, one of which was deadly, signaling that a stunning chapter in the city's history could be drawing to a close.  The mayor – who allowed the protestors free rein – said the violence was distracting from changes sought by thousands of peaceful protesters seeking to address alleged racial inequity and police brutality. "CHOP" has been in control of the city’s Capitol Hill neighborhood for about two weeks; keeping police from entering.   City leaders have faced mounting criticism -- including from President Trump -- over the protest zone amid reports of violence inside the area and how police couldn’t respond to such incidents. The proposed dismantling of the CHOP follows the death of a 19-year-old man.

June 22: The Washington Examiner: NPR makes excuses for violent mob attacking a black motorist
According to police reports a black female motorist on Wednesday struck a man with her car when he tried to block her from escaping a violent mob in Louisville, Kentucky.  Despite the immediate availability of footage showing the woman speed away as she was being physically assaulted by the crowd, despite the fact that one of her assailants even pulled a gun on her, National Public Radio published a report this weekend portraying the motorist as not just a villain, but a “right-wing” extremist.   Although it is notoriously difficult to sue news outlets in the United States for defamation or libel, the Kentucky motorist has a pretty strong case.

June 22: The United Press International: Barr and Berman at odds over
letter led to Berman’s dismissal
The day before Attorney General William Barr announced plans to replace Geoffrey Berman as the Manhattan U.S. Attorney, supervisors in Mr. Barr’s Justice Department asked Mr. Berman to sign a letter criticizing New York Mayor de Blasio for the city’s enforcement of social-distancing rules to block religious gatherings but not following the same enforcement rules for recent street protest.  According to those familiar with what happened, Berman’s refusal to sign the letter led to his removal.

June 22: The Daily Caller: South Korea says Bolton’s book distorts the facts
South Korea’s national security adviser said that former U.S. national security adviser John Bolton’s book “substantially distorts facts.”   Trump and North Korea’s Kim first meeting raised hopes that North Korea would abandon its nuclear program when they met in June 2018 in Singapore, but after Trump rejected Kim’s offer to give up a main nuclear facility in exchange for the United States lifting sanctions, the second meeting fell through.  Bolton reportedly describes South Korea’s Moon position as “schizophrenic.” A top official in Moon’s office told reporters, in reference to this comment by Bolton: “Perhaps he is in that condition.”

June 21: The New York Post: Barr expects ‘developments’ in Russia
probe investigation this summer
Attorney General William Barr said he expects there will be “developments” later this summer from the ongoing federal investigation into the origins of the Russia probe. The investigation, being spearheaded by the US Attorney for Connecticut, John Durham had been delayed by COVIDD-19.   Durham will also examine whether the federal government’s actions to collect intelligence on the Trump campaign was done legally. 

June 21: The Washington Times: Trump questions Biden’s loyalty to blacks
based on earlier marks made when Biden was a US Senator
President Trump. back on the campaign trail, challenged Joseph R. Biden, the presumed Democratic nominee’s fidelity to black voters and mental fitness for office.  “America should not take lectures on racial justice from Joe Biden… a man who praised … segregationists, shipped millions of black Americans’ jobs overseas and everyone else’s jobs too,” the president said. “Biden is now smearing as racists tens of millions of people like yourselves. Racial justice begins with  Joe Biden’s retirement from public life,”  the President said.

June 21: Fox News: Woman suspected of burning down Wendy’s may be Brooks’ girlfriend
The woman sought in connection with an arson fire at the Wendy's in Atlanta where Rayshard Brooks was killed may have been his girlfriend, according to police bodycam footage.  Investigators on Saturday identified Natalie White, 29, as a suspect in connection to the fire. The Atlanta Fire Department has obtained an arrest warrant for White for first-degree arson, a felony in Georgia.

June 21: Breitbart News: Report: Surge in shootings in NYC after anti-crime unit disbanded
Reports indicate that shootings in New York City surged last week following the NYPD’s decision to disband it plainclothes anti-crime unit.  The New York Post reported the unit was disbanded on Monday, June 15, 2020, and the week ended with “28 [shooting] incidents and 38 victims.”  During the same week in 2019 there were only 12 shootings.  An law enforcement source told the Post, “This is what the politicians wanted — no bail, nobody in Rikers, cops not arresting anyone.”  The source added, “All those things equal people walking around on the street with guns, shooting each other.”

June 21: The Daily Caller: Trump likes to hear both sides but after two
conversations with Bolton started to question what he was hearing
President Donald Trump told the Daily Caller about a series of conversations he had with former National Security Adviser John Bolton that made him realize Bolton was a “dumb maniac who wants to go to war with any anybody that can breathe.”   The first was in May 2018 about the situation with North Korea.  The Second centered around Bolton’s support for war in Iraq.

June 20: The New York Post:  A terrifying five-day stay inside Seattle’s “cop-free-zone”
On June 8, Seattle police frantically loaded what they could from the east precinct onto trucks and cars. Within hours, they boarded up and abandoned the station. That night, left-wing protesters from Black Lives Matter and Antifa declared ownership of the six-block neighborhood in the middle of the Pacific Northwest’s largest city. During five undercover days and nights in the zone, journalist Andy Ngo witnessed a continuing experiment in anarchy, chaos and brute-force criminality.  Crime has surged inside and outside the zone.  In one case a person was shot and another wounded.  Police Chief Carmen Best has stated that police response times to 911 calls in the surrounding area have “more than tripled” because they are down a station.  “Emergency calls, which often means somebody’s being assaulted, sometimes it’s a rape, sometimes it’s a robbery, but something bad is happening if it’s a top priority call, and we’re not able to get there,” she has said.

June 20: The Washington Times: Trump fires U.S. Attorney, ending standoff
President Trump on Saturday officially fired the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, where Manhattan is located, Attorney General William P. Barr said in a letter.  But Mr. Trump, speaking to reporters said, “Well, that’s up to the attorney general.  That’s his department, not my department. But we have a very capable attorney general so that’s really up to him. I”m not involved.”

June 19: The Washington Times:
Texas LULAC volunteer arrested for voter fraud
Texas authorities have charged a former volunteer for LULAC, a major Hispanic civil and voting rights organization, for voting twice in the Texas March 3 primary.  But the national LULAC president says the woman’s votes were an innocent accident, and he said the prosecution is intended to send a signal of voter suppression in the upcoming election.  According to the Howard County Election Administrator Jodi Duck, Isabel Calderon, 46, cast one ballot in person during the state’s early-voting period, then showed up and voted again on primary day.  The Texas Rangers were called in to investigate after the local sheriff recused himself, saying he’s on the ballot this year. The rangers reported that Calderon confessed, leading to her arrest.  The charges come amid the ongoing debate over voter fraud. 

June 19: Fox News: The Hill’s media reporter says Biden’s
campaign wants him to only respond to handpicked questions
The Hill’s media reporter, Joe Concha, said on Friday that the only time presumptive Democrat Presidential nominee Joe Biden has been challenged by the media was when urban hip-hop host Charlamagne Tha God addressed matters on race relations.  “The bottom line is that Joe Biden is in the business of handpicked questions from handpicked outlets from safe situations,” Concha said.  After interview on “The Breakfast Club” did “not go well,” the former vice president’s campaign staff wants to avoid that from happening again, Concha contends.

June 19: Townhall: Over half of those surveyed believe Biden is in the early stages of dementia
The mainstream media is pretending like it's completely normal for the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee to be hiding out in his basement and refusing to hold a press conference in the months before the presidential election. Obviously, something is wrong.  Biden doesn’t can’t finish his sentences, forgets where he is and who he’s taking with, and says bizarre and bewildering things. So what's surprising is that only 55 percent think Biden is likely in the early stages of dementia. It might be true that people don't really pay attention to the candidates until after Labor Day. The poll, conducted by Zogby, found 77% of Republicans, 56% of independents, and 32% of Democrats think Biden is in the early stages of dementia., even think Biden likely has dementia.

June 19: The Hill: McEnany: Trump likes to hire people with countervailing views
When asked about his criticism of former aides and Cabinet officials, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said  that President Trump prefers to hire individuals who have “countervailing viewpoints.”  McEnany said she spoke to Trump specifically about his decision to hire John Bolton, his former national security adviser who penned a forthcoming book that offers a scathing picture of the White House. McEnany said Trump told her he likes “to counterbalance my own opinion with individuals who oftentimes have the very opposite opinion of my own.”  “He likes the model of having a ‘team of rivals’ like what we saw in President Lincoln’s administration,” McEnany continued. “I’ve been a part of that. I often see rigorous debate and the president uses his gut and makes the best decision how to move forward.”

June 19: Fox News: Ben Carson reflects on Juneteenth
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson told "Bill Hemmer Reports" Friday that Juneteenth should become a national holiday.  "I think to commemorate the emancipation of slaves is a wonderful thing," he said. "Providing freedom in our country, but also celebrating the hundreds of thousands of people who were of multiple different ethnicities who gave their lives in order that we could achieve that freedom in this country is a very significant, important step."   Juneteenth marks the anniversary of Union Major General Gordon Granger telling Texans of federal orders to end slavery.

June 19: The Washington Free Beacon: TN passes heart-beat abortion bill
Tennessee lawmakers on Friday passed a "heartbeat bill" banning abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected—a regulation on abortion that has run into legal challenges in several states. The bill makes any abortion performed after a fetal heartbeat is detected a felony. Detection of the fetal heartbeat generally occurs six weeks into a pregnancy, and the bill prohibits abortions based on a fetus's race, sex, or disability.  The bill also creates exceptions for situations where the health of the mother is in danger.

June 18: United Press International: Many Atlanta police fail to show up
for work after officer Brooks is charged
The Atlanta Police Department saw a rise in officer absences early Thursday amid word of a planned walkout to protest criminal charges against two officers in the death of Rayshard Brooks.  Some officers who had reported to work refused to answer calls in certain precincts Wednesday night. The Fulton County DA, who is reportedly in a tight reelection bid, charged officer Garrett Rolfe with murder before the investigation of the incident was completed and failed to take the case to a grand jury, which is the way normally followed. 

June 18: The Washington Times: Trump Tulsa rally grows as the crowd
numbers swell and controversy swirls
President Trump plans to jolt his campaign to life Saturday with musical acts and a second stage that allows him to address an overflow crowd in  Tulsa, Oklahoma, turning his rally comeback into an all-out spectacle as he tries to rebuild the economy and prove that the nation can reopen safely.  Mr. Trump’s opponents say he is courting disaster by scheduling a mass gathering during a pandemic, but remained uncharacteristically quiet during the protests and riots over the past few weeks. Oklahoma recorded another single-day high of COVID-19 cases at midweek. 

June 18: The Washington Examiner: China develops weapon to “fry”
the American electric grid
With the help of stolen U.S. technology, China has developed at least three types of high-tech weapons to attack the electric grid and key technologies in a “surprise Pearl Harbor” assault that could send America into a deadly blackout, according to a new analysis.  According to the report from the independent EMP Task Force on National and Homeland Security, China has built a network of satellites, high-speed missiles, and “super-electromagnetic pulse” weapons that could melt down the U.S. electric network, fry critical communications, and stifle aircraft carrier groups.

June 18: Fox News: Seattle Businessman warns city is facing mass
exodus as homeless, drugs, and gangs take over downtown
Seattle business owner Joey Rodolfo told Tucker Carlson Thursday that his city's troubles began long before demonstrators took over six city blocks and birthed the "Capitol Hill Occupied Protest" (CHOP).  "I've lived in Seattle for 38 years, for 38 years," said Rodolfo, an apparel designer and co-founder of the Buki clothing brand. "And [over] the last three years, I've seen the crime rate surge. I've seen homeless, drugs and gangs take over our downtown. Not to mention the destruction of property. It's happening here in Seattle and with no consequences. We have a judicial system here that is a revolving door. So, if you're a store owner or a restaurant in Seattle, these are very, very difficult times."

June 17: The Washington Examiner: Trey Gowdy: It’s easy to make
accusations if you avoid cross examination.  Bolton wouldn’t survive
Congressional testimony
Former Rep. Trey Gowdy slammed former White House national security adviser John Bolton's upcoming book that alleges corruption in the Trump administration.   Gowdy, a former federal prosecutor, said "John Bolton’s argument now is that Trump is unfit for office and should be removed, that he’s committed high crimes and misdemeanors."  "He had a chance to go before the House, he didn’t do it. He had a chance to go before the Senate, he didn’t do it. He had a chance to come on your show or some other host's show and answer tough questions, but no; for $29.95, he’s going to save you from this existential threat to our republic."

June 17: Fox News: Democrat Sheriff says shooting by Atlanta
police was “completely justified”
Sheriff Alfonzo Williams of Burke County, GA argued Tuesday that Atlanta police officer Garrett Rolfe was "completely justified" in using lethal force against a 27-year-old [Brooks] whose death has sparked a new round of protests.   Brooks had stolen one of the officers' Taser and attempted to fire it in Rolfe's direction as he ran.  "This is the third law enforcement agency I’ve been head of," Williams, who is black, told CNN. "Every agency I’ve gone to, I’ve required every officer who carries a Taser to be Tased with it, so that you understand the incapacitation." For five seconds “…if an officer is hit with that Taser that he, all of his muscles will be locked up and he'll have the inability to move and to respond. And yet he is still responsible for every weapon on his belt.”

June 17: The Washington Times: GOP moves to revoke big tech’s
“free pass to censor and silence” conservative points of view
Republican lawmakers on Wednesday introduced legislation aimed at fighting what they see as anti-conservative bias on Google and other social media platforms.  Under the legislation Big Tech would be stripped of its liability protections and hit with $5,000 fines for unfair treatment.  The legislation takes aim at Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which has long shielded Big Tech from legal liability for material that users post on their platforms.

June 17: Breitbart News: Poll: Voters in ten swing states want less
immigration amid massive unemployment
The majority of voters in ten wing states say they want reductions to overall immigration hile about 30 million Americans remain jobless.  A Zogby Analytics poll reveals overwhelming support President Trump would have among swing state voters if he expanded his executive order to further reduce the inflow of foreign workers to the U.S. labor market.  In Pennsylvania, 63.6 percent of voters said they strongly or somewhat support reductions in the number of new emigrants.  In Florida 6 out of 10, and in Georgia its nearly 60%.  In Michigan, a key state for Trump in the 2020 presidential election, more than 59 percent of voters said they support measures to further reduce immigration. Nearly 60 percent of Arizona voters said the same.

June 17: The Wall Street Journal: China tightens controls over Beijing
because of spread of COVID-19 infections
Chinese officials cancelled hundreds of flights in and out of Beijing, restricted movement and renewed closures of businesses and schools as they battled to contain a fresh wave of new coronavirus cases in the nation’s capital.   Health officials on Wednesday reported 31 new confirmed cases in Beijing for Tuesday, bringing the city’s six-day total to 137 since the most recent cluster on infections first emerged on June 11th.

June 17: United Press International: India vows to protect its territory as conflict with China heats up
Indian Prime Minister Modi on Wednesday said his country will staunchly defend its territory two days after 20 Indian soldiers died in a hand-to-hand clash with Chinese troops in the Himalaya Mountains.  Modi made the vow while speaking during a televised meeting of India's chief ministers, his first public comments since the violent face-off late Monday in the high, narrow ridges of Himalayan range along the India-China border.

June 16: The Washington Times: Judge refuses to stop Trump rally
An attempt to force social-distancing measures at Saturday’s Make America Great Again rally in Oklahoma, or potentially shut down the event as a virus “super-spreader,” has failed.  Numerous news outlets reported Tuesday evening that Judge Rebecca Nightingale had rejected the lawsuit in Tulsa County court brought by two local black-history organizations — The Greenwood Cultural Centre and the John Hope Franklin Center for Reconciliation.  The lawsuit had sought a temporary injunction against ASM Global, the company that manages the 19,000-seat BOK Center, according to the lawsuit, “to protect against a substantial, imminent, and deadly risk to the community.

June 16: The New York Post: Cops refuse to respond to store near the occupied area in Seattle
An auto-shop owner on the edge of Seattle’s Cop-Free CHAZ says police refused to help as an angry mob stormed his property — forcing his son to pull a gun to protect them. “He’s just trying to protect his business,” a local reporter said in a livestreamed video as he noted the gun during the attack. No shots appeared to have been fired.  The owner said the near-disaster was proof that the “mayor and governor need to get their act together” over the area.

June 16: Townhall.com: Trump working to bring police and communities together
Donald Trump is taking unprecedented action to strengthen the relationship between law enforcement and their local communities by recognizing the need to invest more energy and resources in police training and supporting efforts to bring the police and communities together.  Meanwhile, Democrat nominee for President Joe Biden—who has been in public office for almost half a century—remains silent, hiding in his basement, as radical-left elements of the Democratic Party attempt to tear the nation apart.

June 16: The Daily Caller: No winners and lots of losers if police are defunded
Abolishing the police would create an ugly world, one in which highwaymen, street gangs, and warlords fill the vacuum where an officer once stood, according to two veteran law enforcement officers and several GOP lawmakers.  “I don’t see there being any winners, and the losers will probably be the future generations…”   Sergeants Benevolent Association of New York Vice President Vincent Vallelong, a long-time veteran of the New York City Police Department said.  Many activists have pushed defund the police during demonstrations against the death of George Floyd.

June 16: Fox News:  Mom of black jogger met with Trump says he is very companionate
Wanda Cooper-Jones, the mother Ahmaud Arbery, said President Trump was "very compassionate" when he met with various families behind closed doors on Tuesday, prior to signing an executive order geared toward reforming the country's policing tactics.  Cooper-Jones said "I can say that President Trump was very receiving. He listened and he addressed each and every family accordingly."  Arbery was a black man who was shot dead on Feb. 23 while out jogging in Brunswick, Ga. Trump met with families of other victims of racially-charged violence, as well.

June 15: United Press International: Supreme Court refuses to hear case against shielding police
The U. S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a case seeking to reexamine the legal doctrine of "qualified immunity," which shields police and government officials from some lawsuits.  The police-involved killing of George Floyd on Memorial Day has renewed demands on police reforms, including the "qualified immunity" doctrine.   The doctrine shields government officials performing discretionary functions from lawsuits unless a plaintiff shows that their conduct violated "clearly established statutory or constitutional rights of which a reasonable person would have known," Supreme Court precedent shows.

June 15: Townhall.com: AOC opponent drops bomb
about police shooting in Atlanta
Was the officer justified in shooting his service weapon? According to Antoine Tucker, a former gangster who is now running against Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in New York, the officer was absolutely right to shoot Brooks.  "I see brothers and sisters going to the streets in Atlanta and destroying they communities. Then I hear the mayor calling for these officers to be fired and charged without due process. If I was these officers I would sue this mayor because they deserve due process," he explained. "You heard, as the attorneys for this young man said, in Atlanta, a taser isn't considered a dangerous weapon."  "The suspect could have taken that taser, shot that cop in the face with it and once he turned around, incapacitated that officer, taken his service weapon and then killed him with it," the congressional candidate explained. 

June 15: The Washington Times: GOP national convention move
sparks economic hopes in Florida
The Sunshine State is relishing what it considers a lucky break in getting to host the 2020 Republican National Convention after North Carolina’s governor refused to relax the state’s coronavirus shutdown enough to allow a big party for President Trump’s reelection run.  The influx of business that the nominating convention is expected to bring to Jacksonville will give the state a big boost at a key moment in its reemergence from its coronavirus-induced economic downturn, officials say.  “National conventions have the potential to create hundreds of direct jobs with an associated tens of millions of dollars in labor income, draw tens of thousands of visitors to the host city and inject $100+ million into the local economy,” Erin Isaac, communications director for the Jacksonville 2020 Host Committee said.

June 15: The Daily Caller: Supreme Court overrule lower court decision on pipeline
The Supreme Court ruled Monday that a permit for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, a proposed natural gas pipeline which would be built under the Appalachian Trail, would be reinstated.  In a 7 to 2 decision, the justices tossed out a decision from a lower court and ruled that the U.S. Forest Service can grant rights-of-way for developers in land within national forests, the Associated Press reported. Energy companies and the Trump administration supported reinstating the permit, while environmental groups opposed it.  The pipeline’s construction has already created 17,000 new jobs and $2.7 billion in economic activity, and is projected to generate $28 million in property tax revenue annually.

June 15: Fox News: Uptick in COVID-19 positives have not yet been evident
from Minneapolis protests
Coronavirus testing of more than 1,300 people who protested Minnesota’s Twin Cities after the death of George Floyd shows few new positive cases, according to a report.  Health officials across the country have expressed fear the mass protests over the black man's death in police custody that have taken place over the past two weeks could lead to new outbreaks of the virus.  But those fears haven’t been borne out in Minneapolis and St. Paul, as of yet, based on early test results, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported Saturday.

June 14: The Washington Times: Ben Carson: Trump may address racial justice and
civil unrest at Oklahoma rally
President  Trump is considering addressing civil unrest and racial justice issues at his campaign rally in Oklahoma later this week, according to Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson.  Trump moved a scheduled campaign rally in Oklahoma from June 19 to Saturday, June 20, amid concerns about the rally overlapping with the Juneteenth commemoration of the ending of slavery in America. Trump’s critics noted that Tulsa, Oklahoma, was the site of racial violence nearly 100 years ago.

June 14: The Daily Caller: Protestors wreck Wendy’s after police shooting in Atlanta
Protesters set fire Saturday to the Wendy’s where Rayshard Brooks had been shot and killed by police a day earlier, burning it to the ground.  As has been the case in many cities in recent weeks, what began as a peaceful protest in Atlanta gave way to more violent actions overnight.

June 14: The Washington Examiner: Grenell: Russian investigation had red flags from the beginning
The nation’s former acting spy chief says there were “red flags from the beginning” of the Trump-Russia investigation, but concerns that were raised, including about potential flaws with British ex-spy Christopher Steele’s dossier, were concealed from the public.   Richard Grenell, who was previously the U.S. ambassador to Germany and the temporary national intelligence chief, told Fox News that problems were raised by numerous officials early on in the Crossfire Hurricane investigation were concealed from the public.

June 13: United Press International: New coronavirus outbreak in China shuts down market
Beijing shut down its biggest fruit and vegetable market Saturday amid a new cluster of COVID-19 cases and declared "wartime emergency mode" in one district.  More than 50 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the new cluster, including more than 40 who showed no symptoms. The asymptomatic patients have been quarantined.

June 13: The Daily Caller: Trump addresses 2020 West Point graduation
President Trump delivered a commencement address to the graduating cadet class of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point with graduates spaced six feet apart and no parents in attendance.  Trump’s remarks focused on the pedigree of West Point graduates, which include American icons like Gen. George Patton, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Gen. Douglas MacArthur and Gen. Omar Bradley.  Trump also took the opportunity to lay out his goals for the military, saying the army’s mission is not to be “the police of the world” or to solve ancient disputes in far away lands.

June 13: The Washington Examiner:
Cuomo: “You win” will deny finding to police departments that don’t pass race reforms  | Meanwhile the Vast majority of Americans are opposed to defunding police departments
Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said local New York police departments must pass race reforms, or they will lose state funding.   During a press briefing on Saturday, Cuomo told protesters they "won" by protesting over the issues of police violence and systemic racism, introducing a plan in which communities will implement reforms consistent with their constituency's demands.  "We heard you. You're right. We agree with you, protesters," Cuomo said, revealing a plan to "remake" police departments within a period of nine months.
Meanwhile Polling shows that a strong majority of the American public doesn’t support calls to defund the police in the wake of George Floyd’s death.   An ABC/Ipsos poll released on Friday shows that 64% oppose defunding the police, and 60% opposed reallocating some funds from the police to social and health programs.  The poll showed that 34% of people in the United States do support defunding the police.  The ABC poll is consistent with a Yahoo News poll conducted at the end of May that shows 65% of people don’t support defunding the police.

June 13: Fox News: Seattle mayor and police chief at loggerheads over occupied zone
Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan and police chief Carmen Best are at odds over the city's handling of the self-declared autonomous zone set up by protesters spanning several blocks surrounding a police precinct.  Best has accused the mayor of shirking her responsibilities as an elected official and allowing protesters to oust police officers from a precinct located inside the 6-block radius now deemed a "cop free zone."  Demonstrators inside the perimeter of the "Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone" - or "CHAZ" - have battened down for almost a week decrying police brutality and are  demanding the city abolish the Seattle Police Department.

June 12: United Press International: Administration takes traditional
interpretation for health protections
The Trump administration on Friday rolled back non-discrimination protections for people based on sexual orientation or gender identity.  The move by the Department of Health and Human Services scraps a rule under ObamaCare, saying under the amended rule, the government will take a more narrow interpretation of sex discrimination.   "HHS will enforce [the rule] by returning to the government's interpretation of sex discrimination according to the plain meaning of the word "sex" as male or female and as determined by biology," the department said. That means the additional protections for LGBTQ individuals, including those who are gay, lesbian and/or transgender will no longer apply.

June 12: The Hill: Trump reschedules Tulsa rally to June 20th
President Trump announced he will push back his planned rally for next week by one day to avoid overlapping with Juneteenth.  "We had previously scheduled our #MAGA Rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for June 19th – a big deal. Unfortunately, however, this would fall on the Juneteenth Holiday," Trump tweeted late Friday night.  "Many of my African American friends and supporters have reached out to suggest that we consider changing the date out of respect for this Holiday, and in observance of this important occasion and all that it represents," he continued. "I have therefore decided to move our rally to Saturday, June 20th, in order to honor their requests."

June 12: Townhall.com: Trump got Dems to defend criminals and an anarchist mob
Whether he meant to do it or not, Trump has gotten two prominent Democrats, a governor of a state and a mayor of a large city, to defend what can only be described as the unlawful actions of a violent, anarchist mob. They hate Trump so much and are so fervent in their desire to oppose his every utterance they have gladly defended the indefensible.  All Trump had to do was make a common-sense condemnation of anarchy, theft, violence, and hooliganism in Seattle and Democrats reflexively attack him and defend the criminals.

June 12: The New York Post: Three in NYC indicted for throwing Molotov cocktails at police
An upstate woman and two Brooklyn lawyers were indicted Friday on federal explosives and arson charges for allegedly tossing Molotov cocktails at NYPD vehicles during George Floyd protests in New York City.  Samantha Shader, 27, of Catskill, is accused of hurling the makeshift explosive at an NYPD vehicle occupied by four police officers.  Around the same time, Brooklyn lawyers Urooj Rahman, 31, and Colinford Mattis, 32, were accused of tossing their own Molotov cocktail at an unoccupied police vehicle in Brooklyn during a separate attack.  All three face life in prison on the seven-count indictments, charging them with the use of explosives, arson, use of explosives to commit a felony, arson conspiracy, use of a destructive device, civil disorder, and making or possessing a destructive device.  The lawyers also could face disbarment.

June 12: The Washington Times: Appeals court hears oral arguments on Michael Flynn case
A federal appeals court Friday heard oral arguments on whether to dismiss the charges against Michael Fynn, President Trump’s first national security adviser, in a case that tests the power of the Justice Department to abandon politically charged prosecutions.  “This has already become a public spectacle and, I think, becoming more of a public spectacle,” said Jeffrey B. Wall, principal deputy attorney general for the department.  “It threatens to harm not just the integrity of the Executive [Branch] and its prosecutorial discretion and its deliberative processes but I think it threatens to harm the Judiciary [Branch] as well,” he continued.

June 12: Fox News: 300,000 apply for 19,000 tickets at Trump’s first rally since COVID-19 pandemic
Around 300,000 people have applied for tickets to President Trump's first scheduled rally since states began efforts to resume activities following weeks of lockdown measures amid the  coronavirus pandemic, according to the campaign.  Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale on Friday tweeted the figure for the June 19 event at the 19,000-seat BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. 

June 11: Judicial Watch: JW asks DC mayor permission to paint
“Because No One Is Above the Law” on a Capitol Hill street
Judicial Watch announced today that it has asked District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser and DC Attorney General Karl Racine for permission to paint “Because No One is Above the Law!” on a Capitol Hill street. The Judicial Watch message would be the identical size and coloring of the DC Government’s “Black Lives Matter” political message on 16th Street NW.  On June 5, 2020, after days of protests and riots in Washington, DC, Mayor Bowser authorized the painting of “Black Lives Matter” on 16th Street NW, and later allowed “Defund the Police” to be painted alongside it. “Mayor Bowser made a decision to turn DC streets into a forum for public expression. Judicial Watch seeks equal access to use this new forum to educate Americans by painting our organization’s motto and motivation, ‘Because No One Is Above the Law!’ on a Capitol Hill street,” said Judicial Watch.

June 11: The Daily Caller: Washington’s Governor: unaware of what’s happening in Seattle
Democratic Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said he was not aware of Seattle rioters seizing a portion of the city during a press conference Wednesday.  “Well that’s news to me. So I’ll have to reserve any comment about that — I have not heard anything about that,” Inslee told a reporter when asked about the situation.  A large group of demonstrators took control of an area around Seattle’s abandoned East Police Precinct. Activists fenced in the six-block span of the city and named it the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone,  A banner over the zone reads “This space is now property of the people,” Newsweek reported.  Some are reportedly extorting both citizens and business in the area.

June 11: The Washington Examiner: Federal Judge fast tracks hearing on
voter ID and absentee voting in Wisconsin
A federal judge wants to hear arguments whether the rules for Wisconsin's next election should change between now and Election Day.   U.S. District Judge William Conley on Wednesday ordered a hearing on a lawsuit over voter ID requirements, absentee ballots, and the timeline for returning those ballots by the end of June.   The question before the federal court is whether voters need to show proof of ID when casting an absentee ballot, and how they can request those ballots in the mail or electronically. The lawsuit also wants to end the requirement that ballots have a witness signature.

June 11: The Washington Times:  Trump announces four part plan to improve
policing nationwide and improving conditions for minority communities
President  Trump announced a broad four-part plan on Thursday to improve policing nationwide and improve conditions in minority communities, a vision he called “force with compassion” that won’t allow liberals to defund police departments.    Trump said he’ll sign an executive order soon requiring police departments to meet high professional standards for the use of force, including tactics for de-escalating confrontations. It will also include pilot programs to allow social workers to join certain law enforcement officers “so they can work together,” he said.  “That means force, but force with compassion,” the president said. “We’re not defunding police. If anything, we’re going the other route. We’re going to make sure our police are well-trained.”

June 10: The Wall Street Journal: FED projects no rate increases until 2022
Federal Reserve officials projected no plans to raise interest rates through 2022 and said they were committed to providing more support to the economy following shutdowns to contain the coronavirus.  FED Chairman Powell said the central bank was committed “to do whatever we can for as long as it takes” to support the economy following the shock caused by the pandemic.  He spoke at a virtual new conference after the FED’s policy meeting.

June 10: The Washington Times:  Trump considering
executive order on national policing issues
President  Trump could take action on race and policing by issuing an executive order,  White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Wednesday.  The president could announce action on Thursday when he travels to Dallas, Texas, to meet with faith leaders, law enforcement officials and small-business owners. The White House said the president will “discuss solutions to historic economic, health and justice disparities in American communities.”  “We do believe that we’ll have proactive policy prescriptions, whether that means legislation or an executive order,” Ms. McEnany said. She didn’t elaborate, saying the president is still weighing options.

June 10: New York Post: Prominent Democrat: Biden should stay in his basement
for the remainder of the campaign!
Terry McAuliffe, prominent Democrat and Joe Biden supporter, told a meeting of Virginia Democrats that the former vice president should remain in his Delaware home’s basement for the duration of the 2020 presidential campaign, according to a report on Wednesday.  McAuliffe, who was Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman in 2016, spoke via Zoom to a videoconference of the Norfolk City Democratic Committee.  “People say all the time, ‘Oh, we got to get the vice president out of the basement,'” McAuliffe said. “He’s fine in the basement.”  The former Democratic governor of Virginia told the group that Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, will find it difficult to find a platform to compete with President Trump, who can use the White House’s bully pulpit.

June 10: Townhall.com: Pastor Darrell Scott
blasts effort to defund police
Speaking during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill Wednesday morning, Ohio Pastor Darrell Scott blasted proposals from leftist Democrats to defund and disband police departments across the country.  "I want to begin by saying the prospect of defunding and or dismantling police departments across the country is one of the most unwise, irresponsible proposals by American politicians in our nation's history and makes absolutely no sense at all," Scott said. "I believe it is nothing short of the politicizing of current social events in the effort to garner votes during this election season. I also believe that it's a reactionary measure that can and will result in short and long-term damage to American society, particularly in our inner-city and urban communities."

June 10: The Washington Free Beacon: Uber’s offer to delivery free food
from Black-owned businesses raises possible legal issues
New meal-delivery company promotions benefiting black-owned restaurants are raising legal questions about whether gig economy giants can offer race-based benefits.  The programs, announced by Uber Eats and Postmates following the death of George Floyd at the hands of police, waive delivery fees for black-owned restaurants but make no such benefit available to other minority or white-owned businesses.  One capital standby, the Old Ebbitt Grill, appeared on a curated list of black-owned restaurants as of Tuesday afternoon. Clyde's Restaurant Group, which owns Old Ebbitt, is operated by a team of executives, none of whom are black. A spokesperson for the Clyde's Restaurant Group told the Free Beacon that they asked Postmates to remove the restaurant, which was added without their input.

June 9: Fox News: AG Barr: Familiar names among
those included in the USA Durham probe
Attorney General Bill Barr told Fox News' Bret Baier that Americans will be able to recognize "some" of the names under investigation as part of U.S. Attorney (USA) John Durham's ongoing probe into federal surveillance abuses -- and that he is "very troubled" by "what has been called to" his attention so far.  Barr asserted that despite the coronavirus pandemic, the Durham team "has been working very aggressively to move forward," and that there "will be public disclosure" of his findings. "I think we're concerned about the motive force behind the very aggressive investigation that was launched into the Trump campaign…  …with a very thin, slender reed as a basis for it," Barr told Baier.

June 9: Rasmussen: Most people reject defunding police departments
Despite the high-profile anti-police protests nationwide, few Americans believe there are too many cops in this country, and most reject the push by the political left to defund police departments.   The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 27% of American Adults favor reducing the police budget in the community where they live. Despite the growing political movement to defund police departments and channel that money into more social services, 59% are opposed to cutting their local police budget, while 14% are undecided.

June 9: The Daily Caller: Senator Scott (R-SC) to
take lead on GOP police reform legislation
Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) [image left] laid out what will be in the Republicans’ police reform legislation being drafted in response to the nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd. Majority Leader McConell (R-KY) appointed Scott to lead the effort with an effort to pass the bill by July 4th.  Scott said they will be looking at “no knock” warrants and will include anti-lynching provisions.  It will also address death or serious bodily injury reporting.  “Right now, about 40% of the police departments are reporting to the DOJ through the FBI. We’d like to see all the agencies report,” Scott said.  He also wants a significant increase the use of body cameras by police.

June 9: United Press International:  Chinese Coronavirus may have
started as early as August 2019
The COVID-19 outbreak may have started in Wuhan, China, in August 2019 -- at least three months earlier than previously thought -- according to an analysis by researcher at Harvard University.  The findings, based on satellite images of city streets and search engine use among local residents, show a marked increase in traffic outside five hospitals in Wuhan from late August to December.   This coincides with a spike in online searches for symptoms like "cough" and "diarrhea," the researchers said.  Of course, Chinese officials have refuted the findings, calling them "ridiculous."

June 9: Townhall.com: NYC police union slams the media
New York City Police Benevolent Association President Mike O'Meara slammed the media for attempting to vilify all police officers in the wake of the tragic killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. According to O'Meara, the NYPD has over 375 million interactions with the public each year, the majority of which have "been overwhelmingly positive."  Despite that, the police union president said the media's projection of what's taking place in the United States is different than what's actually occurring.

June 9: Defense News: Trump calls for three new ice breakers by 2029
U.S. President Trump ordered a review of the country’s requirements for icebreaking capabilities in the Arctic and Antarctic, with the goal of getting a fleet in place by 2029, according to a memo released Tuesday.  The memo was directed at the Defense, State, Commerce and Homeland Security departments, as well as the Office of Management and Budget.   Much of it directs work already in progress – including building a fleet of at least three heavy icebreakers– but says the remaining ships not under contract should be reviewed for what can be done to maximize their utility in the frozen poles.

June 8: Fox News: AG Barr: Straight talk about riots and protests
In an interview Attorney General Bill Barr harshly criticized efforts to defund police departments, arguing that some jurisdictions had gone too far in their COVID-19 restrictions. He also defended the U.S. Park Police's decision to clear Lafayette Park  a move that came, Barr told Bret Baier, after the attorney general himself was targeted with rocks and other projectiles.  Determining who is behind the protests has become a top priority for the DOJ.  "There appear to be sources of funding, and we are looking into the sources of funding," Barr said. "And, you know, there is clearly some high degree of organization involved at some of these events and coordinated tactics that we're seeing. And we're looking into that as well. And some of it relates to an Antifa. Some of it relates to groups that act very much like Antifa. As I said, there's a witches' brew of extremist groups that are trying to exploit this situation on all sides."

June 8: The Daily Caller: Bush: Reports that I won’t be voting
for Trump are completely made up
Former President George W. Bush’s spokesman vehemently denied an article from the New York Times that alleged he would not be voting for President Donald Trump in 2020.  The NYT reported Saturday that a slew of high-profile Republicans do not plan supporting Trump’s reelection. Included in that list was Bush, and the NYT cited “people familiar with their thinking.”  “This is completely made up,” Bush’s spokesman Freddy Ford said in an email according the Texas Tribune. “He is retired from presidential politics and has not indicated how he will vote.”

June 8: United Press International: North Korea to sever communication
lines with the south after leaflets dropped by balloons
North Korea said it will sever all communications with South Korea after days of angry rhetoric over leaflets being sent balloons and dropped across its border by defectors, state-run media reported on Tuesday morning.  "We have reached a conclusion that there is no need to sit face to face with the [S]outh Korean authorities and there is no issue to discuss with them, as they have only aroused our dismay," the report said.

June 8: The New York Post: WHO: Very rare that asymptomatic
COVID-19 individuals transmit the virus to others
People who have the coronavirus but don’t display symptoms aren’t driving the spread of the pandemic, World Health Organization officials said Monday.  “From the data we have, it still seems to be rare that an asymptomatic person actually transmits onward to a secondary individual,” Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, head of WHO’s emerging diseases and zoonosis unit, said at a news briefing in Geneva, CNBC reported.  “It’s very rare.”

June 7: The Washington Examiner: SCOTUS to decide homosexual and transgender case
The Supreme Court this month will deliver a divisive ruling about whether or not Title VII of the Civil Rights Act protects gay and transgender people from employment discrimination.  No matter how the court rules, the decision is expected to heighten partisan disagreements. If the court does not extend protections, it will draw the ire of homosexual and transgender activists. If it rules for them, outcry is expected from religious groups worried that their ability to hire people who align with their beliefs will be restricted.  One of the attorneys in the case said "Redefining sex to mean gender identity creates chaos, is unfair to women and girls, and puts employers in difficult situations.  Title VII and other civil rights laws, like Title IX, are in place to protect equal opportunities for women; changing sex to mean gender identity undermines that."

June 7: The Washington Times: NYC Mayor changes his mind and decides to
“defund” the city’s police force
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio knuckled under to protesters Sunday and promised to cut funding to “New York’s Finest.” Just two days after speaking skeptically of demands by Black Lives Matter and other protesters to defund the police, Mr. de Blasio agreed to start doing so, though he gave few specifics.   “We’re committed to seeing a shift of funding to youth services, to social services, that will happen literally in the course of the next three weeks, but I’m not going to go into detail because it is subject to negotiation and we want to figure out what makes sense,” the mayor said, Sunday.

June 6: Yahoo News: Cop in Louisville protected by strangers
Officer Galen Hinshaw was alone and on his way to help fellow officers who were being attacked by protestors.  In the process he was surrounded by angry protestors himself. As things grew tense five protestors, all strangers to each other, gathered around him and linked arms to protect the officer. “A human was in trouble, and right is right," said Ricky McClellan, a factory worker from Old Louisville who was locked onto others to protect Hinshaw.  “Those guys, they saved me,” officer Hinshaw said. “There’s no doubt about it. And I am beyond thankful. If it wasn’t for them intervening and recognizing that I was in trouble and helping me, I am sure that I would’ve been assaulted in one form or another.”

June 6: The Daily Caller: Sec. of State: D-Day, Nazi Germany and Communist China
On June 6, 1944, Allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy, France in the greatest amphibious invasion in history.  Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in an interview that understanding the lessons from D-Day is important in today’s global environment.  The reason D-Day happened is because Germany seized France. Currently, China is tightening its grip on Hong Kong as it seeks to become the single, greatest world power, which, in a way, is comparable to Germany’s actions during the Second World War, Pompeo said.  “The promises that the Chinese Communist Party had made in their treaty with the United Kingdom that they broke when they made the decision to deny Hong Kong people the freedoms that they had been promised were similar to some of the promises that were broken back in the days when Germany advanced against the rest of Europe,” he said.

June 6: The Washington Examiner: Chinese nationals sentenced for
illegal photos at Naval Air Station
Three Communist Chinese nationals were sentenced to prison on Friday after pleading guilty to taking illegal photographs of military installations at the U.S. Naval Air Station in Key West, Florida.   The Justice Department said Lyuyou Liao , 27, was sentenced to one year in prison for illegally entering the military installation on December 26, 2019, and taking photographs and video footage of property on the Truman Annex of the station, including nabbing images of vital military equipment.   In a separate case, Jielun Zhang , 25, and Yuhao Wang , 24, were sentenced to one year and nine months in prison respectively for illegally entering the station just over a week later on Jan. 4, and taking photographs of military and naval infrastructure located on the Sigsbee Park and Trumbo Point Annexes.

June 6: United Press International: Brazil considering following U.S. lead: Leaving WHO
Brazil has threatened to leave the World Health Organization over alleged bias as the South American country recorded the second-highest number of cases of the coronavirus.  Brazilian President Bolsonaro announced the threat weeks after U.S. President Trump cut U.S. ties with WHO.   Bolsonaro said the specialized agency of the United Nations in charge of international public health has "ideological" bias.  "I'm telling you right now, the United States left the WHO, and we're studying that, in the future," the far-right leader told reporters. "Either the WHO works without ideological bias, or we leave, too."

June 5: The United Press International: U.S. adds 2.5 million jobs
as economic turnaround looks likely
The U.S. economy gained 2.5 million jobs during the month of May, the Labor Department said Friday in its monthly jobs report -- a major surprise to economists and the first labor increase since February.  The report also said U.S. unemployment declined to 13.3 percent. The figure represents the largest month-to-month increase since the 1930s.  Many analysts expected between 7-8 million job losses in May, following a record decline of more than 20 million in April.

June 5: Fox News: 5 year old girl to a Houston police officer
“Are you going to shoot us?” Read his great response
"During the protest in Houston yesterday one of the police officers noticed my daughter crying," Simeon Bartee the 5 year old’s father said. "She asked him 'Are you gonna shoot us?' he (the officer) got down on one knee wrapped his arm around her and responded."  "We're here to protect you,  we're not here to hurt you at all. OK? You can protest, you can party -- you can do whatever you want. Just don't break nothing."  
See the Tweet (Now this is an example of community policing at its finest!)

June 5: The Washington Times: 57 Buffalo cops resign after two are suspended
The entire Buffalo Police Department Emergency Response Team resigned Friday to support two police officers who pushed an elderly man to the ground in a viral video, according to a report from a local news outlet.  A total of 57 officers quit the team as a sign of support for the officers involved in the video who were suspended without pay.  The 57 are still officers on the police force.  The Buffalo police officers’ union told members they would no longer be covering legal fees related to the protests and are upset with the officers’ suspension.  “Our position is these officers were simply following orders from Deputy Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia to clear the square,” Buffalo Police Benevolent Association President John Evans said.  “It doesn’t specify clear the square of men, 50 and under.  They were simply doing their job.”

June 5: The Washington Free Beacon: Gov. Whitmer dodges COVID-19 oversight probe
Michigan's Democratic governor Gretchen Whitmer refused an invitation to testify before a special oversight committee created by the state legislature to examine her widely criticized handling of the coronavirus pandemic.  Republican state lawmakers on Thursday requested that Whitmer testify before the Joint Select Committee on the COVID-19 Pandemic, which was created after the governor awarded a lucrative coronavirus-related contract to a major Democratic consulting firm that had previously worked for her campaign. Whitmer said she would not testify during a Friday press conference, citing the legislature's ongoing lawsuit over her use of executive authority throughout the pandemic.

June 5: The Daily Caller: Texas sheriff reacts to the “defund police” movement
Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn said in an interview “It would be total chaos  everybody would be on their own. I would say at that point the Second Amendment would become the most important amendment in the world.”  Waybourn talked about how the riots and the anti-police sentiment is affecting morale among law enforcement and that it is likely that it will impact recruitment efforts. 

June 4: United Press International:  Appeals Court overturns lower
federal court ruling on absentee voting in Texas
A three-judge panel of the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals extended its order Thursday blocking a lower court's sweeping ruling that would have allowed all Texas voters to qualify to vote by mail during the coronavirus pandemic.  With early voting for the primary runoff elections starting later this month -- and the Texas Supreme Court also blocking expanded voting by mail in a separate case --Thursday's ruling effectively eliminates the possibility that Texas voters will be able to legally request mail-in ballots solely because they fear a lack of immunity to the new coronavirus will put them at risk if they vote in person.

June 4: The New York Post: NYCPD Motormen
break out “Tuttle” (riot) gear
NYCPD cops deployed to protests are suiting up in motocross gear they’re calling “turtle uniforms” to protect against objects hurled at them as riots grip the city, a police source said Thursday.  The elite crowd control bike cops began wearing the uniforms — which are made with a hard-plastic shell and cushioning along the spine and elbows — Monday after officers were injured during protests, the source said.  Designed based on BMX bike gear and hockey equipment shields cops from objects hurled at speeds up to 40 mph along with falls and other injuries.  “It was created so you don’t break anything if you fall, or if you get with a projectile to absorb the blow,” the police source said.

June 4: The Washington Examiner: NY Judge: NYCPD can detain curfew violators for more than 24 hours
A New York state judge ruled NYPD officers can now keep any peaceful protester arrested for violating the New York City curfew for over 24 hours.   The ruling also extends to keeping criminal looters detained for more than 24 hours, given the outbreak of rioting that took place over several nights.  "It’s a crisis within a crisis," Judge James Burke said. "All writs are denied: Brooklyn, Bronx, and Manhattan."

June 4: The Washington Times: Campaign ad touts Trump economic credentials
A pro-Trump super PAC is launching a $7.5 million ad blitz aimed at Joseph R. Biden’s “disastrous” economic policies in the battleground states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.  “For decades, Joe Biden was willing to sacrifice hundreds of thousands of blue-collar jobs to appease China and the promise of globalists,” said Brian Walsh, president of America First Action PAC. “Now, as our nation begins its recovery, Americans cannot afford Joe Biden’s failures, lack of economic experience and pandering to the radical left.”  He said Mr. Trump is the only candidate “who knows how to create jobs in this country and can lead America’s economic recovery.”

June 4: Fox News: Cops walkout on Louisville Democrat Mayor
Dozens of police officers in Louisville, KY walked out on the city's Democratic mayor, Greg Fischer, as a form of protest, as the Fraternal Order of Police president explained that the officers felt “disrespected” as they struggle to keep the peace after more than a week of fiery protests.  A video shows Fischer standing in the middle of the room at a roll call before the start of a 12-hour shift, as streams of Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) officers and detectives silently file out.  FOP President Ryan Nichols said the move was an unplanned reaction to Fischer’s address.  "They feel completely unsupported and disrespected by this administration," Nichols said. "They feel whatever he was going to say would have been nothing more than lip service, and he does not care about them at all."

June 4: The Daily Caller: Never forget June 4: Tens of thousands defy ban in Hong Kong
Tens of thousands of demonstrators in Hong Kong defied law enforcement by gathering for a mass vigil Thursday in order to commemorate the victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown in Beijing.  The gathering took place in the city’s Victoria Park, where demonstrators shouted anti-communist slogans and lit candles in remembrance of the pro-democracy protestors, mostly students, who were killed by the Chinese military June 4, 1989 during demonstrations in Tiananmen Square, BBC News reported.  Hong Kong police banned the vigil Monday, citing health concerns due to the coronavirus, although growing tensions between China and Hong Kong have cast a shadow on the future of the vigil, which has been held annually for 30 years.

June 3: The Daily Caller:  Attorneys accused of firebombing
donated to Sander’s campaign
Two attorneys accused of firebombing a New York City Police Department (NYPD) vehicle both donated to Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’s 2020 presidential campaign, Federal Election Commission (FEC) records show. Urooj Rahman and Colinford Mattis, the two attorneys, “were arrested in a van early Saturday morning while allegedly in possession of explosive device components shortly after Rahman hurled a Molotov cocktail at an NYPD vehicle before fleeing with Mattis,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York announced. 

June 3: The Washington Free Beacon: Former Obama Intelligence official bails
out NYC attorneys who fire bombed NYC police vehicle
Former Obama official, Salmah Rizvi, told a judge the alleged firebomber is her "best friend."  Rizvi helped secure the release of fellow lawyer Urooj Rahman by agreeing to be a suretor for her bail. That means Rizvi is liable for the full cost of the $250,000 bail if Rahman fails to obey the court's orders.  Rahman was released to home confinement over the objections of government attorneys after her arrest for throwing a lit Molotov cocktail through the window of an NYPD vehicle. Evidence presented by prosecutors included images of Rahman holding a Molotov cocktail in the passenger seat of a van that was later found to be full of the necessary materials for making the explosive devices.  U.S. District Judge Margo Brodie acknowledged the strong evidence against Rahman, who was also accused of distributing the incendiary devices to other rioters.

June 3: Fox News: Tables turned on Dems re: voter suppression and absentee voting
Judicial Watch President told a House Committee “If you want to be sure your vote is counted, the best way to do it is to show up and vote. And to hear inflammatory rhetoric that you’re choosing your life over your vote is just not appropriate and it causes people to be nervous about voting. That is as suppressive as anything I’ve heard, telling people they’re going to die or likely to die if they vote.”  Countering Democrats’ insistence that people need to vote by mail so they can exercise their right while avoiding COVID-19, Fitton reference the mass protests that have been taking place across the country and the lack of social distancing, despite stay-at-home orders still being in place in many areas.  Fitton argued against the idea of sending absentee ballots to all voters, citing a lack of security and the likelihood that ballots sent to registered voters who have moved or died could be filled out by others.

June 2: The Washington Times: Law and Order President; Trump threatens action
President  Trump has shifted almost overnight from a candidate focused non-stop on economic recovery to promoting himself once again as the law-and-order president. With his calling out of more federal forces against rioters across the U.S. this week, Trump is a counting on a suddenly more muscular law-and-order theme to help propel him to victory against a Democratic Party perennially criticized for being soft on crime.   The president said Tuesday on Twitter that New York City “was lost to the looters, thugs, Radical Left, and all others forms of Lowlife & Scum” in rioting Monday night and early Tuesday.

June 2: The Galveston County Daily News: Unintended consequences? Dems
actions could eliminate absentee ballots for the elderly in Texas
If the decision of a Federal District Court judge stands it could mean that the courts are taking on the role of legislating and changing the Texas Election Code.  The judge’s found unconstitutional  the statute that allows people 65 or older to vote by mail.  If a planned appeal fails to overturned that running it could mean disenfranchising and eliminating the choice many elderly Texas voters to vote by mail.

June 2: The Daily Caller:  Ted Cruz  “We will not be cowed by terrorists”
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) said Tuesday he is happy President Donald Trump walked out of the White House and across the street to St. John’s Church, which was set on fire by protesters Sunday night.  “I am glad the president, yesterday, led by going to St. John’s Church, a historic church in our capital city that was firebombed by terrorists. It was important for him to be there and say ‘we will not be cowed by terrorists.'” 

June 2: Fox News: Former Antifa member reveals what they are really about
Gabriel Nadales, a former member of the radical Antifa organization told "The Ingraham Angle" Monday that the group's claim to be "anti-fascist" is a "false narrative."  "Antifa pretends to be about fighting fascism, but then they define fascism as basically anything that does not conform with their radical leftist agenda; which goes back to exactly what President Trump is doing," he said.  "I’m incredibly happy that he’s finally declared Antifa a domestic terrorist organization because that really helps fight against this false narrative that Antifa is fighting anything but for their failed leftist socialist ideology."

June 2: United Press International: Trump wants to include South Korea
and Australia in the G7 meeting; China reacts
China warned against excluding Beijing from major world organizations, following reports U.S. President  Trump could be seeking to expand the Group of Seven summit to include South Korea, Australia, India and Russia.  The G7 is an intergovernmental economic organization of advanced, mostly Western economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain and the United States. In 2018, the seven nations represented nearly 60 percent of global net wealth, and more than 32 percent of global GDP, as measured by purchasing power parity.  Meanwhile, China has continued to flex its economic muscles overseas. 

June 1: The Daily Caller: Biden campaign won’t say if it has addressed
staffers who donated to pay bail for jailed rioters/looters
More than a dozen staffers working for Vice President Joe Biden’s presidential campaign have donated to pay bail for those arrested while protesting and rioting against George Floyd’s death, but the campaign didn’t say whether they’re going to do anything about it.  When asked whether the Biden campaign would do anything about its staffers making the donations, they did not respond.  The campaign appears to have been supportive of the effort, however, with spokesman Andrew Bates told Reuters Biden opposes cash bail as a general policy. President Donald Trump’s campaign  responded “It’s disturbing that Joe Biden’s team would financially support the mayhem that is hurting innocent people and destroying what good people spent their lives building.”

June 1: The Washington Times: Gun sales up 80% in May
Gun sales surged in May as shops reported an uptick in interest and demand amid national protests after the Memorial Day killing of George Floyd and as the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc and stoke fear across the country.  “Almost, you couldn’t even keep up with it. That’s how crazy it was,” said Joe Hawk, owner of Guns & Roses in New Jersey. “After Memorial Day, it spiked again. It just went crazy again.”  Small Arms Analytics & Forecasting, a private research firm, estimated that more than 1.7 million guns were sold in May, an 80% jump from May 2019.

June 1: The Washington Free Beacon: Biden promotes police protocol decried by gun-safety experts
Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden said Monday police should be trained to shoot at the legs of assailants, which police training experts decry as impractical and dangerous.   Biden said, if elected, he would try to form a police oversight committee in the first 100 days of his presidency. Jason Johnson, president of the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund, said shooting a gun at somebody is and should always be considered use of deadly force in the law enforcement community, and the decision to use deadly force must be justified.  He said the scenario Biden articulated, where a suspect runs at a police officer with a knife, should certainly be considered an example of a deadly threat and police are trained to use the most effective means to stop an assailant before they can do harm. Officers are “not trained to shoot to kill. They're trained to shoot to stop," he said.

June 1: United Press International: Thousands of protestors arrested  across the nation
President Trump is scheduled to meet today with state governors, law enforcement officials and national security advisers.  The White House said the meeting is focused on "keeping American communities safe."  He will also meet with Attorney General Bill Barr.  On Sunday night the Secret Service moved Trump to a secure bunker beneath the White House as a security precaution after riots broke out in Lafayette Park across the street from the residence.   Thousands of demonstrators were arrested over the weekend after clashing with police and defying curfews in numerous major U.S. cities, including Los Angeles, New York City, Miami, Chicago, Seattle and Salt Lake City.   The Washington, D.C. headquarters of the AFL CIO labor union was targeted and set afire, officials said.    New York City police said they arrested more than 200 people over the weekend as looters targeted stores like Bloomingdale’s and Gucci.  Police say that anarchist groups from outside the city are to blame for the destruction and that "Crossing State lines to incite violence is a federal crime!"   Trump tweeted "Liberal governors and mayors must get much tougher…”   Mayor de Blasio, whose daughter was among 800 arrested in NYC, declined to impose a curfew, praised police for showing restraint.  "The protesters are human beings. They need to be treated with tremendous respect," he said.

May 31: Fox News: Big City Dems who imposed strict lockdown rules let rioters flout the rules
Many Democrats in charge of big cities -- including several who once insisted on strict quarantine measures -- line up to champion the nationwide mass demonstrations over the in-custody death of George Floyd forgetting social distancing.  
- New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo lashed out at lockdown protesters saying "you have no right to jeopardize my health ... and my children's …,” and threatened to levy $1,000 fines on violators.   - New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio told the Jewish community that "the time for warnings has passed" after he said a funeral gathering had violated social distancing guidelines.
- Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey warned that in-person worship services would be a "public-health disaster," disregarding constituents' concerns that he was violating their First Amendment rights.  Now these Democrat politicians are supporting protestors, even freely distributing masks to rioters, and in one case allowing them to burn down a police station.

May 31: The Washington Examiner: Local leadership in Minnesota
“almost invisible” former senator says
A former Minnesota senator, who was previously mayor of St. Paul, is speaking out against local leadership for being "invisible" during the unrest prompted by the death of George Floyd.   "What's tragic has been the response in the community, the looting, the breaking, the violence, the destruction, the police station being burnt down with the mayor giving the order to abandon the station," Norm Coleman said on Sunday. "Absolutely stunning. We've had two mayors that have been relatively silent and absent."   Many of the state and local Democrat leaders initially blamed destructive activity on out-of-state residents but later walked back the comments when it became clear that the majority of those arrested were from Minnesota.

May 31: Fox News: Get out of Jail Free Card: Biden staffers donate to “Minnesota Freedom Fund”
At least 13 members of Joe Biden’s campaign staff have made donations to a group that helps Minneapolis protesters get out of jail on bail, according to a report. The staffers posted on Twitter that they contributed money to a group called the Minnesota Freedom Fund, which opposes the practice of making people who are arrested pay money to avoid pre-trial imprisonment, Reuters reported.  Biden himself opposes cash bail, comparing it to a “modern day debtors prison,” campaign spokesman Andrew Bates told Reuters.  Following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on Monday, the Minnesota Freedom Fund raised about $20 million over four days, Forbes reported. [Related Story]

May 31: The Daily Caller: Amid riots, “Antifa” to be designated a terrorist organization
The United States will officially designate Antifa as a terrorist organization, President Donald Trump announced on Sunday.  The move comes following days of protests, riots, looting and violence across the country in response to the police-custody death of George Floyd. Reports from Minneapolis, Minnesota suggest large numbers of Antifa members are acting as catalysts for violence and looting.  “Antifa” is short for “anti-fascists,” and the group has been responsible for violence at dozens of protests in recent years.

May 31: United Press International: U.S. SpaceX astronauts enter the international space station
Two NASA astronauts safely boarded the International Space Station on Sunday, capping a successful flight of SpaceX's historic Crew Dragon Demo 2 mission.  The capsule connected to the station at 10:16 a.m. EDT, slightly ahead of the scheduled time as the space station passed above the northern China-Mongolia border.

May 30: The Washington Times: U.S. makes history with commercial launch of astronauts from U.S. soil
A SpaceX mission roared into the heavens as President Trump looked on Saturday, marking the first time a commercial space company has sent American astronauts into orbit.  Mr. Trump and Vice President Mike Pence watched from a rooftop two miles away as the Falcon 9 rocket launched the Crew Dragon capsule from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to ferry astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to the International Space Station. The trip should take about 19 hours.  The first manned mission from U.S. soil in nine years offered a dazzling, the-future-is-here moment amid a deadly coronavirus pandemic that’s upended normal life.

May 30: The New York Post: AG Barr says he will prosecute
rioter-protestors under 1960 anti-riot law
Attorney General Bill Barr will go after violent demonstrators with a 1968 law meant to quell rioting. “We must have law and order on our streets and in our communities,”  Barr said at DOJ headquarters in Washington, DC. “It is a federal crime to cross state lines or to use interstate facilities to incite or participate in violent rioting,” he said. “We will enforce these laws.”  He  accused “anarchistic and far-left extremists, using Antifa-like tactics” for the unrest that has spread to cities throughout the nation since Monday, in the wake of the killing of George Floyd while in the custody of Minneapolis police.  “Groups of outside radicals and agitators are exploiting the situation to pursue their own separate and violent agenda,” Barr said.

May 30: The Washington Examiner: Minnesota Businessman: The people will
rise up over officials’ inaction
An exasperated man who claimed to own a shopping center in downtown Minneapolis blasted officials who he believes failed to protect businesses during a week of protests that have escalated into back-to-back nights of looting and fires.  Speaking to a KARE Minneapolis reporter, the unnamed man said citizens will rise up, if the government won't, and quell the protests, which have, in some cases, become riots over the past 24 hours.  "What I want to tell people right now is that if the governor and the mayor are not going to take care of this problem, people will," he said. "People will uprise over this."

May 30: Fox Business: China weaponizes its currency allowing it to slide as
tensions rise over Hong Kong
China has quietly allowed its currency to slide to its weakest level against the U.S. dollar in over a decade as the Trump administration ratcheted up attacks on Beijing over its crackdown on Hong Kong and handling of the COVID-19 outbreak.  Unlike the dollar, China’s currency is not backed by a promise to pay interest on its debt. The so-called renminbi, or RMB, which has slid 2.47 percent versus the U.S. dollar year-to-date, on Wednesday fell to less than 7.17 per dollar, its weakest since 2008. That pushed the currency below the levels that last summer caused the Trump administration to label Beijing a currency manipulator. The label was removed in January as the two sides ironed out an initial trade agreement.
[See related OpEd by Peter Zeihan “The Beginning of the End of China (pdf)]

May 29: Fox News: Minneapolis Cop charged with murder
and manslaughter
Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis police officer seen kneeling on George Floyd’s neck until he could not breathe, has been charged with 3rd degree murder and manslaughter, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman announced Friday afternoon. Freeman said the evidence against Chauvin includes video from a bystander's cell phone, body camera footage as well as statements from witnesses and a preliminary report from the medical examiner. "We felt in our professional judgment that it was time to charge and we have done it," Freeman said.

May 29: The Washington Times: Former Intelligence Chief says Dems lied about Trump
Former acting chief of U.S. intelligence Richard Grenell this week launched a pointed defense of his short, but activist tenure, accusing one Democrat of repeatedly lying to America about President Trump and Russia collusion.   Grenell served only three months as acting director of national intelligence and declassified a number of documents while revamping headquarters staff. The documents included a list of Obama officials, including Joe Biden, who requested that the name of retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn be revealed in secret intelligence reports they were reading.  He has also prepared for release the call transcripts of Flynn and Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak––the evidence used by the FBI to gain a criminal conviction.

May 29: The Jerusalem Post: Fourth Iranian tanker arrives in Venezuela but it may be the last
The once prime producer of petroleum in South America is now relying on imports from Iran.  The Venezuelan navy said it escorted a fourth fuel tanker from Iran through its waters on Thursday, while the United States called the shipments to the gasoline-starved country a distraction from problems facing President Nicolas Maduro.  The oil industries of Iran and Venezuela are both under US sanctions. Iran is providing its fellow OPEC member up to 1.53 million barrels of gasoline and refining components to help ease an acute shortage, the result of the near-complete breakdown in its refining network as well as the sanctions.

May 29: The Washington Examiner: The last state (NJ) to restrict in-person
church services may allow them by mid-June
New Jersey is the only state where in-person church services are still banned, and it’s unclear when Gov. Phil Murphy will lift those restrictions.  During a Friday afternoon press conference, the governor said he hopes to allow churches to resume in-person services on June 12 but that it all depends on the trends of “health metrics.”  Murphy is the sole holdout after President Trump threatened last week to “override” the governors still prohibiting services and Attorney General William Barr’s Justice Department sent several letters asking for the same. California, Minnesota, and Vermont lifted restrictions over the weekend. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced an end to the ban on Wednesday.

May 28: The New York Post: AG Barr appoints special prosecutor to review
2016 election and unmasking
Attorney General William Barr has appointed a US Attorney in Texas to review the “unmasking” process that took place at the time of the 2016 presidential election, his spokeswoman announced.  DOJ confirmed the new probe Wednesday evening, saying that Barr had tapped John Bash, US Attorney for the Western District of Texas, after he had “determined that certain aspects of ‘unmasking’ needed to be reviewed.”  A DOJ spokesperson said US Attorney for Connecticut John Durham’s investigation into the Russia probe, which Barr ordered in last May, had been looking into “unmasking,” but the attorney general wanted that process to be addressed separately.

May 28: The Washington Examiner: Pelosi pulls FISA bill from House consideration
House Democrats pulled a federal surveillance measure from the floor after opposition from both parties doomed passage of the bill.  Majority Leader Steny Hoyer blamed President Trump for calling on Republicans to vote against it, but Democrats control the majority in the House, and they, too, were unable to garner enough votes to clear the measure for Trump’s signature.

May 28: Fox News: Oil Tankers headed for Venezuela diverted midst sanction threat
Two Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned ships that "were en route to Venezuela carrying Iranian fuel, scrapped their deliveries after the U.S. threatened sanctions," a senior U.S. official told Fox News.  The Greek-owned ships would have been unable to access international banking and maritime insurance had they carried out the shipment.  According to experts, the oil shipments were only expected to satisfy Venezuelan demand for a couple of weeks. "Iranian gas cannot prevent the inevitable: a democratic transition that restores prosperity to Venezuela," the State Department spokesperson said.

May 28: United Press International: China passes controversial national
security bill that threatens Hong Kong freedom
China's legislature on Thursday approved a highly controversial national security law that critics say will deteriorate the rights and freedoms of the semi-autonomous territory of Hong Kong.  China's rubber-stamp National People's Congress passed the resolution with a near-unanimous 2,878 votes to criminalize acts of secession, sedition, subversion, terrorism and conspiring with foreign actors to threaten national security in Hong Kong. Only one lawmaker voted against the bill while six abstained.

May 28: The Daily Caller: Trump signs executive order on social media
Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday calling for social media giants to lose their shield against liability if they engage in censorship.  If a social media platform censors content on its platform then, under the executive order, it would lose its immunity to legal liability for content posted on it.  The executive order calls for changing Section 230, the law governing internet platforms.  Ultimately, however, it is up to Congress to change the law.

May 27: The Texas Tribune: Texas Supreme Court decision on Ballots by Mail
The Texas Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that a lack of immunity to the new coronavirus does not qualify a voter to apply for a mail-in ballot.  In the latest twist in the legal fight over voting by mail during the coronavirus pandemic, the court agreed with Texas’ Attorney General that the risk of contracting the virus alonedoes not meet the state’s qualifications for voting by mail.  “We agree with the State that a voter’s lack of immunity to COVID-19, without more, is not a ‘disability’ as defined by the Election Code,” the court wrote.  The Texas election code defines disability as a “sickness or physical condition” that prevents a voter from appearing in person without the risk of “injuring the voter’s health.”

May 27: The Washington Times: Biden’s reliance on COVID-19 governors may be backfire
Joseph R. Biden is hitching his political fortunes to Democratic governors from battleground states as he looks to resurrect the “blue wall.”  Mr. Biden is betting the lovefest with the governors will pay off even as they face stiffening scrutiny from Trump, his allies and even some in-state Democrats over the pace of their reopening plans.  Charlie Gerow, a Pennsylvania-based Republican Party strategist, said the polls have failed to capture the intensity of voters’ anger over the length of the lockdowns.  “The bottom line is people are pissed,” he said. “The folks who are showing up at these rallies represent the overwhelming majority of Pennsylvanians, Michiganders and Wisconsinites and represent the salt of the earth and heart and soul of America.  “These are regular folks who want to go back to work,” he said. “Joe Biden hitching his wagon to Tom Wolf doesn’t help him one little bit.”

May 27: The Washington Free Beacon: Internal emails contradict Michigan
Governor’s story on selection of COVID-19 contractor
Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer's (D) office gave the "green light" on a coronavirus-related contract awarded to a Democratic consulting firm that worked for her campaign, according to internal emails obtained by Bridge Magazine.  The documents contradict the Whitmer administration's public statements denying any knowledge of the lucrative deal, as well as the Democrat's attempt to blame the state health department when controversy over the contact tracing contract erupted. The emails also reveal that agency officials expressed doubts about the purpose of the contract and raised questions about the players enlisted to carry out the collection of sensitive health data from Michigan residents.

May 27: Breitbart News: Twitter’s fact check of Trump doesn’t
disclose company partnered with groups pushing mail-in ballots
Twitter for the first time put a fact-check label on tweets from President Trump, using the controversial tactic on messages in which the president complained there is “no way” that “mail-in ballots will be anything less than substantially fraudulent.”  Twitter did not disclose in its so-called fact-check it is partners with two groups financed by leftist donors that engage in voter participation efforts, including drives pushing mail-in balloting.

May 27: Fox News: DOJ urges Trump to veto House FISA legislation
Just hours before the House was scheduled to take up the reauthorization of FISA the Justice Department issued a statement saying the legislation goes too far and would weaken national security tools.  House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) asked Speaker Nancy Pelosi to pull the legislation from the floor citing several reasons that Democrats should delay the legislation, including new developments surrounding Obama administration officials using FISA authorities to launch the Russia probe into Trump campaign officials and associates. Meanwhile, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) said the FISA process isn’t problematic, it was abused.

May 26: The Daily Caller: What Acting DNI did to remake the intelligence community
Acting Director of National Intelligence, Richard Grenell, will hand over the reins to John Ratcliffe this week.  Though he only led the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) for just three months, U.S. intelligence officials has said Grenell prioritized dozens of initiatives that restructured the intelligence community and Trump it gave him the opportunity break up the deep state.  While in office he both eliminate leaks from within the intelligence community and reduce interagency overlap in order to refocus ODNI resources.  He saved an estimated $19 million through the elimination and consolidation of government and contractor resources.

May 26: The Federalist: It’s not the Administration politicizing the
Fynn Case, it’s Judge Sullivan
Not quite two weeks ago, Judge Emmet Sullivan threw open the doors of his federal courtroom to the swamp when he invited third parties to pontificate on the propriety of the Department of Justice’s motion to dismiss the criminal charges against Michael Flynn. The next day Sullivan went further: He appointed a former federal judge, John Gleeson, as an amicus curiae, or friend of the court, to argue that the government’s motion to dismiss should be denied. 

May 26: The UK Telegraph: UK must grant Hong Kong people asylum
as Communist China imposes its will
Simon Cheng Man-kit, a former UK consulate worker tortured by Chinese secret police, is urging the British government to give Hong Kong people the opportunity to come to the UK as Beijing imposes a national security law in the territory.  The law – set to be approved Thursday by China’s parliament, bypassing Hong Kong's legislature – will criminalize separatism, subversion, terrorism and acts of foreign interference, and paves the way for the ruling Communist Party to quash dissent under the guise of national security.  “It’s a disaster – I cannot imagine any other scenario worse than this,” Mr. Cheng told The Telegraph, who fears the torture he endured in China last year over Britain’s role in Hong Kong, will soon become commonplace. “Once they ‘legalize’ it, then it will become undeniable reality.”

May 25: United Press International: Taiwan vows “necessary assistance”
to Hong Kong residents
China has announced it is planning to pass legislation that would criminalize treason, secession, sedition and subversion against the central Beijing government and permit Beijing security forces to perform national security duties.   This prompted massive demonstrations in Hong Kong over the weekend.  In response Taiwan's President Tsi Ing-wen has promised "necessary assistance" to the people of Hong Kong saying the people of Taiwan stand with those of Hong Kong in their struggle against China's introduction of a new security law.  "If the law is implemented, the core values of Hong Kong's democratic freedom and judicial independence will be severely eroded," she said, stating it "seriously threatens Hong Kong."

May 25: The New York Post: Michigan Governor in hot water over
husband flouts her shutdown guidelines
The governor of Michigan — whose strict coronavirus lockdown policies have caused infamous revolts in the state — is taking heat after her husband appeared to have flouted some of her own advice about holiday travel. Whitmer started to relax some of the restrictions in upstate but told people in more populated areas not to travel there, saying “if you don’t live in these regions … think long and hard before you take a trip into them.”    Three days later, Whitmer’s husband called a boat works near their vacation property asking them to get the Whitmer’s boat in the water before the Memorial Day Weekend. 

May 25: The Washington Times: Biden leaves his home for first time in two months
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden made his first public appearance in two months on Memorial Day to honor members of the military who died defending the nation.  He and his wife placed a wreath at a veterans park near their home in Delaware. 

May 25: The Daily Caller: COVID-19 uncovered 90% reliance on China for medications
The coronavirus pandemic has revealed a troubling truth: Global supply chains simply aren’t reliable. We are learning this in real-time as we see the Chinese threaten to cut off imports for critical medicines and pharmaceuticals. That has put millions of lives at risk since 90% of the generic medications that Americans use each day are imported. Worse,90% of the ingredients for generic drugs used to treat coronavirus infections are sourced from China.  In response, Washington must encourage the reshoring of pharmaceutical production as well as the development of countermeasures for future threats, including critical drug treatments, vaccines, medical devices, and personal protective equipment.

May 25: Fox News: A parcular twist; Federal Judge hires defense attorney for Flynn appeal
U.S. District Court Judge Emmett G. Sullivan has taken the unusual step of hiring an attorney to represent him as an appeals court reviews his decision not to immediately grant the Justice Department’s (DOJ's) request to dismiss its case against former National Security Adviser  Michael Flynn.  Meanwhile, the D.C. Court of Appeals has given Sullivan until June 1st to justify his reasons for not dismissing the case.

May 24: Fox News: Former AG Whitaker on judge’s order in Flynn Case
Former Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker reacted  to Judge Sullivan’s position on the Flynn Case during an interview on “Sunday Morning Futures.”  Whitaker said “There is no discretion of Judge [Emmet] Sullivan to not dismiss the case once the Department of Justice has decided to no longer pursue those charges… …I think ultimately it’s going to be a strange proceeding when the appeals court gets their filing from the judge, trying to defend his actions.”  He went on to say that “the case will be dismissed and the charges will no longer be held against him [Flynn].”

May 24: The Daily Caller: National Security Advisor O’Brien; Wouldn’t be
surprised if China stole the COVID-19 vaccine once developed
White House National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien on Sunday suggested that the Chinese Community Party would very likely try to steal American developments on a coronavirus vaccine.   O’Brien predicted that the United States would be the first country to develop a vaccine for the novel coronavirus. But he added that the Chinese government has been working diligently to steal the U.S. government’s coronavirus vaccine research.  He noted “Look, they’ve [China] got a many, many year history of stealing American intellectual property and knocking off American technology…”

May 24: United Press International: Weather could delay manned space launch
Weather has become a major concern for the planned launch of two American astronauts Wednesday from Kennedy Space Center in Florida in the first crewed mission from U.S. soil in nine years.  If delayed, the next possible launch window would be Saturday.

May 23: United Press International: Trump to attend US manned space launch
President Donald Trump is scheduled to travel to Florida on Wednesday to watch as SpaceXlaunches its Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft into orbit. If the launch goes according to plan, it will be the first spaceflight launched from U.S. soil with American astronauts on board since 2011. On Friday NASA and Space X completed a flight readiness review to launch NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley from Kennedy Space Center in Merritt Island in Florida.  Wednesday's trip to Florida will be Trump's first not directly related to the coronavirus pandemic in two months. He's largely kept to the White House since March, when he declared a national emergency. Vice President Pence is also expected to attend.

May 23: Breitbart News: Poll: More trust Trump than Biden for economic recovery
When it comes to the nation’s economy a greater share of registered voters trust Trump to handle the economic recovery. 43% of registered voters surveyed, verses 40% for Biden, trust Trump to handle the economic recovery moving forward.  Similarly, 44 percent trust Trump on the economy in a general sense, compared to 41 percent for Biden. Forty-four percent of registered voters also trust the president on the issue of jobs — a four percent advantage over Biden.

May 23: The Washington Times: Rebel Dems in battleground states could be good news for Trump
Democratic lawmakers in battleground states have unexpectedly broken ranks in recent weeks to heap praise on President Trump, stirring up turmoil in their party.  Republicans see those rebels as a good sign for Trump and down-ballot races on Election Day in November.  Democrats in Pennsylvania, Georgia and Michigan suffered pushback for their pro-Trump rhetoric within the last month. The phenomenon is all the more startling because those are Trump-won states that Democrats hope to take back in 2020.

May 23: The Washington Examiner: Biden “no tax increase” pledge doesn’t
line up with his campaign tax plan
Joe Biden's vow Friday not to increase taxes on anyone earning less than $400,000 a year conflicts with his platform, according to outside tax experts.  “The tax policy proposals that he has already put forth would violate that promise because he is already proposing to raise taxes on households that earn less than $400,000,” said Kyle Pomerleau, a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.  Pomerleau said the plan Biden released late last year includes tax increases that kick-in at roughly $160,000 since it caps itemized deductions at 28% for all taxpayers. That provision means filers in higher tax brackets suffer a tax increase.

May 23: The Washington Free Beacon: COVID-19 changed first time gum buyer’s politics
Scott Kane went 38 years without ever touching a gun. In March, fearful of the harassment his wife and child experienced over their Asian ancestry, Kane found himself in a California gun shop. His March 11 purchase of a 9mm would have been the end of the story, were it not for a political standoff over shutdown orders and background checks. Now Kane, a former supporter of gun-control measures and AR-15 bans, is frustrated by the arduous process that has denied his family a sense of security. The pandemic has made the soft-spoken software engineer an unlikely Second Amendment supporter.  "This has taken me, a law-abiding citizen with nary an unpaid parking ticket to my name, over a month," he said. "Meanwhile Joe Bad Guy has probably purchased several fully automatic AK-47s out of the back of an El Camino in a shady part of town with zero background checks."

May 22: The Washington Times: DOJ strikes a blow for federalism in a COVID-19 case
The Trump administration struck a blow for federalism Friday, filing papers in court telling Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker that the fight over his coronavirus shutdown order belongs before a state judge, not in federal court. The case was being heard by a state judge until Thursday, when the Governor’s lawyers had it moved to a federal district court. State Rep. Darren Bailey, who filed the lawsuit, accused the governor of creating arguments to try to find a friendlier judge than the state courtroom where the matter was being argued.  DOJ weighed in saying the matter should be decided inside the state.  The lawsuit says the powers the governor is using only last for 30 days, and he’s extended beyond that timeframe. 

May 22: Fox News: Nevada – A case study in voter fraud to swing an election
Democrats in Clark County, NV successfully got a new voting plan that was  “shrouded in mystery,” according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Officials would now increase the number of in-person voting locations in the Democrat-heavy region (thereby increasing the Democrat verses Republican turnout), mail ballots to all “voters” (even those that the state officials believed may have moved) and allow “field registrars,” commonly known as ballot harvesters, to pick mail ballots up. Weeks before the election, live ballots were piling up at apartment complexes. Others were found in the trash.  A postal worker reported finding thousands of ballots just “sitting in crates with no additional safeguards.” Some, she said were ballots for residents who “had all moved or died.”   A local Las Vegas resident said she found dozens of ballots pinned to community bulletin boards. “From Friday to Monday, I could have voted 20 times,” she said.

May 22: The Daily Caller: N.J. voter fraud as 3,000 votes not counted in local election
In a New Jersey city council election that was decided by just a handful of votes, over 3,000 ballots were reportedly set aside, raising questions about the legitimacy of the election.  In addition to the roughly 800 ballots that were discounted due to allegations of fraud from the US Postal Service, another 2,300 ballots were not counted, according to the Paterson Press. In total, 19% of all the ballots cast were disqualified. 

May 22: The Independent Journal Report: Biden: If You Can’t Decide on Voting for
Trump or Me, ‘Then You Ain’t Black’
Former Vice President  Joe Biden sparked some controversy over remarks about race during an interview on the New York City radio show “The Breakfast Club.”  Biden’s team had called the interview over but the Democrat added as a parting message, “If you have a problem figuring out whether me or Trump, then you ain’t black.”  He added, “Take a look at my record, man. I extended the Voting Rights Act 25 years. I have a record that is second-to-none. The NAACP’s endorsed me every time I’ve run. I mean, come on. Take a look at the record.”

May 22: The Washington Examiner: U.S. overtures to Taiwan may escalate tensions with China
President Trump’s administration plans to sell 18 torpedoes to Taiwan at a time when worsening tensions between the United States and China raise the specter of conflict over the island’s political sovereignty.   “Torpedoes are real important if you want to sink ships,” the Hudson Institute’s Seth Cropsey said. “One of Taiwan's large military issues at the tactical level is the possibility of a [Chinese military] blockade that would cut the Taiwanese off from importing and exporting. So, the increased ability to sink ships that you get with torpedoes makes sense.”

May 21: The Washington Times: Appeals Court: Judge Sullivan; respond to
request to remove case on Michael Flynn
A federal appeals court Thursday ordered the judge overseeing the case against former national security adviser Michael Flynn to respond to a petition from Flynn’s legal team seeking to remove him from the case.  In a one-page order, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ordered U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan to “file a response addressing the petitioners’ request.”  Judge Sullivan has 10 days to address Flynn’s legal brief. The court also invited the Justice Department to weigh in on whether Judge Sullivan should be reassigned.

May 21: The Washington Free Beacon: Call for DOJ investigation of Planned
Parenthood fraudulently taking funding
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) led a group of lawmakers calling on the Department of Justice to investigate Planned Parenthood over allegations the abortion provider fraudulently obtained federal loans.  "Planned Parenthood fraudulently taking tens of millions of dollars that were intended to help keep those small businesses and nonprofit organizations afloat cannot stand and must be addressed," a letter sent by the lawmakers to Attorney General William Barr stated.  The letter points to a statement from Planned Parenthood Action Fund, the group's political action committee, criticizing the CARES act for excluding Planned Parenthood as evidence that the group fraudulently obtained the loans.

May 21: The Daily Caller: Terrorist attack against second Naval Air Station
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has determined that a Thursday morning shooting at the Naval Air Station in Corpus Christi is terrorism related, according to ABC News.  The FBI also announced that “there may be a second person of interest at large in the community.”  A U.S. defense official told CNN that the suspect attempted to rush the security gate with a vehicle and security deployed a barrier to stop the vehicle.  The suspect exited the vehicle and began to fire, prompting security forces to return fire.  The attacker was killed, a security guard was injured.

May 21: New York Post: Trump in Michigan; Thanks Ford workers for ventilators
President Trump traveled to Michigan Thursday to visit a Ford plant converted to making ventilators, and thanked employees for their efforts to help save Americans’ lives during   coronavirus pandemic.  “With your help, not a single American has been denied a ventilator, not a single one,” Trump said during the campaign-style appearance at the Rawsonville plant in 2020 battleground Michigan.

May 21: The Washington Examiner: How secure are your mail in ballots?
S.C. ballots end up in Maryland!
“Maryland election officials found a bunch of ballots from South Carolina mixed in with their shipments to Baltimore,” Baltimore Sun reporter Emily Opilo tweeted. “They use the same vendor. I just talked to an elections official in SC, and he says they're ready to dump the company.”  Maryland and South Carolina use the same vendor.   South Carolina officials say this isn’t the first time they’ve had trouble with SeaChange, the Minnesota-based printer they use. 

May 21: The Washington Times: Democratic Party official admits to stuffing ballot boxes
A Philadelphia elections judge and Democratic Party official pleaded guilty Thursday to stuffing ballot boxes in favor of Democratic candidates in elections in 2014, 2015 and 2016, while collecting thousands of dollars in cash to make the changes.  Prosecutors hinted at an even broader conspiracy by an unnamed “political consultant” who charged his clients “consulting fees” then used some of the money to pay off multiple Election Board officials.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Philadelphia won Thursday’s guilty plea from a Democratic Party ward chairman who served as a judge of elections, responsible for overseeing a polling place during voting.

May 20: The Daily Caller: Audio tapes of Biden and the $1 billion payoff leaked
A Ukrainian lawmaker with ties to the Russian KGB released on Tuesday excerpts of recorded phone calls reportedly made between former Vice President Joe Biden and former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in 2016 discussing the ouster of a Ukrainian prosecutor in return for a $1 billion loan guarantee.  The lawmaker, Andriy Derkach, said during a press conference Tuesday that Poroshenko recorded his phone calls with Biden and that he received the tapes from investigative journalists.

May 20: Fox News: Senate passes bill to remove rouge Chinese firms from the US stock exchanges
The U.S. Senate has passed a bill boosting oversight of companies based in China and other nations that could lead to their removal from American stock exchanges. The vote on the measure, introduced more than a year ago by Sens. John Kennedy, R-La., and Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., comes as Congress and the Trump administration seek ways to punish Beijing for its initial handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. The legislation says that if the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board -- a nonprofit established by Congress after the WorldCom and Enron scandals of the early 2000s -- is denied access to a foreign stock issuer's books for three years, the Securities and Exchange Commission will prohibit trading in the shares on U.S. exchanges.

May 19: The Hill: Texas Supreme Court: Not everybody can
vote by mail; Federal Judge: Not so; expect an appeal
A federal judge on Tuesday ruled that all Texans can apply to vote by mail during the coronavirus pandemic, after the state's Supreme Court, in separate litigation, blocked the expansion of absentee voting last week.  U.S. District Judge Fred Biery sided with the Texas Democratic Party, saying that to follow existing state absentee voting rules, in which you have to be 65 or older or have a stated disability, would put unconstitutional and illegal burdens on Texas voters. The case is likely to be appealed.
Editor's Note: The Federal Judge’s decision opens the door to possible vote harvesting and fraud while also meaning that Texas counties may not be able to get results from the November election for days and in some cases a week or more.

May 19: Breitbart News: COVID-19 Blue state governors not listening to cries from their constituents
Several blue state governors have refused to listen to the cries of residents begging them to reopen their respective states, instead issuing threats against localities and business owners who fail to comply with their draconian lockdown orders — threats that have, largely, failed to come to fruition.  One prime example is Governor Wolfe (D-PA) who threatened to withhold federal stimulus discretionary funds from counties defying his order and also issued a threat to business owners directly, warning that they could lose their health department certificate, liquor license, and certificate of occupancy, at the hands of the state.

May 19: News One Now: Michigan business defies Governor’s order opens for business
Erik Kiilunen, who owns two Michigan businesses impacted by the economy-crushing shutdown, is calling on others to defy the governor’s stay-at-home order that is set to expire May 28.    Gov. Whitmer, a first-term Democrat, angered the public weeks ago for her oddball lockdown orders that forced businesses to rope off paint aisles and garden seeds. More recently, the governor suggested the lockdown would continue because of massive protests that filled Lansing, and she ignored the GOP-led legislature that appears to have the legal authority to grant or deny Whitmer’s extension to the stay-at-home orders.

May 19: Fox News: Secretary of Treasury: People offered a job by
previous employers are not eligible for unemployment benefits
Treasury Secretary  Steven Mnuchin warned on Tuesday that individuals who reject an offer from their company to return to work after being laid off due to coronavirus are no longer considered eligible to receive federal unemployment benefits.  Mnuchin said that companies receiving benefits under the Payroll Protection Program who are inviting employees who had been laid off or furloughed due to the coronavirus crisis to return to work should plan to notify state unemployment offices of their offers.  If the employee, in turn, turns down the job, they would then be considered ineligible to receive expanded unemployment benefits.

May 19: The Washington Times: Trump signs order to deregulate in
order to speed up the COVID-19 economic recovery
President Trump ordered a sweeping emergency deregulation effort Tuesday to jump-start the economic recovery as states reopen from coronavirus shutdowns, and he directed federal agencies not to “over-enforce” regulations against small businesses that are working to bounce back.  Mr. Trump signed an executive order, in his first Cabinet meeting since the crisis hit, that directs federal agencies to rapidly use all emergency and “good cause” authorities to find red tape that can be rescinded or temporarily waived to promote job creation and economic growth. In addition to cutting regulations, the president’s order instructs Cabinet agencies to “consider exercising appropriate temporary enforcement discretion” for the good of the recovery.

May 19: United Press International: Trump threatens to permanently cut WHO
funding if changes aren’t made
President  Trump late Monday threatened to permanently pull funding from the World Health Organization  (WHO) unless it commits to "major substantive improvements within the next 30 days." The threat is an escalation to a hold Trump put on U.S. funding to the United Nations' health agency last month so as to conduct a review of the WHO's response to the coronavirus outbreak. Trump has accused it of "mismanaging and covering up" the spread of the disease.

May 18: Fox News: California illegally opens COVID-19 funding to immigrants
Undocumented immigrants in California are now allowed to apply for the state’s coronavirus relief program that will pay $500 per person and up to $1,000 per household, according to reports Monday.  Sacramento has freed up $75 million for the fund, which could help about 150,000 who may be facing severe hardships during the pandemic. The LA Times said the Center for American Liberty is suing the state, claiming that the money is “not a slush fund for the governor to spend as he sees fit.” It hopes to block the package.  Opponents of the measure insist that any taxpayer funds should be directed to U.S. citizens who are also struggling amid the pandemic.

May 18: The Washington Times: Obama inserts self in ways unthinkable for
former Presidents while Biden sits on the sidelines
Forget about Joe Biden. The race for The White House in 2020 looks more and more like a contest between President Trump and his predecessor Barack Obama.  The former president has returned to politics with a vengeance, inserting himself in ways previously unthinkable for those who have occupied the Oval Office and calling his successor a lawless incompetent.  Meanwhile, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich said on Fox News that he believes Obama is inserting himself, partially at least, because of fear and anxiety over the recent revelations of his knowledge, and perhaps involvement in, the 2016 investigation of the Trump campaign.

May 18: The Washington Free Beacon: Lawmakers urge Trump to sanction
Chinese officials over COVID-19
In a letter to the State and Treasury Departments sent on Monday, Congressmen Jim Banks (R-IN)   Lance Gooden (R-TX),  and Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) urged the Trump administration to sanction at least ten top Communist Party officials over their efforts to conceal information about the coronavirus and for imprisoning those who sought to provide the world with the information. They encouraged Treasury to exercise its authority under the Magnitsky Act, which permits the U.S. government to punish global human-rights abusers.

May 18: United Press International: Maryland bar shows
ingenuity; “Bumper Tables” for social distancing
A Maryland restaurant preparing to reopen amid the ongoing  COVID-19 pandemic unveiled its fleet of wheeled bumper tables designed to enforce social distancing.  The Fish Tales bar and grill in Ocean City, which is currently open only for take-out service, shared a videoshowing employees testing out the social distancing tables the eatery plans to use once the governor's office gives the go-ahead for dining rooms to reopen.

May 18: The Daily Caller: How the FBI used “News Hooks” to further its investigation into Trump
A common theme that has emerged from the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane investigation is bureau officials’ use of media reports and leaks to advance aspects of the bureau’s probe of the Trump campaign’s possible ties to Russia.  In at least five instances, FBI officials capitalized on the so-called news hooks and leaks as justification to open up new areas of the investigation.  James Comey, Andrew McCabe and Peter Strzok all took advantage of media reports to push the investigation forward. And in one case, Comey orchestrated a leak of his own to spur the appointment of a special counsel.

May 17: The New York Post: Two shot on Bolivar Peninsula (TX)
during Jeep Weekend
Two people were shot when a fight broke out at “Jeep Weekend,” an unofficial gathering for enthusiasts of the carmaker in Texas, according to a report.  Galveston County Sheriff’s Office said the shooting occurred just before midnight Saturday when two women became involved in a fight.  Two men then jumped into the fray, and one of them opened fire, striking two people, according to the report.  Both of the victims were airlifted to local hospitals, where they underwent surgery.  Their condition is not known.  Authorities are searching for the suspects.

May 17: The Washington Times: Confrontation with China increases as U.S.
COVID-19 death toll climbs
President Trump is stepping up his confrontations with communist China as the U.S. death toll mounts from the COVID-19 pandemic, blocking trade with Chinese tech giant Huawei, halting some U.S. retirement investments in China and floating the suggestion that Beijing should compensate the world for the coronavirus first discovered in Wuhan.  The president, who once for now with Mr. Xi, even as both sides negotiate quietly to uphold the massive trade deal signed at the White House in January.

May 17: The Washington Examiner: Pompeo to China: Don’t interfere with
U.S. journalists in Hong Kong
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued a warning to communist China over threats to interfere with the reporting of U.S. journalists in Hong Kong.  He said any decisions to impact Hong Kong's autonomy could affect the United States' assessment of the territory's status.  He noted American journalists in Hong Kong  are members of a free press, not propaganda cadres, and their valuable reporting informs Chinese citizens and the world.  "Any decision impinging on Hong Kong’s autonomy and freedoms as guaranteed under the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law would inevitably impact our assessment of One Country, Two Systems and the status of the territory," he added.

May 17: Fox News: Some Governors across the nation facing lawsuits/protests
for going too far on COVID-19 executive orders
Stay-at-home orders aimed at reducing the spread of Chinese coronavirus are now facing legal challenges from residents and state officials alike, alleging that some measures – mostly put in place by Democrats -- go too far while the country gradually moves toward reopening.  California alone is facing at least a dozen lawsuits that include claims that the state has unjustly closed down gun shops and religious services, infringed on freedoms of speech and assembly by restricting protests, and one case where a resident alleges that being forced to remain at home constitutes forced detention without due process.  And California is not alone.  Lawsuits and protests have also been happening in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Kentucky.

May 16: The Washington Times: Judge blocks NC governor’s
church shutdown order
A federal judge in North Carolina on Saturday sided with conservative Christian leaders and blocked the enforcement of restrictions that Gov. Roy Cooper ordered affecting indoor religious services during the coronavirus pandemic. The order from Judge James C. Dever III came days after two Baptist churches, a minister and a Christian revival group filed a federal lawsuit seeking to immediately block enforcement of rules covering religious services within the Democratic governor’s executive orders. Dever agreed with the plaintiffs, who argued that the limits violate their rights to worship freely and treat churches differently from retailers and other secular activities.

May 16: The Washington Examiner: Susan Rice’s desire to be Vice President
hamstrung by Benghazi and unmasking
Susan Rice wants to be Joe Biden's running mate. The question is whether the presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee wants her on his ticket.  Rice, 55, was former President Barack Obama's national security adviser from 2013 to 2017, aligning herself with him early in his 2008 White House campaign over his then-rival Hillary Clinton.  Even though Rice, who's of Jamaican descent, ticks the boxes of being both a woman and a person of color, her record is both a help and hindrance if she hopes to become Biden's understudy. She was the one who claimed on nationwide television that the attack on the U.S. Consult in Benghazi was caused by a video, something that has been proven false.  She was also involved with the unmasking of Michael Flynn.

May 15: The Washington Times: Trump blocks shipments of semiconductors to China’s Huawei
President Trump moved on Friday to block shipments of semiconductors to Chinese giant Huawei Technologies from global chipmakers, a step that could escalate tensions with Beijing.  The Department of Commerce announced it is amending an export rule to “strategically target  Huawei’s acquisition of semiconductors that are the direct product of certain U.S. software and technology.”  Huawei uses semiconductors to make its smartphones. The company has warned that the Chinese government would retaliate if the U.S. took the action. Meanwhile Commerce extended a temporary license to allow U.S. companies to continue doing business with Huawei through Aug. 13, to give time them time to adapt to the change. It warned it expected this would be the final extension.

May 15: The Wall Street Journal: The Senate is in session while House moves
to allow proxy voting
The House approved a slate of rules changes that will allow lawmakers to cast votes by proxy during the coronavirus pandemic, a historic step that Democrats cast as pragmatic but that Republicans warned could alter the nature of Congress.  The Democratic resolution authorizing proxy voting and committees to operate remotely cleared the House by a vote of 217-189.  Could this could allow Speaker Pelosi to hold proxies in her pocket and cast votes for her House Democrats?

May 15: The Washington Examiner: U.S. oil heading to Belarus, Russia infuriated
An American company is sending a shipment of oil to Belarus this week, in a blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s drive to dominate the former Soviet satellite. “It certainly will infuriate Russia, especially that it is U.S. oil,” a Baltic official said.  “The Kremlin tries hard to hide any signs of disagreement with Belarus. This is impossible to hide.”   Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hailed the shipment as a bulwark of “Belarusian sovereignty and independence” in a Friday statement, emphasizing that the sale could be the first of many between the two countries. Such applause from the top American diplomat underscores how President Trump’s administration is reaching out to the small authoritarian state, which has had poor relations with the United States for years, in an effort to diminish Putin’s leverage over the country.

May 15: The Free Beacon: Fundraising record helps California GOP candidate win
WinRed, the GOP's digital fundraising platform, raised nearly $60 million in April, funneling more than $500,000 toward a Republican victory in a California congressional race widely seen as a bellwether for November.  WinRed raised $59.8 million from more than 1.6 million small donations in April, the largest monthly haul in its 10-month history, according to Axios. Those efforts helped steer $503,087 to former Navy fighter pilot Mike Garcia, who became the first California Republican to flip a seat from the Democrats since 1998. Garcia won the race to replace congresswoman Katie Hill by double digits, despite the fact that the suburban district has 30,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans.  This is the seat once held by Congressman Barry Goldwater Jr.

May 14: The Washington Examiner:  Trump: Joe has absolutely no idea what is happening
President Trump, speaking ahead of an event at a medical supply facility in this key swing state, questioned Joe Biden’s mental faculties, at one point claiming his Democratic challenger “has absolutely no idea what’s happening.”  Trump was reacting to news that Biden had teamed up with former rival Sen. Bernie Sanders in naming Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez co-chairwoman of a climate change panel, which Trump said would help cost Biden the state of Pennsylvania.  “AOC is a disaster. She wants all fossil fuel out,” Trump said.   By allying with Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders on energy policy, Trump said, Biden “lost Texas. He lost Pennsylvania. He lost North Dakota. He lost Oklahoma. And he lost every other state where fuel is important — like about most of them.”

May 14: The Daily Caller: A new cold war: Senate GOP looking to confront China, investigate
and sanction them and perhaps seize their assets over COVID-19 disinformation
Several Senate Republicans are mobilizing plans to confront China for its delay, cover up and suppression of critical information in the lead up to the global coronavirus pandemic, the Daily Caller has learned. Options on the table even include “authorizing U.S. courts to seize Chinese government assets” once an investigation “determine[s] the damages China owes the US — and the world.”  Senator Ted Cruz said “We now know that leaders at the highest levels of the Chinese Communist Party actively hid the coronavirus outbreak from the world, silencing those who tried to sound the alarm, prevent a global pandemic, and save lives.”

May 14: Real Clear Politics: Richard Grenell is after one: the truth
Richard Grenell the acting Director of National Intelligence, is after one: the truth. As DNI, Grenell has used his power responsibly, thoughtfully, and constitutionally to find the facts about what happened across the intelligence agencies serving the American people and how they were weaponized for political purposes before and after the 2016 election.  Just weeks into his new role, Grenell began reforming the DNI office to enhance transparency and accountability while implementing measures to protect our intelligence agencies from future political interference.  Grenell’s most important contribution to justice — and truth — has been his decision to declassify the list of former Obama administration officials who "unmasked" the identity of the former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. Thanks to Grenell’s efforts, Americans now know that the Obama administration abused its power during the 2016 campaign in order to illegally spy on Donald Trump’s associates.  

May 14: Independent Journal Report:  Trump, Azar Blast Ousted Vaccine Chief's Testimony
Dr. Bright, a self-proclaimed whistle blower, testified before a House Committee today claiming the Trump Administration failed to take his advice and that of other experts.   He also said contracts were given to “companies with political connections to the administration.”  He alleged his removal was due to his decision to limit the use of hydroxychloroquine — which Trump once touted as a possible “game-changer as a potential treatment of COVID -19.  But Azar, the Secretary Health and Human Services, claimed  Bright was “the sponsor” of the drug. “So, his allegations do not hold water.”  Trump said “I never met Dr. Bright. I don’t know who he is,” and added, “And to me, he seems like a disgruntled employee.”   

May 13: The Hill: Unmasking Michael Fynn: Dozens of Obama Administration officials requested
Acting Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Richard Grenell declassified and then sent to Congress the list of names of dozens of Obama administration officials who they say asked for documents that led to the identity of former national security adviser Michael Flynn being "unmasked" from intelligence reports between the 2016 election and President Trump’s inauguration.  The list includes a who's who of Obama-era officials, including then-Vice President Joe Biden, former White House chief of staff Denis McDonough, former FBI Director James Comey and former CIA Director John Brennan. A written justification for requesting that individuals names be “unmasked” is required before doing so.

May 13: Fox News: Federal Judge takes unusual step in considering Justice
Department request to drop charges against Michael Flynn
D.C. District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan issued an unusual order Wednesday appointing a law firm partner "to present arguments in opposition to the government's motion to dismiss" the matter -- and to consider whether the court should hold Flynn in contempt for perjury.  The partner, a retired federal judge has openly criticized the Trump administration's handling of Michael Flynn's case, raising concerns that he was selected to improperly bolster Sullivan's efforts to keep the Flynn case alive even though both the government and defendant want it dismissed.  Sullivan previously suggested Flynn may have committed treason, in a bizarre 2018 courtroom outburst, and seemingly confused key details about Flynn's overseas lobbying work.  The precise reasons for the perjury review were not clear in Sullivan's order.

May 13: The Daily Caller: Alameda County CA caves after it is revealed Tesla
owner talking to Texas Governor Abbott about moving
Elon Musk may reopen his Tesla factory provided the electric vehicle maker meets safety requirements, local California officials announced Wednesday.  Tesla can reopen its Fremont, Calif., plant as soon as May 18 if the company meets an agreed upon safety measures to limit the spread of COVID-19, the Alameda County Public Health Department said. Alameda County’s decision comes after Musk threatened to move the plant to Texas.  Alameda County’s decision came after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said he and Musk spoke about moving Tesla out of California.

May13: United Press International: Texas AG calls on local
officials to fix “unlawful” coronavirus orders
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has warned local officials that orders mandating face masks be worn and other emergency measures aimed at stemming the spread of the coronavirus are unlawful.   In letters sent Tuesday to Dallas, Travis and Bexar Counties and the cities of Austin and San Antonio, the attorney general's office said some local public health orders are unlawful and confuse citizens, urging officials to repeal them.  "A few Texas counties and cities seem to have confused recommendations with requirements and have grossly exceeded state law to impose their own will on private citizens and businesses," Paxton said.

May 13: Fox News: GOP looking to make gains in California and Wisconsin
GOP candidates in California and Wisconsin were outperforming expectations in two closely watched  Congressional special elections on Tuesday night, as former Navy combat pilot Mike Garcia inched closer to retaking Democrat Katie Hill's seat north of Los Angeles and Republican Tom Tiffany easily prevailed in Wisconsin.  Garcia grabbed a substantial early lead Tuesday in the fight leading Democrat Christy Smith 55.9 percent to 44.1 percent but California typically counts mail in ballot after the polls close and they could cause the totals to swing back to the Democrats.  In Wisconsin, Republican Tom Tiffany easily won his special election in the state's heavily conservative, rural 7th Congressional District.

May 13: The Washington Times: Iran trying to compensate for military blunders
Iran captured world attention by launching its first military satellite into orbit just weeks ago, but its armed forces remain plagued by high-profile mishaps that undermine the Islamic Republic’s carefully crafted image as a major regional power.  The death of 19 Iranians in a friendly-fire missile debacle Monday follows a pattern that saw Tehran’s military embarrassingly shoot down a civilian airliner, killing all 176 people on board four months ago.  The two deadly errors stand in stark contrast to Iran’s portrayal of itself as capable of going toe-to-toe with such Mideast rivals as Israel and Saudi Arabia — let alone fend off any potential American attacks on its homeland.

May 12: The Daily Caller: Judge in Fynn case isn’t tossing charge just yet
The federal judge handling the case against Michael Flynn signaled Tuesday he is not yet ready to grant the Justice Department’s request to throw out charges against the former national security adviser.  Emmet G. Sullivan, a district judge in Washington, D.C., said that he will allow for the submission of amicus curiae briefs, in which individuals and organizations who did not take part in the case can argue for or against the Justice Department’s request to withdraw charges against Flynn.  The Justice Department filed a motion last Thursday to drop charges against the retired general, citing evidence uncovered by U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Jensen.

May 12: The Galveston County Daily News: The Michael Flynn investigation was a travesty
In the investigation of former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, high level White House and FBI officials went rogue searching for a crime, as opposed to investigating criminal acts where there was “probable cause” to obtain a warrant. Their “strong arm” tactics forced Flynn into financial ruin and even threatened to go after his son.  Those involved should be held accountable.  They should be required to financially compensate and make whole Flynn and others who were inappropriately targeted.

May 12: Fox News: AOC booted from union-backed party on primary ballot in New York
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez(D-NY) was booted from the progressive union-backed Working Families Party (WFP) ballot line by a Queens judge, a blow to her potentially competitive Democratic primary fight.  The freshman lawmaker was removed from the primary ballot after receiving only 13 signatures from members of the progressive group that has dubbed itself the "Tea Party of the left" -- two short of what she needed to get on the ballot. Now, she won’t be on the WFP ballot line in the November general election, either, said Martin O'Connor, attorney for AOC's Democrat opponent Michelle Caruso-Cabrera.

May 12: The Washington Free Beacon: Journalism organization cuts ties with Chinese firm Huawei
A major journalist association canceled its partnership with a Chinese telecommunications firm following public outcry.  The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) teamed up with Huawei, a company with ties to the Chinese government, to host a webinar about "the rise of misinformation" on Wednesday. CNN host Van Jones  and  African American personalities were set to discuss coronavirus misinformation at the event sponsored by the Chinese company despite warnings from national security officials that Huawei is a conduit for espionage.  Following widespread concerns about NABJ's partnership with Huawei, NABJ canceled the event on Tuesday, saying that "it has become a distraction from other priorities."

May 11: The Washington Times: It all depends upon whose ox is being gored! 
AG Holder or AG Barr, President Obama or Trump
President Obama lambasted the Justice Department’s abandonment of criminal charges against Micheal Flynn as unprecedented, but his Justice Department did the same thing in another highly politicized criminal case.  In April 2009, then-Attorney General Eric Holder pulled the plug on the prosecution of Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska, a liberal Republican who sided with Democrats on key issues including climate change and abortion.  The comparisons between Mr. Stevens and Flynn are striking. Both men faced the same criminal charges of making false statements, the same judge, U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan, handled both cases, and each had their criminal prosecution undone by a handwritten note that was buried by federal prosecutors.

May 11: Fox News: Chaffetz: Flynn docs are “smoking gun;” Obama,
Biden are “scared” the truth will come out
The internal memos released from the FBI’s investigation of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn represent a “smoking gun” against the FBI under James Comey's leadership, former House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz said Monday.  Chaffetz noted a meeting - before President Trump was inaugurated - involving President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, former National Security Adviser Susan Rice, Comey and Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates in which they discussed matters "very specific to General Flynn.” 

May 11: The Washington Examiner: Eighteen governors press Congress to
hold hearing on China’s deceit over the coronavirus
Governors from across the country called upon Congress to conduct hearings about China's "deceit" during the coronavirus outbreak.  Eighteen state chief legal officers sent a letter to congressional leaders over the weekend asking them to look into the disinformation tactics put out by the Chinese government when the virus first broke out in Wuhan at the end of 2019.  The letter cited incidents in which Chinese officials "muzzled" Taiwanese complaints about the virus and expelled U.S. media outlets from the country. The attorneys general also said the country has heightened its propaganda tactics amid the pandemic.

May11: The Daily Caller: Huntsman: The one thing the Chinese fear most is transparency
China’s Communist Party fears transparency more than anything else, former U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman said Monday. Huntsman praised a letter sent to Congress by 18 attorneys general demanding Congress investigate China’s coverup of the coronavirus outbreak in its early stages.  He said on Fox News “Well, I’ll tell you why this letter is such an important one… The Chinese have invested a lot in their relationship-building in our nation’s capital. But they’ve also spent a lot of time and resources — listen to me, we have 350,000 Chinese students at our universities across this great country — they have also invested in state-by-state relationships, thinking they can use one against the other.”

May 10: Independent Journal Review: DOJ spokeswoman slams NBC’s
Chuck Todd for deceptive editing of AG’s comments on Michael Flynn
In a tweet a Department of Justice spokeswoman accused NBC News of “deceptively editing” an interview with Attorney General Barr.  NBC's Chuck Todd asks
“In closing, this was a big decision [to dismiss] in the Flynn case, to – to say the least. When history looks back on this decision, how do you think it will be written?  What will it say about your decision making?”
Barr responds: “Well, history is written by the winner. So it largely depends on who’s writing the history.  But I think a fair history would say that it was a good decision because it upheld the rule of law.  It helped, it upheld the standards of the Department of Justice, and it undid what was an injustice."
When the edited clip was aired by NBC News, what is shown (in blue above) was included.  The remainder (shown in red) was omitted, leaving a very different impression in the viewer’s minds.

May 10: The New York Post: China pressured WHO to delay global COVID-19 warning
Chinese President Xi Jinping pressured the director of the World Health Organization in January to hold off on issuing a global warning about the coronavirus outbreak, according to a report in a German newspaper.  The Jan. 21 conversation cited intelligence from Germany’s federal intelligence service, known as the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND).  The report published over the weekend said Xi urged the WHO chief to “delay a global warning” about the pandemic and hold back information on human-to-human transmission of the virus.  The BND estimated that China’s action to conceal information resulted in a loss of four to six weeks in the fight against COVID-19.

May 10: The Washington Examiner: Oil price boom expected following
pandemic crash
If history is a guide, an oil price boom is coming after the pandemic-generated crash.  While the near-term demand picture is highly uncertain, as people reconsider their travel and work habits, this latest bust, the worst of them all, is unlikely to hasten the demise of oil.  “The only way to get away from the boom-bust cycle is to get off of oil,” said Bob McNally, president of Rapidan Energy Group. “That's really tough because there are no scalable substitutes. As a result, we expect a thirstier world will collide into insufficient supply, and crude prices will have to rise sharply to balance the market.”  Oil supply will take longer to return than demand as drillers shut-in a record amount of production, companies cut spending on new investments, and the U.S. shale revolution slows.

May 9: The Daily Caller:  Meat packing plants are starting to reopen
Tyson Foods reopened a plant in Waterloo, Iowa, after more than 1,000 workers at the facility tested positive for coronavirus, or COVID-19.  Meanwhile Sarah Little, a representative for the North American Meat Institute said President Donald Trump’s executive order mandating a reliable food supply has made a big difference in getting the plants reopened.   Meat packers are placing dividers between workstations, deep-cleaning facilities and assigning so-called social distance monitors to maintain safety precautions.

May 9: The Washington Free Beacon: GA county maintains gun shutdown
despite statewide opening
Despite a statewide reopening, residents in one Georgia county are still unable to legally obtain firearms-carry licenses after a federal judge allowed local authorities to shut down the permitting process, sparking a legal showdown.  District Court judge Steve Jones ruled that the plaintiffs did not have standing to challenge the state's permit law or the county's implementation of it during the coronavirus pandemic. Gun-rights activists have vowed to appeal the decision. The case has gained renewed energy as the county has refused to reopen the vetting office even as Republican governor Brian Kemp has lifted pandemic restrictions.

May 9: Fox News: Ex-FBI official: Obama White House may have seen
Flynn as an opportunity
It would be "abominable" if the Obama White House was behind the  FBI's controversial interview of former national security adviser Michael Flynn, a former assistant director of intelligence for the bureau said Friday night.  Kevin Brock shared his observations on “The Ingraham Angle” where he responded to reports that former President  Obama had claimed the “rule of law is at risk" after DOJ dropped its case against Flynn over charges of lying to investigators.  "I think they saw this as an opportunity to disrupt the general. And I think what we have to find out [is...] did the FBI conduct this interview at the behest of the White House or was it motivated by their own now well-established personal biases and prejudices against the president?" Brock said.

May 9: The Washington Times: Musk threatens to pull Tesla out of California
over virus restrictions
Eoln Musk threatened Saturday to move his electric automobile company Tesla out of California over measures imposed in response to the continuing global novel coronavirus pandemic. “Tesla is filing a lawsuit against Alameda County immediately. The unelected & ignorant ‘Interim Health Officer’ of Alameda is acting contrary to the Governor, the President, our Constitutional freedoms & just plain common sense!” Musk said on Twitter.  “Frankly, this is the final straw,  Tesla will now move its HQ and future programs to Texas/Nevada immediately. If we even retain Fremont manufacturing activity at all, it will be dependent on how Tesla is treated in the future. Tesla is the last carmaker left in CA.”

May 8: The Daily Caller: SCOTUS: Encouraging illegal aliens to remain in the US is a crime
The Supreme Court unanimously upheld a federal statute that forbids encouraging illegal aliens to remain in the U.S. unlawfully in a decision Thursday.  The SCOTUS justices voided an earlier decision by the San Francisco based Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which had ruled that a federal anti-harboring statute was unconstitutional on the grounds that it violated the First Amendment by restricting free speech. The ruling by the nation’s highest court Thursday upholds the law.  The Supreme Court not only vacated the appeals court’s decision, but also criticized the judges for “drastically” straying from judicial norms.

May 8: The Wall Street Journal: Businesses struggle to lure
workers away from unemployment benefits
Some workers are making more from unemployment than at their old jobs, thus complicating efforts to reopen the economy.  For some workers, unemployment benefits are now paying more than their old jobs did. For others, safety concerns or a lack of child care, as most schools and day-care centers remain closed, are making them hesitant to go back.  That means reopening may not go as quickly or as smoothly as some elected officials and business owners had hoped.

May 8: The Washington Examiner: Sally Yates: Comey kept her in the dark,
she learned of Flynn targeting from Obama
Newly released documents show that former FBI Director James Comey kept his superior Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates at the Justice Department in the dark about the bureau's investigation into retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn.  Yates told special counsel Robert Mueller’s team that President Obama, not FBI Director Comey, told her the FBI possessed and was investigating recordings of Flynn’s late 2016 conversations with a Russian envoy.    Yates, who was briefly the acting attorney general during the early days of the Trump administration also laid out how in the ensuing days, Comey kept the FBI's actions cloaked in secrecy and repeatedly rebuffed her suggestions that the incoming Trump team be made aware of the Flynn recordings.

May 8: The Washington Times: SCOTUS halts Dems access to Mueller grand jury information
Chief Justice John Roberts on Friday put a temporary hold on the release of secret materials from former special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation to a Democrat-led House committee. The order stops the clock on a lower court’s ruling requiring the Justice Department to turn over confidential grand jury materials underlying the Russia probe to the House Judiciary Committee.  Grand jury information is typically held to be confidential.  Additionally, DOJ urged federal courts to stay out of the fight between the Executive and Legislative branches. If the federal courts weigh in, it would appear as if they were taking sides in partisan political fights, they said. The transfer of materials would have been required by Monday had not SCOTUS not intervened.

May 8: The Washington Free Beacon: Federal Judge reopens Massachusetts gun stores
A federal judge ordered Massachusetts to allow gun stores to reopen on May 9, in a decision that could pave the way for a future Supreme Court ruling on the constitutionality of shutdowns.  US District Judge Douglas P. Woodlock said there was "no justification" for Gov. Charlie Baker's total shutdown of gun stores in the state during the coronavirus pandemic. He said stores could reopen so long as they operate on an appointment basis and follow strict social distancing rules.  "I have enough information to say, in this very small corner of this emergency, we don’t surrender our constitutional rights," Woodlock said.

May 7: Fox News: Texas Supreme Court releases business
owner jailed by Dallas County District Court Judge
The Texas Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the release of salon owner Shelley Luther, who was jailed for opening in violation of the state’s rules, as Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order retroactively eliminating jail time as a consequence for violating the state's COVID-19 restrictions.  Shortly after Abbott's announcement, the Supreme Court of Texas ordered Luther’s release. An attorney for Luther, who is with her at the jail, told Fox News they don’t know the timing yet of when she will be freed.  "Throwing Texans in jail who have had their businesses shut down through no fault of their own is nonsensical, and I will not allow it to happen,” Abbott said in a statement.

May 7: The Daily Caller: Justice Department drops charges against General Michael Flynn
The Justice Department dropped its case against Michael Flynn on Thursday, citing “newly discovered” information from the investigation of the former national security adviser.  “Based on an extensive review and careful consideration of the circumstances, that continued prosecution of this case would not serve the interests of justice,” Timothy Shea, the U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C., said in a court filing.  Shea cited an FBI memo recommending that the investigation of Flynn be closed on Jan. 4, 2017, because it had yielded an ‘absence of any derogatory information.

May 7: The Washington Times: DAG Rosenstein targeted Trump
Administration officials after the DNC-paid-for dossier fell apart
Former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein put Trump campaign volunteer Carter Page under special counsel investigation after a year in which allegations against him in a Democratic Party-financed dossier had fallen apart.  The Justice Department has released a less-censored “scoping memo” which Rosenstein sent to Robert Mueller August 2, 2017. The memo authorized Mueller to target Mr. Page, retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, campaign volunteer George Papadopoulos and former campaign manager Paul Manafort.  At the time, there was no evidence that any of the four conspired with Russia to interfere in the 2016 election — O=other than the DNC-financed Steele dossier. No evidence ever materialized and Mueller closed his probe without charging any Trump associate with conspiracy.

May 6: The New York Post:  “Busted” 5 year old gets the ride he wanted in a Lamborghini!
A 5-year-old Utah boy who was busted driving his parents’ SUV while on a mission to buy a Lamborghini ended up scoring a ride in one of the luxury sports cars after all, according to a report Wednesday.  A neighbor offered him a ride in his own Lambo,  according to the “voice of Utah” KSL in Salt Lake City..  “He had the courage to just go after what he wanted, you know?” said Jeremy Neves. “He didn’t have the skill set, let alone the size to drive a vehicle, and he figured it out.”  “Maybe he’s getting punished, maybe he’s grounded, maybe he’s got some chores to do … At the same time, I thought it would be really cool to say, ‘Your dreams aren’t as far away as you think they are.’ ”

May 6: Breitbart News: CA Sheriff: I refuse to make criminals out of business owners
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco reaffirmed his stance on not enforcing stringent stay-at-home orders, telling the Riverside County Board of Supervisors this week that he refuses to “make criminals out of business owners, single moms, and otherwise healthy individuals for exercising their constitutional rights.”  Eight weeks ago, officials  “participated in something never done before in our nation’s history,” Bianco  began. Government “ordered residents into their homes, closed their businesses, made them wear masks, forbid them from going to church, and eliminated constitutional freedoms put in place over 200 years ago,” he explained.  “In the name of a public health crisis, our civil liberties and constitutional protections were placed on hold,” he continued.  Bianco said he did not enforce the stay-at-home order from the beginning, partly because he “trusted our residents’ ability to do the right thing without fear of being arrested” and emphasized that he continues to hold that position.

May 6: The Daily Caller: Get a grip Gov!  Healthcare volunteers who traveled
to NY to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic must pay NY income taxes
Health care workers that traveled from across the country to volunteer to help fight New York’s coronavirus outbreak will have to pay state taxes, Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced.  In a Tuesday news conference, Cuomo said the state isn’t “in a position to provide any subsidies right now because we have a $13 billion deficit.”  However, it is unclear whether the $13 billion is COVID-19 related.

May 6: Fox News: Intelligence Committee transcripts show Schiff
came up empty on Russian collusion
Transcripts of House Intelligence Committee interviews that have been cleared for release show top law enforcement and intelligence officials affirming they had no evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 election, senior administration and intelligence community officials told Fox News on Wednesday. This aligns with the results of former Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation.  Reports are that Chairman Schiff (D-CA) went into panic mode when the redaction process was completed and the results revealed.

May 6: Texas Score Card: Dallas County disregards Attorney General’s warning on voting by mail
Four days after Texas’ top law enforcement officer warned county officials to avoid misleading the public on vote-by-mail laws, the second-most populous county in Texas signaled support for allowing voters to disregard the laws due to fears of the Chinese coronavirus.  Dallas County Commissioners Court voted 4-1 Tuesday to approve a resolution allowing any voter to claim a “disability” and vote by mail ballot in any 2020 election.  The letter from AG Ken Paxton explained to the County Judge and county election that state election law does not allow voters to claim disability on mail-ballot applications based on fears of contracting the coronavirus.  Paxton’s letter also warned county officials could be criminally prosecuted for misleading the public about vote-by-mail laws.

May 5: Dallas Morning News: Businesswoman jailed for reopening shop in violation of court order
A Dallas salon owner will spend a week in jail after she was found in contempt of court Tuesday for violating an order to close her salon during the coronavirus pandemic.  In addition, Shelly Luther was fined $7,000 for continuing to operate her business in violation of a judge’s temporary restraining order issued against her business.   The judge’s action comes as such businesses are being allowed to reopen in Texas, demonstrations throughout the country, and continues the controversy over whether the government has the authority to shutdown business in the midst of the pandemic.  Luther was taken into custody immediately after the hearing and booked into the Dallas County.

May 5: The Washington Examiner: Cruz files bill to prohibit DOD contracting
with movie studios that allow Chinese censors
On Tuesday, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) announced he was introducing a bill  which would prohibit the Department of Defense from contracting with studios that allow China to censor their content. Cruz said the coronavirus pandemic has revealed the need to act immediately.  "The problem of censorship is a massive problem within China. China's own censorship and coverup of this pandemic helped produce 250,000 deaths worldwide, and when it comes to Hollywood, Hollywood is not an innocent bystander here," Cruz said. "Hollywood is fully complicit. Hollywood works with the Chinese censors."

Mar 5: The Washington Times: Hopes for recovery rise as states start lifting bans  
Florida joined a growing list of states easing restrictions against the coronavirus Monday, while retailer  J. Crew filed for bankruptcy protection, becoming the first major casualty of the pandemic and underscoring the urgency for the nation to get back to work.  Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida lifted restrictions for restaurants and stores in most parts of the state, allowing them to operate at 25% of indoor capacity. Remaining closed are schools, bars, hair salons and gyms.

May 5: The Daily Caller:  Federal Judge: New York must hold its June primary election
A federal judge ruled that New York must go forward with its presidential primary after the state’s board of elections voted to cancel it amid coronavirus fears. 

May 5: The Washington Examiner:  White House sees British trade talks as a
chance to cement an anti-Chinese alliance
Washington officials hope to tie London into a trade deal that would make it harder for China to extend its influence as the United Kingdom and the United States begin talks on Tuesday.  Boris Johnson’s government has made no secret of its desire for  rapid trade deals as the U.K. finds a new place in the world after leaving the European Union.  And as tensions rise with China and with months of economic gloom ahead, officials in Washington see an opportunity to score a win over Beijing’s expansionism.  The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative says it wants to be able, under the deal, to act if the U.K. strikes free trade deals with “non-market countries,” restricting London’s ability to negotiate with Beijing.

May 5: Fox News: Justice Ginsburg admitted to hospital again
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was hospitalized with an infection caused by a gallstone, the court announced Tuesday, adding that she's expected to remain in the hospital for a "day or two."  

May 4: The Washington Examiner: GOP House leaders seek info on Chinese
influence on US college campuses
House Republicans are investigating Chinese influence on U.S. campuses nationwide.   The ranking members on seven House committees sent a letter to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Monday, which was obtained by the Washington Examiner, noting that under her leadership the Education Department “has sought to improve transparency and reduce reliance on foreign investment in U.S. higher education” and “recent revelations of China taking steps to suppress academic research into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic underscores the importance of your efforts.”  The lawmakers are seeking “a better understanding of the Department’s efforts to address unreported foreign direct investment into the U.S. higher education system” as part of an effort “to investigate the Chinese government’s propaganda and cover-up campaign surrounding this pandemic.”

May 3: The New York Post: Knucklehead arrested in Austin after pushing
park ranger who was enforcing social distancing into a lake
A Texas park ranger was pushed into a lake while trying to enforcing social distancing regulations in Austin.  The plunge was caught on camera at Lake Austin with the clip beginning as the ranger seemingly politely asks a group of parkgoers to disperse and keep six feet apart to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.  But then a shirtless man, identified by police as Brandon Hicks, 25, can be seen running up and shoving the ranger, sending both into the water.  Hicks was arrested and faces charges of attempted assault on a public servant, according to the local NBC affiliate.

May 3: The Washington Examiner: DHS report: China “intentionally concealed
the severity” of COVID-19, hoarding supplies
China downplayed its coronavirus outbreak in order to buy time to hoard medical supplies needed to respond to the pandemic, according to intelligence documents.  A four-page DHS report dated May 1, showed that U.S. officials believe Chinese leaders “intentionally concealed the severity” of the virus, including how contagious it is and how large the country's outbreak was, from the rest of the world in January.  The analysis indicated that China increased imports of medical supplies and decreased exports while it was hiding the extent of the coronavirus and even attempted to cover up doing so by "denying there were export restrictions and obfuscating and delaying provision of its trade data."

May 3: The Washington Times: Development of COVID-19 vaccine likely this year
Prospects of landing a vaccine for the coronavirus this year are “pretty good” and a top candidate may show efficacy by June, a British front-runner in the medical race said Sunday, as the U.S. and other countries clamor for ways to shield people returning to work and other normal routines.  John Bell, an Oxford University professor, said his researchers have so many people to test the vaccine that they should have a sense of its safety and effectiveness within six weeks. He said “I certainly wouldn’t put the possibility at 80%. That’s a pretty big number… but we are gradually reeling it in bit by bit, and as every day goes by, the likelihood of success goes up.”

May 3: The Hill: FL Governor: COVID-19 stimulus funds for states shouldn’t
be used bailout state obligations that preexisted the pandemic
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said Sunday that coronavirus relief funds should not include aid to states for financial obligations that predate the pandemic.  “Florida, we were flush before this. We were going well. Obviously, this is going to hit our revenues, because you have had key sectors of our economy, like tourism, that have taken a huge hit,” the Governor said. “What I would say is, it's one thing to help a state with lost revenue from the pandemic, but this pandemic should not be used to bail out obligations that were run up over 20 or 30 years.”

May 2: The Daily Caller: What the intelligence community (IC) thinks happened –COVID-19
The majority view among the U.S. intelligence community agencies is that COVID-19 is natural and accidentally leaked out of a laboratory in Wuhan, China, a senior intelligence official said.  While not all of the 17 agencies that make up the IC are fully behind the idea that the novel coronavirus was an accidental laboratory leak, most believe that to be the case, according to the senior official. The official added that the holdouts are still open to the possibility that the virus leaked from a laboratory. The unanimous view of the IC is that the virus was not the result of an intentional act, the senior official noted.

May 2: The Washington Times: Fauci to testify  before Senate Committee May 12th
Dr. Anthony Fauci, a member of the White House coronavirus task force, is slated to testify before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on May 12, after the Trump administration blocked him from testifying to a House panel next week.  The White House had said it would be counterproductive to take Dr. Fauci away from the rigors of his job to testify before the Democrat-led House Appropriations Committee, which had sought his testimony at a subcommittee hearing on May 6 on the COVID-19 response.

May 2: The Washington Examiner: New sexual allegations against Biden
A woman alleges that Joe Biden made an inappropriate comment about her breasts more than a decade ago when she was 14 years old.  Eva Murry, now 26 recounted when she accompanied her aunt at an annual party and roast attended by Delaware politicians, journalists, and business leaders in 2008. She said  “I remember walking into the lobby and being in awe of all the people in such fancy clothes,” Murry told Law & Crime. “Our two parties of people gravitated towards each other, and everyone started saying their hellos. When it was Biden and my aunt’s turn to say hello, he quickly turned to me and asked how old I was. I replied with my age, and he replied with the comment: ‘Fourteen? You’re very well endowed for 14!’ I was confused, but it was definitely weird. He looked me up and down and hovered his eyes on my chest, so I had some clue [about] the notion of his comment but didn’t fully understand at the time. We quickly separated from his area after the encounter.”

May 1: Fox News: Intel Report: How China deceived the world and destroyed COVID-19 evidence
A 15-page intelligence document from U.S., Canada, the U.K., Australia and New Zealand  intelligence agencies states that China intentionally hid or destroyed evidence of the coronavirus outbreak, resulting in the loss of tens of thousands of lives around the world.  The report states that China's secrecy amounted to an “assault on international transparency."  The dossier touches on themes that have been discussed in media reports including initial denial that the virus could be transmitted between humans, the silencing or "disappearing" of doctors who tried to speak up, the destruction of evidence in laboratories and refusal to provide live samples to international scientists working on a vaccine.  Specifically, the file notes that China began censoring news of the virus on search engines beginning Dec. 31.

May 1: The New York Post: Kim Jong Un appears in public for first time in recent weeks
North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, rumored for weeks to be deathly ill or even dead, has made his first public appearance in 20 days, North and South Korean media reported Friday.  Few details were immediately available, but if true, the appearance would belie rumors of Kim’s death following surgery.  The North’s official Korean Central News Agency said Kim attended the ceremony with other senior officials, including his sister, Kim Yo-jong, who many analysts predicted would take over if her brother is suddenly unable to rule.

May 1: The Washington Times:  White House delays Fauci’s Congressional testimony
The White House said Friday it won’t allow Dr. Anthony Fauci to testify at a House hearing next week on the administration’s coronavirus response, saying he has more important things to do at the moment.  “While the Trump administration continues its whole-of-government response to COVID-19, including safely opening up America again and expediting vaccine development, it is counter-productive to have the very individuals involved in those efforts appearing at Congressional hearings,” White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere said in a statement. “We are committed to working with Congress to offer testimony at the appropriate time.”

May 1: The Washington Examiner: Weekend brings allure of beaches as lockdown is eased
Whether to open beaches and other outdoor spaces is a major consideration for governors and mayors this weekend as more of the country looks to emerge from pandemic lockdowns.   Beaches on the east coast and along the gulf coasts of Alabama and Florida have begun reopening, and people are expected to gather at beaches en masse this weekend.   Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has the state under a stay-at-home order but left the decision to close beaches up to county and local leaders. Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry decided that beaches in Duval County, for instance, could stay open as long as people followed social distancing guidelines.   St. Petersburg and other popular beaches in Pinellas County will open Monday with law enforcement officials present to ensure that people don’t gather together and individual groups stay at least 6 feet away from one another.

May 1: The Hill: Trump’s New Press Secretary:  “I will never lie to you”
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany in her first formal briefing said Friday that she would never lie to the press.  “I will never lie to you. You have my word on that,” McEnany said when asked by a reporter if she would pledge to never lie to the White House press corps from the podium.

May 1: The Daily Caller: Chris Wallace: Case against Biden stronger than the one against Kavanaugh
Fox News host Chris Wallace said Friday that the case made by Joe Biden accuser Tara Reade is “a lot stronger” than the case made by Justice Brett Kavanaugh accuser Christine Blasey Ford.  “I will say that the case that Tara Reade makes against Joe Biden is a lot stronger than the case Christine Blasey Ford made against Brett Kavanaugh, because Blasey Ford had not told anybody for decades after the event happened and really was incredibly sketchy and there was no real record that she and Brett Kavanaugh had ever met,” Wallace continued. “Clearly, Tara Reade worked for Joe Biden, worked in his office, and did tell people contemporaneously in ‘93 and in the years immediately thereafter that this happened.”

April 30: The Hill: Surprising support for the great lockdown
There is at least one political surprise amid the coronavirus crisis — the Great Lockdown is popular among Americans.  People are, of course, hardly thrilled by stay-at-home orders, closed schools and the myriad other uncertainties of the current situation.  But there is a resilient consensus around the need for such measures even though there are major concerns over the economic impact and many states are starting to relax restrictions

April 30: The Washington Fee Beacon: Seven top Dem women asked about
alleged assault as Biden remains silent
Seven leading female Democratic politicians have had to publicly defend Joe Biden against a sexual assault allegation even as the presumptive Democratic nominee has remained silent.  Progressive activists and women's rights advocates are putting pressure on Biden to personally address former aide Tara Reade's accusation that he penetrated her with his fingers in a Senate hallway in 1993. While Biden's campaign has denied the allegation, the candidate has not been pushed to comment on the matter despite conducting 19 different interviews since the allegation surfaced in March.

April 29: The Daily Caller: Hume: Two reasons a call for a national lockdown
is getting weaker and weaker
“Two things,” Brit Hume are the reasons calls for a national lockdown are getting weaker.  The first is the “collateral damage from it is extraordinary.”   : “We are saddling our country and future generations with debt on a scale that was already high and now it is far, far worse. Not to mention the toll on businesses with which won’t reopen and so on. The unemployment.”  The second reason Hume said  is that the virus is not impacting the entire nation equally.  Places outside major metropolitan areas like New York City are not feeling the impact to the same degree.

April 29: The Washington Times: Trump wants “sanctuary city adjustments”
if there is to be another COVID-19 stimulus package
President Trump warned Democrats on Tuesday that he will demand “adjustments” for sanctuary cities as a condition of bailout aid for states, as both parties take increasingly partisan paths toward the next round of emergency coronavirus relief. With Democrats demanding at least $500 billion to fill state coffers drained by business shutdowns, Trump said he doesn’t want to reward states “to recover 25 years of bad management.”

April 28: One News Now: A  bold prediction: Biden off the ticket by July 4th
A long-time observer of Washington, D.C. politics has a theory about Democratic nominee Joe Biden: He is just a place holder for bigger, bolder plans for the party.  Rick Manning, the leader of Americans for Limited Government, isn’t the first political observer to predict the ailing Biden, 77, will not be the nominee, but he speculates it is virtually certain the party will perform a switcheroo when the time is right.  In the Manning said Democrats were already concerned about Biden’s mental abilities and then came sexual assault accusations from Tara Reade, a former Biden staffer who claims the then-senator sexually assaulted her in 1993.  He predicts that both will end Biden’s candidacy even though he has gotten recent endorsements from Barrack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

April 28: The Hill: Treasury Secretary says heirs should return COVID-19 check
sent to deceased relatives
Treasury Secretary  Mnuchiun said Tuesday that people who have received coronavirus relief payments for their deceased relatives should return that money to the federal government.  “You’re not supposed to keep that payment,” he told the Wall Street Journal. “We’re checking the databases, but there could be a scenario where we missed something, and yes, the heirs should be returning that money.”  Legislation Trump signed late last month provided for one-time direct payments to most of Americans of up to $1,200 per adult and $500 per child. The IRS started issuing the payments earlier this month.

April 28: The New York Post: NYC ignores social distancing as Blue Angels
and Thunder Birds do flyover
The New York Metro area blew off social distancing Tuesday, with hundreds packed shoulder-to-shoulder to catch a glimpse of the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds as they roared overhead in a tribute to coronavirus frontline workers.  Photos from throughout the region show large crowds jammed together in waterfront parks and venues in New York and New Jersey, looking skyward for a glance at the famous jets.  There was little local officials could do to stop them.

April 28: The Hill: Appeals Court considers Democrats challenge to Trump’s border wall
A federal appeals court in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday heard arguments over a Democratic challenge to the Trump administration’s use of defense funding to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.  The House Democrats’ lawsuit arose early last year after President Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border. Trump’s move sought to free up additional funding after a congressional spending bill allocated some $1.3 billion for border security, far short of the nearly $5 billion Trump said was needed to complete his signature project.

April 27: The Supreme Court:  Decision: Government has an obligation to
reimburse insurers under Obamacare
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act’s now expired “Risk Corridors” statute—which set a formula for calculating payments to healthcare insurers for unexpectedly unprofitable plans during the first three years of online insurance marketplaces—created a Government obligation to pay insurers the full amount of their computed losses; and petitioners properly relied on the Tucker Act to sue for damages in the Court of Federal Claims.

April 27: Daily Caller: NY cancels Presidential primary; Sanders campaign objects
The New York State Board of Elections canceled the state’s June 23 Democratic presidential primary scheduled on Monday despite receiving a request from Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’s presidential campaign urging the primary to take place as planned.  Officials on the board acknowledged that the move to cancel the presidential primary outright will anger some of Sanders’s supporters, but said they couldn’t justify holding the election amid the coronavirus crisis.

April 27: The Washington Times: Barr orders legal action against governors
whose COVID-19 actions infringe on civil rights
Attorney General  Barr on Monday ordered federal prosecutors across the country to consider legal action against governors if their efforts to stop the spread of the coronavirus infringe on Americans’ civil rights.  In a two-page memo, Barr said  U.S. attorneys to “be on the lookout” for local and state directives that could violate religious, free speech or economic rights under the Constitution.  “If a state or local ordinance crosses the line from an appropriate exercise of authority to stop the spread of COVID-19 into an overbearing infringement of constitutional and statutory protections, the DOJ may have an obligation to address that overreach in federal court,” Mr. Barr wrote in a memo to the 93 U.S. attorneys.

April 26: The Daily Caller: “I want the same equal treatment”: Biden’s accuser
said to media, women’s group, and Democrat politicians
Tara Reade condemned the media’s silence regarding her sexual assault allegations against former Vice President Joe Biden in an interview and demanded equal treatment as “other survivors” like Christine Blasey Ford.  56-year-old Reade lamented that her sexual assault accusation has become a “partisan tool,” saying that Republicans have weaponized her and Democrats have both ignored and discredited her.  “It’s inexcusable,” she told the DCNF. “I’m sorry that I’m politically inconvenient but my perpetrator was Joe Biden. And people need to deal with it.”

April 26: The Washington Examiner: Sources say Michael Flynn will be exonerated this week
This week is shaping up to be a critical one for retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn.  "Breaking News: sources tell me [Flynn] will be completely exonerated this week. It was a total fraud. A Set up. More tomorrow," tweeted Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo on Sunday.  Earlier in the day Bartiromo noted during a conversation with Rep. Devin Nunes that it would be an "important" week for Flynn. 

April 26: The Washington Free Beacon: Missouri AG confident he can make China pay for pandemic
Missouri attorney general Eric Schmitt is "confident" he will secure damages from the Chinese government for its responsibility in unleashing the coronavirus pandemic.  While congressional Republicans have floated legislation to allow American citizens to sue China for mishandling the coronavirus, Schmitt on Tuesday made Missouri the first state to file a lawsuit against the communist nation. The suit says the Chinese government must be held liable for the "enormous loss of life, human suffering, and economic turmoil" brought on by the deadly disease. Schmitt estimates that the virus has caused tens of billions of dollars in economic damage in the Show-Me State alone.

April 26: Fox News: Space Force: Iran’s military satellite “tumbling webcam in space”
The first satellite launched into space by Iran last week that revealed the country's secret military space program is nothing but “a tumbling webcam in space," the head of the U.S. military’s newest service said Saturday.  Iran's Revolutionary Guard said Wednesday it put up a “Noor," or "Light," satellite into a low orbit circling the Earth after using a mobile launcher at a new launch site.  U.S. Space Force commander Gen. Jay Raymond gave his military assessment "Iran states it has imaging capabilities—actually, it’s a tumbling webcam in space," he said.

April 25: The Washington Times: FLA Governor: Things are going in the right direction
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said Saturday testing is up in his state but the percentage of people testing positive for the coronavirus is down, suggesting Florida is heading in a good direction in its battle against the Chinese coronavirus.  About 320,000 people have been tested in Florida.  In the past two days, 37,000 people reported having coronavirus tests and less than 2,000 of those came back positive, DeSantis announced.

April 25: The New York Post; North Korean dictator rumored to be dead, brain
dead, or just fine; who knows?
North Korea’s Kim Jong Un is either dead, brain dead or just fine, depending on which Asian media report you believe. The dictator apparently underwent a stent procedure earlier this month that started a swirl of international speculation.  A Hong Kong broadcast network claimed Saturday that Kim died, citing a “very solid source.” A Japanese magazine, meanwhile, reported late Friday that he is in “a vegetative state.” On Kim’s home turf, the North Korean media has acted as if everything is perfectly normal. 

April 24: Info Wars: NJ driver wearing N95 mask passes out and hits telephone poll
A driver in Lincoln Park, New Jersey wrecked their car after the N95 mask they were wearing cut off their oxygen supply to the point they passed out and hit a telephone pole.  The driver, who remains unidentified, wore the mask for several hours before the incident and had been breathing in too much carbon dioxide and not enough oxygen, according to a Lincoln Park Police statement.  While the department-maintained citizens should continue wearing masks when in public, they did admit that “in most cases, the wearing of this type of mask while operating a vehicle with no other occupants is unnecessary.”

April 24: The Washington Times: Navy brass recommendation may reinstate Teddy Roosevelt CO
The fired commander of a Navy aircraft carrier now pier-side in Guam and stricken with the coronavirus could get his old job back following an official investigation by the vice chief of naval operations.  Senior Navy leadership will brief Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper on the results of their investigation into a coronavirus outbreak aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt and concerns over the crew’s health that resulted in the firing of Captain Crozier, the resignation of the secretary of the Navy and many of its 5,000 sailors being placed in quarantine.

April 24: Fox News: Protesters gather outside MI Governor’s house
Protesters gathered outside the home of  Michigan Gov. Whitmer on Thursday -- the same day reports emerged that she plans to extend the state’s coronavirus stay-at-home order by two weeks until May 15.  “We wanted to send Gretchen Whitmer a message, we didn't want to surrender our liberties just for a little temporary safety,” Brian Pannebecker, who helped organize the protest, told Fox 2.  Meanwhile, the Michigan Legislature has scheduled a special session for Friday with the goal of creating an oversight committee to review Whitmer’s coronavirus orders and possibly strip her of some of her powers,  The Detroit Free Press reported.

April 24: The Washington Examiner: World is far too dependent on China’s medical supply chain
Dozens of headlines over the past few weeks have confirmed an alarming fact: China’s medical supplies don’t work. Yet we continue to order them.  Canada’s public health authority is only the latest to announce that nearly one million KN95 respirators China had sent failed to meet health professionals’ standards. Spain’s health ministry had earlier announced that it is seeking compensation for 640,000 defective coronavirus tests that China had delivered. These tests were supposed to replace the old supply that Spain had purchased from China, which had also been defective.

April 24: The Daily Caller: Trump supporter: Georgia Democrat changes mind about resigning
Vernon Jones, a Democratic state representative in Georgia who attracted immense ire from his party after endorsing President Donald Trump, said he will remain in office.  Jones had announced on Wednesday that he would be resigning from his post within the Georgia House of Representatives, citing attacks and harassment from the Democratic Party for supporting Trump’s re-election. However, the renegade Democrat later said that, after an avalanche of public support, he has changed his mind and will not resign. 

April 23: The Washington Times: Biden wants Congress to fund
voting by mail for November
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is calling on Congress to provide enough money for every state to allow voters to cast a ballot by mail this November amid the coronavirus pandemic.  In making that pitch during an online fundraiser Thursday night, Biden blasted President Donald Trump for working to block emergency funding for the cash-strapped U.S. Postal Service, which would handle tens of millions of ballots this fall. Biden said it’s evidence that Trump already is trying to “undermine” the election and make it more difficult for Americans to vote.  But mail ballots could also open the opportunity for voter fraud.

April 23: The Washington Examiner:  SCOTUS rules green card
holders are subject to deportation
The Supreme Court upheld a lower court decision against a permanent immigrant resident subject to deportation for multiple crimes.  In a 5-4 decision split along ideological lines on Thursday, the high court issued a ruling to broaden the scope of crimes that make immigrants, including green card holders, ineligible to have their deportation orders canceled.  The case  involved the U.S. government ordering Jamaican immigrant to be deported in 2016 for multiple crimes in Georgia, including firearms violations, drug crimes, and aggravated assault offenses.

April 23: Fox News: San Diego protestors say county overreaching
on virus restrictions; sheriff threatens legal action
A coastal city in San Diego County is demanding that county officials return local control over its access to public spaces such as walking trails and beaches.   Encinitas, which is about 25 miles north of San Diego, made national headlines Sunday when a group of about 200 people gathered to protest the city’s closure of the Coastal Rail Trail and a portion of South Highway 101 to pedestrians amid the  COVID-19 pandemic.

April 22: The Daily Caller: GA state representative steps down
after harassment by his Democrat party
Democratic Georgia state Rep. Vernon Jones announced that he is stepping down from office, citing attacks and harassment from his party following his endorsement of President Donald Trump for re-election.  Jones shocked the Georgia political establishment when he became the first state-elected Democrat to endorse Trump in early April. The blowback from Jones’ party is too much, and he is stepping down from his post as the representative for Georgia’s 91st House District, Jones said.  “I’m sick and tired of me and my family being attacked and harassed by the Democrat Party for putting my country before my party,” Jones said in a statement released Wednesday. 

April 22: The Washington Free Beacon:  MI Gov. Witmer blames state agency
for handing coronavirus contract to a campaign consultant
Michigan Democratic governor Gretchen Whitmer denied responsibility after her administration awarded a coronavirus-related contract to a prominent Democratic consulting firm, blaming the decision on the state's health department.  "The department thought that that vendor was the best one for some reason. I don't know what that reason was.”  The Whitmer administration on Monday announced that it had awarded a contract to Great Lakes Community Engagement to conduct contact tracing in the state. This is the same firm had previously served as a Whitmer campaign vendor.

April 22: The Washington Examiner: N.Y. Gov. Cuomo: Unemployed?
Get an “essential” job you bums!
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has mostly earned high marks for his leadership amid the coronavirus pandemic. But not today.  The governor was asked at a press conference Wednesday to respond to the quarantine protesters who say the state’s economic lockdown cannot continue as-is because their cash savings are running out. After a lengthy back-and-forth with a reporter, Cuomo eventually said that if broke, out-of-work New Yorkers want a job so badly, then they should become “essential.”  That is some great advice. Why didn’t the more than 73,900 New Yorkers, including bricklayers, steelworkers, and carpenters, who lost their jobs between February and March, think of that first and become Amazon deliverymen?

April 22: The New York Post: IF Kim Jong Un dies it could spark
a civil war and military response
Rumors swirling that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has fallen critically ill have sparked fears that his demise would destabilize the region and lead to a refugee crisis that would draw in the US, South Korea and possibly other allies, according to a report.  But even if the 36-year-old overweight despot isn’t moribund, he does have health issues and a possible end to his rule would create turmoil, experts told the Military Times.  Although Kim has no named successor or heir apparent, his younger sister — senior ruling party official Kim Yo Jong — appears to be the most likely candidate to step in.  However, some experts believe a collective leadership, which could end the family’s dynastic rule, also could be possible.

April 21: Breitbart News: Pew Research: More than 9 in 10 Americans
call China’s power a “threat” to the U.S.
More than nine in ten Americans now call China’s power and influence in the world a “threat” to the United States.  About 91% Americans were of this opinion with 62%  believing China is a “major threat” with 29% saying they are a “minor threat.”  China’s economic rise has been at the expense of America’s economy and U.S. workers.  Since 2001, free trade with China has  cost millions of Americans their jobs. For example, the Economic Policy Institute has found that from 2001 to 2015, about 3.4 million U.S. jobs were lost due to the nation’s trade deficit with China.

April 21: The Washington Times: Trump announces 60-day pause
on immigration for guest workers
President  Trump said Tuesday he will order a 60-day halt to new immigrants with an eye toward preventing them from competing with Americans for jobs during the coronavirus crisis — though he said temporary guest workers will still be allowed.  Mr. Trump said he felt a “solemn duty” to Americans thrown out of work by what he calls the “invisible enemy” of coronavirus. “It would be wrong and unjust for Americans laid off by the virus to be replaced with new immigrant labor flown in from abroad,” the president said at the White House.

April 21: The Washington Examiner: DC police are actively investigating
sexual assault allegations against Joe Biden
The Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia is actively investigating the complaint against Joe Biden brought by Tara Reade, the woman who accused Biden of sexually assaulting her in 1993, despite her allegation being impossible to prosecute since it is past the statute of limitations.   “This is an active, ongoing investigation, and there are no further details to provide at this time,” a Metropolitan Police Department spokesperson told the Washington Examiner Tuesday regarding Reade’s case. “Cases that are handled by the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Unit go through a multi-review prior to being assigned a disposition. This case is progressing through the review process.”

April 21: The Daily Caller: Cash flush universities set to get millions in federal funding
Eight elite private colleges of the Ivy League are slated to receive millions in taxpayer-funded coronavirus stimulus money despite controlling endowments with a combined value in 2019 of over $140 billion.  Five of the posted operational surpluses in 2019.  Collectively they are set to receive an additional $61.7 billion in federal funds.

April 20: Fox News: Trump to sign executive order temporarily
halting immigration over coronavirus
President Trump announced late Monday he will soon sign an executive order "to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States," in what appeared to be a drastic escalation of his efforts to fight the coronavirus pandemic and boost the economy.  "In light of the attack from the Invisible Enemy, as well as the need to protect the jobs of our GREAT American Citizens, I will be signing an Executive Order to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States!" the president tweeted.  The precise contours of the president's planned executive order were not immediately clear. The White House did not immediately elaborate on Trump's announcement.

April 20: The Washington Times: “Unlawful mandates”:
Conservatives rebel against COVID restrictions
Conservatives rallied in state capitals from Pennsylvania to Arizona on Monday to reopen businesses from the coronavirus shutdown, a groundswell warning to governors to halt the unprecedented expansion of their powers.  Several hundred demonstrators in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, defied Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf’s’s ban on mass gatherings — and social-distancing guidelines — to protest the governor’s tight restrictions on “non-essential” business. The boisterous rally included an excavating company’s truck cab painted with the message “Jesus is my vaccine” that blew its horn as it drove past the gathering.  The White House said every state now has enough coronavirus testing capacity to satisfy “phase one” of the administration’s three-phase guidelines for reopening.  “It’s critical to continue the medical war while reopening the economy in a safe and responsible fashion,” said President Trump, who suggested that 30 states are in a position to do so.

April 20: The Daily Caller; North Korean leader Kim Jong Un
may be in “grave danger” after surgery
Reportedly the United States is monitoring intelligence that North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un is in “grave danger” following a surgery.  CNN reported Kim was last seen nine days ago on April 11th and recently missed the celebration of his grandfather Kim Il Sung on April 15th, raising questions regarding his health. According to Reuters, Kim was believed to be recovering from a cardiovascular procedure “at a villa in the Mount Kumgang resort county of Hyangsan  A separate U.S. official informed CNN that the reports concerning the North Korean leader’s health are legitimate, but the level of severity could not be confirmed.

April 19: The Washington Examiner: Barr: Chinese Communist Party
cannot be trusted
Attorney General William Barr and other U.S. leaders condemned the Chinese government’s move to arrest more than a dozen leaders from Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement for alleged crimes stemming from last year’s mass protests.  Over the weekend, the ruling Chinese Communist Party arrested 15 of the key leaders of the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong, a former British colony with semi-autonomous status, in an effort to continue to crack down on anti-authoritarian thought in the city following protests that rocked it last year. Some were released on bail over the weekend, and all must appear in court on May 18.

April 19: Fox News: China “cornered” the personal protective equipment
market and is “profiteering” during the coronavirus outbreak
White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro said in an interview Sunday that China "cornered" the personal protective equipment (PPE) market during the coronavirus outbreak and “is profiteering.”   Navarro, who is also the National Defense Production Act policy coordinator reacted to recent reports citing multiple sources that are saying there is increasing confidence that the COVID-19 outbreak likely originated in a Wuhan laboratory, though not as a bioweapon but as part of China's attempt to demonstrate that its efforts to identify and combat viruses are equal to or greater than the capabilities of the United States.  Navarro noted “China did [several things] over the course of this thing,” which, he said, “led to the deaths of many people worldwide.”

April 19: Breitbart News: Trump: Coronavirus exposed dangers of supply chain dependence on China
President Trump said Saturday that the biggest lesson of the coronavirus crisis was that the U.S. shouldn’t rely on China for their supply chains.  “We’ve learned a lot about supply chains,” Trump said. “We’ve learned that it’s nice to make things in the U.S., I’ve been saying that for a long time.”  The president discussed the issue during the White House press briefing, recalling he ran for president on the dangers of America’s dependence on bad trade deals and foreign countries while gutting our country’s industries.  “If one thing comes out of this more than anything else is that we should make product in the United States,” he said.

April 18: The Washington Examiner: Brit Vet, 99, raises over $20 million for
UK National Health Serve by walking in his garden
A 99 year old British World War II veteran has raised more than $20 million for the country's National Health Service through a charity walk he started to commemorate his 100th birthday which is at the end of April. Last week, Tom Moore decided he would raise money to help the efforts to stop the spread of the coronavirus by walking the length of his 82-foot garden back and forth 100 times, using his walker for support.  His initial goal was about $1,250, but he ultimately skyrocketed past that marker to raise approximately $23 million.

April 18: Breitbart News: Hong Kong: Pro-democracy lawmaker stabbed but will live
Ousted pro-democracy legislator “Long Hare” Leung Kwok-hung was stabbed as he protested outside Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong on Thursday, the South China Morning Post reports. An assailant attacked Leung with a sharp object, causing a gash by his waist, a Hong Kong police spokesman confirmed. Leung was subsequently taken to a nearby hospital for treatment and later discharged.

April 18: The Washington Times: TN allows drive in church services after law suit
A Tennessee mayor is reversing course to allow drive-in church services during the coronavirus pandemic after the city was sued over its ban.  Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke confirmed the change in policy Saturday on Twitter. The conservative legal group Alliance Defending Freedom recently filed a federal lawsuit over the drive-in church ban on behalf of Chattanooga-based Metropolitan Tabernacle Church.  “I have spoken to pastors who assured me they could operate drive in church safely, with spaces between the cars and no collection plates,” Berke said Saturday on Twitter. “This week’s order therefore permits drive in church. Please observe safely.

April 18: Fox Business: Coronavirus pressures US manufacturers to bring plant home from China
The COVID-19 pandemic has America rethinking its reliance on China for not only key medical supplies but production capacity in general after Beijing clamped down on exports of critical items used to combat the disease.  China is the world’s largest producer of masks, test kits and other medical equipment needed to control the spread of COVID-19, and the shipping restrictions sparked outrage in the U.S., which leads the world in infections with more than 706,000 cases.  Indeed, only about 11 percent of U.S. gross domestic product comes from manufacturing today, down from almost 40 percent in 1945.

April 18: The Daily Caller: Ohio, North Dakota, and Idaho to begin opening May 1
President Trump announced that three more states will begin a phased reopening process on May 1 after meeting the requirements for decreasing cases of COVID-19.  The governors of Ohio, North Dakota and Idaho all intend to begin the process – Texas was the first to announce a relaxing of restrictions. Reopening will occur in three phases for each state according to the severity of their outbreaks. Minnesota began relaxing distancing guidelines on Friday, but states with the most critical outbreaks like New York, New Jersey and Louisiana may take much longer to reach phase one.

April 17: The Daily Caller: NASA and Space X team up to
send astronauts to the space station
NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine announced Friday that in May, America’s space program would do something it hasn’t done since 2011.  He tweeted that NASA,  in partnership with Elon Musk’s SpaceX, would launch the Dragon spacecraft from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and carry astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurldy to the International Space Station.  The flight is the Dragon program’s first manned test in orbit and has been dubbed “Launch America.”

April 17: Dallas Morning News: Texas Governor first in the nation to relax coronavirus restrictions
Gov. Greg Abbott lifted some restrictions he put on Texans during the coronavirus pandemic but said Friday that public schools should remain closed for the rest of the academic year.  While teachers may return to campuses under controlled conditions to conduct remote instruction and perform administrative duties, Abbott said traditional public and charter schools should stay shuttered to help reduce spread of the novel coronavirus.  Starting April 24, retailers who previously were considered nonessential may begin providing pick up or home delivery for customers.  Starting Wednesday  restrictions on elective procedures and surgeries will be loosened;  cited biopsies for cancer as one example.  And on Monday, state parks will again open their gates, though visitors will have to wear masks or face coverings and keep at least six feet away from other visitors who aren’t members of their families.

April 17: Fox News: Pence: The states have enough tests to start Phase I
of the recovery if they choose to do so
On Friday the Trump administration talked about the availability of mass testing for the coronavirus, with Vice President Mike Pence telling reporters that states "have enough tests to implement the criteria of phase one" of the White House plan to reopen the economy "if they choose to do so."  A slide in the White House briefing room showed that the U.S. had completed more than 3,780,000 tests as of Thursday.    Many governors have expressed caution about lifting stay-at-home orders, saying they need more help from the federal government to make tests available. President Trump said governors must take responsibility and lamented "false reporting" on testing.  Meanwhile, protesters in several states have demanded the reopening of schools, businesses, and commerce.

April 17: The Washington Examiner: Trump: Some governors are taking
stay-at-home orders too far
President Trump criticized some Democratic governors who he believes have taken stay-at-home orders meant to prevent the spread of the coronavirus too far.  A number of communities placed under stay-at-home orders have taken to the streets to protest the strict restrictions in states such as Michigan and New Jersey. The president weighed in on the protests on social media Friday morning, appearing on the side of the protesters, saying that people in Michigan, Minnesota, and Virginia "liberate" themselves and reopen their economies.

April 17: The Jerusalem Post: Trump unveils three stage process
for opening up after the coronavirus
US President Donald Trump proposed guidelines on Thursday under which US state governors could act to revive the US economy from its coronavirus shutdown in a staggered, three-stage process.  The plan suggests a 14-day "downward trajectory" in coronavirus cases before beginning a three-phase process of re-opening.  Guidelines: 
- First groups of more than 10 people should be avoided if appropriate distancing measures are not practical. Non-essential travel should be minimized, telework should be encouraged, and common areas in offices closed.
- Second, in states where there isn’t evidence of rebounding cases groups of more than 50 be avoided where social distancing is not practical. Non-essential travel can resume, while schools and youth camps can reconvene and bars with "diminished standing-room occupancy" may re-open.  And
- The third includes unrestricted staffing of workplaces.

April 16: The Wall Street Journal:  Texas: Dems want to expand mail voting over coronavirus
Texans may vote by mail if they are over 65, out of town for the weeks an election runs, sick or disabled. That is defined as having “a sickness or physical condition” that prevents them from appearing at a polling place without the likelihood of “injuring the voter’s health.”  Democrats want to expand this to include anybody who is “afraid of getting an illness.”  Voting by mail avoids the need for a photo ID and also opens avenues to possible voter fraud, Republicans contend.  [In Galveston we had a case where a person voted twice – once in Galveston by mail the other in person in Minnesota – in a Presidential election.  He was found guilty and paid $4,000 for doing so.]

April 16: The Daily Caller: A governor who has risen above the coronavirus
hysteria and defended the Constitution
Republican South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem is one of a few state governors who have not yet placed citizens under a stay-at-home order in response to the current outbreak. Not only has she not placed the order, she has been outspoken in her contention that doing so would stand against everything America is supposed to stand for. She sees her decision as empowering individuals to take the necessary precautions to protect themselves and their families.

April 16: The Washington Times: Trump: Some states will reopen starting May 1st
President  Trump announced Thursday that states with low amounts of coronavirus cases can begin to reopen for business on May 1, as he issued new guidelines calling for governors to move at their own pace amid mounting economic hardship from the crisis.  Citing medical data that nearly one-third of the nation has had no new cases of COVID-19 in the past seven days, the president said it’s time for many Americans to go back to work.

April 16: Fox News: Scott Walker: big power grab  has made people increasingly frustrated
Talking about how some in government have handled responding to the coronoavirus former Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker said   “You need to look at the data and the facts,' They're just ignoring that in a big power grab,  and I think this is what has made people increasingly frustrated with what's going on all across the country, Michigan probably being the tip of the spear."  Hundreds of cars, trucks and SUVs descended on Michigan’s state capital Wednesday afternoon as part of a noisy protest against Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s social-distancing restrictions that critics say have gone too far.

April 15: The Washington Examiner: Trump to reveal guidelines for reopening US economy tomorrow
President Trump said the United States was past the peak of new coronavirus infections as he promised to unveil guidelines on Thursday for reopening the country’s shuttered economy.  “The battle continues, but the data suggests that nationwide we have passed the peak on new cases,” he said on Wednesday during his daily White House briefing.

April 15: The Daily Caller: Trump Administration refutes Pelosi claims that
temporarily stopping payments to WHO are “illegal”
An official explained that the funding allocation for is broken down into two groups: assessed dues and voluntary contributions made at an agency level.  WHO’s assessed dues, according to OMB, can be immediately halted because a treaty does not exist that legally binds the US to WHO.  Meanwhile, voluntary funds will be reassigned to different world health organizations, thereby continuing to use the fund for the purpose Congress intended (e.g., world health).

April 15: Fox News: Sources believe coronavirus originated in Wuhan lab as
part of Chinese effort to complete with U.S.
There is increasing confidence that  COVID-19 likely originated in a Wuhan laboratory not as a bioweapon, but as part of China's effort to demonstrate that its efforts to identify and combat viruses are equal to or greater than the capabilities of the United States, multiple sources who have been briefed on the details of early actions by China's government and seen relevant materials tell Fox News.   This may be the "costliest government coverup of all time," one of the sources said.     The sources believe the initial transmission of the virus was bat-to-human, and that "patient zero" worked at the laboratory, then went into the population in Wuhan. [See related April 14 Washington Post story]

April 14: The Washington Post:  Dept. of State officials warned of
issues with PRC labs two years ago
Two years before the novel coronavirus pandemic upended the world, U.S. Embassy officials visited a Chinese research facility in the city of Wuhan several times and sent two official warnings back to Washington about inadequate safety at the lab, which was conducting risky studies on coronaviruses from bats. The cables have fueled discussions inside the U.S. government about whether this or another Wuhan lab was the source of the virus — even though conclusive proof has yet to emerge.

April 15: The Jerusalem Post: Trump to halt U.S. funding of
WHO over coronavirus response
U.S. President Trump said that he instructed his administration to temporarily halt funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) over the organizational response regarding the coronavirus pandemic.  Trump claimed the official United Nations health body "failed in its basic duty and it must be held accountable" for its efforts towards the initial outbreak in Wuhan, China - adding that it was a “disastrous decision to oppose travel restrictions from China and other nations.”  He said the group had promoted China's "disinformation" and “defended the actions of the Chinese government” that likely led to a wider outbreak of the virus.  "With the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, we have deep concerns whether America's generosity has been put to the best use possible," Trump said. 

April 14: The Washington Times: Freedom of Religion: DOJ supports allowing churches
to conduct drive in services
The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Tuesday sided with a Mississippi church that filed a lawsuit after local police broke up a “drive-in” service and slapped the automobile-bound worshipers with $500 tickets.  DOJ said the city of Greenville, Mississippi, had imposed coronavirus-related restrictions on the church that it had not applied to secular entities.  Attorney General William Barr said intervention was warranted to protect Americans’ right to exercise their religion freely.

April 14: The Washington Examiner: Petition to recall of Michigan Governor over
response to the coronavirus gets over 60,000 signatures in 24 hours
An online petition to recall Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer gained an additional 60,000 signatures in less than 24 hours as people in the state grow increasingly frustrated with the Democrat's handling of the coronavirus pandemic.   Sitting at 216,000 signatures as of Tuesday morning, the petition accuses Whitmer of overreacting to the outbreak of the coronavirus in the state.   The petition cites a laundry list of grievances, including "closing and banning various non-essential business’s and activities while leaving others open. Further promoting the pandemic."

April 14: Fox News: Trump rejects push to expand voting by mail
Trump continued to  press against efforts by Democrats and even some Republicans to expand voting by mail and absentee ballot this November due to health threats from the coronavirus pandemic. The President said on Twitter: “Get rid of ballot harvesting, it is rampant with fraud, the USA must have voter ID, the only way to get an honest count!”    Ballot harvesting – also known as vote harvesting – is political speak for a practice in which organized workers, activists, or volunteers collect absentee or mail-in ballots and drop them off at a polling location or election office. It’s legal in some states and illegal in others like Texas). The term – which carries a negative connotation – suggests voting improprieties or even election fraud.

April 13: The UK Daily Mail: China moves carrier toward Taiwan as two U.S. WESPAC
carriers are dockside due to the coronavirus
China's aircraft carrier, Liaoning, passed through the Miyako Strait on Saturday.  Along with five other ships, the Liaoning, sailed in waters on Taiwan's east coast and then into seas to south of Taiwan, carrying out exercises, officials said.  Taiwan's armed forces monitored carrier group's progress as it conducted drills.  The USS Theodore Roosevelt and USS Ronald Reagan are only two US carriers in Pacific, but both were forced to dock due to coronavirus cases onboard.  Without the presence of the two ships, China effectively has free range in region. 

April 14: The Daily Caller: Raleigh, NC: Protesting is not an essential activity
The Raleigh Police Department said Tuesday that protesting is “a non-essential activity,” as they attempted to disperse a crowd of protesters who gathered to demand businesses in the state be allowed to reopen.  North Carolina is one of 43 states currently under a stay at home order over the coronavirus pandemic, and protesters  gathered at the state capital in Raleigh in opposition to those restrictions. At least one person at the rally was arrested, according to local investigative reporter Jonah Kaplan, who estimated that over 100 people attended the rally in total.


April 13: The Washington Times: Watchdog group blasts “electioneering” in Wisconsin elections
The Honest Elections Project said Monday it will spend $250,000 on an ad campaign attacking Democratic attempts to change election laws.  The election watchdog group’s 30-second ad, “Hard to Cheat,” will run on television and online and blames Democrats for the chaos surrounding the April 7 state election in Wisconsin. A bitter court battle about whether and how to postpone the Wisconsin election amid the coronavirus-related social distancing guidelines did not stop Tuesday’s election, the results of which are expected to become public on Monday afternoon.

April 13: The Daily Caller: SCOTUS to hear oral arguments by telephone
The United States Supreme Court announced Monday that for the first time in history, it will hear select oral arguments via “telephone conference” in May, doing so in response to the coronavirus pandemic.  Among the 10 arguments being heard via teleconference are three cases involving President Trump’s personal finances. SCOTUS originally agreed to take up the cases back in December after lower courts all unanimously rejected the Trump legal teams’ arguments. All three were set to originally be heard in first March and then April but were finally postponed after the nation’s highest court rescheduled the remainder of the term’s cases over coronavirus fears.

April 13: Fox News: Protesters of stay at home order
At least 15,000 cars and trucks are expected to descend on Michigan’s state capital on Wednesday to protest what they’re calling Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s tyrannical new guidelines to slow the spread of Coronavirus in the state. The so-called “drive-by” demonstration – in order to maintain social distancing -- aims to bring traffic to a gridlock in Lansing and protest the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” executive order by Whitmer, a Democrat, mandating what businesses could stay home, what some businesses could sell and ordering people in her state against any gatherings – no matter the size or family ties.

April 12: The Independent Journal Report: Former FDA Commissioner: WHO
should investigate what China knew and when
Former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb believes that if Chinese officials were more open about their coronavirus data, the spread of it could have slowed.   “China was not truthful with the world at the outset of this,” Gottlieb said during an interview on CBS News’ “Face The Nation” on Sunday.  He continued, “Had they been more truthful with the world, which would have enabled them to be more truthful with themselves, they might have actually been able to contain this entirely — and there is some growing evidence to suggest that.”

April 11; The Washington Free Beacon: Planned Parenthood asks Supreme
Court to ease virus-related abortion restrictions
Texas abortion providers asked the Supreme Court on Saturday to allow some forms of abortion to continue, despite a state order barring nonessential medical treatments.  Texas governor Greg Abbott (R.) on March 22 imposed a far-reaching ban on elective procedures, including abortion, to preserve medical supplies needed to fight the coronavirus pandemic. Though an initial challenge to the ban failed, lawyers for Planned Parenthood and the Center for Reproductive Rights are seeking an exception for pill-based abortions, which are effective in the early weeks of pregnancy.

April 11: The Washington Examiner: Federal data shows more than
16 million mail ballots went missing from 2016 and 2018 elections
Roughly 16 million mail-in ballots ended up missing in the 2016 and 2018 elections, according to federal data.   Data from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission and the Election Administration and Voting Surveys for both the 2016 and 2018 elections show that 16.4 million ballots that were sent to registered voters by mail went missing.   In the 2018 election, about 42.4 million ballots were mailed to registered voters. Of those mailed, more than 1 million were undeliverable, more than 430,000 were rejected, and nearly 10.5 million went missing.  “Putting the election in the hands of the United States Postal Service would be a catastrophe,” J. Christian Adams, president of the Public Interest Legal Foundation, said.

pril 11: The Washington Times: Louisville church can hold drive in Easter
services Federal Judge says
A federal district court in Kentucky granted a temporary restraining order on Saturday against a ban on drive-in church services ahead of Easter Sunday.  Judge Justin Walker, a Trump-appointee, sided with the On Fire Christian Center, which had sought to hold drive-in church services.  But Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer had warned the authorities would take down license plate numbers and force people to quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Kentucky is a state with a stay at home order.

Fox News reports similar bans on drive-in church occurred in Mississippi with police threatening parishioners with a $500 fine if they failed to depart.  Kelly Shackelford, president of the First Liberty Institute, argued that the city’s order “is just massively unconstitutional.”  “It targets churches in a way that it targets no other group,” he said. “Cars in parking lots are fine. It’s only a crime if the cars…” are in a church parking lot.  The Rev. James Hamilton of the King James Baptist Church in Greenville said on Tucker Carlson Tonight “We were abiding by the CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] guidelines… and Members of the church were inside their cars, had their windows up, and I was preaching the Word of God. So, no one was outside, and also we had cars at a distance.”

April 10: The Daily Caller: FBI leadership knew of the Russian disinformation in the Steele dossier
The FBI received evidence that Russian disinformation polluted the infamous Steele dossier, according to information declassified Friday from the Justice Department inspector general’s report of the FBI’s surveillance of the Trump campaign.  FBI officials also had concerns as far back as 2015 of dossier author Christopher Steele’s relationship to Russian oligarchs, but those were never shared with the FBI team that led the Trump investigation.  Despite those red flags, the FBI continued relying on Steele’s information in applications to obtain surveillance warrants against Carter Page, the former Trump campaign aide.

April 10: Fox News: Trump establishes task force on reopening the economy
President Trump said Friday that that choosing when to move to reopen the U.S. economy amid the coronavirus pandemic would be "the biggest decision I've ever had to make."  "I want to get it open as soon as possible,” Trump told reporters at Friday's briefing with members of the White House task force. "This country was meant to be open and vibrant and great.”  The president added that he would formally convene an "Opening our Country" task force April 14 that will be comprised of doctors and business leaders. According to Trump, the second, smaller task force would "include names that you have a lot of respect for."

April 10: The Independent Journa Reviewl: Trump urges Congress to fund
small businesses with no additions
President Donald Trump said on Friday the funding measure to help small business should be approved by Congress with no additions, as a partisan skirmish in the U.S. Senate cut short a Republican effort to speed $250 billion in new assistance.  Republicans sought quick Senate passage of a small-business measure sought by Trump’s administration on Thursday but ran into opposition from Democrats who wanted to add provisions such as funds for hospitals, local governments and food assistance.  Democrats then tried to move their own measure, only to see it rejected by Republicans.

April 9: The Washington Times; Senate Dems block additional funding for small businesses
Senate Democrats blocked a move by the Trump Administration Thursday to provide businesses with another $250 billion to keep their employees on the payroll, even as 6.6 million more people applied for unemployment benefits and the three-week toll for job losses reached 1 in 10 American workers.  The partisan Senate showdown began just hours after the Federal Reserve announced $2.3 trillion in emergency lending for businesses and communities to weather the coronavirus pandemic, and Treasury Secretary Mnuchin predicted that Americans will return to work next month.

April 9: Fox News: AG Barr: Russia investigation not a mistake but something far more troubling
Attorney General  Bill Barr Thursday called the Russia investigation of President Trump "one of the greatest travesties in American history," adding that he believed it was an attempt to "sabotage" Trump's presidency.  Asked about U.S. Attorney John Durham's ongoing probe into the origins of the Russia investigation Barr said "My own view is that the evidence shows that we're not dealing with just the mistakes or sloppiness.  There was something far more troubling here. We're going to get to the bottom of it. And if people broke the law and we can establish that with the evidence, they will be prosecuted."

April 9: The Daily Caller: Tucker Carlson about the WHO; a dishonest organization
Fox News host Tucker Carlson blasted the World Health Organization (WHO) and its director, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, on Thursday.  “Looking back, we’ll conclude that no organization has dishonored itself more thoroughly during this pandemic than the World Health Organization,” Carlson said, pointing out a “series of lies” the organization has told “at the behest of the Chinese government,” lies that “undoubtedly cost people their lives.” 

April 9: The Washington Free Beacon: Trump Admin. moves to revoke Chinas
authority to provide telecommunications in the U.S.
The Trump administration on Thursday sought to "revoke and terminate" licenses that permit a Chinese company to provide telecommunication services to and from the United States.  The Department of Justice said in a release that it "identified substantial and unacceptable national security and law enforcement risks" associated with China Telecom, the U.S. subsidiary of China's state-owned telecommunications company. It recommended the Federal Communications Commission revoke licenses allowing the company to operate in the United States

April 9: The Wall Street Journal; Farmers dumping milk as demand shrinks amid restaurant closings
It was still dark outside at four o’clock on a recent morning when a tanker truck poured 6,000 gallons of milk into a manure pit on Nancy Mueller’s Wisconsin dairy farm.  The milk, collected from Mueller Dairy Farm’s 1,000 cows, should have been hauled to dairy processors across the state for bottling or to be turned into cheese. But the Chinese coronavirus is disrupting all that, closing restaurants and schools that buy the nation’s dairy products—and forcing hard choices for farmers

April 9: US News and World Report: Chinese coronavirus outbreak on USS Nimitz
There's been a very small number of breakouts on the Nimitz, and we're watching that very closely," Air Force Gen. John Hyten, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters at the Pentagon on Thursday about the 5,000-member crews. He said that those sailors have "been isolated on the ship."   He pointed to the inherent problem of containing the spread of the virus, aboard a ship in which many crewmembers share quarters, sometimes with as many as two dozen sleeping in bunks in one room. The ship is attempting to isolate them on board.  

April 8: Fox News: Custom/ Border Patrol to stop exports of critical PPEs
until a determination can be made that they are not needed in the U.S.
Personal protective equipment (PPE) -- which is in short supply in hospitals across the country amid the coronavirus pandemic -- will be prevented from leaving the United States, the federal government said Wednesday. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said it will prevent critical supplies such as respirators, surgical masks and surgical gloves from leaving the country while the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) determines whether to purchase the equipment, allow it to be exported or keep it for use in the U.S.

April 8: The UK Daily Mail: Coronavirus facts China wants
the world to forget
China’s official news agency has released a  coronavirus timeline to hit back at accusations that Beijing tried to cover up the full scale of the outbreak.  The 37-page document describes the efforts China has taken however it left out some of the most crucial events of the health crisis, each of which has played a decisive role in the development of the global emergency.  Omitted from the report are;
-The whistle blowers; eight Wuhan medical workers who sounded the alarm on the virus at the end of December and who were accused of spreading fake news and reprimanded by police.
-The Huanan seafood market; Since the beginning of the outbreak, researchers and authorities have linked the virus to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, a once-popular wet market in the city of 11 million.
-The Gag Order; A high-profile investigative report has accused Chinese officials of ordering labs to stop testing and destroy all samples of the coronavirus in the very early stages of the outbreak.

April 8: The Washington Examiner: Talk of freezing funds to WHO amidst
claims of being apologists for Chinese actions in coronavirus
Top Republican senators voiced support for President Trump’s suggestion that the United States should pull its funding for the World Health Organization (WHO) as the group faces allegations that it has a pro-China bias leading to a botched coronavirus response. Trump criticized WHO at the White House coronavirus task force briefing on Tuesday for not supporting a travel ban he implemented on China earlier this year meant to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus from the country where it originated, and he raised the possibility of at some point putting a "very powerful hold" on the "vast amounts" of funds the U.S. gives it.

April 8: Fox News: Bernie suspends campaign leaving Biden as the presumed Democrat nominee
Bernie Sanders has suspended his Democratic presidential campaign -- all but handing the nomination to former Vice President Joe Biden.  According to a brief campaign statement, He announced the decision during an all-staff conference call Wednesday.  Sanders' lingering presence in the race had agitated Biden allies, concerned he would continue to make it difficult for Biden to fully focus on a general election battle against President Trump.

April 8: The Jerusalem Post: Germany allows U.S. sanctioned Iranian “terror” bank to operate
The organization United Against Nuclear Iran published a report on Tuesday, disclosing that German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government is permitting Iranian banks sanctioned by the US government to operate within the federal republic.  “The oldest Iranian bank operating in Germany is Bank Melli, established in 1965 in Hamburg. It is also Iran’s national bank, wholly owned by the Government of Iran, and its biggest company by revenue. The US Treasury sanctioned Bank Melli in 2018 for its support of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), having enabled the IRGC and its affiliates to move funds inside and outside Iran,” wrote the report’s author, Daniel Roth.

April 7: The Daily Caller: VA Congressional candidate is producing 3D coronavirus
masks; donating them to local hospitals
Republican congressional candidate Ben Loyola is harnessing both his technological resources and his entrepreneurship as an American to create and donate COVID-19 masks through his 3-D modeling company.  Loyola, who is running to unseat a one term Democrat incumbent in Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District, started a multi-million dollar engineering company after retiring from thirty years in the U.S. Navy.  He is now he is using his company, Loyola Enterprises, to create masks to donate to local hospitals and first responders.

April 7: The Washington Free Beacon: Judge allows California’s closure of
gun stores amid the Chinese coronavirus
A federal judge on Monday denied a request by gun-rights groups to prevent California from shutting down gun stores during the coronavirus crisis in a legal battle that could end up before the Supreme Court.  Second Amendment activists had filed a federal suit to block California localities from including gun stores in emergency shutdown orders related to the coronavirus. Judge André Birotte Jr. denied the request, ruling that Los Angeles County—where the case was filed—or any other jurisdiction could close gun stores to prevent the spread of the virus

April 7: Independent Journal Review: Acting SecNav tenders resignation after
remarks revealed about the commanding officer of the USS Teddy Roosevelt
Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly submitted his resignation a day after audio of him calling the captain of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, Captain Brett Crozier, “stupid” surfaced, according to several reports.  In a speech to the crew of the Roosevelt, Modly blasted Crozier for raising the alarm after more than 100 crew members tested positive for the coronavirus.  Crozier had requested in a letter to Navy leadership that the crew of the ship be allowed to disembark and quarantine to prevent the spread of the virus.

April 6: The Daily Caller: Democrat Michigan State Rep credits Trump with saving her life
Democratic Michigan state Rep. Karen Whitsett credited President Trump for saving her life after she used hydroxychloroquine to treat her coronavirus.  Whitsett was diagnosed with the Chinese coronavirus late last month, and said she started to feel relief just two hours after taking the drug.  She praised the president’s advocacy for the drug, and said “Yes, I do” when asked if she thinks Trump may have saved her life.  “It has a lot to do with the president … bringing it up,” Whitsett said. “He is the only person who has the power to make it a priority.”

April 6: The Washington Times; Wisconsin Supreme Court overrules Governor;
Primary Election to proceed
The Wisconsin primary election on Tuesday is back on.  The state Supreme Court appeared to get in the the final word Monday evening, thwarting Gov. Tony Evers’ last-ditch attempt to postpone in-person voting in the state’s election and reschedule the vote for June 7. The U.S. Supreme Court later blocked state Democrats’ bid to extend early voting a week after the election.  The Wisconsin court ruled by a 4-2 margin that Mr. Evers, who had issued a statewide stay-at-home order in response to the coronavirus epidemic, lacked the authority to unilaterally change an election date through the executive order he had issued earlier in the day.

April 6: The Washington Free Beacon: Wisconsin Governor (Dem) postpones primary
election and bans in person voting; prompting GOP court challenge
A bewildering series of events left the fate of Wisconsin's elections in doubt less than a day before in-person voting was set to begin. Gov. Tony Evers (D.), who previously said he has no power to suspend elections, issued an extraordinary order on Monday delaying the state's elections until June 9, just 18 hours before precincts opened for voters to cast their ballots. The Republican-controlled legislature claims Evers has no authority to issue such a command and promised an immediate challenge to his order in the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

April 6: The Washington Examiner: State declines opportunity to join Hillary Clinton’s
attempt to dodge testifying under oath before Judicial Watch attorneys
The State Department declined to join former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s effort to convince an appeals court to let her dodge a judge-ordered sworn deposition about her use of a private email server and the 2012 Benghazi terrorist attack.  “The Court agrees with Judicial Watch — it is time to hear directly from Secretary Clinton," U.S. District Court Judge Royce Lamberth ruled in March ordering Clinton and her former Chief of Staff Cheryl to be deposed by the conservative watchdog.  Clinton’s legal team filed a petition with the D.C Circuit calling the lower court’s ruling outrageous.  Meanwhile the State Department, represented in court by Justice Department lawyers, declined to join Clinton’s legal argument on Friday.

April 6: The Washington Examiner: State designates Russian white supremist group a terrorist organization
A group of Russian militants involved in bombings in Europe and the Russian invasion of Ukraine is a white supremacist terrorist group, the State Department’s top counterterrorism official announced Monday.   “This is the first time the United States has ever designated white supremacist terrorists, illustrating how seriously this administration takes the threat,” Counterterrorism Coordinator and Ambassador Nathan Sales told reporters. “We are taking actions no previous administration has taken to counter this threat.”  The group, the Russian Imperial Movement, Sales explained “provides paramilitary-style training to neo-Nazis and white supremacists.”  He blamed the movement for a series of bombings in Sweden and acknowledged “public reports” that the group has tried to expand into the U.S.

April 5: The Washington Free Beacon: Illinois Congressman blames Trump for
coronavirus while avoiding questions about Chinese coverup
As COVID-19 spreads across the nation, Rep. Sean Casten (D., Ill.) has repeatedly attempted to blame Trump and Republicans for the death toll, accusing them of spreading fatal misinformation about the pandemic. Casten himself, however, has misinformed the public about China's role in the pandemic. When one of his constituents asked about the early Chinese response to the outbreak at a March 21 electronic town hall, the congressman refused to talk about the regime's coverup of the virus. Instead, he incorrectly said that China had successfully isolated the outbreak in Wuhan.

April 4; The Washington Examiner: Trump notifies Congress he is removing
intelligence IG, effective in thirty  days
Trump notified Congress late Friday he was exercising his power to remove Michael Atkinson from the intelligence community inspector general role, effective in 30 days, because he "no longer" had the fullest confidence in him. The president said he would submit a replacement “who has my full confidence and who meets the appropriate qualifications” at a later date.  Michael Horowitz, the Justice Department inspector general whose work in uncovering impropriety by law enforcement officials has been championed by allies of the president, particularly his investigations into alleged surveillance abuses also vowed that "aggressive, independent oversight" would continue unabated.

April 4: Fox News: Trump warns of a rough week ahead because of the coronavirus
President Trump on Saturday warned the nation of a deadly week ahead in the fight against the coronavirus.  "This will probably be the toughest week -- between this week and next week," Trump said Saturday at the beginning of his coronavirus task force briefing at the White House.  "There will be a lot of death, unfortunately. But a lot less death than if this wasn't done," Trump said of the nationwide precautions underway. "But there will be death."

April 4: The Daily Caller: China appointed to UN Human Rights Council
irrespective of their appalling human rights record
China has been appointed to an influential United Nations Human Rights Council panel — despite the Communist regime having a long history of violating human rights and persecuting religious groups.  Jiang Duan, China’s representative at the Geneva UN mission, will be part of the UN Human Rights Council’s Consultative Group and will be the Asia-Pacific advisor for the body.

April 3: Fox News: Dr. Fauci: It’s “mind boggling” that the Chinese wet markets
are still being allowed to operate
White House coronavirus task force member Dr. Anthony Fauci said on Friday that all of China's wet markets should be shut down immediately in light of the pandemic ravaging much of the world.  “It boggles my mind how, when we have so many diseases that emanate out of that unusual human-animal interface, that we just don't shut it down,” Fauci said.  “I don’t know what else has to happen to get us to appreciate that,” he contended.

April 3: The Daily Caller: Wisconsin Democrat Governor wants to delay primary
election; move to all mail in voting; despite Biden’s wishes
Democratic Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers is calling the state legislature back to the capitol for a special session as he seeks to delay next Tuesday’s primary elections over the coronavirus pandemic.  Evers wants the legislature to take up all-mail voting, and extend the deadline to send in a ballot until May 26, according to a press release. The move comes a day after Democratic front-runner Joe Biden said he did not think Wisconsin should postpone its primary. The Democratic Party announced Thursday that it was postponing its national convention from mid-July to mid-August over the pandemic.

April 3: Towlerroad.com: Sailors cheer ousted Navy CO;
Crew cheers Captain Brett Crozier as he departs USS Teddy Roosevelt (CVN-71) after being relieved of duty for sounding the alarm over a coronavirus on his ship.   Stars and Strips reports: hundreds were pictured in the gathering in the ship’s hangar deck and many chanted Capt. Brett Crozier’s name in multiple videos posted to social media. One person posted “That’s how you send out one of the greatest captains you ever had!” Crozier was dismissed Thursday due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command and for not using his chain of command to make service leaders aware of his concerns about the virus outbreak that had infected more than 100 sailors on the ship, acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly said at the Pentagon.

April 2: Fox News: California police take a “wipe” out of crime!
Beverly Hills officers took a “wipe” out of crime Tuesday after pulling over a stolen SUV and finding 192 rolls of toilet paper – a much sought-after commodity as people hoard supplies amid the  coronavirus pandemic.  Beverly Hills police posted a photo of officers searching the white SUV on social media. Two boxes stuffed with rolls of toilet paper are pictured outside the vehicle.  Police arrested the driver. It was unclear whether the toilet paper was also stolen.

April 2: The Daily Caller: Trump: Russia and Saudis considering cutting crude
oil production, good news for USA petroleum industry
Oil prices rallied Thursday after U.S. President Trump hinted his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told him they might reduce crude production.  The two countries have been in an oil production/price war.  Trump said he “spoke to my friend MBS (Saudi Crown Prince), who spoke with President Putin of Russia, & I expect & hope that they will be cutting back approximately 10 Million Barrels.”  The Dow Jones industrial average jumped more than 500 points after Trump’s remarks. The president’s bold talk provided hopes of a reprieve to a beleaguered oil industry, which saw the price of oil fall roughly 60% over the past month.

April 2: The Washington Examiner: With COVID-19 raging Pelosi & Schiff ramp up another investigation
The team is back in action. On Thursday, Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the creation of the House Select Committee on the Coronavirus Crisis. The new panel will have the authority to investigate any aspect of the virus emergency and the Trump administration's handling of it.   Pelosi's announcement came a day after House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff called for a 9/11-style independent commission to investigate "mistakes" in the virus response. Shortly after that, Schiff told the Washington Post, House Democrats must investigate the Trump administration's handling of virus testing and the government's distribution of personal protective equipment for healthcare workers.

April 2: The Daily Caller: Biden: Ignoring Chinese under reporting says U.S. has
more cases of COVID-19 than any other country
Former Vice President Joe Biden said Thursday that America has “more coronavirus cases than anywhere in the world,” ignoring China’s widely acknowledged undercounting of coronavirus cases and deaths.  Biden, who has repeatedly spread misinformation about the federal coronavirus response, criticized President Donald Trump in a statement released Thursday

April 1; Fox News: Trump:  I can’t confirm China’s numbers because of possible under reporting
President Trump said Wednesday he could not confirm the veracity of the numbers of coronavirus cases and deaths being reported by China, as he warned Americans to brace for more “horrific” days in dealing with the virus.  While Trump said the numbers being reported by Beijing “seem to be a little on the light side,” the president and National Security Adviser Robert C. O'Brien said they currently have no way to confirm the number of COVID-19 cases being reported by the Chinese government. The comments follow accusations from critics that China is underreporting its cases.

April 1: The Daily Caller: Tom Cotton Blasts ‘Apologists’ In Media For Accepting Chinese
Propaganda Surrounding Coronavirus Origins
Senator Cotton (R-AR) said it is wholly appropriate to question whether the coronavirus outbreak originated from a biochemical lab in Wuhan, China, in an exclusive interview with the Daily Caller News Foundation.  Noting the Chinese government’s dishonesty surrounding the outbreak from its earliest stages, Cotton criticized the media for their inclination to accept Chinese propaganda at face value.  “The mainstream media are largely apologists for Chinese communists and they will accept Chinese communist propaganda,” Cotton said. “They immediately try to accuse anyone who raises these reasonable questions as conspiracy theorists that are accusing China of creating a biological weapon.”

April 1: The Washington Times;  Trump: Iran could be planning an attack on US forces
President Trump on Wednesday suggested that Iran could be planning a “sneak attack” on U.S. troops or assets in Iraq and warned Tehran would pay a “heavy price” if an attack is carried out.  The Trump administration has for months suggested that any Iranian, or Iran-backed militia attacks against Americans in the region would warrant harsh U.S. military retaliation, but Mr. Trump’s surprise announcement indicates new intelligence of a potential threat.  “Upon information and belief, Iran or its proxies are planning a sneak attack on U.S. troops and/or assets in Iraq. If this happens, Iran will pay a very heavy price, indeed!” Mr. Trump said in a tweet shortly after a closed-door intelligence briefing.

April 1: The Washington Examiner; Hunter Biden can’t deny impropriety any
more than he can deny paternity
In a recent interview Hunter Biden said his only error was in showing the “poor judgment” of not realizing his board position with a dicey foreign corporation might give “a hook to some very unethical people to act in illegal ways to try to do some harm to my father. That’s where I made the mistake.”   The Washington Examiner column notes there is a difference between doing something illegal and something that’s unethical.  The huge ethical problem with taking Burisma’s highly paid board position was that it unambiguously put a cloud over important U.S. diplomacy. When Biden joined Burisma's board on April 18, 2014, his father was already well-ensconced as the Obama administration’s point man on policy toward Ukraine, one of the world's leading diplomatic hot spots. Worse, Biden the son had no obviously relevant experience for the position.

March 31: The Washington Free Beacon: Idaho bars biological male athletes f
rom competing in all-female athletics
Idaho governor Brad Little (R.) on Monday signed the Fairness in Women's Sports Act to prohibit biologically male students from participating in all-female sports.  "Athletic teams or sports designated for females, women, or girls shall not be open to students of the male sex," the  legislation states.  The law cites differences in male and female physiology that results in distinct athletic capabilities.  "Under this bill, boys and men will not be able to take the place of girls and women in sports because it is not fair," state representative Barbara Ehardt said.

March 30: The Washington Times: China resumes allowing the selling of
wild animals, like bats, thought to be the origin of the coronavirus
Brit reporters say Communist China is permitting wild animal markets to resume selling bats, believed to be the source for the deadly coronavirus now killing people across the globe, including over 2,500 Americans to date.  A number of scientists say it is likely that bats either infected other market animals or humans directly. Bats carry a variety of coronaviruses and are blamed on for the 2002 SARS coronavirus epidemic that also originated in a Chinese market.

March 30: The UK Daily Mail: What happened to social distancing;
Crowds gather to see hospital ship Comfort arrive in NYC
Crowds gathered to watch the USNS Comfort, a Navy hospital ship with 1,000 beds for patients, arriving in New York City to alleviate the strain on the city's hospitals as it continues to battle the coronavirus pandemic - despite being warned to stay at home. The ship arrived at New York Harbor on Monday morning. It will welcome patients who do not have coronavirus but who still need care in order to clear out the city's other hospitals for those who have tested positive for COVID-19. It came as the death toll in New York City hit 790 and more than 36,000 cases were recorded. New York City is the epicenter of the virus in the US.

March 20: Breitbart News: Pelosi wants to investigate Trump’s response to coronavirus while in February she dismissed the threat during a visit to San Francisco’s Chinatown
House Speaker Pelosi wants to investigate President Trump for his actions in the lead-up to the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S, but in February she dismissed the threat with a visit to San Francisco’s Chinatown.  “We want to be vigilant about what is out there in other places,” Pelosi said to reporters in February as her entourage packed the sidewalk. “We want to be careful about how we deal with it, be we do want to say to people, ‘Come to Chinatown. Here we are. We’re careful, safe. Come join us.'”

March 29: The Washington Examiner: Brits reportedly furious with China
disinformation campaign over the coronavirus
The British government is reportedly furious with China over its handling of the coronavirus epidemic, particularly with the disinformation campaign that the U.S. Army is responsible for the COVID-19 virus outbreak.  Senior British government officials say China risks becoming a “pariah state” for its handling of the virus, which was first discovered in the city of Wuhan,. “There is a disgusting disinformation campaign going on and it is unacceptable. They [the Chinese government] know they have got this badly wrong and rather than owning it they are spreading lies,” a source said to the Daily Mail. 

March 29: Fox News: Trump predicts “peak” of deaths in about two weeks;
social distancing guidelines extended through April 30th
Speaking at a contentious White House coronavirus news briefing on Sunday,  President Trump declared that "the peak in death rate" in the coronavirus pandemic "is likely to hit in two weeks," and said the federal government will be extending its social-distancing guidelines through April 30.  Saying his earlier hope was that the country could reopen by Easter was "just an aspiration," Trump added: "We can expect that be June 1, we will be well on our way to recovery" and that "a lot of great things will be happening."

March 29: The Daily Caller: ICE takes deportees to Central America b
rings back stranded US citizens on the return trip
ICE Air Operations, the air transportation arm of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), has so far rescued 466 U.S. citizens stranded in the Northern Triangle region of Central America amid the coronavirus pandemic.  Following orders of final removal, ICE deported Salvadoran and Honduran nationals back to their home countries on Friday. On the return leg of these flights, the agency took aboard U.S. citizens who were stranded due to COVID-19 lockdowns, according to an ICE press release.

March 29: The Wall Street Journal: Saudis intercept ballistic missiles from Yemen terrorist group
The Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen said early on Sunday that the kingdom's air defenses intercepted two ballistic missiles on Saturday night launched by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group towards Riyadh and the city of Jizan, Saudi state news agency (SPA) said citing the coalition's spokesman.  The coalition's spokesman said that no fatalities had been recorded so far but that some shrapnel to fall on residential neighborhoods in the two cities.  The spokesman added that firing missiles at this time by the Houthis and Iranian Revolutionary Guards showed the real threat the group and Iranian regime supporting it pose, adding that this escalation does not reflect the group's announcement that it is welcoming a ceasefire.

March 28: Fox News: Trump: Quarantining NYC, NJ and CT should NOT be necessary
President Trump on Saturday night said the administration would not be issuing a quarantine on New York, parts of New Jersey and some of Connecticut as part of the efforts to curb the spread of the Chinese coronavirus.  "A quarantine will not be necessary," he tweeted, noting that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) would issue a "travel advisory" later in the evening.  The CDC shortly after issued a Domestic Travel Advisory urging against "non-essential domestic travel" in the tri-state area for 14 days.

March28: The Daily Caller: World Health Doc cuts off interview when question
suggested Taiwan is not part of China
A senior World Health Organization (WHO) official appeared to pretend he couldn’t hear a reporter and then cancelled the call when she implied Taiwan was a separate country from China. The reporter asked whether the policy (of not allowing Taiwan to be a member of the WHO) might change during the coronavirus pandemic.  “Will the WHO reconsider Taiwan’s membership?” the reporter asked.  It has been widely reported that senior WHO leadership has sympathy, if not ties to, communist China.

March 28: The Washington Free Beacon: Kennedy Center: musicians will no longer
receive pay checks after the April 3 even with the $25 billion earmark in the
Chinese coronavirus stimulus bill
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts informed members of the National Symphony Orchestra that they would no longer be paid just hours after President Trump signed a $25 million taxpayer bailout for the cultural center.  Congress included $25 billion for the Kennedy Center in its $2+ trillion Chinese coronavirus stimulus package.  On Friday night nearly 100 musicians were notified by email that they will no longer receive paychecks after April 3, according to an email from the orchestra's Covid-19 Advisory Committee.  The apparent “abrupt email” said that librarians and musicians will not be paid again until the Center reopens.

March 27: Politico:  “Special deals” in the stimulus package
- Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt) managed got a minimum assistance figure for every state — $1.5 billion — to make sure small states like his weren’t left out in the legislation. 
- Casinos will be able to tap government loans for disaster assistance, a payback after casinos were blocked from receiving tax breaks extended to other businesses after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
- Travel agents will be able to apply for part of the $25 billion in loans and loan guarantees reserved for the airlines.
- The final package creates a new tax benefit for student loan borrowers whose employers help them pay off their debt. Under the bill, a company could pay up to $5,250 of an employee’s student loan payments each year on a tax-free basis.
- The deal includes language making it easier for Congress to dole out money for harbor dredging by exempting from discretionary spending caps the Army Corps of Engineers funding provided through the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund. The provision is a boon for ports that need dredging work.

March 27: Market Watch: House passes $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package by voice vote
The House of Representatives on Friday approved a $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package in a voice vote, with the move coming after Kentucky GOP Rep. Thomas Massie’s push for a recorded vote -- that would create a record of how each member voted -- failed.. The legislation already has passed the Senate and is expected to be signed into law quickly by President Donald Trump.

March 27: MSN.com: Rep. Thomas Massie calling on roll call vote on the
$2 Trillion Chinese coronavirus stimulus bill
U.S. Representative Thomas Massie enraged President Donald Trump on Friday as he has leaders of Congress worried he will delay a planned Friday voice vote on a $2.2 trillion coronavirus economic rescue plan, drawing calls from the White House to throw him out of the Republican Party. But even though requiring a roll call vote might delay the passage of the stimulus package, it would also create a record of how each member voted.  With things that don’t related to the Chinese coronavirus in the bill, this could be damaging for some members of Congress come election time.

March 27: The Washington Free Beacon: PRC gives cold shoulder to U.S.
journalist request to remain in China
China hit out at what it called "biased" reporting on Friday in a frosty response to a request by three major U.S. newspapers (NYT, WSJ, and Washington Post) to reverse the expulsion of several of their China-based journalists.  The three newspapers published an open letter earlier this urging China to reconsider it’s decision, saying it was "uniquely damaging and reckless" at a time when the world is sharing the burden of fighting the coronavirus.  China’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it welcomed media and reporters from all countries to report in China "in accordance with laws and regulations" but that it did not accept "the arrogance and prejudice" it said was revealed in the publisher’s letter.   The statement did not directly answer the newspapers' request but suggested Beijing was in no mood to accept it.

March 26: The Washington Examiner: DOJ charges Venezuela’s Maduro with narco-terrorism
Attorney General William Barr announced narco-terrorism charges against Venezuelan socialist leader Nicolas Maduro for his role in facilitating the global drug trade in coordination with the Colombia-based terrorist group known as the FARC.   The Justice Department said on Thursday that Maduro formed and leads his own drug ring, dubbed the Cartel of the Sun, and gives the FARC free reign to operate in parts of Venezuela.   Investigators said Maduro and his co-conspirators were being charged with conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism, conspiracy to important hundreds of tons of cocaine into the United States, and a variety of weapons charges. The Justice Department said Maduro expressly indented on flooding the U.S. with cocaine to harm the health and well-being of the nation. The chief justice of Venezuela was also charged with international money laundering.

March 25: The Washington Times: By unanimous consent Senate passes $2.2 trillion
Chinese coronavirus stimulus package
The Senate passed the $2.2 trillion emergency stimulus package to assist the overly stressed health care system and tumbling economy Wednesday night. The bipartisan deal passed on a 96-0 vote. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell touted the unanimous vote as a victory for bipartisanship, despite a drawn-out partisan negotiation process. With the country over a trillion dollars in debt the question some are asking is what will be the long-term impact with an additional $2.2 trillion added to the existing debt.

March 25: The Daily Caller: Former presidential economic advisor opposes
direct payments in Senate stimulus package
Sephen Moore , former economic adviser to President Trump, explained why he, along with economist Art Laffer, wrote an op-ed opposed to the direct payments in the Phase 3 stimulus plan, how Trump settled on April 12, Easter Sunday, as his optimistic date for ending the coronavirus shutdown and more. 

March 25: Fox News: Senate coronavirus stimulus bill contains big bucks for
non-virus-related projects
The Senate emergency stimulus compromise package allocates $75 million for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the nonprofit that funds National Public Radio (NPR), offers programming featuring the children's character "Big Bird" and supports other public stations.  The massive payout -- which the draft bill says would "make fiscal stabilization grants to public television and radio stations facing declines in non-federal revenues" -- is less than the $300 million that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) had proposed in her own coronavirus stimulus proposal. The money nevertheless drew complaints from senators who called the spending unrelated to the coronavirus, and who have long accused NPR of overt political bias.

March 24: The Washington Free Beacon: Senator Scott  rips Pelosi and Dems for
distractions in the coronavirus stimulus package
Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) on Tuesday criticized Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Democrats for slowing down the progress on the coronavirus stimulus package for partisan reasons.  "For absolutely no reason, the speaker's passion for partisan hogwash started causing the type of delays that doesn't simply cripple our economy, but it imperils our health care response to people who are infected by the coronavirus," Scott said on the Senate floor.

March 23: MSN.com: Trump considers relaxing stay-at-home
policy; cure shouldn’t be worse than the virus
President Trump on Sunday night said that the government would reassess the recommended period for keeping businesses shut and millions of workers at home after this week, amid millions of job losses caused by the efforts to contain the spread of the Chinese coronavirus.  “WE CANNOT LET THE CURE BE WORSE THAN THE PROBLEM ITSELF,” Mr. Trump tweeted in all capital letters shortly before midnight. “AT THE END OF THE 15 DAY PERIOD, WE WILL MAKE A DECISION AS TO WHICH WAY WE WANT TO GO!”

March 23: The Daily Caller: “We are open:” Cleveland abortion clinic
defies health department order to stop during coronavirus outbreak
An Ohio abortion clinic is refusing to cease abortions during the coronavirus pandemic despite an order from the Ohio Department of Health.  A Preterm employee confirmed on Monday that the clinic will not stop performing abortions, despite a Wednesday order from the Ohio Department of Health mandating that all non-essential and elective surgeries cease in order to preserve Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for health workers.  This was followed by a Friday letter from the Ohio Attorney General ordering two specific Ohio abortion clinics to stop providing any services that require PPEs.

March 23: The Washington Free Beacon: Iranian officials steal $1 billion in funds
earmarked to help fight the coronavirus
Iranian regime officials stole more than $1 billion meant to help the country's people fight the spread of coronavirus, according to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.  European countries intended for more than $1 billion cash for medical supplies to go to the Iranian people, who have been ravaged by the virus. But American officials say regime leaders instead pocketed the money and are now using it to protect themselves from the virus as it spreads throughout the population. This includes hoarding medical supplies that were meant to aid Iranian citizens.

March 23: Fox News: Senate Democrats shoot down stimulus package for second time
Tensions flared on the Senate floor Monday as lawmakers viscerally clashed on camera over phase three of a coronavirus response package, with Democrats blocking Republican efforts to advance the massive stimulus bill for the second day in a row.  Leaving the legislation in limbo once more, the Senate stalled over the package Monday afternoon on a 49-46 vote. It needed 60 votes to advance.  Some believe, given the price-tag of $1+ trillion, that the logjam may not be a bad thing.

March 23: The Washington Examiner: FDA relaxing rules to help auto manufacturers
make ventilators to help combat the coronavirus
The Food and Drug Administration temporarily relaxed regulations on manufacturing regulators to give private companies more flexibility to build medical supplies needed to combat the coronavirus.  Ford, General Motors, and Tesla are adapting their facilities from building automobiles to pumping out regulators for hospitals struggling under an influx of COVID-19 patients. The federal government reportedly is simultaneously easing regulations to help the car companies pass through the bureaucratic process to make medical supplies faster. This includes easing restrictions on sourcing materials, allowing companies to buy ventilator components from a broader range of suppliers.

March 23: The Washington Times: Trump partnering with private sector making USA
supercomputers available for coronavirus research
The Trump administration has partnered with the private sector to make the nation’s supercomputing capabilities available to researchers fighting the coronavirus.  The White House Office of Science and Technology and the Department of Energy formed the new partnership on Sunday with Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, IBM and Microsoft.  Also participating in the COVID-19 High Performance Computing Consortium are five national laboratories, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Science Foundation, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

March 22: The Hill: Democrats are getting nervous about
delaying primary elections
Democrats are increasingly nervous about the coronavirus pandemic upending the Democratic primary calendar.  As more and more states postpone their primaries — delaying their elections as far back as June — some Democrats say that it will make the job of defeating President Trump more difficult.

March 22: The Associated Press:  “Chinese virus” arrives in Gaza
The arrival of the coronavirus in the Gaza Strip, an impoverished enclave where the health care system has been gutted by years of conflict, raised fears Sunday the pandemic may soon prey on some of the most vulnerable populations in the world.  Authorities in Gaza, which has been under an Israeli and Egyptian blockade since the Islamic militant group Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007, confirmed its first two cases overnight, in returnees who had come from Pakistan.

March 21: The Daily Caller: China applauds Clinton for spreading communist line about
the “Chinese virus”
China’s ambassador to South Africa on Friday cheered former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for advancing the Chinese Communist Party’s official line about the coronavirus not being a “Chinese virus.”  The state-owned propaganda outlet China News noted how Clinton had been quick to criticize Trump calling COVID-19 the “Chinese virus” and saying his rhetoric was “racist.” It suggested he was desperate to “eclipse his poor response in curbing the virus outbreak.”

March 21: The Washington Times: McConnell: Getting close on coronavirus deal;
test vote planned for Sunday
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said late Saturday that lawmakers are close to striking a final deal on a coronavirus stimulus package, and he said they’re plowing ahead with plans for a first test vote Sunday afternoon.  “The past two days of intense bipartisan talks are very close to a resolution. I believe we are poised to deliver the significant relief that Americans need with the speed that this crisis demands,” Mr. McConnell said in a statement.

March 21: The Washington Examiner: Nunes considers legal action against Schiff
for releasing phone records
Rep. Devin Nunes said he is exploring "all" of his legal options in response to House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff subpoenaing and releasing his phone records during the recent Ukraine-related impeachment investigation. Nunes, the ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee said "We're going to look at all the legal remedies that we can take."  The phone call logs, subpoenaed from AT&T and Verizon, appear in a 658-page December report released by House Democrats.

March 20: The Washington Free Beacon: Government reaction to the “Chinese virus”
raises Constitutional issues
California's Gavin Newsom became the first governor to impose an extraordinary lockdown measure Thursday night, directing state residents to remain at home or face fines, except for essential tasks like grocery shopping or walking a pet. Yet it's unclear whether Newsom's order is constitutional. Even if it isn't, judges might allow such extreme steps, at least for a limited period of time.  Some of the legal questions presented by COVID-19 are new, like Newsom's confinement order, or whether the Centers for Disease Control can impose quarantines inside U.S. borders to contain the virus.  Professor James Hodge, a public health law specialist at Arizona State University, said "We've seen lockdowns in China and Italy. The capacity to pull off similar efforts in the United States at any level of government is sketchy at best because of rights to travel, due process and other specific constitutional norms."

March 20: The Washington Examiner: Israeli drug company donating
six million malaria drugs to help combat the Chinese coronavirus in the U.S.
Israel’s leading drug producer announced Thursday it will donate 6 million doses of anti-malaria drugs to the United States in hopes that it could be helpful treating  coronavirus symptoms. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries says the drug could potentially treat people with the coronavirus and will ship the hydroxychloroquine tablets through wholesalers nationwide by the end of the month and will provide 10 million doses in total.  “We are committed to helping to supply as many tablets as possible as demand for this treatment accelerates at no cost,” Teva Executive Vice President Brendan O’Grady said about the move.

March 20: Fox News: Trump:  Suspension of student loan payments
President Trump on Friday announced that the administration would allow federal student loan borrowers to suspend their payments without penalty for at least 60 days, and that standardized test requirements would not be enforced for elementary and high school students amid the coronavirus pandemic.  The president announced earlier this week that he had waived interest on federal student loans “until further notice,” but took that measure to the next level Friday by suspending payments.  “Borrowers should contact their lenders, but we’ve given them very strong instructions,” Trump added. “That’s a big thing, that’s going to make a lot of students very happy.”

March 20: Breitbart News: Trump Administration shuts down
northern and southern borders to all non-essential travel
During a press conference on Friday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Acting Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Chad Wolf announced that the U.S. would be closing off its southern and northern borders for all non-essential travel to stop the spread of the Chinese coronavirus.  Non-essential travel at the southern and northern border includes tourism and recreational travel.  “We’ve reached an agreement with both Canada and Mexico to limit non-essential travel across our land borders,” Wolf said. “Let me be clear that neither of these agreements with Canada or Mexico applies to lawful trade or commerce. Essential commercial activities will not be impacted.”

March 19: The Hill: McConnell introduces massive coronavirus stimulus package
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) unveiled the Republicans third coronavirus funding package which, by some estimates, could cost a trillion dollars!  They will start negotiating the provisions of the 250-paged bill with Senate Democrats on Friday.  The measure will take 60 votes in order to jump the cloture threshold.  Among other provisions the bill proposes to pay individuals who earned up to $75,000 in 2018  $1,200 ($2,400 for married couples earning up to $150,000) and $500 for each child in the household.  It would also extend the federal income tax filing deadline to July 15th and provide relief for small businesses. [See more details]

March 19: The Hill: California estimates 56% of its population will be
infected in the next eight weeks
California Gov. Newsom (D) said in a letter to the Trump administration that 56 percent of the state’s population — 25.5 million people — is projected to be infected with the coronavirus over an eight-week period.   In the letter, Newsom asked Trump to deploy the USNS Mercy hospital ship to the port of Los Angeles until September of this year “to help decompress our current healthcare delivery system in the Los Angeles region in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.”  Jesse Melgar, a spokesman for the governor, specified that the estimate was without mitigating factors.  On Thursday the Trump Administration it would send USNS Mercy to New York City and that it planned to send Mercy to Seattle in the next five to 10 days. Washington is one of the states hit hardest by the virus, with more than 1,887 confirmed cases and 68 deaths.

March 19: MSN.com: California Governor issues statewide stay at home order
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday ordered all Californians to stay at home, marking the first mandatory restrictions placed on the lives of all 40 million residents in the state’s fight against the Chinese coronavirus.  The governor’s action comes at a critical time in California, where 19 people have died and an additional 958 have tested positive for the disease.  The mandatory order allows Californians to continue to visit gas stations, pharmacies, grocery stores, farmers markets, food banks, convenience stores, take-out and delivery restaurants, banks and laundromats. People can leave their homes to care for a relative or a friend or seek healthcare services. It exempts workers in 16 federal critical infrastructure sectors, including food and agriculture, healthcare, transportation, energy, financial services, emergency response and others.

March 19: Yahoo News: Airlines sending airplanes for storage in Arizona desert
Ninety miles south of Phoenix is an airport located in the middle of the Arizona desert just off of an isolated strip of I-10. With only one runway and no passenger terminal, Pinal Air Park doesn't see commercial airline service but it is home to some of the most iconic aircraft ever to roam the skies.  Known in the industry as an aircraft boneyard, Pinal Air Park is where aircraft are housed for long-term storage. In other words, it's a retirement home of sorts for grounded airliners whose time has come as newer, younger planes take their place in airline fleets across the world.  Now Delta, among others, is sending aircraft that are not being used because of the coronavirus to this airfield.

March 19: Washington Free Beacon: Tom Cotton debuts plans to take back Rx
production from China
Sen. Cotton (R-AR) introduced legislation Thursday to repatriate pharmaceutical manufacturing from China to America, aiming to reduce a dependency that could seriously limit the U.S. coronavirus response.  The bill aims to severely curtail the volume of Chinese active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) from the U.S. medical drug supply. The PRC currently produces most of the world's APIs—the "active ingredients" in commonly used drugs—leaving the United States and other nations critically dependent on it for medicines.  The White House has been urging “Buy American” efforts while many companies are beginning to see the cost-savings from Chinese-made pharmaceuticals as not worth the risk of undersupply during another pandemic, or during a potential conflict with America's main geostrategic rival.

March 18: The Washington Times:  PRC threatens electronic strikes on
U.S. Naval forces in the South China Sea
China has called for using electromagnetic attacks on U.S. warships transiting the South China Sea, according to a state-run Chinese outlet.  The Communist Party-affiliated organ Global Times, quoting a military expert, said the use of nonlethal electromagnetic and laser weapons should be used by the People’s Liberation Army to expel American warships from the disputed sea.  The report followed China’s potentially dangerous use of a laser against a Navy P-8A maritime patrol aircraft near Guam last month, and an earlier lasing two years ago of C-130 aircraft near China’s military base in Djibouti on the coast of Africa.

March 18: Fox News: President invokes the Defense Production Act;
unpacking what this means
The DPA is jointly administered by the Bureau of Industry and Security(BIS) in the Department of Commerce  and the Department of Defense.  The DPA gives the administration the authority to go to the head of the line in ordering items deemed critical to national security.  Under the DPA companies are required to accept and prioritize contracts from the government.  While this provision has historically been used to ramp up military production, in the midst of the COVID19 pandemic the act will be used for medical supplies such as ventilators, surgical masks, and the like.  The act also allows competing companies to work together, plan, and to coordinate with each other to increase the availability of supplies -- when doing so is approved by the government -- thereby protecting them from antitrust lawsuits.
[FYI: The editor of this blog served in BIS from its creation in 1987 until his retirement in 2004
and helped get the DPA reauthorized by Congress during his tenure at BIS]

March 18: The Washington Examiner: Senate passes $104 Billion Coronavirus package
The Senate cleared a $104 billion federal aid package Wednesday aimed at responding to the coronavirus pandemic, freeing up lawmakers to focus on a third, much more significant budget busting stimulus plan that could cost in the range of $1 trillion. The $104 billion measure, which President Trump is expected to sign quickly, provides up to 10 days of sick leave and 12 weeks of paid family leave for some workers. It also pays for free coronavirus testing for those who need it.

March 18: The Washington Times: Sanders opens campaign offices
in Biden’s home state of Pennsylvania
Despite Sen. Sander ‘ lackluster performance since Super Tuesday, the self-professed democratic socialist has beefed up his presence in  Joe Biden’s boyhood home state of Pennsylvania.  Sanders opened five offices in the key swing state and staffed them with about 20 staffers last week.   The campaign acknowledged, however, that these offices may be short-lived due to the spread of the coronavirus and the campaign’s transition to digital outreach through virtual rallies and town halls. The Pennsylvania primary is scheduled for April 28, though some states are moving their primaries to June because of fears of increased transmission COVID-19 in crowded polling spaces.

March 18: United Press International: 5.7 Earthquake hits Salt Lake City,
shakes homes 150 miles away
A strong magnitude-5.7 earthquake struck the Salt Lake City area on Wednesday, shaking buildings, closing the airport and cutting power to thousands.  The quake was the strongest to hit the city, which sits on a major tectonic fault, since 1992.   The quake that was felt as far as 150 miles from Salt Lake was followed by a 4.4 magnitude aftershock.

March 17: The Wall Street Journal: China bans journalists
from the WSJ, NYT, and Washington Post
China said it would revoke the press credentials of Americans working for three major U.S. newspapers in the largest expulsion of foreign journalists in the post-Mao era, amid an escalating battle with the Trump administration over media operating in the two countries.  China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday it was demanding that all U.S. nationals working for The Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and the Washington Post whose press credentials expire by the end of the year turn those credentials in within 10 days.

March 17: Fox News: Biden takes Florida and Illinois; Arizona too close to call
Biden has decisively won the delegate-rich Florida and Illinois primaries, Fox News projects, further cementing the former vice president as the dominant frontrunner in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination over rival Bernie Sanders.  Florida and Illinois will award a hefty 219 and 155 pledged delegates, respectively, meaning Biden will significantly pad his growing delegate lead from these victories.  Polls have also closed in Arizona, which has 67 delegates to offer, but it is too early to call.

March 17: Associated Press: Forget the eye-popping national deficit; Trump
asks Congress for authority to send checks to Americans
In a massive federal effort Tuesday, President Donald Trump asked Congress to speed emergency checks to Americans, enlisted the military for MASH-like hospitals and implored ordinary people — particularly socially active millennials — to do their part by staying home to stop the spread of the coronavirus.  His proposed economic package alone could approach $1 trillion, a rescue initiative not seen since the Great Recession. Trump wants checks sent to the public within two weeks and is urging Congress to pass the stimulus package in a matter of days.

March 17: USNI News: US Navy preparing hospital ships
Mercy and Comfort to assist in treatment of coronavirus patients
The Pentagon is starting the process of activating Navy hospital ships USNS Mercy (T-AH-19) and USNS Comfort (T-AH-20) as part of the Defense Department’s domestic response to the spreading COVID-19 virus. “We’ve already given orders to the Navy… to lean forward in terms of getting them ready to deploy,” Secretary of Defense Mark Esper told reporters on Tuesday.  The ships will now begin the several days-long process of bringing aboard medical staff and equipment ahead of deploying along the East and West coasts, a defense official confirmed.

March 17: USA Today: California: millions in lock down, people
calling 911 about neighbors coughing
Six counties across the Bay Area issued a “shelter in place” order on Monday for all residents – requiring about 6.7 million people to stay in their homes – in an attempt to slow the coronavirus outbreak.  For the next three weeks, people living in San Francisco, Santa Clara, San Mateo, Marin, Contra Costa and Alameda counties will be restricted from all “non-essential travel”  by “foot, bicycle, scooter, automobile, or public transit” outside their homes. Also, most businesses will be forced to close until April 7, starting at midnight on Monday. Meanwhile some Coachella Valley police departments say they've started fielding 911 reports from concerned callers convinced a neighbor's overly loud sneeze or hacking cough is proof the person has the virus. 

March 16: The Washington Examiner: House GOP press for hearing
on Chinese threat to  U.S. pharmaceutical industry
Republicans on the House Oversight Committee demanded that Democrats schedule a hearing to look into the “threat” of relying on China for medicines used in the United States.  Striking a sense of urgency, a letter signed by ranking member Jim Jordan of Ohio, Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, and 12 other Republicans argued the coronavirus pandemic has brought this issue to a head.  “The outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) has highlighted a critical threat to the domestic supply of life saving prescription drugs. Too many supply chains for our most critical medicines and medical devices are too dependent on China,” said the letter addressed to Oversight Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney.

March 16: Fox News: Trump releases guidelines to slow coronavirus
spread but warns it could be July or August before this is over
President Trump announced on Monday a set of guidelines that he said Americans should follow to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus -- despite admitting that the pandemic could stretch into July or August.  Speaking during a briefing of the coronavirus task force, Trump outlined a plan to slow the spread of COVID-19 in 15 days.  “With several weeks of focused action, we can turn the corner and turn it quickly,” Trump said. “Our government is prepared to do whatever it takes.”

March 16: Fox News New York: Oregon police say stop calling 911
complaining that you cannot get toilet paper
One police department in Oregon posted a reminder on their Facebook page, asking the public to not call for an emergency if they run out of toilet paper due to the coronavirus outbreak. "It’s hard to believe that we even have to post this," police in Newport, Oregon wrote. "Do not call 9-1-1 just because you ran out of toilet paper. You will survive without our assistance." 

Meanwhile, the Palo Alto High School Class of 61 posted comic information about the “Great Toilet Paper Pandemic of 2020” on its website.  Below is a sampling of that post: (Click on Image for larger view)

March 14: The Daily Caller: Trump adds UK and Ireland to the travel ban
Vice President Mike Pence announced during Saturday’s coronavirus press briefing that the United Kingdom has been added to the White House’s coronavirus travel restriction list.  President Trump announced Wednesday night that the U.S. would ban all travel for foreign nationals who had recently visited Europe but kept the U.K. off that list.  Politico accused the White House of exempting the U.K. in order to protect business at the three Trump-owned golf resorts in Scotland and Ireland. [Of course they said that…!  Editorial comment, the political gamesmanship needs to stop!]  Pence cited the rising number of cases in the U.K. as the reason for the new travel restrictions.

January 31: The Daily Caller: Clarence Thomas: Documentary
film in his own words
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is setting the record straight with a new documentary, “Created Equal: Clarence Thomas In His Own Words,” released January 31.  Thomas is most well-known for his fiery defense of his own character during his nomination process, in which his former employee Anita Hill accused him of sexual misconduct. According to Michael Pack, the director and producer of the film, Thomas sees this incident as a product of a more general media bias against black people who espouse conservative ideas. 
See the trailer | Playing through February 6th at the AMC theater, 3301 Town Center Blvd S, Sugar Land

January 31: The Wall Street Journal: Senate rejects witnesses in Trump impeachment trial
The U.S. Senate rejected Democrats’ demands to call new witnesses and documents in President Trump’s impeachment trial, clearing the way for an acquittal on abuse of power and obstruction of Congress charges next week.  The 51-49 vote late Friday afternoon represented a major victory for the Senate leadership which has sought to complete the trial as quickly as possible.

January 31: Politico: Senate puts off final vote in Trump trial to next week
The Senate impeachment trial for Donald Trump will drag into next week, with a vote set for Wednesday afternoon on two articles of impeachment against the president, according to a bipartisan resolution negotiated by party leaders.  The 4 p.m. vote will conclude a 20-day proceeding, only the third presidential impeachment trial in U.S. history. The Senate is virtually certain to acquit Trump, and even some Democrats may oppose an obstruction of Congress article approved by the House.

January 31: The Daily Caller:  Rep. Nunes:  Tucker (Carlson) I have some bad news for you
Congressman Nunes:  The bad news:  “…this isn’t going to end. I just can’t imagine that Adam Schiff, after three and a half years of this nonsense — and Jerry Nadler — are not going to continue this, right? They are going to go back and subpoena John Bolton. We’re going to have the same exact thing that you have been seeing for the last three and a half years. I just think you should prepare. Once Mueller collapsed completely, we thought, ‘okay, we’re going to get on to business,'” And then out of nowhere this Ukraine hoax appeared. …This was Adam Schiff and his staff concocting this all together with people that all know each other.   … I bet even after the acquittal we’re gonna be working on this.”

January 30: The Washington Examiner: Republicans feel increasingly
confident the Senate will not vote to call witnesses
“It does look to me like we are headed toward ending this week sometime,” Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) a member of the GOP leadership team  said Thursday. Republican senators will meet privately Friday morning before the trial convenes again at 1 p.m. When the trial convenes, impeachment managers and defense lawyers will each have two hours to present final arguments before the Senate takes a pivotal vote on whether to end the trial or call additional witnesses.  A vote approving a call for witnesses is now considered unlikely.  Three Republicans are seriously weighing a vote to call witnesses, but the vast majority of GOP senators want the trial to end this week.

January 30: The Daily Caller: Rep. Jeffries says hiring former British Spy to get dirt from
Russian sources about Trump isn’t foreign interference in the 2016 elections
Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, one of the House impeachment managers, argued Thursday that Democrats’ hiring of a former British spy Christopher Steele  to collect dirt from Russian sources about the Trump campaign does not constitute foreign interference in the 2016 presidential election because the information was “purchased” rather than simply obtaining it. “The analogy is not applicable to the present situation because first, to the extent that opposition research was obtained, it was opposition research that was purchased,” Jeffries contended in response to a question from Sen. Richard Burr and a group of Republican senators.

January 30: Fox News: Swing Senator announces he will vote against
hearing witnesses; acquittal of the impeachment of Trump seems likely
Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) announced late Thursday night that he would not support additional witnesses in President Trump's "shallow, hurried and wholly partisan"  Senate impeachment trial, seemingly ending Democrats' hopes of hearing testimony from former national security adviser John Bolton and paving the way for the president's imminent acquittal as soon as Friday night.

January 30: You Tube: John Bolton’s interview with Radio Free Europe regarding Ukraine
Full interview of National Security Advisor John Bolton from August 28, 2019, where he describes President Trump’s two calls with the President of Ukraine as “warm and cordial.”

January 29: Fox News: Impeachment: Chief Justice blocks Paul
question that would reveal the name of the whistleblower
Chief Justice Roberts blocked Sen. Rand Paul  (R_KY) from posing a question during the Senate impeachment trial that would have named the alleged whistleblower at the center of the episode but Paul may try to force the issue during the question-and-answer session that begins Thursday afternoon.  For now Roberts has control over what can be asked but he may soon lose his grip on the proceedings amid a torrent of criticism both inside and outside the Senate.  Paul, who has long raised concerns about possible intelligence community overreach, has not yet indicated what action(s) he may take in the final day of questioning.

January 29: The Conservative Tree House:  Outnumbered and still Trump appears to
have them surrounded
Think about it…  The EU, Asia, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, China, Russia, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Iran, U.S. Congress, Democrats, U.S. Senate, Wall Street, the Big Club, Lobbyists, Hollywood, Corporate Media (foreign and domestic), and the ankle-biters in Never Trump…. All of these financial interests are aligned against Main Street USA and against President Trump.  Name one individual who could take them on simultaneously and still be winning, bigly. They say he’s one man.  They say they have him outnumbered.  Yet somehow, as unreal as it seems, he’s the one who appears to have them surrounded.  
[A friend just sent this to us. Although it was originally published six months ago, we just now became aware of it]