The Face of America’s Erosion: NBA Owner Mark Cuban Refuses to Play National Anthem at Home Games
Mark Cuban is the first pro sports team owner to strike the US National Anthem from the pre-game lineup.
Because why honor a country that gave you everything?
The Mavericks do not plan to resume the tradition next year.
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/02/nba-owner-mark-cuban-quit-playing-national-anthem-home-games/
Criminal probe into ‘attempts to influence’ 2020 US election in Georgia targets Trump, media claims
A criminal probe into the 2020 US presidential election launched by Fulton County, Georgia district attorney will look at former President Donald Trump asking the secretary of state to “find” votes, according to media reports.
Fulton County DA Fani Willis confirmed the existence of the investigation on Wednesday and said she sent letters to Governor Brian Kemp, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, the lieutenant governor and the attorney general, asking that all records related to the administration of the election should be preserved.
“This investigation includes, but is not limited to, potential violations of Georgia law prohibiting the solicitation of election fraud, the making of false statements to state and local governmental bodies, conspiracy, racketeering, violation of oath of office and any involvement in violence or threats related to the election’s administration,” says the letter, obtained by the New York Times.
The Times cited a “state official with knowledge of the matter” as saying that the probe is related to Trump’s phone call to Raffensperger in early January. Media to whom the recording of the call was leaked accused Trump of pressuring the Georgia secretary of state to “find” him votes, while Trump has maintained it was a legal call and that the sentence was referring to votes illegally cast for his opponent, current President Joe Biden.
Earlier this week, Raffensperger’s office opened an administrative investigation into the call, after a Georgetown University professor alleged it violated Georgia law.
Willis won the election in November against fellow Democrat Paul Howard Jr, who had been the district attorney since 1997. She is the first African-American woman to hold the office.
https://www.rt.com/usa/515186-georgia-criminal-probe-election-trump/
Trump Will Never Be Allowed Back On Twitter, CFO Confirms
Former US President Donald Trump will never be allowed to have a Twitter account again after his @realdonaldtrump handle was banned, Twitter CFO Ned Segal confirmed on Wednesday.
Segal stated during a CNBC interview following their earnings release:
"If you are removed from the platform, you are removed from the platform… Remember, our policies are designed to make sure that people are not inciting violence."
As a reminder, Twitter permanently suspended Trump's account on January 9, in the aftermath of the January 6 riots on Capitol Hill, for inciting violence.
Which leaves with a question - if the Senate finds Trump not-guilty of the impeachable offense of "inciting insurrection", then will Twitter abide by that ruling and allow Trump back on? (We know the answer, obviously).
Additionally, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey said last night, during the first earnings call since Trump's ban that the social media giant is "bigger than any one account."
https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/trump-will-never-be-allowed-back-twitter-cfo-confirms
‘I’m still standin’: Elton John & Michael Caine encourage remaining at-risk Britons to get Covid-19 vaccine
Elton John and Michael Caine have been drafted in by the NHS to encourage at-risk groups to book their Covid-19 jabs in a tongue-in-cheek video, but not everyone was impressed with the star power on display.
The NHS England video was produced to encourage the remaining 750,000 people aged 70 years of age and above who have yet to receive their Covid-19 vaccine to book an appointment.
John, 73, pleads with people to do their part to defeat “this wretched disease” adding that vaccines are safe and effective before belting out a few bars of his 1983 hit ‘I’m Still Standing’.
“Thanks, Elton, we will let you know,” says an audibly unimpressed ad director.
“Well, at this short notice you won’t find anyone bigger,” a defensive John replies.
The PSA then cuts to two-time Oscar winning actor Caine, 87, receiving his vaccine and stating that it “didn’t hurt.”
Many praised the tone of the advertisement, for striking the right balance between informing and entertaining the public.
“About time there was a little light humour in the [NHS] ads. Whoever did this got it spot on,” wrote one user heaping praise on the elderly stars for doing their part. "The vac-SIR-nators,” quipped another, referring to the fact that both men have received British royal honours.
“Well over nine out of 10 people aged 75 or over have already taken up the offer of their NHS Covid vaccination, and now we want to encourage everyone in the high priority groups to do so,” said Sir Simon Stevens, the chief executive of NHS England.
"WAIT…. Elton got vaccinated???? IF SO, IM SO HAPPY OMG," gushed another Twitter user.
Some were slightly less impressed, asking whether the right demographics were being targeted by the ad.
“Brilliant, but I thought it was younger people who were more reluctant to get a jab and needed encouraging?” wrote one user. “Let's roll out the celebrities, that always works,” added another Scrooge.
“Let’s hope Elton wasn’t one of 50,000 who had an adverse [effect] to the vaccine,” chimed in another user, sharing a link to official UK government data about adverse reactions to the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.
Current indications are that the NHS is on course to reach the 14 million people vaccinated by the February 15 deadline set by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
https://www.rt.com/uk/515114-elton-john-michael-caine-vaccine/
Biden’s ‘American Recovery Act’ Includes Hidden 150% Obamacare Expansion
Missing from the released pandemic relief summary, the expansion of Obamacare is proposed at the end a 90-page legislative proposal
Any mention of a temporary expansion that breathes life back into Obamacare was mysteriously missing from a summary of the House Democrat pandemic relief stimulus proposal released to the public by House Ways & Means Committee Chairman US Rep. Richard Neal (D-MA), Monday. But it’s there.
Tucked away at the end of the $1.9 trillion 90-page legislative proposal is verbiage that outlines the first expansion of Obamacare in more than a decade.
One of the two proposals held in the proposed legislation would fully subsidize Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage for people who earn up to 150 percent of the federal poverty level.
The new Obamacare eligibility table now incorporates people making more than 400 percent of the federal poverty level. That table affords subsidies for first time application, capping their total premium costs at 8.5 percent of their income.
The Biden administration and Democrats in Congress are hoping to tuck into their economic recovery plan a significant expansion of the Affordable Care Act modeled off a program first enacted in California last year. https://t.co/iy4EDBCPDl
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) February 5, 2021
Another proposal included in the legislation would cover 85 percent of a person’s health insurance premiums for those laid-off during the pandemic utilizing COBRA, access to their employer-based health insurance.
“Our nation is struggling, the virus is still not contained, and the American people are counting on Congress to meet this moment with bold, immediate action,” Neal said in a statement. “From increasing direct assistance to those who need it most to expanding tax credits for low- and middle-income workers, we deliver substantial solutions in this package.”
Neal’s legislation proposals are written as budget reconciliation measures, which means House Democrats can pass them with a simple majority. They would need no support from Republicans in that chamber.
The $1.9 trillion #ReliefPackage being drafted by House Democrats features the 1st expansion of #Obamacare in more than a decade, according to a set of legislative proposals unveiled by @RepRichardNeal. https://t.co/mxlNJhwRh7
— The Epoch Times (@EpochTimes) February 9, 2021
The nine proposals outlined in Neal’s legislative outline make up roughly half of the $1.9 trillion package offered by Democrats. The package includes the $1,400 direct payments to Americans.
President Biden signed an executive order last month ordering the reopening of Obamacare’s online health insurance marketplaces. People seeking health insurance under the law will be offered the chance in a few weeks.
https://nationalfile.com/bidens-american-recovery-act-includes-hidden-150-obamacare-expansion/
Cop Busted Selling Fentanyl to School Children, While On Duty, From His Cruiser
Harrington, MN — When parents of children at Narraguagus Jr/Sr High School in Harrington, Maine saw officer Jeffrey Bishop’s car parked in front of the school, they likely felt secure knowing that a cop was “protecting” their children. But Bishop was protecting no one. Instead, he was selling them deadly fentanyl.
Bishop, 53, of Cherryfield is charged with four counts of aggravated furnishing of scheduled drugs, as well as one count of unlawful trafficking in Schedule W drugs. Under Maine law, Schedule W drugs are amphetamines, cocaine and its derivatives, heroin and similar opiates, and other drugs that are considered the most harmful.
Before he was arrested, likely knowing it was coming, Bishop submitted his resignation on January 12, 2021, and his last day of employment was Jan. 30.
News Center Maine reports that according to the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency (MDEA), the charges are aggravated due to alleged trafficking within 1,000 feet of a school and alleged furnishing of the drugs to a minor.
“We are very surprised and concerned about the allegations against Mr. Bishop, as we are well aware that if they are proven, this is not just a black eye to our department but to all of law enforcement,” Bishop’s department said in a press release. “We believe that all law enforcement officers must be held to a higher standard to keep our justice system above reproach.”
The investigation was launched after police busted a minor at the school who was in possession of multiple pills of hydrocodone and around 800 milligrams of fentanyl. According to the CDC, just 3 milligrams of fentanyl is enough to kill an average size adult male. This cop had no problem giving a child over 250 lethal doses of the drug.
Sylvia Moores, an adult customer of Bishop’s, was also arrested. She would later tell investigators Bishop would pick her up on duty and exchange sexual favors for drugs. According to court records, Moores met up with Bishop at least seven times to exchange sexual favors for pills and fentanyl. Each visit happened in his patrol car and netted the woman 20-25 pills according to investigators.
“This investigation revealed that he had been exchanging hydrocodone pills with the state’s witness for sexual favor,” State Assistant Attorney General John Risler said.
https://thefreethoughtproject.com/cop-busted-selling-fentanyl-to-school-children-while-on-duty-from-his-cruiser/
Twitter reports $1.14 billion net loss for 2020
American social-networking company Twitter announced on Wednesday its financial results for the fiscal year 2020, saying it recorded a net loss of $1.136 billion against net income a year earlier.
According to the company, “2020 net loss was $1.14 billion, representing a net margin of -31 percent and diluted EPS [earnings per share – Ed.] of -$1.44. This compares to 2019 net income of $1.47 billion, representing a net margin of 42 percent and diluted EPS of $1.87.” Both periods were affected by non-cash, tax related adjustments, it said.
Costs and expenses totaled $3.69 billion, an increase of 19 percent year over year, while revenue amounted to $3.72 billion.
Twitter said that for the first quarter of 2021 it expects total revenue to be between $940 million and $1.04 billion. “As we enter 2021, our objectives are similar to previous years and our success will best be measured by our ability to grow our audience and deliver financial results in line with our guidance,” it said.
https://www.rt.com/business/515131-twitter-reports-net-loss/
‘I Can’t Afford To Live’: Man Panics When Insulin Skyrockets to $2,000 Under Biden Regime
"I have to pay for something that I did not at all, at all do anything to get. So I guess I'll just f**king die."
A 24-year-old man who says he graduated from college just before COVID-19 provoked massive lockdowns and a stagnant economy, now says that the cost of his insulin and other diabetic supplies have skyrocketed to $2,000. This comes after Joe Biden rescinded an executive order, signed by President Donald Trump, that lowered the cost of life sustaining insulin for low income Americans.
“Hi everybody, so I’m just having a little freakout in my car, because I just found out my f**king diabetic supplies, like my insulin and my pump supplies that I need to live are costing $2,000 a month,” said the man, who appears to have Type 1 diabetes.
“I am 24, I only just got out of college before COVID hit and I’m not making any good money. How am I supposed to pay $2,000 for something that I didn’t do anything to get?”
Those with Type 1 diabetes were born with the irreversible disease, as opposed to those with Type 2 diabetes, who largely experience the disease as a result of a genetic predisposition or unfortunate lifestyle choices.
“America is fking bullshit, like I can’t afford to live,” the man shouted, gripped with emotion. “I have to pay for something that I did not at all, at all do anything to get. So I guess I’ll just fking die.”
It is unlikely the man’s insulin and pump would cost such an astronomical sum under President Trump, who specifically signed four executive orders aimed at lowering these costs last year. National File reported:
Last July, President Trump issued four executive orders that instructed the Secretary of Health and Human Services to “end a shadowy system of kickbacks by middlemen that lurks behind the high out-of-pocket costs many Americans face at the pharmacy counter.”
Mr. Trump said the high price of insulin and epinephrine pens (EpiPens) used in emergency situations to combat severe allergic reactions that can often cause death, have cut off low-income people in “desperate” need of the medications.
The slate of executive orders included a directive that required federal community health centers to pass the significant discounts they received from pharmaceutical companies on insulin and EpiPens directly to patients.
Biden never explained why he reversed an executive order that was aimed at helping impoverished Americans, but many conservatives believe it is to increase dissatisfaction with the current healthcare system and pave the way for socialized medicine as an alternative.
https://nationalfile.com/i-cant-afford-to-live-man-panics-when-insulin-skyrockets-to-2000-under-biden-regime/
BBC Partnered With Tech Firm Flagged As ‘Tool’ Of Chinese Government
Tencent, a Chinese Communist Party-linked tech firm, has worked with BBC on a host of flagship shows.
“Experts today expressed further concern at Tencent’s relationship with another leading British institution after it emerged that the BBC has signed a string of deals with the Chinese company since 2016 to co-produce a litany of the broadcaster’s flagship shows, including Sir David’s Blue Planet II,” The Telegraph noted.
Other collaborative ventures include a three-year partnership with Tencent to co-produce and distribute “content-rich documentaries” such as Sir David’s natural history show Dynasties.
“Last year, the BBC signed another deal with Tencent to co-produce Seven Worlds, One Planet, which was aired on the Chinese state-controlled channel, CCTV-9,” the outlet also reveals.
The move was labeled “very unwise” and “grotesque” by Members of Parliament given Tencent’s ties to the Chinese government – and rightly so.
The U.S. State Department’s Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation has described Tencent as a “tool of the Chinese government,” noting the company has “no meaningful ability to tell the Chinese Communist Party ‘no’ if officials decide to ask for their assistance.”
Tencent also provides “a foundation of technology-facilitated surveillance and social control” as part of the CCP’s broader crusade “to shape the world consistent with its authoritarian model,” the report added.
https://thenationalpulse.com/breaking/bbc-partnered-with-tencent/
W.H.O. Adviser: ‘Actual Investigation’ in W.H.O. Wuhan COVID Probe ‘Done by Chinese Authorities’
On Tuesday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “Ingraham Angle,” World Health Organization adviser Jamie Metzl criticized the organization’s investigation into the origins of the coronavirus for not taking a serious enough look at the possibility of an accidental lab leak and saying that “the actual investigation was done by Chinese authorities. And so, the W.H.O. investigators were basically receiving reports from the Chinese officials.”
Metzl said, “Well, the investigation itself was very short. It was two weeks of quarantine and two weeks of meetings, but the actual investigation was done by Chinese authorities. And so, the W.H.O. investigators were basically receiving reports from the Chinese officials.”
He continued, “And as I see it, the big failure is that they outlined four possible ways that COVID could have begun. One was direct bat to human. Second, bat through an animal intermediate host. Third, through shipping or some kind of frozen food from somewhere else. And four, the accidental lab leak. As you know, Laura, for more than a year, I’ve been one of the leading advocates saying we have to look very, very seriously at option four. But rather than saying, alright, let’s look more deeply at all of those possibilities, the W.H.O. investigators said we should look at the first three, but not at the accidental lab leak. And I’m just miffed that this has happened and I think it’s really terrible.”
https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2021/02/09/w-h-o-adviser-actual-investigation-in-w-h-o-wuhan-covid-probe-done-by-chinese-authorities/
Short Sentences for Two Paedophiles Hunting for Girls as Young as 10
Two paedophiles have received short prison sentences after hunting for girls as young as ten in Birmingham, England.
64-year-old Abdi Shire, 64, of Small Heath, and 24-year-old Adean Ahmed, of Edgbaston, were snared by West Midlands Police officers who are “active on social media, instant messaging apps and other online platforms looking for people seeking to groom children online”.
The paedophiles had travelled to try and meet underage girls for sex, according to a West Midlands Police news bulletin, with Ahmed having asked “do you have any 12” and “is there anything like 10” as he attempted to pay for a victim.
Birmingham Crown Court saw fit to impose a sentence of just three years and two months on Shire, and three years on Ahmed — with the likelihood being that they will be automatically released on licence much earlier than that, as most criminal sentenced to non-“life” sentences are entitled to early release halfway or, more rarely, two-thirds of the way through their terms under Labour era legislation the governing Conservatives have left largely unchanged.
“We’ve delivered swift justice against these two men,” said Detective Inspector Lewis Cook, for the West Midlands Police Force Priorities and Vulnerabilities Team, claiming their short custodial terms were “significant prison sentences”.
“Both men had clear intentions to meet and abuse girls – and in Ahmed’s case he enquired about girls as young as 10,” the officer continued.
“Vigilante ‘paedophile hunter’ groups have emerged in recent times and there seems to be a perception police are not doing this work − but that’s absolutely not the case,” he added defensively, referring to groups such as the Guardians of the North which work to catch paedophiles trying to groom children online.
Well over half of the prosecutions against people attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming used evidence gathered by such groups in 2018, according to the BBC — but the police, who have been widely criticised for systemic failures on child grooming, are often resentful of them, accusing them of “acting in their own interests”.
https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2021/02/10/short-sentences-asian-paedophiles-hunting-girls-young-as-10/
Deported Sex Offender Found Hiding in 138-Migrant Group at Border Checkpoint
Laredo Sector Border Patrol agents found a previously deported sex offender hiding with a group of smuggled migrants in a tractor-trailer. The discovery came at an interior immigration enforcement checkpoint over the weekend where agents disrupted two human smuggling events and arrested 138 migrants.
Laredo Sector Chief Patrol Agent Matthew Hudak tweeted photos taken of the two human smuggling attempts that were disrupted by Border Patrol agents at interior immigration checkpoints. The incidents occurred over the weekend as agents continued their interdiction efforts.
The photos show the 138 migrants crammed into the trailers in unsafe conditions. Despite being packed shoulder-to-shoulder in the trailer with little air ventilation, none of the migrants can be seen wearing masks or any other PPE to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
During processing, the agents identified one of the migrants as a previously deported sex offender. No further details about his criminal history were available in the tweet.
Officials have not yet disclosed information about the nationalities of the 138 apprehended migrants. Breitbart Texas reached out to Laredo Sector Border Patrol officials for additional information about the two human smuggling interdictions. An immediate response was not available.
A few days earlier, Border Patrol agents in the sector apprehended 83 more migrants being smuggled in commercial vehicles.
https://www.breitbart.com/border/2021/02/09/deported-sex-offender-found-hiding-in-138-migrant-group-at-border-checkpoint/
Another Disgusting Lie: Democrat Raskin Shows Slide Claiming “7 People Lost Their Lives” in January 6 Capitol Siege
They just can’t help it.
Lead Impeachment Manager Jamie Raskin and Democrats on Tuesday ran a video of the peaceful protests, rioting and violence on January 6, 2021 at the US Capitol.
And they lied.
The video deceptively edited President Trump’s words to his million supporters at the Ellipse by the White House.
What else should we expect from a Democrat? They’re liars by nature.
Raskin played a deceptively edited video of Trump purposely omitted the part where Trump specifically told his supporters to “peacefully and patriotically make their voices heard.”
Then at the end of the video Raskin and Democrats claimed “seven people lost their lives” by their experiences that day.
This is another disgusting lie.
The Washington DC Police identified the four Americans killed during the chaos at the US Capitol:
Ashli Babbit, 35-years-old, Huntington, Maryland
Benjamin Phillips, 50-years-old, Ringtown, Pennsylvania
Kevin Greeson, 55-years-old, Athens, Alabama
Roseanne Boylan, 34-years-old, Kennesaw, Georgia.
Police Officer Brian Sicknick died after the rioting likely from blood clot and stroke.
Two other Capitol Police officers committed suicide later that month. To blame their suicides on the Capitol riots is completely outrageous and disingenuous.
http://www.stationgossip.com/2021/02/another-disgusting-lie-democrat-raskin.html
Trump Defense Lawyer Schoen Plays Compilation Video of Democrats Calling For Trump’s Impeachment Since Day One of His Presidency
Donald Trump’s second show trial began Tuesday afternoon.
Donald Trump was impeached by the House last month for ‘inciting an insurrection’ during his January 6 rally at The Ellipse.
Lead House impeachment manager Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) lied in his opening statement Tuesday and said the Democrats’ case is “based on cold, hard facts.”
Liar Raskin played a deceptively edited video of Trump to distort the facts.
Trump’s lead defense lawyer David Schoen argued that Trump wasn’t given any semblance of due process because he was never given the opportunity to confront the evidence.
Schoen also said the rabid House impeachment managers are trying to change to Constitution so they can go after one man they hate the most: President Trump.
“Going forward with this impeachment trial of a former president of the United States is unconstitutional…and, as a matter of policy, it is wrong as wrong can be, for all of us as a nation,” Schoen said.
Schoen played a compilation video of Democrats calling for Trump’s impeachment since day one of his presidency.
http://www.stationgossip.com/2021/02/trump-defense-lawyer-schoen-plays.html
PEOPLE ENJOY UNACCOUNTABLE POWER OVER OTHERS:
The enjoyment of this power is one of the main attractions of forming a mob, and is why civilized societies tend to put barriers in the path of mob power.
https://www.investmentwatchblog.com/people-enjoy-unaccountable-power-over-others/
Minnesota gunman, 67, who 'killed a nurse and wounded four others at health center had threatened mass shooting there TWO YEARS ago - forcing doctor to get restraining order after 'stopping his opioid prescription'
The 'wack job' Minnesota gunman, 67, accused of killing a nurse and wounding four others at a health center had threatened to carry out a mass shooting at the clinic two years prior to Tuesday's attack and had a restraining order taken out against him by one of the facility's doctors, it has been revealed.
Gregory Paul Ulrich, from Buffalo, had a vendetta against the Allina Health Clinic on Crossroads Campus Drive in Wright County, Buffalo, and its staff because they refused to give him opioids for a back injury, according to his former roommate.
Court records show Ulrich had reportedly made threats against four Allina health clinics in total and he had also been issued a no trespassing order for a local church after sending a 'disturbing letter' to the pastor.
But, despite vowing to do something 'big and sensational so that it makes an impact', a judge ruling the 67-year-old 'not mentally competent' and officials warning he should not be allowed to possess a weapon, Ulrich was reportedly still granted a firearms permit and obtained a handgun just months before carrying out Tuesday's deadly attack.
Ulrich was arrested and is currently being held in the Wright County Jail over the shooting that took place at the clinic late Tuesday morning.
Five people were wounded after the gunman entered the facility not long before 11am and opened fire.
One of the victims - a nurse at the clinic - died after being transported to the Hennepin County Medical Center. Three other victims remain in a stable but critical condition and a fourth has been discharged.
The identities of the victims has not been released.
'Suspicious packages' were also located at the clinic and the nearby Super 8 motel - roughly one mile from the center - where Ulrich was known to have been staying prior to to the attack.
It is not yet clear if any of the devices had detonated but windows appeared to have been blown out in both buildings.
http://www.stationgossip.com/2021/02/wack-job-minnesota-gunman-67-who-killed.html
Germany set to extend lockdown on concerns over new coronavirus variants
A draft document emerged early on Wednesday outlining plans between Chancellor Angela Merkel and state officials to maintain the lockdown.
The re-opening of schools is a priority for the German leadership, although the country’s federal system means that individual states are expected to be able to decide how to do this.
The reopening of shops and hotels could begin next month in areas where the infection rate is low too.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel wears a protective face mask as she leaves after speaking to the media for her annual summer press conference during the coronavirus pandemic on August 28, 2020 in Berlin, Germany.
Anadolu Agency | Anadolu Agency | Getty ImagesThere are concerns in Germany over the spread of more contagious variants of the virus, particularly the mutation first discovered in the U.K. last fall. Yet Germany’s daily number of new infections has been falling amid a continued lockdown of public life across the country.
Public health body, the Robert Koch Institute, reported 8,072 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday and 813 deaths, bringing the total number of infections to date to around 2.3 million, and the death toll to 62,969.
Earlier Wednesday, one German lawmaker reportedly described the situation as “highly fragile.”Speaking to German media outlet Spiegel Online, Winfried Kretschmann, premier of the southern state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, said that there was concern in Germany that the infection rate could soar, as seen in other countries where variants have helped infections to surge.
“We can see in other countries, such as Portugal, how quickly the tide can turn,” Kretschmann said, Reuters reported. Germany has recently sent medics to help in Portuguese hospitals that have been overwhelmed by an influx of patients following a rise in Covid infections.
EU’s slow rollout
The slow rollout of coronavirus vaccines in Germany, as well as the rest of the EU, is a bugbear for the German government, which is a key pillar in the bloc. The EU was slower than the U.K. and U.S. to order vaccines from key drugmakers and has faced supply shortages.
The longer vaccination rollouts take, the more prolonged the economic damage of lockdowns are expected to be. Germany’s economy contracted by 5% in 2020, according to full-year GDP (gross domestic product) data released in January.
Ludovic Subran, chief economist at Allianz, told CNBC Wednesday that the slow vaccination rollout could really damage the wider EU’s growth prospects in 2021.
“I’m getting a bit nervous, and we’re only in February, that we’re missing the boat here, that the vaccination is the best investment there is and we should put all our forces (efforts) there,” he told CNBC’s “Street Signs Europe.”
“Our forecasts show that Europe will only go back to pre-crisis (growth) levels by 2022, and then we saw the vaccination chaos and we started to think ‘OK, are we really jeopardizing the recovery here’ … the problem is we’re vaccinating four times slower than the U.K. and U.S. here,” he said, adding: “This is really a big issue, because this is going to make or break the GDP recovery of 2021 for Europe.”
http://www.tathasta.com/2021/02/germany-set-to-extend-lockdown-on.html
Gov. Cuomo Gets WORST News Ever After DOJ Get Involved over Nursing Home Crisis
Clayton Kierns from Trending Politics reports, On Wednesday afternoon, NY Rep. Elise Stefanik led a group of Republicans to request a DOJ subpoena of NY Governor Andrew Cuomo and everyone in his office over the massive nursing home COVID crisis they are responsible for.
trendingpolitics.com/breaking-7-house-republicans-get-the-doj-involved-over-cuomos-nursing-home-failure/
Donald Trump's third impeachment lawyer Michael van der Veen 'called him a f***ing crook' and sued him last year arguing the president was trying to suppress mail-in voting
One of Donald Trump's three impeachment lawyers described the former president as a 'f** crook' and sued him last year for attempting to disenfranchise Pennsylvania votes through baseless claims of mail-in voter fraud.
Michael van der Veen, 57, was one of three lawyers drafted a week ago to represent Trump in his trial, and on Monday signed Trump's response to the House article of impeachment, alongside Bruce Castor and David Schoen.
Castor and Schoen are his lead defense lawyers. All were hired last Sunday, after his five previous lawyers quit.
But van der Veen's previous remarks and cases are certain to raise eyebrows - especially given Trump's infamous demand for unswerving loyalty, and previous purges of anyone critical of him.
Van der Veen, based in Philadelphia, is best known for his personal injury, pro bono and criminal defense litigation. Castor, the former Montgomery County district attorney who famously declined to prosecute Bill Cosby, joined his firm in December.
Van der Veen represented Justin Hiemstra in 2019 when Hiemstra, a student at the time, was accused of attempting to hack into the IRS to obtain Trump's tax returns. Van der Veen said his client had engaged in a 'schoolboy prank', and Hiemstra pleaded guilty and was sentenced to probation.
During one conversation, Hiemstra recalled van der Veen calling the then-president 'a f** crook'.
'I'm not sure if [those comments] were made to make me feel more comfortable, or if they were his actual opinions,' Hiemstra told The Philadelphia Inquirer.
'He definitely came off as fairly anti-Trump in the context that I knew him.'
The Washington Post reported that, during Trump's first two years as president, van der Veen donated to prominent Pennsylvania Democrats, including Senator Robert P. Casey Jr., one of the former president's most vocal critics in the chamber.
A year after the Hiemstra case, van der Veen represented Melvin Johnakin, an independent candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives, when Johnakin sued Trump and Postmaster General Louis DeJoy over mail-in voting.
In the suit, filed in August, van der Veen sued 'to preserve and protect the essential right to vote and prevent large-scale disenfranchisement'.
He accused Trump and DeJoy of plotting to slow mail delivery, in particular to disenfranchise urban voters living in minority-populated, largely Democrat districts.
'These actions also arise in an environment subject to repeated claims by President Donald J. Trump that voting by mail is ripe with fraud, despite having no evidence in support of these claims, and lawsuits filed by the Trump campaign to stop mail-in voting in states such as Nevada and Pennsylvania,' van der Veen wrote.
http://www.madnesshub.com/2021/02/donald-trumps-third-impeachment-lawyer.html
PRAY FOE EACH OTHER