26 Jul, 2022 02:42

Fauci says Covid mandates should have been tougher

The White House Covid chief said he should have urged harsher restrictions much earlier in the pandemic

Senior US coronavirus adviser Anthony Fauci has said that, if he had another chance to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic, he would have pressed for stricter containment policies in the initial phase of the outbreak and acted with more urgency.

During an interview with The Hill on Monday, Fauci was asked what he and other health officials might have done differently with the benefit of hindsight, to which he answered: “A lot of things.”

“If I knew in 2020 what I know now, we would do a lot differently, because back then we were not sure of a number of things,” he said, adding that “there would have been much, much more stringent restrictions in the sense of very, very heavy encouragement of people to wear masks, physical distancing, what have you.”

Fauci went on to explain that the “insidious nature of spread in the community” should have stoked “much more of an alarm,” noting experts at the time “did not fully appreciate” that individuals without symptoms could still pass the virus to others.

“We know now, two-and-a-half years later, that anywhere from 50% to 60% of the transmission occurs from someone without symptoms,” he continued.

While the White House health adviser has since endorsed a variety of containment measures, such as lockdowns and masking mandates, his initial response to the pandemic was more subdued, urging Americans not to panic and even discouraging the use of face coverings early on. Fauci is now a vocal advocate of masking up, in line with more recent federal guidelines, though he told the Hill that only “high quality” and “well-fitted” masks can stem the spread of the virus.

“Right now, we are very, very clear that masks do work in prevention of acquisition and transmission. But you've got to get a well-fitted mask that is of a high quality. And the two we know are high quality are N95 and KN95,” he said.

https://www.rt.com/news/559631-fauci-tougher-covid-response/

(I wonder if he understands that the word “stoked” is something that describes deception and fear mongering?Fuck Fauci Forever)

I hope he dies a painful, miserable death for all the fear, death, panic, hatred, division and despair he is responsible for!

>>16838276

Seriously no one would believe this if they knew its a strange story.

Did these people want to be disappeared for life? What did they do before the trip.

Such a stupid story. Bears dont forage for dead bodies. They like fish, berries, etc

26 Jul, 2022 13:25

Russian-born billionaire dumps Musk investments – WSJ

The spouse of Google co-founder Sergey Brin reportedly had a liaison with his friend Elon Musk

Google co-founder Sergey Brin has ordered the sale of his personal investments in Elon Musk’s companies after allegations surfaced that the Tesla CEO had an affair with Brin’s wife, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.

The publication was unable to establish the value of Brin’s shares in the companies, or whether any sales have already taken place.

The alleged liaison also ended a long friendship between the two businessmen, the WSJ added, citing people familiar with the matter.

Back in 2008, Brin helped Musk financially when Tesla was struggling during the financial crisis, and in 2015 Musk gave Brin one of Tesla’s first all-electric sport-utility vehicles, the WSJ said.

Musk has denied that he had an affair with Brin’s wife Nicole Shanahan, dismissing reports as “total bs” and claiming on Twitter that he hasn’t had sex “in ages.” The liaison reportedlytook place last December, and Brin filed for divorce in January, the paper reported.

The Tesla CEO is the richest person in the world, worth an estimated $240 billion, while Sergey Brin ranks eighth with $95 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

https://www.rt.com/business/559656-russian-born-billionaire-dumps-musk/

26 Jul, 2022 09:28

EU gas prices surge amid fears of Russian supply cuts

Energy concerns grow ahead of flow reduction via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline

The price of natural gas in Europe has climbed to its highest level since March amid fears of a further reduction in Russian supplies. It comes after it was announced that another turbine, used by the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, will be shut down.

On Tuesday, August futures on the TTF trading hub in the Netherlands reached $2,020 per thousand cubic meters or €188.68 ($192.5) per megawatt-hour in household terms.

The increase follows a statement by Gazprom on Monday that a second Siemens turbine at the Nord Stream 1 pipeline will be disabled and overhauled. As a result, supply through the route will not exceed 33 million cubic meters per day from July 27, corresponding to 20% of the pipeline’s capacity. This is a further cut from the reduction to 40% capacity last month that Gazprom said was due to a sanctions-related delay with the return of another turbine from repairs in Canada.

European gas prices have nearly tripled this year, having peaked at a historic high of $3,900 per thousand cubic meters in early March after Russia launched a military operation in neighboring Ukraine.

https://www.rt.com/business/559637-eu-gas-prices-surge/

26 Jul, 2022 06:40

Germans pessimistic about the future – research

The country is on the brink of a recession, according to a new survey by a German think tank

The business climate has substantially worsened in Germany, with industries feeling increasingly concerned about the coming months, according to a survey by a German think tank released on Monday.

“Higher energy prices and the threat of a gas shortage are weighing on the economy. Germany is on the cusp of a recession,” reads the release by the Ifo Institute.

The ifo business climate index fell from 92.2 in June to 88.6 in July, the lowest point since June 2020 – the height of the coronavirus pandemic – and follows over a year of post-pandemic recovery.

Among the sectors feeling the most pessimistic about the future are manufacturing, service, construction, and trade.

The index is based on a survey of around 9,000 managers from across the German business community and measures their confidence in the current climate in comparison to a 2015 reference point.

“The massive slump in the ifo business climate survey reflects the fear among German businesses of a gas crisis,” Jörg Krämer, the chief economist at Commerzbank, told Reuters.

The EU has been sounding the alarm over Russian gas supplies with European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen, warning on Monday that the EU must be ready for a total Russian gas cut-off. The uncertainty triggered warnings of potential shutdowns of major industries in Germany.

https://www.rt.com/business/559623-germans-recession-research-index/

(Germany should have listened)

Exclusive:Ron DeSantis’ Florida Files Complaint Against Bar that Held Lewd Drag Show for Children

Joel B. Pollak26 Jul 2022

The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) served a complaint Tuesday on a bar in Miami that offers drag shows to children, and which was recently featured in viral videos showing a topless drag queen attempting to entertain a young girl.

The R House bar, located in the Wynwood area of Miami, has 21 days to respond to the administrative complaint. If the bar is found to be in violation of local laws and codes, it could then lose its liquor license, effectively putting it out of business.

Video posted earlier this month by the “Libs of Tik Tok,” a Twitter account that brings notoriety to far-left activists, showed a drag queen with exposed breasts and a thong stuffed with money leading a little girl by the hand around a bar during a show.

The DBPR complaint identifies the girl as appearing to be “between three and five years old,” according to the video.

As the UK Daily Mail reported:

That performer – who appears to be a transgender woman – proudly displays gigantic boobs, with her nipples covered with pasties while wearing lingerie stuffed with dollar bills.

She parades around the R House Wynwood in a TikTok video shared by a user called nononoie, who wrote: ‘Children belong at drag shows!!!! Children deserve to see fun & expression & freedom.’

It’s unclear when the clip was shot, who the performer is – and how nononoie is related to the girl being filmed.

A menu for the “R House Drag Brunch” includes a special “kids brunch” for children up to 12 years old, with a discounted meal price that includes “of course our fabulous show.”

The DBPR complaint cites several examples of lewd shows portrayed on social media, but also includes first-hand observations such as a performer in a suggestive outfit allegedly dancing “mere steps” from a child during a drag show.

In another incident, the DBPR claims that a child “between the ages of ten and twelve” was “seen recoiling and turning away in her seat as a Brunch performer climbed on the back of the child’s bench, squatted, and gyrated a couple of feet above the child’s head.”

Florida’s state government, under Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), has expressed opposition to exposing young children to material about sexuality and gender. Earlier this year, DeSantis signed a bill, maligned by critics (including President Joe Biden’s White House) as the “don’t say gay” bill, to bar the teaching of material about sexuality and gender to children in K-3 grades.

Left-wing Salon.com recently published an op-ed titled: “Drag is not dangerous: How exposing your kids to drag performance can be a good thing.”

In a similar vein, some libraries and schools have hosted “drag queen story hour,” featuring men dressed as women and reading to children.

The shows at R House Drag Brunch, at least as seen in the viral videos and described in the complaint, seem to go far beyond merely showing male performers dressed as women, and include sexually suggestive content as well…

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2022/07/26/exclusive-ron-desantis-florida-files-complaint-against-bar-that-held-lewd-drag-show-for-kids/

Verizon Blacklists One America News Network Following Democrat Pressure

Allum Bokhari26 Jul 2022

One America News (OAN) is at risk of being completely blacklisted by the corporate left after Verizon Fios, the largest pay-TV network still carrying OAN, effectively blaclisted the conservative channel following pressure from leftist advocacy groups.

A channel carriage contract between Verizon and OAN was set to expire at the end of this month, and Verizon says it will not reach a deal with OAN to renew it.

Verizon’s decision came after relentless pressure from leftist organizations like Media Matters and Free Press, as well as Democrat politicians. It also followed AT&T-owned DirecTV dropping OAN earlier in the year, amid similar political pressure.

The blacklisting by two dominant cable carriers in the U.S. is part of a rapidly escalating trend in the deplatforming of conservative media — an attempt to take major conservative cable channels off the air, or to bankrupt them by denying them the cable carriage revenue enjoyed by other channels.

As Breitbart News reported last month, Democrat House members Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-CA) used their clout as members of the House Energy Committee’s Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, which oversees telecom regulators, to pressure carriers into dropping OAN.

Via Breitbart News:

Telecom companies have already had an impact on national politics, with Verizon and AT&T briefly shutting down Trump’s campaign texts during the 2020 election, costing him millions of dollars. These conglomerates are vertically integrated, with the major companies also distributing Cable and Satellite TV. As with other concentrations of corporate power, the left hopes to use this to censor conservative viewpoints.

Last year Democratic Reps Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and Jerry McNerney (D-CA), both of whom sit on the House Commerce Committee which oversees the FCC, wrote to the largest cable and Satellite companies including DirecTV, Verizon, Comcast, and Cox, stating: “We are concerned about the role” each distributor “plays in disseminating misinformation to millions of [its] subscribers, and we write to you to request additional information about what actions [each distributor] is taking to address these issues.”

The rise of telecom blacklisting has been blasted by one of the top Republicans in the House, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY). In a recent interview with OAN, she said Verizon was taking choice away from consumers.

“It’s not up to Verizon to determine what American citizens, what information they can access. That’s up to the consumer themselves,” said Rep. Stefanik.

Verizon claims that its decision was not made on a partisan basis, with a statement on its website stating “sometimes broadcasters and cable networks demand unacceptable price increases.” But it stops short of specifically accusing OAN of making such demands, and there is no evidence that the network did so.

Leftists have made no attempts to hide their efforts to completely destroy OAN. In a statement following the Verizon news, the George Soros-funded D.C. nonprofit Common Cause urged smaller carriers to drop the network as well.

“We hope those remaining small pay-tv providers and streaming services still carrying OANN will follow suit and deprive the outlet of any platform to spread harmful conspiracy theories,” said Common Cause in a statement.

https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2022/07/26/verizon-blacklists-one-america-news-network-following-democrat-pressure/

Lawmakers Seek Review of Chinese Purchase of Farmland Adjacent to U.S. Military Base

Penny Starr26 Jul 2022

Lawmakers are concerned about a Chinese company’s purchase of farmland in North Dakota just miles away from Grand Forks Air Force Base where sensitive drone technology is housed.

Fufeng Group, a Shandong, China-based company, which produces flavor enhancers and sugar substitutes, recently purchased 300 acres in the state.

Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) expressed opposition to the sale and sees the company as a front for the Chinese government.

“I think we grossly under appreciate how effective they are at collecting information, collecting data, using it in nefarious ways,” Cramer told CNBC. “And so I’d just as soon not have the Chinese Communist Party doing business in my back yard.”

Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), who chairs the powerful Senate Intelligence Committee, echoed that sentiment.

“The Senate Intelligence Committee has been loudly sounding the alarm about the counterintelligence threat posed by the (People’s Republic of China),” Warner said in New York Post report. “We should be seriously concerned about Chinese investment in locations close to sensitive sites, such as military bases around the U.S.”

As Breitbart News reported:

Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL), and Kevin Cramer (R-ND) earlier this month wrote a letter to the Biden administration asking for a review a Chinese company’s purchase of North Dakota farmland located just 12 miles from Grand Forks Air Force Base where drone technology is stored.

The New York Post reported on the development:

Fufeng Group said it is planning to use the land to build a $700 million corn milling plant that would create at least 200 jobs as well as residual opportunities for logistics, trucking, and other services.

But U.S. military officials are raising the alarm nonetheless. Senior Air Force officers circulated a memo in April warning that the presence of Fufeng Group in Grand Forks, a town of just 60,000 people, was a national security threat.

A Chinese firm with close proximity to such data “would present a costly national security risk causing grave damage to United States’ strategic advantages.”

“Some of the most sensitive elements of Grand Forks exist with the digital uplinks and downlinks inherent with unmanned air systems and their interaction with space-based assets,” wrote U.S. Air Force Maj. Jeremy Fox.

The Post reported three North Dakotans sold the land to Fufeng Group for $2.6 million, according to CNBC.

AgDaily reported that lawmakers are trying to advance a bill through Congress that would bar foreign entities, including China, Iran, Russia, and North Korea, from buying up American farmland.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2022/07/26/lawmakers-seek-review-of-chinese-purchase-of-farmland-adjacent-to-u-s-military-base/

Transgender Swimmer Lia Thomas Loses Bid for NCAA ‘Woman of the Year’

Infamous transgender swimmer Lia Thomas finally lost a race after the NCAA chose someone else for its Woman of the Year award this year.

The hulking Thomas, a biological male, was nominated for the award by the University of Pennsylvania early this month and was one of 577 nominees for the honor.

Despite dominating the NCAA swimming championships, the college sports organization went in a different direction for its Woman of the Year award, passing the honor onto Columbia University fencer Sylvie Binder instead.

“An NCAA Women’s Foil Champion in 2019, she placed fifth at The Ivy League championships this season, second at the Northeast Regional, and third at the NCAA Championships with an overall record of 17-6. She was also named the 2022 Women’s Connie S. Maniatty Award winner as Columbia’s top senior student-athlete,” Fox News reported.

The NCAA’s Woman of the Year award recognizes “female student-athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves in their community, in athletics, and in academics throughout their college careers.”

Thomas, who had an undistinguished swimming career for three seasons when competing for UPenn as a male, made headlines this year after a first-place finish in the women’s 500-yard freestyle event in the NCAA’s swimming championship.

Thomas’ performance shocked college sports and brought the ire of teammates, 16 of whom joined in an anonymous letter to complain about the “unfair advantage over competition in the women’s category” that Thomas represented.

“Biologically, Lia holds an unfair advantage over competition in the women’s category, as evidenced by her rankings that have bounced from #462 as a male to #1 as a female,” the letter said.

Another teammate later added, “You can tell he is mentally ill. I saw the video and was so disgusted. Lia identified as a woman, but she is not a female. That is a fact. It doesn’t matter how you feel.”

Women’s tennis legend Martina Navratilova also blasted the NCAA over Thomas’s new records and said an “asterisk should accompany the swimmer’s name.”

“It’s not about excluding transgender women from winning ever,” Navratilova said. “But it is about not allowing them to win when they were not anywhere near winning as men.”

“But right now, the rules are what they are,” the tennis great added. “Maybe put an asterisk there if she starts breaking records left and right.”

https://www.breitbart.com/sports/2022/07/26/transgender-swimmer-lia-thomas-loses-bid-for-ncaa-woman-of-the-year/