#10961

>>8560948 January 11, 2017 Fauci: ‘No doubt’ Trump will face surprise infectious disease outbreak

>>8560952 LA County Sheriff Orders Closure of Gun Stores, Releases 1,700 Inmates

>>8560966 71-Year-Old Prince Charles Tests Positive for Coronavirus

>>8560991 Oklahoma Anti- Gun State Rep Democrat Tests Positive for Coronachan

>>8561012 “Some people spend $8,000 to go to the Super Bowl,” Krutchkoff said. “If you want to spend $8,000 to get a young person’s blood transfusion and it feels good, then why the hell not?”

>>8561013 Interdasting tweet and picture #VictoryChristmasParty

>>8561015 Greece: Turkish fighter jets invade Greek airspace, again

>>8561042 Why Did Hundreds Of CEOs Resign Just Before The World Started Going Absolutely Crazy?

>>8561076 UK Parliament set to close as nationwide lockdown sets in

>>8561140 ADRENALIZED BLOOD DRINKING ADDICTION AMONG THE GLOBAL ELITE

>>8561165 One of Joe Biden's 8 accusers from last year just gave her first interview

>>8561216 Former Warren, Clinton aides leading 'coronavirus war room' - targeting Trump's response to pandemic

>>8561278 Facebook Just Donated 720K Masks to Healthcare Workers, but Where Did They Get Them?

>>8561357 Jeff Bezos, world’s richest man, asks public to donate to Amazon relief fund

>>8561434 17 LABS IN 17 MINUTES

NOT NOTABLES

President Vladimir Putin Addresses Russians on the Current Coronavirus Situation

https://youtu.be/s6pTvPFH2O4

https://thesaker.is/president-vladimir-putin-addresses-russians-on-the-current-coronavirus-situation/

Here’s what the CDC says about the test for the Coronavirus

Straight from the horse’s mouth—both sides

—The CDC (US Centers for Disease Control) admits the coronavirus test is flawed. That’s the overview and the takeaway—

As my readers know, I’ve described why the widespread diagnostic test for the coronavirus is insufficient, misleading, useless, and deceptive.

That test, used all over the world where it is available, is called the PCR.

It DIAGNOSES patients. “Yes, you have the virus.” “No you don’t.”

A very alert reader sent me a link to a US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) document about the test. The CDC establishes the guidelines for how the test should be done, and what the results mean.

Here is a CDC paragraph about results. I suggest you read it several times.

“Positive [test] results are indicative of active infection with 2019-nCoV but do not rule out bacterial infection or co-infection with other viruses. The agent detected may not be the definite cause of disease. Laboratories within the United States and its territories are required to report all positive results to the appropriate public health authorities.”

I’m going to blow past the blatant contradiction in that CDC paragraph and cut to the chase.

The key line in that paragraph is: “The agent detected [the coronavirus] may not be the definite cause of disease.”

BANG.

CDC: Yeah, you see, folks, ahem, the test could say the coronavirus is there in somebody’s body, but the virus may not be causing disease…

On one level, the CDC is admitting the test could turn up false positives: the test could SAY a patient has the coronavirus, but he really doesn’t.

This isn’t a footnote stuck at the bottom of a report. It’s right there near the top of the section about the meaning of the test.

On a deeper level, the CDC is saying straight out, IF THE TEST SHOWS A CORONAVIRUS IS PRESENT, THAT DOESN’T MEAN IT’S CAUSING DISEASE.

Well, yes, I’ve pointed out that the test has an inherent problem. At best, it might show that a virus is present in the patient’s body. But the test is incapable of determining HOW MUCH virus is ACTIVELY REPLICATING in the patient’s body.

And why is that important? Because, to even begin to say a virus is causing actual illness in a human, there would have to be millions and millions of a virus replicating in his body—and the PCR test has never been proven, in the real world, to be able to make such a judgment call accurately.

But, if you read that CDC quote again, you’ll see the CDC is ordering labs to report a positive test result to public health agencies—where it will be counted as a “coronavirus case” come hell or high water.

Thank you, CDC. So very, very much. The next ship for Uranus leaves tomorrow. Pile on board and make the trip. You can run tests there to your heart’s content.

https://blog.nomorefakenews.com/2020/03/24/heres-what-the-cdc-says-about-the-test-for-the-coronavirus/

Ghani: Afghan Govt Prepared for $1 Billion US Aid Cut

US general assures Afghan forces of support, diplomats threaten more cuts

The US decision to cut $1 billion in aid to Afghanistan, threats to cut another $1 billion in 2021, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declaring Ghani and Abdullah’s power struggle as harmful to US interests are a big change, and seemingly represent a break in US-Afghan ties.

President Ghani was quick to reject this idea in his comments on Tuesday, saying the government was already prepared to cope with the cut, and will find alternative resources. He added that he will continue negotiations to try to resolve the power struggle, in which he and Abdullah both claimed the election win and were both inaugurated as president.

The Afghan election’s inconclusive result was materially identical to the last vote, in which the same two candidates claimed victory, only for the US to quickly come forward with a negotiation. This time, the US was late to the show for talks, and clearly the Afghans’ inability to sort it out didn’t sit well with the US.

The US seems to be of multiple voices on this topic though, as while the State Department warns them, Gen. Scott Miller reiterated coalition support for Afghan security forces. The general downplayed the political situation in Afghanistan, and said the military will accomplish its goals.

This assurance of support from at least part of the US venture in Afghanistan would be more substantial were the US military not one foot out the door from Afghanistan and in the process of a peace deal. Indeed, anger at Ghani is primary that his power struggle threatens this peace.

https://news.antiwar.com/2020/03/24/ghani-afghan-govt-prepared-for-1-billion-us-aid-cut/

Turkey’s public prosecutor indicts 20 Saudis in Jamal Khashoggi murder

Istanbul’s Public Prosecutor’s Office has prepared an indictment against 20 Saudis in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate 17 months ago in Istanbul.

The former intelligence chief, Ahmad Asiri and former adviser to the royal court, Saud Al-Qahtani, were both on the list for “instigated premeditated murder with monstrous intent.”

Eighteen others were accused of carrying out the killing of Khashoggi, who was a US resident at the time of his murder and writing for The Washington Post.

The indictment was based on the analysis of the suspects’ mobile phone records, their entry and exit information to Turkey, their presence at the consulate, witness accounts, and Khashoggi’s mobile, tablet and iPad data.

The Saudi Ministry of Information has not yet responded to a request for comment.

In December, a Saudi court sentenced five people to death and imprisoned three over Khashoggi’s murder. But a Saudi prosecutor said that there was no evidence linking Al-Qahtani to the murder, and the court dropped the charges against Asiri, a decision criticised by human rights groups.

The Khashoggi killing in October 2018 sparked global outrage and tarnished the image of Kingdom, particularly its Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman.

A number of Western governments and the UN believe the future king, known as MBS, issued the order to kill Khashoggi. They Saudis strongly deny this accusation.

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200325-turkeys-public-prosecutor-indicts-20-saudis-in-jamal-khashoggi-murder/

Coronavirus Relief Bill Contains Nearly $20 Billion for Veterans

The massive $330 billion coronavirus relief bill expected to be approved Wednesday by the Senate contains $19.57 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure that veterans are receiving the care they need during the current pandemic.

According to a release from Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, $15.85 billion of the VA-marked funds will go to the Veterans Health Administration to cover treatment for veterans with COVID-19 at VA hospitals, civilian urgent care clinics and emergency rooms. The funds are to be used for overtime for staff, personal protective equipment, test kits and other resources.

Another large portion of the bill – $3.1 billion – will go to building infrastructure for veterans care, including equipping and staffing for temporary hospitals, clinics and mobile treatment centers, and for remodeling existing facilities, including state-run veterans homes, to isolate and care for veterans with the highly contagious illness.

Funding also will go to support VA information technology networks to ensure they can handle the increase of telemedicine services needed as more routine appointments become virtual visits. The bill also includes provisions for the VA to enter agreements with telecommunications companies to give veterans better access to high-speed internet. That would allow vets to get mental health counseling remotely through telehealth during the crisis.The massive $330 billion coronavirus relief bill expected to be approved Wednesday by the Senate contains $19.57 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure that veterans are receiving the care they need during the current pandemic.

According to a release from Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, $15.85 billion of the VA-marked funds will go to the Veterans Health Administration to cover treatment for veterans with COVID-19 at VA hospitals, civilian urgent care clinics and emergency rooms. The funds are to be used for overtime for staff, personal protective equipment, test kits and other resources.

Another large portion of the bill – $3.1 billion – will go to building infrastructure for veterans care, including equipping and staffing for temporary hospitals, clinics and mobile treatment centers, and for remodeling existing facilities, including state-run veterans homes, to isolate and care for veterans with the highly contagious illness.

Funding also will go to support VA information technology networks to ensure they can handle the increase of telemedicine services needed as more routine appointments become virtual visits. The bill also includes provisions for the VA to enter agreements with telecommunications companies to give veterans better access to high-speed internet. That would allow vets to get mental health counseling remotely through telehealth during the crisis.

The funding is in addition to a $150 billion coronavirus relief fund for state, local and tribal governments for additional resources for the pandemic.

Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-New York, called the massive infusion of money into the nation's hospitals and clinics a "Marshall Plan" for the U.S. health system. In a letter sent to fellow senators early Wednesday morning, Schumer praised the negotiations that led to $150 billion being marked for the system.

"We cannot begin to heal our economy until we can turn the tide against the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of our negotiations, the amount of funding for hospitals and medical facilities has greatly – greatly – increased," Schumer said.

The proposed legislation seeks to help vulnerable veterans, including those who are homeless and susceptible to contracting the coronavirus, and families and veterans receiving support services, grants or per diem, allotting $590 million for them.

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/03/25/coronavirus-relief-bill-contains-nearly-20-billion-veterans.html

2020 Covert World War 3

As the editor of www.RealNewsUK.com, I have been analysing the Western Media & politics for twenty years. During this time, News Events have changed from factual, provable to downright lies.

During this time our government has changed from right vs left ideologies to Globalist vs Nationalist.

Also The Corporate State was ushered in by The David Cameron Government in 2015.

The United Nations, who have always been revered as the World’s independent arbiter, has also been taken over & all of its many cohorts corrupted.

The United Nations aligned with an old Nazi ideology that they should form a Global New World Order, a Global Government.

This ideology aligned The Corporations & The Bankers who ran the world economy with the United Nations world wide trade organisation.

Insidiously, the Local Government Civil Servants in Western Countries were taken over by United Nations/EU Sanctuary Cities.

The ideology propagated was covertly, Socialism but actually Fascist Tyranny.

They planned Agenda 21 to take over the west with Martial Law & force the population to accept The Globalist New World Order.

They asset stripped the west to make them weak & financially dependent on them.

They pretended they were destroying the western economies to equalise them Globally with the poor nations.

This was progressing well until The Western Royal Families who traditionally owned most of the western assets, found their countries & population being subverted into United Nations’ slavehood.

This situation became even more dangerous when the United Nations outed themselves as a Satanic organisation demanding the WW3 destruction of 90% of the World population to “save the planet.”

Also during the last 50 years The Corporations had evolved from a benign servant, though blatant fraud & corruption to demanding control of the Taxpayers Purse.

While corruption in the west has always been rife, now we were experiencing such fraud in the Western world economy that the commodities, currencies & resources had no fixed value.

Most Capitalist systems can survive 5 or 10% fraud, now it was hitting 50% & possibly 90%.

The west maintained its growth by “Liberalisation.” This was taking over other countries, their corporations, their resources, their properties & government.

If a government stood against them, they would manipulate a coupe & put in a puppet administration. A Deep State.

If this didn’t work, they would isolate & bankrupt the country.

https://theduran.com/2020-covert-world-war-3/

Defying judges, Knesset speaker has plunged Israel into constitutional anarchy

With its executive in protracted transition, and its judiciary and legislature now deadlocked, Israel’s governance has broken down… during the worst health crisis in memory

I’d like to think that these lines will be overtaken by developments, for the better, before you’ve even had the chance to read them.

But at this moment, early on the afternoon of Wednesday, March 25, Israeli democracy appears to have fallen off a cliff. In the middle of the worst global health crisis in memory.

In an unprecedented act of defiance, the speaker of the Knesset, Likud MK Yuli Edelstein, has opted to resign rather than obey a ruling from the High Court of Justice that he must hold a vote Wednesday on who is to fill his speaker’s post in the wake of the March 2 elections. Blue and White leader Benny Gantz has the support of 61 of the Knesset’s 120 MKs who want to elect Blue and White MK Meir Cohen to the position, and thence to gain control of the parliamentary agenda and proceedings from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud and its allies.

Rather than allow this to happen, Edelstein shuttered the Knesset on March 18, then rebuffed a High Court directive issued midday Monday to hold the vote by today, and has now rejected a subsequent binding High Court ruling that he must do so.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/defying-judges-knesset-speaker-has-plunged-israel-into-constitutional-anarchy/

Putin signs decree postponing constitutional amendments vote

The decree notes that the decision to postpone the vote has been made "to avoid endangering the health of Russian citizens due to an unfavorable epidemiological situation"

MOSCOW, March 25. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree postponing the national vote on the proposed constitutional amendments.

The Kremlin’s website informs that the new date for the vote, which was earlier set to take place on April 22, "will be determined in a separate decree of the President of the Russian Federation."

The decree notes that the decision to postpone the vote has been made "to avoid endangering the health of Russian citizens due to an unfavorable epidemiological situation."

Putin stressed during his address to the Russian nation earlier on Wednesday that ensuring public safety and health is a top priority. "I believe that the vote needs to be postponed to a later date. We will see how the situation unfolds in the regions and in the country on the whole, and will make a decision on a new date based on expert opinion," he emphasized.

The president pointed out that the vote had initially been scheduled for April 22. "You know how serious I take it and I will definitely ask you to come and voice your opinion on the matter, which is key and crucial for our society," Putin noted.

In late December 2019, Chinese authorities notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, central China. Since then, cases of the novel coronavirus - named COVID-19 by the WHO - have been reported in more than 150 countries, including Russia.

On March 11, WHO declared the outbreak of COVID-19 a global pandemic. As of now, over 410,000 people have been infected around the world and more than 18,000 have died. Russia has identified 658 cases of the virus. The Russian government has launched an Internet hotline to keep the country’s people informed about the coronavirus situation.

https://tass.com/politics/1135503

States reject Trump calls to reopen economy by Easter

Democratic and Republican governors, as well as local officials, are pushing back against President Trump's signals that he wants to restart the economy by Easter, warning that ending strict social distancing practices could put millions of lives at risk.

Governors have ordered residents to practice those distancing procedures, to varying degrees. Many have ordered residents to stay at home, ordered nonessential businesses closed and banned gatherings of all but a few people.

And several say they will keep those orders in place even if Trump rolls back the few national restrictions he has put in place.

"Whatever messages that are coming out of Washington, we are going to make sure we take care of the needs of New Hampshire first," Gov. Chris Sununu (R) said at a briefing Tuesday. "What we aren’t going to do is overly accelerate or loosen regulations just for the sake of the economy and at the risk of public health."

Trump has said he wants the economy to reopen by Easter, April 12, though public health experts do not even expect the country to have reached the peak of the outbreak by then.

"I hope the president's right, let me just say that," Missouri Gov. Mike Parson (R) told reporters on Tuesday. "But the reality of it is, we’re planning this much longer than two weeks here in the state of Missouri. And I think that’s how you do — to make a good plan — how you’re going deal with the crisis."

In neighboring Kansas, state Health and Environment Secretary Lee Norman was taken aback by Trump's projections of reopening the economy by Easter.

"Did he say what calendar year?" Norman asked.

Trump has increasingly raised the prospect of lifting the restrictions, casting the economic damage from the coronavirus as a cure that's "worse than the problem itself." Governors warned that such steps could encourage the virus's spread.

"We don't think that we're going to be in any way ready to be out of this in five or six days or so, or whenever this 15 days is up from the time that they started this imaginary clock," Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) said Tuesday on CNN.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) has been similarly blunt in his rejection of Trump's optimism.

"When people are dying and people don't feel safe, the economy is not going to come back. We have to #FlattenTheCurve so that when the wave comes, it's not as big as it would have been and we are prepared for it," he said Tuesday on Twitter. "We are going to get our economy back, but we have to get through it, protect as many lives as we can, and then move forward. I'm looking forward to that day, but it's not here yet."

https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/489487-states-reject-trump-calls-for-reopening-economy

Denver Mayor Swiftly Reverses Decision to Close Liquor Stores and Marijuana Dispensaries

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock realized real quick that taking away the opiates of the masses is not a wise decision for a corrupt ruling class to make.

From The Denver Post:

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock changed course drastically Monday evening after announcing earlier in the day that liquor stores and recreational marijuana dispensaries would close across the city in an attempt to slow the spread of coronavirus.

His office made a new announcement around 5 p.m. via Twitter, saying that liquor and marijuana stores “with extreme physical distancing in place” will be exempt from the mandated citywide closure of non-essential businesses starting at 5 p.m. Tuesday and continuing through April 10.

The definition of extreme is six feet, or the normal amount of social distancing that’s now recommended, the city clarified.

Hancock’s shift came just hours after he had deemed liquor stores and recreational marijuana dispensaries non-essential businesses, as opposed to groceries, gas stations and healthcare operations.

The decision to close both was reversed within three hours, the Post reported.

Based off the Post's interviews, it appears wine aunts were the hardest hit.

https://www.informationliberation.com/?id=61323

China Utilising Social Media to Spread Propaganda Globally

Social media platforms are major tools being utilized by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as part of its global disinformation campaign that aims to manipulate the narrative surrounding the pandemic into their favor.

In recent days, state-run media outlets have been pushing the hashtags “Trump Pandemic” and “Trump Virus” on social media—and some in the United States are following along. The propaganda push has sparked concern from U.S. lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. They say such a campaign is not only dishonest, but dangerous.

The Epoch Times reached out to spokespersons at Twitter and Facebook but did not receive a response about whether the companies were aware of the disinformation campaign, how they were countering it, or if they had plans to.

Walter Lohman, director of The Heritage Foundation’s Asian Studies Center, said the United States should be skeptical of any information or numbers coming from the Chinese Communist party because the data is “highly sensitive politically, which makes them unreliable.”

“China clearly sees itself in a long-term struggle for political influence that predates the coronavirus pandemic, and will continue long after it is resolved,” Lohman told The Epoch Times.

https://www.theepochtimes.com/china-utilising-social-media-to-spread-propaganda-globally_3283954.html

More Bank Closures: Wells Fargo, US Bank Close Branches, Reduce Hours During Coronavirus Pandemic

Wells Fargo (WFC) and US Bank have modified their branch hours and closed some bank locations during the coronavirus pandemic.

Wells Fargo said in a statement that some of its bank branches have been temporarily closed while some hours of operation have also changed. Specific branch information can be found here. The company said that its call centers will remain open, but wait times may be longer than normal based on higher call demand.

To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, Wells Fargo has implemented enhanced cleaning procedures at all of its locations.

"I want to assure you that Wells Fargo will do everything in our power to continue to serve our customers and support our communities - through digital and mobile, by phone and in offices and branches as prudent," Charlie Scharf, Wells Fargo CEO said in a statement.

US Bank has also made changes at its branch operations. The company said that it has reduced hours and expanded cleaning at open locations. Those bank branches that do not have a drive-up service or glass divider in the teller area have been closed and consolidated into a nearby branch location. Specific branch information can be found here.

Banking transactions can be conducted through the drive-up lanes at some branches with hours of operation slated for 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Branches open later or closed earlier will adhere to their normal schedule, US Bank said.

The company is still answering phone calls but warns that customers may experience longer than normal wait times due to increased call volume.

"Like many companies, we have already limited employee travel, postponed large events and asked our employees to stay home if they aren’t feeling well," Andy Cecere, chairman, president, and CEO at US Bank said in a statement. "We have expanded our flexible leave policies to allow them the time they need to take care of themselves and their family members, and we are giving them the tools they need to stay healthy.

"If you visit our branches in person, you will see more hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes and spray, and other personal protective items as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Of course, if you would prefer to bank digitally, you can connect to your accounts online, in the app, by phone, and with your Amazon Alexa or Google Home device," he added.

Wells Fargo and US Bank join JPMorgan Chase (JPM) in closing branches and modifying banking hours.

https://www.ibtimes.com/more-bank-closures-wells-fargo-us-bank-close-branches-reduce-hours-during-coronavirus-2946657

Jewish Billionaire Speculator Who Drove Markets Down Last Week With 'HELL Is Coming' Viral Video, Bets $2.5 Billion That Stocks Will Go Up (Bill Ackman)

Though his silvery mane and piercing blue eyes have helped to make him an instantly recognizable figure in the financial press, most American retirees probably know Bill Ackman as that lunatic who recently inspired their terrified in-laws to liquidate their 401(k)s before the market tumbled into the abyss.

Ackman's oddly poignant "Hell is Coming" speech will likely be remembered during retellings of the coronavirus market rout of 2020, if not for its surprisingly forceful impact (which remains a subject of debate), but for the many bizarre claims made by Ackman, including his comment about having had a 'vision' of COVID-19's destructive potential.

At the time, some accused Ackman of trying to scare mom-and-pop investors into selling so he could scoop up shares of Starbucks, RBI and several other long plays at better prices. And during an interview with Bloomberg on Monday, the hedge fund investor sounded curiously optimistic, claiming that he had closed his shorts and was '100% long', betting on a recovery, even as the market has moved lower since his "Hell is Coming" remark.

The activist investor said during the interview that his firm, Pershing Square Capital Management, had made a $2.5 billion "recovery bet" on the economy, investing entirely in stocks.

Though he said valuations on some of his favorite plays like Chipotle were "crazy", Ackman argued that some badly beaten companies, including Hilton and Boeing, were guaranteed winners. Of course, Ackman has been wrong about similar bets before.

Sounding suspiciously similar to his old pal' "uncle" Carl Icahn, Ackman insisted "that's the most bullish thing we've done. We are all long, no shorts, you know, 'betting on the country.

As the markets and the press punish the White House for dithering on the coronavirus rescue package, Ackman sounded almost naively confident in the Trump Administration and the capacity to minimize economic damage.

"I built a lot of confidence over the last week that the president and his team are heading in the right direction," Ackman said, adding that he had know 'inside knowledge' of any administration decision.

So far as anybody cares, the fundamentals of Hilton and other 'travel' stocks remain "strong", Ackman said.

“If you can buy Hilton at $60 when it was trading at almost $120, it’s going to be a bargain,” he said.

Boeing has seen a slight bump thanks to Goldman Sachs analysts calling the bottom. It appears Ackman feels the same.

“If Buffett will do it, I don’t think the Treasury Secretary should,” Ackman said.

https://russia-insider.com/en/jewish-billionaire-speculator-who-drove-markets-down-last-week-hell-coming-viral-video-bets-25

GOP Senators Demand Fix For "Massive Error" In Coronavirus Bill Which Would Create "Perverse Incentive"

Update (1415ET): GOP Senators have cautioned against fast-tracking the bull as it stands, which would "create a perverse incentive to sever the employer/employee relationship," according to a spokesman for Sen. Sasse (R-NE).

The Senators are working on an amendment which would ensure that the maximum unemployment benefit is 100% of someone's salary.

• • *

First it was Nancy Pelosi 'rode into town from her extended vacation' to kill the GOP coronavirus bill.

Now, despite what we were told was a done dea, three Republican Senators have demanded an "immediate fix" to a drafting error in the bill which may delay its passage.

Sens. Scott (SC), Sasse(NE) and Graham (SC) wrote in a Wednesday letter:

"A massive drafting error in the current version of the coronavirus relief legislation could have devastating consequences: Unless this bill is fixed, there is a strong incentive for employees to be laid off instead of going to work. This isn't an abstract, philosophical point – it's an immediate, real-world problem."

According to the Senators, "If the federal government accidentally incentivizes layoffs, we risk life-threatening shortages in sectors were doctors, nurses and cooks are trying to get food to families' tables."

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/coronavirus-bill-may-suffer-further-delay-after-gop-senators-demand-fix-massive-drafting

>>8561885

>8kun appears to have been commandeered by the enemy.

I believe we may be fighting the AI

Iraq Says French Troops Have Left The Country

The Iraqi military announced on March 25 that French troops operating in the framework of the U.S.-led coalition against ISIS have withdrawn from the country.

Maj. Gen. Abdul Karim Khalaf, a spokesman for the Commander in Chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces, said French troops withdrew as a result of agreements with the Iraqi government. The spokesman didn’t provide any additional information on the matter.

“French troops have left Iraqi territory, the coalition also evacuated an air base,” the Iraqi News Agency (INA) quoted Maj. Gen. Khalaf as saying.

Last week, the U.S.-led coalition announced the suspension of all training activates with Iraqi security forces to prevent coronavirus widespread. The coalition said that all of “training-focused forces” will be returning to their countries within a few weeks.

The coalition also announced that it will be “repositioning” some of its units within the country, in bases controlled by the Iraqi military. This decision could be related to the recent rocket attacks on coalition bases in Iraq.

French troops in Iraq were involved in the fight against ISIS and in the training of local forces. Their withdrawal will not likely have a significant impact on the coalition’s presence in the country.

https://southfront.org/iraq-says-french-troops-have-left-the-country/

Trump Defies All Odds & Outflanks the Left

Did you know that 25% of Americans want their state to secede from the United States? In part one of our series, we laid out our opening – that the betrayals of the Democrat Party against its own working class base would lead towards an uprising, finally coalescing around a National Labor Movement, christened through blood and sacrifice. This would ultimately team-up with Trump’s small business and working class base, making every conservative-libertarian’s worst horse-shoe theory nightmare a living reality.

This is the era of the new populism, beyond left and right.

We said in the previous article in this series that because of Trump’s commitments and Reaganomic view of wealth creation, that he would not be able to rise to the ‘FDR level’ needed to radically transform America’s social contract and forge a genuine New Deal. As it stands, the American economy is set to shrink by a depression-era 14% in Q2 alone.

But Amazingly – Trump Once Again Defied All Odds

Between publishing our dire warning, written days before it had run on SCF, and when we had set to produce our next installment here, it appears that we were right to gauge the seriousness of the moment, but underestimated Trump’s ability to begin the very thing we had been urgently writing about for the past year: take up the necessary transformations proposed by Bernie, by Yang, and by Gabbard.

Reading comments sections on ‘progressive’ YouTube channels, the call for Trump to dump dumb Pence and take on Gabbard or Yang as VP. In a policy sense, that’s just what he’s starting now to do. Democrats would shatter upon the rocks of discoherence if they tried to pick up Pence’s pro-life Christian dominionist evangelical fundamentalist base.

And so Trump moved left, and no – not leftwards to the center – rather he made an unprecedented end-run around the anti-labor centrist Democrats over to the pro-labor economic left of the Democrat Party. That’s the very same economic left of the party that the Clinton-Pelosi-Biden corporate Democrats have suppressed and tried to relegate to invisibility. Clinton and Pelosi failed.

Where Clinton’s DNC succeeded in destroying the campaigns of Gabbard, Sanders, and Yang – despite their nauseating willingness to play DNC ball – the DNC fell victim to their own success. They handed this opening to Trump on a platter.

This happened because the DNC believed its own lies, and succumbed to the cognitive impairment disorder known as ‘Orange Man Bad’ Trump derangement Syndrome. For too long the DNC arrogantly believed that they could simply pander to the billionaire oligarchs and that working people would vote for them by default. Those days are over.

Now we are looking at the beginning of a Trump UBI, at the time of writing this stands at a proposed $500 billion which we have calculated works out as such: if there are about 160 million working age adults, which does not include about 45 million retirees receiving social security etc., then this comes out to $3000 per person. Is this just the beginning?

https://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2020/03/25/trump-defies-all-odds-outflanks-the-left/

London Court Refuses Defence Plea to Release Assange from Prison Amid Coronavirus Concerns

Assange’s defence team earlier applied for bail over concerns for their client's health in the face of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Westminster Magistrates' Court in London has rejected a plea from Julian Assange's lawyers to release the WikiLeaks founder from the high security Belmarsh prison on concerns for his health amid the coronavirus epidemic. Judge Vanessa Baraitser ruled that Assange should remain in prison, citing the lack of COVID-19 cases in the facility.

Assange himself took part in the hearing via a video call for a couple of minutes. He agreed that the discussion of his release could continue without him.

The Hearing on Assange's Release

Barrister Edward Fitzgerald QC attended the hearing in person on behalf of the WikiLeaks publisher, who remains on remand at Belmarsh maximum security prison. Other legal representatives and journalists joined the hearing via telephone link. The court room was sparsely populated as social distancing measures were observed as part of moves to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.

After listening to detailed arguments from representatives of the US government and Assange's defence lawyer Judge Baraitser concluded that, "as matters stand today this global pandemic does not of itself yet provide grounds for Mr Assange's release".

"It is government's responsibility to protect both the vulnerable and those outside the category and I have no reason to doubt that Public Health England will provide the [appropriate] advice to the government [in terms of how to ensure the health and well-being of the prison population]", she said.

Baraitser noted that while there is, "a presumption in favour of bail for all those like Assange not convicted of an offence" and while "[n]o court wishes to keep a person in custody, and even less so during an emergency… however Mr Assange’s past conduct shows the length he is prepared to go to avoid extradition proceedings".

She said that Assange "breached" the trust given to him when he "absconded" in 2010.

"After a warrant was issued for his arrest he remained unlawfully at large for many years, he has every reason to [try and abscond]. In my view there are substantial grounds to believe if I released him today he would not return to face his extradition hearing… There are no conditions that could allay this concern and this application is therefore refused", the judge said.

Fitzgerald said that the defence would likely be appealing the judges decision.

Earlier, the WikiLeaks founder's defence announced via its Don't Extradite Assange Twitter page that they would apply for bail for Assange, citing concerns over prison conditions which could put him in 'imminent danger' of coronavirus infection.

The United Kingdom has registered 6,654 cases of COVID-19. The infection claimed the lives of 335 people.

Assange's Case

Assange, accused of sexual harassment and rape in Sweden in 2010, had been hiding since June 2012 at the Ecuadorian embassy in London. On 11 April 2019, he was detained at the request of the United States. A court in London found him guilty of violating bail conditions and sentenced him to 11 months in prison. Hearings on his extradition began on 2 May.

Soon after, US authorities announced that they had charged Assange with 17 counts of breaking the law on espionage and the disclosure of classified information. If extradited to the United States, Assange could face up to 175 years in jail.

https://sputniknews.com/uk/202003251078705093-london-court-refuses-to-release-assange-from-prison-upon-request-of-his-defence/