Crown Prosecutor: Coronavirus Cough Attacks Punishable with Jail Time

People who spit or cough at others as a threat to give them coronavirus can be arrested for common assault in the United Kingdom and face up to two years in prison.

The ruling by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) came after a spate of attacks on medics and police officers. Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Max Hill QC said: “Emergency workers are more essential than ever as society comes together to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.

“I am therefore appalled by reports of police officers and other frontline workers being deliberately coughed at by people claiming to have Covid-19.

“Let me be very clear: this is a crime and needs to stop. The CPS stands behind emergency and essential workers and will not hesitate to prosecute anybody who threatens them as they go about their vital duties.”

So far two men have been convicted, one of them jailed, for coughing or spitting at police officers in England whilst claiming to be infected with the deadly pneumonia-like virus. Another man has been charged in Northern Ireland for the crime of allegedly coughing towards two police officers, according to the BBC.

The Guardian reports that as well as first responders, shop workers and vulnerable citizens have also been subjected to being spat or coughed at by those claiming to have coronavirus.

In one instance, a group of teenagers spat at an RSPCA officer while she was trying to rescue a swan. Leanne Honess-Heather said five youths aged between 16 and 17 approached her in Hull on Saturday. When she asked them to step back, “They seemed to take offence to this, which led to two of the group spitting directly into my face, going in my mouth and eyes, as they yelled ‘have corona bitch’ at me.”

On Monday, police arrested three male teenagers who had allegedly coughed at and assaulted an elderly couple in Hitchen, Hertfordshire, in the middle of the afternoon on Friday. The woman in her seventies was left with a black eye.

Emergency vehicles have also been the subject of attack. Earlier this week, ambulance drivers in Ramsgate, Kent, found that vandals had drilled holes in the tires of six ambulances.

Thieves are also targetting NHS staff. A spate of muggings across the country have been reported, with nurses especially targetted for their staff identity cards. Thugs have been stealing them in order to access priority shopping and freebies that supermarkets and food outlets have been offering to doctors and nurses as tokens of thanks for their work in the fight against coronavirus.

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/03/26/crown-prosecutor-coronavirus-cough-attacks-punishable-with-jail-time/

Michigan’s Democrat Governor THREATENS All Doctors and Pharmacists who Prescribe or Dispense Hydroxychloroquine for Coronavirus Patients

Michigan Democrat Governor Gretchen Whitmer is the latest Democrat to ban doctors from prescribing the lifesaving drugs hydroxychloroquine and Z-Paks to save senior citizens in the state.

Hydroxychloroquine is safe and has tested 100% positive in treating the coronavirus.

Whitmer follows Nevada’s Democrat Governor Sisolak in banning the life-saving drugs from coronavirus victims.

Detroit News reported:

If you live in Michigan, and you or a loved one is infected with this potentially lethal disease, you’re out of luck.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs literally threatened all doctors and pharmacists in the state who prescribe or dispense hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19.

The agency’s March 24 letter warns physicians and pharmacists of professional consequences for the prescribing of hydroxychloroquine (and chloroquine). Beyond the rational recommendation against hoarding as production of this medication needs to be ramped up, the letter deviates into open threats of “administrative action” against the licenses of doctors that prescribe hydroxychloroquine.

The letter also instructs pharmacists to ignore physician orders for this medication. Due to the debate over a pharmacist’s right to refuse to fill medications that go against their religious beliefs, this could place pharmacists in the unprecedented position of being told that they must fill prescriptions that violate their “conscience (religious belief)” but must not fill prescriptions to treat COVID-19.

Even worse, the letter indicates health care providers are “required to report” their fellow physicians who are prescribing these medications. This draconian measure carries ominous Gestapo-like overtones of neighbor reporting neighbor to “authorities.”

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/03/michigans-democrat-governor-threatens-all-doctors-and-pharmacists-who-prescribe-or-dispense-hydroxychloroquine-for-coronavirus/

Ingratitude: Top Italian newspaper calls Russian Covid-19 aid 'useless', implies Putin using medical mission for military scouting

Italy’s Covid-19 death toll is the highest in the world. Yet a leading Italian newspaper has declared the Russian aid a pretext for Putin to send his military into NATO territory, calling it mostly “useless” against the pandemic.

The Covid-19 coronavirus has killed more than 7,500 Italians and infected ten times as many. Intensive-care units in the country are overrun, and the government in Rome has pleaded with foreign powers to provide aid.

Moscow answered the call. Over the weekend, a fleet of nine Ilyushin IL-76 planes touched down at Pratica di Mare Air Base, 30km (18.6 miles) from Rome. One hundred military medics and disease specialists were on board, along with mobile laboratories, disinfection vehicles, test kits, and 600 ventilators, which Italian Ambassador Pasquale Terracciano described as “critically important at this stage of the epidemic.”

https://www.rt.com/op-ed/484183-italy-coronavirus-russia-putin/

Justice Department Requires Divestitures in Merger Between UTC and Raytheon to Address Vertical and Horizontal Antitrust Concerns

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-requires-divestitures-merger-between-utc-and-raytheon-address-vertical-and

https://twitter.com/ConspiracyCen/status/1243385157668581378/photo/1

U.S.-led Coalition Hands Over Key Base To Iraqi Forces

The U.S.-led coalition announced on March 26 that it is handing over the al-Qayyarah Air Base to the Ministry of Defense of Iraq.

A spokesman for the coalition, Col. Myles B. Caggins III, said hundreds of coalition troops will “temporarily” evacuate the base as a protective measure to prevent coronavirus widespread.

“The Coalition is in Iraq at the invitation of the Government of Iraq to defeat Daesh [ISIS] remnants—this is our only purpose. Period. In fact, we’re transferring bases to the Ministry of Defense of Iraq and 100s of training troops are departing temporarily for COVID-19 safety,” the spokesman wrote on Twitter.

According to the spokesman, the handover of the al-Qayyarah Air Base to the Iraqi military was “long-planned” and a result of “success in the campaign against ISIS.”

Approximately 800 troops of the U.S.-led coalition were located in the airbase, which hosted $1,7 million of coalition equipment.

A day earlier, the Iraqi military announced that French troops operating in the framework of the U.S.-led coalition have withdrawn from the country.

The U.S.-led coalition is clearly moving to minimize its presence in Iraq. While the COVID-19 pandemic and success against ISIS are being presented as the only reasons behind this move, other factors may be involved. Most notably, the recent wave of rocket attacks on coalition bases in the country.

https://southfront.org/u-s-led-coalition-hands-over-key-base-to-iraqi-forces-photos/

Diocese halts abuse victims' fund, citing 'economic turmoil' caused by COVID-19

The Catholic Diocese of Erie announced the compensation program would be suspended for 'at least 90 days'

The Catholic Diocese of Erie in Pennsylvania has suspended its compensation fund for the victims of sexual abuse suffered at the hands of their clergy for "at least 90 days," saying their investments took a hit from the coronavirus market downturn.

What are the details?

The diocese — which NPR noted was "identified in 2018 by the state attorney general as one of the places where clergy abuse had been especially egregious" — wrote in a press release, "As a result of the economic turmoil caused by the onset of COVID-19, the Diocese of Erie has temporarily suspended its work with the Independent Survivors' Reparation Program effective March 20, 2020," The Herald reported.

The press released said that "the suspension will last at least 90 days."

According to the Erie Times-News, the Catholic Diocese of Erie created the fund last year to pay compensation to its victims, and has since "paid out about $6 million in claims to at least 50 victims or survivors." The diocese said that roughly 40 claims remain unresolved, and those are the claims that have been put on hold.

As of Feb. 19, the outlet pointed out, the diocese reported that its finances were strained "but they remained solvent."

The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, a U.S.-based organization, condemned the Erie Diocese's decision in a statement, saying, "This is a hurtful and deceitful move that clearly shows that the best pathway for survivors to get justice is through the court system and not church-run programs."

S.N.A.P. added, "If a diocese is going to operate a compensation program, then they should ensure that they are running these programs properly. Every single bishop who is currently offering such a program should immediately set aside and protect the money that has been promised to those who experienced sexual abuse at the hands of diocesan employees. To do otherwise is to continue the Church tradition of false promises for those who have suffered from clergy abuse."

What is the background?

In 2018, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro (D) released an 884-page report from a two-year investigation conducted by his office, revealing the covered-up abuses of thousands of children at the hands of Roman Catholic priests in the state over a span of 70 years. The details reported by Reuters are graphic and horrific.

At the time, Erie Diocese Bishop Lawrence Persico — who remains in his position there — said, "The grand jury has challenged us as a Catholic diocese to put victims first and to continue to improve ways to protect children and youth."

https://www.theblaze.com/news/diocese-halts-abuse-victims-fund-citing-economic-turmoil-caused-by-covid-19

Abortion Providers File Emergency Lawsuit Challenging Texas Coronavirus Restrictions

A group of Texas abortion providers filed a federal lawsuit on Wednesday challenging state Attorney General Ken Paxton’s interpretation of an executive order banning nonessential medical procedures that Paxton says includes all abortion care.

The order, signed by Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday, advised health care providers to postpone “surgeries and procedures that are not immediately medically necessary.” Whether or not a procedure is necessary, it states, should be “determined by the patient’s physician.” The restriction on nonessential medical procedures was designed to free up personal protective equipment — like N95 respirators — for medical staff on the front lines of the Covid-19 epidemic. The bulk of the order was directed at loosening hospital regulations to increase capacity.

The restriction on nonessential medical procedures mimicked guidance released by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid. Neither that guidance nor Abbott’s order specifies a list of banned procedures.

Nonetheless, on Monday, Paxton posted a warning that Abbott’s order meant that “any type of abortion” would be banned except those necessary to save a woman’s life. Anyone who violated the order, he wrote, “will be met with the full force of the law” — including possible criminal prosecution and jail time.

In response, the Center for Reproductive Rights, Planned Parenthood, and the Lawyering Project filed an emergency federal civil rights suit on behalf of Texas’s abortion providers, arguing that the state has no right to ban abortion even amid the epidemic.

Under Paxton’s interpretation, the order would deprive “patients of the freedom to make a very personal decision in consultation with their medical providers, which is all the more weighty given the increased health risks to pregnant persons during the Covid-19 pandemic,” it reads.

Since the beginning of the Covid-19 outbreak, abortion providers have taken precautions to “maximize the safety of their patients and staff and to conserve PPE,” the lawsuit states. Abortion does not generally require numerous medical staff or copious use of PPE, and rarely N95 respirators, which are so valuable for professionals providing front-line care. Medication abortion — a protocol of two pharmaceuticals taken in the earliest weeks of pregnancy — requires no PPE but would also be banned under Paxton’s interpretation.

https://theintercept.com/2020/03/26/coronavirus-texas-abortion-lawsuit/

>>8581369

That is what I figured too

MASSIVE BUST: CBP Seizes Nearly $37 Million In Meth At Laredo Border Crossing

This is a massive bust. Almost one ton of methamphetamine was seized by CBP in a single shipment coming from Mexico. Mexican drug cartels produce methamphetamine in massive super labs and then smuggle it into the U.S. day and night. There are about 10,000 methamphetamine overdose deaths per year in the United States. Over a half-million Americans are believed to be weekly users of the drug and over 10 million have used it at least once. Methamphetamine is a highly addictive & destructive drug that destroys the lives of many addicts. Mexican drug cartels know this, yet they continue to ship the poison into American cities. Without CBP and the Border Patrol stopping these shipments, many more tons of the drug would get into our country.

LAREDO, Texas—U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Office of Field Operations (OFO) officers at the Colombia-Solidarity Bridge seized a substantial amount of methamphetamine in a single enforcement action that totaled nearly $37 million in street value.

“Officers at the Laredo Port of Entry have heightened their enforcement strategy when targeting these high-risk commodities, successfully disrupting the flow of deadly narcotics from entering our country.” said Port Director Gregory Alvarez, Laredo Port of Entry. “This record breaking drug bust was an exceptional operation that highlights CBP’s commitment in confronting the drug abuse epidemic.”

The seizure occurred on Wednesday, March 25, when CBP officers assigned to the cargo facility encountered a commercial shipment of fresh tomatoes arriving from Mexico. The 2007 Freightliner tractor and shipment was referred for a canine and non-intrusive imaging system inspection resulting in the discovery of 654 packages containing 1847.91 pounds of alleged methamphetamine concealed within the commodity.

The narcotics have an estimated street value of $36,957,914.

CBP seized the narcotics, truck and trailer. The case was turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) special agents for further investigation.

https://warroomthewall.com/massive-bust-cbp-seizes-nearly-37-million-in-meth-at-laredo-border-crossing/

WOW! Dr. Fauci in New England Journal of Medicine Concedes the Coronavirus Mortality Rate May Be Much Closer to a Very Bad Flu

Last week morning Governor’s Gavin Newsom from California and Andrew Cuomo from New York announced complete lockdown on state residents due to the coronavirus pandemic.

There had been 16,067 cases of the coronavirus reported in the US at the time.

There had been 219 deaths in the US due to coronavirus at that time.

The following morning NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci told reporters during the daily White House press conference, “I strongly agree” with the New York and California governors for shutting down their state economies.

This was based on the highly flawed models on the coronavirus that were being peddled at that time.

But what a difference a week makes!

On Thursday Dr. Fauci co-authored a report on the coronavirus in the New England Journal of Medicine.

In the report Dr. Fauci now argues that the mortality rate of the coronavirus may be much closer to a very bad flu.

(For the record — This is what we have been reporting since March 17th)

Via BlackJack.

Dr Fauci authored article in NEJM today supports contention below that COVID fatality rate may be much closer to very bad flu. H/t @mizdonna @Barnes_Law @ITGuy1959 @ScottAdamsSays @theconservador https://t.co/4hQZR8DvZb https://t.co/d4wvZzgctS pic.twitter.com/9x59TsVEKk

— BlackJack (@BlackJackBoGre1) March 26, 2020

From the article.

On the basis of a case definition requiring a diagnosis of pneumonia, the currently reported case fatality rate is approximately 2%.4 In another article in the Journal, Guan et al.5 report mortality of 1.4% among 1099 patients with laboratory-confirmed Covid-19; these patients had a wide spectrum of disease severity. If one assumes that the number of asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic cases is several times as high as the number of reported cases, the case fatality rate may be considerably less than 1%. This suggests that the overall clinical consequences of Covid-19 may ultimately be more akin to those of a severe seasonal influenza (which has a case fatality rate of approximately 0.1%) or a pandemic influenza (similar to those in 1957 and 1968) rather than a disease similar to SARS or MERS, which have had case fatality rates of 9 to 10% and 36%, respectively.2

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/03/wow-dr-fauci-in-new-england-journal-of-medicine-concedes-the-coronavirus-mortality-rate-may-be-much-closer-to-a-very-bad-flu/

Maduro Refutes US Accusations That Venezuelan Authorities Have Links to Drug Trafficking

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has refuted the US accusations that the government of the Bolivarian Republic has links to drug trafficking.

On Thursday, US Attorney General William Barr said the US was pressing criminal charges against Maduro for allegedly facilitating drug trafficking into the United States. Washington also unveiled money-laundering charges against Venezuela’s Chief Supreme Court Justice Maikel Moreno.

“They have laid new false charges … Venezuela has been at the forefront of the fight against illegal drug trafficking for 15 years,” Maduro said in a televised address on late Thursday.

Earlier in the day, the US authorities offered a series of rewards for information on five top officials in the Venezuelan government, including $15 million for Maduro himself, based on the alleged “involvement in narco-terrorism”.

In addition to Maduro, the other indicted officials include National Constituent Assembly President Diosdado Cabello Rondon, former director of Venezuela’s military intelligence Gen. Hugo Carvajal Barrios, former Venezuelan Army general Cliver Alcala Cordones as well as Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) members Luciano Marin Arango and Seuxis Hernandez Solarte.

The Justice Department said in a press release that each defendant is charged with four narco-terrorism and drug trafficking-related charges that carry sentences of a minimum of 50 years in prison and a maximum life sentence. Barr said the United States expects eventually to gain custody of the defendants.

https://sputniknews.com/latam/202003271078722416-maduro-refutes-us-accusations-that-venezuelan-authorities-have-links-to-drug-trafficking/

"Help Flatten The Curve" – Pornhub Offers Free Premium Service To Everyone

Pornhub is offering free premium accounts to anyone in the world, a statement from the company read.

The new campaign is called "Help Flatten the Curve," a move that it says could "encourage people around the world to stay home to help flatten the Coronavirus curve by self-isolating with FREE Premium!"

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/help-flatten-curve-pornhub-offers-free-premium-service-everyone