Germany: AfD’s Uwe Junge announces retirement; Wing dispute over

Uwe Junge, the Chairman of the Alternative for Germany’s (AfD) group in the Rhineland-Palatinate state parliament, announced that he will be retiring from politics when his term ends in 2021.

Junge, 62, made the announcement on Sunday, stating that he is leaving politics for health reasons, according to a report by Junge Freiheit. Previously an officer in the Bundeswehr, he has been a member of the AfD since it was established in 2013. From 2015 until 2019, he was the AfD’s Chairman for the Rhineland-Palatinate, and since 2016 he has been a member of the state parliament and the Chairman of its parliamentary group. He was unsuccessful in being elected to the AfD’s federal board, however.

Local elections will be held in Rhineland-Palatinate in March next year.

Junge has repeatedly tried to distance himself from Björn Höcke, the AfD’s Chairman for Thuringia, who is seen as the leader of the party’s “far-Right” faction, known as Der Flügel (“the Wing”). Höcke’s branch of the party was placed under surveillance by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution for being “against the democratic order” earlier this year. Junge was one of many AfD leaders who asked for Höcke’s faction to be dissolved when the announcement was made. In response, Höcke requested that the members of his wing cease their activities.

Jörg Meuthen, the AfD’s federal spokesman and one of its national leaders, has expressed the party’s commitment to remaining unified in spite of these internal conflicts.

Junge has been attacked by Left-wing extremists numerous times during his AfD career. In 2016 he was assaulted by four people in Mainz, and suffered a fracture to the zygomatic bone in his skull. And in 2017, his car was set on fire in his own driveway. It was only the rapid response of the local fire brigade that prevented the flames from spreading to Junge’s home.

AfD politicians are frequently attacked by Left-wing extremists. Last month, Tino Chrupalla, one of the party’s national leaders, was injured when radicals set fire to his car, as previously reported by Voice of Europe.

https://voiceofeurope.com/2020/04/germany-afds-uwe-junge-announces-retirement-wing-dispute-over/

Tesla Cutting "Hundreds" Of Contractors From California And Nevada Factories

Just weeks after Tesla decided to argue with the Alameda County Sheriff's department in an attempt to keep its workers coming into work during a global pandemic lockdown, the gate is now swinging in the other direction.

Tesla is now reportedly cutting hundreds of contractors from its California and Nevada car and battery plants, according to CNBC.

The cuts will affect temporary workers at the company's Fremont plant and its Reno Gigafactory. Many contractors working in temporary positions for Tesla were hoping to eventually move into full-time roles. Instead, they are likely heading back to the unemployment line or their respective staffing agencies.

“It is with my deepest regret that I must inform you that the Tesla factory shutdown has been extended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and as a result, Tesla has requested to end all contract assignments effective immediately,” Balance Staffing was forced to tell its workers, via e-mail.

The agency said they would do their best to find the contractors other work and that the dismissals from Tesla were not a reflection of the quality of their work.

Other contractors employed at Tesla from similar agencies received the same types of notices. Recall, we reported on March 19 when Musk finally wound up suspending production at his Fremont factory, days after government mandated lockdown orders went into effect.

https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/tesla-cutting-hundreds-contractors-california-and-nevada-factories

Official IHME Model for Coronavirus Used by CDC Just Cut Their Numbers by Half!… They're Making It Up As they Go Along!

This is quite stunning.

The government models used to predict the extent of the coronavirus pandemic are off by huge margins in the latest coronavirus tracking numbers.

The government predictions reported by the IHME Covid Tracking (https://covidtracking.com/data/ ) for Apr 5th were as follows:

– All beds needed: 179,267

– ICU beds needed: 33,176

– Invasive ventilators: 26,544

These numbers were posted on their website on Sunday.

Those were the predictions.

The actual numbers as recorded at The Covid Tracking Project:

– Actual hospitalizations: 22,158

– In ICU: 5,207

– On ventilator: 656

The actual numbers show:

Via Dr. Ned Nikolov.

– Overestimation of hospitalizations: 8 times

– Overestimation of of ICU beds needed: 6.4 times

– Overestimation of ventilators needed: 40.5 times

So overnight the IHME — the official group Dr. Fauci and Dr. Birx have been promoting cut their numbers by more than half!

Here is what the IHME NOW HAS for April 5th:

– All beds needed: Was 179,267 … Now is 90,353

– ICU beds needed: Was 33,176 … Now is 17,589

– Invasive ventilators: Was 26,544 … Now is 14,951

They cut their projections by almost HALF!… And THEY’RE STILL TOO HIGH!

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/04/huge-official-imhe-model-coronavirus-used-cdc-just-cut-numbers-half-making-go-along/

Yellen Blames "Enormous Debt And Buybacks" For Coming Default Wave; Morgan Stanley Says It's All The Fed's Fault

In June 2017, Janet Yellen decided to wave a red flag before the bulls of fate, and responding to a question on financial system stability, the then-Fed chair said post-crisis regulations had made financial institutions much "safer and sounder", and as a result she went on to predict that there would never again be a financial crisis "in our lifetimes" to wit:

"Will I say there will never, ever be another financial crisis? No, probably that would be going too far. But I do think we’re much safer and I hope that it will not be in our lifetimes and I don’t believe it will."

While the bulls cheered this idiotic prediction, some were quick to compare this statement by Yellen to Neville Chamberlain's infamous - and very, very wrong - "peace in our time" speech. In retrospect the some were right because less than three years later, the world is going through the biggest financial crisis in every living person's lifetime, which has resulted in the most aggressive central bank market stabilization and intervention in history.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/yellen-blames-enormous-debt-and-buybacks-coming-default-wave-morgan-stanley-says-its-all

"Immunity Certificates" Are Coming - COVID-Survivors To Get 'Special Passports' Enabling Return To 'Normalcy'

Update: Even more prophetically, billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman tweeted about his "optimism" and the need for

"…Hydroxychloriquine and antibiotics appear to help. There is increasing evidence that the asymptomatic infection rate could be as much as 50X higher than expected.

If this is true, the severity and death rate could be much lower than anticipated, and we could be closer to herd immunity than projected. Highly accurate antibody tests are scaling production and distribution which will definitively answer this question hopefully soon.

One could imagine a world in the next few months where everyone is tested and all but the immune-compromised go back to a socially distanced but more normal life.

We wear bracelets or carry a phone certificate which indicate our status, and track infections where they emerge…"

Yay, let's all cheer for antibody-based freedom.

• • *

The rollout of immunity certificates across the world will likely be government-issued to first responders and citizens who have developed resistance to COVID-19.

People who have contracted the virus and have recovered, normally develop antibodies to fight the virus, could be their golden ticket to escape regions that have strict social distancing measures and or lockdowns.

Just imagine, immunity certificates granted by governments to people who have recovered or have developed resistance to the virus could be considered special passports that will allow them to freely travel across states, countries, and or the world — while everyone else remains hunkered down in their homes or doomsday bunkers.

Some of the first talks of this has originated in the UK. The government could roll out immunity passports to Britons who have already contracted and recovered from the virus so they can reenter the economy, reported The New York Times.

"(An immunity certificate) is an important thing that we will be doing and are looking at but it's too early in the science of the immunity that comes from having had the disease," health minister Matt Hancock said at a Downing Street press conference.

"It's too early in that science to be able to put clarity around that. I wish that we could but the reason that we can't is because the science isn't yet advanced enough," Hancock said.

https://www.zerohedge.com/health/immunity-certificates-are-coming-covid-survivors-get-special-passports-enabling-return

Dem lawmaker to refer Trump for 'crimes against humanity' over his hydroxychloroquine promotion: 'I can't take it anymore'

Good luck with that

A Democratic state representative from Ohio said that she plans to refer President Donald Trump to The Hague for crimes against humanity charges over his promotion of the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19.

Rep. Tavia Galonski tweeted late Sunday that her patience had reached its end after watching Trump speak during a coronavirus task force briefing and that she was ready to submit the referral.

"I can't take it anymore. I've been to The Hague. I'm making a referral for crimes against humanity tomorrow," Galonski wrote. "Today's press conference was the last straw. I know the need for a prosecution referral when I see one."

https://www.theblaze.com/news/dem-lawmaker-trump-crimes-against-humanity-hydroxychloroquine

Trump Nominates White House Lawyer To Serve As ‘Special Inspector General For Pandemic Recovery’

President Donald Trump officially nominated Brian Miller on Monday to serve as the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery, a new position with the Treasury Department with oversight powers into the government’s coronavirus response.

Miller currently serves as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Associate Counsel in the Office of White House Counsel. Trump first announced his intent to nominate Miller to this new position Friday.

The Senate received the nomination Monday morning and previously confirmed him to serve as the IG for the General Services Administration, where according to the White house, “he led more than 300 auditors, special agents, attorneys, and support staff in conducting nationwide audits and investigations.”

“Miller also served in high-level positions within the Department of Justice, including as Senior Counsel to the Deputy Attorney General and as Special Counsel on Healthcare Fraud,” the White House added. “He also served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia, where he handled civil fraud, False Claims Act, criminal, and appellate cases.”

Miller’s nomination comes shortly after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, at the suggestion of Democratic California Rep. Adam Schiff, launched a new select committee to investigate the president’s response to the pandemic.

“We face a deadly virus and a battered economy with millions of Americans suddenly out of work. Congress has taken an important step in leading this crisis by passing three bills with over $2 trillion in emergency relief,” she said of the effort. “We need to ensure those dollars are spent carefully and effectively.”

House Majority Whip James Clyburn of South Carolina will chair the committee.

The White House did not respond to the Daily Caller’s inquiries on when they would like to see a confirmation vote on Miller. Aides for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell confirmed they had received the nomination but did not elaborate when asked about a potential timeline for a confirmation vote.

https://dailycaller.com/2020/04/06/trump-nominates-white-house-lawyer-inspector-general-pandemic-response/

George Soros-Funded Group Pushes Nationwide Drop Boxes for Voting

The Brennan Center for Justice, which is heavily financed by George Soros, is advocating the use of drop boxes to deposit ballots on voting day this November as part of a suggested overhaul of the U.S. voting system due to the Chinese coronavirus pandemic.

With other Soros-financed groups, the Brennan Center has been leading a campaign advocating a “vote by mail” system in the upcoming presidential election, citing fears that coronavirus makes it too dangerous to vote in person. Some of the groups are using the coronavirus crisis to push permanent changes to the way Americans vote.

Analysts have posited that such proposals help the Democratic Party. Republicans specifically fear the prospect of voter fraud, since mail-in voting would be harder to authenticate.

Now Brennan has released a preliminary $2 billion budget that breaks down the costs of a implementing the organization’s blueprint for voting reform during the pandemic. The blueprint that has been widely cited by news media as making a central argument for a universal vote-by-mail option, while Democrats have used Brennan’s plan to push voter reform legislation.

Part of Brennan’s budget calls for jurisdictions to “offer secure drop boxes in accessible locations for voters to drop off ballots directly.”

The estimate allocates $82 million to $117 million for drop box purchase and installation and some $35 million to $47 million for operation and maintenance.

“Drop boxes must be equipped with adequate security measures, such as cameras,” the budget states without providing more specifics about security for the boxes.

The plan doesn’t delineate rules for where such drop boxes could be located. Already California, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington use drop boxes statewide and have various locations set up that are not located at official in-person balloting stations.

The Brennan Center’s plan calls for a “universal vote-by-mail option for all voters.” The budget estimates $54 million to $89 million for increased ballot printing and $413 million to $593 million for extra postage costs.

To alert the public about changes to the voting method, the Brennan Center wants a $252.1 million public education campaign which “must include advertising in non-English languages.”

Brennan also wants $85.9 million to bolster online voter registration and it advocates implementing same-day registration. The Brennan blueprint allows for mail-in ballots to be processed prior to the close of polls on Election Day.

The document lobbies for polling place modification and preparation including “same-day registration, real-time address updates, and provisional balloting for certain individuals.” Brennan doesn’t define which “certain individuals” should receive same-day registration.

Brennan also advocates expanded early voting, with states offering at least two weeks of early in-person voting or a minimum of five days.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/04/06/george-soros-funded-group-pushes-nationwide-drop-boxes-for-voting/

UK: 4,000 Prisoners to Be Released Early to Curb Coronavirus in Jails

The United Kingdom is set to release thousands of convicted criminals onto the streets in an attempt to slow the spread of the Chinese coronavirus in the prison system.

The Ministry of Justice announced that some 4,000 prisoners in England and Wales, who are deemed to be low-risk and who have two months or less left to serve of their sentences, will be set free in the coming weeks. The prisoners will be electronically tagged and released on licence.

The move is seen as an attempt to prevent an outbreak in the prison system, in which many inmates are in close contact with one another and many of whom share cells.

“This government is committed to ensuring that justice is served to those who break the law. But this is an unprecedented situation because if coronavirus takes hold in our prisons, the NHS could be overwhelmed and more lives put at risk,” Justice Secretary Robert Buckland said per The Guardian.

“All prisoners will face a tough risk assessment and must comply with strict conditions, including an electronic tag, while they are closely monitored. Those that do not will be recalled to prison,” he added.

Under the terms of the early release scheme, prisoners who have been convicted of violent or sexual offences or are deemed to be a threat to children will not be eligible for release. Those criminals that are believed to be a national security threat will not be released, either.

Prisoners who have been convicted of crimes connected to the COVID-19 pandemic or have displayed symptoms of coronavirus will also be barred from early release.

The pandemic has already placed considerable strain on Britain’s prison system, with an estimated 8,000 prison employees on leave due to the virus, representing a quarter of the nation’s workforce.

Ian Lawrence, the general secretary of the National Probation Service trade union, Napo, said that probation services in the UK are “already over-stretched”.

“Probation providers must work to ensure this new cohort can be supervised safely and not cause additional operational pressure and stress to the workforce,” Lawrence told the BBC.

So far, Northern Ireland, France, Australia, Germany, Canada, Iran, and the U.S. state of California have released prisoners early in an attempt to slow the spread of coronavirus.

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/04/06/uk-4000-prisoners-released-curb-coronavirus-jails/

In a massive breach of privacy, Google releases mobile phone location data to “help” authorities.

play.stuff.co.nz/details/_6146862198001

Google has released its mobile phone users’ location data for 131 countries, hoping that the trove will show whether people are obeying the world’s various lockdowns and social distancing measures. It may be the world’s largest such data dump available to the public and covers a span from mid-February to the end of March. The results are varied. Italy for example has seen a drop in traffic to places like shopping centers and recreational areas by 94% compared to the same time last year. California though, the first state in the U.S. to impose a lockdown, has only seen a drop by half. Arkansas is the lowest American state, with only a 29% drop. The data also shows surges in activity at parks and grocery stores in some countries, such as the UK. Google says the info is anonymous — without names, locations of individuals, or other personal info — hoping to allay privacy concerns. But it declined to say whether any authorities had requested more info. Facebook is also sharing some location data with researchers and governments, but has not made their findings public.

Google is giving your cellphone gps data to local authorities to try to enforce marshall law

www.gstatic.com/covid19/mobility/2020-03-29_US_Louisiana_Mobility_Report_en.pdf

This is what Snowden warned us about. Look at this report from a Louisiana news channel: www.wwltv.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/louisiana-social-distancing/289-368d6ed8-d658-44b9-8522-d4e613068d20

The data is clearly being used as a justification for stricter and stricter laws.

Google (GOOGL) is publicly releasing the data it’s already collecting about people’s movements during the coronavirus pandemic.

The company said it plans to publish a series of “Community Mobility Reports” to show the types of places people are visiting across 131 countries and regions. The first report was published on Friday.

www.cnn.com/2020/04/03/tech/coronavirus-google-data-sharing-intl-scli/index.html

thehill.com/policy/technology/technology/490972-google-releasing-location-data-to-help-track-lockdown-data-amid

https://www.investmentwatchblog.com/in-a-massive-breach-of-privacy-google-releases-mobile-phone-location-data-to-help-authorities/

The Pandemic Has Led to a Huge, Global Drop in Air Pollution

The coronavirus pandemic is shutting down industrial activity and temporarily slashing air pollution levels around the world, satellite imagery from the European Space Agency shows.

One expert said the sudden shift represented the “largest-scale experiment ever,” in terms of the reduction of industrial emissions.

Readings from ESA’s Sentinel-5P satellite show that over the past six weeks, levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) over cities and industrial clusters in Asia and Europe were markedly lower than in the same period last year.

Nitrogen dioxide is produced from car engines, power plants and other industrial processes and is thought to exacerbate respiratory illnesses such as asthma.

While not a greenhouse gas itself, the pollutant originates from the same activities and industrial sectors that are responsible for a large share of the world’s carbon emissions and that drive global heating.

Paul Monks, professor of air pollution at the University of Leicester, predicted there will be important lessons to learn. “We are now, inadvertently, conducting the largest-scale experiment ever seen,” he said. “Are we looking at what we might see in the future if we can move to a low-carbon economy? Not to denigrate the loss of life, but this might give us some hope from something terrible. To see what can be achieved.”

Monks, the former chair of the UK government’s science advisory committee on air quality, said that a reduction in air pollution could bring some health benefits, though they were unlikely to offset loss of life from the disease.

“It seems entirely probable that a reduction in air pollution will be beneficial to people in susceptible categories, for example some asthma sufferers,” he said. “It could reduce the spread of disease. A high level of air pollution exacerbates viral uptake because it inflames and lowers immunity.” Agriculture could also get a boost because pollution stunts plant growth, he added.

The World Health Organization describes NO 2 as “a toxic gas which causes significant inflammation of the airways” at concentrations above 200 micrograms per cubic meter. Pollution particles may also be a vector for pathogens, as well as exacerbating existing health problems. The WHO is now investigating whether airborne pollution particles may be a vector that spreads Covid-19 and makes it more virulent.

http://www.yourdestinationnow.com/2020/04/the-pandemic-has-led-to-huge-global.html

WHO Official: Lockdowns Driving Infections From Street To ‘Household,’ Suggests Removal Of Likely Infected Family Members To ‘Dignified’ Isolation

During a daily press briefing last week, an official from the World Health Organization (WHO) acknowledged that lockdowns in nations across the world have “in some senses” driven infections from off the street to inside the home.

Praising efforts in Singapore, Dr. Micheal Ryan, Executive Director of the WHO Health Emergencies Program, suggested there be medical professionals going door to door to find those likely infected, and “remove” them from the home for “dignified” isolation.

“In most parts of the world, due to lockdown, most of the transmission that’s actually happening in many countries now is happening in the household, at family level,” acknowledged Dr. Ryan on March 30. “In some senses, transmission has been taken off the streets and pushed back into family units.”

“Now, we need to go and look in families to find those people who may be sick and remove them and isolate them in a safe and dignified manner,” the official continued.

“That’s what I was saying previously … the transition from movement restrictions and shutdowns and stay-at-home orders can only be made if we have in place the means to be able to detect suspect cases, isolate confirmed cases, track contacts, and follow up on the contacts’ health at all times,” explained Dr. Ryan, “and then isolate any of those people who become sick themselves.”

The Chinese government has attempted to cover up the China-originated novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, for months, reportedly silencing whistleblowers and allegedly lying about the real death toll, which has been estimated to be as high as 40,000. Mouth pieces for the communist regime have also tried to pin the virus on the United States, suggesting it was spread by the U.S. Military, though this has been thoroughly debunked.

On their part, the WHO has come under increasing scrutiny for “act[ing] as Beijing’s handmaid,” as one New York Post column phrased it.

“The WHO should have known at the outset that it was dealing with a bad-faith actor in Beijing,” the Post said. “Yet ­instead of immediately insisting upon access, openness and transparency from China, WHO leadership followed the Chinese lead and at times even took the Chinese line.”

“The very fact that truth-seekers are left counting urns is an indictment not only of the Beijing ­regime, but also of the WHO. To help stem the pandemic, the WHO should have been tirelessly pressing China to tell the truth,” the column argued. “Far from sounding an alarm, however, the UN outfit was ­impassive while Beijing stonewalled international health ­authorities for weeks. Indeed, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praised the Chinese regime for its ‘transparency’ in the crisis. Tedros, ­recall, was Beijing’s candidate for WHO chief and owes his job to China’s campaign for him at the United Nations.”

“When the full history of this episode is eventually written, the Chinese Communist Party will bear massive responsibility for this plague that has swept the earth. So will a World Health Organization that seemed too interested in the health of the Chinese regime at the moment of truth,” the Post blasted the organization.

WATCH (relevant comments begin at the 49-minute mark):

http://www.cuzzblue.com/2020/04/who-official-lockdowns-driving.html

Leaked DHS Food Chain Task Force Document – 4/4/2020

Does not look pretty. Expect shortages by the middle of May.

WASHINGTON — The nation could begin to see food shortages for some products if the people working on the supply chain lack personal protective equipment, warns an internal Trump administration document obtained by Yahoo News.

Empty supermarket shelves have become one of the most jarring images of the coronavirus pandemic, which has sickened 270,000 Americans and killed 7,000. But so far, there have been no food shortages, despite 90 percent of the American population being under state-enforced lockdown orders.

https://www.businessinsider.com.au/us-map-stay-at-home-orders-lockdowns-2020-3?r=US&IR=T

And despite the difficulties people have had in obtaining certain foods, like pasta, grocery stores are generally well stocked. Government officials have argued that any temporary shortages are the result of unprecedented demand, as people have bought more than usual, rather than an actual supply-chain breakdown.

“I want to assure you that our food supply chain is sound,” Sonny Perdue, the secretary of agriculture, said on March 20.

www.news.yahoo.com/coronavirus-may-cause-some-food-shortages-says-government-document-223308504.html

https://www.investmentwatchblog.com/leaked-dhs-food-chain-task-force-document-4-4-2020/

Taliban Warns Peace Deal at Breaking Point on US Violations

US says they weren't under obligation to reduce violence

The Taliban has issued a statement this weekend cautioning that the US-Taliban peace deal in Afghanistan is close to a “breaking point” after weeks of violations by the US, and in particular the Afghan government failing to come through on prisoner releases.

The deal promised 5,000 prisoners would be released by the Afghan government, and so far none have. The Taliban also said US drone strikes were in violation of the peace deal, though US officials argued this was not the case, and that only the Taliban were obliged to reduce violence under the pact.

The Taliban argued that they had reduced violence substantially, and the only strikes they have conducted were rural attacks on Afghan government targets, adding that no cities were attacks, and no foreign troops came under fire at all.

US officials, however, say the Taliban must reduce violence even more, and that they will carry out attacks against the Taliban if they do not. There is no sign the US will do anything to pressure the Ghani government on prisoner releases.

https://news.antiwar.com/2020/04/05/taliban-warns-peace-deal-at-breaking-point-on-us-violations/

Backlash after UK minister praises only Jewish contribution to coronavirus fight

Michael Gove is facing a backlash after he praised the Jewish contribution to the fight against coronavirus, but failed to acknowledge the efforts of Muslims and other religions to combat the disease.

In an address during a virtual Shabbaton at 5:30pm on Friday, Gove addressed members of 50 Jewish congregations across the country.

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster called “the Jewish community [a] light shining in this darkness” and thanked the group “for the solidarity that [they] have shown and the values that [their] community exemplify”.

Gove added: “I wanted in particular to thank members of the Jewish community for everything that you’ve been doing at this difficult time… and also say thank you to those members of the UK Jewish community who are serving on the frontline in our NHS and doing so much to help us in response to this virus.”

Only hours before Friday’s speech, Al Jazeera reported that a 36-year-old British Pakistani Muslim woman, Areema Nasreen, had become one of the first nurses in the UK to die after contracting coronavirus while working on the front lines.

Earlier last week, UK news outlets reported that the first four doctors to die while fighting coronavirus were all of Muslim descent.

All four men – Adil El-Tayar, Habib Zaidi, Amged El-Hawrani and Alfa Sa’adu had ancestry in regions including Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

Of the deaths of medical professionals, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “Many of those who have died who are from the NHS were people who came to this country to make a difference, and they did, and they’ve given their lives in sacrifice, and we salute them.”

It is not only members of the Muslim community who have been involved in the NHS fight against coronavirus; Syrian refugee families in Dorset have been among the first to sign up to a community volunteer programme to help elderly residents.

The Dorset Echo quoted Walid, one of the residents who signed up to the programme, as saying: “I can help to deliver food and other essentials to vulnerable residents in my area. I strongly believe in the responsibility of citizens to help each other in crises.”

According to media outlet the Jewish Chronicle, Prime Minister Boris Johnson was originally lined up to make the speech but pulled out after being diagnosed with coronavirus, forcing him to stay in self-isolation.

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200406-backlash-after-uk-minister-praises-only-jewish-contribution-to-coronavirus-fight/

BUSTED: The CDC Is Using Aggressive Rules To Count ‘Coronavirus Deaths’, And Every American Needs To Know About It

If you are alarmed at the seemingly meteoric rise in coronavirus cases and deaths, you’re not alone.

Tens of millions of Americans are glued to the TV and to their online news feeds taking in any and all information they can about the pandemic, how it’s affecting our country, and what lies ahead.

But is that ‘meteoric rise’ accurate? Or are we being exposed to artificially inflated numbers, perhaps for political purposes or to justify the harsh isolation measures being foisted upon us, which are now contributing to massive job losses and a collapse in the stock market?

One former New York Times reporter is questioning the ‘official’ numbers of coronavirus sick and dead after discovering that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention definition is extremely broad, which some of equated with fraud.

“Morning folks. Wondering why @CDCgov is using such aggressive rules for death counts? Look – there’s considerable evidence #COVID infections have peaked in the US. Even the POTUS comments last night warning about this being the “toughest week” suggest as much (deaths lag),” Alex Berenson wrote in a Twitter thread on Sunday.

He also noted that according to the most recent data, warmer parts of the country are experiencing a downward trend in infection rates, suggesting that coronavirus — like other viruses — cannot survive in heat.

“And the emerging data out of Florida, Southern California, etc suggest that this virus – like most respiratory viruses – doesn’t do well when the weather warms and UV rays get stronger. Great news! Right? Right? Well… we’re at under 9,000 deaths now,” Berenson added.

“Suppose the president is right. And this is the ‘toughest week.’ And we average 1,500 deaths a day. That gets us to almost 20,000 deaths by April 12, By then the trend should clearly be down, I don’t think it will be arguable,” he continued.

“20,000 deaths, with perhaps that many more coming in the next month (deaths lag). That’s terrible! Yeah. It is. But @CDCgov is estimating 24,000-63,000 flu deaths this year.

“No wonder @CDCgov is desperately trying to count every #COVID death. Because when people put those two figures together with what we have done to our economy, our kids, and society in the last month… So as you watch the ‘toughest week’ hysteria, remember what’s coming next,” Berenson noted.

https://thedcpatriot.com/busted-the-cdc-is-using-aggressive-rules-to-count-coronavirus-deaths-and-every-american-needs-to-know-about-it/

Israel set for nationwide lockdown from Tuesday afternoon to early Friday

Movement between cities reportedly to be banned for almost three days; Haredi ministers said to have opposed earlier plan for shutdown focused primarily on their community’s areas

Israel is set for a nationwide lockdown in the lead-up to the Passover holiday, according to multiple reports, with ministers expected to approve the measure Monday night after ultra-Orthodox members of the cabinet reportedly opposed applying limits only to Haredi cities.

The lockdown is set to take effect at 4 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon, and to remain in force until early Friday morning. In addition, a curfew could be announced on Passover eve, banning all movement outside the home from Wednesday evening until Thursday morning.

A ministerial meeting scheduled for Monday afternoon, during which lockdown measures on eight cities were meant to be authorized, was canceled shortly before it was set to start. Instead, ministers will meet for a remote cabinet meeting Monday night during which they are expected to approve new emergency regulations to apply nationwide.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/nationwide-lockdown-looms-as-limits-on-ultra-orthodox-cities-blocked-reports/

Wisconsin governor suspends in-person voting for Tuesday election over coronavirus

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) on Monday signed an executive order suspending in-person voting for Tuesday's elections due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Evers said he could not "in good conscience stand by and do nothing" as the state prepared to vote while the number of coronavirus cases continued to climb.

The move, which pushes in-person voting to June 9, also directs the Wisconsin State Legislature to convene a special session on Tuesday to address the new election date.

"Frankly, there’s no good answer to this problem — I wish it were easy," Evers said. "I have been asking everyone to do their part to help keep our families, our neighbors, and our communities safe, and I had hoped that the Legislature would do its part — just as the rest of us are — to help keep people healthy and safe."

"The bottom line is that I have an obligation to keep people safe, and that’s why I signed this executive order today," he added.

Evers's move comes just days after the Republican-led Legislature refused to take up a proposal to block in-person voting.

https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/491376-wisconsin-governor-suspends-in-person-voting-amid-coronavirus-outbreak

Rioters Burn Down Coronavirus Testing Clinic in Ivory Coast – They Say It Would Bring Disease

Angry protesters burned down the coronavirus testing center in Abidjan, Ivory Coast on Monday.

The protesters protested the testing center earlier in the day sayin it would bring disease to the city.

The protesters said the center was being built too close to their homes.

So they torched it.

https://twitter.com/MrAndyNgo/status/1247210965197709313

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/04/rioters-burn-coronavirus-testing-clinic-ivory-coast-say-bring-disease/

Merkel's Office Denies Report She is Mulling Running for Another Term Despite Plans to Resign

The chancellor previously announced that her fourth term would be her last and stepped down as party leader of the CDU. The latter position was then assumed by Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, who was expected to replace Merkel as chancellor, but recently announced that she will not pursue the post.

The German chancellor's chief of staff, Helge Braun, has dismissed reports that Angela Merkel will seek a fifth term in her post, saying that to his knowledge, Merkel hasn't changed her mind about leaving office in 2021.

"I don’t think this is any time to discuss something like that. She has said that this is her last term in office and I believe nothing has changed about that", he said.

Braun's response comes two days after the German tabloid BILD suggested that Merkel might run for office again in 2021 amid her apparent success so far in handling the coronavirus outbreak, citing anonymous officials who said they were "really glad" that she was in office when the disease struck. Germany has recently seen a decline in the daily rate of infections and deaths, although new cases are still emerging.

Angela Merkel announced in October 2018 that she would be stepping down as the CDU party leader that same year and wouldn't run for the chancellorship again after her term ends in 2021. Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, now the German defence minister, replaced her as the CDU leader and was widely regarded in the German media as Merkel's likely successor.

Kramp-Karrenbauer, however, announced in 2019 that she will not be pursuing the position of chancellor in 2021 and added that she will remain the party leader until a new candidate is found. Merkel "greatly" regretted her decision, which, as she suggested, was an "uneasy" one, but thanked Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer for sticking with the CDU to "steer the process of choosing a successor".

https://sputniknews.com/europe/202004061078857329-merkels-office-denies-report-she-is-mulling-running-for-another-term-despite-plans-to-resign/

MiMedx Group Inc. Agrees to Pay $6.5 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations of False Commercial Pricing Disclosures

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/mimedx-group-inc-agrees-pay-65-million-resolve-false-claims-act-allegations-false-commercial

Kerry Cassidy suggests at 37:40 that we are fighting the AI

Idaho Bars Biologically Male Athletes From Competing in All-Female Sports

Idaho governor Brad Little (R.) on Monday signed the Fairness in Women's Sports Act to prohibit biologically male students from participating in all-female sports.

"Athletic teams or sports designated for females, women, or girls shall not be open to students of the male sex," the bill states.

The law cites differences in male and female physiology that results in distinct athletic capabilities.

"Under this bill, boys and men will not be able to take the place of girls and women in sports because it is not fair," state representative Barbara Ehardt told Reuters.

Female students from Connecticut have filed a federal lawsuit seeking to prevent schools in the state from allowing transgender people to compete in women's sports after the students lost competitions to athletes born male.

Chelsea Mitchell, one of the athletes challenging the state of Connecticut, said she was happy about Idaho's new legislation.

"I have lost four state championships because my state's policy ignores the physical advantages males have over females in sports and allows males to compete in the girls' category," Mitchell told the Daily Wire. "Four times I was the fastest female in my race, but I didn't get the gold medal or the state title; the males in my race took that honor. I have watched this happen over and over again in my sport in Connecticut, as so many girls have been impacted."

The governor also signed a second bill on Monday that prohibits transgender people from changing their sex on their birth certificate.

Sam Brinton, the head of advocacy and government affairs for the pro-trans group the Trevor Project, argued this policy would endanger the lives of transgender youth.

"It is a sad day in the United States when lawmakers are more determined to stop trans young people from playing games than to provide them with the care, support, and opportunities they need to survive and thrive," he said.

https://freebeacon.com/politics/idaho-bars-biologically-male-athletes-from-competing-in-all-female-sports/

Seems it's likely Russia went into Italy to clean out the Cabal

Russia Sent GRU Spies Alongside Aid To Italy: La Stampa Newspaper

Italian newspaper La Stampa reported that Russia’s group of military doctors and experts most certainly included GRU intelligence officers, in other words spies.

This followed reports by the same newspaper that the Russian aid sent to Italy was largely “useless,” but apparently it didn’t have enough friction, so something more popular is needed, to remind the public that “evil GRU agents” exist and they’re closer than Italians would think.

Russia has sent 104 individuals to assist Italy.

“Without a doubt, there are GRU officers among them,” former NATO chemical weapons expert Hamish De Bretton-Gordon told the paper.

It should be noted that they asked a “chemical weapons expert” and he’s British, after all, London has quite a bit of experience in revealing GRU agents, after the entire fiasco that the Sergey Skripal investigation turned into.

The Russian Defense Ministry accused the Italian paper of “hiding behind the ideals of free speech” to spread stories reminiscent of “anti-Soviet propaganda.”

Then, the Italian government commented in response to the Russian Defense ministry’s statement.

“While grateful for Russia’s support, one cannot but criticize the inappropriate tone of certain expressions used by the Russian Defense Ministry spokesman,” the government said in a statement.

“Freedom of expression and the right to criticize are fundamental values of our country,” it said.

It noted that Russia had “the right to respond (to the allegations), but in a formal and correct manner.”

Then, the Russian Foreign Ministry responded.

talians near Milan “met the Russian column of trucks with applause, singing the Russian national anthem,” ministry spokesman Maria Zakharova said.

Zakharova’s briefing was the following:

“The Italian newspaper Stampa has already distinguished itself by a number of articles with direct slander regarding Russia’s rendering humanitarian aid to Italy. The other day it published another fake in order to completely distort the actions of Russia in connection with the sanitary-epidemiological crisis in Italy.

Referring to dubious sources (if any), the publication publicly announced the allegedly sequestered cargo of Russia and provided completely incorrect information.

Of course, we have responded at the level of the Russian Embassy and will continue to respond.

In response to this stuffing, it was possible to establish an intermediary – the Giosar company registered in London, whose representative categorically refused to provide any information about the transaction, which was mentioned in the article, and to answer relevant questions, including regarding the location, cost and characteristics of the cargo , as well as its sender and recipient.

When they started to understand, it turned out that this was a purely commercial operation, which some foreign structures tried to organize according to an opaque scheme. At the same time, the Russian authorities were not informed in advance about this supply and had no relation to it. All this is served by the Stampa newspaper in the context of Russia’s humanitarian efforts.

I think it has already become clear to everyone that some traders, in search of profit, are apparently trying to use problems, trouble, and in this case, the tragedy of Italy. We will stop this misinformation and do it tough, on a regular basis.”

Then, La Stampa, published another report, apologizing and expressing its surprise over the Russian comments.

“”Qui fodit foveam, incidet in eam (whoever digs a pit will end up in it sooner or later).” An authentic intimidation that once again confirms – if ever there was a need – the tools with which Russia controls information, and beyond. But above all the unacceptable attempt to export these methods beyond their borders, in our country, in Europe. A fact that risks becoming a serious precedent if our government does not ask for immediate clarifications. And above all the necessary apology,” La Stampa said.

“Our articles have raised questions — both from Italians and others — about the possible presence of intelligence officers in the Russian mission,” La Stampa further said.

But the paper said it still thought Russia was “demonstrating friendship and solidarity at a moment of great difficulty” for Italy.

https://southfront.org/russia-sent-gru-spies-alongside-aid-to-italy-la-stampa-newspaper/

Ron

@CodeMonkeyZ

We know about the slowdowns and have been investigating since Friday. Thanks for all the bug reports. Will update again after we resolve the problem.

https://twitter.com/CodeMonkeyZ/status/1246589584672083969

Turkish UAV Allegedly Targeted Civilian Plane, As Tripoli Clashes Ramp Up

On April 6th, Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA) reported that a Turkish unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) targeted a cargo plane, loaded with COVID-19 supplies.

A fuel tanker, that was transporting supplies to Western Libya in order to counter the COVID-19 crisis, was also reportedly targeted by Turkish UAV.

The LNA is continuing its push, carrying out strikes on positions of the Government of National Accord (GNA) east of Misrata, which is the stronghold of the GNA.

More

https://southfront.org/turkish-uav-allegedly-targeted-civilian-plane-as-tripoli-clashes-ramp-up/

Ansar Allah Is Storming Positions Of Saudi-Backed Forces In Countryside Of Maas Base (Map Update)

Units of Ansar Allah (the Houthis) have been advancing on positions of Saudi-led forces in the northwestern and western part of Yemen’s Marib province.

The most intense fighting is now ongoing in the Jufrah base area, which is located northwest of the Maas base. Over the past weeks, Saudi-led forces have deployed large reinforcements to these positions. Nonetheless, it seems that this is not enough tot stop the Ansar Allah advance.

Meanwhile, clashes are also ongoing in the Saudi province of Narjian, where Ansar Allah is conducting offensive operations:

https://youtu.be/0TDoiwoFuLc

https://southfront.org/ansar-allah-is-storming-positions-of-saudi-backed-forces-in-countryside-of-maas-base-map-update/

Coronavirus: Netanyahu announces nationwide lockdown until Friday

Israel's coronavirus death toll reaches 57, cases climb to 8,904.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced tough new restrictions on public movement on Monday evening, prohibiting all travel between cities from Tuesday afternoon at 4 p.m. until Friday morning at 7 a.m.

A complete lockdown and increased enforcement activity will be rolled out on Passover Eve - from Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. until Thursday morning at 7 a.m. - requiring that citizens remain in their homes, amid fears that the festivities could lead to an aggravation in the outbreak of the coronavirus.

"When speaking about health and your lives, it is forbidden to take shortcuts," Netanyahu said in a televised address. "On Purim, the virus spread. I'm telling you now clearly, Pesach will be not be Purim. Every family will do Pesach with their immediate family."

The decision comes against the backdrop of a rising death toll, which climbed to 57 on Monday. Confirmed cases of the virus increased to 8,904, including 140 patients in severe condition.

A total of 109 patients currently require a ventilator - an increase of only 2.8% during the past 24 hours. Some 670 people have recovered from the illness to date.

While urging citizens not to be complacent, Netanyahu said a slowdown in the number of confirmed cases showed "positive signs on the horizon." Should such trends continue, he added, Israel will "gradually emerge" from the lockdown.

The possible lifting of measures will be carried out according to levels of risk faced by different population groups, Netanyahu said.

The increased lockdown measures come at the expense of pinpoint containment measures which discussed overnight Sunday, targeting several cities with particularly high rates of infection.

Haredi towns and cities continue to represent the hotspot of the coronavirus outbreak in Israel, with the highest number of confirmed cases per 100,000 people located in Efrat (656.1), Kiryat Yearim (634.4), Bnei Brak (622.5) and Kfar Habad (585.6).

As of Monday morning, the two cities with the greatest number of confirmed cases were Jerusalem (1,316 cases) and Bnei Brak (1,222). Tel Aviv-Jaffa was home to the third most cases, with a far more modest 370 incidences of the disease.

Health Minister Ya’acov Litzman reacted angrily after municipal workers from Ramat Gan put up fences overnight between the city and neighboring Bnei Brak, restricting pedestrian movement between the cities. The Interior Ministry subsequently ordered Ramat Gan Mayor Carmel Shama-Hacohen to remove the barriers on Monday morning.

https://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Coronavirus-8611-Israelis-have-disease-141-in-serious-condition-623716

Belgium: Face masks destroyed to make room for migrants

Tens of millions of face masks that could have been used to combat the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic were destroyed in Belgium starting in 2015. The reason? They needed more room for migrants.

Maggie De Block, who is both Minister of Social Affairs and Health as well as for Asylum and Migration, has acknowledged that face masks were indeed destroyed, but she claimed that this was because they had already passed their expiration date and were no longer in usable condition.

But Marc Caekebeke, an Army adjutant who had been in charge of the stockpile, says that this is only partially true, according to a report by SCEPTR. The main reason they were destroyed was to make more facilities available for incoming migrants.

“That is not correct,” Caekebeke said in response to De Block’s assertion, according to a report by DeMorgen. “The warehouses were dry and closed. The boxes were not affected. The stock was in excellent condition.”

Virologist Marc Van Ranst acknowledged that the expiration date on the masks had passed, but explained that the date “mainly applies to the rubber band. We could indeed no longer have used them in hospitals, but they would have been very useful for the police, among others, today.”

63 million masks were ordered destroyed by the Belgian authorities between 2015 and 2018.

https://voiceofeurope.com/2020/04/belgium-face-masks-destroyed-to-make-room-for-migrants/

Who Is “Winning” and Who Is “Losing”.The “Transnational Corona Crisis” is Fabricated on a Bedrock of Unreliable Evidence.

The “Corona crisis” is a transnational crisis fabricated on a bedrock of unreliable evidence.

People and institutions are making decisions in crisis based on unreliable data. People and institutions have been hoarding medical supplies, in panic, thus creating shortages elsewhere.

People were prematurely admitted to hospitals in crisis mode early in the crisis, which made some hospitals (especially in Italy) hotbeds for coronavirus, thus making the situation worse.

Tests do not differentiate deaths as being WITH Corona or BY Corona. Hence, they are all but meaningless. (1)

In the UK, a medical practitioner can legally declare Covid -19 as cause of death even when the test results have not been received. (2)

The statistics that form the basis of this fabricated crisis are unreliable. Everything is happening in crisis-mode and through panic — the opposite to what should be happening.

Who is “winning” and who is “losing”?

“Parliaments, courts, tribunal are suspended, government is by decree,” writes John Pilger, “The police determine whether our presence in a street, a park, is legitimate. The media ensures a state of fear. Surveillance is routine. Protest, if any, is virtual. How does history describe such a society?” (3)

Human rights are losing, and the police state is winning on domestic fronts.

Imperialists have always used fake humanitarian pretexts to advance their war crimes. The Corona crisis is serving imperialists well. Britain is offering 100 million to al Qaeda-dominated Idlib, “to help with the Coronavirus threat” (4) even as the West and its allies strangle all of Syria with a criminal economic embargo.

Destroyed economies and destroyed livelihoods are certain to exact a horrible toll on all of us. Vulnerable peoples and countries will suffer disproportionately.

The final tally of who will benefit and who will lose is yet to be fully determined, but there is one certainty. If the Lie prevails, humanity will lose.

https://www.globalresearch.ca/who-winning-who-losing/5708818

Banks To Make Risk-Free Killing On Small Business Bailout: Fed Will Buy Payroll Loans Issued By Banks

And just like that, the big banks are about to make a killing (again) thanks to the Fed.

As a reminder, as part of the SBA and Treasury's Payroll Protection Program plan to bail out small and medium business, it gave America's banks and credit unions some $350BN in guaranteed cash to use to make loans to America's struggling small and medium business, which proceeds would be use to fund payroll. However, in a bizarre twist, the banks were reluctant to pass through the money to America's middle class, ostensibly due to concerns about the low rate on the loans (which was originally 0.5%, and was subsequently raised to 1%) and also concerns who these loans could be sold and/or repackaged to if and when the economy turned sour and banks were stuck holding hundreds of billions in NPLs.

Moments ago we got the answer, when the Fed announced it will start another bailout program to provide financing backed by the same loans being made to small businesses through the government’s coronavirus stimulus program.

"To facilitate lending to small businesses via the Small Business Administration's Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the Federal Reserve will establish a facility to provide term financing backed by PPP loans. Additional details will be announced this week", the Fed said in a brief statement. “Additional details will be announced this week.”

Effectively, the Fed will establish a secondary market for loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration’s Payroll Protection Program, and where the end buyer will be the Fed itself.

And so, what was supposed to be a no string attached rescue of America's small business, the PPP program has now mutated in yet another massive handout to the big banks, who will collect servicing costs ranging from 5% for small loans to 1% for larger ones, using Treasury capital (no origination risk) and then immediately selling these loans to the Fed if they turn sour (no balance sheet risk).

While the Fed buying to loans would certainly free up bank balance sheet space to issue more loans (who in their right mind would be taking on more non-guaranteed debt, or debt that does not turn into a grant as the PPP loans do, just as the US economy slides into depression), the Fed's involvement whereby Powell takes on all the balance sheet risk, begs a question: why are banks intermediating this process at all if all they do is convert Treasury capital into loans which they then sell to the Fed, and why doesn't the Fed simply hand out the loans itself?

The answer is obvious: this is just another multi-billion dollar handout to the big banks, something which we discussed last week in "Banks To Make Billions On Small Business Bailout":

The fees will vary with loan size: 5% for loans under $350,000, 3% for loans under $2MM, and 1% for loans greater than $2MM. The loans will not incur a capital charge.

This means that banks stand to earn as much as $17.5 billion - and $10 billion if one assumes an average rate of 3% - for doing something the government is incapable of doing: handing out hundreds of billions in loans/grants to America's businesses in the shortest possible time.

However, back then banks would at least hold the loans on their balance sheet so they were providing a modest service. Now, they no longer taking any risk whatsoever, and are still going to collect up to $10 billion for what - having a website where people can apply for loans that will be sold right back to the Fed?

https://www.zerohedge.com/economics/banks-make-risk-free-killing-small-business-bailout-fed-buy-payroll-loans-issued-banks

LOVE THIS SHIT

To Avoid Food Supply Chain Crisis, Bill Introduced to Help Small Farms Serve Local Consumers

Today, U.S. Representatives Thomas Massie and Chellie Pingree (D-ME) introduced legislation to make it easier for small farms and ranches to serve consumers. The PRIME (Processing Revival and Intrastate Meat Exemption) Act would give individual states freedom to permit intrastate distribution of custom-slaughtered meat such as beef, pork, or lamb, to consumers, restaurants, hotels, boarding houses, and grocery stores.

“As a producer of grass-fed beef, I am familiar with the difficulties small producers face when marketing directly to consumers,” said Rep. Massie, who owns 50 head of cattle. “Despite consumers’ desire to know where their food comes from, federal inspection requirements make it difficult for them to purchase food from local farmers they know and trust. These onerous federal rules also make it more difficult for small farms and ranches to succeed financially. It is time to open our markets to small farms and producers and give consumers the freedom to choose.”

“More and more people want locally produced food, but because of the way the system is set up for processing meat, farmers and ranchers sometimes end up sending their animals hundreds or even thousands of miles to a giant slaughterhouse,” said Rep. Pingree, who raises grass-fed beef at her island farm in Maine and is the lead Democratic sponsor for the legislation. “That is just crazy and defeats the whole point of locally produced food. If we can change the federal regulations a little to make it easier to process meat locally, it’s going to help farmers scale up and give local consumers what they want.”

“The PRIME Act is the first step to rebuilding local processing infrastructure, which can revive rural economies and enable communities to become more self-sufficient in meat production,” stated Pete Kennedy, president of the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund. “We applaud Representative Massie and Representative Pingree for taking on one of the bigger obstacles to a prosperous local food system.”

“Regulating sales of locally produced and sold meat at the state level has the potential to address a significant barrier to the growth of the local food system,” said Judith McGeary, Founder and Executive Director of Farm & Ranch Freedom Alliance. “As an organization that represents both farmers and consumers, the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance applauds this common-sense bill.”

Current law exempts custom slaughter of animals from federal inspection regulations, but only if the meat is slaughtered for personal, household, guest, and employee use (21 U.S.C. § 623(a)). This means that in order to sell individual cuts of locally-raised meats to consumers, farmers and ranchers must first send their animals to one of a limited number of USDA-inspected slaughterhouses. These slaughterhouses are sometimes hundreds of miles away, which adds substantial transportation cost, and also increases the chance that meat raised locally will be co-mingled with industrially-produced meat. The PRIME Act would expand the current custom exemption and allow small farms, ranches, and slaughterhouses to thrive.

The PRIME Act (H.R. 3187), which is supported by the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund and Farm & Ranch Freedom Alliance, is part of a series of “Food & Farm Freedom” initiatives championed by Massie, including The Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2015 (H.R. 525), the Milk Freedom Act of 2015 (H.R. 3563), and the Interstate Milk Freedom Act of 2015 (H.R. 3564). Rep. Pingree was the lead Democratic co-sponsor on both “Milk Freedom” bills. Rep. Massie has also been a staunch advocate for country-of-origin labeling of food.

https://www.naturalblaze.com/2020/04/to-avoid-food-supply-chain-crisis-bill-introduced-to-help-small-farms-serve-local-consumers.html

https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/3187