3 members of White House virus task force in quarantine

Three members of the White House coronavirus task force, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, have placed themselves in quarantine after contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19

WASHINGTON (AP) — Three members of the White House coronavirus task force, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, placed themselves in quarantine after contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19, another stark reminder that not even one of the nation’s most secure buildings is immune from the virus.

Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a leading member of the task force, has become nationally known for his simple and direct explanations to the public about the coronavirus and COVID-19, the disease it causes. Also quarantining are Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, Stephen Hahn.

Fauci’s institute said that he has tested negative for COVID-19 and will continue to be tested regularly. It added that he is considered at “relatively low risk” based on the degree of his exposure, and that he would be “taking appropriate precautions” to mitigate the risk to personal contacts while still carrying out his duties. While he will stay at home and telework, Fauci will go to the White House if called and take every precaution, the institute said.

Redfield will be “teleworking for the next two weeks” after it was determined he had a “low risk exposure” to a person at the White House, the CDC said in a statement Saturday evening. The statement said he felt fine and has no symptoms.

Just a few hours earlier, the Food and Drug Administration confirmed that Hahn had come in contact with someone who tested positive and was in self-quarantine for the next two weeks. He tested negative for the virus.

All three men are scheduled to testify before a Senate committee on Tuesday. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., the chairman of the panel, said the White House will allow Redfield and Hahn to testify by videoconference, a one-time exception to the administration’s policies on hearing testimony. The statement was issued before Fauci’s quarantine was announced.

Vice President Mike Pence’s press secretary tested positive for the coronavirus on Friday, making her the second person who works at the White House complex known to test positive for the virus this week. White House officials had confirmed Thursday that a member of the military serving as one of Trump’s valets had tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday.

President Donald Trump, who publicly identified the affected Pence aide as spokeswoman Katie Miller, said he was “not worried” about the virus spreading in the White House. Nonetheless, officials said they were stepping up safety protocols for the complex.

Miller had been in recent contact with Pence but not with the president and had tested negative a day earlier. She is married to Stephen Miller, a top Trump adviser. The White House had no immediate comment on whether Stephen Miller had been tested or if he was still working in the White House.

The CDC and FDA would not disclose the identity of the person who had tested positive and with whom the agency leaders had come in contact.

https://www.breitbart.com/news/coronavirus-strikes-staffers-inside-the-white-house/

Surely this is code for arrested

Ex-White House Ethics Director Accuses Trump of ‘Laying Groundwork for Refusal to Leave Office’

On Friday, California Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order that would allow voting through mail-in ballots for the 2020 US election due to the COVID-19 pandemic. US President Donald Trump on Saturday tweeted criticism of the state’s voting process by claiming that Democrats are “trying to steal another election”.

The former director of the United States Office of Government Ethics (OGE), Walter Shaub, on Saturday accused US President Donald Trump of “laying the groundwork for a refusal to leave office”.

The former White House staffer’s comments came in response to Trump’s condemnation of the election process in California.

“So in California, the Democrats, who fought like crazy to get all mail in only ballots, and succeeded, have just opened a voting booth in the most Democrat area in the State. They are trying to steal another election. It’s all rigged out there. These votes must not count. SCAM!” Trump tweeted on Saturday.

https://sputniknews.com/us/202005101079259478-ex-white-house-ethics-director-accuses-trump-of-laying-groundwork-for-refusal-to-leave-office/

Comey Told Congress He Didn’t Know If Michael Flynn Lied To FBI: Transcript

A congressional transcript released Thursday shed light on what James Comey told lawmakers regarding the investigation of Michael Flynn.

Comey told lawmakers that he did not know if Flynn lied to the FBI regarding his contacts with Russia’s ambassador.

FBI agents who interviewed Flynn did not detect any discernible signs that Flynn knew he was lying, he said.

The Justice Department released the March 2, 2017, transcript of Comey’s briefing to Congress as an exhibit in Flynn’s legal case.

A congressional transcript from March 2017 released Thursday showed that then-FBI Director James Comey was uncertain whether Michael Flynn had knowingly lied to the FBI during a White House interview weeks earlier.

Comey questioned a Justice Department official’s theory that Flynn was vulnerable to Russian blackmail, according to the transcript.

Comey’s statements to the House Intelligence Committee on March 2, 2017, have been the subject of intense speculation over the past several years, particularly regarding his comments on Flynn.

The Justice Department released the transcript Thursday as an exhibit to a motion to drop charges against Flynn for making false statements to the FBI.

Flynn pleaded guilty on Dec. 1, 2017, to lying to the FBI about discussing sanctions in December 2016 with Sergey Kislyak, who then served as Russia’s ambassador to the United States.

The former national security adviser has since retracted his claim to have lied to the FBI, saying he pleaded guilty in order to protect his son from prosecution in a separate investigation. The Justice Department submitted a motion to drop charges against Flynn, citing the recent discovery of FBI documents related to the Flynn investigation.

https://dailycaller.com/2020/05/09/james-comey-michael-flynn-lie-fbi/

Three Colombian Army Boats With Ammunition on Board Found by Venezuela After Failed Invasion

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro claimed that Colombia supported the failed seaborne invasion into Venezuela in a joint act with the US - something that Bogota and Washington have denied, slamming the accusation as an effort to drive attention away from the "internal crisis" in Caracas and the rest of the nation.

Venezuelan military forces announced the discovery of three abandoned light combat boats "identified with emblems of the Colombian Navy" on Saturday, according to a Defence Ministry statement.

The boats were discovered during a patrol of the Orinoco river by the Bolivarian National Guard (GNB) conducted as part of an operation to ensure Venezuela's "freedom and sovereignty". Venezuelan military forces did not find any crew, but discovered ammunition and weapons still on board.

The tweet reads: "Venezuela: 3 abandoned Colombian army military boats were reportedly found today on the Orinoco river between Bolivar and Apure by the Bolivarian National Guard (GNB) with weapons and ammunition still on board".

https://sputniknews.com/latam/202005091079259028-three-colombian-army-boats-with-ammunition-on-board-found-by-venezuela-after-failed-invasion/

Doctors, anti-coalition, parents: Israelis hit the streets for multiple protests

Medical interns protest against 26-hour shifts; demonstrators opposed to PM rally in Rabin Square, at Blue and White MKs’ homes; parents decry limit on number of kids at daycares

Thousands of Israelis took to the streets on Saturday evening to protest multiple issues, from the coalition deal struck between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue and White’s Benny Gantz to working hours for trainee doctors and the lack of childcare during the pandemic.

Around 3,000 people demonstrated in Tel Aviv’s Habima Square, calling for an end to 26-hour-long shifts and an improvement in working conditions for trainee doctors.

Medical interns recently began working 12-hour-shifts to try to reduce the country’s contagion during the coronavirus pandemic and were protesting moves to reinstate the longer working hours, saying the conditions were unreasonable and exhausted doctors could pose a danger to patients.

A doctor, who gave his name only as Stas, told the Kan public broadcaster that the long hours meant they could not properly care for patients.

“We are protesting the number of hours in a row that we have to work — it’s inhumane and we can’t care for people in the proper way,” he said.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/doctors-anti-coalition-parents-israelis-hit-the-streets-for-multiple-protests/

WHO denies report that China asked org to cover-up coronavirus severity

The WHO noted that China confirmed human-to-human transmision on Janurary 20, a day before the purported conversation between Jingping and Ghebreyesus

The World Health Organization denied reports on Saturday by German magazine Der Spiegel that Chinese President Xi Jingping had asked Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to cover up news about the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan.

On January 21, Xi reportedly asked Tedros not to announce that the virus could be transmitted between humans and to delay any declaration of a pandemic, the German intelligence agency BND found.

"Der Spiegel reports of a January 21, 2020, telephone conversation between Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and President Xi Jingping of China are unfounded and untrue," said the WHO in a statement on Saturday. "Dr Tedros and President Xi did not speak on Jan. 21, and they have never spoken by phone. Such inaccurate reports distract and detract from WHO's and the world's efforts to end the COVID-19 pandemic."

The WHO noted that China confirmed human-to-human transmission on January 20, a day before the purported conversation between Jingping and Ghebreyesus

The BND concluded that the delay caused the world to waste four to six weeks it could have used better preparing to fight the outbreak. The WHO did not end up declaring the virus an international emergency until the end of January.

Germany's Robert Koch Institute also said that it had to turn for the BND for information about the virus at first, because China originally failed to reveal all the relevant information about the virus.

The WHO declared that the coronavirus outbreak could be officially classified as a pandemic in mid-March.

A team of scientists led by the University of Cambridge found that the virus may have been spreading since September, placing the initial outbreak somewhere between September 13 and December 7, according to the South China Morning Post.

The team analyzed a large number of strains from around the world using a phylogenetic network - a mathematical algorithm used to map the global movement of organisms based on the mutation of their genes. The study has not yet been peer-reviewed.

"If I am pressed for an answer, I would say the original spread started more likely in southern China than in Wuhan," said University of Cambridge geneticist Peter Forster, according to SCMP. "But proof can only come from analyzing more bats, possibly other potential host animals, and preserved tissue samples in Chinese hospitals stored between September and December."

https://www.jpost.com/international/who-denies-report-that-china-asked-org-to-cover-up-coronavirus-severity-627504

Israel Mulls Response to Alleged Iranian Cyber Attack That Breaks 'All the Codes of War'

Tel Aviv has accused Tehran of targeting Israel in cyber attacks "on a daily basis", despite Iran denying the accusations and insisting that the country "does not engage in cyber warfare".

The Israeli "high-level security cabinet" has reportedly condemned an "Iranian cyber attack" on Tel Aviv's civil water infrastructure, according to the Times of Israel. The participants of the meeting were reportedly forced to sign confidentiality forms.

The alleged attack in question that reportedly took place in late April was described by one of Israeli officials as a "significant escalation" by Iran that "crossed a red line" as it targeted civil facilities. Officials note that the attack did little damage, despite minor problems reported in local councils.

“This is an attack that goes against all the codes of war. Even from the Iranians we didn’t expect something like this", the official said, quoted by the report.

According to the report, Tel Aviv is currently mulling responses.

The alleged attack took place in late April and was first reported by Fox News, after the Water Authority and the Israel National Cyber Directorate announced an "attempted cyber breach on water command and control systems". Reports alleged that Iran used American servers for the cyber breach - something that was never acknowledged by the US.

Tehran has denied responsibility for the attack.

"The Iranian government does not engage in cyberwarfare,” said Alireza Miryousefi, a spokesman for Iran’s Mission to the United Nations in New York.

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu often accuses Iran of cyber attacks, claiming that hacks are made on a "daily basis" and that Tel Aviv "monitors and prevents it every day", which Iran has repeatedly denied. In January, the Israeli Energy Minister claimed that the country had neutralized "a very serious" cyber attack targeting one of the nation's main power stations.

https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/202005091079258727-israel-mulls-response-to-alleged-iranian-cyber-attack-that-breaks-all-the-codes-of-war—report/

>>9105243

Ehret: For Victory Day, It's Time To Think About Finally Winning WWII

75 years ago Germany surrendered to allied forces finally ending the ravages of the Second World War.

Today, as the world celebrates the 75th anniversary of this victory, why not think very seriously about finally winning that war once and for all?

If you’re confused by this statement, then you might want to sit down and take a deep breath before reading on. Within the next 12 minutes, you will likely discover a disturbing fact which may frighten you a little bit: The allies never actually won World War II…

Now please don’t get me wrong. I am eternally thankful for the immortal souls who gave their lives to put down the fascist machine during those bleak years… but the fact is that a certain something wasn’t resolved on the 9th of May, 1945 which has a lot to do with the slow re-emergence of a new form of fascism during the second half of the 20th century and the renewed danger of a global bankers’ dictatorship which the world faces again today.

It is my contention that it is only when we find the courage to really look at this problem with sober eyes, that we will be able to truly honor our courageous forebears who devoted their lives to winning a peace for their children, grandchildren and humanity more broadly.

The Ugly Truth of WWII

I’ll stop beating around the Bush now and just say it: Adolph Hitler or Benito Mussolini were never “their own men”.

The machines they led were never fully under their sovereign control and the financing they used as fuel in their effort to dominate the world did not come from the Banks of Italy or Germany. The technologies they used in petrochemicals, rubber, and computing didn’t come from Germany or Italy, and the governing scientific ideology of eugenics that drove so many of the horrors of Germany’s racial purification practices never originated in the minds of German thinkers or from German institutions.

Were it not for a powerful network of financiers and industrialists of the 1920s-1940s with names such as Rockefeller, Warburg, Montague Norman, Osborn, Morgan, Harriman or Dulles, then it can safely be said that fascism would never have been possible as a “solution” to the economic woes of the post-WWI order. To prove this point, let us take the strange case of Prescott Bush as a useful entry point.

The patriarch of the same Bush dynasty that gave the world two disastrous American presidents (and nearly a third had Donald Trump not annihilated Jeb at the last minute in 2016) made a name for himself funding Nazism alongside his business partners Averell Harrimen and Averell’s younger brother E. Roland Harriman (the latter who was to recruit Prescott to Skull and Bones while both studying at Yale). Not only did Prescott, acting as director of Brown Brothers Harriman, provide valuable loans to keep the bankrupt Nazi party afloat during Hitler’s loss of support in 1932 when the German population voted into office the anti-Fascist General Kurt von Schleicher as Chancellor, but was even found guilty for “Trading with the enemy” as director of Union Banking Corporation in 1942!

That’s right! As demonstrated in the 1992 Unauthorized Biography of George Bush, eleven months after America entered WWII, the Federal Government naturally conducted an investigation of all Nazi banking operations in the USA and wondered why Prescott continued to direct a bank which was so deeply enmeshed with Fritz Thyssen’s Bank voor Handel en Scheepvart of the Netherlands. Thyssen for those who are un-aware is the German industrial magnate famous for writing the book “I Paid Hitler”. The bank itself was tied to a German combine called Steel Works of the German Steel Trust which controlled 50.8% of Nazi Germany’s pig iron, 41.4% of its universal plate, 38.5% of its galvanized steel, 45.5% of its pipes and 35% of its explosives. Under Vesting Order 248, the U.S. federal government seized all of Prescott’s properties on October 22, 1942.

https://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2020/05/09/for-victory-day-its-time-to-think-about-finally-winning-wwii/

Georgia County Maintains Gun Shutdown Despite Statewide Reopening

Second Amendment activists plan to appeal permitting-process shutdown

Despite a statewide reopening, residents in one Georgia county are still unable to legally obtain firearms-carry licenses after a federal judge allowed local authorities to shut down the permitting process, sparking a legal showdown.

District Court judge Steve Jones ruled that the plaintiffs did not have standing to challenge the state's permit law or the county's implementation of it during the coronavirus pandemic. Gun-rights activists have vowed to appeal the decision. The case has gained renewed energy as the county has refused to reopen the vetting office even as Republican governor Brian Kemp has lifted pandemic restrictions.

"The permitting process is still closed," Alan Gottlieb, head of the Second Amendment Foundation, told the Washington Free Beacon. "We are filing an immediate appeal."

The court ruled that a local resident did not have standing to challenge county probate judge Keith Wood's decision to close down the permitting process. Jones added that concerns about social distancing outweighed the plaintiffs' claims that the policy violated the Second Amendment, noting that "the state and county have a considerable public health interest in curtailing normal activities to stop the exponential spread of a deadly virus."

Second Amendment activists argue that all individuals have standing when government authorities infringe on their constitutional rights. Because Georgia requires a gun-carry permit to carry firearms, Cherokee County has violated the rights of its residents, according to the Firearms Policy Coalition, another plaintiff in the case.

"The Constitution explicitly protects the fundamental human right to bear arms, especially for self-defense. Governments cannot eliminate the right of law-abiding adults to carry handguns for self-defense in public, which is all the more pertinent in these troubled times," FPC president Brandon Combs said in a statement.

Federal courts have split on the constitutionality of shutdowns that target gun stores or the firearm-permitting process. A federal judge overturned a Massachusetts executive order that closed gun stores and ordered the state to reopen them by Saturday. Two other federal judges upheld gun-store shutdowns in parts of California in early April. The outcome of those cases could answer how far emergency powers can curtail constitutionally protected rights—especially if the Supreme Court is forced to weigh in.

The issue could resolve itself before the legal process has time to play out, however, as states like Georgia begin phased reopenings. A spokesman for Gov. Kemp, a defendant in the Cherokee County suit, said he couldn't comment on an ongoing case but directed questions about the permitting process to the state's supreme court.

Jane O. Hansen, a public information officer for the Supreme Court of Georgia, told the Free Beacon that courts in the state would continue to operate only on a limited basis until at least June 12.

https://freebeacon.com/coronavirus/georgia-county-maintains-gun-shutdown-despite-statewide-reopening/

'This pandemic is not fake news'

Minister slams Melbourne lockdown protesters as police make arrests

A number of people have been arrested during anti-lockdown demonstrations in Melbourne, flouting Victoria's social distancing orders to protest.

Dozens of people have stormed Parliament House in the city's CBD, holding signs and calling for lockdowns to end.

The protesters can be heard saying "the police do not have authority," and "our law is the ultimate law", chanting "no lockdown".

It is understood a number of people have been arrested and issued fines for not adhering to the state's strict social distancing measures.

Footage from the scene shows on man punching a police officer while he was leading a woman into a patrol car.

https://www.9news.com.au/national/coronavirus-social-distancing-restrictions-protests-victoria/7c2f0133-d784-4fc6-8361-bb6652a2f4eb

>>9105395

https://www.news.com.au/world/coronavirus/australia/coronavirus-australia-live-updates/live-coverage/42630123191cf451ca7edd261f9258e7

>>9105468

So protests in Melbourne and Israel aren't notable???

fucking useless cunts in the kitchen these days