USAID head to UN Secretary General: Stop peddling abortion as COVID-19 relief

'The UN should not use this crisis as an opportunity to advance access to abortion as an essential service.'

NEW YORK, May 18, 2020 (C-Fam) – The head of the U.S. Agency for International Development told the UN Secretary General to stop treating abortion as “essential” humanitarian relief during the COVID-19 pandemic. The letter is unprecedented in its direct criticism of the UN bureaucracy’s promotion of abortion as humanitarian aid.

Acting Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development John Barsa sent UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres a letter in which he corrected Guterres for “cynically placing the provision of ‘sexual and reproductive health services’ on the same level of importance as food-insecurity, essential health care, malnutrition, shelter, and sanitation.”

In the letter, Barsa asked Guterres to remove references to “sexual and reproductive health” from the UN’s COVID-19 policies and to “drop the provision of abortion as an essential component of the UN’s priorities to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The top U.S. aid official’s criticism was revealed today in an unprecedented letter to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. The letter is an answer to the UN’s Global Humanitarian Response Plan for the COVID-19 pandemic, published by Guterres last month, and the appeal he has made for nearly $7 billion to fund it.

“The UN should not use this crisis as an opportunity to advance access to abortion as an essential service,” warned Barsa, rebuking Guterres for promoting “the widespread distribution of abortion-inducing drugs and abortion supplies, and for the promotion of abortion in local country settings.”

Barsa said the UN should focus on “life-saving interventions” and the “most urgent, concrete needs” instead. He cited providing “essential healthcare” and addressing “food shortages” as examples.

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/usaid-head-to-un-secretary-general-stop-peddling-abortion-as-covid-19-relief

Sudan Owes Victims of Embassy Bombings $4 Billion, Supreme Court Rules

Victims of the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings in East Africa are entitled to $4 billion in punitive damages from the government of Sudan, the Supreme Court ruled Monday.

Survivors and family members of the deceased are engaged in a long-running lawsuit with Sudan over the country's complicity in the attack. In 2008, Congress passed a law allowing terror victims to collect punitive damages from foreign governments that support extremism. At stake in Monday's case was whether that law allows punitive damages for attacks that took place before 2008.

The High Court unanimously ruled that it does.

"Congress was as clear as it could have been when it authorized plaintiffs to seek and win punitive damages for past conduct," Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote. Justice Brett Kavanaugh was recused from the dispute.

The decision will affect dozens of other lawsuits from victims seeking damages for acts of terror in the 1990s and early 2000s. The plaintiffs in Monday's case said in court filings that they have identified 75 other disputes in which victims have won or are seeking punitive damages from countries such as North Korea and Iran for conduct predating 2008.

Though the federal government generally gives foreign countries immunity in U.S. courts, there is an exemption for state sponsors of terror. The Department of State designated Sudan a sponsor of terrorism in 1993.

Over 200 people were killed and another 4,000 were injured when al-Qaeda operatives simultaneously detonated truck bombs outside American diplomatic facilities in Kenya and Tanzania. Hundreds of victims sued the Sudanese government in U.S. courts beginning in 2001.

U.S. District Judge John Bates entered a $10.2 billion judgment against Sudan for its role in the attack. That judgment included $4.3 billion in punitive damages. Bates found that Sudan had an "open door policy for militant Islamic revolutionary groups" in the 1990s with the goal of seeding a global Islamist revolution. Sudanese officials provided safe haven for Osama bin Laden, furnished passports and intelligence for al-Qaeda operatives, and allowed the free movement of militants and arms over its border with Kenya, his decision said.

"The evidence strongly supports the conclusion that Sudan harbored and provided sanctuary to terrorists and their operational and logistical supply network leading up to the 1998 terrorist attacks on U.S. embassies in East Africa," Bates wrote at an earlier phase of the case.

Though the Sudanese government did not participate in the trial, it did hire lawyers to fight the $4.3 billion punitive damages award on appeal. The remaining $5.9 billion was not at issue in Monday's case.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit sided with Sudan. The three-judge panel said Congress must give a clear statement if it means for a law to apply retroactively. The 2008 law gives "no clear textual command" on that point, the court ruled.

The High Court had less trouble parsing the statute.

https://freebeacon.com/courts/sudan-owes-victims-of-embassy-bombings-4-billion-supreme-court-rules/

https://www.scribd.com/document/462017963/Opati-v-Republic-of-Sudan-Supreme-Court-opinion#from_embed

Why Did New York Infect America With Coronavirus? New Report Blames Cuomo, de Blasio

The New York City area not only has more than a quarter of America’s coronavirus cases, but new research suggests that most of the coronavirus cases outside the Big Apple trace back to the New York City area, as well. New York City is the epicenter for the coronavirus in the United States, and a new report suggests Mayor Bill de Blasio (D-N.Y.) and Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-N.Y.) shoulder most of the blame.

New York’s emergence as the epicenter of the coronavirus was far from inevitable. A report from the left-leaning site ProPublica contrasted New York City’s and New York State’s responses with those of San Francisco and California. While people do not live on top of one another in San Francisco to the same degree that they do in the Big Apple, the actions of de Blasio and Cuomo strike a marked contrast with those of Mayor London Breed (D-San Francisco) and Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.).

Lefty Democrats have abused their power during the coronavirus crisis, issuing tougher restrictions on churches and choosing winners and losers among businesses during lockdowns. Americans across the country are demanding businesses reopen, which is wise, so long as Americans still take voluntary precautions. But in the case of big cities like New York and San Francisco, which were always likely to become coronavirus hotspots and whose health systems were indeed at risk of being overwhelmed, stay-at-home orders and lockdowns made a great deal of sense.

Breed worried about the coronavirus pandemic early, thanks in part to San Francisco’s large proportion of Chinese Americans. She worked with Newsom to impose restrictions in late February and early March. de Blasio, by contrast, gave reassurances in late February that New York would beat the virus, and even after he became worried, he faced pushback from Cuomo.

Even worse, de Blasio had spent weeks spurning his own Health Department, leading the department to consider a “resistance” to the mayor, according to an anonymous New York City official. That official said de Blasio had gagged the Health Department commissioner and her top deputy for infectious diseases.

“The hospital networks are looking to us for information and support, but we’re hampered by the official stances,” the official told ProPublica. “More like China and Iran than what the city is used to getting.”

https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/tyler-o-neil/2020/05/18/why-did-new-york-infect-america-with-coronavirus-new-report-blames-cuomo-de-blasio-n399924

Study Shows Largest Highest Concentration Of Microplastics On Ocean Floor Ever

According to a new study published in the journal Science, researchers recently discovered 1.9 million pieces of microplastic in an area of about 11 square feet. The sample was taken in the Mediterranean Sea, and researchers say that its the highest concentration of microplastics ever found on a seafloor.

Scientists estimate that over 10 million tons of plastic waste enter the world’s oceans every year. Humans can see some signs of this pollution from the shore, but the plastic pollution visible to humans represents less than 1% of the ocean’s total plastic. Over 99% of the plastic in the ocean is believed to be much deeper than we can see, close to the ocean floor.

In the new study, researchers tracked deep-sea currents and showed how they act like “conveyor belts” which push microplastics across the seafloor. The team began by collecting samples from the bottom of the Tyrrhenian Sea, which is off the coast of Italy. The team found what they called “microplastic hotspots,” or large areas of microplastic accumulation.

In a press release, lead author Dr. Ian Kane from The University of Manchester compared these hotspots to the garbage patches that are found floating on the surface.

“Almost everybody has heard of the infamous ocean ‘garbage patches’ of floating plastic, but we were shocked at the high concentrations of microplastics we found in the deep-seafloor,” Kane explained.

Co-lead author Dr. Mike Clare of the National Oceanography Center, hopes that the study will create some change.

“Our study has shown how detailed studies of seafloor currents can help us to connect microplastic transport pathways in the deep-sea and find the ‘missing’ microplastics. The results highlight the need for policy interventions to limit the future flow of plastics into natural environments and minimise impacts on ocean ecosystems,” Clare said.

Dr. Florian Pohl from Durham University suggested that plastic has now become a part of the ocean floor’s makeup.

“It’s unfortunate, but plastic has become a new type of sediment particle, which is distributed across the sea floor together with sand, mud and nutrients. Thus, sediment-transport processes such as seafloor currents will concentrate plastic particles in certain locations on the seafloor, as demonstrated by our research,” Pohl said.

According to a report published by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, if the current rate of plastic pollution continues, there will be more plastic in the oceans than there are fish by the year 2050.

Earlier this year, Truth Theory reported on a disturbing study which found that we are absorbing tens of thousands of plastic particles each year, just in the food we eat and the air that we breathe. It was also noted in the study, that drinking a lot of bottled water can nearly double the presence of toxins in our bodies.

https://www.naturalblaze.com/2020/05/study-shows-largest-highest-concentration-of-microplastics-on-ocean-floor-ever.html

Judge Rules Against Oregon's Lockdown, Paving Way For Another State Supreme Court Ruling: Live Updates

Summary:

Oregon judge rules against lockdown order

Texas Gov says state ready to begin "Phase 2" of reopening

Gov releases plan for businesses, bars & restaurants to reopen in parts of northern Mich.

UK reports fewer than 200 deaths

Britain adds "anosmia" to list of official COVID symptoms

Italy reports best numbers since March

Florida reports small uptick in new cases as more businesses reopen

Cuomo press conference begins

China imposes new anti-dumping duty on Australia as global trade wars heat up

WHO's Dr. Tedros pledges "transparency and accountability" as annual meeting of WHO members begins

Conn & Mass are last 2 states that haven't lifted any lockdown restrictions

108 million under lockdown in NE China

Beaches, parks reopen across US, Europe

New Zealand reopens schools Monday

Italy plans to reopen most restaurants & businesses by week's end.

New cases in Brazil, Russia slow as deaths accelerate

In US, all but 4 states have "partially reopened"

WHO annual meeting begins with keynote from President Xi

South Africa reports largest single-day spike in cases

• • *

Update (1730ET): In the latest indication that the legality of state lockdown orders might one day be considered by the Supreme Court, a judge in rural Oregon on Monday afternoon ruled against Democratic Gov. Kate Brown's restrictions on people and businesses.

The Associated Press reports:

A judge in rural Oregon on Monday tossed out statewide coronavirus restrictions imposed by Democratic Gov. Kate Brown, saying she didn’t seek the Legislature’s approval to extend the stay-at-home orders beyond a 28-day limit.

Baker County Circuit Judge Matthew Shirtcliff issued his opinion in response to a lawsuit filed earlier this month by 10 churches around Oregon that argued the state’s social-distancing directives were unconstitutional.

Brown said she would immediately seek an emergency review by the Oregon Supreme Court. Her attorneys asked the judge to stay his ruling until the high court could review the case, but he declined.

In a statement, Brown said: “The science behind these executive orders hasn’t changed one bit. Ongoing physical distancing, staying home as much as possible, and wearing face coverings will save lives across Oregon."

Notably, the judge explained in a 7-page opinion that he based his ruling on the notion that the shutdowns imposed by the government were more damaging than the virus.

The lawsuit was filed weeks ago by a group of churches in the state. As the AP notes, several similar lawsuits are pending in other states.

In a seven-page opinion, Shirtcliff wrote that the damage to Oregonians and their livelihood was greater than the dangers presented by the coronavirus. He also noted that other businesses deemed essential, such as grocery stores, had been allowed to remain open even with large numbers of people present and have relied on masks, social distancing and other measures to protect the public.

"The governor’s orders are not required for public safety when plaintiffs can continue to utilize social distancing and safety protocols at larger gatherings involving spiritual worship," he wrote.

Similar actions have occurred in other states.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down Gov. Tony Evers’ coronavirus stay-at-home order last Wednesday, ruling that his administration overstepped its authority when it extended it for another month without consulting legislators.

And a federal judge in North Carolina on Saturday sided with conservative Christian leaders and blocked the enforcement of restrictions that Gov. Roy Cooper ordered affecting indoor religious services during the coronavirus pandemic.

The order from Judge James C. Dever III came days after two Baptist churches, a minister and a Christian revival group filed a federal lawsuit seeking to immediately block enforcement of rules covering religious services within the Democratic governor’s executive orders.

In Louisiana, a federal judge on Friday refused a minister’s request to temporarily halt Gov. John Bel Edwards’ stay-at-home order, which expired that same day.

Brown is planning to appeal the decision, which means a decision by the state Supreme Court can be expected in the coming days.

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/100-million-chinese-back-under-lockdown-millions-americans-europeans-flock-parks

McConnell Taps Sen. Marco Rubio to Lead Intelligence Committee — After He Famously Supported Mueller Probe Against Trump

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell picked Senator Marco Rubio to lead the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Rubio will take over the committee after three years of Senator Richard Burr allowing Senator Mark Warner to run roughshod over the committee.

Richard Burr was recently accused of insider trading for dumping his hotel stocks before the coronavirus panic hit the US.

This horrible Republican senator also extended his bogus investigation of Russia collusion well into 2019 in order to abuse the Trump family, the Trump campaign and the Trump administration.

In April Senator Burr told reporters he stood by his junk Russia Collusion report that Vladimir Putin interfered in the 2016 election to help Donald Trump. This is despite recent findings that prove the opposite took place.

For those who think Marco Rubio will represent the president in his news role — In 2017 Marco Rubio welcomed the news that Robert Mueller and the Special Counsel were going to investigate President Trump on Russia collusion.

Mr. Mueller is widely respected for independence & professionalism. I have full confidence he will conduct a fair & thorough investigation

— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) May 17, 2017

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/05/mcconnell-taps-sen-marco-rubio-lead-intelligence-committee-famously-supported-mueller-probe-trump/

Sheldon Adelson's puppet

This Is How COINTELPRO Works In A Post Truth World

https://wearechange.org/this-is-how-cointelpro-works-in-a-post-truth-world/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wrc+%28We+Are+Change%29