Cut to the News
Cut through the clutter to today's top news
April 16, 2020
Good morning
Leading the News . . .
Outbreak likely originated in Wuhan laboratory . . . There is increasing confidence that the COVID-19 outbreak likely originated in a Wuhan laboratory, though not as a bioweapon but as part of China's attempt to demonstrate that its efforts to identify and
combat viruses are equal to or greater than the capabilities of the United States, multiple sources who have been briefed on the details of early actions by China's government and seen relevant materials tell Fox News. This may be the "costliest government cover-up of all time," one of the sources said. The sources believe the initial transmission of the virus was bat-to-human – a naturally occurring strain that was being studied there – and that "patient zero" worked at the
laboratory, then went into the population in Wuhan. Fox News
Trump to announce guidlines for reopening . . . President Trump said Wednesday that the US had passed the peak of the coronavirus pandemic — and that some states would reopen before his May 1 deadline. “The data suggests that nationwide we have passed the peak on new cases,” Trump said during the daily briefing of the Coronavirus Task Force in the Rose Garden. “These developments have put us in a strong position to finalize guidelines for
states opening the country, which we will be announcing tomorrow. We will be talking about various states. It’s very exciting.” New York Post
Chinese export restrictions strand desperately needed medical goods . . . New Chinese export restrictions have left American companies’ U.S.-bound face masks, test kits and other medical equipment urgently needed to fight the coronavirus stranded, according to businesses and U.S. diplomatic memos. Large quantities of critical protective gear and other medical goods are sitting in warehouses across China unable to receive necessary
official clearances, said some suppliers and brokers. Health-care equipment maker PerkinElmer Inc. is unable to ship 1.4 million test kits for Covid-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, from its Suzhou factory because it lacks a certification required by the new rules, according to a State Department memo. Wall Streeet Journal
All of this serves to reinforce Trump's make-it-in-America ideology. And will aid in his reelection.
Multiple states see protests over stay-at-home rules . . . Multiple states have seen protests as stay-a-home orders meant to curb the spread of the coronavirus continue. Many protesters were angry about the economic ramifications the restrictions are causing. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg estimate the Labor Department will report Thursday that 5.5 million Americans filed initial applications for unemployment
insurance last week. The protests are occurring as President Donald Trump and governors debate over when states should loosen the restrictions put in place to ensure people practice
social distancing. USA Today
Nurses suspended for refusing to perform COVID-19 care without N95 mask . . . At at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California, a handful of nurses told their managers they wouldn’t enter COVID-19 patient rooms without N95 masks. The hospital suspended them, according to
the National Nurses Union, which represents them. Ten nurses are now being paid but not allowed to return to work pending an investigation from human resources, the union said. They are among hundreds of doctors, nurses and other health care workers across the country who say they’ve been asked to work without adequate protection. Some have taken part in protests or lodged formal complaints. Others are buying — or even making — their own supplies. Associated Press
California to cut coronavirus checks for illegal immigrants . . . California will cut $500 checks to undocumented immigrants struggling to pay bills because of the coronavirus pandemic, the state’s governor announced Wednesday, becoming the first jurisdiction to offer a rescue package to people who aren’t in the
country legally. State taxpayers will shell out $75 million from their Disaster Relief Fund, and another $50 million will come from a network of philanthropic foundations, Gov. Gavin Newsom said. Washington Times
IRS online tool to track your stimulus check crashes
NJ police find 17 bodies piled up at nursing home . . . The call for body bags came late Saturday. By Monday, the police in a small New Jersey town had gotten an anonymous tip about a body being stored in a shed outside one of the state’s largest nursing homes. When the police arrived, the corpse had been
removed from the shed, but they discovered 17 bodies piled inside the nursing home in a small morgue intended to hold no more than four people. “They were just overwhelmed by the amount of people who were expiring,” said Eric C. Danielson, the police chief in Andover, a small township in Sussex County, the state’s northernmost county. New York Times
Georgia suspends Ku Klux Lan mask law . . . The coronavirus has forced Georgia to revisit a 70-year-old law targeting the Ku Klux Klan.
Gov. Brian Kemp signed an executive order temporarily suspending 1951 legislation creating a misdemeanor offense for people who conceal their identities while on public property — a law passed to combat klansmen. Kemp said the order allows Georgians to were protective facemasks during the coronavirus pandemic without having to
worry about a run-in with the law. New York Post
CDC estimates at least 9,200 health workers have coronavirus
Fauci: Love has its risks . . . Dr Anthony Fauci has cautioned lonely Americans to invite a Tinder date over at their own risk. The nation's top infectious disease expert was taken a bit out of his element when he was asked to give some dating advice amid the pandemic during an interview with Vanity Fair. Fauci was asked: 'If you're swiping on a dating app like Tinder, or Bumble or Grindr, and you match with someone that you think is hot, and you're just kind of like, "Maybe it's fine if this one stranger comes over." What do you say to that
person?' Calling it a 'relative risk,' Fauci explained: 'If you're willing to take a risk—and you know, everybody has their own tolerance for risks—you could figure out if you want to meet somebody.' Daily Mail
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Trump threatnes to adjourn Congress and make recess appointments . . . President Donald Trump leveled a new threat at Congress Wednesday, threatening to try to force Congress into adjournment in order to install additional conservative judges and other nominees – just days after clashing with governors of his 'absolute' power to force them the country to reopen. The president made his case in a speech at
the start of Wednesday's White House press conference, which came just a day after he retreated on his claim of having 'absolute power' to compel governors to rescind their stay-home orders amid the coronavirus outbreak. He blasted senators for holding up judicial and administrative nominees, saying the Senate must 'fulfill its duty.' He even went after Voice of America, calling some of its programming 'disgusting.' Daily Mail
Warren finally endorses Biden and says she'd be happy to be his VP . . . U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren said on Wednesday that she would accept an offer to be Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden’s running mate if the position were offered. “Yes,” said Warren when she was asked on MSNBC how she would respond if Biden asked her to serve as his vice president. Biden, who was Barack
Obama’s vice president, has vowed to pick a woman to be his running mate and said he would name a committee to help him vet a shortlist of names soon. Reuters
Trump attempt to enlist businesses in reopening off to rocky start . . . President Trump’s attempt to enlist corporate executives in a push to reopen parts of society amid the coronavirus pandemic got off to a rocky start Wednesday, with some business leaders complaining the effort was haphazard and warning that more testing needs to be in place before restrictions are lifted. The president spent much of his day hosting
conference calls with company executives, industry groups and others that he announced Tuesday as part of a hastily formed outside advisory council devoted to the issue. Advisers said the effort was aimed at building national momentum to reopen much of the country’s economy by next month. Washington Post
Ilhan Omar funnels $300K to husband's consulting firm . . . Democratic representative Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.) continues to push cash from her campaign committee to her now-husband's consulting firm. Omar's new committee filings, posted Wednesday afternoon, show that during the first three months of the year, the campaign paid $292,905 to the E Street Group. E Street is a political consulting firm owned by Omar's husband, Tim Mynett. The cash, which reportedly went toward an array of services that included fundraising and advertisements, accounted for over 40 percent of the campaign's $674,892 in disbursements. Washington Free Beacon
AOC has been pulling the same kind of nonsense.
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Iranian ships taunting US Navy . . . Six US Navy warships conducting drills with US Army Apache attack helicopters in international waters off Iran Wednesday were repeatedly harassed by 11 Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Navy vessels, the US Navy’s 5th Fleet reported. The Iranian ships repeatedly crossed in front and behind the U.S. vessels at extremely close range and high speeds, including
multiple crossings of one ship, the Puller, with a 50-yard closest point of approach and within 10 yards of another ship, the Maui's, bow, a 5th Fleet statement said. Fox News
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Bangladesh rescues 400 Rohingya from drifting boat; 32 dead . . . At least 32 ethnic Rohingya died on a ship that drifted for weeks after it failed to reach Malaysia, officials of the Bangladesh coast guard said on Thursday, following the rescue of 396 starving survivors. For years, Rohingya from Myanmar have boarded boats organised by smugglers in the hope of finding refuge in Southeast Asia, usually making voyages during the
dry season from November to March, when the waters are calm. A human rights group said it believed more boats carrying Muslim-minority Rohingya were adrift at sea, with coronavirus lockdowns in Malaysia and Thailand making it harder for them to find refuge. Reuters
Why are South Koreas who recovered from coronavirus testing positive? . . . South Korean health officials are investigating several possible explanations for a small but growing number of recovered coronavirus patients who later test positive for the virus again. Among the main possibilities are re-infection, a relapse, or inconsistent tests, experts say. South Korea had reported 141 such cases as of Thursday. Although re-infection would be the
most concerning scenario because of its implications for developing immunity in a population, both the KCDC and many experts say this is unlikely.
Instead, the KCDC says it is leaning toward some kind of relapse or “re-activation” in the virus. Reuters
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Vegas mulls plans to reopen . . . Casino executives from rival companies are informally discussing what Las Vegas will look like when one of the largest U.S. tourist destinations reopens to guests. The deliberations have included potentially allowing small businesses off of the famous Strip to open first, so that locals could get back to work, according to people familiar with the talks. The executives have also discussed
opening facilities nearby so that all casino workers -- and perhaps even tourists -- could get tested for the coronavirus. Bloomberg
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Hall of Fame pitcher Roy Halladay on drugs at time of fatal plane crash . . . Hall of Fame MLB pitcher Roy Hal laday was
doing acrobatics in his plane and had a dangerous mix of drugs in his system when the aircraft crashed into the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida in 2017, killing him, the National Transportation Safety Board said Wednesday. The 40-year-old former Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies ace, who won more than 200 games and notched more than 2,000 strikeouts in a 16-year big-league career, had 10 times the recommended level of
amphetamine, as well as morphine, a muscle relaxer, an opioid pain medication, and antidepressants in his bloodstream at the time of the crash, officials said. Fox News
Bloomberg News killed China investigation and tried to silence reporters' wife . . . Six years ago, Bloomberg News killed an investigation into the wealth of Communist Party elites in China, fearful of repercussions by the Chinese government. The company successfully silenced the reporters involved. And it sought to keep the spouse of one of the reporters quiet, too. Bloomberg
ACLU sues Idaho for banning male atheletes from women's sports . . . The American Civil Liberties Union of Idaho announced it will sue the state government over the Fairness in Women's Sports Act, a law that
made Idaho the first state to ban biologically male students from participating in all-female sports. "When [Republican governor Brad Little] signed a law to ban trans athletes, he sent a message that trans people do not deserve the benefits of sports available to their peers," ACLU of Idaho wrote on Twitter. Washington Free Beacon
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Man threatens to shoot Easter Bunny . . .
A man brandished a gun and threatened a person playing the Easter Bunny who was waving to motorists from an interstate overpass in Ohio, authorities said. A 49-year-old man was arrested Wednesday afternoon in Middlebourne, The Daily Jeffersonian reported. He was given a breath-alcohol test at an Ohio State Highway Patrol post but was taken to a
medical facility when jail officials refused to book him because of an elevated temperature, leading to concerns he might be infected with the coronavirus. Guernsey County Sgt. Jason Best on Friday said the man could face charges of aggravated menacing and improper handling of a firearm in a vehicle. Associated Press
Fed up cops demand people wear pants to check mail . . . Marylanders going pantsless to check the mail while in coronavirus lockdown at home has drawn the ire of small-town cops. The Taneytown Police Department on Tuesday told the town’s roughly 7,000 residents to remember to pop on some trousers when they
make their short trips to the mailbox. “Please remember to put pants on before leaving the house to check your mailbox,” the department wrote in a playful but pertinent Facebook post. “You know who you are. This is your final warning.” New York Post
Stimulus checks sent to dead people . . . Stimulus checks the government promised to millions of Americans during the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic began arriving Wednesday – including some for people who are no longer living, multiple reports said. Social media
posts around the country report relatives of the deceased were notified Wednesday of a direct deposit in their loved ones’ accounts, despite some banks’ websites crashing from the heavy traffic. Fox News
Let's face it, no one needs a stimulus more than a dead person
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Have a great day.
Keith
Keith Koffler
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