Right Wing Granny

News behind the news. This picture is me (white spot) standing on the bridge connecting European and North American tectonic plates. It is located in the Reykjanes area of Iceland. By-the-way, this is a color picture.

Right Wing Granny

Tag Archives: MSN

Something To Watch Closely

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Today, MSN reported that protesters had taken over Speaker McCarthy’s office and had to be dragged out by police.

The article reports:

Protesters stormed House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s Congressional office on Tuesday, demanding that he and other House Republicans re-up funding for an AIDs relief program.

Protesters with Housing Works pressed their way into McCarthy’s office and refused to move until Capitol Hill Police arrived and arrested them. The group was demanding a 5-year reauthorization of the PEPFAR global AIDs relief program, which they say has saved “25 million lives.”

…McCarthy’s office did not respond to multiple requests for comment on the incident, but Capitol Police confirmed to Fox News Digital that they arrested seven individuals.

“This morning, multiple individuals were demonstrating inside a House Office Building. After the demonstrators refused to cease demonstrating, USCP then arrested the 4 males and 3 females for Unlawful Entry,” Capitol Police said in a statement.

There are a few things here that need to be noted. The protesters actually came into the Speaker’s office and disobeyed requests to leave. They had to be escorted out and arrested. Contrast that with the way people peacefully paraded through the Capitol on January 6th. Some of the people who did nothing more than walk through and take selfies are facing multiple-year jail terms. It will be interesting to see how the Justice Department treats the people who were actually in the Speaker’s office and refused to leave versus the people who not only walked peacefully through the Capitol but left the Capitol when they were asked to do so.

I have no idea why the Republicans in Congress are too cowardly to stand up for the January 6th political prisoners. Every morning, a Congressman should put a statement in the Congressional Record that the political prisoners are still being held. There should be a reminder on every newscast every night that there are political prisoners in America.

There is a poem all Americans need to remember. Below is a 1946 post-war confessional prose by the German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemöller:

The best-known versions of the confession in English are the edited versions in poetic form that began circulating by the 1950s.[1] The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum quotes the following text as one of the many poetic versions of the speech:[2][3]

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—
     Because I was not a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—
     Because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
     Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

Being Too Woke Gets You Into Trouble

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On Friday, MSN reported that Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream suffered significant losses on the stock market after a tweet that called for Americans to return U.S. land to Native Americans.

The article reports:

The fallout of Ben & Jerry’s Fourth of July tweet became evident as soon as the close of the stock market on Thursday, which reflected a loss of almost $1 per share.

Unilever, Ben & Jerry’s parent company, had its shares listed at $52.28 at the end of the day on Monday, before the tweet called for the return of U.S. land to Native Americans. By Thursday, when about 30 million Twitter users had read the ice cream company’s claim that “the US was founded on stolen Indigenous land” and opted to boycott the brand, its share price had fallen to $51.31.

But that’s only part of the story.

On Friday, The Daily Caller reported the following:

Ben & Jerry’s headquarters is located on land originally controlled by a Native American tribe in Vermont, and the chief of this tribe expressed interest in reclaiming the property on Friday.

Ben & Jerry’s marked Independence Day on Tuesday by tweeting that the U.S. should “commit to returning” land to Native Americans. In response, Don Stevens, chief of the Nulhegan Band of The Coosuk Abenaki Nation said his tribe would be willing to take back the land currently owned by Ben & Jerry’s, according to Newsweek.

The article at The Daily Caller concludes:

In a statement, Ben & Jerry’s claims that the best place to start returning land to Native Americans  is Mount Rushmore. They call for the United States to return the South Dakota land to the Lakota Sioux.

“From there, in 1927, they watched as their holy mountain, now located on land known as South Dakota, was desecrated and dynamited to honor their colonizers, four white men—two of whom enslaved people and all of whom were hostile to Indigenous people and values,” the statement reads.

Ben & Jerry’s hasn’t yet publicly responded to Steven’s comments.

Ben & Jerry’s did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

This reminds me of NIMBY (Not In My BackYard), only in this case it’s ‘Take someone else’s backyard first!’

Can we give the Native Americans back Manhattan?

Making Friends With Our Enemies And Betraying Our Friends

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On June 19, msn.com posted the following:

Secretary of State Antony Blinken raised eyebrows Monday, telling reporters the US “does not support Taiwan independence” after meeting in Beijing with officials including Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Blinken’s statement ruffled the feathers of many Republicans in Congress, who viewed the statement – and the secretary’s inability to re-establish military-to-military communications – as an inappropriate kowtow to America’s greatest adversary.

“Blinken flew to Communist China to appease Xi Jinping and state the Biden administration does not support Taiwan’s independence,” Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) said on Twitter. “Why won’t this administration stand up to bullies and stand for freedom?”

The Taiwan issue is among the most contentious in the US-China relationship, with Xi making it his No. 1 priority to “reunite” Taiwan with China — though the island about 100 miles off the country’s southeastern coast has never actually been part of it.

Rep. Ben Cline (R-Va.) tweeted that Blinken’s statement was a “dangerous display of weakness towards our adversaries on the world stage.”

Follow the money. I realize that a lot of the allegations against the Biden family have not yet been proven, but there are very few countries in the world that could support the lifestyle that the Bidens enjoy.

The article continues:

Washington’s “One China policy,” which has been critical for maintaining peace in East Asia since it took effect in the late 1970s, holds that the US acknowledges – but does not necessarily agree with – Beijing’s opinion that Taiwan is its sovereign territory.

Instead, the policy holds that the US considers Taiwan’s sovereignty status unsettled, and successive presidential administrations have held that the US favors no change to the “status quo” of relations between China and Taiwan.

However, the US also allows for its military to come to Taiwan’s defense should Beijing attempt to take Taiwan by force, something both the Trump and Biden administrations stated repeatedly as US-China tensions began heating up in 2016.

The article concludes:

Members of the bipartisan House Select Subcommittee on Countering the Chinese Communist Party last month issued a “ten for Taiwan” report laying out policy strategies lawmakers should consider to push back against China.

In part, it says that the US should pass legislation that would state its official position in a more straight-forward manner.

“[T]he United States, alongside its allies and partners, should publicly oppose any attempts by the CCP to resolve the status of Taiwan’s sovereignty by intentionally misusing, misinterpreting, and misleading others on the underlying purpose of … the United States’ One China Policy,” the subcommittee said in its report.

“The United States and its allies need to strengthen and better coordinate collective planning for how they will deter or would respond diplomatically and economically to a crisis over Taiwan.”

Maintaining the freedom of Taiwan is considerably more important than fighting for Ukraine.

Fighting Extradition

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On Monday, MSN posted an article about the arrest of Sam Bankman-Fried in the Bahamas. He is fighting extradition to America. It should also be noted that his arrest will prevent him from testifying before Congress. Hmm. I suspect, based on the information that has leaked out about where his money went, that the Democrats’ (and possibly some Republicans) worse nightmare is to have this man questioned by Congressmen who actually care about law and order.

The article reports:

A day after he was arrested at a luxury apartment in the Bahamas, Sam Bankman-Fried declared he would fight extradition to the United States, where he faces charges by multiple federal agencies, including wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, securities fraud and conspiracy to violate campaign finance laws. The founder of collapsed crypto exchange FTX told Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt that he would not waive his right to an extradition hearing.

In the Bahamas Magistrate Court on Tuesday, Bankman-Fried’s local attorney Jerone Roberts urged the court to grant bail; citing a lack of jurisdiction and that Bankman-Fried is a permanent resident of the Bahamas, according to the Nassau Guardian. (Bahamian media has previously questioned whether the FTX founder is a permanent resident.) Prosecutors argued Bankman-Fried posed a flight risk, and should not be granted bail. Bankman-Fried’s parents were reportedly present; at one point, police escorted a family member to his residence in Albany to retrieve his medication.

Neither Roberts nor Bahamian government officials could be reached for comment at the time of publication.

The article concludes:

At the same time as Bankman-Fried’s court appearance, new FTX CEO John J. Ray III testified before the House Financial Services Committee for a hearing on the crypto investigation. Ray claimed that while his investigation is ongoing, the downfall of FTX “appears to stem from the absolute concentration of control in the hands of a very small group of grossly inexperienced and unsophisticated individuals who failed to implement virtually any of the systems or controls that are necessary for a company that is entrusted with other people’s money or assets.

Bankman-Fried was also scheduled to appear before the congressional committee but was arrested hours prior. Forbes obtained and published his written testimony, in which he blamed numerous associates for the fall and decline of FTX, including Ray, who he claimed had shut him out of attempts to restore FTX US customer funds.

I don’t expect that he will ever actually be questioned by Congress, but that is simply a guess.

When Is An Emergency Not An Emergency?

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On Friday, MSN reported that President Biden plans to renew the COVID-19 pandemic status as a public health emergency in January. The public health emergency was expected to expire in January. The article notes that the extension will provide free tests, vaccines and treatments. What the article does not mention is that fact that the Covid vaccine is only authorized under emergency use. If the emergency goes away, then any vaccine mandates that are still remaining will also have to go away.

The article reports:

The possibility of a winter surge in COVID cases and the need for more time to transition out of the public health emergency to a private market were two factors that contributed to the decision, the official said.

The public health emergency was initially declared in January 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic began, and has been renewed each quarter since. But the government in August began signaling it planned to let it expire in Jan.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has promised to give states 60 days notice before letting the emergency expire, which would have been on Friday if it did not plan on renewing it again in January.

Doesn’t it make more sense to declare an emergency when there actually is one instead of when there might be a possibility of one? It should also be noted that many of those in government are enjoying the extra authority the public health emergency gives them. That is another reason we need to end the emergency.

Correcting Serious Mistakes

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On Friday, MSN reported that the Uvalde, Texas school district police force has been suspended.

The article reports:

The Uvalde, Texas, school district — still facing withering criticism over its police department’s failings both during the May 24 elementary school massacre and since — announced the suspension of the entire district police force on Friday.

Hours later, Uvalde school district Superintendent Hal Harrell announced he would be retiring. There was no timeframe given for Harrell’s retirement, but the transition will be discussed in a closed session of the school board on Monday.

The district said it’s requested more Texas Department of Public Safety troopers to be stationed on campuses and at extracurricular activities amid the police department suspension, adding, “We are confident that staff and student safety will not be compromised during this transition.”

The length of the school district police suspension is not clear.

The article concludes:

The school district said in Friday’s statement that “decisions concerning” the school district police department have been pending results of investigations from the Texas Police Chiefs Association and the private investigative firm JPPI Investigations, but “recent developments have uncovered additional concerns with department operations.”

Results of the JPPI investigation “will inform future personnel decisions” and the Texas Police Chiefs Association’s review “will guide the rebuilding of the department and the hiring of a new Chief of Police,” the statement said.

The school district’s police chief, Pete Arredondo, was fired in August.

The shooting was a nightmare that no one was prepared for. We need to learn from the mistakes made. As we go forward, I am sure those mistakes will come to light.

What Promise?

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Remember when the Biden administration promised that President Biden would have no knowledge of the people purchasing Hunter Biden’s artwork.

In July 2021, MSN reported the following:

A New York gallery owner will facilitate sales of Hunter Biden’s original artwork, an arrangement meant to diffuse concerns over buyers paying top dollar to win influence with the president’s son, according to a source familiar with the situation.

The gallerist, Georges Berges, will independently set prices on the artwork of President Joe Biden‘s son and keep the identities of buyers confidential, including from the president and administration officials. Berges will be the sole person authorized to collect, reject and agree on offers. Berges has agreed to reject any offer that seems unusual, including offers above asking price.

Yesterday The New York Post reported:

It was a family affair Wednesday when Hunter Biden finally showed up at the Manhattan art gallery where his novice paintings are being offered for up to $500,000 each amid concerns about influence-peddling by the president’s son.

Biden, 51, carried his 1-1/2-year-old son Beau on his shoulders as he, wife Melissa Cohen and daughter Maisy Biden were escorted by owner George Berges into his eponymous Soho storefront for a party more than two weeks after the exhibition opened to a mere trickle of prospective buyers.

About 60 guests gathered for the belated event, including President Biden’s younger sister, Valerie Biden Owens, and reality TV star Meghan King of The Real Housewives of Orange County.

The article at The New York Post concludes:

Other attendees at the Hollywood show included Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti — the president’s nominee to be ambassador to India — as well as musician Moby and artist Shepard Fairey, who created the iconic “Hope” poster for Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign.

The White House has said that the identities of any buyers of Hunter Biden’s art will be kept secret to prevent them from holding sway over President Biden’s administration — claim that’s been widely derided by experts including Walter Shaub, who ran the Office of Government Ethics under then-President Barack Obama.

“There is no ethics program in the world that can be built around the head of state’s staff working with a dealer to keep the public in the dark about the identities of individuals who pay vast sums to the leader’s family member for subjectively priced items of no intrinsic value,” Shaub tweeted last month.

“If this were [Donald] Trump, Xi [Jinping] or [Vladimir] Putin, you’d have no doubt whatsoever that this creates a vehicle for funneling cash to the first family in exchange for access or favors. Nor would you doubt that the appearance of monetizing the presidency was outrageous.”

I guess ethics rules don’t apply to the Biden family.

Trying To Return Lost Property

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Yesterday MSN reporting the following:

The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office in Florida is looking to reunite $2 million worth of marijuana with its rightful owner, according to a snarky post on the department’s Facebook page.

“If you happened to have lost or misplaced approximately 770 pounds of high grade marijuana and would like to have your property returned, please contact our Narcotics Agents and we will be more than happy to reunite you with your lost property!!” read the statement written by Sheriff Wayne Ivey.

…”Once we properly identify you as the rightful owner we will gladly return your property and also make sure that both you and your property are kept in a secure area so that no one can try to rip you off!!” Ivey’s post read.

The post ended by saying the owner of the marijuana would get an “all expenses paid extensive ‘staycation'” so the owner can “reflect for a while on exactly how much your lost property means to you.”

The Facebook notes that the Sheriff’s Office understands that all of us have misplaced or lost something at some time in our lives and wants to do the right thing by returning the missing property to its rightful owner.

Dishonesty Causes Division

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Media bias is reflected in two ways–the way the media covers a story or the fact that the media chooses not to cover a story. The Arizona audit is a glaring example of that principle. The misreporting of the results will only deepen the political divisions in America.

If you watch the mainstream media, you learned (from msn) the following:

If you watched Fox News, you heard the above when the audit was completed and very little since.

However, if you cruised the alternative media, you quickly learned that there was a whole lot more to the story.

Yesterday The Gateway Pundit reported:

The Arizona audit could not find an identity match on 86,391 people. This is disclosed on Page 56 of the “Results Details” report.

These Maricopa voters cast ballots in Nov 2020 and don’t seem to exist. The ones registered as Democrat or selected no party affiliation represent a whopping 73.8% of these unknown voters. That’s 63,757 ballots. Not selecting a party makes monitoring of nefarious registrations much harder as everything not R or D is bulked together as “Other”. Even the new State voter registration form now only has only 3 categories (R, D, Other) and some registration reporting reduced to similar.

Yesterday The Gateway Pundit also reported:

According to the initial Cyber Ninja Report released to the media on Friday,  the day before the Arizona Senate report was made public, there was real concern about provisional ballots.

On page 2 of the early Cyber Ninja report:

There were substantial statistically significant anomalies identified in the ratio of hand-folded ballots, on- demand printed ballots, as well as a statistically significant increase in provisional ballot rejections for a mail-in ballot already being cast, suggestive of mail-in ballots being cast for voters without their knowledge.

Arizona was not the only state in 2020 that illicit acts with provisional ballots.

In Michigan, leftist operatives taught poll workers how to cheat with provisional ballots.

Damning audio was released by Detroit Leaks before the election that outlined poll worker training wherein workers were trained in how to lie, trained on how to handle ballot challenges from Trump supporters, told to call 911 on any challengers and to use COVID as an excuse to deny poll challengers access to view the ballots as they were being counted and tabulated.

The series of leaks also revealed that even challenged or provisional ballots would be processed as regular ballots.

This was a tactic used by the left and TAUGHT to poll workers before the election. They were taught how to cheat with provisional ballots.

So if you are a follower of the mainstream media, you have heard nothing that indicates investigations are revealing election fraud in the 2020 presidential election. If you follow the alternative media, you are left wondering why our elected officials don’t care enough about election integrity to be shouting ‘foul’ from the rooftops right now. The dishonest mainstream media, intentionally or otherwise, is largely responsible for politically dividing America. They are not reporting the facts or telling the entire story.

Destroying Our Foreign Allegiances In Eight Months

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President Trump was accused of having a negative impact on our relationships with our allies. After all, he pretty much forced our NATO allies to pay their fair share. However, with President Trump what you saw was pretty much what you got. There weren’t a lot of surprises. Allies were never left uninformed about military actions or treated badly. Our bond with Britain was strengthened during the Trump years. Our bond with France was solid– they respected our President (even if they were not overly fond of his style). Well, President Biden has created some serious problems with our allies.

Yesterday MSN reported that France has recalled its ambassadors to America and to Australia in protest over an agreement that will provide nuclear submarines to Australia.

The article reports:

France recalled its ambassadors to the United States and Australia in response to a pact signed by the two countries along with the United Kingdom that the French referred to as a stab in the back.

“At the request of President Macron, I have decided to immediately recall our ambassadors to the United States and Australia to Paris for consultations,” French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drain said in a statement Friday.

The article concludes:

Earlier in the week, Le Drain told a French radio station that the pact, known as AUKUS and widely perceived as a challenge to China’s presence in the region, was a “stab in the back” and that France had been “betrayed.”

Le Drain also compared President Biden to former President Donald Trump.

“This brutal, unilateral and unpredictable decision reminds me a lot of what Mr. Trump used to do,” Le Drian said. “I am angry and bitter. This isn’t done between allies.”

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki denied that the move had created a “regional divide” and said that France was notified of the deal prior to the announcement.  

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News on the French ambassadors being recalled.

I am sure there is someone somewhere in the diplomatic corps who could have properly handled this. Will we have any friends in the world by the end of the Biden administration?

If You Ever Wondered About The Insanity Of The Media…

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Recently MSN reported that the personal finance website WalletHub has named New Jersey as the best state in the nation in which to live. Just for the record, New Jersey was one of sixteen states that lost population in the 2020 census. (article here).

The article at MSN reports:

The report evaluated states based on five equally weighted categories — affordability, economy, education and health, quality of life and safety.

Of all 50 states, New Jersey placed number one in safety, fifth in the “Education and Health” category, and seventh for quality of life. The state did not rank as high in the other two categories: it took 32nd place for its economy and came in second-to-last for affordability. 

So a financial site chose as the best state in the nation to live in a state the came in 32nd for its economy and second-to-last for affordability. Wow.  Somehow I don’t think that choice reflects fiscal responsibility. I am sure they could have found states with reasonable numbers in safety, education and health that are more affordable.

The article at MSN continues:

Following New Jersey, the study rated Massachusetts and New York the second and third-best states to live in, respectively. Idaho and Minnesota rounded out the top five. The worst? New Mexico, aka The Land of Enchantment.

Massachusetts and New York both lost population in the 2020 census.

If nothing else, this article shows the contrast between the point of view from the ‘experts’ and the people who actually work for a living and live in America.

If You Believe The Media

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The media’s worst nightmare is to have President Trump hold rallies again. President Trump is still very popular with Americans who understand that his administration had a positive impact on the economic situation of average Americans. As average Americans watch the economic destruction caused by the Biden administration, they appreciate President Trump even more. The media hates that and is trying to change the narrative.

Yesterday MSN posted an article that is aimed at  establishing the media narrative on President Trump.

The article reports:

President Biden on Monday claimed the Republican party is “vastly diminished in numbers” after the January 6 Capitol riot and expressed disappointment in GOP senators who “know better” than to vote against an investigation into the riot but are “worried about being primaried.”

Biden’s remarks came in response to a question about whether NATO allies are shaken by the Capitol riot and the actions of former President Trump.

During a press conference after the NATO summit in Brussels, Belgium, Biden said that while other leaders may have seen things that “shock them and surprise them” they believe that the American people “are not going to sustain that kind of behavior.”

Notice how the media narrative keeps coming back to January 6th in an effort to associate President Trump with the illegal entry into the Capitol. Somehow President Biden (and the media) choose to overlook the behavior of burning down American cities last summer. Was that acceptable?

The article continues:

“I think it’s appropriate to say that the Republican party is vastly diminished in numbers,” he said. “The leadership of the Republican party is fractured and the Trump wing of the party is the bulk of the party but it makes up a significant minority of the American people.”

He added, however, that the “consequence of President Trump’s phony populism” has been a “shock and surprise.”

“It is disappointing that so many of my Republican colleagues in the Senate — who I know know better — have been reluctant to take on, for example, an investigation because they’re worried about being primaried,” he said.

I think 2022 is going to be very interesting if election fraud is dealt with. Meanwhile, you can expect the above narrative to continue for the next three years.

An Upside Down Department Of Justice

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Yesterday The Washington Times posted an article about the priorities of the Department of Justice under Attorney General Merrick Garland.

The article reports:

Attorney General Merrick Garland acknowledged Wednesday that the Justice Department is prioritizing prosecuting those who participated in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol over those who rioted and looted during last summer’s social justice demonstrations.

“I think it’s fair to say in my career as a judge and in law enforcement, I have not seen a more dangerous threat to democracy than the invasion of the Capitol,” Mr. Garland said in testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee. “There was an attempt to interfere with the fundamental element of our democracy — the peaceful transfer of power.

“If there has to be a hierarchy of things that we prioritize, this would be the one we would prioritize because it is the most dangerous threat to our democracy,” he continued.

It should be noted that on April 15th, MSN reported:

Federal prosecutors in Portland, Ore., have moved to dismiss almost half the cases they charged in connection with violence accompanying last year’s protests over racial injustice, as authorities grapple with how to tamp down politically motivated unrest that has arisen since then.

Of 96 cases the U.S. attorney’s office in Portland filed last year charging protesters with federal crimes, including assaulting federal officers, civil disorder, and failing to obey, prosecutors have dropped 47 of them, government documents show. Ten people have pleaded guilty to related charges and two were ordered detained pending trial. None have gone to trial.

The penalties levied so far against any federal defendants, most of whom were arrested in clashes around federal buildings in Portland including the courthouse, have largely consisted of community service, such as working in a food bank or encouraging people to vote.

On January 3rd, The Daily Caller reported:

  • At least $4 million in physical damage was done to businesses downtown during the first month of protests, according to the Portland Business Alliance.
  • The riots cost downtown Portland another $18 million in revenue, according to the PBA.

I think it’s time for the Attorney General to re-examine his priorities. Those who participated in the riot at the Capitol deserve to be punished, but none of the rioters had weapons and the only person killed was killed by the Capitol Police. The destruction and threats to human life in Portland were far more serious. The only reason for the priorities the Attorney General is stating is political bias. No wonder many Americans have lost faith in the legal system in our country.

The Impact Of Brexit And The Signed Stimulus Package

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MSN is reporting the following today:

Global shares rose and U.S. bond yields ticked higher on Monday after President Donald Trump signed a $2.3 trillion spending package and as investors continued to celebrate a last-minute trade deal clinched between Britain and the European Union.

By backing down from his earlier threat to block the bipartisan bill, Trump allowed millions of Americans to continue receiving unemployment benefits and averted a federal government shutdown.

“As the coronavirus pandemic has shown little sign of abating, the emergency aid was needed to avoid a sharp slowdown in the economy during the first quarter,” said Nobuhiko Kuramochi, market strategist at Mizuho Securities.

“It would have been unsettling if we hadn’t had it by the end of year,” he added.

…Germany’s export-oriented DAX surged to a fresh record high, reflecting relief over the Brexit deal, while the British market was closed for the Boxing Day holiday.

“We can finally move on from the Brexit drama,” said Win Thin, global head of currency strategy at Brown Brothers Harriman.

“After the last-minute deal was struck last week, the UK parliament will vote on the deal Wednesday. With (opposition party) Labour promising its support, it should pass handily,” he added.

Earlier Japan’s Nikkei advanced 0.7% and China stocks also rose, helped by strong industrial profit data. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.1%.

The rollouts of COVID-19 vaccines were also bolstering hopes of more economic normalisation next year, with Europe launching a mass vaccination drive on Sunday.

There is some downward pressure on the financial markets as a result of the new strain of the coronavirus. However, I wonder if we have reached the point of reliving ‘the boy who cried wolf.’ The coronavirus is serious, and it does represent a major health threat. However, it is time to replace fear with logical thinking–protect the vulnerable and let the rest of us go on with our lives.

Whoops

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MSN is reporting today that 19 sailors were killed and 15 others wounded when an Iranian warship accidentally fired upon another warship during a training exercise.

The article reports:

The incident took place during training in the Gulf of Oman, a sensitive waterway that connects to the Strait of Hormuz through which about a fifth of the world’s oil passes. Iran regularly conducts exercises in the area.

The frigate Jamaran fired at a training target released by a support ship, the Konarak. However, the support ship stayed too close to the target and was hit, state broadcaster IRIB said.

“The incident took place in the perimeter of Iran’s southern Bandar-e Jask port on the Gulf of Oman during Iranian Navy drills on Sunday afternoon, in which 19 sailors were killed and 15 others were injured,” state TV said, quoting the navy.

Fars news agency quoted an unidentified military official as denying some Iranian media reports that the Konarak had sunk. The navy statement said investigations were undergoing regarding the cause of the incident, student news agency ISNA said.

IRIB said the Dutch-made Konarak vessel, which was purchased before Iran’s 1979 Islamic revolution, had been overhauled in 2018, and is equipped with four cruise missiles.

My sympathies to the families impacted, but not to the government that made this possible.

Be Careful Out There (Or Better Yet, Stay Home)

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It’s hard to fight an enemy you can’t see, yet that is what Americans are being asked to do. We can debate the seriousness of the coronavirus if we choose, but we can’t debate that it is here and that it is killing people.

MSN posted an article yesterday about the death of two people in Washington state. I realize that compared to the growing number of coronavirus deaths in America, two people may seem insignificant (not to their families), but their story is significant.

The article reports:

With the coronavirus quickly spreading in Washington state in early March, leaders of the Skagit Valley Chorale debated whether to go ahead with weekly rehearsal.

The virus was already killing people in the Seattle area, about an hour’s drive to the south.

But Skagit County hadn’t reported any cases, schools and business remained open, and prohibitions on large gatherings had yet to be announced.

On March 6, Adam Burdick, the choir’s conductor, informed the 121 members in an email that amid the “stress and strain of concerns about the virus,” practice would proceed as scheduled at Mount Vernon Presbyterian Church.

“I’m planning on being there this Tuesday March 10, and hoping many of you will be, too,” he wrote.

Sixty singers showed up. A greeter offered hand sanitizer at the door, and members refrained from the usual hugs and handshakes.

…After 2 1/2 hours, the singers parted ways at 9 p.m.

Nearly three weeks later, 45 have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or ill with the symptoms, at least three have been hospitalized, and two are dead.

The outbreak has stunned county health officials, who have concluded that the virus was almost certainly transmitted through the air from one or more people without symptoms.

The fact that the virus was transmitted at the rehearsal raises questions about the virus.

The article notes:

In interviews with the Los Angeles Times, eight people who were at the rehearsal said that nobody there was coughing or sneezing or appeared ill.

Everybody came with their own sheet music and avoided direct physical contact. Some members helped set up or remove folding chairs. A few helped themselves to mandarins that had been put out on a table in back.

Experts said the choir outbreak is consistent with a growing body of evidence that the virus can be transmitted through aerosols — particles smaller than 5 micrometers that can float in the air for minutes or longer.

The World Health Organization has downplayed the possibility of transmission in aerosols, stressing that the virus is spread through much larger “respiratory droplets,” which are emitted when an infected person coughs or sneezes and quickly fall to a surface.

But a study published March 17 in the New England Journal of Medicine found that when the virus was suspended in a mist under laboratory conditions it remained “viable and infectious” for three hours — though researchers have said that time period would probably be no more than a half-hour in real-world conditions.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has not behaved well during this pandemic. There is a video of an official of the organization obviously avoiding a question about helping Taiwan. There are also indications that the WHO has made statements based on Chinese propaganda rather than actual facts (misinformation that has helped spread the virus).

At any rate–STAY HOME. Choir practice is fun, but when you sing, you may be projecting more than your voice. Normally that is not a problem–right now it is.

Stay safe.