Today's News (2020/4/14): "wut" edition
Apr. 14th, 2020 06:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
solarbirdTHIS POST HAS BEEN UPDATED.
So the latest attempt to divert blame is to blame the World Health Organisation for literally everything, and cut off funding. That's 14% of their budget, which is a fucking lot to lose during a fucking pandemic.
Also, they're getting back on the "lives should be sacrificed" for the stock markets.
This entire administration and party is made up of psychopaths. Understand that. Never forget it.
PS: I'm including a story on the "mutiny" comments earlier in the day, but yesterday's absolute-power rampage has been being walked back all day, and in today's... press briefing, if you want to call it back... it got walked back even further. So.
And this is the MAGAt 'god emperor,' the player of 'twelve dimensional chess.'
Christ, MAGAts are the absolute dumbestass motherfuckers the US has to offer, aren't they?
----- 1 -----
Mark D. Levine
twitter.com/MarkLevineNYC
14 April 2020
https://twitter.com/MarkLevineNYC/status/1250170016504430595
BREAKING: NYC publishes, for first time, data on fatalities that includes "probable" cases (those without a confirmed test result).
It has pushed the death toll in NYC up by 57%.
Was 6,589 before this adjustment. Now stands at 10,367. This is a painful but necessary accounting.
[MORE DATA AT THREAD]
----- 2 -----
GOP lawmaker: We must choose 'loss of American lives' over 'loss of our way of life as Americans'
By Justine Coleman - 04/14/20
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/492804-gop-lawmaker-we-must-choose-loss-of-american-lives-over-loss-of-our-way-of
Rep. Trey Hollingsworth (R-Ind.) said Tuesday, as the U.S. grapples with the coronavirus pandemic, that the country will always have to choose a “loss of American lives” over a “loss of our way of life as Americans.”
Hollingsworth told Indianapolis's WIBC radio station that there is no “zero-harm” option when it comes to deciding when and how to reopen the American economy.
“Both of these decisions will lead to harm for individuals, whether that's dramatic economic harm or whether that's the loss of life,” he said. “But it is always the American government's position to say, in the choice between the loss of our way of life as Americans and the loss of life of American lives, we have to always choose the latter.”
Hollingsworth said that the decision that would do the most good for the most people would be to “get Americans back to work.” The Indiana lawmaker added that no “amount of legislation out of D.C.” is going to fix the crisis.
“It is policymakers' decision to put on our big-boy and big-girl pants and say, ‘This is the lesser of these two evils,’” he said.
----- 3 -----
Yamiche Alcindor
twitter.com/Yamiche
14 April 2020
https://twitter.com/Yamiche/status/1250195487715741700
Democratic National Committee statement on Pres Trump Halting WHO Funding: "Trump is willing to put global health further at risk to try to deflect blame from his own failures. But the American people know the truth: It was Trump who ignored warnings for months."
----- 4 -----
GOP senators target WHO as part of coronavirus probe
By Jordain Carney - 04/14/20
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/492726-gop-senators-target-world-health-organization-as-part-of-coronavirus-probe
A group of Republican senators are homing in on the World Health Organization (WHO) as they launch a probe into the coronavirus response, which is expected to include a focus on China's handling of the disease.
Seven senators sent a letter on Tuesday to Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of the organization, saying they were requesting information ahead of a congressional hearing on the WHO's role in "helping the Chinese Communist Party cover up information regarding the threat of the Coronavirus."
"American taxpayers fund the WHO, and it is up to us to make sure those taxpayer dollars are being spent wisely," they added.
GOP Sens. Rick Scott (Fla.), Ron Johnson (Wis.), Todd Young (Ind.), Kevin Cramer (N.D.), Steve Daines (Mont.), Joni Ernst (Iowa) and Martha McSally (Ariz.) signed the letter.
Johnson, who chairs the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, is planning to use his gavel and team up with Scott to probe the U.S. and international response to the coronavirus.
----- 5 -----
CIA issues warning on unproven treatment touted by Trump
By Devlin Barrett
April 13, 2020
https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/cia-issues-warning-on-unproven-treatment-touted-by-trump/
The CIA has privately advised its workforce that taking an anti-malarial drug touted by President Donald Trump and some of his supporters as a promising treatment for the novel coronavirus has potentially dangerous side effects, including sudden death.
The warning, featured on a website for CIA employees with questions related to the spread of the coronavirus, came in late March after public discussion – and promotion by the president – that hydroxychloroquine, administered in concert with the antibiotic azithromycin, might prove effective against covid-19, the disease the novel coronavirus causes.
...
“At this point, the drug is not recommended to be used by patients except by medical professionals prescribing it as part of ongoing investigational studies. There are potentially significant side effects, including sudden cardiac death, associated with hydroxychloroquine and its individual use in patients need to be carefully selected and monitored by a health care professional,” the answer read, before adding in bold type: “Please do not obtain this medication on your own.”
----- 6 -----
South Dakota’s governor resisted ordering people to stay home. Now it has one of the nation’s largest coronavirus hot spots.
By Griff Witte
April 13, 2020
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/south-dakotas-governor-resisted-ordering-people-to-stay-home-now-it-has-one-of-the-nations-largest-coronavirus-hot-spots/2020/04/13/5cff90fe-7daf-11ea-a3ee-13e1ae0a3571_story.html
As governors across the country fell into line in recent weeks, South Dakota’s top elected leader stood firm: There would be no statewide order to stay home.
Such edicts to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus, Gov. Kristi L. Noem said disparagingly, reflected a “herd mentality.” It was up to individuals — not government — to decide whether “to exercise their right to work, to worship and to play. Or to even stay at home.”
And besides, the first-term Republican told reporters at a briefing this month, “South Dakota is not New York City.”
But now South Dakota is home to one of the largest single coronavirus clusters anywhere in the United States, with more than 300 workers at a giant pork-processing plant falling ill. With the case numbers continuing to spike, the company was forced to announce the indefinite closure of the facility Sunday, threatening the U.S. food supply.
----- 7 -----
Group of pastors sue California officials for 'criminalizing' church attendance
By Justine Coleman - 04/14/20
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/492744-group-of-pastors-sue-california-officials-for-criminalizing-church
A group of pastors filed a lawsuit Monday against California officials including Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), for “criminalizing” church attendance with stay-at-home orders meant to combat the spread of the coronavirus.
The Center for Religious Liberty, in partnership with the Dhillon Law Group, filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on behalf of three pastors and one churchgoer.
One of the pastors is James Moffat, who was fined $1,000 for holding a Palm Sunday service in Riverside County.
Harmeet Dhillon, CEO of the Center for American Liberty, said in a press release that the stay-at-home orders are “criminalizing individual participation” in houses of worship and violating the First Amendment by not allowing religious groups to meet in person.
“The state and localities have granted sweeping exceptions to the shutdown orders for favored businesses and professions, while specifically targeting people of faith and decreeing to religious institutions that it is ‘good enough’ that they be allowed to offer streaming video services,” Dhillon said. “The state does not get to dictate the method of worship to the faithful.”
----- 8 -----
Barr says government 'may not impose special restrictions' on religious gatherings
By Tal Axelrod - 04/14/20
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/492751-barr-says-government-may-not-impose-special-restrictions-on-religious
Attorney General William Barr said Tuesday that the government "may not impose special restrictions" on religious gatherings as churches across the country raise eyebrows with large in-person ceremonies conducted against the advice of health officials.
Barr emphasized recommendations from federal health officials that people practice social distancing and avoid large gatherings, noting that “the Constitution does allow some temporary restriction on our liberties that would not be tolerated in normal circumstances.”
“But even in times of emergency, when reasonable and temporary restrictions are placed on rights, the First Amendment and federal statutory law prohibit discrimination against religious institutions and religious believers," Barr said in a statement. "Thus, government may not impose special restrictions on religious activity that do not also apply to similar nonreligious activity."
----- 9 -----
Jason Campbell
twitter.com/JasonSCampbell
13 April 2020
https://twitter.com/JasonSCampbell/status/1249882435237613569
[EDITOR: It's the same fucking reaction as to Y2K. We stopped it. We prevented it, made it not an issue, with literally years of work. So therefore, it was a fraud the entire time and we were all liars. I fucking hate these people so much.]
Laura Ingraham thinks "Americans should be furious" that the pandemic isn't as bad as originally projected [EMBEDDED VIDEO]
----- 10 -----
Student files class-action lawsuit against Liberty University over coronavirus response
By Harper Neidig - 04/14/20
https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/492727-student-files-class-action-lawsuit-against-liberty-university-over
A student has filed a class-action lawsuit against Liberty University over the school's response to the coronavirus crisis, seeking refunds of thousands of dollars of tuition paid for the spring semester.
A plaintiff identified only as "Student A," citing a fear of retaliation and harassment, accuses the school and its president, Jerry Falwell Jr., of downplaying the crisis and refusing to refund fees for services that are no longer available.
"Liberty University is, in a very real sense, profiting from the COVID-19 pandemic—keeping its campus and campus services ‘open’ as a pretext to retain Plaintiff’s and the other Class members’ room, board and campus fees, despite no longer having to incur the full cost of providing those services, all the while putting students’ finances and health at risk," the student's lawsuit reads.
----- 11 -----
AG Barr just signaled that things are about to get ugly for the Russia collusion team
By Kevin R. Brock, opinion contributor — 04/13/20 09:00 AM EDT
https://thehill.com/opinion/judiciary/492405-ag-barr-just-signaled-that-things-are-about-to-get-ugly-for-the-russia
“Travesty” is not a nice word. It usually is applied to gross perversions of justice, and that apparently is the context Attorney General William Barr desired when he dropped it into an interview answer the other day in the breezy courtyard of the Department of Justice (DOJ).
His composed, understated delivery almost disguised the weighty magnitude of that disturbing word and the loaded adjective that preceded it. “I think what happened to him,” he said, referring to the president and the FBI’s counterintelligence investigation into his campaign, “was one of the greatest travesties in American history.”
Okay, it’s important to pause for a moment and absorb what the AG said. He just called an FBI investigation not just a travesty but one of the “greatest” travesties in the nation’s history. It was an unprecedented statement by an attorney general about his own department’s premier agency.
The FBI has made plenty of mistakes, but never in its 112-year history has an FBI investigation been characterized as a travesty, let alone one that equates to other hall-of-fame travesties in American history.
Is the AG’s assessment fair? The answer is entwined in his next statement: “Without any basis [the FBI] started this investigation into [Donald Trump’s] campaign ... .”
Oops, stop again right there. Mr. Barr is making a definitive statement about that which many of us have speculated all along, namely that the weirdly unprecedented investigative team put together by former FBI Director James Comey and Deputy Director Andrew McCabe did not have adequate legal reasons to open a case into the Trump campaign in the first place. The attorney general just confirmed that.
But wait a minute, doesn’t that directly contradict DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz’s assertion that the FBI’s counterintelligence investigation was justified?
Two things to keep in mind regarding that inconsistency.
First, remember that IG Horowitz reached two primary and controversial conclusions: 1) that there was adequate justification for starting the investigation, and 2) that there was no “evidence” of political bias as a motivating factor for the investigation. He based his conclusions, according to his report, solely on his interviews of the FBI individuals who started and ran the case — from Mr. Comey on down. That’s our story, they all said, and we’re stickin’ to it.
This would be like an FBI agent interviewing four subjects suspected of robbing a bank and, after hearing their denials, concluding there was no evidence they committed the crime.
----- 12 -----
Aaron Rupar
twitter.com/atrupar
14 April 2020
https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1250186439637295105
wut
[THREAD]
[No, really, thread. Aaron Rupar has been covering Donkeyballs Donald's "press briefings" daily for VOX, and his threads have been consistently on point - but at this point, he's just so done.]
----- 13 -----
Trump casts interstate coronavirus pact as ‘mutiny’
By Sean Philip Cotter | sean.cotter@bostonherald.com and Erin Tiernan | Boston Herald
PUBLISHED: April 14, 2020
https://www.bostonherald.com/2020/04/14/trump-casts-interstate-coronavirus-pact-as-mutiny/
President Trump compared a northeastern governors’ compact that includes Massachusetts to a “mutiny” and later insisted that he would be authorizing states when they can reopen — an announcement that could come this week.
Trump tweeted on Tuesday, “Tell the Democrat Governors that ‘Mutiny On The Bounty’ was one of my all time favorite movies. A good old fashioned mutiny every now and then is an exciting and invigorating thing to watch, especially when the mutineers need so much from the Captain. Too easy!”
Trump appears to be comparing himself to the captain in that movie, Lt. William Bligh, who is the villain in the various versions on the old movie that is based on a true story.
This appears to be referring to a seven-state compact that Massachusetts joined on Monday as governors look to coordinate strategies for reopening their economies after the coronavirus pandemic eases.
Gov. Charlie Baker rebuked Trump’s comments, telling reporters he “doesn’t listen to noise.”
----- 14 -----
S.V. Dáte
twitter.com/svdate
14 April 2020
https://twitter.com/svdate/status/1250188374247378945
This is amazing. [EDITOR: In ref. Donkeyballs Donald's comments on China today]
Trump had plenty of opportunities to pressure Xi to allow US CDC officials in, to demand data, virus samples, etc.
Instead, he praised Xi, over and over.
[THREAD, UP AND DOWN, SOME EXCERPTS FOLLOW]
S.V. Dáte
twitter.com/svdate
"China has been working very hard to contain the Coronavirus. The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency. It will all work out well. In particular, on behalf of the American People, I want to thank President Xi"
Trump, Jan. 24
"Just had a long and very good conversation by phone with President Xi of China. He is strong, sharp and powerfully focused on leading the counterattack on the Coronavirus."
Trump, Feb. 7
"Great discipline is taking place in China, as President Xi strongly leads what will be a very successful operation. We are working closely with China to help!"
Trump, Feb. 7
"I had a call very late last night, a talk with President Xi and we talked mostly about the Coronavirus. They are working really hard I think they are doing a very professional job. They are in touch with World, our world organizations, the CDC also."
Trump, Feb. 7
"I think President Xi is working very, very hard. I spoke to him. He’s working very hard. I think he’s doing a very good job. It’s a big problem. But President Xi loves his country."
Trump, Feb. 23
"Look I have a very good relationship with President XI and they went through a lot. You know some people say other things. They went through a lot. They lost thousands. of people They've been through hell."
Trump, March 24
"Just finished a very good conversation with President Xi of China. Discussed in great detail the CoronaVirus that is ravaging large parts of our Planet. China has been through much.... We are working closely together. Much respect!"
Trump, March 27
So the latest attempt to divert blame is to blame the World Health Organisation for literally everything, and cut off funding. That's 14% of their budget, which is a fucking lot to lose during a fucking pandemic.
Also, they're getting back on the "lives should be sacrificed" for the stock markets.
This entire administration and party is made up of psychopaths. Understand that. Never forget it.
PS: I'm including a story on the "mutiny" comments earlier in the day, but yesterday's absolute-power rampage has been being walked back all day, and in today's... press briefing, if you want to call it back... it got walked back even further. So.
And this is the MAGAt 'god emperor,' the player of 'twelve dimensional chess.'
Christ, MAGAts are the absolute dumbestass motherfuckers the US has to offer, aren't they?
- NYC publishes, for first time, data on fatalities that includes "probable" cases
- GOP lawmaker: We must choose 'loss of American lives' over 'loss of our way of life as Americans'
- Democratic National Committee statement on Pres Trump Halting WHO Funding
- GOP senators target WHO as part of coronavirus probe
- CIA issues warning on unproven treatment touted by Trump
- South Dakota’s governor resisted ordering people to stay home. Now it has one of the nation’s largest coronavirus hot spots.
- Group of pastors sue California officials for 'criminalizing' church attendance
- Barr says government 'may not impose special restrictions' on religious gatherings
- Laura Ingraham thinks "Americans should be furious"
- Student files class-action lawsuit against Liberty University over coronavirus response
- AG Barr just signaled that things are about to get ugly for the Russia collusion team
- "wut" [Today's 'press briefing' with Donkeyballs Donald]
- Trump casts interstate coronavirus pact as ‘mutiny
- Trump had plenty of opportunities to pressure Xi to allow US CDC officials in, to demand data, virus samples, etc.Instead, he praised Xi, over and over.
----- 1 -----
Mark D. Levine
twitter.com/MarkLevineNYC
14 April 2020
https://twitter.com/MarkLevineNYC/status/1250170016504430595
BREAKING: NYC publishes, for first time, data on fatalities that includes "probable" cases (those without a confirmed test result).
It has pushed the death toll in NYC up by 57%.
Was 6,589 before this adjustment. Now stands at 10,367. This is a painful but necessary accounting.
[MORE DATA AT THREAD]
----- 2 -----
GOP lawmaker: We must choose 'loss of American lives' over 'loss of our way of life as Americans'
By Justine Coleman - 04/14/20
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/492804-gop-lawmaker-we-must-choose-loss-of-american-lives-over-loss-of-our-way-of
Rep. Trey Hollingsworth (R-Ind.) said Tuesday, as the U.S. grapples with the coronavirus pandemic, that the country will always have to choose a “loss of American lives” over a “loss of our way of life as Americans.”
Hollingsworth told Indianapolis's WIBC radio station that there is no “zero-harm” option when it comes to deciding when and how to reopen the American economy.
“Both of these decisions will lead to harm for individuals, whether that's dramatic economic harm or whether that's the loss of life,” he said. “But it is always the American government's position to say, in the choice between the loss of our way of life as Americans and the loss of life of American lives, we have to always choose the latter.”
Hollingsworth said that the decision that would do the most good for the most people would be to “get Americans back to work.” The Indiana lawmaker added that no “amount of legislation out of D.C.” is going to fix the crisis.
“It is policymakers' decision to put on our big-boy and big-girl pants and say, ‘This is the lesser of these two evils,’” he said.
----- 3 -----
Yamiche Alcindor
twitter.com/Yamiche
14 April 2020
https://twitter.com/Yamiche/status/1250195487715741700
Democratic National Committee statement on Pres Trump Halting WHO Funding: "Trump is willing to put global health further at risk to try to deflect blame from his own failures. But the American people know the truth: It was Trump who ignored warnings for months."
----- 4 -----
GOP senators target WHO as part of coronavirus probe
By Jordain Carney - 04/14/20
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/492726-gop-senators-target-world-health-organization-as-part-of-coronavirus-probe
A group of Republican senators are homing in on the World Health Organization (WHO) as they launch a probe into the coronavirus response, which is expected to include a focus on China's handling of the disease.
Seven senators sent a letter on Tuesday to Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of the organization, saying they were requesting information ahead of a congressional hearing on the WHO's role in "helping the Chinese Communist Party cover up information regarding the threat of the Coronavirus."
"American taxpayers fund the WHO, and it is up to us to make sure those taxpayer dollars are being spent wisely," they added.
GOP Sens. Rick Scott (Fla.), Ron Johnson (Wis.), Todd Young (Ind.), Kevin Cramer (N.D.), Steve Daines (Mont.), Joni Ernst (Iowa) and Martha McSally (Ariz.) signed the letter.
Johnson, who chairs the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, is planning to use his gavel and team up with Scott to probe the U.S. and international response to the coronavirus.
----- 5 -----
CIA issues warning on unproven treatment touted by Trump
By Devlin Barrett
April 13, 2020
https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/cia-issues-warning-on-unproven-treatment-touted-by-trump/
The CIA has privately advised its workforce that taking an anti-malarial drug touted by President Donald Trump and some of his supporters as a promising treatment for the novel coronavirus has potentially dangerous side effects, including sudden death.
The warning, featured on a website for CIA employees with questions related to the spread of the coronavirus, came in late March after public discussion – and promotion by the president – that hydroxychloroquine, administered in concert with the antibiotic azithromycin, might prove effective against covid-19, the disease the novel coronavirus causes.
...
“At this point, the drug is not recommended to be used by patients except by medical professionals prescribing it as part of ongoing investigational studies. There are potentially significant side effects, including sudden cardiac death, associated with hydroxychloroquine and its individual use in patients need to be carefully selected and monitored by a health care professional,” the answer read, before adding in bold type: “Please do not obtain this medication on your own.”
----- 6 -----
South Dakota’s governor resisted ordering people to stay home. Now it has one of the nation’s largest coronavirus hot spots.
By Griff Witte
April 13, 2020
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/south-dakotas-governor-resisted-ordering-people-to-stay-home-now-it-has-one-of-the-nations-largest-coronavirus-hot-spots/2020/04/13/5cff90fe-7daf-11ea-a3ee-13e1ae0a3571_story.html
As governors across the country fell into line in recent weeks, South Dakota’s top elected leader stood firm: There would be no statewide order to stay home.
Such edicts to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus, Gov. Kristi L. Noem said disparagingly, reflected a “herd mentality.” It was up to individuals — not government — to decide whether “to exercise their right to work, to worship and to play. Or to even stay at home.”
And besides, the first-term Republican told reporters at a briefing this month, “South Dakota is not New York City.”
But now South Dakota is home to one of the largest single coronavirus clusters anywhere in the United States, with more than 300 workers at a giant pork-processing plant falling ill. With the case numbers continuing to spike, the company was forced to announce the indefinite closure of the facility Sunday, threatening the U.S. food supply.
----- 7 -----
Group of pastors sue California officials for 'criminalizing' church attendance
By Justine Coleman - 04/14/20
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/492744-group-of-pastors-sue-california-officials-for-criminalizing-church
A group of pastors filed a lawsuit Monday against California officials including Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), for “criminalizing” church attendance with stay-at-home orders meant to combat the spread of the coronavirus.
The Center for Religious Liberty, in partnership with the Dhillon Law Group, filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on behalf of three pastors and one churchgoer.
One of the pastors is James Moffat, who was fined $1,000 for holding a Palm Sunday service in Riverside County.
Harmeet Dhillon, CEO of the Center for American Liberty, said in a press release that the stay-at-home orders are “criminalizing individual participation” in houses of worship and violating the First Amendment by not allowing religious groups to meet in person.
“The state and localities have granted sweeping exceptions to the shutdown orders for favored businesses and professions, while specifically targeting people of faith and decreeing to religious institutions that it is ‘good enough’ that they be allowed to offer streaming video services,” Dhillon said. “The state does not get to dictate the method of worship to the faithful.”
----- 8 -----
Barr says government 'may not impose special restrictions' on religious gatherings
By Tal Axelrod - 04/14/20
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/492751-barr-says-government-may-not-impose-special-restrictions-on-religious
Attorney General William Barr said Tuesday that the government "may not impose special restrictions" on religious gatherings as churches across the country raise eyebrows with large in-person ceremonies conducted against the advice of health officials.
Barr emphasized recommendations from federal health officials that people practice social distancing and avoid large gatherings, noting that “the Constitution does allow some temporary restriction on our liberties that would not be tolerated in normal circumstances.”
“But even in times of emergency, when reasonable and temporary restrictions are placed on rights, the First Amendment and federal statutory law prohibit discrimination against religious institutions and religious believers," Barr said in a statement. "Thus, government may not impose special restrictions on religious activity that do not also apply to similar nonreligious activity."
----- 9 -----
Jason Campbell
twitter.com/JasonSCampbell
13 April 2020
https://twitter.com/JasonSCampbell/status/1249882435237613569
[EDITOR: It's the same fucking reaction as to Y2K. We stopped it. We prevented it, made it not an issue, with literally years of work. So therefore, it was a fraud the entire time and we were all liars. I fucking hate these people so much.]
Laura Ingraham thinks "Americans should be furious" that the pandemic isn't as bad as originally projected [EMBEDDED VIDEO]
----- 10 -----
Student files class-action lawsuit against Liberty University over coronavirus response
By Harper Neidig - 04/14/20
https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/492727-student-files-class-action-lawsuit-against-liberty-university-over
A student has filed a class-action lawsuit against Liberty University over the school's response to the coronavirus crisis, seeking refunds of thousands of dollars of tuition paid for the spring semester.
A plaintiff identified only as "Student A," citing a fear of retaliation and harassment, accuses the school and its president, Jerry Falwell Jr., of downplaying the crisis and refusing to refund fees for services that are no longer available.
"Liberty University is, in a very real sense, profiting from the COVID-19 pandemic—keeping its campus and campus services ‘open’ as a pretext to retain Plaintiff’s and the other Class members’ room, board and campus fees, despite no longer having to incur the full cost of providing those services, all the while putting students’ finances and health at risk," the student's lawsuit reads.
----- 11 -----
AG Barr just signaled that things are about to get ugly for the Russia collusion team
By Kevin R. Brock, opinion contributor — 04/13/20 09:00 AM EDT
https://thehill.com/opinion/judiciary/492405-ag-barr-just-signaled-that-things-are-about-to-get-ugly-for-the-russia
“Travesty” is not a nice word. It usually is applied to gross perversions of justice, and that apparently is the context Attorney General William Barr desired when he dropped it into an interview answer the other day in the breezy courtyard of the Department of Justice (DOJ).
His composed, understated delivery almost disguised the weighty magnitude of that disturbing word and the loaded adjective that preceded it. “I think what happened to him,” he said, referring to the president and the FBI’s counterintelligence investigation into his campaign, “was one of the greatest travesties in American history.”
Okay, it’s important to pause for a moment and absorb what the AG said. He just called an FBI investigation not just a travesty but one of the “greatest” travesties in the nation’s history. It was an unprecedented statement by an attorney general about his own department’s premier agency.
The FBI has made plenty of mistakes, but never in its 112-year history has an FBI investigation been characterized as a travesty, let alone one that equates to other hall-of-fame travesties in American history.
Is the AG’s assessment fair? The answer is entwined in his next statement: “Without any basis [the FBI] started this investigation into [Donald Trump’s] campaign ... .”
Oops, stop again right there. Mr. Barr is making a definitive statement about that which many of us have speculated all along, namely that the weirdly unprecedented investigative team put together by former FBI Director James Comey and Deputy Director Andrew McCabe did not have adequate legal reasons to open a case into the Trump campaign in the first place. The attorney general just confirmed that.
But wait a minute, doesn’t that directly contradict DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz’s assertion that the FBI’s counterintelligence investigation was justified?
Two things to keep in mind regarding that inconsistency.
First, remember that IG Horowitz reached two primary and controversial conclusions: 1) that there was adequate justification for starting the investigation, and 2) that there was no “evidence” of political bias as a motivating factor for the investigation. He based his conclusions, according to his report, solely on his interviews of the FBI individuals who started and ran the case — from Mr. Comey on down. That’s our story, they all said, and we’re stickin’ to it.
This would be like an FBI agent interviewing four subjects suspected of robbing a bank and, after hearing their denials, concluding there was no evidence they committed the crime.
----- 12 -----
Aaron Rupar
twitter.com/atrupar
14 April 2020
https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1250186439637295105
wut
[THREAD]
[No, really, thread. Aaron Rupar has been covering Donkeyballs Donald's "press briefings" daily for VOX, and his threads have been consistently on point - but at this point, he's just so done.]
----- 13 -----
Trump casts interstate coronavirus pact as ‘mutiny’
By Sean Philip Cotter | sean.cotter@bostonherald.com and Erin Tiernan | Boston Herald
PUBLISHED: April 14, 2020
https://www.bostonherald.com/2020/04/14/trump-casts-interstate-coronavirus-pact-as-mutiny/
President Trump compared a northeastern governors’ compact that includes Massachusetts to a “mutiny” and later insisted that he would be authorizing states when they can reopen — an announcement that could come this week.
Trump tweeted on Tuesday, “Tell the Democrat Governors that ‘Mutiny On The Bounty’ was one of my all time favorite movies. A good old fashioned mutiny every now and then is an exciting and invigorating thing to watch, especially when the mutineers need so much from the Captain. Too easy!”
Trump appears to be comparing himself to the captain in that movie, Lt. William Bligh, who is the villain in the various versions on the old movie that is based on a true story.
This appears to be referring to a seven-state compact that Massachusetts joined on Monday as governors look to coordinate strategies for reopening their economies after the coronavirus pandemic eases.
Gov. Charlie Baker rebuked Trump’s comments, telling reporters he “doesn’t listen to noise.”
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S.V. Dáte
twitter.com/svdate
14 April 2020
https://twitter.com/svdate/status/1250188374247378945
This is amazing. [EDITOR: In ref. Donkeyballs Donald's comments on China today]
Trump had plenty of opportunities to pressure Xi to allow US CDC officials in, to demand data, virus samples, etc.
Instead, he praised Xi, over and over.
[THREAD, UP AND DOWN, SOME EXCERPTS FOLLOW]
S.V. Dáte
twitter.com/svdate
"China has been working very hard to contain the Coronavirus. The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency. It will all work out well. In particular, on behalf of the American People, I want to thank President Xi"
Trump, Jan. 24
"Just had a long and very good conversation by phone with President Xi of China. He is strong, sharp and powerfully focused on leading the counterattack on the Coronavirus."
Trump, Feb. 7
"Great discipline is taking place in China, as President Xi strongly leads what will be a very successful operation. We are working closely with China to help!"
Trump, Feb. 7
"I had a call very late last night, a talk with President Xi and we talked mostly about the Coronavirus. They are working really hard I think they are doing a very professional job. They are in touch with World, our world organizations, the CDC also."
Trump, Feb. 7
"I think President Xi is working very, very hard. I spoke to him. He’s working very hard. I think he’s doing a very good job. It’s a big problem. But President Xi loves his country."
Trump, Feb. 23
"Look I have a very good relationship with President XI and they went through a lot. You know some people say other things. They went through a lot. They lost thousands. of people They've been through hell."
Trump, March 24
"Just finished a very good conversation with President Xi of China. Discussed in great detail the CoronaVirus that is ravaging large parts of our Planet. China has been through much.... We are working closely together. Much respect!"
Trump, March 27
no subject
Date: 2020-04-15 03:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-04-15 03:57 am (UTC)