CORONAVIRUS: April 23rd

April 23, 2020

WRITER

Glenn gives the latest coronavirus numbers, updating YOU on everything needed to know as Americans and officials monitor China's new COVID-19 virus:

Daily Stats as of 5:30 AM CT (from John's Hopkins)

Total Confirmed Cases Worldwide 2,658,794 (up from 2,573,471 Yesterday)
Total Confirmed Deaths Worldwide: 185,440 (up from 178,558 Yesterday)
Total Confirmed Recovered Worldwide: 730,039 (up from 701, 838 Yesterday)
The US has 849,144 Confirmed Cases and 47,784 Deaths, up from 819,175 cases and 45,343 deaths yesterday
The US has now tested 4,326,648 people, with 20% of tests showing positive for SARS-CoV-2

Was Flattening The Curve - a Myth? https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3081105/flattening-curve-wont-lead-coronavirus-turning-point-study-finds

Projections by Chinese-US team indicate South Korea and New Zealand are among the best in the global crisis at balancing economics with disease controls.
China has been effective in suppressing the epidemic quickly but the strategy comes at too high a cost, researchers say.
Attempts by authorities around the world to "flatten the curve" could be the worst way to fight the pandemic coronavirus, according to new projections by an international team of researchers.
The approach, which has been adopted by many countries in the hope that warmer weather and a future vaccine will help rein in the virus, could destroy economies while having little effect on cutting infections, the researchers led by Peking University Professor Liu Yu said.
"The turning point will never come, the peak value of case numbers will remain the same as if there are no such measures," the team, which included scientists from Harvard University in the United States, said in a non-peer-reviewed paper released last week.
"We strongly suggest they reconsider [the approach]."
The policy resulted in a major disruption to economic activity and social life but was not effective in isolating infected people from the rest of the population. To some extent, it was worse than doing nothing, they said.
"This choice still incurs 20-60 percent loss of economic output, but only achieves a 30-40 percent reduction in the number of cases, an extent which is insufficient to overturn the epidemic curve," the researchers said. "Our results show that this is usually the worst scenario in terms of cost-effectiveness."

COVID-19 A Thing of the Past by Summer https://nypost.com/2020/04/22/pence-says-coronavirus-may-be-largely-in-the-past-by-summer/

Vice President Mike Pence said Wednesday that the White House believes the coronavirus epidemic will be "largely in the past" by this summer.
Pence gave the timeline in an interview with The Wall Street Journal podcast.
"We truly do believe as we move forward, with responsibly beginning to reopen the economy in state after state around the country, that by early June, we could be at a place where this coronavirus epidemic is largely in the past," Pence said.
"Americans are going to be able to enjoy a good summer," he said.
President Trump last week unveiled a three-phase plan for states to get their economies rolling again.
"We're closer to the end that most people know."

US Researchers Make Cells Immune to COVID-19 https://theweek.com/speedreads/910372/university-louisville-researchers-technology-could-block-coronavirus-from-infecting-human-cells

Scientists at the University of Louisville have found a way to teach cells to not accept the viral RNA of SARS-CoV-2, a new paper suggests.
A technology they developed could block the virus from infecting human cells.
It's based on a piece of synthetic DNA (also known as an aptamer) that targets and binds with a human protein called nucleolin.
Early research and experiments, led by researchers Paula Bates, John Trent, and Don Miller, indicate the aptamer may be effective at preventing the coronavirus from "hijacking" nucleolin to replicate inside the body at doses previously shown to be safe in patients.
The Louisville team has applied the same aptamer in a variety of ways, and it has reportedly emerged as a potential therapeutic drug for multiple types of cancer.
"Cells can be given instructions, and among those instructions can be to refuse to bind to Coronavirus." the lead scientist said. "We're close."

Ventilators A Death Sentence? https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/04/22/coronavirus-ventilators-survival/

Stats from New York's largest hospital system suggest that ventilator therapy is only about 10% effective on COVID-19 victims.
Over 88% of patients put on a ventilator succumb to the disease.
The US is currently manufacturing over 100,000 new ventilators for its strategic stockpile, a figure often quoted by President Trump.
Doctors suggest that the use of ventilators in COVID-19 victims may be used to late and should be applied earlier to be most effective.

75% of Chinese COVID-19 Test Kits Are 90% Accurate https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3081097/coronavirus-3-out-4-chinese-tests-kits-danish-study-found-have

After complaints from foreign buyers about substandard products, findings will be music to the ears of Chinese manufacturers, but study is not yet peer-reviewed.
Researchers looked at test kits used to identify COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care unit at North Zealand Hospital in the Danish city of Hillerod.
Chinese test kits were also found to be less than accurate in Germany and Australia, where governments have ceased using Chinese-made kits and switched to US or EU-based manufacturers.
China had previously offered COVID-19 test kits to dozens of countries including the US.
Trump had refused to allow US researchers to use Chinese-made kits, prompting many to criticise the speed at which the US launched widespread testing.

Too Soon To Reopen After All? https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-reverses-course-says-too-soon-georgia-reopen-n1190061

The president said he told Gov. Brian Kemp "I disagree strongly" with his decision to reopen nail salons and tattoo parlors — but he won't stop him.
President Donald Trump said Wednesday he "strongly disagrees" with Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp's decision to allow businesses like barbershops and nail salons to reopen, a day after he praised him during the White House briefing.
"I told the governor of Georgia, Brian Kemp, that I disagree strongly with his decision to open certain facilities," Trump said at his daily coronavirus briefing Wednesday. "But at the same time, he must do what he thinks is right. I want him to do what he thinks is right. But I disagree with him on what he's doing."
Kemp tweeted after the president's remarks that he appreciated Trump's "bold leadership and insight during these difficult times," but he didn't back down.
"Our next measured step is driven by data and guided by state public health officials. We will continue with this approach to protect the lives - and livelihoods - of all Georgians," Kemp wrote.
Numerous researchers have warned that opening up economic activity too soon may result in a fresh outbreak of COVID-19.

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The dangerous rise of foreign allegiances in Congress

ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / Contributor, Jemal Countess / Stringer | Getty Images

The rise of dual loyalties in Congress is a dangerous trend. Rep. Ramirez's allegiance to Guatemala calls into question her commitment to America’s laws and sovereignty.

When an elected official swears an oath to uphold the Constitution and defend the United States, that pledge should mean something. But what happens when a member of Congress chooses to place her allegiance with another country over the United States? It’s a violation of that oath, plain and simple.

Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.), a sitting member of Congress, openly stated in Spanish during a political event in Mexico City, "I'm a proud Guatemalan before I'm an American."

If we don’t demand that our elected leaders place their loyalty to the United States above all else, then we risk the very foundation of this republic.

Ramirez didn’t have a casual slip of the tongue. Her statement was a declaration of her loyalty to another nation. And it’s not just her words that are troubling; her husband, according to Rolling Stone, is in the U.S. illegally. That’s a violation of our immigration laws — laws that Ramirez should be sworn to uphold.

Ramirez’s statement isn’t an isolated incident. This is part of a growing pattern where elected officials, like Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), proudly identify with their country of origin before America. They claim cultural pride, but celebrating your heritage is distinctly different from putting your identity above the country that gives you the freedom and opportunity to express that identity.

Heritage vs. loyalty

I’m proud of my heritage, as many Americans are. My wife’s family is a great example. They’re Italian-Americans who are very proud of their roots. But they would never say they’re “Italian before American.” They are Americans who cherish their heritage.

This is what Theodore Roosevelt meant when he said, "There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism." This is not a swipe at immigrants. This is a call for unity under one flag, one national destiny. For too long, we’ve allowed dual loyalties to take root in the very institutions that are meant to protect our sovereignty. This is how nations crumble.

George Washington warned against foreign entanglements and divided loyalties in his Farewell Address. He understood the dangers of dual allegiances. He knew the republic couldn’t survive if its leaders pledged allegiance to foreign powers instead of the Constitution.

This isn’t about whether you love your country of origin. It’s about the fundamental principle of loyalty to the United States. You can’t serve in Congress, be part of the body that governs and protects America, if you’re more loyal to another country than to the sovereignty and integrity of the U.S.

National security at risk

This issue goes beyond politics. It goes to the very heart of our national identity. The growing influence of foreign allegiance among our elected officials poses a direct threat to national security. You can’t be trusted to defend America’s borders and enforce immigration laws if you’re willing to place another country above your sworn duty.

Anadolu / Contributor | Getty Images

Congress must hold these people accountable. Ramirez must be removed from any committees related to national security or immigration. She has shown that her loyalty lies elsewhere. Her position on the Homeland Security Committee is not only a conflict of interest, it’s a violation of the trust placed in her by the American people.

Her husband’s illegal status must be investigated thoroughly. If you or I were in the same situation, we’d be facing the consequences. There’s no reason why she and her family should be above the law.

Time to act

This issue is about loyalty, integrity, and national security. If we don’t demand that our elected leaders place their loyalty to the United States above all else, then we risk the very foundation of this republic. The time to act is now.

Will Congressional lawmakers listen to the American people and choose America, or will they continue to play politics with our sovereignty? We need to know, now more than ever, whom these leaders are really serving.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Horror on Park Avenue: Is America’s mental health crisis out of control?

New York Daily News / Contributor | Getty Images

The Park Avenue shooter wanted us to study his brain. But will we study our culture?

Late Monday afternoon in Midtown Manhattan, the summer heat clung to the glass and steel of Park Avenue, usually a quiet street save for the occasional honking horn or blaring siren. But as the sun dipped behind the towering skyscrapers, violence erupted.

A 27-year-old man, whose name I won't bother mentioning, stepped out of a black BMW he had double-parked near 51st and 52nd Streets. His movements were calm, deliberate. In his hands, he carried an AR-15 rifle. His target was 345 Park Avenue, a tower of wealth and power, housing the offices of Blackstone, the National Football League, and Rudin Management. The idea of chaos here, in this building, felt foreign — until it wasn’t.

If we don’t get back to the root causes of violence, we’re doomed to continue spiraling into chaos.

The shooter made his way into the building lobby, where he shot in the back 36-year-old New York City Police Officer Didarul Islam, whose wife was about to give birth to their third child. The gunman then gunned down a woman hiding behind a pillar, her life taken in an instant.

The footage shows him moving with a chilling calm, methodical and relentless. A guard behind a desk became his next victim. Then another man, an NFL employee, was shot and is still in critical condition.

The shooter made his way to the elevators, and, strangely, as one opened, a woman stepped out. He let her pass. Why? We’ll never know. But she will likely ask herself that question for the rest of her life.

He continued to the 33rd floor, where Rudin is located. There, in the quiet hum of fluorescent lights and the soft chatter of cubicles, he began “to walk the floor, firing as he traveled.” Another victim fell, another family destroyed.

And then, in a final act, he turned the rifle on himself.

NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed that the scene was contained. But the damage was done. Four people were dead: one officer, one security guard, and two civilians. Several more were wounded.

The root issue: Mental illness

As details emerged, we learned more about the gunman’s background. He had driven cross-country from Las Vegas to New York. By trade, he was a security guard at a Las Vegas casino, and he held a concealed carry permit. Yet his history of mental illness, coupled with a backpack full of ammunition, medication, and his clear intent, painted a grim picture.

We also learned that his real target was the NFL, not Rudin. The shooter, suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a neurodegenerative disease common in high-contact sports caused by repeated head collisions, blamed the NFL for his condition.

He had played football in his youth, but never at the professional level. His note, found on his body after he shot himself, said he wanted his brain studied, to contribute to the understanding of his condition.

This wasn’t just an ordinary act of violence; it was a tragic collision of a mentally unstable man and a gun.

A growing crisis

America is in the midst of an unprecedented mental health crisis. As I walk through cities like New York, I am confronted by the increasing number of unstable individuals teetering on the brink of violence. Not long ago, my wife and I were walking through Manhattan when a man on a bike circled us, looking me directly in the eye, saying, “I’m going to kill me a white man today. Today is the day.”

Michael M. Santiago / Staff | Getty Images

The man was clearly unhinged. Fortunately, he noticed the armed security behind us, and he quickly rode away. But what if they hadn’t been there? What if he had been someone who wasn’t aware of the people around him?

The world we live in today is one where violence is erupting in public spaces, fueled by mental illness, societal breakdown, and a lack of accountability — and it’s becoming a national trend. This isn’t just about guns or laws — it’s about what’s happening inside the minds of those who perpetrate these acts.

A wake-up call

It’s easy for people to point fingers. To blame social media, to blame the media itself, to call for more laws. But this crisis is about much more than that. It’s about a loss of morality, family, social cohesion, transcendent purpose, genuine human connection, and so much more that comes with a society whose values are rooted in God’s truth.

I’m not a mental health expert, but surely the degeneration of these social goods and the historic rise in mental disorders, especially among young people, are not coincidental. We can’t keep turning a blind eye to such things and pretend that new laws or more regulations will fix it.

This isn’t just about changing laws; it’s about changing hearts. If we don’t, we’ll keep losing those we hold dear.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

The DARK truth behind the Macrons' absurd lawsuit

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While the media obsesses over elite scandals, Glenn is having a field day exposing the Macron lawsuit farce—and the twisted truth it tries to bury.

The era of unchecked narratives is coming to an end. We're reclaiming reality, one scandal at a time.

On his show, Glenn couldn't hide his glee over French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte suing Candace Owens for claiming she's really a man named Jean-Michel Trogneux. Glenn called Brigitte the "Jeffrey Epstein of France" for grooming a 15-year-old Emmanuel when she was his 40-year-old teacher, and speculated that she is pressuring her husband to silence the rumors. Glenn also mocked the blatant overkill, which included childhood photos, birth announcements, and a desperate proclamation that Brigitte is "a woman."

But it goes deeper: The liberal elites have long proclaimed that transitioning is "wonderful," so why sue over the insinuation? It's hypocrisy—elites demanding silence on grooming while forcing conformity. This isn't about truth; it's control, proving no one's above scrutiny.

Want to see the absurd lawsuit firsthand? Download the Macron v. Owens lawsuit PDF here and see the evidence for yourself.

Download the PDF here.

BREAKING: Top-secret 2020 House Intel report on Brennan's ICA revealed

Brooks Kraft / Contributor | Getty Images

The following oversight report from the House Intelligence Committee examines the Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) rushed out by the Obama administration before leaving office in January 2017.

This report has never been released to the public. Until now.

The House Intelligence Committee’s review began in 2017, shortly after the ICA’s release, and continued through 2020, paralleling a Senate Intelligence Committee investigation into Russia’s role in the 2016 election, which concluded in fall 2020.

Before its declassification by President Trump and public release by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, this report was among the U.S. government’s most highly classified documents. Its sensitive level of compartmentation prohibited storage on top-secret computer networks. Only five physical copies existed, all secured in safes under strict protocols. This extreme classification suggests the Obama administration sought to prevent the public from learning the extent of its alleged deception.

Download the PDF here.