CORONAVIRUS UPDATE: April 16th

April 16, 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: 2,094,897 (up from 2,014,006 yesterday)
Total Confirmed Deaths Worldwide: 135,569 (up from 127,594 yesterday)
Total Confirmed Recovered Worldwide: 520,946 (up from 491,824 yesterday)
US has 644,348 Confirmed Cases and 28,554 deaths, up from 614,246 cases and 26,064 deaths yesterday
Among Active Cases in the US, 2.3% of cases require ICU, compared to 4.7% of cases requiring ICU globally
ICU rate among African American victims in the US is more than double the overall average at 5.1% (CDC figures) [note not all states report race of victims]

Death Rate in France Rips Higherhttps://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-15/france-reports-1-438-new-virus-deaths-highest-toll-to-date

While Americans lost another 2,300+ fellow citizens yesterday for the 2nd straight day in a row, the death rate in France is 300% higher.
France lost 1,438 people to COVID-19 yesterday, compared to 2,371 in the US, but has only a population of 67,000 compared to over 330,000,000 in the US.
France has lost 263 people for every 1 Million citizens, compared to only 87 deaths per 1 million in the US.
US is 14th in rate of death, with all 13 countries ahead of it having some form of European/Socialized medicine.
Some analysts have also pointed out that the rate of death in the US is also higher because the US CDC counts 'presumptive' cases (no positive COVID-19 test), whereas most EU countries require a positive COVID-19 test to put COVID-19 on death certificates, so death rates in the EU are likely higher than official numbers.

Amazon To Cease Operations in Francehttps://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/15/business/amazon-france-covid.html

Move comes as a French Court rules Amazon can only provide delivery services for "essential items" such as food & medicines.
Amazon indicated it cannot fully comply with the order as written, so will simply suspend operations entirely.
French court had also ruled that Amazon must provide for testing of facilities and packages to ensure they do not contain viral infections that threaten workers or customers.
Amazon has provided over 4.5 Million grocery deliveries in Franch since March 1st, the company said.
The Company is appealing the court decision to the French Supreme Court, which is officially in recess through May 15th due to COVID-19.

Sonny Perdue Reassures Americans: There is Plenty of Foodhttps://www.msn.com/en-us/finance/markets/agriculture-secretary-says-e2-80-98plenty-of-food-e2-80-99-despite-disruptions/ar-BB12GMJm

Despite numerous Meat Processing plants being closed, The US Ag Secretary assured Americans "There is plenty of food. No American will go hungry."
"The bare store shelves that you may see in some cities in the country are a demand issue and not a supply issue," Perdue said Wednesday at a White House briefing with President Donald Trump.
"It has taken us a few days" for food companies to address a "misalignment" in distribution as restaurants close and more food is sold through grocery stores.
Shoppers at times have already experienced shortages of staples such as eggs, milk and toilet paper.
Recent tweets from shoppers have also shown empty shelves in butcher and meat departments in US stores.
Perdue assured Americans "There is plenty of meat, plenty of it. If your local store doesn't have meat today, it will by tomorrow," he said.

Canadian Meat Industry Warns of "Immediate and Drastic Cut to Supply"https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/covid-19-to-have-immediate-and-drastic-impact-on-canadian-meat-supply-industry-group-1.4894557

Some of North America's largest meat producers have been forced to close their plants or reduce production amid the spread of the novel coronavirus, prompting industry leaders to warn of "immediate and drastic" effects on Canada's supply chain.
Beef processing capabilities have been reduced at a number of facilities in Canada and the U.S., including a temporary closure at a Cargill meat plant in High River, Alta., where dozens of employees have tested positive for COVID-19.
"This single facility represents just over one-third of Canada's total processing capability, so the impacts to the Canadian beef industry are expected to be immediate and drastic," Michelle McMullen, communications manager at the Canadian Cattlemen's Association (CCA), told CTVNews.ca by email.
Cargill also announced the temporary closure of its largest been processing plant in the US on Wednesday.
With North American beef production "severely limited," CCA president Bob Lowe is calling on the Canadian government to introduce measures to support Canadian farmers and protect the country's supply chain.
"The Canadian beef industry is facing a period of extraordinary uncertainty," Lowe said in an emailed statement to CTVNews.ca Monday.
"Existing programs do not address the particular threats we are facing and in fact fall quite short. These are challenging times for all Canadians; it is together that we can implement solutions to ensure healthy and affordable food continues to be readily available."
The CCA cited a survey this week noting that over 58% of its members are having issues placing cattle with meat processors for slaughter. "There are plenty of cattle, but no packing plants to send them to," said Lowe.

USDA to Directly Buy/Distribute to Food Banks

Sonny Perdue announces USDA will directly buy Milk, Eggs and Meat to donate to food banks.
"No farmers should be dumping milk down the drain, the USDA will buy any excess production," he said.
The announcement was made on Fox Business News this morning.
USDA also plans to make a lending program available to farmers and ranchers, he said, although no details were released this morning. "Help is coming," he said.
Perdue said the US would buy over $10 Billion in foods each week to donate to charitable organizations.

Operation Gridlock Spreading to Other Citieshttps://www.fox2detroit.com/video/674344

Thousands of motorists clogged streets in Michigan in protests to Governor Whitmer's seemingly arbitrary COVID-19 related orders.
Similar protests are planned for today and Friday in California, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Colorado.
Meanwhile, Governors in several states warned that "Protesting" is not considered an essential activity, and threatened that similar protests may be met with citations or arrest, according to Fox News.
Collectively more than 1 Million people have signed up for various Facebook groups planning Drive By or Park In type protests around the US.

Join Glenn TONIGHT for BlazeTV's exclusive VP debate coverage!

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Join Glenntonight for Vice Presidential debate coverage you do not want to miss!

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Glenn is joined by Megyn Kelly, Liz Wheeler, Allie Beth Stuckey, Steve Deace, Jill Savage, Dave Landau, and more to cover the CBS News Vice Presidential Debate. Blaze Media subscribers gain access to live chat with the fantastic panel of hosts! If you subscribe today by visiting BlazeTV.com/debate you will get $40 off of your annual subscription with code DEBATE. This is the largest discount ever offered, so take advantage NOW!

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POLL: Can the VP debate affect the election?

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The first (and likely only) Vice President debate will be held on CBS News on Tuesday, October 1st.

The debate takes place at 9 p.m. Eastern Time and will be the first time we see J.D. Vance and Tim Walz face off in person. Typically, the VP debate is little more than a formality, and rarely does it affect the election in any significant way. But this is no ordinary election. The stakes are higher than they have been in years, and Trump and Harris are still in a razor-thin race, according to the polls. Both Vance and Walz are relative newcomers to the national stage and still have room to make an impression on the American people, and with the race as tight as it is, that might make all the difference.

So what do you think? Can this VP debate make an impact on the election? Are you going to tune in? And what sort of questions and issues need to be brought up? Let us know in the poll below:

Will this VP debate be important in the overall election?

Are you going to watch the VP debate?

Should the debaters be asked about the Biden-Harris administration's failing economy?

Should the debaters be asked about climate change and energy policy?

Should the debaters be asked about the rise of globalism?

Five things that PROVE Kamala's plan for climate authoritarianism

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If you wanted to cripple America for years, what would be the best way to go about it?

If your mind immediately went to the power grid, you think a lot like Glenn. For decades the secret to America's growth and prosperity has been its abundant and relatively cheap energy. Electricity has been so cheap for so long that many Americans take it for granted, though raising prices has put it back on many people's radars.

There are forces on the Left, including Kamala Harris, who is working to be "unburdened by what has been," and plunge America into a dystopian future where only the elite can afford "luxuries" like A/C and dishwashers. While Kamala has either remained silent or been dismissive of her radical climate policies, here are things that prove that Kamala has disastrous plans for our energy future:

Kamala endorsed the Green New Deal

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

In 2019, then-Senator Harris was proud to co-sponsor the Green New Deal. This was, by all metrics, the most authoritarian legislation in U.S. history. It was so over the top, cartoonishly evil, that it hardly seemed real. It aimed to ban all coal, oil, natural gas, and nuclear power, and dismantle and rebuild every aspect of our lives, from what we eat to how we travel (for the worse). It also aimed to provide economic security to those "unwilling to work," aka, money for nothing.

Had several failed climate actions

Alex Wong / Staff | Getty Images

After the Green New Deal was defeated, Kamala tried several times to pass something similar. First was the "Comprehensive Climate Plan" which she introduced during her 2019 presidential bid. This plan had a staggering 10 TRILLION DOLLAR price tag, which is double the entire U.S. federal budget and aimed at exceeding the Paris Agreement climate goals.

In 2020, she introduced the Climate Equity Act, which would have created another government office called the "Climate and Environmental Equity Office.” This office would review all congressional bills and judge their potential impact on "communities that have experienced environmental injustice or are vulnerable to climate injustice.” As if that wasn't overreaching enough, it would also require every government agency to publish a biannual "climate and environmental justice accountability agenda.”

Finally, she pushed the “Environmental Justice for All Act,” which is exactly what it says on the tin. It boils down to a bunch of new rules and advisory bodies that would give cash handouts to "environmental justice communities." Fortunately, just like the other two this one never saw the light of day.

Inflation reduction act

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The crowning jewel of Kamala's "historic" vice presidency was when she cast the tie-breaking vote to pass the Green New Deal Jr, otherwise known as the Inflation Reduction Act. While it was obvious from the beginning that the Inflation Reduction Act had nothing to do with inflation, and was just a climate change bill in disguise, Biden recently confirmed this to all the nay-sayers. Kamala confirmed that this was more than just another Biden gaffe when she admitted that it is "the single largest climate investment in American history.”

So what fruits does this wonderful piece of legislation have to offer? 60 out of the promised 2,000+ EV school buses. It is unclear if the delay is caused by schools backing out of the program due to the technological limitations of the busses or the outrageous cost- more than three times that of a traditional bus. Kamala's vision of the future sure is bright.

Skyrocketing home prices

PATRICK T. FALLON / Contributor | Getty Images

If the Inflation Reduction Act is the greatest climate bill ever, then we have a pretty good idea of how it affects the average American: poorly. Over the past year, U.S. electricity prices have risen 3.6 percent, which outpaces inflation. Current estimates suggest the average American is paying 5,000 dollars a year more on utilities than they were before Biden and Kamala took office. Not to mention all the new green mandates enforced on new homes, which on average is adding 31,000 dollars to the price of homes.

Judging by the climate-leading state of California, this is pretty standard. Californians' electricity bill has gone up over three times faster than the rest of the nation since 2008 and Californians collectively owe more than 2 billion dollars in unpaid utility bills. Not to mention the havoc green energy is playing on the electric grid.

Ban fracking

Spencer Platt / Staff | Getty Images

Over the last fifteen years, the U.S. has reduced our emissions more than any other nation, but this was accomplished despite the authoritarian legislation, not because of it. Natural free-market developments have encouraged a transition from coal to natural gas, largely due to fracking, which has dramatically increased the availability of the fuel. A whopping 43 percent of American electricity is generated by natural gas, meaning its price has a huge impact on the cost of energy. So naturally the Biden-Harris administration has cracked down on natural gas and oil exploration, and in 2019 Kamala stated that she favored banning fracking. She has since walked back that statement, but seeing how hostile the administration has been towards fracking it's almost certain that a Kamala presidency would spell doom for natural gas.

The TRUTH about Kamala's climate agenda

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Her strategy on controversial energy issues is one of ‘strategic ambiguity.’ That might as well be her campaign slogan.

If people wanted to cripple the United States for the long term, they’d attack our energy supply — and the left is already doing it. America’s abundance of energy resources built this nation, and we’ve long enjoyed reliable, affordable energy that many of us take for granted. It’s easy not to treat energy as a top election issue, but we ignore it at our own peril.

Kamala Harris and other forces on the left are bent on dismantling America’s energy independence and, in the process, stripping away much of our freedom. This isn’t alarmism — it’s reality. It started on day one of the Biden-Harris administration, and you feel it every time you pay your electricity bill.

The League of Conservation Voters wouldn’t be spending $55 million if it didn’t know Kamala Harris is fully aligned with its radical agenda.

When it comes to government policy, perhaps nothing will affect your day-to-day life more than what the left wants to do with green energy. If you don’t believe this is a critical issue, consider that 24 states, including the District of Columbia, now have 100% clean energy goals, impacting more than half of the U.S. population.

Kamala Harris is a climate radical. But she’s hiding it — for now. According to the Pew Research Center, climate ranks near the bottom of voters’ priorities, so Harris can’t risk alienating voters by revealing her true stance. For her entire national political career, she has been a zealous leader of the green energy movement. In fact, Reuters recently reported that Harris’ strategy on controversial energy issues is one of “strategic ambiguity.” That might as well be her campaign slogan.

Harris cannot afford to discuss her real green policies openly — not with battleground states like Pennsylvania and Ohio in play. Instead, we get her soft rebranding at the DNC where she talks about “the freedom to breathe clean air.” So now she and the rest of the climate radicals are freedom fighters? That’s rich.

Repackaging her authoritarian climate agenda as “freedom” is a joke. This is reverse psychology. Harris, Tim Walz, and the Democratic Party want more control and regulation over your daily life, not less. For now, Harris is keeping quiet about her plans, but major left-wing climate groups are speaking for her.

The radical environmental group League of Conservation Voters is running a $55 million ad campaign for Harris. The LCV is no ordinary environmental group — it has deep ties to the left’s dark money network, particularly through the Arabella Advisors. The group has pushed hard for green policies that would end the use of fossil fuels in America.

The LCV is already plugged into the White House and has led internal training for climate-related political appointees. It knows exactly where Harris stands. It wouldn’t be spending $55 million if it didn’t know she’s fully aligned with its radical agenda.

Let’s not forget Harris’ track record. As a senator, she was a “proud” cosponsor of the Green New Deal, the most authoritarian piece of legislation in U.S. history. It sought to ban coal, oil, natural gas, and even nuclear power. The plan aimed to eliminate all airplanes, combustion-engine vehicles, and, of course, those flatulent cows. It even promised “economic security for all who are unable or unwilling to work.”

Harris didn’t stop there. In 2019, she ran for president on a $10 trillion climate plan — double the entire federal budget from last year. She wanted to, as she put it, “exceed” the Paris Agreement goals. Her obsession with climate “equity” and “environmental justice” only deepened, introducing the Climate Equity Act, which would create a new government office to review congressional bills for their impact on so-called “climate injustice.”

In 2020, she introduced the Environmental Justice for All Act, which created advisory bodies and government programs, including grants — just another term for taxpayer-funded handouts to her favored “environmental justice” communities. Once she became vice president, Harris cast the tie-breaking vote for the Inflation Reduction Act, a Green New Deal in disguise. Joe Biden himself admitted it, saying they should have named it for what it truly was: a massive climate bill.

Harris recently reaffirmed her support for the Inflation Reduction Act, calling it “the single largest climate investment in American history.” But “investment” is an interesting choice of words. Just look at Harris’ $5 billion electric school bus plan. So far, the program has only produced 60 buses — each costing over three times more than a traditional diesel bus. And these buses lose one-third of their range in cold weather. Fifty-five school districts have already pulled out of the program, citing performance concerns.

This is Kamala Harris’ vision for America: an authoritarian climate regime, backed by dark money and radical green activists. Don’t be fooled by her rebrand as a “moderate freedom fighter.” If you vote for Harris, you are voting to dismantle the infrastructure that has given us the reliable energy we’ve thus far had the privilege of taking for granted. And you will be voting for the consolidation of the energy sector under centralized government control veiled under trendy climate talking points. Let’s not go there.

Editor's Note: This article was originally published on TheBlaze.com.

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