CORONAVIRUS UPDATE: April 17th

April 17, 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: 2,197,161 (up from 2,094,897 yesterday)
Total Confirmed Deaths Worldwide: 147,512 (up from 135,569 yesterday)
Total Confirmed Recovered Worldwide: 557,596 (up from 520,946 yesterday)
US has 687,210 Confirmed Cases and 34,641 deaths, plus 13,369 Active Cases in Serious/Critical condition
Of all global confirmed cases that have had an outcome of either Recovered or Dead, 21% of COVID-19 victims have died

China Revises Wuhan Death Rate Upward by 50%, WHO To Praise "Transparency" https://apnews.com/599338c54097ab68a1f2eda09c2d8a3b

Those of us who have been calling "BS" on China's COVID-19 numbers have been 100% vindicated.
The Chinese Communist Party issued a revision indicating they are 90% positive their original Case Fatality Rate was off by only 50%, adding 1,300 new deaths to their official count.
There is also a 99% probability that the WHO will issue a statement praising the transparency of the CCP for having the bravery to admit their original numbers were about as accurate as guessing the outcome of a coin-flip.
The hashtag "China Lied, People Died" [#chinaliedpeopledied] has been replaced, and now the hashtag "China made stuff up and so the rest of the world finally woke up to the fact that the CCP is an enemy to all mankind so we should buy American made products instead" is now trending on Twitter [#chinamadestuffupandsotherestoftheworldfinallywokeuptothefactthattheccpisanenemytoallmakindsoweshouldbyamericanmadeproductsinstead].

Vegas Card Dealers To Wear Masks & Gloves in Bid to Reopen Casinos https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2020/04/16/vegas-dealers-to-wear-masks-casino-patrons-to-get-temps-checked-in-reopening-plan/

Under the major's new proposal, dealers would wear masks and gloves, chairs would be moved further apart at Blackjack tables, and customers would have temperatures checked via what she called "noninvasive" means.
"This shutdown has become one of total insanity in my opinion," said Mayor Carolyn Goodman. "For there is no backup of data as to why we are shut down from the start. It makes no sense. It's not scientific."
When confronted with the scientific fact that COVID-19 is contagious when carriers are pre-symptomatic (i.e. before they exhibit a temperature)...the mayor's office had no comment.

Pandemic Will LIkely Kill Hundreds of Thousands of Children Who Never Become Infected https://www.foxnews.com/world/united-nations-warning-coronavirus-lockdowns-could-kill-hundreds-thousands-children

UN Warns that 10s of thousands of children will likely die due to the economic impact of COVID-19 shutdowns.
"Economic hardship experienced by families as a result of the global economic downturn could result in hundreds of thousands of additional child deaths in 2020, reversing the last 2 to 3 years of progress in reducing infant mortality within a single year," the U.N. report said.
The United Nations estimated that between 42 million to 66 million children could fall into extreme poverty as a result of the crisis, adding to the 386 million already in extreme poverty in 2019.
The report added that 188 countries had closed schools nationwide, affecting more than 1.5 billion children, according to Reuters.
"The potential losses that may accrue in learning for today's young generation, and for the development of their human capital, are hard to fathom," the U.N. said.
The UN reiterated its call for a 10% global GDP tax that each country would pay directly to the UN to help stamp-out child-killing poverty worldwide.

Guidelines for Reducing Social Distancing Rules Released by White House Task Force https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-announces-new-coronavirus-guidelines-for-opening-up-america-again

The plan calls for three Phases of reduced social and economic restrictions, each with a 2-week period in between showing that COVID-19 spread was stable and not increasing.
The strategy would enable states or even counties to determine where they are on the curve and follow their own path to reopen schools, businesses and other events.
News of the plan follows orders from New York, California and numerous other states that Social Distancing and Stay At Home orders would be extended through May 15th.
Guidelines for all 3 phases included the recommendation that people wear face-masks while out in public.

California Governor States "Curve Arguably Flattened" https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/04/16/governor-newsom-curve-has-arguably-flattened-california-nears-900-covid-19-deaths/

27,036 people have tested positive for the novel coronavirus in California, which represents a 47.7 percent increase from the 18,309 people who had tested positive when Newsom briefed the press last Thursday.
"You have successfully bent and arguably flattened the curve in the state of California," Newsom said.
"We continue to need to maintain our vigilance, guided not by political decision-making, guided by data, guided by facts, guided by science, guided by health professionals all throughout the state of California."
Officially, California's Shelter-in-Place orders are set to expire May 3rd.
California would review its status per the new Federal guidelines issued by President Trump to determine if it is ready to enter Phase I of re-opening its economy, Newsom indicated.

Anti-COVID-19 Paint Soon Available https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3080294/japans-nippon-paint-develops-anti-coronavirus-coating-protect

Nippon Paint's Antivirus Kids Paint has been developed in partnership with US-based Corning company.
5 million yuan worth of the new product has been donated to four hospitals in Hubei province, the company said.
It has been successfully tested in the US by Texas-based Microchem Laboratory and can render inactive almost 100 percent of Feline Calicivirus, an upper respiratory infection in cats.
The product has been under development since 2017, the company said.
The US Environmental Protection Agency has approved Feline Calicivirus as a suitable proxy for detecting human norovirus, rhinovirus and coronavirus.
According to the World Health Organisation, SARS-CoV-2 might stay on surfaces for up to several days. People can catch the virus by touching contaminated surfaces or objects, and then touching their eyes, nose or mouth.
No word yet when the paint might be available in the US as consumer safety testing and certification was still ongoing.

YOUR VOICE

Warning: 97% fear Gen Z’s beliefs could ignite political chaos

GLENN

Without civic action, America faces collapse

GLENN

'Rage against the dying of the light': Charlie Kirk lived that mandate

Glenn Beck resurrects the 9-12 Project to support Charlie Kirk's family

Glenn Beck is once again calling on his loyal listeners and viewers to come together and channel the same unity and purpose that defined the historic 9-12 Project. That movement, born in the wake of national challenges, brought millions together to revive core values of faith, hope, and charity.

Glenn created the original 9-12 Project in early 2009 to bring Americans back to where they were in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. In those moments, we weren't Democrats and Republicans, conservative or liberal, Red States or Blue States, we were united as one, as America. The original 9-12 Project aimed to root America back in the founding principles of this country that united us during those darkest of days.

This new initiative draws directly from that legacy, focusing on supporting the family of Charlie Kirk in these dark days following his tragic murder.

The revival of the 9-12 Project aims to secure the long-term well-being of Charlie Kirk's wife and children. All donations will go straight to meeting their immediate and future needs. If the family deems the funds surplus to their requirements, Charlie's wife has the option to redirect them toward the vital work of Turning Point USA.

This campaign is more than just financial support—it's a profound gesture of appreciation for Kirk's tireless dedication to the cause of liberty. It embodies the unbreakable bond of our community, proving that when we stand united, we can make a real difference.
Glenn Beck invites you to join this effort. Show your solidarity by donating today and honoring Charlie Kirk and his family in this meaningful way.

You can learn more about the 9-12 Project and donate HERE

The critical difference: Rights from the Creator, not the state

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

When politicians claim that rights flow from the state, they pave the way for tyranny.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) recently delivered a lecture that should alarm every American. During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, he argued that believing rights come from a Creator rather than government is the same belief held by Iran’s theocratic regime.

Kaine claimed that the principles underpinning Iran’s dictatorship — the same regime that persecutes Sunnis, Jews, Christians, and other minorities — are also the principles enshrined in our Declaration of Independence.

In America, rights belong to the individual. In Iran, rights serve the state.

That claim exposes either a profound misunderstanding or a reckless indifference to America’s founding. Rights do not come from government. They never did. They come from the Creator, as the Declaration of Independence proclaims without qualification. Jefferson didn’t hedge. Rights are unalienable — built into every human being.

This foundation stands worlds apart from Iran. Its leaders invoke God but grant rights only through clerical interpretation. Freedom of speech, property, religion, and even life itself depend on obedience to the ruling clerics. Step outside their dictates, and those so-called rights vanish.

This is not a trivial difference. It is the essence of liberty versus tyranny. In America, rights belong to the individual. The government’s role is to secure them, not define them. In Iran, rights serve the state. They empower rulers, not the people.

From Muhammad to Marx

The same confusion applies to Marxist regimes. The Soviet Union’s constitutions promised citizens rights — work, health care, education, freedom of speech — but always with fine print. If you spoke out against the party, those rights evaporated. If you practiced religion openly, you were charged with treason. Property and voting were allowed as long as they were filtered and controlled by the state — and could be revoked at any moment. Rights were conditional, granted through obedience.

Kaine seems to be advocating a similar approach — whether consciously or not. By claiming that natural rights are somehow comparable to sharia law, he ignores the critical distinction between inherent rights and conditional privileges. He dismisses the very principle that made America a beacon of freedom.

Jefferson and the founders understood this clearly. “We are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights,” they wrote. No government, no cleric, no king can revoke them. They exist by virtue of humanity itself. The government exists to protect them, not ration them.

This is not a theological quibble. It is the entire basis of our government. Confuse the source of rights, and tyranny hides behind piety or ideology. The people are disempowered. Clerics, bureaucrats, or politicians become arbiters of what rights citizens may enjoy.

John Greim / Contributor | Getty Images

Gifts from God, not the state

Kaine’s statement reflects either a profound ignorance of this principle or an ideological bias that favors state power over individual liberty. Either way, Americans must recognize the danger. Understanding the origin of rights is not academic — it is the difference between freedom and submission, between the American experiment and theocratic or totalitarian rule.

Rights are not gifts from the state. They are gifts from God, secured by reason, protected by law, and defended by the people. Every American must understand this. Because when rights come from government instead of the Creator, freedom disappears.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

POLL: Is Gen Z’s anger over housing driving them toward socialism?

NurPhoto / Contributor | Getty Images

A recent poll conducted by Justin Haskins, a long-time friend of the show, has uncovered alarming trends among young Americans aged 18-39, revealing a generation grappling with deep frustrations over economic hardships, housing affordability, and a perceived rigged system that favors the wealthy, corporations, and older generations. While nearly half of these likely voters approve of President Trump, seeing him as an anti-establishment figure, over 70% support nationalizing major industries, such as healthcare, energy, and big tech, to promote "equity." Shockingly, 53% want a democratic socialist to win the 2028 presidential election, including a third of Trump voters and conservatives in this age group. Many cite skyrocketing housing costs, unfair taxation on the middle class, and a sense of being "stuck" or in crisis as driving forces, with 62% believing the economy is tilted against them and 55% backing laws to confiscate "excess wealth" like second homes or luxury items to help first-time buyers.

This blend of Trump support and socialist leanings suggests a volatile mix: admiration for disruptors who challenge the status quo, coupled with a desire for radical redistribution to address personal struggles. Yet, it raises profound questions about the roots of this discontent—Is it a failure of education on history's lessons about socialism's failures? Media indoctrination? Or genuine systemic barriers? And what does it portend for the nation’s trajectory—greater division, a shift toward authoritarian policies, or an opportunity for renewal through timeless values like hard work and individual responsibility?

Glenn wants to know what YOU think: Where do Gen Z's socialist sympathies come from? What does it mean for the future of America? Make your voice heard in the poll below:

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism comes from perceived economic frustrations like unaffordable housing and a rigged system favoring the wealthy and corporations?

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism, including many Trump supporters, is due to a lack of education about the historical failures of socialist systems?

Do you think that these poll results indicate a growing generational divide that could lead to more political instability and authoritarian tendencies in America's future?

Do you think that this poll implies that America's long-term stability relies on older generations teaching Gen Z and younger to prioritize self-reliance, free-market ideals, and personal accountability?

Do you think the Gen Z support for Trump is an opportunity for conservatives to win them over with anti-establishment reforms that preserve liberty?

Americans expose Supreme Court’s flag ruling as a failed relic

Anna Moneymaker / Staff | Getty Images

In a nation where the Stars and Stripes symbolize the blood-soaked sacrifices of our heroes, President Trump's executive order to crack down on flag desecration amid violent protests has ignited fierce debate. But in a recent poll, Glenn asked the tough question: Can Trump protect the Flag without TRAMPLING free speech? Glenn asked, and you answered—thousands weighed in on this pressing clash between free speech and sacred symbols.

The results paint a picture of resounding distrust toward institutional leniency. A staggering 85% of respondents support banning the burning of American flags when it incites violence or disturbs the peace, a bold rejection of the chaos we've seen from George Floyd riots to pro-Palestinian torchings. Meanwhile, 90% insist that protections for burning other flags—like Pride or foreign banners—should not be treated the same as Old Glory under the First Amendment, exposing the hypocrisy in equating our nation's emblem with fleeting symbols. And 82% believe the Supreme Court's Texas v. Johnson ruling, shielding flag burning as "symbolic speech," should not stand without revision—can the official story survive such resounding doubt from everyday Americans weary of government inaction?

Your verdict sends a thunderous message: In this divided era, the flag demands defense against those who exploit freedoms to sow disorder, without trampling the liberties it represents. It's a catastrophic failure of the establishment to ignore this groundswell.

Want to make your voice heard? Check out more polls HERE.