CORONAVIRUS UPDATE: April 20th

April 20, 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: 2,418,980 (up from 2,197,161 Friday)
Total Confirmed Deaths Worldwide: 165,761 (up from 147,512 Friday)
Total Confirmed Recovered Worldwide: 633,376 (up from 557,596 Friday)
US has 746,265 Confirmed Cases and 40,766 deaths, up from 687,201 cases and 34,641 deaths Friday
US currently has 13,566 people in Serious or Critical Condition
US is 13th in Fatality Rate per 1 Million people, behind Netherlands, Sweden, Ireland, Spain, Italy, UK and Belgium

Droning On and On https://www.dailywire.com/news/this-is-crazy-chinese-made-drones-are-monitoring-streets-in-20-states-to-enforce-social-distancing-u-s-officials-are-concerned-about-spying

At least 20 states in the US are using Chinese-made aerial drones to ensure we're following Social Distancing regulations.
Drones were donated to law enforcement agencies by DJI, a Chinese tech company that dominates the civilian drone market with over 65% market share.
In 2018-2019, the US Department of Interior and Department of Defense both banned the use of DJI drones after it was discovered that the smartphone software used to fly the drones sends data back to parent-company DJI in China.
DJI has numerous ties to the Chinese Communist Party, including having CCP members on its board of Directors, according to the NY Times.

New York Now Officially a City of Rats https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/bill-de-blasio-new-york-citys-tattletale-in-chief

In a video posted to Twitter on Saturday, Mayor Bill DeBlasio encouraged New Yorkers to tattle on fellow citizens who aren't following social distancing guidelines by taking a picture of the alleged violation and texting it to city officials.
"Thank you to everyone who has done this the right way, but we still know there's some people who need to get the message," de Blasio said.
"And that means sometimes making sure the enforcement is there to educate people and make clear we've got to have social distancing. So, now it is easier than ever — when you see a crowd, when you see a line that's not distanced, when you see a supermarket that's too crowded, anything, you can report it right away so we can get help there to fix the problem."
So far, the New York rat-hotline has received over 1,000 alleged reports of New Yorkers violating social distancing orders.

As Much as 60% of PPP Cash Went to Publicly Traded Companies https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/19/business/small-businesses-ppp-loans-chain-restaurants/index.html

Congress had authorized $350 Billion via the Payroll Protection Program for Small Businesses.
Analysis now indicates that much of that cash went to chain restaurants, franchises, hotels, etc who are part of larger publicly traded companies.
Franchise locations, including some that are technically owned and operated by larger publicly traded companies, qualified as small businesses because they are separate companies owned by larger companies.
In one instance reported by CNN, one hotel chain received nearly $370 Million in loans for 10 hotel locations where each individual hotel is run as a separate LLC, even though the parent company has 12,000 employees and wouldn't qualify as a small business (capped at 500 employees or less).
Less than 10% of the PPP loans ended up going to small businesses that employed fewer than 50 employees, according to CNN's analysis.

Here Comes The Sun https://www.yahoo.com/news/sunlight-destroys-coronavirus-very-quickly-new-government-tests-find-but-experts-say-pandemic-could-still-last-through-summer-200745675.html

SARS-CoV-2 is easily destroyed by UV light, government study confirms.
Most Coronavirus studies are easily destroyed by exposure to sunlight, including SARS-CoV-2.
UV light cripples the lipid-based membrane of the virus very easily, including UV-A, UV-B, and UV-C spectrums.
UV-A and UV-B light both penetrate the earth's atmosphere and reach the surface. Both UV-A and UV-B cause cancer and can cause eye damage in humans.
UV-C light from the Sun does NOT penetrate the earth's atmosphere, but UV-C does kill Coronavirus. UV-C light is completely harmless to human skin and eyes according to a study by the National Institutes of Health in 2017. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29426899
UV-C light bulbs are available in the US.

Time To Close Grocery Stores? https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/19/business/grocery-stores-coronavirus-pickup-delivery/index.html

Despite masks, temperature checks, gloves, etc more than three dozen grocery store workers have died from COVID-19.
Some experts, union leaders and small grocery owners believe it has become too dangerous to let customers browse aisles, coming into close range with workers.
Grocery stores are still flooded with customers, and experts say it's time for large chains to go "dark" to the public and convert to curbside pickup and home delivery for food and other essential goods.
"Careless customers" are "probably the biggest threat" to workers right now, according to Marc Perrone, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers' union.
The union said 85% of its grocery store member workers surveyed said that customers are not practicing social distancing in stores, not wearing facemasks or not standing more than 6 feet apart.

Evidence of WHO & CCP Cover-Up Growing https://www.foxnews.com/world/how-complicit-is-who-china-coronavirus-cover-up

U.S. officials are 100 percent confident China went to great lengths to cover up after the virus was out, according to government sources cited by Fox News.
Additionally, the US Government now believes that the World Health Organization was either complicit in the coverup or looked the other way. Publicly, the WHO has insisted that there is no evidence it originated in the laboratory.
The holes in the information disseminated from the UN body – the only international group tasked with global health – are growing.
According to the Wall Street Journal, doctors in Wuhan were aware the virus could spread between humans as early as the beginning of December, with patients falling ill despite having had no exposure to the wet market.
Epidemiologists from Taiwan had sent urgent memos to the WHO in December, warning of human to human transmission and of an atypical pneumonia associated with the virus.
As of January 14th, the WHO was still parroting Chinese Communist propaganda that there was no evidence of human to human transmission.
It is now confirmed the Chinese knew of human to human transmission as early as December 8th, 2019.

Chinese Produced News Article in Arabic Blames US for COVID-19 https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/apr/18/china-falsely-telling-arab-world-us-source-coronav/

A News program produced by a Chinese Communist Party media outlet openly blames US for Coronavirus outbreak.
A media research group has released the transcript of a China-produced Arabic-language news report to show how Beijing's propaganda machine is blaming the coronavirus on America.
The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), which monitors TV and social media in the Arab world, focused on a March 17 broadcast of "China View" on Beijing's Global Television Network Arabic (CGTN), which overall has 14 million viewers.
The Middle East is an increasingly ripe target for China's trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative to build ports, highways and even cities to gain inroads into the oil-rich region and to compete with the U.S.
On the March 17th show, a Chinese scientist Ms V speculates that "Initially, many thought that the beginning of the virus' emergence was from one of the seafood markets in Wuhan, but Chinese researchers reported in new research that the transmission of the new coronavirus had started since at least December outside this market," she says in the piece.
"The virus may have transmitted from a source to the seafood market, where the rapid spread of transmission began due to the presence of a large number of close contacts within this place, and the research also reported that the virus had started spreading after the Wuhan International Military Games ended in October 2019. So, it is expected that the 'patient zero' in China has come from outside China," she continued.
There is no evidence for this propaganda, according to researchers.
On the "China View" program, according to MEMRI, "Ms. V" also attributed some of these claims to an outside news source from a U.S.-aligned nation.
She also indicated that some "leading scientists" believe COVID-19 was actively spreading in North Carolina in Summer, 2019, according to the Washington Times.

Latest Victim of COVID-19: Chinese 5G https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/uk-seeks-to-drop-huawei-contract-over-china-coronavirus-transparency

The UK and France now seeking to ban Chinese telecom giant Huawei from providing hardware or service as part of their 5G roll outs.
Previously only the US & Canada had moved forward with a hard ban on the inclusion of Chinese technology in 5G platforms.
"We need to devise a proper, realistic exit strategy from relying on Huawei," Conservative MP Damian Green told Bloomberg News. "Our telecom providers … need to know the government is determined to drive down Huawei's involvement to zero percent over a realistic timescale."
"The mood in the parliamentary party has hardened," said Tom Tugendhat, the Conservative Party's chairman of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee. "It's a shared realization of what it means for dependence on a business that is part of a state that does not share our values."
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has discouraged allies around the world from partnering with Huawei, arguing that China's spy services will exploit the next-generation wireless technology.
Huawei has denied cooperating with Chinese intelligence and urged the United Kingdom to not reverse its position.

GLENN

Without civic action, America faces collapse

GLENN

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

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

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.

Labor Day EXPOSED: The Marxist roots you weren’t told about

JOSEPH PREZIOSO / Contributor | Getty Images

During your time off this holiday, remember the man who started it: Peter J. McGuire, a racist Marxist who co-founded America’s first socialist party.

Labor Day didn’t begin as a noble tribute to American workers. It began as a negotiation with ideological terrorists.

In the late 1800s, factory and mine conditions were brutal. Workers endured 12-to-15-hour days, often seven days a week, in filthy, dangerous environments. Wages were low, injuries went uncompensated, and benefits didn’t exist. Out of desperation, Americans turned to labor unions. Basic protections had to be fought for because none were guaranteed.

Labor Day wasn’t born out of gratitude. It was a political payoff to Marxist radicals who set trains ablaze and threatened national stability.

That era marked a seismic shift — much like today. The Industrial Revolution, like our current digital and political upheaval, left millions behind. And wherever people get left behind, Marxists see an opening.

A revolutionary wedge

This was Marxism’s moment.

Economic suffering created fertile ground for revolutionary agitation. Marxists, socialists, and anarchists stepped in to stoke class resentment. Their goal was to turn the downtrodden into a revolutionary class, tear down the existing system, and redistribute wealth by force.

Among the most influential agitators was Peter J. McGuire, a devout Irish Marxist from New York. In 1874, he co-founded the Social Democratic Workingmens Party of North America, the first Marxist political party in the United States. He was also a vice president of the American Federation of Labor, which would become the most powerful union in America.

McGuire’s mission wasn’t hidden. He wanted to transform the U.S. into a socialist nation through labor unions.

That mission soon found a useful symbol.

In the 1880s, labor leaders in Toronto invited McGuire to attend their annual labor festival. Inspired, he returned to New York and launched a similar parade on Sept. 5 — chosen because it fell halfway between Independence Day and Thanksgiving.

The first parade drew over 30,000 marchers who skipped work to hear speeches about eight-hour workdays and the alleged promise of Marxism. The parade caught on across the country.

Negotiating with radicals

By 1894, Labor Day had been adopted by 30 states. But the federal government had yet to make it a national holiday. A major strike changed everything.

In Pullman, Illinois, home of the Pullman railroad car company, tensions exploded. The economy tanked. George Pullman laid off hundreds of workers and slashed wages for those who remained — yet refused to lower the rent on company-owned homes.

That injustice opened the door for Marxist agitators to mobilize.

Sympathetic railroad workers joined the strike. Riots broke out. Hundreds of railcars were torched. Mail service was disrupted. The nation’s rail system ground to a halt.

President Grover Cleveland — under pressure in a midterm election year — panicked. He sent 12,000 federal troops to Chicago. Two strikers were killed in the resulting clashes.

With the crisis spiraling and Democrats desperate to avoid political fallout, Cleveland struck a deal. Within six days of breaking the strike, Congress rushed through legislation making Labor Day a federal holiday.

It was the first of many concessions Democrats would make to organized labor in exchange for political power.

What we really celebrated

Labor Day wasn’t born out of gratitude. It was a political payoff to Marxist radicals who set trains ablaze and threatened national stability.

Kean Collection / Staff | Getty Images

What we celebrated was a Canadian idea, brought to America by the founder of the American Socialist Party, endorsed by racially exclusionary unions, and made law by a president and Congress eager to save face.

It was the first of many bones thrown by the Democratic Party to union power brokers. And it marked the beginning of a long, costly compromise with ideologues who wanted to dismantle the American way of life — from the inside out.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.