CORONAVIRUS UPDATE: April 9th

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: 1,529,961 (up from 1,447,516 yesterday)
  • Total Confirmed Deaths Worldwide: 89,426 (up from 83,113 yesterday)
  • Total Confirmed Recovered Worldwide: 337,164 (up from 308,659 yesterday)
  • US has 435,160 Confirmed Cases and 14,797 Deaths, up from 400,549 cases and 12,857 deaths yesterday
  • The nearly 2,000 US deaths makes this the highest death rate day so far in the Pandemic for any country
  • The US has officially tested 2,226,116 people, Making the US 44th in Rate of Testing Per 1 Million in Population
  • Less than 1% of the US Population has been tested for COVID-19... Iceland is #1, having tested over 10% of its total population
Virus Spreads Nearly 2-Times Faster Than Previously Estimatedhttps://nypost.com/2020/04/08/coronavirus-might-spread-twice-as-quickly-as-health-officials-thought/
  • Researchers from Los Alimos National Laboratory published a study estimating the total number of other people infected by each SARS-CoV-2 carrier.
  • The research found that people infected during the initial outbreak in Wuhan probably passed the virus to an average 5.7 others — more than double the 2 to 2.5 other people estimated by health officials and the World Health Organization.
  • Patients sick with the seasonal flu, by comparison, will on average infect about 1.3 people.
  • If the numbers are accurate, the coronavirus pandemic could only be stopped by a widespread vaccination or built immunity for 82 percent of the population, according to the researchers, who reviewed Chinese data from the CDC, including mobile phone data that tracked the movement of patients leaving Wuhan.
  • The WHO has faced significant criticism for downplaying the contagious nature of COVID-19 and China's role in daily to stop the spread early in the localized epidemic phase.
  • An internal Chinese study originally leaked in February by doctors estimated the rate of spread in Wuhan to be between 4.8 and 5.9 people infected per victim, which would validate the research from Los Alimos. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/7/20-0282_article?deliveryName=USCDC_333-DM25287
More Western Governments Agree: Virus Likely Came from Chinese Laboratory, NOT From Exoctic Food Markethttps://www.yahoo.com/news/boris-johnsons-government-reportedly-believes-115000701.html
  • Add Great Britain to the growing list of Governments who are beginning to confirm the SARS-CoV-2 virus likely came from a Chinese Communist Party-backed viral research lab.
  • The US, UK, Israel, Canada, Australia, Taiwan and Germany have all reached similar conclusions: the virus behind COVID-19 was most likely laboratory grown. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8188159/Did-coronavirus-leak-research-lab-Wuhan-Startling-new-theory-no-longer-discounted.html
  • The WHO has significantly downplayed this possibility and continues to parrot Chinese Communist Party propaganda that the virus is too "imperfect" to have been developed as a bio-weapon, a claim not being made by any Western governments or intelligence agencies.
  • Rather, the conclusion is that the virus was discovered in the Chinese research lab and accidentally leaked when a worker was sprayed with blood from a bat, which internal documents from the Lab as well as Chinese Communist Party videos obtained by Western Intelligence & Media outlets appear to confirm.
China Communist Party: Virus Was Spreading in North Carolina in the Summer of 2019https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3079046/chinese-supercomputer-and-american-doctors-clash-over-ai
  • An AI Supercomputer modeling all public health records finds SARS-CoV-2 was likely present and spreading in North Carolina in the Summer of 2019.
  • Using millions of medical records (fully anonymized of course), the Chinese computer found a case of 'atypical pneumonia' of 'unknown origin' in The US last year, including CT scans of the victim's lungs indicative of COVID-19.
  • The Victim was an avid "Vaper" (user of oral vaping CBD Oil device)
  • China's Tianhe-1 machine says white patches detected on lungs suggest probable COVID-19 and suggested contaminated vaping devices shared among friends the likely culprit.
  • But North Carolina doctor says five patients with similar symptoms were not evidence of an earlier outbreak.
  • The patient was one of five people who showed up at the WakeMed Hospital in Raleigh, North Carolina, at about the same time, with acute lung injuries, according to information on the website of the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
  • Doctors ran tests for influenza and other known pathogens to identify the cause of infection, and the results came back negative.
  • All patients survived and their cases were added by the US CDC into a pool of hundreds of patients "potentially associated with vaping", or the smoking of electronic cigarettes, that occurred last year.
  • CDC notes that none of the patients presented with other COVID-19 symptoms which often include Fever, Fatigue, Diarrhea, Headaches, or Dry Cough.
  • CDC further noted that if this had been SARS-CoV-2, further spread would have likely occurred given the extremely high rate of contagion.
  • Industry analysts also noted that approximately 95% of global vaping equipment, including flavor cartridges, are manufactured in China.
US Government Needs Mike Lindell After All: Federal Stockpile of PPEs 90% Depletedhttps://apnews.com/a464316e25560d393bd07a021b7e81ba
  • More than 90% of the US Stockpile of Masks, Gowns, Gloves and Faceshields have already been distributed to states.
  • As reported by The Blaze and confirmed as "True" by Factcheckers at USA Today, the US Federal Emergency Stockpile had been depleted by over 70% between 2012 and 2016 during the Obama Administration, but the Administration had not refilled the stockpile before Trump took office in 2017. https://www.glennbeck.com/blog/coronavirus-update-april-6th
  • The Department of Health and Human Services told the Associated Press Wednesday that the federal stockpile was in the process of deploying all remaining personal protective equipment in its inventory.
  • The HHS statement confirms federal documents released Wednesday by the House Oversight and Reform Committee showing that about 90% of the personal protective equipment in the stockpile has been distributed to state and local governments.
  • HHS spokeswoman Katie McKeogh said the remaining 10% will be kept in reserve to support federal response efforts, noting that the US Federal Government is expecting new PPE to arrive from US and Western manufacturers within days to help ensure ongoing supplies to US hotspots.
New Yorkers Carry European Strains of SARS-CoV-2, Study Demonstrateshttps://dnyuz.com/2020/04/08/most-new-york-coronavirus-cases-came-from-europe-genomes-show/
  • There are currently 115 known 'mutations' of SARS-CoV-2, most extremely minor protein anomalies that don't impact how the virus functions in the human body.
  • NYC victims mostly carry and transmit the European strains of the virus, the same as those having caused such high infection and serious complication rates in Italy and Spain.
  • That seems to be true up and down the East Coast and in Louisianna, whereas Washington, San Francisco and Los Angeles mostly seem to carry strains that came directly through China without first transmitting through European hosts.
  • Understanding the specific genome of which strain of the virus is carried can help doctors determine which treatments may be most effective for a given patient, and may alter vaccine development.
  • SARS-CoV-2 itself is a mutation of the original SARS-1 Coronavirus, scientists indicated.
  • Some previous studies have speculated that some strains of the virus may be more virulent and fatal in some patients than others, although the CDC has yet to reach this conclusion, the study notes.
100 Ships and 90,000 Crew Members In Limbo - Stuck At Sea Awaiting Permission to Disembarkhttps://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/over-90-000-cruise-ship-crew-members-stuck-at-sea-amid-coronavirus-outbreak/ar-BB12lXc2
  • Dozens of ships do not have passengers, either because cruises were canceled or returning ships already disembarked all passengers - still crew members, even those who have tested negative for COVID-19, are stuck on board.
  • The Coral Princess, the latest cruise ship in the U.S. with reported cases of COVID-19, already disembarked all passengers but crew members are all still on board. Tthe U.S. Coast Guard said over 100 cruise ships and 90,000 crew members are still stuck at sea in or near U.S. ports and waters.
  • "The entire DHS team is working together to ensure no seafarer will be left untreated during this emergency to the best of our collective ability," Rear Adm. Eric Jones, Commander of the 7th District headquartered in Miami, said.
  • However, "cruise lines need to take additional measures" to be "reasonably self-sufficient" through better medical care and protocols.
  • Some crew members have accused the government of slowplaying disembarkation orders as a means to 'punish' the Cruise industry for choosing to continue operations into March, resulting in thousands of passengers becoming infected and requiring rescue efforts at Government expense.
In Mexico, Death's by COVID-19 Flat, but Deaths by "Atypical Pneumonia" Surgehttps://www.theyucatantimes.com/2020/04/in-mexico-atypical-pneumonia-is-killing-more-people-than-covid-19-imss-denies-it/
  • In a copycat scenario echoing China's early cover-up, Government Officials in Mexico seem to be masking COVID-19 deaths by fudging Cause of Death numbers.
  • Officially, Mexico has only 174 Deaths by COVID-19 so far, despite local reports of "many Dozens" of dead in just one hospital in Mexico City.
  • However, a recent media report shows that while official COVID-19 deaths appear to be low, death via 'Atypical Pneumonia', 'Respiratory Failure' or 'Heart Seizure' have surged by hundreds of cases in the past 4 weeks.
  • In one hospital just this past week, only 15 patients were diagnosed with COVID-19, but another 48 patients were admitted with "Atypical Pneumonia" listed on official medical reports leaked to the press.
  • Doctors there said they aren't testing all patients due to lack of testing supplies and laboratory capacity.
  • Mexico only began instituting social distancing orders and lockdowns last week, prompting a scramble by Government officials as obvious outbreaks appeared in hospitals all over the country.
  • Mexico recently requested international help, asking for 200,000 doctors and 300,000 nurses to help deal with the expected wave of infections. https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/coronavirus/mexico-is-short-200000-doctors-300000-nurses-health-minister/
Police Confront Nude Sunbathers About Having Naked Faceshttps://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/nudist-sunbathers-face-masks-coronavirus
  • Face masks are apparently more important than pants when it comes to health and safety.
  • In classic "You Do You" style, a group of naked sunbathers in the Czech Republic were recently ordered by police to cover up with facemasks to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
  • While they were completely free to remain nude, local ordinances required that they keep their mouths covered due to the global coronavirus outbreak.
  • "I guess Nude doesn't really mean Nude anymore," one local sunbather complained.
How Do You Restart The World's Largest Economy? On a Wing and a Prayer:https://www.wsj.com/articles/government-and-businessesturn-attention-to-eventual-reopeningof-22-trillion-u-s-economy-11586301615
  • The Trump Administration's Larry Kudlow indicated recently that we're 'weeks, not months' from restarting parts of the US Economy following COVID-19 lockdowns.
  • Trump has indicated he wants a 'fast, very rapid' jump-start, coupling liquidity injections from the US Federal Reserve with Government Spending via several channels.
  • The US Government will place orders with Defense contractors, spend heavily on new infrastructure, offer immediate spending grants to US-states, and issue special building and construction permits, along with cutting red-tape and environmental regulations, insiders have indicated.
  • Spending grants offered to US states would be time-sensitive, inspiring states to rush projects to fruition to take advantage of the funds. "There's a clock on this stuff," Kudlow told reporters.
  • "This has never been done before, but we know the levers to pull," one source quoted by the Wall Street Journal said. "The US Government is the largest overall spender in the world, but we also control the regulations that would otherwise limit growth from the private sector."
  • The one-two punch of government spending coupled with lower regulatory burden should enable the US Government to help jump-start the economy.
  • "Spending by the US Government, along with massive loan-guarantees is what restarted Europe's economy via the Marshall plan after World War II," said one Fed official. "We're not entirely in uncharted territory."
  • Still, the concern is that by lowering social distancing orders too soon, further viral outbreaks could squash efforts to restart the economy. "Timing is everything," Larry Kudlow told the Wall Street Journal yesterday.

What is the Secret Service trying to hide about Trump's assassination attempt?

KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI / Contributor, Anadolu / Contributor | Getty Images

This past weekend we were mere inches away from a radically different America than the one we have today. This was the first time a president had been wounded by a would-be assassin since 1981, and the horrific event has many people questioning the competency and motives of the supposedly elite agents trusted with the president's life.

The director of the Secret Service apparently knew about the assassin's rooftop before the shooting—and did nothing.

Kimberly Cheatle has come under intense scrutiny these last couple of weeks, as Secret Service director she is responsible for the president's well-being, along with all security operations onsite. In a recent interview with ABC, Cheatle admitted that she was aware of the building where the assassin made his mark on American history. She even said that she was mindful of the potential risk but decided against securing the site due to "safety concerns" with the slope of the roof. This statement has called her competence into question. Clearly, the rooftop wasn't that unsafe if the 20-year-old shooter managed to access it.

Glenn pointed out recently that Cheatle seems to be unqualified for the job. Her previous position was senior director in global security at America's second-favorite soda tycoon, PepsiCo. While guarding soda pop and potato chips sounds like an important job to some, it doesn't seem like a position that would qualify you to protect the life of America's most important and controversial people. Even considering her lack of appropriate experience, this seems like a major oversight that even a layperson would have seen. Can we really chalk this up to incompetence?

Former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI / Contributor | Getty Images

The Secret Service and DHS said they'd be transparent with the investigation...

Shortly after the attempted assassination, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees the Secret Service, launched an investigation into the shooting and the security protocols in place at the rally. The DHS promised full transparency during the investigation, but House Republicans don't feel that they've been living up to that promise. Republican members of the House Oversight Committee are frustrated with Director Cheatle after she seemingly dodged a meeting scheduled for Tuesday. This has resulted in calls for Cheatle to step down from her position.

Two FBI agents investigate the assassin's rooftop Jeff Swensen / Stringer | Getty Images

Why is the Secret Service being so elusive? Are they just trying to cover their blunder? We seem to be left with two unsettling options: either the government is even more incompetent than we'd ever believed, or there is more going on here than they want us to know.

Cheatle steps down

Following a horrendous testimony to the House Oversight Committee Director Cheatle finally stepped down from her position ten days after the assassination attempt. Cheatle failed to give any meaningful answer to the barrage of questions she faced from the committee. These questions, coming from both Republicans and Democrats, were often regarding basic information that Cheatle should have had hours after the shooting, yet Cheatle struggled with each and every one. Glenn pointed out that Director Cheatle's resignation should not signal the end of the investigation, the American people deserve to know what happened.

What we DO and DON'T know about Thomas Matthew Crooks

Jim Vondruska / Stringer | Getty Images

It has been over a week since 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks narrowly failed to assassinate President Trump while the president gave a speech at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennslyvania. Despite the ongoing investigations, we still know very little about the would-be assassin, which has left many wondering if the agencies involved are limiting the information that Congress and the public are receiving.

As Glenn has pointed out, there are still major questions about the shooter that are unanswered, and the American people are left at the whim of unreliable federal agencies. Here is everything we know—and everything we don't know—about Thomas Matthew Crooks:

Who was he?

What we know:Thomas Crooks lived in Bethel Parks, Pennsylvania, approximately an hour south of Butler. Crooks went to high school in Bethel Parks, where he would graduate in 2022. Teachers and classmates described him as a loner and as nerdy, but generally nice, friendly, and intelligent. Crooks tried out for the school rifle team but was rejected due to his poor aim, and reports indicate that Crooks was often bullied for his nerdy demeanor and for wearing camo hunting gear to school.

After high school, Crooks began work at Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center as a dietary aide. In fact, he was scheduled to work on the day of the rally but requested the day off. He passed a background check to work at the facility and was reportedly an unproblematic employee. Crooks was also a member of a local gun club where he practiced shooting the day before the rally.

It was recently revealed that sometime before his attempted assassination, Crooks posted the following message on Steam, a popular computer application used for playing video games: "July 13 will be my premiere, watch as it unfolds." Aside from this, Crooks posted no warning or manifesto regarding his attack, and little other relevant information is known about him.

What we don't know:It is unclear what Crook's political affiliations or views were, or if he was aligned with any extremist organizations. Crooks was a registered Republican, and his classmates recall him defending conservative ideas and viewpoints in class. On the other hand, the Federal Election Commission has revealed he donated to a progressive PAC on the day Biden was inaugurated. He also reportedly wore a COVID mask to school much longer than was required.

Clearly, we are missing the full picture. Why would a Republican attempt to assassinate the Republican presidential nominee? What is to gain? And why would he donate to a progressive organization as a conservative? This doesn't add up, and so far the federal agencies investigating the attack have yet to reveal anything more.

What were his goals?

What we know: Obviously we know he was trying to assassinate President Trump—and came very close to succeeding, but beyond that, Crooks' goals are unknown. He left no manifesto or any sort of written motive behind, or if he did, the authorities haven't published it yet. We have frustratingly little to go off of.

What we don't know: As stated before, we don't know anything about the movies behind Crooks' heinous actions. We are left with disjointed pieces that make it difficult to paint a cohesive picture of this man. There is also the matter that he left explosives, ammo, and a bulletproof vest in his car. Why? Did he assume he was going to make it back to his car? Or were those supplies meant for an accomplice that never showed up?

The shocking lack of information on Crooks' motives makes it seem likely that we are not being let on to the whole truth.

Did he work alone?

What we know: Reportedly, Crooks was the only gunman on the site, and as of now, no other suspects have been identified. The rifle used during the assassination attempt was purchased and registered by Crooks' father. However, it is unlikely that the father was involved as he reported both his son and rifle missing the night of the assassination attempt. Crooks' former classmates described him as a "loner," which seems to corroborate the narrative that he worked alone.

What we don't know: We know how Crooks acquired his rifle, but what about the rest of his equipment? He reportedly had nearly a hundred extra rounds of ammunition, a bulletproof vest, and several homemade bombs in his car. Could these have been meant for a co-conspirator who didn't show? Did Crooks acquire all of this equipment himself, or did he have help?

There's also the matter of the message Crooks left on the video game platform Steam that served as his only warning of the attack. Who was the message for? Are there people out there who were aware of the attack before it occurred? Why didn't they alert authorities?

We know authorities have access to Crooks' laptop and cellphone that probably contain the answers to these pertinent questions. Why haven't we heard any clarity from the authorities? It seems we are again at the mercy of the federal bureaucracy, which begs one more question: Will we ever know the whole truth?

Who will be Kamala Harris' VP pick?

JIM WATSON / Contributor, Chris duMond / Stringer, Justin Sullivan / Staff | Getty Images

Over the weekend, President Joe Biden officially dropped out of the 2024 presidential election and put forward his endorsement behind his Vice President Kamala Harris.

Glenn recently predicted that Biden would step down due to the mountain of pressure within his party to do so. But now that we are here we are faced with an all-new line of questions, like, who will be the candidate on the Democratic ticket? Who will be their pick for vice president?

As of now, the answer to the first question seems to be Kamala Harris, who received the support of the president and several prominent democrats. It's still too early to call for certain, and Glenn doesn't think it's likely, but assuming Kamala becomes the Democrat nominee, who will her VP pick be? There are endless possible options, but there are a 5 big names that could prove beneficial to Harris' campaign:

California Gov. Gavin Newsom

Bill Pugliano / Stringer | Getty Images

Governor Newsom has spiked in popularity within his party since his taking office in 2019 due to his scathing criticisms of President Trump and other Republicans. Newsom has been a popular contender as a possible Biden replacement, and a future presidential bid seems likely.

His widespread recognition may be a boon to Kamala's ticket, but the California governor comes with a dark side. Newsom was famously nearly recalled as Governor in 2021, hanging on to his office by a narrow margin. He also faced criticism for his hypocrisy during the COVID lockdowns, attending large gatherings while the rest of his state was locked inside. There's also the issue that both Newsom and Kamala are from California, meaning that if they were to appear on the same ticket, that ticket would lack geographical balance and would potentially lead to a Constitutional issue that would force the duo to forfeit all 54 of the states' Electoral College votes.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro

Tom Williams / Contributor | Getty Images

Another prominent Democrat Governor, Josh Shapiro has also been floated as a potential VP pick. Governor Shapiro has become a viable pick due to his well-received performance as Pennslyvania's Governor. The governor has good support within the swing state due to his handling of the I-95 bridge collapse, the train derailment in East Palestine, which had effects on his state, and the assassination attempt on the former president last week. Shapiro would bring much-needed support from the swing state if he was put on the ticket.

That being said, Shapiro has little time to build nationwide name recognition before the DNC in August and the November election. This would be Shapiro's debut on the national stage, and he would find himself in the most unforgiving situation possible.

Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg

FREDERIC J. BROWN / Contributor | Getty Images

Former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and opponent of Biden during the 2020 Democratic primaries, "Mayor Pete's" name recognition might be what Kamala needs on her presidential ticket. Buttigieg rose to popularity during the 2020 election due to his youth and status as "openly gay." Buttigieg has served as the Secretary of Transportation during the Biden administration for the past four years and has formally endorsed Harris.

Nevertheless, Buttigieg has some dark spots on his resume. The East Palestine train derailment disaster has besmirched his reputation as Secretary of Transportation. And while his youth may work in his favor when compared to the other elderly members of our federal government, it also means Buttigieg lacks the experience and prestige that other politicians enjoy.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer

Noam Galai / Stringer | Getty Images

Yet another governor of a crucial swing state, Whitmer was elected in 2018, two years after President Trump was elected, helping secure the state for the Democrats. Whitmer is known for her strong opposition to Trump, both during his presidency and his reelection campaign. Whitmer serves as co-chair for the Biden-Harris campaign and as vice chairperson of the DNC, which gives her influence over the Democratic party, something that would come in handy as a Vice President. Gov. Whitmer also established the Fight Like Hell PAC, which is dedicated to helping Democrats get elected and to stopping Trump by any means.

On the other hand, in a statement following Biden's resignation from the election, Governor Whitmer stated that her role “will remain the same.” It is also worth noting that if she were to be chosen as Kamala's VP, that would make their ticket all-female, which may foster some "woke points," but is politically risky.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear

Lexington Herald-Leader / Contributor | Getty Images

Andy Bashear has seemingly beaten the odds twice, having been elected and reelected as the Governor of Kentucky, despite the deep-red nature of the state. Beshear, who has moderate tendencies, would be a boon to the Harris campaign as he has a track record of reaching rural, typically conservative regions where Democrats tend to struggle. He is also known for his propensity to talk about his Christian faith and willingness to work with Republicans, which are traits that might help win over moderates.

But, like Gov. Shapiro, Bashear has very little time to whip up national support and recognition. He also is unlikely to be very much help for the Harris campaign in winning over important swing states.

Five times Glenn had J.D. Vance on his show and where he stands on key issues

CHANDAN KHANNAMANDEL NGAN / Contributor | Getty Images

We finally have an answer to the long-awaited question of who Trump will pick for his running mate, and it's none other than Ohio Senator and friend of the show, J.D. Vance. At the RNC in Milwaukee, Trump officially accepted the party's nomination as the Republican candidate and announced J.D. Vance as his running mate.

Glenn has had Senator Vance on the show several times to discuss everything from DEI to the Southern Border. If you are looking to familiarize yourself with the next potential Vice President, look no further, here are five conversations Glenn had with Trump's VP pick:

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