Each day at just after midnight Eastern, a post like this one is created for contributors and readers of this site to upload news links and video links on the issues that concern this site. Most notably, Islam and its effects on Classical Civilization, and various forms of leftism from Soviet era communism, to postmodernism and all the flavours of galloping statism and totalitarianism such as Nazism and Fascism which are increasingly snuffing out the classical liberalism which created our near, miraculous civilization the West has been building since the time of Socrates.
This document was written around the time this site was created, for those who wish to understand what this site is about. And while our understanding of the world and events has grown since then, the basic ideas remain sound and true to the purpose.
So please post all links, thoughts and ideas that you feel will benefit the readers of this site to the comments under this post each day. And thank you all for your contributions.
This is the new Samizdat. We must use it while we can.
Justice Department is dropping Flynn’s Trump-Russia case
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department on Thursday said it is dropping the criminal case against President Donald Trump’s first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, abandoning a prosecution that became a rallying cry for the president and his supporters in attacking the FBI’s Trump-Russia investigation.
The action was a stunning reversal for one of the signature cases brought by special counsel Robert Mueller. It comes even though prosecutors for the past three years have maintained that Flynn lied to the FBI in a January 2017 interview about his conversations with the Russian ambassador.
Flynn himself admitted as much, pleading guilty before asking to withdraw the plea, and became a key cooperator for Mueller as the special counsel investigated ties between Russia and the 2016 Trump campaign.
Thursday’s action was swiftly embraced by Trump, who has relentlessly tweeted about the “outrageous” case and last week pronounced Flynn “exonerated.” It could also newly energize supporters who have taken up the retired Army lieutenant general as a cause.
https://apnews.com/ae1ad252bb13490db2ceffc5d17b6d92
Democrat Illinois Governor Pritzker Says Christian Churches May Not Reopen for a Year
llinois Democrat Governor J.B. Pritzker told reporters on Wednesday churches in his state may not reopen for a year.
Pritzker must believe the First Amendment is optional.
As Cassandra Fairbanks previously reported an Illinois church filed a lawsuit against Democrat Governor J.B. Pritzker in April for violating the First Amendment and the state’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
The lawsuit, filed by the Thomas More Society on behalf of The Beloved Church in Lena, claims that the governor has a “hostility” towards religious faith.
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/05/democrat-illinois-governor-pritzker-says-christian-churches-may-not-reopen-year/?utm_source=Email&utm_medium=the-gateway-pundit&utm_campaign=dailypm&utm_content=daily
What about mosques?
Cuomo Says Healthcare Workers Who Voluntarily Traveled Across Country to Help Fight New York’s Coronavirus Outbreak Will Have to Pay State Income Tax
Democrat Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Tuesday that healthcare workers who voluntarily traveled to New York to help with the Coronavirus will have to pay state income taxes.
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/05/cuomo-says-healthcare-workers-voluntarily-traveled-across-country-help-fight-new-yorks-coronavirus-outbreak-will-pay-state-income-tax/?utm_source=Email&utm_medium=the-gateway-pundit&utm_campaign=dailypm&utm_content=daily
“President Trump Remarks on DOJ Decision to Drop Charges Against Lt. Gen. Flynn…” by Sundance – May 7, 2020
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2020/05/07/president-trump-remarks-on-doj-decision-to-drop-charges-against-lt-gen-flynn/
“Trump on Flynn: What the Obama administration did is ‘treason'”
Fox Business – May 7, 2020
Leaked Documents: China’s Lab Biosafety Concerns Point to Beijing’s Coverup of CCP Virus
A series of internal Chinese government documents on biosafety guidelines for research labs has revealed that Beijing issued guidelines on how to study the CCP virus and knew of its potential to spread among humans at least weeks before disclosing such risks with the public.
https://www.theepochtimes.com/leaked-documents-chinas-lab-biosafety-concerns-point-to-beijings-cover-up-of-ccp-virus_3336505.html?__sta=vhg.hhksexIJ_fmb%7CYIV&__stm_medium=email&__stm_source=smartech
Brussels, home of the spineless yellowbellies:
The EU Didn’t Tell European Governments It Agreed To China Removing Coronavirus References From An Op-Ed Written In Their Name
Correspondence seen by BuzzFeed News shows member states were not consulted. One European diplomat described the EU decision as “weak”.
https://www.buzzfeed.com/albertonardelli/eu-agreed-china-coronavirus-censorship
The European Union failed to consult with member states before agreeing to demands from China’s foreign ministry to remove references to the spread of the coronavirus from an opinion piece the 27 governments jointly published in a news outlet owned by the Communist Party of China, according to correspondence seen by BuzzFeed News.
Diplomats from several European countries confirmed that their governments had not been consulted and some only found out about the changes to the article after it was published.
One of the diplomats said there had been no discussion about the piece in capitals, nor among diplomatic missions in Brussels. They noted the irony of the incident happening just a few days after World Press Freedom Day on Sunday.
Another diplomat described the decision to accept China’s request as “weak”, while a third said member states being kept in the dark was “really bad”. A senior diplomat from a major EU country told BuzzFeed News that several European governments were unhappy about how the issue had been dealt with. “The EU lost credibility in the eyes of China by accepting the demands,” said the diplomat.
Publication of the article was coordinated by the European External Action Service (EEAS), the EU’s foreign security policy agency, in Beijing.
To mark the 45th anniversary of EU–China relations, the EU ambassador to China and the ambassadors to China of the 27 EU member states jointly published an op-ed on the China Daily website on May 6.
BuzzFeed News first reported on Wednesday that China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had references to the coronavirus spreading from China to the rest of the world removed from the article and didn’t grant permission to publish a Chinese version of the piece in the People’s Daily newspaper.
An EU spokesperson for foreign affairs and security policy later confirmed that the article had been changed following demands by the Chinese government.
“The EU Delegation to China was informed that the publication could only take place with the agreement of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” the spokesperson said.
“The EU Delegation decided nevertheless to proceed with the publication of the Op-Ed with considerable reluctance, as it considered it important to communicate very important messages on EU policy priorities, notably on climate change and sustainability, human rights, multilateralism and the global response to the coronavirus.”
At a press conference on Thursday, the EU declined to respond to a reporter’s question about whether member states had been involved in the process of publication, saying it didn’t comment on internal procedures.
But correspondence from the EEAS in Beijing, seen by BuzzFeed News, shows the 27 European governments were not consulted on agreeing to the censorship. “We regret that pressure of time prevented advance consultation with MS [member states] on this occasion,” the agency wrote.
The agency explained in the email that the change to the article happened after the newspaper refused to consider publication without approval from the foreign ministry, referred to as “MFA”.
“After extensive negotiations the MFA made it clear that they would not agree to the publication of the op-ed if the change was not made. The EU Delegation finally conceded to the amendment with considerable reluctance” and “on the understanding that the op-ed would appear in the Chinese language People’s Daily — on 6 May”.
The EEAS added that it would make its disappointment known to China’s foreign ministry over the Chinese language version of the article not appearing.
China’s government has not yet provided an explanation as to why the Chinese version of the altered piece wasn’t published.
Several EU embassies in China, including Germany’s and the Netherlands, published the full piece, including the reference to the “the outbreak of the coronavirus in China, and its subsequent spread to the rest of the world over the past three months”.
This is the second incident in the last year of the EEAS not being fully transparent with member states. BuzzFeed News reported last June that the bloc’s diplomatic mission in Moscow had been hacked, but the EEAS didn’t disclose the incident to EU governments, despite the belief that Russian entities were behind it.
The EEAS has in recent weeks come under scrutiny for its handling of relations with China. Earlier this week, the EU’s foreign policy arm responded to claims that it watered down a report about China’s global disinformation efforts and COVID-19 by lashing out at junior staff and blaming leaks. The EEAS denies that the report was softened following Chinese pressure.
Yaneer Bar-Yam @yaneerbaryam
Thread:
I have lost my mother to COVID.
May her light shine bright forever in the places that truly matter.
Western society is uncaring. The society is self-destructing.
I watched the loss of compassion build over decades, recognized its danger, was appalled, as well as afraid of its consequences for my family. I built around us the best protection I could. People who care. A black market in compassion.
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1258474980129546242.html
Cover Ups In China ‘Happen Almost Daily’
Trump’s New Press Secretary Destroys The Fake News Media
Chinese Regime Exploited the Virus Situation to Do Evil to Hong Kong | CCP Virus | COVID-19
Iran’s Intelligence Forces Smash 2 Terrorist Teams in West
https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2020/05/07/2258853/iran-s-intelligence-forces-smash-2-terrorist-teams-in-west
“Iran’s Intelligence Ministry forces identified and smashed two terrorist cells affiliated with “separatist” groups in the western parts of the country…”
Chinese in the US the plague made me see through the CCP’s evil nature | CCP Virus | COVID-19
The People We Are Becoming
Tunisia’s Public Prosecution pursues suspects in calls to topple parliament
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200507-tunisias-public-prosecution-pursues-suspects-in-calls-to-topple-parliament/
“Deputy of State Prosecution and Head of the Media and Communication Unit of the First Instance Court in Tunis Mohsen Dali announced that Tunisia’s Public Prosecution has pledged to investigate a number of calls made against state institutions aiming to disrupt the government.
Several parliament members called for an urgent investigation into online accounts inciting violence and chaos against the state’s sovereign centres.
Dali added in a statement to Tunis Afrique Presse (TAP) news agency on Tuesday that the Public Prosecution has entrusted specialised security teams to investigate the calls launched on social media…”
Iran hunts for grains as coronavirus compounds economic woes
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200507-iran-hunts-for-grains-as-coronavirus-compounds-economic-woes/
“Iran is scrambling to buy millions of tonnes of wheat, corn and soybeans to shore up its reserves, Iranian officials and traders said, despite President Hassan Rouhani’s assertions that the coronavirus would not endanger food supplies to the Middle Eastern country worst hit by the pandemic, Reuters reports…”
https://twitchy.com/gregp-3534/2020/05/07/it-appears-justin-trudeau-may-have-accidentally-banned-the-black-rifle-coffee-company-from-canada/
It appears Justin Trudeau may have accidentally banned the Black Rifle Coffee Company from Canada
Posted at 1:42 pm on May 7, 2020 by Greg P.
LOLOLOL.
It appears that Canada may have accidentally banned the Black Rifle Coffee Company. Check it out:
Black Rifle Coffee
?
@blckriflecoffee
Say it ain’t so @JustinTrudeau did you really ban our Fresh Roasted Freedom in Canada eh? ???????????? #brcc #americascoffee #eh
View image on Twitter
7,014
9:35 PM – May 6, 2020
Twitter Ads info and privacy
3,660 people are talking about this
“Words cannot espresso how dumb this ban is”:
Tatjana Pasalic
?
@Tattytats
Words cannot espresso how dumb this ban is. https://twitter.com/blckriflecoffee/status/1258208851435929601 …
Black Rifle Coffee
?
@blckriflecoffee
Say it ain’t so @JustinTrudeau did you really ban our Fresh Roasted Freedom in Canada eh? ???????????? #brcc #americascoffee #eh
View image on Twitter
47
8:44 AM – May 7, 2020
Twitter Ads info and privacy
16 people are talking about this
trending
Court papers say that Sally Yates learned about the Flynn-Kislyak phone call from President Obama himself
‘Look up ‘Borked”: Democrats haven’t weaponized judicial appointments like the Republicans, but they need to start
But really, what happened here?
EducatëdHillbilly™
@RobProvince
No joke Canada banned a coffee company in its firearms ban… https://twitter.com/blckriflecoffee/status/1258208851435929601 …
Black Rifle Coffee
?
@blckriflecoffee
Say it ain’t so @JustinTrudeau did you really ban our Fresh Roasted Freedom in Canada eh? ???????????? #brcc #americascoffee #eh
View image on Twitter
859
7:54 AM – May 7, 2020
Twitter Ads info and privacy
300 people are talking about this
Because this is hilarious:
Oh THAT Guy
@NathanWurtzel
Canada banned a coffee company, thinking it is a firearm.
Told you guys gun-grabbers don’t have a clue… https://twitter.com/blckriflecoffee/status/1258208851435929601 …
Black Rifle Coffee
?
@blckriflecoffee
Say it ain’t so @JustinTrudeau did you really ban our Fresh Roasted Freedom in Canada eh? ???????????? #brcc #americascoffee #eh
View image on Twitter
307
11:22 PM – May 6, 2020 · South Riding, VA
Twitter Ads info and privacy
166 people are talking about this
We’ll just assume it’s true because it’s way funnier that way:
Heather
@dswhisperer2
Oh. My. God. Canada banned coffee in its idiotic new gun ban. https://twitter.com/blckriflecoffee/status/1258208851435929601 …
Black Rifle Coffee
?
@blckriflecoffee
Say it ain’t so @JustinTrudeau did you really ban our Fresh Roasted Freedom in Canada eh? ???????????? #brcc #americascoffee #eh
View image on Twitter
711
10:54 PM – May 6, 2020
Twitter Ads info and privacy
286 people are talking about this
***
If you click on the “view image” link you will see that Black Rifle Company is included in the list of banned companies. Black Rifle Company makes coffee not guns…
Saudi withdraws its troops from Yemen’s Socotra
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200507-saudi-withdraws-its-troops-from-yemens-socotra/
“Saudi Arabia has abruptly withdrawn its forces from the Yemeni island of Socotra just two days after taking control of the local authority’s headquarters in the capital Hadibu, which had itself been under attack from UAE-backed militia aligned with the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC)…”
Bahrain receives $4.57bn in aid from Gulf neighbours
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200507-bahrain-receives-4-57bn-in-aid-from-gulf-neighbours/
“Bahrain has received $4.57 billion in urgent financial aid from its Gulf Arab neighbours as part of a support package approved in 2018, a government document revealed.
According to the document Bahrain’s foreign exchange reserves amounted to $3.7 billion at the end of December 2019.
The government is expected to withdraw another $1.76 billion from the Gulf support package this year.
In October 2018, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates agreed to give Bahrain $10 billion to execute a reform programme to support the country’s fiscal crisis and reduce its budget deficit by 2022.
The reform programme, sources said at the time, will include cutting the kingdom’s public expenditure and government waste, voluntary retirement for government workers and redirecting state subsidies.”
Saudi’s Prince Al-Waleed Bin Talal to purchase French football club
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200507-saudis-prince-al-waleed-bin-talal-to-purchase-french-football-club/
“Saudi billionaire Prince Al- Waleed Bin Talal is planning to buy France’s Olympique de Marseille football club, Italy’s Tutto Mercato newspaper reported.
According to the paper, the Saudi prince is seeking to complete the deal for €250 million (about $270 million).
The paper said the prince’s associates have been talking over the deal with the former sporting director of Paris Saint-Germain, Antero Henrique.
In 2014, media reports claimed the prince had almost concluded the purchase of the club but the deal collapsed at the last minute.
This comes as football fans and rights groups have been calling on the UK to stop the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, from taking a controlling stake in Newcastle United.
Amnesty International said the kingdom is attempting to use the glamour and prestige of Premier League football as a PR tool to distract from the country’s abysmal human rights record.
The FIFA watchdog called for a review of the decision.”
Sudan to hand Muslim Brotherhood members to Egypt
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200507-sudan-to-hand-muslim-brotherhood-members-to-egypt/
“Sudanese authorities are planning to hand over members of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood group to authorities in Cairo, Al-Ittihad newspaper reported citing Egyptian security sources that it did not name.
The Egyptian nationals, who are allegedly members of the Muslim Brotherhood, which was banned by Cairo in 2014, were arrested in Sudan in February as they made their way to Turkey.
The Emirati newspaper added that the Egyptians include five members of the Hasm movement, which was formed by the former Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Kamal. Egypt considers the movement a violent arm of the Brotherhood.
Muslim Brotherhood leading member Mohamed Al-Halwagi, who was delegated by the Brotherhood to deal with the situation in Sudan, used to maintain relations and to coordinate with authorities in Khartoum during President Omar Al-Bashir’s rule.
Since his ouster last year, scores of Muslim Brotherhood members have been arrested. Cairo then requested Khartoum hand them over to Egypt.”
Traumatised by caliphate’s reign of terror, Iraq’s religious minorities fear plans to resettle IS families
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/english/indepth/2020/5/7/iraqs-religious-minorities-fear-plans-to-resettle-is-families
“Recent reports indicate a possible return of Iraqi Islamic State (IS)-affiliated families currently in Syria to Iraq, but those who suffered from the group’s atrocities in the country vocally reject the plans…”
Sudanese corruption committee confiscates Bashir family properties
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sudan-politics/sudanese-corruption-committee-confiscates-bashir-family-properties-idUSKBN22J3NG
“A Sudanese anti-corruption committee said on Thursday that it will confiscate several large plots of land and residential properties in the capital Khartoum from relatives of ousted President Omar al-Bashir after investigations found they were acquired largely due to family ties…”
Sudan is looking good!
Moroccan Coast Guard Rescues 157 Undocumented Migrants in 3 Days
https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2020/05/301776/moroccan-coast-guard-rescues-157-undocumented-migrants-in-3-days/
“The Moroccan Royal Navy rescued 157 undocumented migrants in the Mediterranean and Atlantic between May 2 and May 4.
The groups of irregular migrants, mostly from sub-Saharan Africa, included 30 women and a few minors, a military source told Maghreb Arab Press (MAP).
The Coast Guard discovered the migrants in makeshift inflatable boats and pulled them aboard a military ship to provide first aid before bringing them to safety in nearby Moroccan ports, said the source.
Due to its proximity to Europe, Morocco has faced considerable pressure to control unauthorized migratory efforts into European countries, particularly Spain.
Thousands of migrants risk their lives each year in an attempt to travel north. Despite the dangerous journey, the Moroccan Navy intercepted nearly 60,000 migratory attempts in 2019. In less fortunate circumstances, a number of bodies have been found washed ashore along Morocco’s coastlines.
Crossing the Mediterranean is the shortest and safest route, making it the preferable route for those seeking European land. The Strait of Gibraltar–the Mediterranean’s thinnest point –separates Morocco and Spain by only 10 miles. In 2019, approximately 75% of clandestine sea arrivals to Spain came through this route.
Traversing the Atlantic is less preferred and considerably more dangerous. However, more migrants opt for this precarious route due to increased border control along the Mediterranean borders.
Last year, the Spanish government provided Morocco with over $35 million to support migration control efforts. Morocco has responded by strengthening its borders, dismantling underground migration networks, and upping the number of police raids aimed at deporting undocumented sub-Saharan migrants.
Spain has attributed a significant decrease in unauthorized migration into the country to cooperation with Morocco.
Regardless of recent crackdowns–and even during pandemic lockdowns–many migrants continue to express determination to leave poverty and persecution behind in hopes of a better future.”
Sub-Saharan Migrants Ask King Mohammed VI for Support Amid Pandemic
https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2020/05/301865/sub-saharan-migrants-ask-king-mohammed-vi-for-support-amid-pandemic/
“The COVID-19 crisis’ impact across the globe is increasing, affecting billions of vulnerable people in addition to causing mass fatalities.
News reports, op-eds, and editorials about the novel coronavirus have been increasing in prevalence during the last four months, especially after the World Health Organization (WHO) announced COVID-19 as a worldwide pandemic.
The Moroccan government has undertaken enormous efforts in response to the pandemic, working towards its crucial goal to assist all communities in the country.
The government instructed authorities across Moroccan cities to make sure that all communities have enough information on the situation’s severity.
Moroccan authorities launched nationwide security and awareness campaigns, increasing security service patrols to tell people to stay home as much as possible to avoid infection.
Migrant community outreach
NGOs, local authorities, and civil society continue efforts to express support for migrants, including sub-Saharans who face immense pressure due to suspended work activities and Morocco’s state of emergency movement restrictions, in addition to the inherent pressure that comes with migration.
The country’s local authorities deployed their security patrols to reassure migrant communities that “we are here” for them.
The reaction from migrants has been positive, but the community is still facing challenges, perhaps more than locals.
Morocco World News reached out to sub-Saharan migrants about their challenges during the COVID-19 crisis.
Most of the migrants that spoke with MWN have children in Morocco and have lived in the North African country long enough to call it their second home.
OgheneOtega is a Nigerian national based in Casablanca with five children.
“I have lived half of my life in Morocco. My first child is 14 years old, and I came to Morocco in 2004,” OgheneOtega said.
The 39-year-old explained that he never saw Morocco as a transit country, but as his second home. Despite his affection for the country, OgheneOtega lamented his situation, as he was suspended from work due to COVID-19.
The migrant explained that life under such circumstances is difficult: “Imagine a family of seven people” without aid, he said.
OgheneOtega explained that his “Moroccan father” and a church in Casablanca have been sending some foodstuffs to assist his family during the crisis.
“My Moroccan father is a great father. The world would be much better if everyone is like him.”
He said that while he saw some support, migrants are hoping to benefit from more help, including stipends.
King Mohammed VI instructed the government to create a special fund on March 15, to assist the country in mitigating the crisis…”
Second Wave of Ravaging Locusts Hits East Africa
https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2020/05/301878/second-wave-of-ravaging-locusts-hits-east-africa/
“Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia are expressing alarm as trillions of locusts infest their lands, marking the second wave of locust swarms this year.
Amid severe flooding and the COVID-19 pandemic, swarms are plaguing countries in East Africa, which expect to see a dramatic increase in poverty and hunger.
The first wave of locusts, which hit the continent in January this year, was the worst outbreak the countries have seen in 70 years. The locust swarms decimated approximately 240,000 hectares of land in the affected countries, destroying coffee, tea, and food crops.
Officials predict this second wave, which is the offspring of the first wave, will be much worse. The United Nations predicts that the swarms will be 20 times larger than those in January first–an invasion that will prove to be life-threatening if not urgently mitigated.
Locusts reproduce quickly and in abundance. One female locust lays approximately 80-158 eggs per pod and is able to reproduce at least three times during her three to five-month-long lifespan. Eggs take approximately 2 weeks to hatch.
COVID-19 travel restrictions and border closures are blocking tens of thousands of liters of pesticide from reaching areas desperate to prevent the third generation from hatching in June and July.
Locusts look similar to grasshoppers, but behave in very different ways. They are able to travel up 100 miles per day and can consume their body weight in food each day. A swarm of 40 million locusts can eat the same amount of food as more than 35,000 people in one day.
David Hughes from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) told the BBC that the swarming “threatens the food supply of 23 million people. It is the number one food security issue in East Africa at the moment.”
Controlling the swarms as they simultaneously sweep across different regions throughout each country requires a large number of personnel and resources with which the struggling countries are not well-equipped. The UN recently appealed for $153 million to assist those countries impacted.
In addition to Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia, the first wave of swarms reached Djibouti, Eritrea, South Sudan, Uganda, and Tanzania. Future waves of swarms are expected to move north, likely sweeping over North Africa and southwest Asia.”
Turkish security forces ‘neutralize’ PKK terrorists in northern Iraq, Turkey
https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-security-forces-neutralize-pkk-terrorists-in-northern-iraq-turkey-154552
“An air-backed anti-terror operation carried out in Hakurk, Zap and Haftanin regions in northern Iraq killed four PKK members, said the Turkish Defense Ministry on May 7.
The members of the terrorist organization were identified during the reconnaissance and surveillance activities in the area, the ministry said on Twitter. The country’s anti-terror operations continue without respite, the ministry added.
Turkish authorities often use the term “neutralize” to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.
The PKK has its headquarters in northern Iraq.
Turkish security forces “neutralized” three armed terrorists in the country’s southeast, the country’s Interior Ministry also said on May 7.
The terrorists have been neutralized by the provincial gendarmerie special operations forces in the air-backed anti-terror operation in the countryside of Ad?yaman province, the ministry said in a statement. The operation in the region is still underway, it added.
In more than 30 years of clashes between Turkey and the PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union, over 40,000 people have died.”
Concerned over Italy-Malta migrant pressure, commissioner
http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/sections/politics/2020/05/07/concerned-over-italy-malta-migrant-pressure-commissioner_810e6ced-7e21-413a-a506-850b4307ac50.html
“EU Commissioner Ylva Johansson said Thursday in a EU Parliament hearing that migrants have resumed using small boats to try to reach Italy and Malta.
She stressed that she was concerned about their safety and the pressure that this is putting once more on Italy and Malta.
She noted that there was also a resumption of migratory pressure on the Canary Islands.
The EU commissioner noted that she had asked EU interior ministers to help out with the situation more.”
EU defends censorship of letter in Chinese newspaper
https://www.dw.com/en/eu-defends-censorship-of-letter-in-chinese-newspaper/a-53366422
“EU officials have backed a decision to accept China’s censorship of a letter that ran in a Chinese newspaper. A sentence referencing China as the origin of the coronavirus outbreak was removed before publication.
The European Union on Thursday defended its decision to consent to Chinese censorship of a letter co-written by the bloc’s 27 ambassadors, ahead of its publication in Chinese media.
The opinion piece appeared in China’s English-language newspaper China Daily on Tuesday, but a sentence that linked the initial source of the coronavirus outbreak to China was removed.
The EU had raised “very serious concerns” about the request to censor the article. But it agreed to its publication as it meant the bloc could communicate with the Chinese audience on other key EU issues, such as climate change, human rights and the pandemic response, said EU foreign affairs spokesperson Virginie Battu-Henriksson in Brussels.
“China has state-controlled media. There is censorship, that’s a fact,” Battu-Henriksson said.
The EU, nevertheless, regretted that the article had not been published in full, she added.
Censored op-ed marked anniversary of EU-China relations
EU ambassadors submitted the opinion piece to mark the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the EU and China. The full version appeared on the websites of EU embassies to China.
A comparison between these and the op-ed in the China Daily showed that in the sentence beginning: “But the outbreak of the coronavirus,” the following words – “in China, and its subsequent spread to the rest of the world over the past three months” – were removed in the Chinese newspaper version.
The EU External Action Service confirmed that changes were made, following media reports on Wednesday.
‘Shocked’ that censorship went ahead
German conservative politician Norbert Roettgen said he was “shocked” that the EU had allowed the censorship to go ahead.
“Speaking with one voice is important, but it has to reflect our shared European values and interests,” he tweeted on Thursday.
But the European Commission’s chief spokesman, Eric Mamer, disagreed. He said the decision to go ahead with publishing the doctored article “did not mean we consider censorship to be acceptable.”
China has come under fire from the EU and the US for lack of transparency about the coronavirus pandemic that originated in the country. However, the EU was recently forced to deny reports that it caved into Chinese pressure and toned down a report on coronavirus disinformation.”
The NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL of MEDICINE
Observational Study of Hydroxychloroquine in Hospitalized Patients with Covid-19
BACKGROUND
Hydroxychloroquine has been widely administered to patients with Covid-19 without robust evidence supporting its use.
METHODS
We examined the association between hydroxychloroquine use and intubation or death at a large medical center in New York City. Data were obtained regarding consecutive patients hospitalized with Covid-19, excluding those who were intubated, died, or discharged within 24 hours after presentation to the emergency department (study baseline). The primary end point was a composite of intubation or death in a time-to-event analysis. We compared outcomes in patients who received hydroxychloroquine with those in patients who did not, using a multivariable Cox model with inverse probability weighting according to the propensity score.
RESULTS
Of 1446 consecutive patients, 70 patients were intubated, died, or discharged within 24 hours after presentation and were excluded from the analysis. Of the remaining 1376 patients, during a median follow-up of 22.5 days, 811 (58.9%) received hydroxychloroquine (600 mg twice on day 1, then 400 mg daily for a median of 5 days); 45.8% of the patients were treated within 24 hours after presentation to the emergency department, and 85.9% within 48 hours. Hydroxychloroquine-treated patients were more severely ill at baseline than those who did not receive hydroxychloroquine (median ratio of partial pressure of arterial oxygen to the fraction of inspired oxygen, 223 vs. 360). Overall, 346 patients (25.1%) had a primary end-point event (180 patients were intubated, of whom 66 subsequently died, and 166 died without intubation). In the main analysis, there was no significant association between hydroxychloroquine use and intubation or death (hazard ratio, 1.04, 95% confidence interval, 0.82 to 1.32). Results were similar in multiple sensitivity analyses.
CONCLUSIONS
In this observational study involving patients with Covid-19 who had been admitted to the hospital, hydroxychloroquine administration was not associated with either a greatly lowered or an increased risk of the composite end point of intubation or death. Randomized, controlled trials of hydroxychloroquine in patients with Covid-19 are needed. (Funded by the National Institutes of Health.)
more :
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2012410
paul j watson – San Antonio City Council Passes Resolution Declaring “Chinese Virus” to be “Hate Speech”
Encourages citizens to report people who use terms to the authorities
San Antonio City Council has unanimously passed a resolution that declares the terms “Chinese Virus” and “Kung Flu Virus” to be hate speech.
President Trump and many of his supporters have used variations of both terms as a reminder that COVID-19 did indeed originate in China.
This prompted the media and leftists to claim Trump was being “racist” despite the fact that viruses are routinely named after their place of origin.
Now San Antonio City Council has officially declared such language to be “hate speech.”
“Resolution being voted on by San Antonio City Council this morning labels terms “Chinese Virus” and “Kung Fu Virus” as hate speech and “all persons are encouraged to report any such antisemitic, discriminatory or racist incidents to the proper authorities for investigation,” tweeted reporter Jaie Avila.
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https://twitter.com/JaieAvila/status/1258407235048398848
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Apparently, a regular council meeting attendee called Jack Finger tried to speak against the resolution, but his mic was cut off.
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https://twitter.com/JaieAvila/status/1258465948211830787
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Council Member Manny Pelaez said “hate speech is more dangerous than the virus itself,” despite the fact that the virus has killed over 76,000 Americans.
The resolution was passed unanimously. Expect similar versions of it to now be passed by councils across the country.
In taking such a stance, authorities are literally amplifying Chinese Communist Party propaganda, which has repeatedly cried “racism” when confronted with the fact that Beijing tried to cover-up the severity of coronavirus when it first emerged in Wuhan.
https://summit.news/2020/05/07/san-antonio-city-council-passes-resolution-declaring-chinese-virus-to-be-hate-speech/
Prominent Houthi Leader Mohammed al-Hamran Killed Amid Clashes in Yemen
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/202005071079235115-prominent-houthi-leader-mohammed-al-hamran-killed-amid-clashes-in-yemen/
“Ansarallah, the rebel Houthi movement in Yemen, confirmed on Thursday the death of Mohamed Abdel Karim al-Hamran, a special forces commander. He was killed in battle west of the hotly contested city of Ma’rib.
Al-Hamran, who commanded Houthi special forces in the battlezones of Ma’rib and Bayda’ governorates in central Yemen, was the highest-ranking rebel leader killed this year…”
More video of captive Americans surface from Venezuelan government
The MK Interview: Tara Reade responds to Joe Biden; calls for him to drop out
The MK Interview: Will Tara Reade go under oath or take a polygraph?
the daily caller – Sen Dianne Feinstein, Who Defended Christine Blasey Ford, Calls Tara Reade’s Accusation Against Joe Biden ‘Ridiculous’
Rep. Dianne Feinstein on Thursday called Tara Reade’s sexual allegations against former Vice President Joe Biden “ridiculous” and said she does not believe her.
The California Democrat discussed Reade’s allegations before reporters, and said Reade’s are “totally different” from the sexual assault allegations Christine Blasey Ford made against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
Feinstein said that “Kavanaugh was under the harshest inspection that we give people over a substantial period of time.”
Reade has said that Biden kissed her, touched her, and penetrated her with his fingers without her consent when she worked for him as a Senate staffer in 1993. Biden and has campaign have denied the allegations.
Feinstein questioned why Reade waited so long to bring forward her allegations.
“And I don’t know this person at all who has made the allegations. She came out of nowhere. Where has she been all these years? He was Vice President,” Feinstein said. To “attack him in this way to me is absolutely ridiculous.”
“No, I do not,” she said when asked if she believes Reade, according to the Hill.
The Hill also reported that Feinstein said she has “a great respect for his integrity, for his fidelity to his family his friends.”
“And so these accusations are very disturbing because they do have an impact on an individual, and every indication I would have is that they would be false until I was shown otherwise,” she added.
Feinstein joins other Democrats who staunchly defended Ford in her allegations against Kavanaugh, but now say they do not believe Reade.
The senator said in a September 2018 tweet that she found “every single piece of information from Dr. Christine Blasey Ford eminently credible, sincere and believable.”
“Confirming Brett Kavanaugh in the face of credible allegations of sexual assault that were not thoroughly investigated, and his belligerent, partisan performance in last Thursday’s hearing undermines the legitimacy of the Supreme Court,” Feinstein tweeted in September 2018.
In another September 2018 tweet, Feinstein called for a delay of the hearings concerning Ford’s allegations.
“We should honor Dr. Blasey Ford’s wishes and delay this hearing,” Feinstein tweeted. “A proper investigation must be completed, witnesses interviewed, evidence reviewed and all sides spoken to. Only then should the chairman set a hearing date.”
“The decision to come forward or not come forward has always been Christine Blasey Ford’s, and that includes her participation in a hearing,” she added.
https://dailycaller.com/2020/05/07/dianne-feinstein-tara-reade-christine-blasey-ford-kavanaugh-joe-biden/
Dallas salon owner speaks out after being released from jail on ‘Hannity’
Texas salon owner who defied shutdown out of jail
A Texas salon owner jailed for defying Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s public health orders walked free Thursday, after the governor weakened his mandate following an outcry by conservatives demanding that coronavirus restrictions be lifted.
Breaking: Rick Grenell Delivers SECOND SET OF DOCUMENTS to DOJ in Satchel — WILL BE RELEASED FRIDAY
Tucker: The unraveling of the Michael Flynn case
weasel zippers – Overnight Open Thread: The Game Is Up
https://www.weaselzippers.us/448465-overnight-open-thread-the-game-is-up/