BLUF:
[American Thinker] When NSA surveillance was halted, the Obama administration lost its secret eyes on domestic political activity and especially on the rising Trump campaign. To regain that vision, the CIA and FBI launched new surveillance efforts. Three elements stand out. First, the executive branch, then controlled by Democrats, was determined to spy on the opposition party. Second, much of the spying was conducted by agencies that are limited, by law, to foreign operations. Since their goal was actually domestic surveillance and since that was illegal, they apparently outsourced some of it to friendly foreign governments, who relayed the information back to Washington. Third, since the FBI wanted to spy on Trump aides who were not actually suspected of crimes, they couldn't get regular warrants. To work around that, the FBI (under James Comey) and Department of Justice (under Loretta Lynch) falsely claimed the targets were foreign spies, making them eligible for FISA warrants. They also tried to entrap them (with help from CIA assets abroad), hoping they would commit illegal acts or say their colleagues had done so.
'Monitoring events' which led members of the Awan family to move from Woodbridge, VA., back to Pakistan. On August 17, 2017, a federal grand jury, convened in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia, indicted Awan and his wife on four counts, including conspiracy, making false statements, bank fraud, and unlawful monetary transactions. Awans Sentenced to 'time served.' Not much else happens.
Side note: When I hear the term 'government monitoring' I automatically default to NSA involvement.
The Directer NSA shutting off the Deep State's access to "incidental monitoring and collection" may have also prompted the exploitation of the UK's Government Communications Headquarters, commonly known as GCHQ.
You may remember, the Robert Hannigan, the Director of GCHQ resigned at about the same time the Orange Man took office. The reasons given for his resignation were listed as "personal." The RUMINT in London mentioned something to do with a paedophile priest.
The paedophile priest bit seems an unlikely cause for resignation in those circles.
[Babylon Bee] KENTON, WA—A gunman was released from police custody on Thursday after it was determined by experts that the people he had shot were victims of COVID-19 and not his psychotic bloodlust-induced blind-firing rage-spree death-binge through downtown Kenton last week with three AR-15's, seventeen uzis, and one bazooka and zero clothes on. "Our apologies," said officers as they unlocked the man's cuffs and let him walk free, snickering and shaking like a lunatic with drool hanging from his chin.
Specialists from Washington's capitol quickly determined that the victims were clearly COVID-19 casualties. The local coroner attempted to push back citing the literal pegboard pattern of bullet holes littered about the scene and the bodies of the victims. He was promptly fired. "COVID-19 strikes again. Chalk it up," said COVID response agent Jonathan Smith.
The shooter's identity has been protected since he committed no crime. "If you shoot a bunch of people and it has no effect on them, that's not a crime. The effect is the crime if you think about it," explained Governor Inslee. "What we have here is a matter of a guy shooting people who had died a split second before his bullet hit them of a completely different thing. If this man is guilty of anything, it's incredibly bad timing."
Inslee was asked what he would do if the shooter went back on the streets and began firing on citizens again—which he did immediately. "To jump to conclusions about these things is reckless. You can't immediately link a bunch of bullets to death," said Inslee. "Especially in a time like this when almost all death is COVID related. This is science denial and if you deny science on my watch, you will face harsh repercussions."
The briefing was cut short after a hail of bullets could be heard nearby and officers began shouting, "COVID! GET DOWN! IT'S THE VIRUS!"
[AEI Blog] The map above (click to enlarge) shows three geographical regions of the US by counties that each account for one-third of the COVID-19 deaths as of about May 8:
The red region shows the area of the US that represents one-third of COVID deaths in counties that account for only 4% of the US population.
The yellow region shows the area that represents one-third of COVID deaths in counties that account for only 11% of the US population.
The green area shows the area that represents one-third of COVID deaths in counties that account for 85% of the US population.
As I reported on CD a few days ago on COVID deaths by US states:
More than 40% of the 96,596 COVID-19 deaths as of May 22 have occurred in two states: New York (28,900) and New Jersey (11,081).
Nearly half (48%) of COVID-19 deaths have occurred in three states: New York (29.9%), New Jersey (11.5%), Massachusetts (6.4%).
MP: The map above of COVID deaths by US county shows a much higher level of granularity than my recent map of deaths by state and illustrates graphically the disproportionate concentration of COVID deaths in selected counties in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Illinois (Chicago area) and Michigan (Detroit area). Interestingly, two-thirds of COVID deaths in the US have occurred in counties that represent only 15% of the US population.
#2
Do the lockdowns actually save lives? If the medical system can manage the case load then I would think it only defers deaths, which only matters if it defers deaths long enough for effective vaccines or treatments to be deployed. That deferral comes at a cost though, economic, psychological, and medical (deferred diagnosis & treatment of non-COVID-19 conditions.) The challenge is to figure out where the break-even point is in the absence of data.
[American Thinker] What is the stock market telling us about the November election?
Despite the fact that America currently has over 38 million unemployed workers, the market is down 8.5% this year, having gone up 32% since the late March low. Why is the stock market going up while our economy teeters on the edge of a Great Depression?
There are several factors currently at work in the market with the most obvious being the extraordinary intervention by our leaders in Washington. Congress has authorized mind-boggling amounts of stimulus funds while the Fed has signaled that it is ready to purchase nearly anything and mostly everything. Even more spending and buying are sure to follow. This money flood is so massive that undoubtedly there are mind-boggling sums going into equities.
Washington's interventions in the markets has had a calming effect on prices and volatility, allowing investors to begin to look ahead to November, where it seems that President Trump is ever more likely to win re-election. There are several key reasons why more and more voters are beginning to lean toward Trump. Prior to the Pandemic Lockdown, America was enjoying a tremendous economy, which many voters attributed to Trump's pro-growth policies, such as cutting taxes and reducing regulations. As bad as current economic conditions are now, people are beginning to hope that perhaps the worst has passed. The economy is starting to be perceived as poised to improve rather than worsen, certainly a trend that greatly favors Trump.
Besides the hope for an improving economy, what has been happening to the Biden campaign is a pandemic of self-destruction. There are several growing scandals surrounding the Biden campaign that are unlikely to go away before November. Tara Reade's claim of sexual abuse by then-senator Biden seems to have some credibility, and for those invested in the MeToo movement, the longer Ms. Reade's claims are ignored by Hollywood, the leftist media, and the Democrats, the worse it looks for Biden. The cognitive decline Biden is exhibiting is getting worse, and similar to the Reade situation, the longer it goes on, the more voters will notice and turn away. Recently, Biden insulted black voters when he said, "I tell you, if you have a problem figuring out whether you're for me or Trump, then you ain't black." Finally, there is the growing scandal of the Mike Flynn case, which continues to shine a spotlight on how the DOJ, the CIA, and the FBI attempted to take down the Trump presidency with the Russian Hoax and Mueller investigation. Joe Biden is tied to the mast of this unfolding scandal, as all of it was birthed by the supposedly "scandal-free" Obama administration.
#2
Las Vegas 2020 Presidential Winner Odds:
Bovada. BetOnline. SportsBetting AG
Donald Trump -120
Joe Biden +120
Andrew Cuomo +6000
Hillary Clinton +2500
Mike Pence +9500
Michelle Obama +5000
Nikki Haley +20000
#4
Give it a rest, g. The stock market's up because so many companies' prices were beaten down to near-bankruptcy levels due to the hysterical over-reaction / lockdowns.
Certain historically well-managed consumer discretionary companies that are now hemorrhaging cash are attractively priced and attracting smart money: they're priced as if they'll go bankrupt when in reality they are nearly certain to survive because their cash + federal support gives them 18 months or more of life. In the meantime, while the market resets, millions will continue to be out of work, millions of children will have had their educational prospects blighted or ruined, and of course, as we have already begun to see, there will be at least as many deaths of despair as deaths actually attributable to COVID.
Here's yet one more tragic consequence of this hysterical foolishness: California hospitals are now in the surreal situation where they are actually laying off thousands and facing bankruptcy - all because of the retarded shutdowns that prevented them from treating patients while expecting a surge of COVID patients that never even came close to materializing. Reuters:
...the predicted surge never came.
And the cost of all that preparation - setting up field hospitals, doubling the number of intensive care rooms, purchasing protective equipment - dealt a blow to hospital bottom lines, while the ban on all non-emergency procedures cut revenues in half.
The measures drove hospitals in the most populous U.S. state close to bankruptcy, costing them as much as $14 billion and forcing them to lay off thousands of health care workers
#6
#12 As regards predicting the election, Trump has to be huge favorite to win.
Allen Lichtman's "13 Keys to the White House" is the best the predictive model we have. Here's what it indicates for November:
If any FIVE or FEWER of these "keys" are FALSE, then the incumbent is almost certain to be re-elected:
1. Party Mandate: After the midterm elections, the incumbent party holds more seats in the U.S. House of Representatives than after the previous midterm elections. FALSE - 1
2. Contest: There is no serious contest for the incumbent party nomination. TRUE
3. Incumbency: The incumbent party candidate is the sitting president. TRUE
4. Third party: There is no significant third party or independent campaign. TRUE
5. Short-term economy: The economy is not in recession during the election campaign. FALSE -2
6. Long-term economy: Real per capita economic growth during the term equals or exceeds mean growth during the previous two terms. Neutral
7. Policy change: The incumbent administration effects major changes in national policy. TRUE
8. Social unrest: There is no sustained social unrest during the term. TRUE - the current festivities will blow over and be off the headlines within 2 weeks at most
9. Scandal: The incumbent administration is untainted by major scandal. TRUE
10. Foreign/military failure: The incumbent administration suffers no major failure in foreign or military affairs. TRUE
11. Foreign/military success: The incumbent administration achieves a major success in foreign or military affairs. Neutral
12. Incumbent charisma: The incumbent party candidate is charismatic or a national hero. FALSE - 3
13. Challenger charisma: The challenging party candidate is not charismatic or a national hero. TRUE
= total of 3 False, vs. 6 False required if Biden is to be predicted the winner.
Not even close. The only things that could derail Trump's re-election -- and there would have to be two or more of these - are a complete economic collapse in Q3 plus either "sustained social unrest" OR war with China. Probability of two or more of these is next to zero.
Posted by: European Conservative ||
05/29/2020 9:30 Comments ||
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#13
I keep hearing hospitals are laying off, but my wife works at two of the big hospital chains in San Diego and neither (Scripps and Kaiser) is laying off as far as I can tell. They had a large number of contractors who got limited hours as the thing ramped up but who are being hired again as they shift back to normal.
Maybe LA, or other hospital chains in SD were hit bad but it really seems over-blown from my viewpoint.
NR via Instapundit
Last week I was searching the Internet for some COVID-19 statistic or other, and I came across a new CDC website. The site featured some numbers the federal government is using to model the spread of the epidemic. One in particular caught my eye: 0.4 percent, the "current best estimate" of the disease’s "case fatality rate." The document also said that 35 percent of infections are asymptomatic, which suggests the infection fatality rate is just 0.26 percent.
These numbers struck me as low for several reasons. For one thing, the virus has already killed 0.2 percent of all New Yorkers, and obviously a much higher percentage of those who’ve actually been infected in the city. For another, if we’ve had 100,000 deaths nationwide and a CFR of 0.4 percent, that means we’ve had 25 million symptomatic cases; including cases without symptoms, more than 10 percent of the entire country has been infected, which seems out of sync with what we’re hearing from serology tests. Individual studies and reviews of the evidence tend to put the infection fatality rate somewhere around 0.5 to 1 percent, though there’s at least one dissenting review that puts it lower (while managing not to include any studies finding a fatality rate above 0.5 percent, of which there are plenty).
I put out a tweet expressing my confusion, and things spiraled quickly, as they often do on social media. A follower alerted the prominent biologist Carl Bergstrom, who wrote a thread criticizing the CDC’s numbers. The next morning he was featured in a CNN story about the issue. There have been many media reports since, with the narrative predictably varying from "Heroic Scientific Experts Hammer Corrupt CDC for Fake Low Fatality Rate" to "CDC Finally Admits COVID Is Basically Harmless." (I exaggerate, but only a little.)
I don’t have a scorching hot take on the number. But I do want to know where it comes from, which is not clear from the site itself. It says the information is based on data about a month old and names the source "Preliminary COVID-19 estimates, CDC," which I have not been able to locate (if indeed it refers to a specific document at all).
I have contacted the CDC several times in the past week to no avail. Both the Center for Public Integrity and BuzzFeed similarly report that they sought comment and received no reply.
If the fatality rate of this thing is 0.26 percent, that is fantastic news. If the CDC has evidence this is the case, it should share it with the rest of us. I've two theories:
(a) CDC, who are a bunch of shithead bureaucrats, surrendered to the anti-locker hysterics (who, IMO, cannot see beyond the damage to their own finances - or, in many cases simply can cope with the discomfort of lock-down. Or, worst case scenario - simply idiots who adopted a particular stance and can't admit they were wrong).
(b) CDC is acting out a deep eugenic conspiracy. Once the lock-up is over, and given that covid-hoax morons are fond of gallivanting around sans masks (probably lick door handles too), there will be a second wave - bigger than the first. And then, the screws will be tightened.
Ridiculous? No more ridiculous that the arguments (destroyed economy, millions of young lives permanently blasted, doesn't hurt people under 65) we heard here from anti-lockers.
#3
Purely my speculation: we are in the second wave of the infection. CDC either missed the first or approached it incorrectly. When they realized this they were forced to over react.
‘Why won’t they tell anyone?’ —— nobody in the GIVERnment likes to admit mistakes.
#4
Theory 3 bureaucrats love to exercise power over those they secretly wish to rule rather than serve.
They don't want to lose their sense of superiority, especially as people will be after their jobs when they find out just any more than COVID the over-reaction has killed.
#5
Scientists (ones who have been banned from YouTube and the like) expected a second wave. I suppose no surprise when healthy people get quarantined and then start going back out and interacting...like normal.
#6
So now we have yet another social divide: regular, normal people and deplorable "anti-lockers". Probably the same folks who are anti-vaxxers, anti-abortion, anti-science, etc.
Posted by: Bobby ||
05/29/2020 8:37 Comments ||
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#7
Third theory Grom, the whole thing was a colossal cock-up based on bad data from China and bad models from Niel Fergeson that created such a fear that everyone had to go along 'in case' but then nothing panned out as projected, not even close, and it really wasn't that bad (yes every death is a tragedy) except in places where the leadership (Cuomo) made monumentally bad calls regarding nursing homes and subways.
#10
IMHO, the CDC has no credibility in the CV-19 issue. One example: the other day, they (again) attempted to explain how long the virus can live on various surfaces. With all these choices out there, for a minute I thought I was in a a Baskin-Robbins store.....
#11
The number of CV deaths divided by the number of reported cases should be getting close to the actual fatality rate by this time. I come up with something like 5% for the US, 2.5% for Texas. And at least in TX the case number includes numerous asymptomatic positives from mass testing at the local chicken plant.
#12
#7 What I did notice, RJ, is that no place takes CV19 seriously - until it reaches them and morgues start overflowing.
Italians ignored Wuhan (because Chinese are dirty & primitive).
New York ignored Italy (because Americans are a vigorous, pioneer race - not effete Europeans).
Russia made fun of American degenerates who die like flies from flu.
Brazil felt totally safe because of their warm climate.
And, right now rural America is busy compounding statistics to convince itself that only big cities are in danger. Not sturdy country folk, who naturally maintain distance. (Except when they shop at malls, pray in churches, and shag their neighbors' wives)
#19
Young and mobile are moving away from areas of infection or fear thereof. I spoke to a FEMA worker about this and they are aware of this. They speak of check points to reduce the flow. Early stages of this thought.
Posted by: European Conservative ||
05/29/2020 13:39 Comments ||
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#23
Thank you, interesting.
I know I'm not the target audience, and in my limited fashion skill I have seen worse...they need to change up the intro - reminded me of that scene at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark when the angel rises up and turns vengeful.
[UK METRO] A prosector investigating the death of an unarmed black man whose neck was crushed during an encounter with police has said the officers involved may not face criminal charges. Expectation management in action.
Hennepin County Attorney Michael Freeman made the comments at a press conference giving updates on the My 25 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis Thursday.
He spoke of his shock at Floyd’s horrific death and a video which saw the dying man proclaim ’I can’t breathe.’ Freeman said he and other law enforcement agencies were working hard to establish the facts of the case, then added: ’But there is other evidence that does not support a criminal charge.’ He refused to disclose further information when asked by reporters. Freeman said the video of Floyd’s final moments while a police officer was stood on his neck was ’graphic, horrible and terrible’ and added that his job is to ’prove a violation of criminal statute.’ "neck crushed" "stood on his neck" Hyperbole much?
The video has sparked a nationwide outcry, and seen two nights of rioting in Minneapolis, with further unrest expected on Thursday evening. The FBI, the district attorney for Minnesota and other officials said they were working hard to try and bring and appealed for more eyewitnesses to Floyd’s arrest to help them do so successfully at Thursday’s press conference.
#6
Putting 200lbs of pressure on the neck restricts 1) the air way. In the leathal form of jiu jitsu the hand can deliver a force to the neck that breaks the tiny bones around the air way resulting in a collapsed air way in the neck resulting in suffication, 2) enough pressure on the corated arteries in the neck to stop blood flow to the brain. After the heart has stopped pumping blood to the brain as a result of a mio-cardial infarction (s)?, aka heart attack, first responders have only 6 minutes to get blood flow started to the brain again before irreversible brain damage occurs, 3) spinal cord damage. Excessive pressure to the neck can pinch the nerves causing paralysis to every thing below the neck including the heart and lungs.
There are two ways to accomplish all three, 1) putting 200 pounds of pressure on the neck by another person's knee and a concrete surface, 2) hanging a person by the neck with a rope until dead.
#7
The neck section of the spine consïsts of seven bones C1-C7. One of the first things a paramedic will do for an accident victim who sustained any kind of head injury is put a cervical collar around the neck to prevent any of those bones from rlicing the spinal cord if any of them were fractured when the head injury occured. Neck trauma is a very dangerous thing.
#8
One law enforcement officers opinion & comment:
Police SOP's generally mandate that once a subject is under control and handcuffed, he or she is either sat up or is placed in the back of a patrol car. If placed in the rear seat of a car (preferable), they were to be sat up and belted, not laid face down. These protocols were to PREVENT exactly what happened in MN. People die when placed in "positional asphyxia" positions. The knee on the neck is a technique used on a resisting subject PRIOR to handcuffing, never afterwards, for obvious reasons.
The cop in MN is going to be charged (and probably convicted) of 2nd degree murder, possibly manslaughter. He was so wrong.
Having said all that, I would like to know what happened between the time he was handcuffed and sat against the building and when he was in the position with the knee on the neck. Strange. I would guess that he resisted being placed in the rear of the patrol car and was wrestled to the ground.
#20
By the way, apparently this cop was invesitaged 17 times for various things and Klobachar had something to do with the latest free pass he got. So her career is probably done no matter what the details are.
Also the perp and the cop apparently worked at the same nightclub. Cop provided external security, perp was a bouncer at times. No evidence they actually knew each other though. Possible just a strange coincidence.
#22
So a local pig was getting involved in Secret Service matter, I suppose. In any case, the heavy-handed pigs use eventually lethal force on hardly a non-violent accusation, much like the poor man in NYC, who allegedly was selling boot-leg cigarettes. That pig in MN won't hang, though.
#24
I'm with the other guys here who say that George Floyd's lack of perfection as a human being shouldn't have been a death sentence. Killed over a fake Jackson? Because maybe he said something rude to Chauvin? To hell with that.
#25
Sounds like they have a history together? Doesn't excuse, but could explain
Posted by: Frank G ||
05/29/2020 16:41 Comments ||
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#26
It was a lynching. By the police. He was cuffed, controlled, and should have been placed in the vehicle. Putting pressure on the trachea, and on the carotid artery can cause hypoxia, which induces a panic reaction that police may wrongly interpret as "resisting", and apply pressure harder and longer than needed. These police should all be kicked off the force for contributing to manslaughter, and the cop on the neck should be tried and jailed as a felon. Good cops are being stained by turds like this one.
Posted by: Marilyn Tojo7566 ||
05/29/2020 18:17 Comments ||
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#27
So a local pig
That pig in MN
If you called a cop a pig to my face those would be the last words that would come through your pointy teeth Clem.
Quite frankly I'm shock the other board members haven't called you out. How old f-ing old are you?
#34
All right, that will do. Everyone back away to your own corners.
Remember that we’re all on the same side here, waiting together to see what further will be revealed that may change what we think about what happened and the parties involved.
Also, much as we love our police, just as we love our troops, there are a few bad’uns who made it through the process, blackening the reputation of the rest.
#36
Fwiw - this is my only comment on Mr. Floyd's unfortunate death - I agree with #26 Marilyn Tojo's post.
At the same time I agree that law enforcement officers shouldn't be referred to with barnyard epithets, porcine or otherwise. Back to your festivities.
#38
what happened between the time he was handcuffed and sat against the building and when he was in the position with the knee on the neck.
An interesting bit of data, no doubt. Using my psychotic powers, I predict that we will learn the deceased, being unhappy with his circumstances due to either outstanding warrants or previous encounters, decided to get physical with the cops. This decision led to him being pinned face down on the ground.
We will also learn that an autopsy shows the gentleman died from some previous condition and *not* from being asphyxiated or a broken neck.
Will the civil authorities regain control of Minneapolis by the weekend?
Answer hazy. Ask again later.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[Babylon Bee] KENTON, WA—A gunman was released from police custody on Thursday after it was determined by experts that the people he had shot were victims of COVID-19 and not his psychotic bloodlust-induced blind-firing rage-spree death-binge through downtown Kenton last week with three AR-15's, seventeen uzis, and one bazooka and zero clothes on. "Our apologies," said officers as they unlocked the man's cuffs and let him walk free, snickering and shaking like a lunatic with drool hanging from his chin.
[AEI Blog] The map above (click to enlarge) shows three geographical regions of the US by counties that each account for one-third of the COVID-19 deaths as of about May 8:
[American Thinker] What is the stock market telling us about the November election?
