Free Republic

Iran and Italy's economies are worsening, and their people are suffering most in this Wuhan virus outbreak — all because of their leaders’ short-sighted and foolish decisions. The coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, China, has now swept through 126 countries, infected close to 170,000 people worldwide, and is responsible for more than 6,400 deaths as of March 15. China is leading the world in the number of confirmed cases and deaths. What many people find shocking is that Italy and Iran are the second- and third-hardest hit nations in this outbreak. By any common-sense measure, both countries should have much...

Across the world there are now 200,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 - but a herd of elephants in China found a very fun way to make the most of people putting themselves in self-isolationSNIP And at one farm in the Yunan province, elephants too full advantage of the situation. The herd of 14 majestic beasts broke into a village in a bid to find food. However, they got a cheeky extra for their efforts when they came across a huge 30kg of corn wine. After drinking the lot the elephants were somewhat the worse for wear. Two males passed out,...

It is certain that cigarette-smoking and heavy drinking result in serious negative effects on immune function. These behaviors should be discouraged for the benefit of both individual and society, especially in the time of coronavirus. We also need to address the touchy subject of how smoked and ingested marijuana could influence the course of the pandemic. Obviously, pot is prevalent as never before. Attitudes have relaxed, and many states have approved recreational and medicinal marijuana. A good number of medical personnel consider marijuana benign, at least in adults. Apart from writing prescriptions, they may use it themselves in retirement. Seniors...

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room11:31 A.M. EDTTHE PRESIDENT:   Thank you very much.  I think this is going to be a very important conference and I’ll get to that toward the middle, but I have a few things to report.  And I want to thank you all for being here.And I have to say, I think with social distancing that the media has been much nicer.  I don’t know what it is — all these empty — these in-between chairs.  We probably shouldn’t have anybody sitting behind you either.  You know, you should probably go back.  But I love...

...Syracuse announced a week ago it would transition to online classes at least until the end of March. According to The Daily Orange, #NotAgainSU said in a Friday statement that the university “should not use its response to COVID-19 as a reason to ignore the movement’s demands” (such as these). The statement chides university administrators for “abruptly” canceling in-person classes as the decision “neglects” students who work, have food insecurity, and lack access to wifi. It also references media coverage of the coronavirus featuring “strong racist, xenophobic, and sinophobic elements,” things which led to the formation of the group in...

Is there nothing this virus can't do? Deerfield Testicle Festival On Hold ~Brexit meets Covid-19: Michel Barnier, the EU's chief negotiator with the UK and a key obstructionist when it comes to Britain's attempts to "socially distance" itself from Brussels, has been stricken with coronavirus. So too has the pretender to the thrones of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Karl von Habsburg - as reported by the aptly named Kronen Zeitung. Like M Barnier, Herr von Habsburg is a "pan-European" but has the mitigating excuse of being the rightful Holy Roman Emperor. ~Comparisons of "numbers of cases" are almost as wall-to-wall bollocks...

This story first appeared in 1600 Daily, the White House’s evening newsletter. Subscribe now to get breaking news from President Trump before anyone else. Medical breakthroughs are too often held back by outdated, burdensome government rules and regulations. For President Trump, that outcome is unacceptable.As America faces an unprecedented global threat from the Coronavirus, President Trump made another important announcement at today’s White House briefing.“Today I want to share with you exciting progress that the FDA is making with the private sector as we slash red tape like nobody has ever done it before,” he said. “I’ve directed the FDA...

Environmentalism seems to have entered into an extremely weird phase. A great example is lefty climate alarmist Naomi Klein trying to use the coronavirus pandemic to stoke fear and anger over capitalism in an eight minute and forty-eight second video. She slammed “coronavirus capitalism” and whined that the climate is more important than economic stability during the coronavirus pandemic: “China, for its part, is indicating that it will relax environmental standards to stimulate its economy, which would wipe out the one major benefit the crisis has produced so far: a marked drop in that country’s lethal air pollution,” [emphasis added]....

Larry the Cable Guy ain't playing around or taking any mumbo-jumbo from the nitwit celebrities out there who just made a video of themselves singing "Imagine" - but basically ignoring all the homeless people in...

The chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee warned a small group of well-connected constituents three weeks ago to prepare for dire economic and societal effects of the coronavirus, according to a secret recording obtained by NPR. The remarks from U.S. Sen. Richard Burr were more stark than any he had delivered in more public forums. On Feb. 27, when the United States had 15 confirmed cases of COVID-19, President Trump was tamping down fears and suggesting that the virus could be seasonal. "It's going to disappear. One day, it's like a miracle. It will disappear," the president said then, before...

...Steve and I knew that Bill Clinton and his foreign policy team were busily arming Beijing, which in turn armed “rogue nations” such as Iran, Iraq, Syria and Libya. Remember this all happened about 25 years ago. We noted that, on the one hand, it did make sense to sell a very limited amount of advanced military technology to the Communist Chinese, for example devices for nuclear safety, or for certain military systems with important civilian applications, such as satellite launchers. But the Clinton Administration was not doing that. Instead, it was executing a deliberate policy—apparently one that had full...

It seems that America is changing a lot after the “Chinese Virus”. Panic gun buying is taking place in strict gun control states, lines are building outside Gun stores. The latest video we have comes from California: https://twitter.com/AmyMek/status/1239852040227979269?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1239852040227979269&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rightjournalism.com%2Fcities-run-by-liberals-shut-down-gun-sales-using-the-coronavirus-pandemic-as-an-excuse%2F But liberals will use this hysteria to push for their globalist agenda, which includes aggressive move on our second amendment rights. Cities that are run by liberals are using the coronavirus pandemic as an excuse to shut down gun sales. San Jose, Calif. Mayor Sam Liccardo declared that gun stores were “non-essential businesses,” and they are no longer permitted to stay open...

In a surprise breakout, Uber saw its share price soar by more than 38 percent today, dwarfing much of the market’s gains. Shares of ride-hailing giant Uber Technologies (NYSE:UBER) skyrocketed today following a conference call with the aim to calm worried investors. The taxi-on-demand service has taken a major beating in the market-wide coronavirus selloff, with widespread quarantine measures being taken across the globe weighing on the company's bottom line. During the conference call, Uber reassured investors, saying that it expects to have over $6 billion in cash on hand, with an additional $2 billion in easily accessible debt. President...

...The stock market of 2020 may not recall the details of what happened under Woodrow Wilson or Warren Harding, but it does reveal how Keynesian policy has exhausted itself. After all, how much lower than zero can you cut interest rates? And how much more can you do than send citizens checks of $2,000? The White House should embrace some pre-Keynesian steps, making it clear that American markets are open for business. Most obvious would be creating individual retirement accounts for Americans and placing cash in them on the condition that they invest the money. That way, they would at...

Did the Chinese use peeps tendency to virtue signal as a means to spread the beer bug? They encouraged people to virtue signal by hugging them (YouTube): Victory over virus I'm not a virus

Joe Scarborough comments on the president's latest briefing on the coronavirus outbreak, calling the announcement of using a malaria drug for treatment another "overpromise" from the administration.

And 3D-printed valve for breathing machine sparks legal threatRemember Theranos? The blood-testing company worth billions whose CEO Elizabeth Holmes became a celebrity right up until the point when it became clear its revolutionary testing machines didn’t actually work as described? Well, Theranos is dead, and Holmes is still dealing with the legal repercussions, but her vampire company has come alive again – and in the very worst way: its reincarnation is suing another medical testing company for patent infringement. It gets worse. While Theranos’ patents, obtained by an outfit called Fortress Investment Group in 2018, do not relate to a...

Soon after he offered public assurances that the government was ready to battle the coronavirus, the powerful chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Richard Burr, sold off a significant percentage of his stocks, unloading between $582,029 and $1.56 million of his holdings on Feb. 13 in 29 separate transactions.

Don’t look now, but Eugenie Bouchard wants a boyfriend. Out of action like the rest of the tennis world as the coronavirus outbreak shuts down the globe, Bouchard had a message for her followers on Wednesday. “not complaining, but i feel like quarantine would be a lot more fun with a boyfriend,” Bouchard wrote on Twitter.

On Thursday, the State Department raised its global health advisory to level four, its highest level. The new advisory encourages all U.S. citizens to avoid international travel due to the global spread and impact of the Wuhan coronavirus. U.S. citizens who are currently abroad are encouraged by the State Department to immediately return to the United States, if possible, or prepare to remain abroad for an indefinite period of time. U.S. citizens who live abroad are also encouraged to avoid international travel at this time. "If you chose to travel internationally," the State Department warns, "your travel plans may be...