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March 2020

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Mark Penn: In coronavirus fight, America needs a 60-day plan to battle virus and save our economy By Mark Penn |

By on March 22nd, 2020

https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/mark-penn-in-coronavirus-fight-america-needs-a-60-day-plan-to-battle-virus-and-save-our-economy

It’s time for the Trump administration to take the next steps now to stop the uncertainty gripping America by adopting a responsible 60-day plan for both retarding the coronavirus and saving our economy.

America can go on lockdown for a month or more, but those days need to be used to prepare to emerge and get back to the essentials of daily life. We have to defeat the coronavirus, not let the virus defeat us.

The back-to-work plan must ensure certainty regarding: plans to deal with liquidity to avoid another full-blown financial crisis, programs to encourage retention of employees during the crisis and benefits for those laid off, and confidence in the health care system to ensure that it is safe enough to go back to work.

Right now we are led by a group of health care experts who have little understanding of the economy, and a group of economists with little understanding of health care. We have turned our country over to the health care experts, but we need a balance. We need our leaders to come together and bridge these disciplines to chart a clear path forward.

We know the worst is yet to come. The statistics show that in most places we are seeing a geometric increase in the spread of the coronavirus that we are working to slow and even reverse.

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DENMARK’S PRISON JIHAD ON THE GLAZOV GANG

By on March 22nd, 2020

https://jamieglazov.com/2020/03/21/glazov-denmarks-prison-jihad/

In this new Jamie Glazov Moment, Jamie discusses Denmark’s Prison Jihad, unveiling how Muslim prisoners force kafir prisoners to participate in Islamic prayer.

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The Vatican Surrenders to China by Giulio Meotti

By on March 22nd, 2020

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/15738/china-catholic-church

“A totalitarian regime doesn’t compromise. They want complete surrender.” — Cardinal Joseph Zen, retired Bishop of Hong Kong, thetablet.org, February 19, 2020.

“They’re giving the flock into the mouths of the wolves. It’s an incredible betrayal”. — Cardinal Joseph Zen, Reuters, September 20, 2018.

“The pope doesn’t know much about China. And he may have some sympathy for the Communists, because in South America, the Communists are good guys, they suffer for social justice. But not the [Chinese] Communists. They are persecutors. So the situation is, humanly speaking, hopeless for the Catholic Church: Because we can always expect the Communists to persecute the Church, but now [faithful Catholics] don’t get any help from the Vatican. The Vatican is helping the government, surrendering, giving everything into their hands”. — Cardinal Joseph Zen, catholiccitizens.org, February 16, 2020.

The Soviet Union collapsed partly because the Vatican challenged it. Pope Benedict XVI saw the danger of China. “I believe that the fundamental ideological tendencies of Marxism have survived the fall of the political form they have had to date…. First of all, we must not forget that important countries are governed by Marxist parties: China, Vietnam, North Korea, Cuba”. — Pope Benedict XVI, Humanitas.ci, May 5, 2005.

The Vatican can still support dissidents such as Cardinal Zen and reject a dangerous appeasement with Beijing. If not, the Chinese regime will be able to obliterate and further enslave Christianity to consolidate the country’s cruel dictatorship.

“Before anyone had heard of COVID-19, however, there was mounting concern about the intentions and brutality of the Chinese communist regime,” wrote George Weigel, the distinguished US Catholic commentator.

“… about its herding Uighurs into concentration camps; about its assaults on religious communities, including the defacing and demolition of Catholic churches after the accord with the Holy See was signed; about its aggressive military moves in the South China Sea; about its creation of an Orwellian internal security apparatus through facial-recognition technology; about its ranking the Chinese citizenry according to their political reliability (meaning their acquiescence to what the Chinese Communist Party dictates); about its international espionage, often conducted behind the cover of putatively independent technology companies like Huawei; about its relentless digital attacks on Taiwan; and about the global Chinese ‘Belt-and-Road’ initiative, which financially shackles Third World countries to the Beijing regime.”

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Coronavirus: China’s Propaganda Campaign in Europe by Soeren Kern

By on March 22nd, 2020

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/15776/coronavirus-china-propaganda

What remains unclear is if European publics, which are bearing the brunt of the suffering caused by the epidemic, will be as easily willing to overlook the malfeasance of Chinese officials.

“This is a propaganda operation that hides various truths. The first and most important is that the culprit for this pandemic is the Chinese regime. It does not take any conspiracy theory to point it out.” — Emilio Campmany, Libertad Digital, March 3, 2020.

“China wants to take advantage of this calamity to wrest global leadership from the United States. It will be the communist country that makes us the most energetic medicines to fight the virus. It will discover the vaccine before anyone else and distribute it worldwide in record time. It will buy our assets and invest in our countries to rescue our economies. Ultimately, it will claim to be our savior.” — Emilio Campmany, Libertad Digital, March 3, 2020.

The Chinese government has been fast-tracking shipments of medical aid to Europe, which has become the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic that first emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan. The largesse appears to be part of a public relations effort by Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Communist Party to deflect criticism over their responsibility for the deadly outbreak.

Beijing’s campaign as a global benefactor may deliver results in Europe, where pandering political leaders have long been notoriously fearful of antagonizing the European Union’s second-largest trading partner. What remains unclear is if European publics, which are bearing the brunt of the suffering caused by the epidemic, will be as easily willing to overlook the malfeasance of Chinese officials.

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COVID-19, the Elephant, and the House Cat The really scary thing about this latest health scare is not the disease but the unexpected depths of passivity it revealed. By Roger Kimball

By on March 22nd, 2020

https://amgreatness.com/2020/03/21/covid-19-the-elephant-and-the-house-cat/

Here’s something special: a headline in The Economist that speaks the truth: “In Europe, and around the world, governments are getting tougher.” You betcha. Last week, I wrote with contempt about San Francisco’s mayor who had just announced she would “legally prohibit residents from leaving their homes except to meet basic needs.” “Well,” I thought, “It’s California, what do you expect?”

But now several other states, including New York, Connecticut, and Illinois, have issued “shelter-in-place” orders. They closed all “nonessential” businesses (nonessential to whom? To they people who work there?) and are throwing their weight around in other ways.

Restaurants: closed, except for take-out and delivery. Gymnasiums: closed. Museums: closed. Concert halls: closed. Public fraternization: essentially prohibited.

Why? Because of the biggest threat to mankind that the world has ever seen: the COVID-19 virus, also know as the Chinese flu, which to date has killed—are you ready—276 people in the United States, almost all of them over 80, almost all with serious co-morbidities.

Two-hundred-and-seventy-six people! And yes, that frightening number will rise. It will be 400, 500 before you know it. Maybe when all is said and done, we’ll see 1,000-1,200 identified who have died from complications that can be traced to this respiratory illness.

Meanwhile, somewhere between 22,000 and more than 50,000 people have died from the seasonal flu in the United States this year. Why is there no panic about that?

The Wuhan virus is a bad bug. But far more lethal than the “pandemic”—it sounds so much scarier to say “pandemic” than “epidemic,” even if the term is not justified—far more lethal, I say, are two other “P” words: panic and passivity.

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GOOD NEWS FROM AMAZING ISRAEL FROM MICHAEL ORDMAN

By on March 22nd, 2020

http://verygoodnewsisrael.blogspot.com/

ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

Virus protection masks. (TY UWI) Israel’s Sonovia (see here) is now in full production of its face masks that protect the wearer from the coronavirus. Sonovia will donate the first 120,000 of the new masks to the Israeli government, for use by medical workers, patients and key employees. More will be donated to other countries.

https://tps.co.il/articles/we-know-that-we-can-kill-the-coronavirus-israeli-company-donates-120000-cutting-edge-protective-masks-to-govt/ https://www.jpost.com/HEALTH-SCIENCE/Israeli-start-up-to-donate-120000-masks-to-stop-coronavirus-spread-621077

Treatment saves coronavirus patient. The Israel-Arab bus driver, who was critically ill from the coronavirus, is out of danger. He caught the virus from a group of Greek tourists and was treated with anti-viral medications. Chloroquine, Remdesivir and several experimental medications (see link) are being used in severe cases.

https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Health-Ministry-approves-experimental-treatments-for-coronavirus-621209

Stem cell treatment may relieve coronavirus symptoms. Israel’s Pluristem Therapeutics’s placenta-based cell therapy (see here) could be used to treat patients suffering from respiratory and inflammatory complications associated with coronavirus. Pluristem has launched a joint project with two Berlin-based medical institutions.

https://www.jpost.com/HEALTH-SCIENCE/Israeli-cell-therapy-to-treat-acute-COVID-19-patients-prevent-ARDS-621016 https://unitedwithisrael.org/novel-israeli-therapy-takes-aim-at-coronavirus/

30-minute coronavirus testing kit. Israel’s BATM has developed a diagnostics kit to detect coronavirus from saliva samples in less than half an hour. The kit already detects SARS and MERS virus infections. BATM is now busy commercializing the kit for large-scale production.

https://www.israel21c.org/israeli-company-develops-rapid-diagnostic-kit-for-covid-19/

Double boost for potential ALS treatment. (TY Atid-EDI) The US FDA has given Orphan drug status to the PrimeC ALS therapy from Israel’s NeuroSense (see here). Meanwhile, NeuroSense has begun Phase 1 human clinical trials of PrimeC at two US sites and a Phase 2a human trial at Tel Aviv’s Sourasky Medical Center.

https://alsnewstoday.com/2020/02/12/als-combination-therapy-primec-receives-fdas-orphan-drug-designation-enters-clinical-trials/

Trial success for diabetes pill. (TY YL & UWI) Israel’s Oramed announced good results of its Phase 2b trials of ORMD-0801 treatment for Type 2 diabetes. Oramed will now discuss its Phase 3 plans with the US FDA.

https://www.oramed.com/oramed-reports-positive-results-in-the-final-cohort-of-its-phase-2b-oral-insulin-trial/

Breakthrough designation for corneal implant. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s EyeYon Medical (see here) has been awarded Breakthrough Device designation for its EndoArt polymer film implant, attached to the posterior corneal surface, to treat chronic corneal edema. EndoArt has been successful in early human clinical trials.

https://eye-yon.com/endoart-received-the-breakthrough-device-designation-from-the-fda/

Only take the vitamins you need. Israeli app Nutricco monitors a person’s nutrient intake, provides dietary advice and delivers missing vitamins to your home. It is intended for those who currently waste money and risk their health by taking unnecessary supplements.

https://www.israel21c.org/israeli-startup-helps-you-take-only-the-vitamins-you-need/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChnHcV_DaBY https://www.nutricco.com/

Smells to boost memory while you sleep. Scientists from Tel Aviv University and Israel’s Weizmann Institute have demonstrated that administering certain scents during sleep bolsters memory processes in the brain. The study tested memory recall after using rose scent while memorizing words and then during a short nap.

https://www.israel21c.org/rose-scents-while-you-sleep-can-boost-your-memory/

https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(20)30171-8?_return

EU approval for blood pressure wristband monitor. (TY Atid-EDI) In Sep 2019 Israel’s Biobeat received FDA approval for its medical smartwatch and patch (see here). It has now also received CE Mark approval. The smartwatch measures blood pressure, cardiac output, stroke volume, blood oxygenation and heart rate.

https://www.medgadget.com/2020/03/biobeat-receives-eu-clearance-for-vital-sign-monitoring-with-wristwatch-and-patch.html

A surgical sewing-machine. Israel’s Anchora Medical develops single-use suturing devices used to bring soft tissue into the desired placement during open and minimally invasive surgeries. Anchora has just raised $4.5 million in a funding round led by Japan’s Hoya Corporation.

https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3798190,00.html http://anchora-medical.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrE0VGqt0UM

Building an imaging system for prostate cancer. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s Isotopia Molecular Imaging has entered into a development partnership with Germany’s Eckert & Ziegler for the development of its PSMA-11-Kit for prostate cancer imaging. Isotopia’s team includes some of Israel’s leading scientists.

https://isotopia.co.il/isotopia-molecular-imaging-and-eckert-ziegler-to-start-partnership-for-prostate-cancer-imaging/  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5yhCGBqsiA

Predicting success of cancer treatments. Israeli scientists are frequently finding new ways of personalizing cancer treatments. Some are based on genetics (see here) or proteins expressed by the body (see here). Now Weizmann Institute researchers are devising a system to predict how patients will respond to immunotherapy.

https://wis-wander.weizmann.ac.il/life-sciences/predicting-immunotherapy-success

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-14639-9

Unlocking more medical data. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s MDClone (see here) organizes patient data to help medical research in Israel and in the US. It has now expanded to Canada with The Ottawa Hospital – one of Canada’s largest hospitals. MDClone’s technology can potentially benefit thousands of Canadians.

https://www.mdclone.com/resources/mdclone-expands-to-canada

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-TaH32O1ec

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The New York Times Downplays Promising COVID-19 Development By Alexandra DeSanctis

By on March 22nd, 2020

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/the-new-york-times-downplays-promising-covid-19-development/?utm_source=recirc-desktop&utm_medium=homepage&utm_campaign=right-rail&utm_content=corner&utm_term=third

In an article published on Thursday and updated on Friday, New York Times reporters downplayed the possibility of using hydroxycholoroquine (HCQ), an anti-malaria drug, to treat COVID-19.

“With Minimal Evidence, Trump Asks F.D.A. to Study Malaria Drugs for Coronavirus,” the headline reads. And the subtitle: “The use of the existing drugs against the new virus is unproven, and some shortages have already been reported.”

The article went on to claim that the president had “exaggerated the potential of drugs available to treat the new coronavirus, including an experimental antiviral treatment and decades-old malaria remedies that hint of promise but so far show limited evidence of healing the sick.”

Another Times article on the topic bore the headline “Trump’s Embrace of Unproven Drugs to Treat Coronavirus Defies Science.”

No one should suggest, based on the available evidence, that HCQ is some sort of silver bullet that will cure COVID-19 and get us out of this global crisis. But neither should reporters cover a possible positive development from the angle of how best they can disparage the president. And Trump’s comments about the drug, though perhaps more optimistic than warranted, were not unreasonable.

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The COVID-19 paradigm shift on war and weaponry By Scott Ruppert

By on March 22nd, 2020

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2020/03/the_covid19_paradigm_shift_on_war_and_weaponry.html

It’s time to shift our thinking about an arms race coming in the form of a nuclear mushroom cloud and devote some serious thought to biological warfare.

Over the course of the last two months, we have witnessed how a virtually invisible yet highly insidious weapon like a virus strain can glom onto the human body and wreak worldwide havoc.  We’re witness to wholesale closure of countries, home restrictions, economic slowdown on some fronts with total destruction on others and long-term catastrophic effects on the rest, broken supply chains on a global scale, and a sense of uncertainty to paralyze anyone who has been paying attention.

We’ve all seen the black-and-white videos of nuclear tests, read about the nuclear build-up in Iran, discussions about which countries can be trusted to be in the global “nuclear club,” and heard how rogue elements could detonate a low-yield dirty bomb from a small suitcase in downtown Manhattan.  But the COVID-19 coronavirus strain is right out of a Hollywood movie that we’ve been watching for the last 50 years.  I’m not so far out on the conspiracy theory limb to aver that this is what is happening, but it certainly provokes some thought.

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What did Dr. Fauci have to say in 2009 about the deadly H1N1 pandemic? By M. Catharine Evans

By on March 22nd, 2020

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2020/03/what_did_dr_fauci_have_to_say_in_2009_about_the_deadly_h1n1_pandemic.html

It seems some viral infection pandemics are more equal than others. At least when it comes to burning a vibrant Trump economy to the ground. 

In September 2009, after millions had become infected with the H1N1 influenza and thousands had died, some of whom were young people and children, a relaxed and unalarmed Dr. Anthony Fauci told an interviewer that people just need “to use good judgment.”

“Parents should not send their kids to school if they’re sick, if you’re sick don’t go to work … avoid places where there are people who are sick and coughing, now that’s a difficult thing to do,” he said. “…You can’t isolate yourself from the rest of the world for the whole flu season.” That’s quite a change from the esteemed expert’s views on the current virus from China sweeping the world.

From YouTube:

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Coronavirus Vindicates Capitalism Drug companies will save lives, even as Bernie Sanders is denouncing them.Kimberley A. Strassel

By on March 22nd, 2020

https://www.wsj.com/articles/coronavirus-vindicates-capitalism-11584659306

The left is never apt to let a serious crisis go to waste, as we see with its daily use of the coronavirus pandemic to bash the Republican administration. The bigger danger is the efforts it is already making to exploit the panic for its longer-term goal of destroying U.S. capitalism.

Socialist Bernie Sanders led the charge last Sunday in his Democratic primary debate with Joe Biden. Bernie rolled out his usual themes, this time through the virus lens. The pandemic “exposes the incredible weakness and dysfunctionality” of the U.S. health system, he said; the cure is centralized, socialized care. Americans can’t get the drugs they need because “a bunch of crooks” run drug companies, “ripping us off every single day.” The virus exposes the “cruelty and unjustness” of an economy that allows “big-money interests” and “multimillionaires” to profiteer off “working families.”

He’s hardly alone. The coronavirus has “laid this bare: America was less prepared for a pandemic than countries with a universal health system,” declared Vox. The pandemic has “inflicted new stress on a system already too unequal to function,” wrote Sarah Jones in New York magazine, lecturing on the need to “devolve power from wealthy interests.” “The coronavirus crisis exposes the stupidity of Trump’s healthcare policies,” railed Los Angeles Times columnist Michael Hiltzik. A Morning Consult poll suggests this opportunistic sloganeering is resonating, with 41% of the public more likely to support universal health-care proposals amid this pandemic.

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