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Islamic Republic is Now Ground Zero for Deadly Coronavirus Iran’s Vice President for Women and Family Affairs becomes latest victim of COVID-19 pandemic. Ari Lieberman

Posted By on February 28th, 2020

https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/2020/02/islamic-republic-now-ground-zero-deadly-ari-lieberman/

On Thursday, Iran’s Ministry of Health announced that thus far, 26 people infected with the coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, have died and that there were an additional 245 confirmed cases. The latest victim of the disease is Masoumeh Ebtekar, Iran’s Vice President for Women and Family Affairs. In 1979, she was the spokeswoman for radical Islamic fundamentalists who invaded the American embassy in Tehran and took 52 American diplomats and citizens hostage for 444 days. On Tuesday, Iran’s Deputy Health Minister was quarantined due to infection. Several other Iranian parliamentarians have become infected as well.  

Globally, the coronavirus has a fatality rate of between 2 and 3 percent. In Iran, if official figures are to be believed, more than 1 in 10 die from the disease. Clearly, Iranian officials are lying about the extent of the disease and its rapid spread throughout the country. The Islamic Republic has also been the source of dozens of cases outside Iran. Countries including Afghanistan, UAE, Lebanon, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Pakistan and even Canada, have all traced infected travelers to Iran.

Radio Farda, citing reports by Canadian researchers say that the levels of those infected in Iran is much higher than government officials are willing to admit. According to the researchers, it is statistically possible that as many as 18,000 people are infected in the county. That figure is only expected to grow exponentially given the level of obfuscation by the government and the decrepit state of Iran’s healthcare facilities.

NATIONAL NEWS & OPINION Comments turned off

The Direct Primary Care Solution for America’s Health Care Woes by Rep. “Chip’ Roy (R- Texas- District 21)

Posted By on February 28th, 2020

https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/02/direct-primary-care-solution-americas-health-care-woes/
It could free us from insurance domination of health care.

Austin — “the live music capital of the world” — is a lovably “weird” city and home to many musicians and artists. Willie Nelson, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Townes Van Zandt, and Janis Joplin all called it home at one time or another. Great venues like Antone’s, the Broken Spoke, and Stubb’s kept the music scene alive for years, and as it continues to evolve, they serve as storied reminders of what has always made Austin great — a vibrant arts scene.

When I was in law school at the University of Texas, I remember rushing to buy the 2-CD KHYI set each year for the best music of the day. But I also recall that the proceeds from the sale of the set went to providing health insurance for artists. This was a way people in the arts community looked after one another.

Unfortunately, while the creative community remains alive in Austin, the rising cost of housing, driven both by demand and by property taxes, and the skyrocketing cost of health care are crushing many of the artists who live gig to gig and paycheck to paycheck. Since 2013, insurance premiums have gone up more than 60 percent across the board, while private-market premiums have doubled and even tripled. While Washington “leaders” dither and waste time, some creative doctors are using a fast-growing direct-primary-care (DPC) model that may well save the day.

“METSI Care,” a recently opened DPC clinic on 6th Street in East Austin, is built on the model of the black-bag doctor. In this model, you pay a doctor for health care at a reasonable monthly fee and the doctor provides the services directly, rather than insurance (or government) bureaucrats telling you what you get, or what’s “in network.” The two doctors running METSI when I visited are focusing their care — in part based on personal interest and passion — on those in the music, entertainment, technology, and service industries. While they are targeting artists, it is important to note their doors are open to all who knock.

POLITICS Comments turned off

Trump on pace for record Hispanic vote…Stephen Dinan

Posted By on February 28th, 2020

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/feb/26/donald-trump-wins-over-hispanics-despite-strict-im/

He was told being strict on illegal immigration would doom him among Hispanic voters.

Yet President Trump has defied their predictions, from the moment he delivered his iconic address to the Conservative Political Action Conference in 2013 — warning the Republican Party that legalizing 11 million illegal immigrants was political suicide — through the 2016 presidential election and into the White House.

Now nine months out from his second Election Day, and despite a tenure in the White House that has involved building a border wall, stepping up deportations and insulting some Latin American nations as “s—hole” countries, Mr. Trump is as strong as ever among Hispanic voters, according to the polls.

One poll puts his approval rating as high as 44% and shows him winning 41% of the Hispanic vote in a head-to-head match-up with Sen. Bernard Sanders of Vermont. That would best his 2016 showing of 28% support and put him in the running with President George W. Bush for the highest share of Hispanic votes for a GOP candidate.

“Latinos have lost the fear of Donald Trump,” said Alfonso Aguilar, who ran the Department of Homeland Security’s citizenship office in the Bush administration and now runs the Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles.

IMMIGRATION Comments turned off

New Way Forward Act is totally backward By Lance Voorhees ****

Posted By on February 28th, 2020

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2020/02/new_way_forward_act_is_totally_backward_.html

If you were deported after doing prison time for sexual assault, drug dealing, or other aggravated felonies, the New Way Forward Act could be your ticket back across the border. The catch? You must legally challenge your deportation order, but do not be dismayed. If this pending legislation is enacted, American taxpayers will pay your legal fees and pony up for your plane ticket as well.

Now teach your fellow felons to follow this three-step roadmap and get a piece of the American pie.

STEP 1 — Hire your Free Attorney

Under the NWFA’s “ALTERNATIVES TO DETENTION,” the Secretary of Homeland Security must “establish programs,” including “appearance assistance services.” This is code for “Reverse your Deportation with Free Attorney.” If you were convicted of a serious crime, don’t sweat it. The Act redefines “serious crime” as a felony that would imprison someone five years or more.

STEP 2 A — Get your Free Plane Ticket

Under the bill’s sub-heading, “RIGHT TO COME HOME,” it states, “The Secretary of Homeland Security shall provide transportation for aliens,” and it will be at “Government expense, to return to the United States for further immigration proceedings.” Make sure you pocket your frequent flier miles.

WORLD NEWS Comments turned off

New Sanctions Turn the Screws on Venezuela’s Maduro By Ken Blackwell

Posted By on February 28th, 2020

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2020/02/new_sanctions_turn_the_screws_on_venezuelas_maduro.html

Vladimir Putin relishes using Russia’s political and economic power to destabilize and disrupt nations. One example of such activity is in Venezuela, where Russia has been propping up Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro through billions in loans and buying oil with the Russian company Rosneft.

Maduro is one of the most brutal dictators of our time, and the Trump administration is actively working to oust Maduro from power. Millions of citizens have fled Venezuela. The country is overrun with violent drug cartels and Russian and Cuban military units operate freely within the country. Maduro’s government now runs on illegal sources of income such as gold mining, which destroys Venezuela’s environment and widespread drug trafficking, which has brought in many bad players, including Hezbollah, further destabilizing the nation. Venezuela’s legitimate economy and social structure have almost completely collapsed.

In a new effort to get tough on Maduro, the president’s team recently imposed economic sanctions on Rosneft Oil to thwart Russia’s efforts to help Maduro. It’s a smart move.  

MEDIA Comments turned off

There’s a very good reason the media is silent about the Milwaukee mass shooting By Andrea Widburg

Posted By on February 28th, 2020

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2020/02/theres_a_very_good_reason_the_media_is_silent_about_the_milwaukee_mass_shooting.html

It’s not just because of coronavirus that the media is staying mum. The shooter doesn’t fit the Left’s preferred shooter narrative.

On Wednesday, an angry ex-employee got a gun, put a silencer on it, went to the MillersCoors facility where he had once worked, and shot five people to death before shooting himself. One would expect to have a barrage of news stories about America’s gun violence problem and the need to ban guns. After all, on Tuesday, before the shooting happened, the Democrat candidates were all over each other trying to explain why each would be more effective at destroying the Second Amendment. Instead, though, we got crickets.

The reason for the media’s silence became apparent when the media identified the shooter: 51-year-old Anthony Ferrill was black. This meant that the media couldn’t use its white supremacist narrative to justify grabbing guns.

The narrative broke down even further when social media posts revealed that Ferrill may well have been an Elizabeth Warren supporter, an assumption arising from the fact that his wife proudly posted a selfie of herself last year at an Elizabeth Warren rally:

On her various social media pages, which have now been deleted, Ferrill’s wife posted photos of her family and expressing liberal political views. In July 2019, Ferrill’s wife attended a speech by U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren at South Division High School Gym in Milwaukee. Following the speech, Ferrill’s wife took a photo with the Massachusetts senator.

POLITICS Comments turned off

“A Strategic Mistake?” Sydney Williams

Posted By on February 28th, 2020

www.swtotd.blogspot.com

The strategic mistake to which I refer was the one made by Michael Bloomberg to enter the Democrat primary for President, rather than to run as an independent. At least, that is my belief. The error was understandable in that no third-party candidate has won the Presidency, since the current two parties began competing in 1860. But, to use those over-worked and dangerous words, this time is different. The incumbent is a man who has never received more than 50% approval, despite the fact that the economy and employment are doing well. At the same time, Democrats have moved decidedly leftward, leaving their center undefended.

 

In his recently published book, A Time to Build, Yuval Levin wrote, “…[political] parties have been de-professionalized, cannot control their own internal processes, and are increasingly exposed to the power and pressure of political celebrity culture.” What he wrote is visible to anyone with eyes to see. The 2016 presidential election changed the Republican Party. The old way of doing things no longer applied. The 2018 midterm elections, which brought Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) and Ilhan Omar (D-MI) to the House, changed the Democrat Party, swinging it far to the left. Optimism for the future was replaced with hatred of the past. In both cases, the change reflects the fact that elections have become less about policy and enacting bi-partisan legislation, and more about platforms for radical ideas. Traditional party members, on both sides of the aisle, have become as isolated from real concerns of the people, as they are distanced from the victorious radical newbies who joined their party. In part, this has to do with the mathematical fact that our national legislature is less representative of the people than it once was. In 1800, the House of Representatives consisted of 106 members; in 2020, there were 435 House members. So, while the overall population has grown by a factor of 72, the number of Representatives has increased by just over four times. In other words, legislators are less representative – in sheer numbers – than they were two hundred and twenty years ago. But these changes also reflect a cultural shift that demeans family, history and tradition. Both Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders have taken advantage of the fact that many voters feel that politics as usual no longer applies.

ISRAEL Comments turned off

Jerusalem Post Opinion Elections, Super Tuesday and US-Israel relations Ruthie Blum

Posted By on February 28th, 2020

https://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Elections-Super-Tuesday-and-US-Israel-relations-619111

The Israeli public could be forced to undergo a fourth round of elections, which nobody wants and many have threatened to boycott.

The day after Israelis go the polls on Monday to elect the next Knesset, the greatest number of Democratic Party primaries will be held across the United States. The proximity of Super Tuesday to the Jewish state’s third attempt in 11 months to determine the makeup of the next government in Jerusalem is coincidental. Their outcomes, however, will have been mutually influenced.

This might seem peculiar, given the two countries’ completely different electoral and political systems, and the fact that the ballots counted in the US on March 3 merely will give a good idea about which Democratic candidate is likely to win the presidential nomination and run against the Republican incumbent, US President Donald Trump, in November.The Israeli election, on the other hand, is a national one, where voters will be opting this time around for one of 29 (!) parties vying for as many of the 120 Knesset seats as they can get.

The head of the largest party – or the one that has the best chance of forming a majority coalition – will be tasked with establishing the government.

For the past 11 years that figure has been Likud head Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Next week, he is likely to be in that position as well. Barring a surprise shift, again he will be unable to garner a 61-seat majority. If this happens, the Israeli public could be forced to undergo a fourth round of elections, which nobody wants and many have threatened to boycott.

EDUCATION Comments turned off

Jewish Student Says She Left City University of New York Law School After Being Targeted by Antisemitic Harassment for Supporting Israel By Benjamin Kerstein

Posted By on February 28th, 2020

https://www.algemeiner.com/2020/02/27/jewish-student-says-she-left-city-university-of-new-york-law-school-after-being-targeted-by-antisemitic-harassment-for-supporting-israel/

A Jewish former law student at City University of New York told The Algemeinerthis week about what she described as antisemitic and anti-Zionist harassment she faced due to her pro-Israel activism, which caused her to ultimately leave the school, saying that “no one helped me, no one came to my defense.”

Rafaella Gunz — a journalist focusing on LGBT and feminist issues — was studying at the CUNY School of Law when she became a target of pro-Palestinian groups, particularly Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), as a result of her criticism of their attitudes toward Jews and Israel.

Last month, she published an article in The Jewish Journal, titled “Campus Antisemitism Made Me a Zionist,” that detailed her struggle, saying that her Jewish identity had been strengthened as a consequence.

“This experience compelled me to purchase a small, rose-gold Star of David necklace. … I am no longer ashamed to let the world know I am a Jew,” she wrote.

But Gunz has now decided to leave the school as a result of what she called a campaign of harassment.

“There were reactions to my article, if you look at the comments on there, basically calling me Islamophobic, calling me racist, a liar, just all these horrible things by my classmates, telling people that are supporting me to shut the f**k up, all these types of things,” she told The Algemeiner in an interview.

CHARLOTTE'S NEWS WEB Comments turned off

THE LEFT’S HOAX OF PARANOIA Dr. Jack Wheeler

Posted By on February 28th, 2020

https://www.tothepointnews.com/register/

A fundamental law of physics is the Conservation of Energy – that the total amount of energy in a system remains constant;  it’s neither increased nor decreased, but is transferred from one form to another.

Evolution seems to have hard-wired paranoia into the human brain so that something similar may be going on in systems of human societies.  Ever since we’ve been Homo sapiens, even when we were Homo erectus, for two million years if we weren’t paranoid, we were some predator’s dinner.

Getting eaten by a giant cave bear or saber-tooth tiger is an efficient way to remove the non-paranoid from the gene pool.

The genetically hard-wired need to be scared of something means if one fear goes away, we’ll quickly find a replacement.  Even if we have to make it up.

The Left is particularly good at this, since scaring people over some made up “crisis” is a very effective way of gaining control over the gullible – of which there are legion — “Global warming/Climate change/Climate crisis” being the currently classic example.

Yesterday (2/24), Rush Limbaugh exposed the “Coronavirus epidemic” as the latest outbreak of Leftist paranoia-pandering:“Overhyped Coronavirus Weaponized Against Trump.”

“It looks like the coronavirus is being weaponized as yet another element to bring down Donald Trump. The coronavirus is the common cold, folks. The Drive-By Media hype of this thing as a pandemic, as the Andromeda strain, as, ‘Oh, my God, if you get it, you’re dead.’ I think the survival rate is 98%. Ninety-eight percent of people who get the coronavirus survive.