On Sunday, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union” with host Jake Tapper to discuss the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Tapper first asked Edwards to explain to him the issues with ventilator supplies in the state.
“Your model&#8217;s current projection shows that New Orleans could reach 2,500 new hospitalizations per day at its peak around the end of April,” Tapper said. “You said on Friday that you could theoretically run out of ventilators on Tuesday. Is Louisiana really just 48 hours away from Louisianians dying from coronavirus because you don&#8217;t have enough ventilators?”
Edwards replied, first noting that people are already dying. According to the models, which reportedly shift each day as new data is gathered, the expected date at which ventilator capacity will be exceeded is now “probably around the 9th of April,” Edwards said.
The governor then stressed the importance of slowing the spread via social distancing:
<blockquote>So, as we achieve success in slowing the rate of spread, we also push out that date. And critically important is the number of people who will present to the hospital and not be able to get a vent or a bed is a smaller number. So, we&#8217;re encouraging everyone in Louisiana to take social distancing, the stay-at-home order, very seriously because that&#8217;s how we&#8217;re going to save people&#8217;s lives at the end of the day.</blockquote>
Later in the segment, Tapper brought up Pastor Tony Spell of the Life Tabernacle Church in Louisiana.
“Even though [Spell] was issued a misdemeanor summons for continuing to hold church services, Pastor Spell told CNN just today that he&#8217;s still planning on holding church services this morning,” Tapper said. “Obviously, this is a dire health threat. You have made that very clear to all of the people in Louisiana. Should police break up this large gathering that violates your executive order?”
Governor Edwards responded, saying “we&#8217;re not going to enforce our way out of this.”
He continued, calling it “grossly irresponsible” for large groups to congregate:
<blockquote>Now, I&#8217;m still calling upon him to be a leader. He is a leader in the faith community – and I&#8217;m calling upon those parishioners to not go, because it is grossly irresponsible. There is not a setting more conducive to the spread of the virus, as far as I know &#8230; like we have when we have church services with people sitting in close proximity to one another for an hour or two at a time. And so it is irresponsible. Obviously, he is violating the order. He has been served a summons on that. I would hope that he would stop. And law enforcement has this very much in their sights. And I support the actions that they&#8217;re taking.</blockquote>
Edwards pivoted to praise those who are following social distancing guidelines, telling Tapper that the “overwhelming majority” of Louisiana’s 4,500 churches are doing their part, as are businesses.
“I&#8217;m appealing to Pastor Spell to do the right thing,” Edwards stated. “And thus far, he has not. It&#8217;s very disappointing. But the vast majority of pastors out there are doing the right thing.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Louisiana Democrat Governor John Bel Edwards says it is &#8220;grossly irresponsible&#8221; to hold church services right now <a href="https://t.co/pbRPUwHMK4">pic.twitter.com/pbRPUwHMK4</a>
— (((Jason Rantz))) on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) <a href="https://twitter.com/jasonrantz/status/1246996279109931009?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2020</a></blockquote>
During an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pastor-cited-for-holding-massive-church-services-despite-covid-19-we-have-a-command-from-god-to-assemble-together">interview with CNN</a> on Sunday, Pastor Tony Spell said that Life Tabernacle had hosted 1,800 congregants last Sunday, and would hold services again this Sunday. Spell added that Christians have “a command from God” to “assemble together.”
When asked by anchor Victor Blackwell if keeping the doors to the church open was a “pro-life” position, Spell replied:
<blockquote>My response to that is people’s hope is in the house of God. If they do contract the virus, if they have fears of the virus, the church is more essential now than ever to pray with people, to let them know there is a balm in Gilead. There is a physician in Jesus Christ. He is the healer. He said, “Come unto me, all you that are wearing heavy laden, let me give you rest.” So, we were supposed to be at a million and a half body bags. We’re at 8,400. So, the narrative is false, Victor.</blockquote>
In a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pastor-cited-for-holding-massive-church-services-despite-covid-19-we-have-a-command-from-god-to-assemble-together">Facebook post</a> about the “misdemeanor summons” issued to Spell, Central Police Department Chief Roger Corcoran stated in part: “Instead of showing the strength and resilience of our community during this difficult time, Mr. Spell has chosen to embarrass us for his own self-promotion.”
“Mr. Spell will have his day in court where he will be held responsible for his reckless and irresponsible decisions that endangered the health of his congregation and our community,” Corcoran continued. “This is not an issue over religious liberty, and it’s not about politics. We are facing a public health crisis and expect our community’s leaders to set a positive example and follow the law.”
As of Saturday, East Baton Rouge, Louisiana, has seen 656 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and 22 deaths, according to <a href="https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6">data</a> from the Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) Global Cases map. The virus has infected more than 335,500 Americans, leading to 9,458 deaths.
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pastor-cited-for-holding-massive-church-services-despite-covid-19-we-have-a-command-from-god-to-assemble-together">Pastor Cited For Holding Massive Church Services Despite COVID-19: We Have A ‘Command From God’ To ‘Assemble Together’</a>

John Bel Edwards

Louisiana Gov: ‘Grossly Irresponsible’ For Church Leader Tony Spell And Congregants To Gather During COVID-19 Pandemic

church

Coronavirus

COVID-19

Louisiana

Tony Spell

On Sunday, Pastor Tony Spell of Life Tabernacle Church in Central, Louisiana, appeared on CNN with anchor Victor Blackwell to discuss the controversy surrounding his church and its continued defiance of social distancing orders.
Spell was recently served a “misdemeanor summons for six counts of violating the governor’s executive order,” according to Central Police Department Chief Roger Corcoran, yet Spell has continued to hold massive church services.
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Blackwell first asked Spell if the church would be congregating on Sunday morning, to which Spell responded in the affirmative:
<blockquote>Yes, sir. At 10:00 a.m. We will actually run our buses. We have 27 buses that we cover a 50 mile radius of our city. We bring people into the house of God, feed them, feed them both natural food and spiritual food, and then we go back into our respective places&#8230;</blockquote>
When Blackwell asked Spell how many congregants attended services last Sunday, and how many he expected this Sunday, Spell claimed that 1,800 attended previously, but that he wasn’t sure how many would attend the upcoming service.
“This Sunday, with the fear that&#8217;s been propagated into the hearts of my people, I don&#8217;t know, but it may have had the adverse effect, and we may have more people today than last week,” Spell stated.
Blackwell and Spell then engaged in the following exchange in which the pastor said that he believes the “science of this,” but he is following “a command from God.”
<blockquote>BLACKWELL: So, there is an order from the governor there, John Bel Edwards in Louisiana, barring gatherings of 50 or more. The scientists who advise him suggest that those gatherings put the people who will be coming to your church, the 1,800 last week and whomever will show up this week, in danger. Do you believe them?
SPELL: We believe the science of this, Victor. However, we do have a command from God, and there are no governing bodies that can tell us we cannot gather and worship freely.
BLACKWELL: But do you believe the science? Do you believe the science that people who are in these large gatherings close together are at a greater risk of contracting this deadly disease, this virus? Do you believe the science?
SPELL: Yes, we believe the science. We also believe that 99.3, which the science says of the people that contract it, a lot of them don&#8217;t even know they have it and recover &#8230; with that also, we’re more interested – people have been locked up in their homes for 22 days now – suicide, domestic violence, starvation – and the hope is the last stronghold in those people&#8217;s lives, Victor.</blockquote>
Blackwell followed up on Spell’s response by asking the pastor if he is pro-life. Spell said that he is indeed pro-life.
“How is this a pro-life stance to put people in jeopardy of contracting a disease, getting a virus that has no treatment, no cure, often has no symptoms, and has killed more than &#8230; 8,500 people this morning in our country in five weeks?” Blackwell asked.
Spell responded:
<blockquote>My response to that is people&#8217;s hope is in the house of God. If they do contract the virus, if they have fears of the virus, the church is more essential now than ever to pray with people, to let them know there is a balm in Gilead. There is a physician in Jesus Christ. He is the healer. He said, &#8220;Come unto me, all you that are wearing heavy laden, let me give you rest.&#8221; So, we were supposed to be at a million and a half body bags. We&#8217;re at 8,400. So, the narrative is false, Victor.</blockquote>
The CNN anchor moved on, first implying that the friends and families of the dead might not appreciate Spell’s “just at 8,400” deaths remark, then asking about the citations from the police department.
“You&#8217;ve been cited several times and could face 90 days in jail for each citation, a $500 fine,” Blackwell noted.
Blackwell then quoted Chief Corcoran, who stated in part: “This is not an issue over religious liberty, and it&#8217;s not about politics. We are facing a public health crisis and expect our community’s leaders to set a positive example and follow the law.”
Corcoran also stated: “Instead of showing the strength and resilience of our community during this difficult time, Mr. Spell has chosen to embarrass us for his own self-promotion.”
“Is this about self-promotion?” Blackwell asked.
Spell said that the services are not about self-promotion, and that he continues to hold them “because the word of God commands us to assemble together.” The pastor then claimed that “this is an attack on religious liberty in the greatest nation in the world.”
Concluding the segment, Blackwell asked Spell what the distinction is between his church and other congregations around the world that are “holding services online.”
“One word: conviction,” Spell said. “Neither the pressure of our friends, family, lawsuit, jail, or death will stop us from operating our convictions, which is, let us go into the house of the Lord. This is the most important place in our life.”
“If this were about deaths,” the pastor claimed, “then every door in this city would be closed.”
Spell added that his attorneys, including former Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore, “are gathering &#8230; information right now” presumably in order to argue against the citations.
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As The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/louisiana-church-continues-large-services-despite-covid-19-safety-orders-from-governor">previously reported</a>, on March 17, Spell held services “with more than 300 in attendance,” according to the pastor. Spell <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/31/us/louisiana-pastor-arrest-tony-spell/index.html">also claims</a> that approximately 1,000 people attended services on the following Sunday, March 22.
<blockquote>Spell said COVID-19 doesn’t “concern” him, reports <a href="https://www.kalb.com/content/news/Louisiana-pastor-defies-governor-welcomes-large-gathering-into-church-service-568888381.html">WAFB</a>. “The virus, we believe, is politically motivated. We hold our religious rights dear and we are going to assemble no matter what someone says,” Spell reportedly stated.</blockquote>
As of Saturday, East Baton Rouge, Louisiana, has seen 656 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and 22 deaths, according to <a href="https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6">data</a> from the Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) Global Cases map. The virus has infected more than 335,500 Americans, leading to 9,458 deaths.
In Orleans and Jefferson, there have been a combined 7,154 cases and 274 deaths as of publication.
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/louisiana-church-continues-large-services-despite-covid-19-safety-orders-from-governor">Louisiana Church Continues Large Services Despite COVID-19 Safety Orders From Governor</a>

Worship

Pastor Cited For Holding Massive Church Services Despite COVID-19: We Have A ‘Command From God’ To ‘Assemble Together’

Religion

On Sunday, Dr. Anthony Fauci of the White House Coronavirus Task Force appeared on CBS’ “Face the Nation” with host Margaret Brennan to speak about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Brennan first asked Fauci about what Americans “should &#8230; be preparing for” given President Trump’s remarks about near-term deaths, as well as Dr. Birx’s recommendation that people avoid leaving their homes as the virus approaches the apex.
Fauci replied, saying that it’s “going to be a bad week.” He added that according to projections, the United States will “continue to see an escalation,” but that he hopes “to see a flattening out of the curve” soon, “within a week, maybe a little bit more.”
He then stated that mitigation is vital in the United States being able to turn the corner:
<blockquote>The mitigation that we&#8217;re talking about, that you just mentioned, is absolutely key to the success of that. So on the one hand, things are going to get bad, and we need to be prepared for that. It is going to be shocking to some. It certainly is really disturbing to see that – but that&#8217;s what&#8217;s going to happen before it turns around. So we&#8217;ll just buckle down, continue to mitigate, continue to do the physical separation because we’ve got to get through this week that&#8217;s coming up because it is going to be a bad week.</blockquote>
Brennan asked for clarification: “Are you saying &#8230; that despite the deaths that we may see, that mitigation is working and that you do have this outbreak under control?”
Fauci replied in the affirmative that mitigation is working. As for having the virus “under control,” the doctor made sure to stress that such a claim would be “false.”
<blockquote>I will not say we have it under control, Margaret. That would be a false statement. We are struggling to get it under control, and that&#8217;s the issue that&#8217;s at hand right now. The thing that&#8217;s important is that what you see is increases in new cases, which then start to flatten out, but the end result of that, you don&#8217;t see for days if not weeks down the pike because as the cases go down, then you get less hospitalizations, less intensive care, and less death.
So even though you&#8217;re getting &#8230; really improvement in that the number of new cases is starting to flatten, the deaths will lag by, you know, one or two weeks or more. So we need to be prepared that even though it&#8217;s clear that mitigation is working, we&#8217;re still going to see that tail off of deaths.</blockquote>
Fauci went on to stress that the thing to watch is stabilization of new cases, which he said is being witnessed in Italy, and will “hopefully be” seen shortly in New York, the COVID-19 epicenter in the United States.
Brennan proceeded to ask Fauci what New York’s Governor Cuomo means when he says that the state “is not yet at the apex.”
“And what happens on the other side of that apex?” Brennan asked.
Fauci replied:
<blockquote>You know, what the governor is saying is that we are still going to see an increase. The curves that we show at the conferences often is that the epidemic curve goes up, and it hits the top a bit and then it starts coming down. So what Governor Cuomo was saying is that we haven&#8217;t yet reached that peak. And when you do, you&#8217;ll start to see a bit of a flattening and come down. So, where we are right now is really approaching that apex, and that&#8217;s why what he&#8217;s saying and what we&#8217;re saying is that this next week is going to look bad because we&#8217;re still not yet at that apex. And I think within a week, eight days or nine days or so, hopefully you&#8217;re going to see that turn around.</blockquote>
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Dr. Fauci

WATCH: Fauci Says ‘We Are Struggling To Get’ COVID-19 ‘Under Control,’ But ‘Mitigation Is Working’

Anthony Fauci

Media

In a wide-ranging quarantine <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/04/style/larry-david-curb-your-enthusiasm-coronavirus-psa.html">interview</a> with New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd, Larry David, co-creator of “Seinfeld” and creator and star of “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” said that it’s time for Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) to drop out of the Democratic presidential primary.
“I feel he should drop out,” David said.
<blockquote>Because he’s too far behind. He can’t get the nomination. And I think, you know, it’s no time to fool around here. Everybody’s got to support Biden.</blockquote>
David is also known to many for his uncanny impersonation of the Vermont senator on “Saturday Night Live.” David first appeared as Sanders on “SNL” during the 2016 Democratic primary between the senator and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. David was brought back to the stage after Sanders announced his candidacy for the 2020 nomination.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, “at least 15 states and one territory have postponed or otherwise extended their presidential primaries,” according to <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/states-shelve-primary-contests-now-coronavirus-shuffles-2020/story?id=69713829">ABC News</a>. The Democratic National Convention has also been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/finally-dnc-moves-democratic-national-convention-to-august">delayed</a>, moving from its initial mid-July date to sometime in August.
All of this has stalled what was a roaring comeback for the Joe Biden campaign, which, prior to the former vice president’s landslide victory in South Carolina in late-February, was looking bleak.
Following his win in the Palmetto State, Biden whipped up enough enthusiasm to score victories in 10 of the 14 Super Tuesday states, gaining the upper hand on rival Sanders. Biden also went on to win eight more races in Idaho, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Washington, Arizona, Illinois, and Florida prior to most other primaries being postponed.
As of publication, Joe Biden has 1,217 delegates, and Sen. Bernie Sanders has 914. To clinch the Democratic nomination at the convention, a candidate must have 1,991 pledged delegates.
Despite Sanders’ increasingly narrow path to the nomination, as well as pressure from the media, the senator has refused to bow out of the race.
On Wednesday, Sen. Sanders told Whoopi Goldberg of “The View” that he wasn’t dropping out:
<blockquote>Last I heard, people in a democracy have a right to vote and they have a right to vote for the agenda that they think can work for America, especially in this very, very difficult moment. We are assessing our campaign, as a matter of fact, where we want to go forward.</blockquote>
The senator went on to speak about his work on the next proposed COVID-19 stimulus legislation.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Bernie Sanders on staying in the race: “Last I heard, people in a democracy have a right to vote and have a right to vote for the agenda that they think can work for America, especially in this very, very difficult moment. We are assessing our campaign.” <a href="https://t.co/XqBZIxsIGR">https://t.co/XqBZIxsIGR</a> <a href="https://t.co/WPNsidZQ7f">pic.twitter.com/WPNsidZQ7f</a>
— ABC News (@ABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ABC/status/1245379379108220928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2020</a></blockquote>
According to the <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2020/president/us/2020_democratic_presidential_nomination-6730.html">RealClearPolitics</a> national polling average, Joe Biden leads Bernie Sanders by 20.5 points (56% to 35.5%). Although the polling isn’t as fresh, Biden leads Sanders by a 22.5-point margin in <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2020/president/oh/ohio_democratic_presidential_primary-6873.html">Ohio</a>, he leads Sanders by an 11.5-point margin in <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2020/president/pa/pennsylvania_democratic_presidential_primary-6860.html">Pennsylvania</a>, and he leads Sanders by an 18.3-point margin in <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2020/president/wi/wisconsin_democratic_primary-6848.html">Wisconsin</a>.
The <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/elections/betting_odds/democratic_2020_nomination/">betting odds</a> also give Biden a seemingly insurmountable lead with 83.9 points. Sanders actually comes in fourth place with 5.2 points behind New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (6.3 points) and Hillary Clinton (6 points), neither of whom are running for president.

Larry David as Bernie Sanders

Larry David To Bernie Sanders: ‘Drop Out,’ We Need To ‘Support Biden’

2020 Election

Bernie Sanders

Democratic Party

Joe Biden

Larry David

On Saturday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced during his daily COVID-19 press briefing that, with assistance from multiple sources, the state had acquired 1,000 new ventilators from China.
“New York has been shopping in China &#8230; we went to the Asia Society to help us navigate China, I asked the White House to help us navigate China, I spoke to the ambassador, and we got really good news today,” Cuomo said.
<blockquote>The Chinese government is going to facilitate a donation of 1,000 ventilators that will come into JFK today – and I want to thank Joe Tsai and Clara Tsai and Jack Ma from Alibaba &#8230; for their donation. That’s going to be very helpful, and I want to thank Ambassador Huang very much for his help in making all of this happen because this is a big deal, and it’s gonna make a significant difference for us.</blockquote>
The governor added that the state of Oregon will be providing New York with 140 ventilators.
Prior to mentioning the 1,000 ventilators, Cuomo criticized the fact that China manufactures many of our medical supplies.
“China is, remarkably, the repository for all of these orders,” Cuomo said. “Ventilators, PPE, it all goes back to China, which, long-term, we have to figure out why we wound up in this situation where we don’t have the manufacturing capacity in this country.”
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The governor also went through the daily numbers for the state.
The daily hospitalization numbers on Friday dropped to 1,095 from the previous day’s record high of 1,427. Despite this tick downward, the overall trend of hospitalizations is still moving upward.
“Total number of hospitalized is down a blip, but we believe that’s not statistically meaningful,” Cuomo stated.
The daily Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admissions hit a record high of 395 on Friday. The previous high of 374 was set on March 26 and tied on April 1. The overall trajectory of ICU admissions is upward.
The number of daily intubations also broke the record with 351 on Friday. The previous record was 313, and it was set on April 1. The trajectory for daily intubations is upward.
Discharges are also up, with 1,592 COVID-19 patients discharged from New York hospitals on Friday. This is a record high as well, and the trajectory is moving upward.
“This is interesting. Two-thirds of the people who have been hospitalized have been discharged,” the governor said. “That’s what we’ve been saying all along. Most people won’t be hospitalized; people who are hospitalized will come in, be treated, and leave &#8230; one third of that number has a serious condition which will require continued hospitalization.”
Governor Cuomo then spoke about the apex, when “the number of infections on a daily basis is at the high point.” He stated that although New York isn’t at the apex yet, it will likely be arriving sometime in the next four to eight days based on the models being examined.
The governor also showed a slide in which case percentage numbers were shown based on area. While New York City has been very slowly declining as a share of total cases in the state since approximately March 22, cases in Long Island have been increasing. As of Friday, New York City had 65% of COVID-19 cases in the state, Long Island had 22% (up from 17% on March 26), Westchester and Rockland had 7%, and upstate had 5%.
Cuomo also lauded the fact that 85,000 volunteers have stepped up to help New York in this time of crisis.
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/18-5-of-nypd-out-sick-as-of-saturday-nearly-4-5-tested-positive-for-covid-19">18.5% Of NYPD Out ‘Sick’ As Of Saturday; Nearly 4.5% ‘Tested Positive’ For COVID-19</a>

Ventilator

New York To Receive 1,000 Ventilators From China As COVID-19 ‘Apex’ Quickly Approaches

Andrew Cuomo

China

New York

New York City

On Friday, the New York Police Department (NYPD) reported that nearly one-fifth of uniformed members were out sick, and that approximately 4.5% had tested positive for COVID-19.
An NYPD press release states in part:
<blockquote>6,695 uniformed members of the NYPD were on sick report which accounts for 18.5% of the Department’s uniformed workforce. Currently, 1,619 uniformed members and 220 civilian members tested positive for the coronavirus.</blockquote>
During a recent virtual question and answer session, Commissioner Dermot Shea stated:
<blockquote>Please do everything that you can to stay inside. Just look what&#8217;s happening around us with nurses, doctors, literally working around-the-clock, and men and women of the New York City Police Department are right there with them.
Not only are we enforcing social distancing, we&#8217;re still making gun arrests, we&#8217;re still closing out homicides. In our spare time, we&#8217;re delivering babies – and what else are we doing? We&#8217;re looking out for each other, and we’re looking out for the community. Think of what we&#8217;re doing with elderly people that can&#8217;t get out, most at risk during this pandemic. We have cops around the city, detectives, pitching in and bringing them groceries so they don&#8217;t have to come out and do things that get themselves in harm&#8217;s way.
At the worst times, you really see the best in people, and this is no surprise to you, and it&#8217;s certainly no surprise to me, that this is when the NYPD really shines.</blockquote>
Shea also spoke about supplies.
”We have a system set in place with our quartermaster,” the commissioner said. “Emails can be sent right to the quartermaster and we&#8217;re either delivering supplies to commands or we&#8217;re asking the commands to come and pick them up &#8230; when you talk about the different types of masks, again, we have those on hand. When you talk about cleaning supplies, we have those on hand, and hopefully it&#8217;s being used generously.”
The commissioner noted that Tyvek suits are being requested, and those suits are available to detectives who need them for crime scenes.
As for the mental health of members, the commissioner stated:
<blockquote>It&#8217;s a stressful job at the best of times. Right now, I don&#8217;t think you could imagine a worse point of time, and we&#8217;re carrying on, but you&#8217;ve got to take care of yourself &#8230; whether that means talking, whether that means making a phone call.</blockquote>
Shea added that there are “counselors,” “medical professionals,” and “clergy” who are ready to engage with members who need help.
When asked if the NYPD will institute “12-hour tours,” the commissioner said that the department isn’t at that point yet, but added that if such measures become necessary, they will be enacted. “We’re not close to 12-hour tours yet, but if we have to, we’ll do it obviously,” Shea stated.
The commissioner went on to say that the department has hired cleaners, and they are adapting to the fluid situation.
“We hired 100 cleaners in the last week, so we&#8217;re in a much better position than we would have been if we hadn&#8217;t done that. We also have these clean teams going out,” Commissioner Shea said. “Is it perfect? There is no perfection in this world, but we know that when we get a location where a positive test has come back, we&#8217;re sending out these clean teams to &#8230; do that extra cleaning in that particular area to put people at ease, to do everything humanly possible that we can in a particular area to make sure the working environment &#8230; [is] the best it can be.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Q&amp;A with Shea <a href="https://t.co/pHUEHTYTcJ">https://t.co/pHUEHTYTcJ</a>
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/NYPDnews/status/1244993448907689987?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2020</a></blockquote>
According to a Tuesday <a href="https://www1.nyc.gov/site/nypd/news/pr0331/the-nypd-new-york-city-police-foundation-the-purchase-150-000-units-each-masks-">press release</a> from the NYPD, the Police Foundation recently bought supplies for police officers “thanks to generous donors.”
“The NYPD and New York City Police Foundation today announced the purchase of 150,000 masks, 150,000 gloves and 150,000 packets of hand sanitizer for police officers on the front lines of protecting the public during the coronavirus pandemic,” the release reads.
Friday’s sick numbers are up by roughly 3.5% from Tuesday, when Police Commissioner Shea <a href="https://twitter.com/nypdnews/status/1244993448907689987?s=21">said</a> that “over 5,600,” or approximately 15% of the “uniformed force,” was out sick. The previous Friday, March 27, Commissioner Shea <a href="https://twitter.com/nypdshea/status/1243691868656992256?s=21">said in a video broadcast</a> that “over 4,100” uniformed members, or roughly 11.3%, were out sick.
The NYPD has also <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/04/04/nypd-school-safety-officer-linosee-mosley-dead-from-coronavirus/">lost 11</a> of its members to COVID-related complications as of Saturday.

NYPD

18.5% Of NYPD Out ‘Sick’ As Of Saturday; Nearly 4.5% ‘Tested Positive’ For COVID-19

New York Police Department (NYPD)

On Thursday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo provided the daily update for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
During the presser, the governor offered a sobering and grim warning that the state has only about six days until it runs out of ventilators if the “current burn rate” continues.
<blockquote>At the current burn rate, we have about six days of ventilators in our stockpile, meaning if the rate of usage, the rate of people coming into hospitals who need ventilators, if that rate continues, in our stockpile, we have about six days. Now, if the apex happens within that time frame, if the apex increases, if the apex is longer, we have an issue with ventilators.</blockquote>
Cuomo added that the numbers will be compiled nightly, and that there “is a difference of opinion” as to how many ventilators will be needed. Cuomo continued, saying that while he has no desire to purchase more ventilators than are necessary, “we need what we need.”
“If a person comes in and needs a ventilator, and you don&#8217;t have a ventilator, the person dies,” the governor stated. “That’s the blunt equation here – and right now we have a burn rate that would suggest we have about six days in the stockpile.”
Despite this, the governor noted that the state is “taking all sorts of extraordinary measures” to increase ventilator supplies, including setting up the means to move ventilators to various hospitals in need, splitting ventilators, using “anesthesia machine ventilators,” ending elective surgeries, and using BiPAP machines. The state is also actively looking for more ventilators for purchase.
<blockquote>So yes, the burn rate of ventilators is troubling, and six days of ventilators in the stockpile is troubling, but we have all these extraordinary measures that I believe if push comes to shove, will put us in fairly good shape.</blockquote>
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The governor also went over the numbers for the state.
The hospitalization rate has dropped for the third day in a row. At peak on Monday, there were 1,412 single-day hospitalizations in the state, while on Wednesday, there were 1,157. However, the overall trajectory is still upward.
While the number of ICU admissions has bobbed up and down, the overall trajectory is upward, with 374 admissions on Wednesday, tying the March 26 record. For comparison, on March 17, there were just 46 ICU admissions.
Despite two consecutive days of downward steps, the number of intubations on Wednesday ticked back up, setting a record with 313. On March 17, there were 43 intubations.
The number of discharged patients has continued to rise, with 1,292 on Wednesday.
The governor also spoke about the apex of COVID-19 in New York, when hospitals and medical workers are expected to be stretched the most, noting that various models have set the apex anywhere from 7 to 30 days from Wednesday, depending on variables such as how particular models value the impact of social distancing.
“We believe it is closer to the shorter end of the range with our in-house people looking at the professional modeling that’s being done,” Cuomo stated.
As for how prepared the state is for the apex, Cuomo said that there are currently 53,000 beds statewide, while they are anticipating a need for between 70,000 and 110,000 at peak. The governor then noted the ways in which the state is trying to account for the upcoming influx, including expanding existing hospital capacity and erecting additional facilities.
New York has also seen roughly 85,000 volunteers who will be sent where necessary.
As for death toll projections, Cuomo cited the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) <a href="https://covid19.healthdata.org/projections">model</a>, which as of Thursday predicts that New York will see approximately 16,200 deaths from COVID-19.
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cuomo-on-covid-19-were-never-going-to-be-the-same-again-how-do-we-learn-from-this">Cuomo On COVID-19: ‘We’re Never Going To Be The Same Again,’ ‘How Do We Learn From This?’</a>

Cuomo Says At ‘Current Burn Rate,’ New York Runs Out Of Ventilators In ‘About 6 Days’; Measures Being Taken To Expand Capacity

On Tuesday, the Laredo, Texas, city council issued an amended emergency ordinance ordering citizens to wear face coverings when in certain public places, and abide by a daily curfew until April 30, or risk a fine of up to $1,000.
As of 12:01 a.m. on April 2, residents of Laredo must follow a curfew that begins at 10 p.m. and ends at 5 a.m. each day (10 p.m. to 6 a.m. for those under 18 and unaccompanied by an adult). Not unexpectedly, the curfew has numerous exceptions for “essential activities.”
As of the same time, all Laredo residents aged five and over must wear a face covering, which can include a “homemade mask, scarf, bandana, or handkerchief,” when “entering into or inside of any building open to the public; when using public transportation, taxis, or ride shares; or when pumping gas.” As with the curfew, there are exceptions listed in the ordinance.
Notably, for essential activities as it pertains to the curfew, a <a href="https://www.cityoflaredo.com/assets/corona-04-01-20_PR_col_takes_further_action_to_stop_spread_of_covid-19.pdf">press release</a> about the ordinance states: “Those who must work during those hours will be exempt from this ordinance, but must show proof such as an I.D. or a letter from their employer. Laredo police officers will be enforcing this ordinance and may use their discretion.”
The <a href="https://www.cityoflaredo.com/assets/03-31-20_Amended_Emergency_Ordinance_.pdf">pertinent text</a> of the ordinance reharding the curfew reads in part:
<blockquote>WHEREAS, Dr. Hector Gonzalez and Dr. Victor Trevino have advised the City Council that covering an individual&#8217;s nose and mouth can diminish the chance of cough droplets being spread in the air, and that wearing even a homemade mask, scarf, or bandana will reduce the propensity for people to touch their faces thereby partially preventing asymptomatic individuals with COVID-19 from unknowingly spreading the disease; and
WHEREAS, in addition to practicing social distancing and staying at home as much as possible, Dr. Hector Gonzalez and Dr. Victor Trevino have recommended to City Council that mandating the citizens to wear a facial covering will help to prevent the spread of COVID-19 because the more people that do so, the less the virus is distributed and fewer individuals are exposed; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has investigated and determined that countries who have implemented requirements for partial facial coverage, such as Czech Republic, Slovakia and Austria, have significantly slowed down the spread of the virus&#8230;
a) A curfew for all persons aged 17 and under to be imposed from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.
b) A curfew for all persons aged 18 and over to be imposed from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m., unless that person is out for an emergency, or to perform certain Essential Activities, or to perform or obtain services from Essential Businesses, Government Functions or services, or Critical Infrastructure&#8230;
Any person who violates this Ordinance may be subject to a Class B misdemeanor punishable by a fine not exceeding $1,000, or confinement for a period not exceeding 180 days.</blockquote>
The <a href="https://www.cityoflaredo.com/assets/03-31-20_Amended_Emergency_Ordinance_.pdf">pertinent text</a> of the ordinance pertaining to the face coverings reads:
<blockquote>Except as provided herein, all persons over the age of five (5) are required to wear some form of covering over their nose and mouth, such as a homemade mask, scarf, bandana, or handkerchief, when: entering into or inside of any building open to the public; when using public transportation, taxis, or ride shares; or when pumping gas. This Section shall not apply to person that are: engaging in a permissible outside physical activity; that are riding in a personal vehicle; that are in alone in a separate single space; that are with their own shelter group (household members); when doing so poses a greater health, safety or security risk; or for consumption purposes. The penalty for a violation of this section shall be a Class C misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000.00)</blockquote>
COVID-19, which originated in China’s Hubei province, has infected over 1,000,000 people worldwide, and led to more than 51,400 deaths, <a href="https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6">according to data</a> from Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) Global Cases map. 208,949 people have recovered.
In the United States, there have been more than 236,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and over 5,600 deaths. As of publication, 8,861 individuals have recovered from the virus.
The Daily Wire reached out to the Governor’s office for comment, but we have not received a response as of publication.

Texas flag.

Texas Town Orders Citizens To Wear ‘Nose And Mouth’ Coverings Or Face Fine Up To $1,000

Texas

On Thursday, Dr. Anthony Fauci appeared on “CBS This Morning” with host Gayle King to discuss the latest developments in the ongoing fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the end of the approximately five-minute segment, King noted that according to reports, Fauci has had to be provided with security:
<blockquote>There are reports that you now have to have security. I was very sorry to hear that for you, and I’m wondering the personal pressure. Do you feel pressure to get this right? You are the most respected, the most admired – when you speak, we listen. I’m wondering how this has effected you personally.</blockquote>
Fauci replied:
<blockquote>You know, it&#8217;s my job. This is the life I&#8217;ve chosen, and I&#8217;m doing it. I mean, obviously there&#8217;s a lot of pressure. I would be foolish to deny that, but that’s what I do. I’ve been through crises like this before, dating back, you know, 37 years from the very beginning of the HIV epidemic. It&#8217;s a job to do, and we&#8217;ve just got to do it.</blockquote>
King concluded the segment by telling Fauci how popular he has become, and asking him how his family is reacting to the fame: “You’re on donuts, you’re on socks, you’re on mugs, there’s Fauci Friday, People Magazine, there’s a petition to make you sexiest man alive because people say brains are sexy.”
Fauci said that they’re attempting to ignore that, “and just focus on the responsibility and the job that we have.”
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On Wednesday, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/anthony-faucis-security-is-stepped-up-as-doctor-and-face-of-us-coronavirus-response-receives-threats/2020/04/01/ff861a16-744d-11ea-85cb-8670579b863d_story.html">The Washington Post</a> reported that security for Dr. Fauci has needed to be increased due to various “concerns,” including “threats as well as unwelcome communications from fervent admirers, according to people with knowledge of deliberations inside the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice.”
Fauci wouldn’t elaborate about potential security concerns when asked during a Wednesday presser.
According to polls, Dr. Fauci is indeed highly respected as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to burn through the United States.
A recent <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/poll-recession-fears-coronavirus-us-economy">Fox News poll</a> showed that 77% of respondents “approve of the job Dr. Anthony Fauci is doing,” while just 12% disapprove. While poll numbers for the president and vice president were much more divided, the response to Fauci cuts across political demographics, with 74% of Democrats approving of Fauci’s handling of the crisis.
According to the latest <a href="https://docs.cdn.yougov.com/p8nwhxp50n/econTabReport.pdf">Economist/YouGov</a> poll, Dr. Fauci has a 57% “favorable” rating among those surveyed. This is broken down into 35% “very favorable” and 22% “somewhat favorable.”
Only 8% view Fauci unfavorably. That’s broken down into 6% “somewhat unfavorable” and 2% “very unfavorable.”
35% of respondents “don’t know.”
Additionally, a recent <a href="https://zogbyanalytics.com/news/927-the-zogby-poll-voters-give-a-slight-edge-to-trump-versus-biden-in-who-is-better-equipped-to-handle-pandemic-cuomo-is-the-highest-rated-politician-at-handling-the-coronavirus-crisis-trump-rated-higher-than-sanders-and-biden-for-his-response-to-the-pandemic">Zogby poll</a> showed high approval for the way in which Dr. Fauci is handling the COVID-19 pandemic response at 73%. Broke down, 35% of respondents said Fauci is doing an “excellent” job, while 38% said he is doing a “good” job.
COVID-19, which originated in China’s Hubei province, has infected over 1,000,000 people worldwide, and led to more than 51,400 deaths, <a href="https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6">according to data</a> from Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) Global Cases map. 208,949 people have recovered.
In the United States, there have been more than 236,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and over 5,600 deaths. As of publication, 8,861 individuals have recovered from the virus.
The Daily Wire has reached out to the White House for comment about Dr. Fauci’s security detail.

Fauci Asked About His ‘Security’ Concerns Following Report About ‘Threats’

During a Wednesday press conference on COVID-19, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said, “We are never going to be the same,” and “we can’t forget what happened here.”
At the outset of the presser, Cuomo went over the latest numbers for the state of New York, which could provide insight for other major metropolitan areas that haven’t yet experienced the full brunt of the illness, as New York has become the American epicenter for COVID-19.
While hospitalization rates have bobbed up and down, the overall trend is still ticking upward, with 1,297 hospitalizations on Tuesday compared with just 91 on March 16. Monday currently holds the record for single-day hospitalizations at 1,412.
Similar to the number of hospitalizations, the number of ICU admissions continues to trend upward, with 312 on Tuesday compared with just 46 on March 17. The trajectory for ICU admissions is more volatile than general hospitalizations, however, with March 26 holding the record high of 374.
As for daily intubations, despite three consecutive days of downward steps, the general trajectory from March 17 through Tuesday is upward. 291 people had to be intubated on Tuesday.
The trajectory of discharged patients is also going up, with 1,167 people being discharged on Tuesday.
After noting that “nobody knows what’s going to happen” for sure with the COVID-19 pandemic, the governor stated that what New Yorkers do have are the “facts.” What the latest data suggests is that the apex of COVID-19 in New York will come at the “end of April,” according to Governor Cuomo.
“Every day you get additional data, they run that data into the model, and they refine the model,” said Cuomo, noting that there are numerous models, and consulting firm McKinsey has synthesized the various models into a moving projection.
“But what we’re looking at now is the apex, top of the curve, roughly at the end of April, which means another month of this,” the governor said, adding that the model, which is based on “minimal social distancing impact,” shows that New York would need 110,000 “COVID beds” and 37,000 ventilators. “High compliance with social distancing” would mean a drop to 75,000 “COVID beds” and 25,000 ventilators at the apex.
After rebuking young people, who he says are not getting “the message” as it pertains to social distancing, Cuomo spoke more broadly about the future, and how the COVID-19 pandemic will “change us.”
<blockquote>As a society, beyond just this immediate situation, we should start looking forward to understand how this experience is going to change us, or how it should change us because this is going to be transformative. It is going to be transformative on a personal basis, on a social basis, on a systems basis.
We’re never going to be the same again. We’re not going to forget what happened here. The fear that we have, the anxiety that we have, that’s not just going to go away. When do we get back to normal? I don’t think we get back to normal. I think we get to a new normal, like we’re seeing in so many facets of society right now&#8230;
Our challenge is to make sure that transformation and that change is positive and not negative. Lets make sure we’re taking the positive lesson and not the negative lesson. You could get wary of intimacy and contact and density &#8230; what a terrible thing to live with as a human being. What a cruel torture. “Isolate yourself from other people. Be afraid of hugging someone.” Just think how emotionally and personally repugnant that concept is, right? We crave human connection&#8230;
So, how we come out of this, and making sure that it’s positive and not negative? How do we learn from this and how do we grow from this?</blockquote>
Cuomo went on to pose the question, “What happens when something like this happens again?”
“You can’t just turn off the economy like a light switch,” the governor said.
<blockquote>How do governments work together? &#8230; Learn the lessons from this &#8230; Why weren’t we ready with a tele-education system? Why weren’t we better at telemedicine? &#8230; Why don’t we have medical supplies made in this country? Why are we shopping in China for basic medical supplies? Why don’t we gear our medical research to these types of threats and challenges, which we know are on the horizon? &#8230; Let’s talk about first responder capacity &#8230; what’s the backup to that situation?</blockquote>
Cuomo concluded by talking “about societal stability and engagement at times of crisis.”
<blockquote>You can’t just tell everyone, “Go home and lock your doors and sit on your couch and order takeout for the foreseeable future.” That’s not who we are. It’s not even a mental health issue. It’s a personal health issue. It’s how we relate to one another. We’re not built to be isolated for long periods of time and not have human contact. So, how do we deal with that? These are the types of questions that we have to start to think through.</blockquote>
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COVID-19, which originated in China’s Hubei province, has infected over 921,900 people worldwide, and led to more than 46,250 deaths, <a href="https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6">according to data</a> from Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) Global Cases map. 192,964 people have recovered.
In the United States, there have been more than 206,200 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and over 4,500 deaths. As of publication, 8,413 individuals have recovered from the virus.
According to the New York State <a href="https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/county-county-breakdown-positive-cases">website</a>, there have been 83,712 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state, and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/01/nyregion/coronavirus-new-york-update.html">1,941 deaths</a>. In New York City alone, there have been over 44,900 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and 1,139 deaths.

Cuomo On COVID-19: ‘We’re Never Going To Be The Same Again,’ ‘How Do We Learn From This?’

On Wednesday, Disney Parks released a <a href="https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2020/04/disney-parks-donates-supplies-to-hospitals-and-medical-professionals/">blog post</a> stating that the company has donated medical supplies, such as N95 masks, to several states, including New York, which has become the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United states.
The post, penned by Disney Parks Editorial Content Director Thomas Smith states in part:
<blockquote>In response to requests from hospitals that are in need of additional protective garments and medical-related supplies, Disney Parks has donated 150,000 rain ponchos to <a href="https://www.medshare.org/">MedShare</a>, a humanitarian aid organization, for distribution to hospitals in need. The idea was inspired by nurses across the country who inventively found that rain ponchos can be an excellent way to protect their clothing and prolong the use of PPE, while also freeing up gowns when needed &#8230; Disney Parks also recently donated more than 100,000 N95 masks to the states of New York, California and Florida, and is finding additional ways to give back.</blockquote>
The statement continues, noting that Disney parks from around the world have also donated “270 tons of food to local food banks,” and that “Disneyland Paris donated more than 100,000 medical supplies, including masks, hygiene caps and protective shoes to the French government for distribution to hospitals in France.”
MedShare CEO Charles Redding responded to Disney’s donations, stating in part: “We appreciate Disney partnering with us to support hospitals and healthcare workers on the frontlines.”
These donations come as New York has been hammered by COVID-19, with a peak resource usage predicted to take place sometime in the next <a href="https://covid19.healthdata.org/projections">8 to 14 days</a>.
Over the last two weeks, New York has been preparing for the apex of the illness.
The Army Corps of Engineers has <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/army-helps-make-temporary-hospital-yorks-javits-center/story?id=69845568">erected</a> a 1,200-bed temporary field hospital in Manhattan’s Javits Convention Center with the capacity of expanding to as many as 2,910 beds.
Samaritan&#8217;s Purse, which has “partnered with New York’s Mount Sinai Health System,” according to <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/03/31/coronavirus-central-park-hospital-treat-new-york-city-patients/5094590002/">USA Today</a>, has set up a field hospital in Central Park with ten ventilators and a 68-bed capacity. The hospital “will prioritize moving overflow patients from the Brooklyn and Queens Mount Sinai branches so they can resume respiratory care treatment.”
On Monday, the Naval hospital ship USNS Comfort <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/03/30/823826987/hospital-ship-usns-comfort-arrives-in-new-york-to-ease-coronavirus-pressure">docked</a> in New York’s Pier 88. The ship has approximately 1,000 beds, and will take admissions of cases not related to COVID-19 in order to relieve pressure from New York City hospitals.
COVID-19, which originated in China’s Hubei province, has infected over 921,900 people worldwide, and led to more than 46,250 deaths, <a href="https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6">according to data</a> from Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) Global Cases map. 192,964 people have recovered.
In the United States, there have been more than 206,200 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and over 4,500 deaths. As of publication, 8,413 individuals have recovered from the virus.
According to the New York State <a href="https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/county-county-breakdown-positive-cases">website</a>, there have been 83,712 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state, and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/01/nyregion/coronavirus-new-york-update.html">1,941 deaths</a>. In New York City alone, there have been over 44,900 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and 1,139 deaths.
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-resident-and-other-med-tv-shows-donate-their-stock-of-personal-protective-equipment-to-hospitals-fire-stations">‘The Resident’ And Other Med TV Shows Donate Their Stock Of Personal Protective Equipment To Hospitals, Fire Stations</a>

Disney World

Over 100,000 N95 Masks, Other Supplies, Donated By Disney Parks To Help During Crisis

Disney

On Sunday, during a press briefing regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio stated that citizens can and will be fined if they fail to follow social distancing protocol.
De Blasio first spoke specifically about certain places where people might congregate.
<blockquote>I certainly do authorize the use of fines in parks and playgrounds if needed. Again, what we&#8217;re going to do to begin, as we&#8217;ve been doing is – and the weather has been such that there haven&#8217;t been too, too many people out – but all of our enforcement officers have been [giving] warnings, have been educating, there&#8217;s been loudspeakers telling people the update, all that.</blockquote>
The mayor then laid it out for anyone who might decide to flout social distance guidelines in New York City:
<blockquote>Now, it&#8217;s as simple as this. If someone is told by an officer [to] disperse, keep moving, you&#8217;re not distanced, and they don&#8217;t follow the direct instruction from our officer, or they say they&#8217;re doing it and then they come back right away, I&#8217;m comfortable at this point that they will be fined – my understanding is the fines are in the range of $250 to $500 – that’ll obviously be a &#8230; violation of summons that would be provided.
I don&#8217;t want to see that happen &#8230; I want to just let all New Yorkers know that what we&#8217;re trying to do is say, you&#8217;ve been warned and warned and warned again.
Now, if an officer comes up to you, if someone wearing official city uniform, official city identification, comes up and says, “Move along, disperse, etc,” if you ignore that order, they&#8217;re going to say, “If you ignore it, we&#8217;re gonna have to fine you.” They’re gonna give people every chance to listen, and if anyone doesn&#8217;t listen, then they deserve a fine at this point – and I don&#8217;t want to fine people when so many folks are going through economic distress, but if they haven&#8217;t gotten the message by now and they don&#8217;t get the message when an enforcement officer is staring them in the face, saying, “I don&#8217;t want to fine you, but if you don&#8217;t change what you&#8217;re doing, I&#8217;m gonna have to,” well, you know, that person then deserves the fine.
So, we are going to proceed with that as part of how we intensify our enforcement.</blockquote>
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COVID-19, which originated in China’s Hubei province, has infected over 721,800 people worldwide, and led to more than 33,900 deaths, <a href="https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6">according to data</a> from Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) Global Cases map. 151,204 people have recovered.
In the United States, there have been more than 142,300 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and 2,489 deaths. As of publication, 4,767 individuals have recovered from the virus.
According to the New York State <a href="https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/county-county-breakdown-positive-cases">website</a>, there have been 59,513 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state, and 965 deaths. In New York City alone, there have been over 33,760 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and 776 deaths.
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gov-cuomo-says-tens-of-thousands-of-health-care-workers-have-volunteered-in-new-york-gives-other-updates">Gov. Cuomo Says Tens Of Thousands Of ‘Health Care Workers’ Have Volunteered In New York; Gives Other Updates</a>

Bill de Blasio

De Blasio Authorizes Fines Of $250 To $500 For New Yorkers Who Defy Authorities Telling Them To Properly Distance

A new poll from <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/0/d/1SI661NEVFDByCA6rjt9dOqNHT37N4tbUJeug72qT9Y4/htmlview#">Washington Post-ABC News</a> has been released, and it bodes well for President Donald Trump in these difficult times. According to <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/489841-trump-gets-first-positive-approval-rating-in-post-abc-poll">The Hill</a>, this is the president’s “first positive approval rating” ever in this particular poll from Washington Post-ABC News.
The poll, which was conducted on 1,003 adults between March 22-25, asked respondents: “Do you approve or disapprove of the way Donald Trump is handling his job as president?”
48% of respondents said they approve, while 46% said they didn’t approve. Broken down by enthusiasm levels, 34% “approve strongly,” 15% “approve somewhat,” 35% “disapprove strongly,” and 11% “disapprove somewhat.” 6% have “no opinion.”
The poll asked: “Do you approve or disapprove of the way Trump is handling the coronavirus outbreak?”
51% of respondents approve, while 45% do not approve.
The area in which President Trump performed poorly was in his response time to the COVID-19 pandemic. The poll asked: “In the early days of the outbreak, do you think Trump (was too slow to take action to address the problem), or do you think he (acted with the right amount of speed)?”
58% of respondents said that Trump acted too slowly, while just 38% said that he acted with appropriate speed.
Washington Post-ABC News also asked registered voters several questions, including: “Who do you trust more to handle the economy [Trump or Biden]?”
52% of respondents said they trust Trump more, while 42% said they trust Biden more.
Additionally, the survey asked the registered voters: “Who do you trust more to handle the coronavirus outbreak [Trump or Biden]?”
47% of respondents chose Trump, while 43% chose Biden.
While it should be noted that this is a single poll, and therefore a snapshot in time of a certain group of Americans, this could bode well for President Trump. Even in the face of relentlessly negative media coverage regarding his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, Trump is still more trusted on the issue than Democratic rival Joe Biden, and has an overall approval rating that is above water.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about this poll is that when registered voters were asked who they would vote for if the election were held today, Biden still had a two-point edge on Trump (49% to 47%) despite all the other positive numbers for the president.
The enthusiasm toward Trump in the poll also appears to stand in contrast to a recent Fox News survey in which Biden leads Trump by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fox-news-poll-biden-clobbers-trump-by-9-percent">nine percentage points</a>.
According to the <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2020/president/us/general_election_trump_vs_biden-6247.html">RealClearPolitics</a> general election average of polls, the former vice president has a 5.8% lead over President Trump (50.2% to 44.4%). In the last ten polls dating back to late-February, Biden’s lead ranges from just 2% to as much as 11%.
It is as of yet unclear if the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/woman-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault">allegations</a> of sexual assault from Tara Reade against Joe Biden will make a major impact on the former vice president’s run for office.
Following the allegations, the Biden campaign’s Kate Bedingfield offered the following <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-campaign-denies-false-allegations-of-sexual-assault">statement</a> to Fox News: “Women have a right to tell their story, and reporters have an obligation to rigorously vet those claims. We encourage them to do so, because these accusations are false.”
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fox-news-poll-biden-clobbers-trump-by-9-percent">Fox News Poll: Biden Clobbers Trump By 9 Percent</a>

Trump

POLL: Trump Approval Above Water; 51% Also Approve His Handling Of COVID-19

Donald Trump

On Sunday, during New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s daily press briefing regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, the governor said that the Empire State cannot reasonably expect to come out on the other end of this without seeing deaths in the thousands.
According to data from Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) Global Cases map, in New York City alone, which has become a national hotspot for the virus, there have been more than 32,300 confirmed cases, and 678 deaths as of publication.
Prior to speaking about projections related to the death toll, Cuomo noted the astonishing number of health care workers who have volunteered in the state:
<blockquote>In terms of finding staff, that’s going very well. The volunteerism of New Yorkers, God bless them. We&#8217;re up to 76,000 health care workers who have volunteered. 76,000 people who volunteered to go into these hospitals at this time. Just think about that.</blockquote>
The governor continued, speaking about how it’s important to observe the trend-lines in case numbers, hospitalizations, intubations, deaths, and recoveries.
“If you look early on, the hospitalization rate was doubling every two days; then it doubled every three days; then it doubled every four days; now it&#8217;s doubling every six days,” Cuomo stated. “So, you have almost a dichotomy. The doubling rate is slowing, and that is good news, but the number of cases are still going up &#8230; towards an apex, but the rate of the doubling is slowing, which is good news.”
According to slides shown during the briefing, the number of hospitalizations in New York has risen, from 91 in mid-March to 1,175 on Saturday. The numbers can bob up and down (there were 847 hospitalizations on Friday), but the overall trend is upward.
Another slide showing ICU admissions was a little more bumpy. Nevertheless, it showed that aside from a surge on Thursday of 374 ICU admissions, the trend has been slowly ticking up. There were 282 admissions on Saturday, as opposed to 46 on March 17.
The next slide showed that daily intubations were rising as well, but saw a drop-off on Friday and Saturday.
Another important trend-line is those who have been discharged from the hospital. According to the data shown on Cuomo’s slide, there has been a steep upward trajectory in discharged COVID-19 patients, from a low of 78 on March 19 to Saturday’s high of 846.
During a question and answer session following the main remarks, a reporter asked the governor about how social distancing guidelines will impact Easter and Passover, and what advise he would give to religious people during this time.
Cuomo replied:
<blockquote>It&#8217;s hard. But on the flip-side, I say, look at what happened in New Rochelle. Those gatherings [that] brought people together were religious gatherings, and brought hundreds of people together, which was beautiful – but it made many, many people ill. And density is the enemy here for this particular time. So, you worship the way you can, but the gatherings are just not a good idea.</blockquote>
One reporter asked about projections related to when New York will hit the apex, to which New York’s Commissioner of Health Dr. Howard Zucker said: “There [are] many different projections that we’re working at, and it does see that &#8230; already we&#8217;re at 965. So, we do see in the thousands, but again, these are models and we have to plan for what the model may show, but hopefully it will be less.”
When pressed again, Cuomo added his opinion, making sure to stress that it was not data, but opinion:
<blockquote>I don&#8217;t see how you look at those numbers and conclude anything less than thousands of people will pass away because remember who it&#8217;s attacking. It’s attacking the vulnerable, underlying illness, etc, and I don&#8217;t see how you get past that curve without seeing thousands of people pass away. I hope it&#8217;s wrong&#8230;</blockquote>
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COVID-19, which originated in China’s Hubei province, has infected nearly 713,000 people worldwide, and led to more than 33,590 deaths, <a href="https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6">according to data</a> from Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) Global Cases map. 148,995 people have recovered.
According the the New York State <a href="https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/county-county-breakdown-positive-cases">website</a>, there have been 59,513 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state, and 965 deaths.
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dr-birx-says-full-mitigation-is-vital-because-no-metro-area-will-be-spared-of-covid-19">Dr. Birx Says ‘Full Mitigation’ Is Vital Because ‘No Metro Area Will Be Spared’ Of COVID-19</a>

Doctors

Gov. Cuomo Says Tens Of Thousands Of ‘Health Care Workers’ Have Volunteered In New York; Gives Other Updates

On Sunday, Trump administration Coronavirus Response Coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx appeared on NBC’s “Meet the Press” with host Chuck Todd to provide updates on the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Todd began by asking Birx about the near future, given that deaths related to COVID-19 have been increasing rapidly: “It took from February 29th to March 17th to get to 100 deaths. It took another nine days to get to 1,000 deaths. Sadly, it took 72 hours to get to 2,000 deaths &#8230; where are we today and where is this headed in the next few weeks?”
Birx replied:
<blockquote>Well, this is the way pandemics work, and that&#8217;s why we all are deeply concerned and why we&#8217;ve been raising the alert in all metro areas and in all states. No state, no metro area will be spared – and the sooner we react, and the sooner the states and the metro areas react and ensure that they&#8217;ve put in full mitigation, at the same time understanding exactly what their hospitals need, then we&#8217;ll be able to move forward together and protect the most Americans.</blockquote>
Birx then spoke about a website from University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation that charts what could happen as COVID-19 burns through the United States, and Todd asked what the model is telling Birx.
Birx said that there are two things that need to be looked at – one being “full capacity for diagnosis,” and the other being “surveillance.”
“So we&#8217;re looking across the United States for counties that do have lower case numbers right now to see what we can do &#8230; in order to really put into place full surveillance, full contact tracing, and full diagnostic capacity to ensure that cases are found and we contact trace while the metros and other areas go through clearly important mitigation efforts to spare as many American lives as possible,” Birx stated.
Todd continued, asking Dr. Birx about what the team is learning from New York, which has become the epicenter in the United States for the illness.
Birx replied that the state is being studied closely, specifically as it relates to “hospital needs,” as well as “better testing, how to keep less sick people away from the hospital and being tested elsewhere,” and “looking at how to keep those hospitals stocked.”
Todd pressed Birx about the role the federal government is playing in supplying states with the materials they need, and the doctor responded, saying that “every single governor and every single mayor” is being asked “to prepare like New York is preparing now,” so they develop the flexibility to move necessary equipment “around the state based on need.”
“We know this epidemic moves in waves. Each city will have its own epidemic curve, and so we can move between states, we can move within states to meet the needs of everyone,” Birx added.
Todd asked if “the federal government” should be taking over “the procurement and the distribution of things going forward,” further wondering “who should be trying to acquire new equipment: states or the federal government?”
Birx replied:
<blockquote>Well, I think the federal government right now is working very hard on looking at where all the ventilators are and where production can be – but we need states at the same time to look where all of their ventilators are, including outpatient surgical centers, which is a really important place to be looking because you get staff plus ventilator&#8230;</blockquote>
“So both of those pieces need to come together. The government looking to increase procurements, and states looking for every single option that they have,” Birx concluded.
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COVID-19, which originated in China’s Hubei province, has infected nearly 713,000 people worldwide, and led to more than 33,590 deaths, <a href="https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6">according to data</a> from Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) Global Cases map. 148,995 people have recovered.
In New York City, which is a national hotspot for the virus, there have been more than 32,300 confirmed cases, and 678 deaths as of publication.
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/illinois-gov-delivers-brutal-rebuke-to-covid-19-rule-breakers-spitting-in-the-face-of-doctors-nurses-first-responders">Illinois Gov Delivers BRUTAL Rebuke To COVID-19 Rule-Breakers: ‘Spitting In The Face’ Of Doctors, Nurses, First Responders</a>

Dr. Deborah Birx

Dr. Birx Says ‘Full Mitigation’ Is Vital Because ‘No Metro Area Will Be Spared’ Of COVID-19

During a Thursday press briefing pertaining to COVID-19, Illinois’ Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker delivered a stinging rebuke to those in the state who are flouting the social distancing guidelines set out by lawmakers and health services workers.
Pritzker began by imploring citizens to “stay inside” if they can.
<blockquote>Folks, we live in a free country, and we all want to maintain our freedoms even in the context of our stay-at-home order, but I am begging you, please, if you don&#8217;t have to be out, stay inside. If you go outside, please find a place to go that is not crowded. For the sake of everyone&#8217;s health, follow the social distancing guidelines that we talk about here every single day. Stay six feet apart and don&#8217;t gather in groups of ten or more.</blockquote>
Following that general plea, the governor tore into those who are ignoring the guidelines, telling them that they are “spitting in the face” of doctors, nurses, and first responders who are risking their own health and safety to mitigate this crisis.
<blockquote>Right now, hosting a party, crowding down by the lake, playing a pickup basketball game in a public park – if you&#8217;re doing these things, you are spitting in the face of the doctors and nurses and first responders who are risking everything so that you can survive. We are quite literally in the middle of a battle to save your life. Every day.</blockquote>
The governor also spoke about analyzing the data related to COVID-19, and how the administration is trying to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) for workers on the front lines.
Pritzker then offered yet another rebuke, stating that those who contract COVID-19 as a result of interaction with individuals who are disregarding protocols will have to suffer alone with the virus, as hospitals cannot “accommodate visitors.”
<blockquote>To be very clear, this virus does not care that you’re bored and that you want to hang out with your friends. It doesn&#8217;t care that you don&#8217;t believe that it&#8217;s dangerous. The virus [couldn&#8217;t] care less if you think that I&#8217;m overreacting. It has infected infants; it has killed people in their 20s and 30s and 40s; it has forced doctors around the world to make terrible decisions about who will live and who will die.
If you get a loved one sick because you didn&#8217;t stay inside, they will have to travel alone to the hospital without you by their side to comfort them and look after them because hospitals and health care centers can&#8217;t afford to accommodate visitors right now.</blockquote>
“I don&#8217;t tell you all this just to scare you, I tell you this to save your life,” Pritzker said. “We all have to own our actions right now. All of us. Ultimately, you’ll be judged by what you do in this moment.”
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COVID-19, which originated in China’s Hubei province, has infected nearly 662,000 people worldwide, and led to more than 30,700 deaths, <a href="https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6">according to data</a> from Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) Global Cases map. 139,426 people have recovered.
In the state of Illinois, there have been 3,491 confirmed cases in COVID-19, and 47 deaths, according to the <a href="https://www.dph.illinois.gov/covid19">Illinois Department of Public Health</a>. In the United States, over 122,600 people have been struck with the virus, and 2,147 have died.

J.B. Pritzker

Illinois Gov Delivers BRUTAL Rebuke To COVID-19 Rule-Breakers: ‘Spitting In The Face’ Of Doctors, Nurses, First Responders

Illinois

During a Friday press conference, Rhode Island’s Democratic Governor Gina Raimondo declared that the National Guard would be aiding the administration in enforcing a self-quarantine for individuals traveling to the state from New York.
The governor stated:
<blockquote>With respect to domestic and international air travel, until April 25, anyone returning to Rhode Island from a domestic or international flight must self-quarantine for 14 days. Special note to New York. Yesterday, I announced &#8230; anyone returning to Rhode Island after traveling from New York to Rhode island by any mode of transportation, that includes plane, train, automobile, bus – however you get here – must be in quarantine for 14 days.
That is a law; it comes with penalties; it is not a suggestion. I also would like to remind people that we have members of the National Guard stationed every day all day at T.F. Green [airport], at Amtrak train stations, at bus stops, collecting information from you when you get off so we can put you in our contact tracing system, and you are hereby ordered into quarantine for 14 days.</blockquote>
Raimondo later elaborated on how the New York traveler quarantine will work, and how the National Guard will be helping to effectuate it. The governor first stated that individuals from New York “present a different kind of danger” than individuals from other locations due to the fact that nearly <a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html">45% of confirmed COVID-19 cases</a> in the United States are from New York.
Governor Raimondo then reiterated that anyone coming from New York will be mandated to self-quarantine, and that the measure will be “enforceable by law.”
<blockquote>Starting today at noon, state police are monitoring our highways, they’re at the base of the Newport Bridge, they are on the side roads in Westerly, and they will be pulling you over if they see that you have New York plates, and asking you for your contact information, and ordering you into quarantine if you plan to stay in Rhode Island.</blockquote>
The governor further stated that the rule applies if one is staying in a “hotel,” or a “rental property,” or “your own summer home.”
“Starting tomorrow, the National Guard will be working with local law enforcement going door-to-door in our coastal communities, asking people if they’ve come from New York, and asking for their contact information,” the governor said.
According to <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-27/rhode-island-police-to-hunt-down-new-yorkers-seeking-refuge">Bloomberg</a>, “a fine of $500 and 90 days in prison” would be “the maximum penalty for not complying” with the order.
Raimondo added that while the order is “extreme” and certain people will disagree with the decision, after consultation with attorneys, law enforcement, and the community, she believes it is a necessary move.
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Steven Brown, ACLU of Rhode Island executive director, has called the governor’s order a poor move as it pertains to Fourth Amendment rights.
In a statement, Brown <a href="http://www.riaclu.org/news/post/aclu-statement-on-governors-plans-to-give-state-police-power-to-stop-cars-w">said in part</a>: “The Governor has taken many steps to address this crisis that carefully balance public health needs and the civil rights of citizens. This one does not. We urge her not to follow through with such an ill-advised and unconstitutional plan.”
According to an <a href="http://www.governor.ri.gov/documents/orders/Executive-Order-20-12.pdf">executive order</a> signed by Governor Raimondo on Thursday:
<blockquote>Whereas, one such hotspot is the State of New York which has more than &#8230; confirmed cases of COVID-19, close to half of all the reported cases in the United States; and whereas, many residents of New York State also have second homes in Rhode Island where they may be heading for refuge &#8230;
[The Governor does] hereby order and direct the following:
1. Any person coming to Rhode Island from New York State must immediately self-quarantine for 14 days. This quarantine restriction shall not apply to public health, public safety, or health care workers.
2. Any person who has come to Rhode Island from New York State within the last 14 days must immediately self-quarantine for the remainder of the 14 day period since arrival in Rhode Island.</blockquote>
The governor had previously issued an <a href="http://www.governor.ri.gov/documents/orders/Executive-Order-20-10.pdf">executive order</a> on March 23 mandating that individuals who entered the state via “domestic airplane travel” must self-quarantine for a period of 14 days.
COVID-19, which originated in China’s Hubei province, has infected nearly 657,000 people worldwide, and led to more than 30,400 deaths, <a href="https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6">according to data</a> from Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) Global Cases map. 139,263 people have recovered.
In New York City, which is a national hotspot for the virus, there have been more than 29,100 confirmed cases, and 517 deaths as of publication.

Coronavirus testing lab

Rhode Island Gov Uses National Guard To Enforce Mandated Self-Quarantine For New Yorkers Entering State: ‘It Comes With Penalties’

Rhode Island

Hey all you cool cats and kittens, are you ready to dive into one of the strangest true crime docuseries ever produced?
Big cats, wild outfits, gunfire, greed, and murder-for-hire. Yeah. You might think you’ve seen it all, but I can near-guarantee you haven’t experienced anything like Netflix’s “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness.”
Meet Joe Exotic, the gun-toting gay polygamist owner of Oklahoma’s G.W. Zoo, around which the series revolves. Exotic, a troubling mix of chaos and charm, wrangles tigers while talking to the camera as if his life is anything but unusual.
Sure, the tigers, lions, and bears (oh my) at the G.W. Zoo are fascinating, but the real attraction isn’t the animals, it’s the madcap antics and intense personality of showman/owner Joe Exotic, who drives the documentary’s narrative forward like a freight train, even when the series seems like it might be carrying too much cargo for just one story.
From the very beginning, Exotic’s boiling feud with Big Cat Rescue owner Carole Baskin drives the primary plot of “Tiger King.” Did Exotic hire a hitman to take out Baskin? Does Baskin have any skeletons hidden away in her own closet? Does either really care about the welfare of the animals they claim to fight for?
Any and all detours, engrossing and disturbing as they may be, inevitably lead right back to the nexus of the narrative, and that’s Exotic versus Baskin.
Though consistently captivating in a watching-a-car-wreck sort of way, some might have a difficult time downloading the enormity of “Tiger King.” It’s main plot becomes obscured, even lost, somewhere within the middle portion of the docuseries, potentially leading viewers to wonder if the producers forgot how they began this sordid tale, and if they can ever manage to find their way back.
That said, the detours and rabbit holes mostly serve a larger narrative purpose, which is to paint a dynamic and sometimes damning portrait of Joe Exotic, Carole Baskin, and the half dozen other supporting characters in this peculiar tragicomedy.
Anchoring the docuseries are Exotic and Baskin, but those interviewed along the way – friends, partners, producers, a zookeeper who lost an arm to one of Exotic’s tigers – offer compelling commentary about the two leading figures in this saga. And the series isn’t just a two-hander, as the narrative is stretched to encompass not only Exotic and Baskin, but several other key players who are only slowly revealed as the series unfurls, and who provide crucial context to the larger story.
It all comes to a head in a way that will likely leave viewers conflicted and asking themselves who to stand behind when all is said and done. Can you even choose a side when there isn’t an archetypal “hero” or “villain” in the story? Perhaps that’s the central question the makers of “Tiger King” are asking, eschewing typical true crime trappings, and asking viewers to simply watch as this utterly bizarre story plays out before them.
Through the twists and turns you never see coming, all the way to the somewhat disconcerting final moments, this true crime docuseries from Netflix will leave many viewers satisfied and genuinely curious as to what will happen after the final credits roll.

Tiger

REVIEW: Netflix Docuseries ‘Tiger King’ Is A Bizarre And Fascinating True Crime Tale

documentary

Netflix

Tiger King

True Crime

On Friday, Fox News released a new <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/453593148/Complete-results-Fox-News-Poll-March-21-24-2020">general election poll</a> that comes as great news for former Vice President Joe Biden.
The poll, which was conducted on 1,011 “registered voters” between March 21 – 24, found that if the November election were held today, former Vice President Joe Biden would beat President Trump by a nine-point margin.
The poll asked: “If the 2020 presidential election were held today, how would you vote if the candidates were [Biden and Trump]?”
49% of respondents said they would vote for Biden, while 40% said they would vote for Trump. This has changed little from previous Fox News polls taken in February, January, and December in which Biden scored 49%, 50%, and 48%, respectively, and Trump scored 41% in all three.
What’s most interesting about this poll is that Biden’s chances of beating President Trump increase when three former female Democratic candidates are suggested as the former vice president’s potential running mates.
Biden famously promised to choose a female as his vice president during the most recent debate between himself and rival Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT).
When Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) is suggested as Biden’s running mate, his support rises to 50%. When Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) is named, his support also rises to 50%. However, with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) on the ticket, support for Biden increases to 52% to Trump and Vice President Mike Pence’s 42%.
This isn’t the only poll showing Biden clobbering Trump in November. According to the <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2020/president/us/general_election_trump_vs_biden-6247.html">RealClearPolitics</a> general election average of polls, the former vice president has a 7.1% lead over President Trump (50.9% to 43.8%). In the last ten polls dating back to mid-February, Biden’s lead ranges from just 3% to as much as 11%.
It should be noted that this poll was finished just before the sexual assault allegations against Joe Biden were revealed.
As The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/woman-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault">previously reported</a>, on Wednesday, journalist and podcaster Katie Harper released a portion of an audio interview with former Biden staffer Tara Reade in which Reade alleges that Biden sexually assaulted her in 1993.
Reade describes being pushed up against a wall in a “side area” after rushing to bring then-Senator Biden a gym bag. “His hands were on me, and underneath my clothes,” the former staffer alleges. “He went down my skirt, but then up inside. He penetrated me with his fingers.”
Reade claims that after it was over, Biden told her that she was “nothing” to him, then attempted to calm her down, saying, “You’re okay. You’re fine.”
Interestingly, as noted by The Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh, the mainstream press appears to have largely ignored the story since it broke. Aside from Fox News and other conservative or conservative-leaning news organizations, the only major outlets that have written about the sexual assault allegations are HuffPo, The Hill, Yahoo, International Business Times, and Vox.
As of publication, a Google search for the story produces zero results from CNN, MSNBC, Associated Press, Reuters, NBC, CBS, ABC, or any other major news organization aside from those listed above.
While Joe Biden himself hasn’t yet commented on the allegations, the Biden campaign’s Kate Bedingfield offered the following <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-campaign-denies-false-allegations-of-sexual-assault">statement</a> to Fox News: “Women have a right to tell their story, and reporters have an obligation to rigorously vet those claims. We encourage them to do so, because these accusations are false.”
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/woman-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault">Woman Accuses Joe Biden Of Sexual Assault</a>

Fox News Poll: Biden Clobbers Trump By 9 Percent

Poll

Sexual Assault

On Wednesday, MarketWatch <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/texas-roadhouse-ceo-to-forgo-base-salary-through-jan-7-2021-company-suspends-dividend-2020-03-25">reported</a> that W. Kent Taylor, the CEO of steak restaurant chain Texas Roadhouse, had decided to “forgo his base salary and bonus from the pay period starting March 18 through Jan. 7, 2021,” and redirect that money “to pay front-line workers.”
The move comes as businesses across the country are struggling to stay afloat while the COVID-19 pandemic burns through the nation. The virus has led many states and localities to close all non-essential businesses, and ask that residents stay at home in a bid to slow down the spread and “flatten the curve.”
While many restaurants have been allowed to continue takeout and delivery services, table service has been shut down in many states, severely limiting revenue.
The Daily Wire reached out to Texas Roadhouse corporate for comment, and received the following reply from Vice President of Communications Travis Doster:
<blockquote>Kent Taylor has always said that Texas Roadhouse is a people-company that just happens to serve great steaks. The donation of his salary and bonus to help front-line employees is the embodiment of that saying. We are proud to have such a selfless leader who considers “Roadies” to be family.</blockquote>
In a message on the official Texas Roadhouse homepage, Taylor <a href="https://www.texasroadhouse.com/covid-19">writes</a>:
<blockquote>While we realize that many people are struggling right now, I want to take a moment to let you know what Texas Roadhouse is doing to help. We are open for business and still serving America even though many of our dining rooms are temporarily closed&#8230;
In the areas where our dining rooms are closed, we are ramping up our To-Go and Curbside services and we are also turning some of our parking lots into temporary drive-thrus to serve our regular menu. We are rolling out Family Value Packs as well, so stay tuned to your local Texas Roadhouse for more information.
The bottom line is these are challenging times, and we are all in this together. We will continue to do our best to adapt to your needs and help support every community we serve in a safe way. Thank you again for your loyalty to Texas Roadhouse.</blockquote>
COVID-19, which originated in China’s Hubei province, has infected nearly 530,000 people worldwide, and led to more than 23,900 deaths, <a href="https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6">according to data</a> from Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) Global Cases map. 122,150 people have recovered.
In the state of Indiana, where the steakhouse chain was founded, there have been 645 confirmed cases of COVID-19, leading to 17 deaths, according to the <a href="https://coronavirus.in.gov/2393.htm">Indiana State Department of Health</a>.
On Monday, Indiana Governor Eric J. Holcomb issued a “Stay at Home” order for the state.
The <a href="https://www.in.gov/gov/files/Executive_Order_20-08_Stay_at_Home.pdf">text of the order</a> reads in part:
<blockquote>With exceptions as outlined below, all individuals currently living in the state of Indiana are ordered to stay at home or their place of residence, except as allowed in this Executive Order.</blockquote>
Under the &#8220;Essential Businesses and Operations&#8221; category, section (n), titled, &#8220;Restaurants for Consumption Off-Premises&#8221; the order notes an exemption for certain cases: “Restaurants, bars, taverns, and other facilities that prepare and serve food, but only for consumption off-premises, through such means as in-house delivery, third-party delivery, drive-through, curbside pick-up, and carry out. The in-person dining prohibition shall be enforced under and pursuant to the process described in Executive Order 20~10.”

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Frank Camp

Articles by Frank Camp