At an elementary school in Portland, Oregon, kindergartners were videotaped eating lunch outside and sitting on buckets socially distanced in 40-degree weather.
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CHILD ABUSE: Kindergartners are forced to eat lunch outside in 40 degree weather at Capitol Hill Elementary School in Portland, Oregon.
They sit on buckets to social distance from their classmates. <a href="https://t.co/KqFcliTFYf">pic.twitter.com/KqFcliTFYf</a>
&mdash; Katie Daviscourt🇺🇸 (@KatieDaviscourt) <a href="https://twitter.com/KatieDaviscourt/status/1468719471418216450?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The children were attending Capitol Hill Elementary School in Portland. One fed-up parent told The Post Millennial that forcing the children to eat their lunch outside was the “last straw” vis-à-vis Portland Public Schools, saying:
<blockquote>As a parent of a student at Capitol Hill Elementary, this policy is abhorrent. I am beyond furious, especially knowing children are low-risk. Governor Brown maskless in DC this weekend was the last straw. We&#8217;ve been patient with all of the policies here in Portland in hopes of not being ostracized within the community, but this is the last straw. I will be picking my child up to have lunch at home.</blockquote>
“The Post Millennial reached out to Portland Public Schools for comment but have not yet heard back,” <a href="https://thepostmillennial.com/kindergartners-forced-to-eat-lunch-outside-in-the-cold">The Post Millennial</a> reported.
Oregon Democrat Governor Kate Brown was attending the LGBTQ Victory Fund&#8217;s 30th Anniversary Gala in Washington D.C. to be inducted into its Hall of Fame on Saturday and was <a href="https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/politics/2021/12/06/oregon-governor-kate-brown-responds-photo-her-maskless-d-c-event-covid-19-state-requirement/6405935001/">photographed</a> at an indoor gala without a mask. Washington D.C. does not have an indoor mask mandate; Oregon is one of a few states that still has an indoor mask mandate.
Last week, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) gathered a Rules Advisory Committee (RAC) to consider a “permanent” indoor mask mandate in the state. Dr. Paul Cieslak, the medical director for communicable diseases and immunizations with OHA, told <a href="https://katu.com/news/coronavirus/oregon-working-to-put-indoor-mask-rule-in-place-indefinitely">KATU</a>, “Permanent means indefinite. It doesn’t necessarily mean permanent. We can repeal it as well, but we are only allowed to have a temporary rule for 180 days, and anything that goes beyond 180 days, we cannot extend it.”
Brown reinstated an outdoor mask mandate in the state in August. The State of Oregon <a href="https://www.oregon.gov/newsroom/pages/NewsDetail.aspx?newsid=64307">website</a> noted on August 24:
<blockquote>Governor Kate Brown today announced new statewide outdoor mask requirements to help stop the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant. Effective Friday, August 27, masks will be required in most public outdoor settings, including large outdoor events, where physical distancing is not possible, and regardless of vaccination status. The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) also strongly recommends masking for outdoor gatherings at private residences when individuals from different households do not consistently maintain physical distance.</blockquote>
The website <a href="https://covidblog.oregon.gov/oha-and-ode-leaders-discuss-lifting-outdoor-mask-mandate-and-launching-test-to-school-program/">noted in November</a> that OHA had repealed the outdoor mask mandate but left it in place indoors, writing:
<blockquote>OHA has lifted the requirement to wear masks in crowded outdoor settings, such as football games, concerts, or holiday festivals. People in Oregon are still required to wear masks in indoor public settings to protect against the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19.
OHA still strongly recommends outdoor mask wearing for these groups to protect against disease transmission: people who are unvaccinated, the elderly, immunocompromised people, people at higher risk of contracting the disease, and people who live with someone in one of these categories.</blockquote>

Child lunchbox

‘I Am Beyond Furious’: Oregon Kindergarteners Reportedly Forced To Eat Lunch Outside In 40-Degree Weather

Children

Oregon

Social Distancing

Former Food and Drug Administration commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb said Sunday the science that was used to establish the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention&#8217;s highly influential six-foot social distancing decree isn&#8217;t fully known.
<div class="paywall">
&#8220;More distance is always better when it comes to contagion,&#8221; Gottlieb <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/wheres-the-science-behind-cdcs-6-foot-social-distance-decree-11616358952">wrote</a> at The Wall Street Journal. &#8220;But the 6-foot directive might have been the single costliest measure CDC has recommended, which have been largely followed over the past year.&#8221;
&#8220;So what science went into making—and, more important, sustaining—the recommendation?&#8221; he posed. &#8220;Nobody knows for sure.&#8221;
Gottlieb wrote that the six-foot distance rule to ostensibly slow the spread of COVID was largely established based on information we know about the flu, not COVID, in addition to some old studies that were &#8220;hardly conclusive.&#8221;
<blockquote>Most agree the guideline derives from a belief that Covid is largely spread through respiratory droplets, like flu. Old studies suggest that larger respiratory droplets are unlikely to travel more than 6 feet, and therefore close contact with an infected person is the primary mode of exposure. This research was hardly conclusive, but by most accounts it formed the basis for the initial Covid recommendations. More-recent research shows that the novel coronavirus can also spread through airborne particles, known as aerosols, especially indoors.</blockquote>
Gottlieb, writing for The Wall Street Journal, seemingly excused the bad CDC recommendations as a product of poor initial information, but hammered the agency for not sufficiently re-evaluating its guidance, which is likely tied to the CDC&#8217;s relative lack of transparency.
&#8220;Most planning for a pandemic prepared for a bad flu outbreak. Given how little was known about Covid, it was reasonable to base early assumptions on the flu blueprint,&#8221; Gottlieb wrote. &#8220;But this doctrine wasn’t revisited as more data became available about the novel coronavirus.&#8221;
</div>
&#8220;Experts were trying to protect Americans, and we can’t blame them for being wrong in the absence of good information,&#8221; the former FDA head said. &#8220;The question is whether there is an effective process for establishing these measures and re-evaluating them as new information emerges. Science isn’t a set of unchanging truths handed down by a government agency.&#8221;
A recent <a href="https://academic.oup.com/cid/advance-article/doi/10.1093/cid/ciab230/6167856">retrospective study</a> cited by the CDC shows similar virus transmission rates for school settings that have six-foot distancing versus three-foot distancing when people wear masks, and so long as community transmission is low and the school is taking sufficient safety measures. Updated CDC <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/operation-strategy.html">guidance</a> says that elementary schools, as well as some middle and high schools, can operate with a minimum of three-foot spacing in the classroom, a change in recommendations that Gottlieb noted in his op-ed.
&#8220;The agency’s guidance, even though it is nonbinding, has more impact than many regulations, but much less transparency and public scrutiny,&#8221; wrote Gottlieb of the CDC&#8217;s guidance. &#8220;There are no open dockets or opportunities for expert input, such as public advisory meetings.
<div class="paywall">
COVID, instead, was both underestimated and overestimated by U.S. public health officials &#8220;in important ways,&#8221; shaping our response and the subsequent fallout, wrote Gottlieb.
The World Health Organization, Gottlieb said, &#8220;has allowed 1 meter of distance (around 39 inches) both in and out of school,&#8221; and &#8220;China, France, Denmark and Hong Kong, among others, went with this spacing.&#8221; The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/16/health/coronavirus-schools-social-distance.html">reported</a> that the &#8220;American Academy of Pediatrics recommends three to six feet of social distancing in schools, but the World Health Organization recommends just one meter, or 3.3 feet.&#8221;
In the U.S., the CDC&#8217;s dubious six-foot recommendation set the tone for guidance in the private and public sector, crushing the economy and sparking other health issues.
</div>

Nomination Hearing Held For Scott Gottlieb To Head The FDA Department

Former FDA Chief: Science Behind CDC’s Costly 6-Foot Social-Distance Rule Not Fully Known

COVID

Scott Gottlieb

The <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/operation-strategy.html">CDC</a> announced new guidelines on Friday, stating that 3 feet of distance is acceptable within schools after nearly a year of Americans abiding by the 6-feet social distancing rule.
A recent <a href="https://academic.oup.com/cid/advance-article/doi/10.1093/cid/ciab230/6167856">Clinical Infectious Disease study</a> in Massachusetts schools showed that there was no major difference between rates of COVID-19 among students who were 3 feet apart from one another or 6 feet apart from one another. The study found, &#8220;Student case rates were similar in the 242 districts with ≥3 feet versus ≥6 feet of physical distancing between students &#8230; Cases among school staff in districts with ≥3 feet versus ≥6 feet of physical distancing were also similar&#8230;&#8221;
The new updates to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/operation-strategy.html">CDC guidelines</a> include:
<blockquote>
<ul>
<li>Revised physical distancing recommendations to reflect at least 3 feet between students in classrooms and provide clearer guidance when a greater distance (such as 6 feet) is recommended.</li>
<li>Clarified that ventilation is a component of strategies to clean and maintain healthy facilities.</li>
<li>Removed recommendation for physical barriers.</li>
<li>Clarified the role of community transmission levels in decision-making.</li>
<li>Added guidance on interventions when clusters occur.</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
The key points of the new rules dictate that there is proof that many K-12 schools that have adhered to and carried out &#8220;prevention strategies&#8221; have been able to welcome students back in the classroom and stay open instead of shutting down again due to outbreaks or widespread transmission of COVID-19. It added that schools should also carry out &#8220;layer prevention strategies and should prioritize universal and correct use of masks and physical distancing.&#8221; It also stated that testing and providing vaccinations to workers and teachers can aid in additional protection.
Some states have been continuing to teach students in the classroom for many months. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/florida-reopened-their-schools-and-no-superspreaders-were-triggered-report-says">The Daily Wire reports</a> that Florida was able to reopen its schools last August with no super-spreading outbreaks:
<blockquote>Robert Runcie, the superintendent of Broward County Public Schools, the nation’s sixth-largest school district, echoed, “If we’ve been able to successfully open without any major outbreaks in our schools,” in a county with high infection rates, “I believe that it can be done nationwide.”
Last week, Runcie stated of the fact that health and safety protocols reputedly worked to stop schools from becoming COVID-spreader environments, “Given that reality, I would’ve opened schools earlier for face-to-face instruction but that’s Monday morning quarterbacking in hindsight. Because we know how important face-to-face instruction is for so many of our students, we know many students are not making adequate academic progress,” as NBC Miami reported.</blockquote>
During a White House briefing on Friday, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, said that schools still need to implement other protective measures.
&#8220;These include universal and correct use of masks, physical distancing, hand washing and respiratory etiquette, cleaning to maintain healthy facilities and diagnostic testing with rapid and efficient contact tracing in combination with isolation in quarantine and in collaboration with local health departments,&#8221; Walensky <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/19/health/cdc-physical-distancing/index.html">noted</a>.
Teachers unions are reportedly not happy about the CDC&#8217;s decision. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/cdc-changes-school-guidelines-allow-desks-closer-72584a00c039546f02eceb3715063e35">The Associated Press</a> reports that Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, said the union is looking at the most recent research, “but we are concerned this change has been driven by a lack of physical space rather than the hard science on aerosol exposure and transmission.”
Earlier this week, Weingarten told <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/schools-reopening-distance-cdc/2021/03/17/6d252502-8740-11eb-bfdf-4d36dab83a6d_story.html">The Washington Post</a>, “They are compromising the one enduring public health missive that we’ve gotten from the beginning of this pandemic in order to squeeze more kids into schools &#8230; I think that is problematic until we have real evidence in these harder-to-open places about what the effect is.”
Many hope that this will allow additional schools to reopen and welcome back more students who need to return to the classroom.

1FAC3C8B-D039-4058-A14B-4E9549B629BE_1_201_a

CDC Changes Guidelines For Schools, Says 3 Feet Distance Is Acceptable

Randi Weingarten

Schools

Teachers Unions

Dr. Anthony Fauci suggested last week that even if a COVID-19 vaccine is developed, mask-wearing and social distancing protocols will likely continue into 2022.
Speaking about the future of COVID-19 to Philadelphia&#8217;s Thomas Jefferson University&#8217;s faculty, staff, and students via Zoom, Fauci said herd immunity would still take time to achieve even with a vaccine, according to <a href="https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20201022/fauci-masks-social-distancing-likely-until-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Philadelphia Inquirer</a>.
&#8220;It’s not going to be the way it was with polio and measles, where you get a vaccine, case closed, it’s done,&#8221; Fauci said. &#8220;It’s going to be public-health measures that linger for months and months.&#8221;
“You’re not going to have a profound degree of herd immunity for a considerable period of time, maybe toward the end of 2021, into 2022,” Fauci continued. “I feel very strongly that we’re going to need to have some degree of public-health measures to continue. Maybe not as stringent as they are right now.”
Fauci drew a distinction between lockdown measures, which he has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fauci-i-dont-think-we-need-to-go-to-lockdown-again" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said</a> he does not believe will have to be implemented again, and preventative measures such as masks and social distancing.
&#8220;You can do this without shutting down the country. There’s a misunderstanding,” he said. “You can cautiously and prudently continue to try to open up the country and open the economy.”
Citing the weight his words have taken since the outbreak of the pandemic, Fauci was unwilling to answer a question from John Zurlo, Jefferson’s chief of infectious diseases, who asked him to offer his opinion regarding which potential vaccine seemed most promising.
&#8220;John, I sneeze and the stock market moves,” Fauci said. “I’m not going to tell you anything. I don’t even know. It would be foolish to predict what is going to be better. The proof is in the pudding.”
President Donald Trump has publicly criticized Fauci in recent weeks. As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tonys-pitching-arm-is-far-more-accurate-trump-hits-fauci-over-prognostications" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Daily Wire reported</a>:
<blockquote>President Donald Trump continued to hammer Dr. Anthony Fauci on Tuesday, saying his “pitching arm is far more accurate than his prognostications.”
For background, Fauci, an immunologist and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases who served on the White House Coronavirus Task Force, threw out <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-dr-fauci-throws-disastrous-first-pitch-at-mlb-game-players-kneel-for-black-lives-matter" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">an errant first pitch</a> at a Washington Nationals game this summer.
“Actually, Tony’s pitching arm is far more accurate than his prognostications. ‘No problem, no masks.’ WHO no longer likes Lockdowns – just came out against. Trump was right. We saved 2,000,000 USA lives!!!” Trump wrote on Twitter.
Trump was hitting Fauci for his past comments on masks. In early March,  Fauci <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/preventing-coronavirus-facemask-60-minutes-2020-03-08/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab5j&amp;linkId=84037176&amp;fbclid=IwAR26II4hGyapIWunq9jDEinZsv7vpqxFbxBg6qlDp4AzB5iq4g9U5-Di6J0">told</a> “60 Minutes” that face masks were not necessary for the general population amid the COVID-19 outbreak, noting that while masks might make people “feel a little bit better,” they don’t provide the protection folks believe they do and might create “unintended consequences.”
“There’s no reason to be walking around with a mask,” the infectious disease expert said then. “Wearing a mask might make people feel a little bit better and it might even block a droplet, but it’s not providing the perfect protection that people think that it is. And often, there are unintended consequences; people keep fiddling with the mask and they keep touching their face.”</blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-tucker-carlson-rips-fauci-as-a-fraud" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">WATCH: Tucker Carlson Rips Fauci As ‘A Fraud’</a>

Senate Help Committee Holds Hearing On Safely Going Back To Work And School During Pandemic

Fauci Floats Masks And Social Distancing Into 2022, Even With Vaccine

Anthony Fauci

On Wednesday, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, the bane of those who embrace draconian social distancing measures, issued a tweet showing herself shooting, along with a succinct comment: “This is how we do social distancing in South Dakota.”
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This is how we do social distancing in South Dakota. <a href="https://t.co/AjegUsKHhv">pic.twitter.com/AjegUsKHhv</a>
&mdash; Governor Kristi Noem (@govkristinoem) <a href="https://twitter.com/govkristinoem/status/1308867528224059398?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Noem has been an outspoken opponent of lockdown measures for the coronavirus from very early on; in April, her grateful citizens surprised her with something: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/south-dakota-governor-refused-to-implement-stay-sat-home-orders-her-citizens-throw-her-a-parade">a parade</a>.
The parade included numerous vehicles including firetrucks blaring emergency sirens, a pickup hauling a stock trailer, a concrete truck, and even construction equipment, as <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/south-dakotans-throw-a-parade-for-gov-kristi-noem-who-refused-to-shut-down-their-state">The Blaze</a> noted. Noem tweeted, &#8220;I am so blessed to serve the people of the great State of South Dakota. You folks made my day!&#8221;
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I am so blessed to serve the people of the great State of South Dakota. You folks made my day! <a href="https://t.co/oy0e5KO9RZ">pic.twitter.com/oy0e5KO9RZ</a>
&mdash; Governor Kristi Noem (@govkristinoem) <a href="https://twitter.com/govkristinoem/status/1254924023743610880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 28, 2020</a></blockquote>
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In April, Noem appeared on the “<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/shows/ingraham-angle">The Ingraham Angle</a>,” where she stated:
<blockquote>I had a real honest conversation with the people in our state. I told them I took an oath to uphold the Constitution of our state, of South Dakota. I took an oath when I was in Congress obviously to uphold the Constitution of the United States. I believe in our freedoms and liberties. What I’ve seen across the country is so many people give up their liberties for just a little bit of security and they don’t have to do that.</blockquote>
&#8220;If a leader will take too much power in a time of crisis, that is how we lose our country,&#8221; said Noem. &#8220;So, I felt like I’ve had to use every single opportunity to talk about why we slow things down, we make decisions based on science and facts, and make sure that we are not letting emotion grab ahold of the situation.&#8221;
Noem <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/kristi-noem-fires-back-at-seattle-mayor">doesn’t flinch from a fight</a>; at the 2020 Republican National Convention in August, she stated:
<blockquote>It took 244 years to build this great nation, flaws and all, but we stand to lose it in a tiny fraction of that time if we continue down the path taken by the Democrats and their radical supporters. From Seattle and Portland to Washington and New York, Democrat-run cities across this country are being overun by violent mobs. The violence is rampant. There&#8217;s looting, chaos, destruction, and murder. People who can afford to flee have fled, but the people that can&#8217;t—good, hard-working Americans—are left to fend for themselves.</blockquote>
Joining MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow by phone to react to Noem’s speech, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan snapped, &#8220;Her caricature of the great cities across America is not only wrong, it&#8217;s purposefully wrong. Seattle is a city that I raised my two children in and I would not have raised them anywhere else.&#8221;
Noem then fired back in an interview the next morning with Fox News host Brian Kilmeade, who noted that Seattle “already hit their <a style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;" href="https://www.seattle.gov/police/information-and-data/crime-dashboard">murder total</a> of last year” and that dozens of businesses “have <a style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;" href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/seattle-shop-owners-close-defund-police">permanently shut down</a>” in the city.
Noem said, “Seattle has dramatically changed. So maybe the Seattle she raised her children in was different years ago, but today, the families that live there, they’re under attack, and this is one of those things that we need to have an honest conversation about and really recognize that it comes from lack of leadership, very poor leadership that has its priorities screwed up. You look at what’s happening on the streets every single day” in cities, including Seattle, “and normal everyday people don’t want any part of it.”
She continued, “In fact, no mother wants to have her children be raised on the streets of Portland or Seattle right now because of the unrest, because of the violence, and it’s not American. So we truly believe in the rule of law and it being upheld and that’s the difference right now today between the Republican and the Democrat parties.”

Republicans Hold Virtual 2020 National Convention

Kristi Noem Tweets Herself Shooting: ‘This Is How We Do Social Distancing In South Dakota’

Kristi Noem

Shooting

South Dakota

The media continues to show selective outrage over gatherings when it comes to social distancing and face masks.
The latest example comes from ABC News 4, which <a href="https://abcnews4.com/news/local/hundreds-of-usc-students-at-midlands-tlc-sports-bar-with-no-masks">posted</a> video originally tweeted by the University of South Carolina’s student-run television station SGTV News 4 that shows hundreds of young people gathered at a sports bar. The outlet shamed the students who went to the bar for “not practicing any COVID-19 safety guidelines.”
The student-run network said students choose the bar in question because it doesn’t have strict coronavirus guidelines.
&#8220;Happened to come from one of our reporters. She felt very uncomfortable, she and her friend were the only ones wearing masks. They had no idea that there were going to be this many people there. And then when she saw just how many people were there, she thought this is probably going to be newsworthy,&#8221; Ward Jolles, SGTV’s news director, told WACH FOX News.
The article appears on ABC News 4, but appears to be from WACH FOX News.
More from the article:
<blockquote>According to Richland County Sheriff&#8217;s Department, their deputies showed up to shut the bar down but the crowd had already dispersed.
Sheriff Lott was told by citizens who saw the videos online so he sent deputies to the scene around 11:30 p.m., according to deputies.
The crowd had dispersed by the time they arrived.
&#8220;This is not representative of USC. There are a lot of people out there who do like to go out and party and aren&#8217;t taking this seriously, but I think the general consensus from the population is that most people hate to see this,&#8221; said Jolles.</blockquote>
Deputies told the outlet that black patrol cars can be seen in the video around 10 p.m. because they were responding to a call about a burglary. The deputies also said they were consulting with other agencies to see if the club should be held responsible for violating coronavirus guidelines.
USC released a statement in response to the video:
<blockquote>It’s disappointing to see videos like these, and while we don’t know which of the attendees were our students, we can assume many likely were. We continue to strongly urge all of our students to follow public health guidelines to keep our entire community safe: wear face coverings, socially distance and avoid large in-person gatherings like the ones depicted in the video. Many other students are doing the right thing to keep themselves and others safe, and should be commended for it. Finally, while our ability to control off-campus student behavior is limited, we depend on strong partnerships with both the City of Columbia and Richland County to take swift action to prevent dangerous activity.</blockquote>
ABC reposted the article and posted it on social media. A quick search finds no articles from the outlet or ABC News national making similar remarks about those protesting and rioting in response to the May 25 officer-involved death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
On July 1, however, ABC News did publish an Associated Press story claiming there was “little evidence that protests spread coronavirus in US,” despite the fact that the protesters are in close quarters, many not wearing masks, and shouting.

Toasting people

Patrons At A Sports Bar Shamed Over Lack Of Social Distancing By Media Running Cover For Racial Protests

Media Bias

South Carolina

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo warned Monday that he may be forced to declare a second lockdown after New York residents ventured out to bars and restaurants over the weekend in Manhattan and the Hamptons, even though Cuomo&#8217;s government largely ignored a massive protest that took place in Brooklyn.
Cuomo threatened New Yorkers with a second lockdown in a press conference, The <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/15/world/coronavirus-live-updates.html">New York Times reports</a>, after, Cuomo said, the state was &#8220;deluged&#8221; with more than 25,000 complaints of people flouting social distancing regulations and crowding in businesses.
&#8220;Specifically, Mr. Cuomo said that bar patrons in Manhattan and in the Hamptons had been flouting the rules,&#8221; the NYT says. &#8220;He warned that if local officials did not crack down on such behavior, the state could be forced to suspend the reopening plan.&#8221;
“I am warning today, in a nice way, of the consequences of your actions,&#8221; Cuomo said, referring to bars and restaurants. “We are not kidding around with this. You are talking about jeopardizing people’s lives.”
State officials tried to water down Cuomo&#8217;s comments later Monday after New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio pushed back on the possibility of another coronavirus-related lockdown and amid news that New York saw fewer new coronavirus deaths over the weekend than it had since March. Only 23 people succumbed to the novel coronavirus Sunday, down from a peak of nearly 800 the first week of April.
The same officials also said that law enforcement officers were working diligently over the weekend to break up large groups and enforce social distancing, though it&#8217;s not clear how either the state or city set its enforcement priorities. While bar patrons crowded together in the Hamptons, earning Cuomo&#8217;s ire, and Jewish schoolchildren took advantage of summer weather to play in city parks, <a href="https://twitter.com/dcexaminer/status/1270336686883389441">earning the city&#8217;s attention</a>, thousands upon thousands of marchers took the streets in Brooklyn, in a &#8220;Black Trans Lives Matter&#8221; protest that was not forced to meet social distancing or masking guidelines.
&#8220;Thousands of protesters — all dressed in white — gathered in Brooklyn on Sunday afternoon to rally in support of the black transgender population,&#8221; <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/06/14/protesters-dress-in-white-for-black-trans-lives-rally-in-brooklyn/">the New York Post reported</a>. &#8220;An enormous sea of people packed outside the Brooklyn Museum for the massive demonstration, according to footage posted to social media by <a href="https://twitter.com/JibreelJalloh/status/1272264465766068224?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@JibreelJalloh</a>.&#8221;
The footage shows people crowded together in front of the Brooklyn Museum and standing shoulder-to-shoulder on public streets.
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From the steps of the Brooklyn museum: everyone who’s showed up for Black trans lives today <a href="https://t.co/htqjF5tWtn">pic.twitter.com/htqjF5tWtn</a>
&mdash; Shannon Keating (@skeatings) <a href="https://twitter.com/skeatings/status/1272220383765237761?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The protest was, of course, peaceful.
New York has been holding fast to a number of social distancing regulations, even issuing new bans as recently as last week, including a <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/06/12/new-york-bans-summer-sleepaway-camps-to-contain-coronavirus/">ban on summer sleepaway camps</a>, despite the risk of transmitting the coronavirus in an environment of mostly children remains low. New York City remains in &#8220;Phase 1&#8221; of the state&#8217;s reopening plan, but other parts of the state are expected to enter &#8220;Phase 3,&#8221; where groups of up to 50 individuals are allowed to gather, as early as Wednesday.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Andrew Cuomo

Cuomo Warns New Yorkers Of Second Lockdown Over Restaurants, Bars, Ignores Massive Brooklyn Protest

New York

New York City

During a Tuesday segment on MSNBC, reporter Cal Perry and anchor Katy Tur were apparently stunned by folks in Wisconsin allegedly unconcerned about their safety because most were not wearing masks outside.
As Perry attempted to shame one massless Wisconsin man, however, he quickly pointed out that the MSNBC cameraman was also not wearing a mask, humiliating Perry.
&#8220;Are the people there just not worried about it, Cal? Are they just not worried about their own personal safety?&#8221; Tur asked the correspondent, apparently amazed at Wisconsin citizens&#8217; behavior.
&#8220;I haven&#8217;t met anybody who is,&#8221; Perry responded.
&#8220;I met some folks actually from Lake Geneva who lived in the area, they were staying a few miles outside of town &#8230; and they said they&#8217;re worried about it, they&#8217;re worried about that second spike, they&#8217;re worried about folks coming in from Chicago,&#8221; he continued.
&#8220;But they&#8217;ll quickly add, at the same time, this is a place that relies on that business.&#8221;
&#8220;You can see here, just around, nobody is wearing them,&#8221; Perry said, gesturing toward a local man with no mask.
&#8220;Including your cameraman,&#8221; the man shot back.
&#8220;Yeah, there ya go, including the cameraman, yeah,&#8221; a stunned Perry responded, before tossing up his arms and throwing the wrecked segment back to Tur.
All Tur could muster: &#8220;Striking images.&#8221;
The issue of masks, especially outdoors, has folks divided. Initially, visible health experts warned non-medical personnel not to wear masks, stating that they are essentially useless when it comes to protecting yourself from contracting COVID-19.
“Wearing a mask improperly can actually increase your chances of getting a disease. It can also give you a false sense of security,&#8221; <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-surgeon-general-heres-why-cdc-and-who-recommend-healthy-people-do-not-wear-masks">U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams</a> said at the end of March.
&#8220;What the World Health Organization (WHO) and the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) have reaffirmed in the last few days is that they do not recommend the general public wear masks,&#8221; Adams continued.
&#8220;Here’s why: on an individual level, there was a study in 2015 looking at medical students, and medical students wearing surgical masks touched their face on average 23 times,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We know a major way that you can get respiratory diseases like coronavirus is by touching a surface and then touching your face. So wearing a mask improperly can actually increase your chances of getting a disease. It can also give you a false sense of security; if you’ve seen many of these pictures of people out and about closer than six feet to each other but still wearing a mask.&#8221;
Adams also noted that N-95s masks have to get fitted, and did not recommend them for the general public. &#8220;As a medical professional, I can’t just go out and wear an N-95; I have to make sure it’s properly fitted and I have the right size in order for it to work properly,&#8221; he said.
However, leading voices on the White House Coronavirus Task Force are now in support of masks where folks cannot &#8220;social distance.&#8221;
WATCH:
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INSTANT CLASSIC FROM <a href="https://twitter.com/MSNBC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MSNBC</a>:
ANCHOR: &quot;Are the people there just not worried about it? Are they not worried about their personal safety?&quot;
REPORTER: &quot;I haven&#39;t met anybody who is&#8230; you can see here, nobody&#39;s wearing them [masks].&quot;
GUY ON STREET: &quot;Including the Cameraman.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/h9HbbIqNVh">pic.twitter.com/h9HbbIqNVh</a>
&mdash; Eddie Zipperer (@EddieZipperer) <a href="https://twitter.com/EddieZipperer/status/1265374806662397953?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Katy Tur

WATCH: MSNBC Reporter Tries To Shame Man For Not Wearing Mask, It Backfires

Face Masks

MSNBC

Think going to the beach for a little sun, a swim, and a whole lotta&#8217; social distancing is OK?
Not in New York City it&#8217;s not.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Monday said that there will be “no swimming” at any of the city&#8217;s beaches and warned residents that they would “be taken right out of the water” if they decide to take a dip. That includes the three-day Memorial Day break coming up this weekend.
“If you want to walk on the beach, fine,” de Blasio said. “But no swimming, no parties, no barbecues.”
“Anyone tries to get in the water they’ll be taken right out of the water,” he said, adding that there will be “fencing” that would “be in position,” but said it “doesn’t have to be put up unless we have to take tougher measures.”
“The fencing, again, is available, but we don’t want to use it if we don’t have to,” de Blasio said. “The goal is not to have it implemented.”
De Blasio added: “No swimming, no sports &#8230; Use common sense and observe social distancing.”
The mayor said that the New York City Police Department would work to “avoid” crowding on beach boardwalks. “It is not beach season like normal. It is a pandemic.”
The city&#8217;s beaches – Wolfe’s Pond Beach in Staten Island; South Beach in Staten Island; Rockaway Beach in Queens; Orchard Beach in the Bronx; Midland Beach in Staten Island; Manhattan Beach in Brooklyn; Coney Island in Brooklyn; Cedar Grove in Staten Island; Brighton Beach in Brooklyn – will all remain closed through the end of the month.
&#8220;It&#8217;s not safe&#8221; to reopen now, he said. &#8220;It&#8217;s not the right thing to do.&#8221;
De Blasio was enraged over the weekend when city resident flocked out amid the unseasonably warm weather. Photos and videos showed crowded New York City sidewalks and throngs of people gathered outside of bars.
The mayor issued more threats on Sunday for residents of the city, which has seen more than 193,000 positive cases of COVID-19 and more than 15,700 deaths.
&#8220;The police department will be out, the sheriff&#8217;s office will be out watching very carefully on the Upper East Side in particular,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We&#8217;re not going to tolerate people congregating. It&#8217;s as simple as that.&#8221;
&#8220;If we have to shut places down, we will,&#8221; de Blasio threatened.
De Blasio asked New Yorkers to rat out their neighbors if they see establishments violating his shelter-in-place executive order.
&#8220;If we have instances where there is not compliance I want to know about it,&#8221; de Blasio said. &#8220;I want any New Yorker who sees any place allowing dining in to call 311 immediately and they will be visited immediately with inspectors and there will be serious fines. If we have to shut places down we will.&#8221;
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">member</a>.

Daily Life In New York City Amid Coronavirus Outbreak

De Blasio Warns Beach Swimmers Will ‘Be Taken Right Out Of The Water’

Bill de Blasio

A bar in Ocean City, Maryland, is planning to use an innovative contraption to promote social distancing once the establishment fully reopens.
In video posted to Facebook on Saturday, Fish Tales showed off a device they called a “social distancing table” which consists of a massive inner tube atop four metal legs on wheels. Each person would be required to wear the contraption in order to promote social distancing while in the bar, the New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/05/17/maryland-bar-unveils-social-distancing-tubes-for-drinkers/amp/">reported</a>.
“Only at Fish Tales can you find these special tables for social distancing,” said the woman who recorded footage of people using the tables. “They are six feet apart. You can drink safely,” she added.
She also said the tables would become available “whenever we are allowed to serve.” As the Post reported, the bar is currently open for takeout service only, while dine-in services are still prohibited in Maryland.
TMZ <a href="https://amp.tmz.com/2020/05/17/maryland-bar-ocean-city-giant-inflatable-inner-tubes-social-distancing/">spoke</a> to Donna Harman, the owner of Fish Tales, who told the outlet that she has already purchased 10 of the contraptions.
“She says she&#8217;ll probably let people use these in the parking lot &#8212; it&#8217;d be kinda tight inside &#8212; and estimates she can safely fit 40 to 50 of them at a time in that space, so she&#8217;ll probably buy more,” the outlet reported.
“As for how these even came about &#8230; they&#8217;re actually a new invention manufactured by a company called Revolution Event, which is run by Erin Cermak. Cermak says she and her partners whipped these babies up from scratch, adding they&#8217;re all custom-made and in direct response to the pandemic. It&#8217;s a neat idea, and apparently others think so too &#8212; Cermaks tells us she&#8217;s getting calls from tons of businesses, including a pro sports league,” TMZ added.
Fish Tales is hardly the first establishment to come up with a silly way to keep people from getting too close. Last week, CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/15/europe/german-cafe-noodle-distancing-scli-intl-grm/index.html">reported</a> on a café in Germany that has provided patrons with a pool-noodle hat to help maintain social distancing.
“Rather than using floor markings and perspex screens to keep people apart, the owners of the cafe distributed straw hats with two colorful swimming noodles attached to the top,” the outlet reported.
&#8220;This was the perfect method to keep customers apart &#8212; and a fun one,&#8221; café owner Jaqueline Rothe told the outlet, adding that a local TV company came up with the idea and then filmed people wearing the devices.
&#8220;It was a perfect gag and of course it was funny, our customers were really into it. But what it did show to us (was) how difficult it is to keep a distance of 1.5 meters (4.9 feet),&#8221; Rothe said.
The devices may look comical, but if it helps businesses open sooner, they might not be such a bad idea.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Inner tube

Maryland Bar Plans To Reopen With Patrons Donning Giant Inner Tubes For Social Distancing

Maryland

Of all the restaurants in and around Washington, D.C., just one has been awarded three stars by the Michelin guide to fine dining.
That&#8217;s the Inn at Little Washington, which is actually about 90 minutes from the city. The quaint little restaurant and hotel in the Virginia hills boasts a spectacular chef and is decidedly pricey (about $250 per person for a &#8220;tasting menu,&#8221; and staying the night runs about $600 for a room).
Like all restaurants in Virginia, the Inn has been shuttered since Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam closed down all &#8220;nonessential&#8221; businesses. But the owners have a plan for reopening: Mannequins.
Chef Patrick O’Connell reportedly plans to comply with the state’s social distancing rule by seating fully dressed mannequins at various tables, according to a <a href="https://www.washingtonian.com/2020/05/12/inn-at-little-washington-chef-will-fill-his-socially-distanced-dining-room-with-mid-century-mannequins/">Washingtonian</a> magazine story this week.
“I think it would do people a world of good to reduce their anxiety level when they come out to a place which is still unaffected, because if you watch your television, you think that there isn’t such a place under a bubble,” O’Connell told the magazine.
The Washingtonian reported:
<blockquote>Instead of letting tables sit vacant, the whimsical chef plans to outfit his dining rooms with mannequins. That’s right, life-size human dolls — kind of like that scene in Home Alone when Kevin throws a mannequin holiday party to fool the burglars. The chef (who majored in drama in college) has been working with Shirlington’s Signature Theatre to get the faux humans costumed in 1940s-era garb. Servers will be instructed to pour them wine and to ask them about their evening. Here’s hoping the actual diners don’t have any doll phobias.</blockquote>
The idea didn&#8217;t go over all that well with critics on social media.
&#8220;This is both an excellent idea and extremely creepy,&#8221; wrote one person on Twitter.
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This is both an excellent idea and extremely creepy.
&mdash; Jamie Schler (@lifesafeast) <a href="https://twitter.com/lifesafeast/status/1260540767606620160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2020</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Because the pandemic didn’t feel enough like the Twilight Zone,&#8221; wrote another.
Co-host of “The View” Meghan McCain joined the fun.
“Are they going to come alive at night and kill me?” she wrote.
&#8220;At some point, I&#8217;ll accept some risk of contracting the virus to go places I want to. I will NOT go to any place with those things,&#8221; wrote another.
“I hope they’re not pouring them bad wine, or they’ll haunt our dreams,” Townhall editor and a Fox News contributor Guy Benson said a <a href="https://twitter.com/guypbenson/status/1260577140115943424" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">tweet</a>.
Jordan Weissmann, a writer with Slate, <a href="https://twitter.com/JHWeissmann/status/1260544569277665286" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">tweeted</a> that “this is going to feel like a horror movie.” Bloomberg News’ Derek Wallbank <a href="https://twitter.com/dwallbank/status/1260582283830005769" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">wrote</a>: “Does the Michelin guide take away stars for creepy or nah?”
The Inn says it&#8217;s using mannequins to adhere to the rules, which will allow restaurants to open, but only at 50% capacity. One Twitterer said that makes sense.
&#8220;Yes, this will definitely keep at least 50% of people away,&#8221; said writer Gennifer Hutchison.
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Yes, this will definitely keep at least 50% of people away. <a href="https://t.co/dDe3QRF5Tv">https://t.co/dDe3QRF5Tv</a>
&mdash; Gennifer Hutchison (@GennHutchison) <a href="https://twitter.com/GennHutchison/status/1260577703897505793?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">member</a>.

An Indian woman looks at mannequins disp

CREEPY: Virginia Restaurant’s Plan To Use Mannequins To Enforce Social Distancing Gets Roasted On Social Media

Virginia

Two more California counties have decided to re-open with social distancing measures in defiance of the governor’s stay-at-home order, which Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) has said takes precedence over any county directives. 
The neighboring counties of Yuba and Sutter in Northern California appear to have followed in the steps of Modoc County, which <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lone-california-county-to-reopen-with-social-distancing-beginning-the-long-road-to-recovery">announced</a> earlier this week that it would begin to re-open businesses with modifications, such as half-capacity seating for dine-in restaurants. 
“This is a time for personal responsibility in minimizing our movements and physical interactions,” said the Yuba County public health office. “It is up to all of us to show respect for each other’s health and safety by adhering to guidance on facial coverings, social distancing, small group gatherings, and good hand hygiene.”
In a <a href="https://www.yuba.org/NewOrderMediaReleaseFINAL.pdf">statemen</a>t on Friday, Yuba-Sutter County health officer Dr. Phuong Luu said that waiting to re-open would exacerbate economic and health problems, unrelated to coronavirus, in the two communities. 
“We cannot wait for a vaccine without seeing extreme economic damage done to our community,” said Dr. Luu. “The consequences of waiting will be additional health concerns brought on by stress and the very real dilemma for those with limited resources whether to buy life-saving food or life-saving medicines.”
The order, which will take effect on Monday, categorizes businesses based on a risk threshold instead of calling them “essential” or “non-essential.” 
The public health office says these new designations will allow businesses that have both “low-medium risk for contact intensity” and “low-medium risk for number of contacts,” including restaurants, gyms, and barbershops, to open as long as they adopt appropriate public health measures. 
“The new local order places a lot of responsibility on the citizens and business owners of Yuba and Sutter counties to make good decisions,” said Dr. Luu. “Please don’t take the change of rules in the new order as a signal we are out of the woods and to act irresponsibly.”
The two counties have a combined population of about 175,000 people, and as of Friday, they <a href="https://www.yuba.org/coronavirus/">reported</a> a total of 50 coronavirus cases, 36 recoveries, and 3 deaths. 
Politico reports that Gov. Newsom has so far <a href="https://www.politico.com/states/california/story/2020/05/01/2-more-california-counties-set-to-defy-newsom-lockdown-as-pressure-builds-1281747">declined</a> to comment about whether he would enforce the state’s public health measures on counties that adopt looser guidelines. 
In a press conference on Thursday — during which the governor appeared to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mayor-who-blasted-california-beach-ban-responds-after-governor-appears-to-stand-down">stand down </a>from an anticipated declaration that would close every beach and state park in California — Newsom declined to affirmatively answer a question about Modoc County planning to re-open ahead of the statewide timeline. 
“The stay-at-home order overlays all the orders in the state. You can go further, and be more prescriptive and restrictive, but when you loosen up and you loosen beyond the California [orders], then it’s in conflict, and there it becomes a challenge,” said Newsom.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

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