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Two days after Iran declared its first cases of the novel coronavirus - in what would become one of the largest outbreaks of the illness outside of China - evidence of unusual activity appeared at a cemetery near where the infections emerged. At the Behesht-e Masoumeh complex in Qom, about 80 miles south of Tehran, the excavation of a new section of the graveyard began as early as Feb. 21, satellite images show, and then rapidly expanded as the virus spread. By the end of the month, two large trenches - their lengths totaling 100 yards - were visible at...

Duke University has suspended all athletic competition for the foreseeable future, effective immediately, in response to COVID-19. The announcement was made Thursday by President Vincent E. Price, in conjunction with guidance from public health experts and Duke Athletics leadership. The suspension applies to all athletic competitions and practices for the health and safety of all who are essential to these activities. This suspension also applies to any camps and clinics sponsored by Duke's intercollegiate athletic programs. Duke University and Duke Athletics will convey additional information, when available, via its social media channels and GoDuke.com.

President Trump faces the biggest challenge yet to his prospects of being re-elected, with his advisers’ two major assumptions for the campaign — a booming economy and an opponent easily vilified as too far left — quickly evaporating. After a year in which Mr. Trump has told voters that they must support his re-election or risk watching the economy decline, the stock market is reeling and economists are warning that a recession could be on the horizon because of the worsening spread of the coronavirus... “If it was Warren or Bernie and you don’t have coronavirus, I think Trump might...

On March 15, 1995, by Executive Order 12957, the President declared a national emergency with respect to Iran to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States constituted by the actions and policies of the Government of Iran.  On May 6, 1995, the President issued Executive Order 12959, imposing more comprehensive sanctions on Iran to further respond to this threat.  On August 19, 1997, the President issued Executive Order 13059, consolidating and clarifying those previous orders.  The President took additional steps pursuant to this national emergency in Executive Order 13553...

In the judiciary, polite language such as "I disagree" and "my point has been misrepresented" are the common protocol. (WND so I'll post the piece below)

I think I get it. We've all been overthinking it. The Democrats want to create Franklin Delano Roosevelt II. Their savior. The savior of the country after the Great Depression. Gonna jump right to FDR's fourth term with Biden. Pack the courts; interment camps; huge boondoggle infrastructure projects. A 30-40 year legacy eg; 1932 > 1976 And plug in an unlikely substitute; eg; a Truman

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery Thank you so much, Bobby, for that kind introduction.  The leadership of the Department feels so lucky to have you at the helm of the Office of Information Policy.  Not many people could fill the very big (but also very small and very stylish) shoes of the great Melanie Pustay.Welcome to the Department of Justice’s 2020 Sunshine Week Kick-Off Event.  As many of you know, this coming Monday is the birthday of President James Madison.  Madison is widely regarded as the founding father of open government, so it is a fitting tribute that we celebrate...

1  He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 1  He who is dwelling In the secret place of the Most High, In the shade of the Mighty lodgeth habitually, 1  Those who go to God Most High for safety will be protected by God All-Powerful. 1  He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. 2  I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. 2  He...

An Italian actor who appeared in the TV drama “Gomorrah” has posted a heartbreaking video pleading for help as the body of his sister, who died of the coronavirus, is seen in the background. Luca Franzese, a mixed martial arts trainer, was trapped in his Naples home with the decaying body of Teresa Franzese, who died of the illness on Saturday. “I am waiting for the institutions to give me answers since last night. Nobody came forward,” the grief-stricken man said Sunday in the emotional video posted on Facebook. “This is a very strong video, please don’t show it to...

NEW YORK — Michael Avenatti's attorney cited the coronavirus threat Wednesday and an upcoming trial as he asked a judge to delay a court-required jailhouse meeting, saying his bearded client lives in a rat-infested cell at an unsanitary facility that reeks of urine. Attorney Scott Srebnick told U.S. District Judge Paul G. Gardephe in a letter that an interview scheduled for Thursday by Probation Department officials should be delayed at least a month. He said the extra time would allow more clarity regarding the risks of coronavirus amid dirty conditions at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan, where Avenatti is...

Democrat presidential candidate Bernie Sanders says he wants to transform America into Scandinavia. In a recent town hall, Sanders argued, like every freshman student after reading a page of “State and Revolution,” that what happened in the Soviet Union was not “real socialism” but “authoritarian communism.”“When we talk about democratic socialism, I’m talking about Finland, I’m talking about Denmark, I’m talking about Sweden,” Sanders said. “And communism, whether in Cuba, whether in the Soviet Union … was marked by totalitarianism, was marked by throwing millions of people into the Gulag.”This is a trope, a “no true Scotsman” fallacy, that...

Federal detention centers are definitely a lot less pleasant than cable news' greenrooms. Former liberal media darling and frequent CNN guest Michael Avenatti was recently held in a "rat-infested" jail cell for a 10-day stretch and “and was able to shower only twice in about two weeks,” according to The Washington Post. Citing a letter Avenatti’s attorney sent to a judge, the Post reported that the former lawyer to porn star Stormy Daniels had a rough time during a lockdown at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Lower Manhattan, where he's being held since last month after being found guilty of...

Seven EU member states have agreed to accept at least 1,600 refugee children from overcrowded camps on the Greek islands, the bloc announced on Thursday. The EU’s Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, confirmed that Germany would be among the seven countries to take in the migrants, comprised of children and teenagers.“This is a good start” to increasing solidarity with Greece, Johansson told reporters in Athens press. In addition, the European Commission, Greece and the UN migration body IOM will launch a one-month voluntary returns initiative, the commissioner said. …

More than 1,000 people in Italy have died as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak, according to the latest figures.

Every day, hundreds of millions of Americans look forward to the treasure troves of digital content deposited on the World Wide Web. But these new and novel offerings are regularly compromised by online piracy, which makes it exceedingly difficult for content creators to earn their due. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global Intellectual Property Center, this wanton theft costs the U.S. economy more than $29 billion per year in lost revenue. As the Senate deliberates on strategies to combat online piracy both at home and abroad, lawmakers must bear in mind the immense benefits that intellectual property (IP)...

President Trump signaled Thursday that he would put off campaign rallies until the coronavirus outbreak subsides in the United States. Asked about his plans for future campaign rallies, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that his reelection campaign had decided against holding rallies in Nevada and elsewhere and that he was leaning towards cancelling plans to hold a rally in Tampa, Fla., later this month. “We have a big one in Tampa, all sold out, we had over 100,000 requests for tickets, but I think we’ll probably not do it because people would say it’s better to not do,”...

SANTA FE — New Mexico Health Secretary Kathy Kunkel has announced a temporary ban on public gatherings of 100 people or more, as the state’s efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus have rapidly intensified. The ban, which took effect immediately, will apply to stadiums, arenas, conference centers and theaters. However, airports, public transportation and shopping malls are exempt from the order. It also will not apply to weddings, funerals, restaurants, bars, hospitals and schools — at least for now.

After a conference call among owners this afternoon, Major League Baseball is expected to suspend spring training. The league likely will delay the beginning of the regular season as well. At this point, it's a formality that ownership-level sources expect to happen.

Chad Wolf, acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, told Congress this week that Russia now is trying to interfere in the 2020 election. The question is whether, in concert or in parallel with China, it is trying to do to President Trump what it partially succeeded in doing to Clinton in 2016. This time it is using the Trump administration’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic to undermine public perception of the president’s basic competence and trustworthiness. Jani Vujica, director of analytics and research at the State Department’s Global Engagement Center, addressed a George Washington University conference on countering...

LT is out today. Yesterday's thread is here: http://freerepublic.com/focus/chat/3823556/posts?page=1