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Artist's reconstruction of the world's oldest modern bird, Asteriornis maastrichtensis, in its original environment. 66.7 million years ago parts of Belgium were covered by a shallow sea, and conditions were similar to modern tropical beaches like The Bahamas. Asteriornis lived at the end of the Age of Dinosaurs, a time when mosasaurs (giant marine reptiles) swam in the oceans, and Tyrannosaurus rex lived on land. Asteriornis had fairly long legs and may have prowled the tropical shoreline. Credit: Phillip Krzeminski ==================================================================== The oldest fossil of a modern bird yet found, dating from the age of dinosaurs, has been identified by...

German Chancellor Angela Merkel says not since World War II has the country faced a challenge like the current outbreak of the coronavirus. Merkel on Wednesday night made her first direct TV address to the nation in over 14 years in power, other than her annual New Year’s speech. She called on every person in Germany to help protect those who are the most vulnerable to COVID-19. “Let me tell you: This is serious. Take it seriously too,” Merkel said in her speech that was to be aired on several public and private TV stations starting at 19:15 local time...

"A person at the White House used the term 'kung flu.' My question is: Do you think that's wrong?" Alcindor asked again. "No, not at all. Not at all," Trump said, adding that Asian Americans "probably would agree with it 100%. It comes from China. There’s nothing not to agree with."

The announcement supported a recent statement by the French health minister that ibuprofen may worsen the effects of COVID-19 and should be avoided. The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended that people with COVID-19 symptoms avoid taking ibuprofen, after concerns were raised by French officials that it may make the virus more harmful. A recent study in The Lancet medical journal, theorizing that an enzyme boosted by ibuprofen could enable and exacerbate COVID-19 infections, led France's Health Minister Olivier Veran to suggest via social media that the medicine be avoided. Questioned on the study by reporters in Geneva, WHO spokesman...

The folks over at Ammo.com haven’t just been feverishly filling online orders over the past few weeks as Americans across the country are flocking to stock up while the country is locking down. The Ammo.com staff also been keeping track of where the surge in demand is coming from, and have released some fascinating data about the sales spike. While many gun stores saw the increase in demand kick in last week, the folks at Ammo.com say they first started seeing a swelling demand back in late February, with a 53% increase in sales on February 23rd. By March 15th,...

The world economic and financial markets have entered into a crippling cannibalization of the system in which few are prepared. While the politicians, financial analysts, and media are providing optimistic forecasts for the future, they continue to underestimate the seriousness of the global contagion. Thus, after a week or two, these forecasts will be revised lower (once again) to reflect a more gloomy, negative and more realistic outlook. So, in another a few weeks, the world as it pertains to this contagion will look a lot worse than it does today. I’d imagine the Dow Jones Index will likely shed...

As Taiwan and the U.S. step up their cooperation on the development of drugs and vaccines to battle the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19), Taiwan has pledged to donate 100,000 face masks per week to the U.S., while the U.S. is reserving 300,000 hazmat suits for Taiwan

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) requested the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) release prisoners who are vulnerable to coronavirus to prevent an outbreak in federal prisons. The letter, addressed to Attorney General Bill Barr and BOP Director Michael Carvajal called on the agencies to “take immediate action to safeguard” the prisoners, specifically those who are elderly or have chronic health conditions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has designated these demographics as most susceptible to serious illness or death. The union requested the officials “increase the use of compassionate release” to...

Q is the result of the sacrifices and commitment of countless patriots to win back our captured country from the Deep State and achieve the transformation President Trump promised in this campaign video. President Trump has said the awakening of the public is key to this transformation.Q describes this awakening as follows: "The Great Awakening ('Freedom of Thought’), was designed and created not only as a backchannel to the public (away from the longstanding ‘mind’ control of the corrupt & heavily biased media) to endure future events through transparency and regeneration of individual thought (breaking the chains of ‘group-think’), but,...

We depend on experts for advice. We always have. This is understandable given our inability to effectively process and disseminate all the information that bombards us. Our minds are not supercomputers with software that sift and rank information in nanoseconds. We cannot psychically communicate our discoveries with the rest of the hive. Instead, we develop a system of experts that focus their efforts on different topics and tell us what they learn through various institutions, such as the media, the church, or the office water cooler. But what happens when our experts fail? The public health community’s response to COVID-19,...

Oil dropped 23% to a more than 18-year low on Wednesday as the coronavirus pandemic continues to sap demand for crude and as rising worries about a global recession lead to fears of longer-term demand destruction. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude fell 23.78%, or $6.41, to $20.55 per barrel, its lowest level since Feb. 2002. WTI is on pace for its third worst day on record. International benchmark Brent crude shed 13.75%, or $3.97, to trade at $24.76, its lowest level since 2003.

If one didn’t know better, he could think that China unleashed the Wuhan virus upon the world purposely to get their man, Joe Biden, elected president. Jumblin’ Joe is their man, too. It’s not just that the disease will assuredly cause economic distress as people’s lives and commerce are disrupted; it’s not just that no matter what President Trump does, the EneMedia will portray his response to the disease as lacking. (Never mind that Barack Obama apparently spread disease throughout our nation by shipping sick illegal-alien minors throughout the country. Enterovirus D68, anyone?) It’s also that the Wuhan virus has...

In his 2004 book, “Against Leviathan – Government Power and a Free Society,” Robert Higgs explains how our federal government has transformed from one of “defined and limited” powers as envisioned by our Founders, into one driven by a “Crisis Constitution.” As Higgs clearly establishes, we are living in “an age of permanent emergency.” The still-developing COVID-19 pandemic illustrates that this “emergency” mindset today is directing the hands of government leaders, not only in our nation’s capital, but in statehouses and city councils across the country. It is by now clear that the COVID-19 pandemic represents a serious health problem....

Corona news and updates from around the world with Dr. Campbell comments.

Day #19 here: http://freerepublic.com/focus/chat/3825446/posts?q=1&;page=1

Managing dual health and economic crises, President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he will invoke emergency powers that allow the government to marshal the private sector in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Trump, now describing himself as a “wartime president,” said he was employing the Defense Production Act “in case we need it” as the government bolsters resources for an expected surge in cases of the virus.

At the moment in the U.S., we have 7,568 Coronavirus cases, 117 deaths and 106 recovered. The mortality rate for those two sets of numbers is between 1.6% and 2%. Wuhan Corona Virus (COVID19) is a legitimate health concern, but it is no cause for panic or irrational hysteria. It is not the 21st Century equivalent of the Black Death.’ At least not in our country, we have state of the art medicine and hospitals as well as a team of doctors that are well trained. A new study found that 86% of coronavirus cases are asymptomatic. The carriers have...

A transgender Navy officer is suing the Pentagon over its ban on most transgender military service, arguing she faces involuntary discharge despite a successful record of service. Four other lawsuits have previously been filed against the policy, but the latest one, filed by two advocacy groups on behalf of the officer identified only as Jane Doe, is the first since the ban took effect last year. “As an experienced officer, all she seeks is the ability to continue serving her country on the same terms as others,” Jennifer Levi, transgender rights project director at GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD),...

At CNN’s Democratic debate on Sunday night, even the moderators were stunned when Joe Biden, out of the blue, pledged to pick a woman as his running mate.  It was a calculated move designed to put President Trump in a box, while embarrassing Bernie Sanders for his reluctance to do likewise. Biden is vulnerable with female voters, with videos documenting his groping of women and girls.  But his female running mate will try to deflect this issue by going on the offensive, as Senators Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, and Amy Klobuchar proved they are capable of doing.Biden hopes to make gender...

<p>FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP and WPTA21) - Two people briefed on the matter say Detroit's three automakers have agreed to close all of their factories due to worker fears about the coronavirus.</p> <p>Automakers are expected to release details of the closure later today.</p>