Free Republic

Out-of-work strippers are delivering food through Boober Eats Portland finds a way. Close down her strip clubs, and dancers will do delivery. That’s what’s happening at the Lucky Devil Lounge at 633 S.E. Powell Blvd. The club was forced to close with Gov. Kate Brown’s mandate to stem the spread of coronavirus, but the order does allow food establishments to offer take-out or delivery. And thus was born club owner Shon Boulden’s newest business: Boober Eats. The home delivery service, in which a pair of scantily clad strippers will deliver hot food to your door, started as a joke...

Senate leaders and the Trump administration appeared closer to reaching bipartisan agreement Monday evening on a massive stimulus bill that could inject $2 trillion into the economy to blunt the impacts of the coronavirus. After a day of partisan rancor and posturing on Capitol Hill, the outlook grew markedly more positive later in the afternoon, when offers and counteroffers were exchanged. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) convened Democrats on a conference call and told them he was hopeful about striking a deal by the end of the day, according to a person familiar with the call who spoke...

The Trump administration is slashing $1 billion in assistance to Afghanistan and threatening further reductions in all forms of cooperation after the country’s rival leaders failed to agree on forming a new government. The announcement came from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday after he made an unannounced visit to Kabul to meet with Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, the rival Afghan politicians who have each declared themselves president of the country after disputed elections last year. In an unusually harsh statement, Pompeo slammed the two men for being unable to work together and threatening a potential peace deal...

Christine Pelosi, a political strategist and daughter of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., endorsed the 2017 assault of Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., after the lawmaker revealed he tested positive for the coronavirus. "Rand Paul's neighbor was right," Christine Pelosi wrote on Twitter Sunday evening in reaction to the announcement, reported FoxNews.com. Paul's neighbor, Rene Boucher, was charged with assault and sentenced to 30 days in prison for tackling the senator over a yard dispute and breaking five ribs.

Just some blues I have been booting up lately. Enjoy. Or not.

Washington(CNN)Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders won the Democrats Abroad primary and secured nine delegates, Democrats Abroad announced on Monday. Democrats Abroad is the official arm of the Democratic Party for Americans living overseas, and voters in 180 countries cast their ballots in the primary. Sanders won 57.9% of the vote and 9 delegates, and former Vice President Joe Biden won 22.7% of the vote and 4 delegates.

On this date in 1877, Mormon leader John D. Lee was shot at the site of (and for the crime of instigating) the Mountain Meadows Massacre 20 years before. As the only person ever prosecuted for this dreadful affair, which saw 120 California-bound settlers slaughtered by a Mormon militia, Lee “was allowed … to carry to his grave Mormondom’s guilt for this horrible and barbaric act.” (Jan Shipps)

Burglars in the U.S. are taking advantage of the novel coronavirus outbreak by posing as medical experts to gain entry to victims' homes, multiple police departments have warned. The culprits are reportedly dressing up in white lab coats and masks to pose as scientists linked to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), before knocking on doors and offering advice about the COVID-19 disease or even claiming to be able to test for the new virus. "They're attempting to rob the house once they get inside, sometimes by force," it said in a warning. "If you see someone...

“Ballot harvesting” was legalized in California in 2016, and first used in the 2018 midterm elections. It allows anyone to drop off someone else’s mail-in ballot at a polling station. There is no process for vetting or verifying those delivering the ballots — no background checks or identification requirements. Democrats dropped hundreds of thousands of ballots off at polling stations in 2018, helping Democrats as they flipped seven Republican seats. The practice is illegal in most other states, largely because it is susceptible to fraud and intimidation. Republicans were caught flat-footed in 2018; they have experimented with the tactic in...

Israel's Supreme Court ruling today that a vote must be held on a new speaker for Israel's parliament.... Tonight the parliament (Knesset) met boycotted by members supporting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a majority approving a new Arrangements Committee.... The anti-Netanyahu majority approved six new temporary committees..... Politics here in the USA and the winner of the Democrats Abroad Caucus for Democrats living outside the United States is Bernie Sanders.... US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Afghanistan on an unannounced visit today.... The late word is that the US has decided to cut one billion dollars in aid...

Passengers aboard the cruise ship Zaandam are being quarantined after 42 people on board exhibited "influenza-like symptoms", the ship's operator Holland America Line said.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday required anyone flying from New York and New Jersey to be in a 14-day self-quarantine upon arrival in the Sunshine State, a move he said was aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus in his state. “That’s the only way we can be sure that the virus is not going to be reintroduced in the state of Florida and spread,” DeSantis said in a televised briefing. In the executive order released Monday night, DeSantis said there was “an increase in individuals fleeing to Florida” from states where “shelter-in-place” measures were put in place,...

Governor Tom Wolf and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine today issued “Stay at Home” orders to Allegheny, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Monroe, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties, as the state seeks relief to save lives and stop the spread of COVID-19. This order takes effect at 8:00 PM on Monday, March 23, 2020, and will continue until April 6, 2020.

Russia reportedly is deploying its Troops of Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defence or RChB Defense to Italy. Russia has loaded nine Il-76 cargo planes that flew to Italy, with eight mobile medical teams, medical equipment and aerosol disinfection trucks. Moscow also sent about 100 military specialists in virology and epidemics, one special military laboratory and 20 mobile disinfection vehicles.

An Ohio abortion clinic is refusing to cease abortions during the coronavirus pandemic despite an order from the Ohio Department of Health. Preterm employee Fiona Thomas confirmed to the Daily Caller News Foundation on Monday morning that the clinic will not stop performing abortions, despite a Wednesday order from the Ohio Department of Health mandating that all non-essential and elective surgeries cease in order to preserve Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for health workers. This was followed by a Friday letter from Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost ordering two specific Ohio abortion clinics to stop providing any services that require PPE,...

As hospitals scramble to secure more ventilators, some doctors are getting creative in order to help their patients. Such is the case with Canadian doctor Dr. Alain Gauthier, an anesthetist at the Perth and Smiths Falls District Hospital in Ontario. Gauthier, who has a Ph.D. in respiratory mechanics, turned one hospital ventilator into a machine that can serve nine clients using do-it-yourself mechanics. The process was so brilliant that some have even called him an "evil genius." Gauthier was inspired by YouTube videos created by two Detroit doctors in 2006, according to CBC News. He said he created a complex...

Pope Francis: Coronavirus Pandemic Is Nature ‘Throwing a Tantrum’ ROME — Pope Francis told a Spanish journalist Sunday that nature never forgives and the coronavirus pandemic is nature’s cry for humans to take better care of creation. Asked by a Spanish journalist via Skype whether the COVID-19 pandemic is nature’s way of taking “revenge” on humanity, the pontiff suggested that nature is calling for attention.“There’s a saying, which you have heard: ‘God always forgives. We sometimes forgive. Nature never forgives,’” the pope said. “Fires, earthquakes … nature is throwing a tantrum so that we will take care of her.”

There will be no new votes on the Senate’s coronavirus phase three bill Monday, delaying efforts to push through the nearly $2 trillion stimulus package. “We will not be having any votes tonight,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said. Because of the failed procedural vote earlier Monday afternoon, Mr. McConnell needed to essentially restart the clock on a new procedural vote — teeing that up for Wednesday. The bill is stalled in the chamber as lawmakers continue to haggle over details within the economic stimulus package aimed to get cash to the American public, funds to overwhelmed healthcare facilities, loans...

Christine Pelosi is Nancy Pelosi’s daughter. In this tweet below Ms. Pelosi celebrates the coronavirus diagnosis for Senator Rand Paul, by commending political violence carried out by a neighbor against the senator last year. Do not look away:

Gov. Inslee has signed a statewide proclamation for all Washingtonians to stay at home for the next two weeks. .......... You’re still allowed to go outside, to the grocery store, and to do other essential business. ............ Businesses have 48 hours to close following the signing of the proclamation.