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On Wednesday, the mayor of Cumming, Georgia, announced that he was canceling the city's social distancing order, despite there being almost 5,000 confirmed coronavirus cases in the state.

It was on January 29th, 1974, that a beloved New Jersey institution debuted: The Uncle Floyd Show, starring Floyd Vivino. Uncle Floyd, “whose trademarks are a plaid jacket, a bow tie and offbeat humor,” as the New York Times put it, hosted the variety show until 1998. The show featured comedy sketches and a cast of characters that included a puppet named “Oogie." While the show is known for being a low-budget affair, if you read a list of some of the acts that performed on the show, you might be surprised. New Jersey-based acts like the Smithereens and Bon...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpQFCcSI0pU

Most kids dress up in their parents’ suits, shoes or makeup to feel more mature, but 5-year-old George Moore isn’t most kids. George and his similarly-mischievous older brother Harry, 7, from Slade Green in London, were watching British series “You’ve Been Framed!” — which airs funny home videos sent by viewers — when George decided he wanted to look more distinguished. So he grabbed a pair of electric clippers belonging to his dad, Kevin Moore, and brought them to Harry, asking if he would help cut his hair in the style of an “old man,” he said.

Spain, Turkey and The Netherlands are returning defective Chinese coronavirus supplies. Defective medical supplies could put lives at risk. Then why is the world still buying from China?

Tiny and vividly-coloured, Maratus spiders are unique to Australia and have proved an Internet hit where videos of their elaborate courtship dances with added music and photoshopped accessories have clocked millions of views. At just 22 years old Joseph has now described a total of 12 species of Peacock Spiders, having previously described five in 2019. Despite growing up terrified of spiders, Joseph became fascinated by them over time and has already proven himself a world leader in Maratus research. In his previous research, Joseph was sent specimens to identify by a dedicated spider-loving community of the not-for-profit Project Maratus...

A little humor....

With the coronavirus outbreak forcing social distancing and keeping most Americans in their homes in hopes of preventing a spread of the virus, the Democratic presidential nomination calendar has been upended, with many states postponing their remaining contests. Mail-in voting was already the default option for three states that were scheduled to hold contests on April 4: Alaska, Hawaii and Wyoming. Now all three states are moving to nearly 100 percent vote-by-mail and are extending the deadlines for ballots to be delivered and received. Among the states that have delayed their primaries until June, Georgia and Ohio are spending millions...

Last week The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, whose patrons tend to be very wealthy, received a whopping $25 million American taxpayer dollars. The funding was part of Washington's $2 trillion Wuhan coronavirus rescue package.  Politicians like Speaker Nancy Pelosi and lobbyists backing the center argued musicians, who are no longer working, needed financial stability like workers in other parts of the country. But despite the pleading and justification for the emergency funding, musicians and other workers are being fired anyway.  NEW: According to internal discussions and documents obtained by RCP, the Kennedy Center intends to furlough 60%...

There have been a lot more empty seats at President Donald Trump's daily news briefings - but no, news organizations aren't boycotting the events in protest or attempting to silence him, despite what he suggested at a briefing this week. Instead, something else is afoot: Reporters are keeping their distance because they are concerned about the health risks at a time when many consider the president's evening news conferences to have become increasingly less newsworthy. More at link The decision by such outlets as The Washington Post, The New York Times and CNBC to stay away may be fundamentally changing...

Microsoft founder Bill Gates has called for a nationwide shutdown in an effort to combat the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus. The Hill reports that Microsoft founder and billionaire philanthropist has called on a nationwide lockdown of the United States in an op-ed in the Washington Post. Gates states that he has spoken with experts through his charity who have stated that national policy would be more effective than multiple states issuing stay-at-home others while others remain open. Gates argues that the country needs a “consistent nationwide approach to shutting down.” Gates writes in the op-ed: “Despite urging from public...

This story first appeared in 1600 Daily, the White House’s evening newsletter. Subscribe now to get breaking news from President Trump before anyone else. On March 16, President Trump announced public health guidelines to slow the spread of Coronavirus in America. He asked every family to unite against this invisible enemy, making changes to our daily routines as part of a national effort to save lives.Thanks to you, it’s working. So many communities, small businesses, and Americans from all backgrounds are patriotically doing their part. President Trump knows these changes are difficult on many. To help as much as possible, he...

Is the U.S. Intelligence Community suddenly waking up under its new leadership? – While Democrats and the corrupt national news media apparatus desperately scramble to try to blame President Trump for the Wuhan Virus, the U.S. IC – under the guidance of Director of National Intelligence Ric Grenell – was keeping itself busy producing a new report for the President. To the surprise of no one who has actually been paying attention, that new report – apparently delivered to the White House last week – finds that the communist government of China has been lying to the world about COVID-19,...

March 31, 2020   5:30 P.M. EDT  THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you very much, everyone.  Our country is in the midst of a great national trial, unlike any we have ever faced before.  You all see it.  You see it probably better than most. We’re at war with a deadly virus.  Success in this fight will require the full, absolute measure of our collective strength, love, and devotion.  Very important.Each of us has the power, through our own choices and actions, to save American lives and rescue the most vulnerable among us. That’s why we really have to do what...

All New York City playgrounds will be shut down to prevent the spread of the coronavirus on orders of Gov. Andrew Cuomo — supplanting Mayor Bill de Blasio, who has resisted mass closures. “I’ve talked about this for weeks,” said a fed-up Cuomo in an Albany press conference. “I warned people.” Cuomo noted that he’s been in touch with City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, “who feels very strongly about this and did from day one,” as well as de Blasio.

At the same time, the spread of COVID-19, especially along Afghanistan’s western border with Iran, is further destabilizing the peace effort. In Herat Province, “thousands of Afghans are returning from Iran” to escape the outbreak, Mahdi said. Their arrival puts more stress on a woefully inadequate health care system. Instead of Afghan government action, “the Taliban has established their own set of groups fighting COVID-19,” including enforcing quarantines, while also but relying on non-governmental organizations to deliver care, Mahdi said. “If the Taliban really wanted” to cooperate with Ghani’s government, “they should stop fighting” and contain the pandemic as best...

This has got to be the stupidest thing I've heard yet out of our gubermint. First paragraph, last sentence: "However, some seniors and others who typically do not file returns will need to submit a simple tax return to receive the stimulus payment." SERIOUSLY??? We're all locking down, seniors are the most vulnerable, and the IRS is going to send them out to file a tax return they otherwise are not required to file??? What nimrod came up with that idea?

President Trump joins the Coronavirus Task Force to provide updates.