Free Republic

Thurston County commissioners voted 2-1 on Thursday to reopen the county’s three trails and many trailheads it manages, which have been closed along with most of the county’s facilities in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. **SNIP** During this shutdown, he said, mental and physical health are important. “I think it’s critical that we have access to these trails to the extent possible,” Menser said. That opened a discussion that Commissioner Gary Edwards rapidly expanded. Edwards posited that perhaps the county should open all its parks, too. The decision to close county parks was “stupid,” he said, and...

The pandemic and the nation's brutal economic collapse are combining to crush the college hopes of low-income and first-generation students. Some high school seniors are dropping their first-choice schools in favor of colleges that are cheaper and closer to home, early surveys have found. Others are thinking about going part-time, or taking a gap year so they can work and bail out families whose breadwinners are suddenly out of work. Those who work with low-income students worry freshmen from poor families who were sent home this semester may never return and high school seniors won't get the hands-on help they...

Anthony Causi, a longtime photographer for The Post whose prolific talent and larger-than-life personality made him a beloved and respected figure throughout the New York sports world, died Sunday from the coronavirus at North Shore University Hospital. He was 48. Causi is survived by his wife, Romina, and their children John, 5, and Mia, 2, as well as his parents, Lucille and John Causi, and sisters Maria Marangelli and Dianna Marotto. “Anthony Causi was our colleague, our friend, and a brilliant journalist,” Stephen Lynch, The Post’s Editor-in-Chief, said. “He was, quite simply, one of the best sports photographers in New...

The Virginia town of Christianburg is getting a preview of what life will be like when delivery by drone becomes practical. Forced to stay at home amid the coronavirus pandemic, more residents are ordering from a pilot residential delivery service run by Wing, a unit of Google parent Alphabet, the company says. The most popular items: Coffee, toilet paper and cookies.Wing says it’s made more than 1,000 deliveries over the past two weeks in Christianburg and at test sites in Helsinki and two Australian cities where movement has also been restricted to stem the spread of the disease. “That’s a dramatic...

WASHINGTON (AP) — A former aide to Joe Biden is accusing the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee of sexually assaulting her during the early 1990s when he was a senator. Biden’s campaign denies the charges. In two recent interviews with The Associated Press, Tara Reade alleged the assault occurred in the basement of a Capitol Hill office building in the spring of 1993. She filed a police report in Washington on Thursday saying she was the victim of a sexual assault by an unnamed person in 1993, a copy of which was obtained by the AP. It’s not the first time...

PALM BAY, Fla. - A Brevard County woman says another woman became upset with her for wearing medical scrubs to the grocery store. The encounter at a Palm Bay Winn Dixie Wednesday was captured on camera and has been viewed thousands of times. Juliann Roberts says she wears scrubs because she works at a hearing aid practice. She says the woman first made a comment as Roberts and her friend walked into the store. "As were in the produce section she came up to us again. She started saying its not right to wear scrubs in the grocery store. We're...

Taiwan has reportedly scrambled its warships to monitor a Chinese aircraft carrier strike group, as the two US aircraft carriers in the region have been docked by the coronavirus. China's first ever aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, led the group through the Miyako Strait near Japan, the South China Morning Post has reported. The current location and destination of the carrier group is unknown, but Taiwan has sent its own vessels to monitor them.

Claire Fuller, 56, was taken into RD&E on 31 March, when her breathing deteriorated 10 days after developing a dry cough. “It was really scary how it just suddenly turned,” she said. The mother of two, from Tiverton, Devon, was asked to take part in the study while in A&E. “It didn’t take long for me to agree," she said. "The more people they get, the better.”Ms Fuller said she was given a loading dose of eight tablets of hydroxychloroquine to start with and then, after another heavy loading dose, it was two tablets for the remaining four days she...

An Uber passenger was killed Saturday when she walked into the path of oncoming traffic on the eastbound Ronald Reagan (118) Freeway in Mission Hills after she allegedly assaulted the driver and was physically removed from the vehicle. Officers received a call about a pedestrian sitting in the No. 3 lane of the freeway at 12:30 a.m. and responded to a location just east of Sepulveda Boulevard at 12:45 a.m. and were told the pedestrian had been struck by a vehicle and died at the scene, according to the California Highway Patrol. A preliminary investigation determined the woman was a...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Eo9M4-BrJA

Melania and I join millions of Christians celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the gift of eternal life this Easter. Although this year’s observance of Easter comes during a somber time for our Nation, we hope all of you are filled with the joy, love, and hope that marks this holiest of days. As our Nation has faced the unique challenges posed by the coronavirus during the past few weeks, we have turned to God for guidance, comfort, and hope. Throughout this difficult period, we have witnessed the core tenets of Christianity—love, compassion, and kindness—reflected in the many acts...

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room1:52 P.M. EDTTHE PRESIDENT:  Thank you very much everybody, and good afternoon.  Today is Good Friday.  And this Sunday, millions of Christians celebrate Easter and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  At this holy time, we pray that God will heal the sick and comfort the heartbroken and bless our heroes.  As American families look forward to Easter, we’re reminded that our story ends not in despair, but in triumph and renewal.  Very appropriate, isn’t it?I’d like to provide Americans an update on our ongoing efforts in the war against the invisible enemy.  Before I...

MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE THE SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES THE SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY THE ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT FOR NATIONAL SECURITY AFFAIRS THE ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT FOR ECONOMIC POLICY THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY THE PRESIDENT OF THE EXPORT-IMPORT BANK OF THE UNITED STATES THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF THE UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT FINANCE CORPORATION SUBJECT: Providing COVID-19 Assistance to the Italian Republic By the authority vested...

MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRSSUBJECT:       Authorizing the Exercise of Authority under Public Law 85-804By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby direct the following:Section 1.  On March 13, 2020, I declared a national emergency recognizing the threat that the ongoing outbreak of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel (new) coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2 (“the virus”), poses to the Nation’s healthcare systems.  I also determined on the same day that the COVID-19 outbreak constitutes an emergency, of nationwide scope, pursuant to section 501(b)...

MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE THE SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY SUBJECT: Visa Sanctions By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1. Policy. In Executive Order 13768 of January 25, 2017 (Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States), I stressed the importance of cooperation between the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security to effectively implement the sanctions provided by section 243(d) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), 8 U.S.C. 1253(d). Considering the profound...

Mr Streeck is a professor for virology and the director of the Institute of virology and HIV Research at the University Bonn. He explained the methodology of his new study in Heinsberg, the “epicentre” of Germany’s COVID-19 outbreak, and talked about potential plans for a country to move forward gradually in getting back to a “normal” life. These research findings have already provided some indication on how the virus works, as Streeck clarified: “There is no significant risk of catching the disease when you go shopping. Severe outbreaks of the infection were always a result of people being closer together...

This morning, Vice President Mike Pence and Dr. Robert Redfield held a conference call with African American leaders to discuss the impact COVID-19 is having on the American people, specifically the African American community. African American leaders and organizations that participated in the call include: the NAACP, National Urban League, 100 Black Men of America, United Negro College Fund, Thurgood Marshall College Fund, National Medical Association, National Black Nurses Association, African American Mayors Association, and the Congressional Black Caucus. The Vice President provided an update on the Administration’s efforts to combat the virus and highlighted the importance of the President’s...

Join with fellow FREEPERS to pray for PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP/VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE and AMERICA: Government, Family, Military, Business, Education, Churches, and the Media. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Nigeria’s military has taken delivery of VT-4 main battle tanks, SH-5 self-propelled howitzers and other equipment from China in an effort to strengthen its land forces in the battle against Boko Haram militants.

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. Thanks to the selflessness and patriotism of Americans who have rallied behind President Trump’s Coronavirus Guidelines, we are slowing the spread of this disease and saving many, many lives.The President’s guidelines called for 30 days of mitigation efforts, which continue through the end of April. According to health experts, these actions are paying off.“What we have been doing has been working,” Dr. Anthony Fauci said this week. “So the call that I say every time I get to...