Puppet MastersS


Stock Down

Dow loses all gains from Trump administration

Andrew Kerr
Daily Caller
Wed, 18 Mar 2020 12:54 UTC
stock panic
© BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP via Getty Images
The Dow Jones industrial average dipped as low as 19,716 on Wednesday, erasing all gains made since President Donald Trump's inauguration.

The coronavirus pandemic has sent the Dow careening as much as 9,835 points in five weeks, down 33.28% from its all-time high of 29,551 set on Feb. 12.

The Dow closed at 19,732 on Trump's inauguration day Jan. 20, 2019.

Comment: See also:

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Red Flag

'America's two-party oligarchy can't relate to those in need': Lee Camp says US coronavirus failure goes beyond just Trump


RT
Thu, 19 Mar 2020 00:17 UTC
trump pence pelossi homeless
© Reuters / Joshua Roberts; Reuters / Lee Smith
As the US teeters on the edge of abyss amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the crisis has revealed systemic flaws brought by years of two-party plutocracy that go beyond a single president, says Lee Camp, host of RT's Redacted Tonight.

While President Donald Trump bears a good portion of the blame for the sluggish US response to Covid-19, he is only one piece of a larger puzzle. America's structural defects long predate Trump's time in office, the comedian argued.

"The fact that so many millions of Americans don't have paid sick leave, or hardly make minimum wage and therefore can't afford an emergency - that kind of system was set up under a two-party apparatus that basically agreed: 'Let's create an America where people are completely exploited,'" Camp said.

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Stop

Donald Trump insists calling coronavirus 'kung flu' is not racist

Jacob Geanous
Metro
Wed, 18 Mar 2020 17:11 UTC
Donald Trump
© ReutersPresident Donald Trump addresses the daily White House coronavirus response briefing with members of on Wednesday.
Donald Trump insisted that calling the coronavirus the 'kung flu' was neither wrong not racist at a press conference Wednesday.

The President's defense of the term came after a reporter challenged Trump about a White House staffer who reportedly called Covid-19 the 'kung flu' while chatting to an Asian reporter. Trump himself has repeatedly branded it the 'Chinese virus,' despite widespread criticism.

'I wonder who said that (kung flu)...I think they probably would agree with it 100%. It comes from China,' Trump said.

Comment: So Trump has been calling it the 'China virus' to counter the narrative coming from some sectors that it originated in the US. Now idiots are using that as an excuse to act like idiots, or rather, the media is saying that Trump's actions are leading to racist incidents (with no evidence). Everyone knows that the initial outbreak was in Wuhan, China, so whether it was US biowarfare or a wild virus (or any number of other possibilities) idiots are going to use it as an excuse to smear all Asians. Racists are gonna racist, regardless of what Trump says.

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Vader

Trump invokes Defense Production Act in Coronavirus response, deploys FEMA in all regions

Tyler Durden
Zero Hedge
Wed, 18 Mar 2020 12:22 UTC
Trump has invoked the Defense Production Act

Comment: The following story, which just broke today, will likely have large implications and knock-on effects that are not outlined in the article below. It could very well mean an immense restructuring of how the US functions economically and even societally. We'll be posting analysis of the new act as it becomes available.


President Trump has invoked the Defense Production Act in the US response to the Coronavirus pandemic, noting that HUD will suspend foreclosures through end of April, as work is underway to evaluate possibility of self-tests for virus.

The Defense Production Act (DPA) is the primary source of Presidential authorities to expedite and expand the supply of resources from the U.S. industrial base to support military, energy, space, and homeland security programs. Homeland security programs eligible for DPA support include:
  • Efforts to counter terrorism within the United States;
  • Emergency preparedness activities conducted pursuant to title VI of the Stafford Act;
  • Protection and restoration of critical infrastructure; and
  • Continuity of Government.
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Arrow Down

Liberal globalized order is collapsing under pressure from coronavirus

Paul Antonopoulos
infobrics.org
Wed, 18 Mar 2020 02:35 UTC
stock market
U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to cancel flights between Europe and his country, with the exception of the United Kingdom, and to impose a 14-day quarantine before entry can be made, was an unpleasant surprise for Europe as Washington announced the decision without warning and coordination.

The restriction has been introduced for an initial period of 30 days and is caused by the coronavirus pandemic declared by the World Health Organization. Although Europe found the action to be excessive, the European Union completely failed in dealing with the coronavirus and such actions are fully in line with measures taken by many countries, including Israel and Australia. In Israel, everyone who arrives from abroad must do a two-week quarantine at home, with authorities not allowing hotel stays - effectively there is no tourism. Although Australia has imposed a 14-day quarantine on new arrivals to the country, hotel stays are allowed.
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Snakes in Suits

Best of the Web: Coronavirus and the Gates Foundation

F. William Engdahl
New Eastern Outlook
Wed, 18 Mar 2020 02:10 UTC
bill gates
Arguably, no one has been more active in promoting and funding research on vaccines aimed at dealing with coronavirus than Bill Gates and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. From sponsoring a simulation of a coronavirus global pandemic, just weeks before the Wuhan outbreak was announced, to funding numerous corporate efforts to come up with a novel vaccine for the apparently novel virus, the Gates presence is there. What does it actually entail?

We must admit that at the very least Bill Gates is prophetic. He has claimed for years that a global killer pandemic will come and that we are not prepared for it. On March 18, 2015 Gates gave a TED talk on epidemics in Vancouver. That day he wrote on his blog, "I just gave a brief talk on a subject that I've been learning a lot about lately — epidemics. The Ebola outbreak in West Africa is a tragedy — as I write this, more than 10,000 people have died." Gates then added, "As awful as this epidemic has been, the next one could be much worse. The world is simply not prepared to deal with a disease — an especially virulent flu, for example — that infects large numbers of people very quickly. Of all the things that could kill 10 million people or more, by far the most likely is an epidemic."
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Magnify

Dutch Health Minister collapses while taking questions during parliamentary session due to "fatigue"

Ross Ibbetson
Daily Mail
Wed, 18 Mar 2020 19:19 UTC
Bruins
Bruno Bruins, 56, fell behind the speaker's lectern while taking questions and was helped up by fellow ministers. He took a sip of water and was seen leaving the room unassisted
The Dutch health minister collapsed today in parliament because of 'fatigue from intense weeks' of working against the coronavirus crisis.

Bruno Bruins, 56, fell behind the speaker's lectern while taking questions and was helped up by fellow ministers. He took a sip of water and was seen leaving the room unassisted.

'I was feeling faint from fatigue and intense weeks. I am feeling better now. I am going home now to rest this evening so I can return tomorrow to fight the corona crisis,' he said in a message on social media.

Bruins is the top government health official in the Netherlands, where the number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus rose by 346 on Wednesday to 2,051, with 58 deaths, the country's National Institute for Health (RIVM) said.

Comment: RT reports:
While Bruins' dramatic fall may bring to mind Iran's Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi mopping his sweaty brow on live television before his own Covid-19 diagnosis, the Dutch minister assured the public that he does not - to his knowledge - have the deadly illness.

Wilders - a right-wing outlaw figure in Dutch politics - was blasted online for appearing to smile as Bruins keeled over. However, Wilders wished Bruins a speedy recovery, tweeting "get well soon," and "have a good rest."
Notably, just a few days ago at a US county election day the director found himself unable to finish his words and he abruptly left the podium:





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Chess

Iran president says Iran responded, will respond to assassination of Soleimani


Reuters
Wed, 18 Mar 2020 21:19 UTC
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani
© Official Presidential website/Handout via REUTERSIranian President Hassan Rouhani
President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday Iran has responded, and will respond, to America's assassination of Major-General Qassem Soleimani, the Revolutionary Guards commander killed in a U.S. drone strike in Iraq in January.

Rouhani was speaking following a Cabinet meeting that was broadcast on state television.

Soleimani, leader of the Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force, was instrumental in expanding Iran's military influence in the Middle East as the operative who handles clandestine operations outside Iran. The 62-year-old general was regarded as the second-most powerful figure in Iran after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

"The Americans assassinated our great commander. We have responded to that terrorist act and will respond to it," Rouhani said in a televised speech.
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Heart - Black

Dismay over UK plan to close unsolved Troubles cases in Northern Ireland

Rory Carroll
The Guardian
Wed, 18 Mar 2020 21:07 UTC
troubles
© Kaveh Kazemi/Getty ImagesA bar on nearly 2,000 murder probes aims to end the cycle of reinvestigations
The UK government has proposed closing the book on most unsolved killings during the Troubles, prompting dismay from the Irish government and Northern Ireland's nationalist parties.

A new independent body will review cases, and only those deemed to have compelling new evidence and a realistic prospect of prosecution will receive a full police investigation, the government announced on Wednesday.

The legislation would close the vast majority of almost 2,000 unsolved cases and prevent them being re-opened, marking a new approach to so-called "legacy" issues that have plagued politics and reconciliation efforts in Northern Ireland.
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Vader

Russiagate redux: Secret EU report blames Russia for coronavirus 'confusion, panic and fear'

Nebojsa Malic
RT
Wed, 18 Mar 2020 18:49 UTC
kremlin st basils moscow
© REUTERS/Maxim ShemetovA view of the Kremlin and St Basil’s Cathedral from Zaryadye park in central Moscow, Russia, February 3, 2020.
When all else fails, blame Russia. That seems to be the EU approach to deflecting blame from its response to the coronavirus pandemic, no doubt because it has worked so well for Democrats in the US or London in the Skripal affair.

As Brussels finally got around to locking down the EU borders on Tuesday, London's Financial Times ran a 'bombshell' story blaming "Russian pro-Kremlin media" for a "significant disinformation campaign" to stoke "confusion, panic and fear" in the West and "aggravate the coronavirus pandemic crisis."

This is based on a nine-page report by the strategic communications division of the European External Action Service, the EU's de facto foreign ministry. The EEAS did not officially comment on the FT story.

Comment: The EU seems to have its priorities confused.
An EU report which accuses Russia of waging a disinformation campaign around Covid-19 isn't backed by a single fact and has nothing to do with common sense. That's according to Vladimir Putin's spokesman.

Earlier, the Financial Times claimed that it obtained findings by the European External Action Service (EEAS), which insist that the "Russian pro-Kremlin media" is running a "significant disinformation campaign" to stoke "confusion, panic and fear" in the EU and the US to "aggravate the coronavirus pandemic crisis."

"I can't comment on this from the point of view of common sense," Dmitry Peskov said when asked by journalists about the controversial paper.
One might expect that this Russophobic obsession would decline in the current situation, but as we see it's not happening.
The EEAS' report didn't even include a single example or a reference to a specific media outlet, so all the accusations are "unfounded," Peskov concluded.


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