Saturday, April 25, 2020

Joe Biden's many crimes -- Tara Reade and Iraq



That's Glenn Greenwald talking about how the latest evidence (Tara Reade's mother calling into LARRY KING LIVE in 1993) bolsters Tara's charge that Joe Biden assaulted her in 1993 and how this story is not going away.  Daniel Ponti (SLATE) explains:

A video that has recently come to light from 1993 appears to show the mother of Tara Reade, who has accused former Vice President Joe Biden of sexual assault, calling the Larry King Show to discuss problems her daughter experienced while working for “a prominent senator.” The Intercept was first to report on the video and the conservative Media Research Group later quickly published the relevant clip. Reade then confirmed that it was her mother’s voice on the call. “I’ve been crying because I haven’t heard my mom’s voice in a few years. So it’s been a little emotional,” Reade told CNN. “I miss her. I miss her voice.” Reade’s mother died in 2016. 



It's not going away and the Democratic Party's suicidal if they're going to proceed with Joe into a general election.  Joe Biden's wall of defense -- various liars and whores -- is weakening with every minute.  Equally true, another woman has already written a piece about Joe Biden assaulting her.  How many women will have to come forward?


FOX NEWS notes:

The woman who has accused Joe Biden of a sexual assault in the early 1990s says she's disappointed that CNN anchor Anderson Cooper failed to ask the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee about the allegation when he had the chance -- not once, but twice.
Tara Reade, a former staffer for then-Sen. Biden, told her story about the former vice president over a month ago with progressive podcast host Katie Halper. Since then, Biden has done nearly a dozen TV interviews with news anchors including NBC News' Chuck Todd, ABC News' George Stephanopoulos, and twice with Cooper -- all of whom failed to ask Biden about her public claim.
"I think it's shocking that this much time has passed and that he is an actual nominee for president and they're not asking the questions," Reade told Fox News. "He's been on 'Anderson Cooper' at least twice where he was not asked."

Joe is responsible for so many bad things -- including Clarence Thomas being on the bench, including over a million Iraqis being dead.  In Iraq, the war continues.  Not even coronavirus can end the Iraq War.  Zhelwan Z. Wali (RUDAW) reports:

The British government on Saturday announced its first counter-Islamic State (ISIS) airstrikes in seven months as part of the continued global coalition campaign against the extremist group.

In a "successful operation" on April 10, a pair of British Royal Air Force Typhoon jets struck ISIS militants in Tuz Khurmatu, south of Kirkuk, "removing several Daesh fighters from the battlefield and further degrading the terrorist movement.”

"The pair of Typhoons, assisted by an RAF Reaper aircraft, identified Daesh terrorists occupying a group of fortified buildings in an isolated location west of Tuz Khurma[tu], known to be inhabited by active terrorist commanders and fighters," read an update published on an government page dedicated to air strikes against the group.

"The aircraft conducted a thorough check of the area for non-combatants, before using a combination of precision guided bombs to destroy the buildings," the statement read.



Nazli Tarzi (ARAB WEEKLY) reports:

The inclination to celebrate the repositioning of American troops from five military sites to smaller bases as Iraq’s “long-awaited withdrawal” has subsided as headlines probe Washington’s intentions. What pundits initially cheered as a withdrawal stands out as a temporary retreat. As Iraqi actors beholden to Iran drive towards a strategic reset of US-Iraqi relations, their attempt to derail America’s trajectory is unlikely without a potential showdown.
Relations took a nosedive following a slew of rocket attacks against American personnel by Iran-backed paramilitaries aligned with the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF). This, since January, caused a noticeable shift in Washington’s operational priorities. No longer solely fixed on the preservation of its political supremacy inside Iraq’s domestic arena, Washington is re-channelling its energies and resources to confront the threat ardent militias pose to its security interests.

“The US is not withdrawing from Iraq,” an unnamed American State Department official told Abu Dhabi newspaper The National.

No the war hasn't ended.  No US troops haven't left.  And, no, all these years later, despite never-ending waves of Operation Happy Talk, life is not better for the Iraqi people.  Steven A. Cook (FOREIGN POLICY) notes:




Raise your hand if you were aware that there was a new Iraqi prime minister-designate. No, not the guy who was nominated in mid-March or the guy before him. The new, new one. For those keeping score at home (which at this point is almost no one): On April 9, Iraqi President Barham Salih tapped Mustafa al-Kadhimi to be the country’s next prime minister. The incumbent, Adil Abdul-Mahdi, resigned in late November but continues to lead a caretaker government. The man initially chosen to succeed him, Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi, could not form a government and then came Adnan al-Zurfi, who was also unable to garner enough support to form a government, resulting in Kadhimi’s nomination.
America’s newspapers of record in turn published what now seem to be perfunctory articles about the maybe new Iraqi prime minister that read a lot like so many previous articles about all the other Iraqi prime minister-designates dating back to the invasion of Iraq. Like his predecessors, Kadhimi apparently can balance between the United States and Iran and is a person of integrity who can elicit political support from different factions. But such testimonials, in typical fashion, are followed by caveats about the significant shortcomings of Iraq’s political system that will likely make it difficult for the prime minister-designate to form a government and subsequently govern. The articles generally close with a fingers-crossed quality. It is a formula that journalists in the field and their editors at home seem to have perfected.
The person nominated is always the big story, but the far more consequential issue that these articles and commentaries often merely allude to is Iraq’s political institutions. Even the most casual observers of Iraq know that the country’s problems are significant, complex, and seemingly unresolvable. No one knows how to fix them, despite years of trying, so everyone in Washington who ever cared about Iraq seems now to be advocating for the United States to head for the exits. That is clearly the Trump administration’s policy. Yet sooner or later—most likely the former—it’s inevitable that the White House will have to confront all the ramifications of Iraq’s collapse.


Coronavirus is a problem around the world.  That's true in Iraq.  The official count is a lie -- the Iraqi government suspended REUTERS for attempting to report the actual numbers.  They've lifted that suspension but every outlet got the message: Do not question the government's official lie.  So they just repeat the false undercount.  XINHUA does so below:


The Iraqi Health Ministry on Saturday confirmed 55 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number in the country to 1,763.
The 55 new cases reported during the past 24 hours were 33 in the capital Baghdad, 12 in Basra, three in Dhi Qar, two in Muthanna, Slaimaniyah and Duhok each, and one in Erbil, the ministry said in a statement.
So far, 86 have died from the disease while 1,224 recovered, the statement said, adding no death was registered during the day.

Cornavirus contines in Iraq as do the violence against women.  Ammar Karim (AFP) reports:

"More morphine!" Malak's mother cried, her 20-year-old daughter hospitalised after a marital dispute left her severely burned -- the latest victim of domestic violence exacerbated by confinement in Iraq.

The nationwide lockdown since mid-March is meant to keep coronavirus cases down in the country, but it has led to a spike in another sad statistic: domestic violence.

The head of Iraq's community police, Brigadier General Ghalib Atiyah, told AFP that its log of domestic violence cases has increased by an average of 30 percent since the curfew came into force -- with some areas seeing as high as a 50-percent spike.

In a single week, the United Nations in Iraq (UNAMI) reported: "The rape of a woman with special needs, spousal abuse, immolation and self-immolation as well as self-inflicted injuries due to spousal abuse, sexual harassment of minors, and suicide due to domestic abuse among other crimes."

In the southern province of Wasit, a 58-year-old doctor killed his wife after she refused to let him sell land that she owned, according to human rights lawyer Sajjad Hussein.



The following sites updated:











Krystal and Saagar: Joe Rogan's hysterical takedown of Joe Biden




Krystal and Saagar discuss Joe Rogan's comments on Joe Biden, comparing him to a broken school house with poor infrastructure, discuss Biden's #SOULSaturday this weekend, which shows a similar messaging strategy as Hillary Clinton in 2016. About Rising:  Rising is a weekday morning show with bipartisan hosts that breaks the mold of morning TV by taking viewers inside the halls of Washington power like never before. The show leans into the day's political cycle with cutting edge analysis from DC insiders who can predict what is going to happen. It also sets the day's political agenda by breaking exclusive news with a team of scoop-driven reporters and demanding answers during interviews with the country's most important political newsmakers.  Follow Rising on social media: Website: Hill.TV Facebook: facebook.com/HillTVLive/ Instagram: @HillTVLive Twitter: @HillTVLive Follow Saagar Enjeti & Krystal Ball on social media: Twitter: @esaagar and @krystalball Instagram: @esaagar and @krystalmball




#TheJimmyDoreShow Anderson Cooper’s Roasting Of Vegas Mayor Reveals His Cowardice




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#JoeBiden #DropOutBiden #IBelieveTaraReade CNN Finally Covers Joe Biden Sexual Assault Allegation From Staffer Tara Reade





CNN Finally Covers Joe Biden Sexual Assault Allegation From Staffer Tara Reade Follow ThePoliClips on Twitter: https://twitter.com/THEPOLICLIPS #JoeBiden #DropOutBiden #IBelieveTaraReade








Our favorite media screw-ups w/ Katie Halper: Media dismisses Tara Reade, The View defends Pelosi




Krystal and Saagar look back at this week's media missteps with Host of The Katie Halper Show Podcast, Katie Halper. Highlights include the mainstream media's coverage of Tara Reade, and The View's defense of Nancy Pelosi's ice cream fiasco. About Rising:  Rising is a weekday morning show with bipartisan hosts that breaks the mold of morning TV by taking viewers inside the halls of Washington power like never before. The show leans into the day's political cycle with cutting edge analysis from DC insiders who can predict what is going to happen. It also sets the day's political agenda by breaking exclusive news with a team of scoop-driven reporters and demanding answers during interviews with the country's most important political newsmakers.  Follow Rising on social media: Website: Hill.TV Facebook: facebook.com/HillTVLive/ Instagram: @HillTVLive Twitter: @HillTVLive Follow Saagar Enjeti & Krystal Ball on social media: Twitter: @esaagar and @krystalball Instagram: @esaagar and @krystalmball








#IbelieveTara #DropOutBiden After New Tara Reade Evidence, Joe Biden MUST Drop Out



According to Ryan Grim from The Intercept, there is new evidence that Tara Reade's claims against Joe Biden are accurate. in 1993, Tara Reade's mother called into Larry King Live and recounted the basics of Tara Reade's story, proving some consistency of message from Reade over the nearly 30 years that have passed. Now we have the actual clip from the 1993 Larry King episode, and this is yet another piece of evidence that Joe Biden must drop out #IbelieveTara #DropOutBiden Support me on Patreon: https://patreon.com/ChristoAivalis Support me on PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme2/chri... For Christo Aivalis: Twitter: https://twitter.com/christoaivalis Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christoaival... Website: https://www.christoaivalis.com Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/christoaivalis1



MICHIGAN Old Larry King Episode: Tara Reade's Mother Corroborates Her Story From Beyond The Grave





The Progressive Michigander 4.25.20 Part 1 Something Big Ryan Grim broke another massive story about Tara Reade. After appearing on the Katie Halper Show where Ryan Grim mentioned that Tara Reade stated her mother had called in to the Larry King Show to ask about steps she could take short of going to the media, a viewer of the Katie Halper show sent him a link to a transcript. Tara confirmed that the transcript was her mother. After that, a right wing group published the video of Larry King's episode which they had because they maintain an archive of establishment media sources that they do not trust. This story confirms that Tara did tell her mother, friend, and brother at the time as she had said and as her brother and friend had confirmed to the press. It along with previous reporting by the New York Times where interns confirmed she was suddenly pulled away from supervising them, also clearly reveals that the Biden Senior Staffers Tara claimed she had went to about workplace harassment were lying when they denied that anything had ever happened. Those people and organizations who are endorsing Joe Biden should have to answer for whether they continue to endorse him in light of these accusations and whether they believe Tara. Works Used Ryan Grim "New Evidence Supporting Credibility of Tara Reade's Allegation Against Joe Biden Emerges" https://theintercept.com/2020/04/24/n... "Time's Up Said it Could Not Fund a #MeToo Allegation Against Joe Biden Citing Its Nonprofit Status and His Presidential Run" https://theintercept.com/2020/03/24/j... Katie Halper Episode with the interview of Ryan Grim which led to the finding of the Larry King Episode. https://soundcloud.com/katie-halper/t... Full Original Interview of Tara https://soundcloud.com/katie-halper/t... Snippet of Original Interview of Tara https://soundcloud.com/katie-halper/j... NPR Story used for Biden Campaign and Senior Staffer Quotes. https://www.npr.org/2020/04/19/837966... MRC NewsBusters- right wing cite with archived footage of CNN https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/...









Joe Biden May Go Down After All Over Tara Reade Claims | Tim Black




Joe Biden may be forced to answer for not only a history of bad policies but bad actions, maybe even criminal actions. ► Join Tim Black's WOLFPACK on YouTube TODAY: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjRX... ► Join Tim Black's Wolf Pack on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/join/TimsTake... ► In for the night? Watch Tim Black’s Political Comedy Special Now On Amazon Prime Video http://bitly.com/TBComedyYT ► Content Creator? Get $10 Off The Best Online Caption Creator Service. Use this link: https://www.rev.com/blog/coupon/?ref=... ► Follow Me on FB & Twitter at @RealTimBlack ► IMDB Credits: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7443375/ ►PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/TimBlack ►Grab Tim Black Gear: http://timblacktv.com/wolf-pack-merch/ ►Visit the official Tim Black Website: http://www.timblacktv.com ► Subscribe -https://www.youtube.com/user/timstake... ----------------------------------------­­­--------------------------------------­-­-­-






Joe Biden Sexual Assault Accuser Proven Truthful - Tara Reade Vindicated




Joe Biden is the presumable Democratic nomination for the upcoming election for the President of the United States. Tara Reade has made claims of sexual assault against Mr. Biden from back when she worked for his campaign is 1992 & 1993. Joe Biden claims these accusations are completely false and is a proponent of the "Me Too" movement. If these allegations are true, Mr. Biden has some serious explaining to do to his supporters and the law. One of Ms. Reade's major claims is that her mother went on Larry King's live television show back in 1993 and made the accusations. That clip has now surfaced and makes Ms. Reade's claims all that more honest. Please help me to continue bringing you videos by supporting my sponsor at the Hero Soap Company!!! https://hero-soap-company.myshopify.c... - **Enter Promo Code "BURG" for 10% off your order** Hero Soap is owned by veterans and gives a portion of their profits back to veterans and you get an awesome product in the process!!! Please visit my other videos and subscribe to my channel!!! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp7-... Contact Me: Twitter - https://twitter.com/MisterBurgandy?la... - @misterburgandy Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ronald.burga... Mr. Burgandy 2.0 - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq9g... Mr. Burgandy 3.0 - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCajd... Music Credits: "Come Out And Play" Creepy Music Box Royalty Free Music By: DesperateMeasurez@yahoo.com



















#TheJimmyDoreShow How Bernie & Squad Actually Support Corporate State. w/Chris Hedges




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Journalist Rich McHugh lays out allegations against Biden: 'She said he attacked her'




Journalist Rich McHugh appeared on Tucker Carlson's show Friday to discuss the latest in the case against Joe Biden.

Forest Service Coronavirus (Covid-19) Updates

From the US Forest Service:


An image and text of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)

The Forest Service is taking the risks presented by COVID-19 seriously and is following USDA and CDC public health guidance as we continue to offer services to the public. Visitors to our National Forests and Grasslands are urged to take the precautions recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). There are three official, government-wide sources of up-to-date information about the coronavirus: Coronavirus.gov, CDC.gov/coronavirus, and USA.gov/coronavirus.
Please read the Frequently Asked Questions below for answers to common questions. Visitors are encouraged to use the “Find your Forest and Grassland” feature on the left side of this page for quick and easy access to local forest and grassland office hours and information.

What can the public do to practice social distancing while recreating on National Forest System lands?
Visitors to our National Forests are urged to take the precautions recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). For tips from the CDC on preventing illnesses like the coronavirus, go to: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/prevention.html.

Can the public still visit visitor centers and other large gathering facilities?
In coordination with state and local health and safety guidelines, certain areas and facilities on National Forests are closed. Please check with your local forest for specific status updates. Recreation services at our facilities may be changed, suspended or offered through alternate approaches as we manage for the health and safety of our work force and the public. Agency direction tasks local managers to perform risk assessments of our facilities and limit congregations of people and person to person interactions.  Our decisions will align with local city, county and state actions to provide for human health and safety (i.e. quarantine, curfew, and other social restrictions).

Where can I purchase maps?
Hardcopy maps are available for purchase at  https://store.usgs.gov/maps

Will recreation sites and facilities stay open?
In coordination with state and local health and safety guidelines, certain areas and facilities on National Forests are closed. Please check with your local forest for specific status updates. Recreation services at our facilities may be changed, suspended or offered through alternate approaches as we manage for the health and safety of our work force and the public. Agency direction tasks local managers to perform risk assessments of our facilities and limit congregations of people and person to person interactions. Our decisions will align with local city, county and state actions to provide for human health and safety (ie. quarantine, curfew, and other social restrictions).

Can the public still make reservations through www.recreation.gov?
The Forest Service continues to monitor the COVID-19 situation and evaluate potential impacts and adjustments to reservations and our reservation policies through Recreation.gov. Reservation holders will be notified via email and/or cell phone text messages if there are any changes affecting their reservation. In the event of delayed openings of some, part or all of the campgrounds and cabins to ensure safe social distancing, visitors will receive a full refund for their reservation. Please remember to review current recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and focus on recreating safely while protecting yourself, Forest Service employees and our volunteers.

Will Forest Service work continue?
Our mission critical work, such as suppressing wildfires, law enforcement and other public service responsibilities, will continue within appropriate risk management strategies, current guidance of the Centers for Disease Control, and local health and safety guidelines. At this time, the Forest Service continues to remain operational, and we are committed to the continuity of our mission.
In areas of community spread where telework has been maximized, we are working to exercise our technology capabilities where possible to ensure connection and service to the public. Many activities, approvals, and field work will be accomplished remotely or in a manner that limits exposure.

Are you closing offices?
At this time, the Forest Service continues to remain open and operational, and we are committed to the continuity of our mission and our primary delivery of public service will occur through virtual means (ie. telephone and online service). In areas of community spread where telework has been maximized, we are working to exercise our technology capabilities where possible to ensure connection and service to the public. We are monitoring the situation closely, and we will make any necessary changes should the need arise.
Visitors are encouraged to contact their local forest or ranger district for the latest office hours and availability.

Are Forest Service meetings and travel canceled?
We have postponed or reschedule in person meetings as a result of evolving risks associated with COVID-19. At this time, the health and well-being of our employees and the people we serve are our top priority. We are working to exercise our technology capabilities where possible to ensure essential meetings can occur virtually. As always, we continue to monitor the situation closely and reschedule meetings as appropriate.

Are you under a travel pause?
Our work continues and offices remain open and operational except where we are adjusting operations to reduce exposure of person to person contact and large gatherings to reduce the risk of transmitting the virus. At the same time, the health and well-being of our employees and the people we serve are our top priority. We are carefully considering our employee travel and public event participation on a case-by-case basis with health and safety at the forefront of our decisions. As always, we will follow the lead of local and state health organizations and make any necessary changes should the need arise.

What will happen to current special-use permits?
Special Use Permits will remain valid and in effect. Monitoring work associated with permit administration may experience delays. Valid permits issued for uses that focus on customer service, such as ski resorts, organizational camps, club activities, etc. will remain in effect and operations will be under the discretion of the organization or individual holding the permit.

Will land exchange projects continue?
Land exchange projects will continue and may experience delays associated as the agency transitions to virtual delivery of mission work.

Will active mining projects continue to operate?
Plans of operations for active mining projects will continue. Administration of monitoring activities or processing minerals or mining requests may experience delays as employees try to do business in new ways.

Will timber and vegetation management projects continue?   
As appropriate within current department direction, field work will continue to focus on managing vegetation, restoring ecosystems, reducing hazards and maintaining forest health. Meetings will be limited to minimum levels necessary to complete tasks. Work will continue either in office or remote. 

What about non-essential operations related to research and data collection?
For non-essential operations and functions, field work (i.e. timber surveys, permit inspections, prescribed fire, scientific surveys and forest health monitoring) related to critical research and forest health may be impacted temporarily or permanently with loss in annual data collection. The severity of impact, the loss of data collection will depend upon the critical nature of the program and connections with customers.

Will administration of grazing permits continue?
Administration of current grazing (yearlong and winter grazing allotments for example) will continue. Allotment inspections may be delayed but will continue. Planning and other annual rotation adjustment meetings can continue to occur remotely or in accordance with CDC/OPM guidance.

How will the Forest Service respond to wildfires?
Our mission critical work, such as suppressing wildfires and other public service responsibilities, will continue within appropriate risk management strategies, current guidance of the Centers for Disease Control, and local health and safety guidelines. 

What will happen if a COVID-19 outbreak occurs among firefighters?
The USDA Forest Service and Department of the Interior are updating plans and responses for various disease outbreak scenarios in the United States, including the “Pandemic Response and Preparedness Plan for the Federal Wildland Fire Agencies,” and the “Infectious Diseases Guidelines for Wildland Fire Incident Management Teams.” These plans institute appropriate mitigation activities during wildland fire response actions to ensure national wildland fire response capability.

Are you considering how the smoke from your fires will contribute to weakened respiratory health at a time in which the coronavirus is a serious risk by itself?
Potential smoke impacts to the public are considered in all prescribed fire and wildfire management. As always, we will work in coordination with local and state health organizations and make any necessary changes should the need arise.

Has the USDA Forest Service paused its prescribed burning program in response to COVID-19 risks?
The USDA Forest Service has not issued agency-wide direction to pause all prescribed burning activity. The USDA Forest Service is taking a risk-informed approach to managing prescribed fire by evaluating the following factors: (1) the ability to maintain fire responder viability and sustainability; (2) potential smoke impacts to communities from prescribed fire and how that interacts with COVID-19 effects; and (3) the ability to use local resources so inter-state travel is not necessary. We will continue to adapt as the situation evolves and work in coordination with local and state health organizations.

How will the changes to USDA Forest Service prescribed fire operations affect the wildfire risk for the year?
The level of impact will depend on multiple factor, including the severity of the impact of COVID-19 across the country. Wildfire risk is greatly dependent on weather, so the actual risk from a wildfire could be higher or lower than average depending on the weather we experience this summer.

How is smoke being managed for prescribed fires that were lit prior to the regional pause?

Fire officials continue to monitor all ongoing prescribed fire projects. As always, we will continue to work in close coordination with local and state health organizations and make any necessary changes should the need arise.







NASA Contributes Expertise, Ingenuity to COVID-19 Fight

From NASA:

April 23, 2020
RELEASE 20-046


An employee works on the Aerospace Valley Positive Pressure Helmet,
NASA engineer Mike Buttigieg works on the Aerospace Valley Positive Pressure Helmet, a device that was successfully tested by doctors at Antelope Valley Hospital in California. The Spaceship Company began producing 500 this week and a request was submitted April 22 to the FDA for an emergency use authorization. NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California partnered with Antelope Valley Hospital, the City of Lancaster, Virgin Galactic, The Spaceship Company (TSC), Antelope Valley College and members of the Antelope Valley Task Force to solve possible shortages of critical medical equipment in the local community.
Credits: NASA

NASA has joined the fight against coronavirus (COVID-19) with efforts underway across the country to augment the national response, a few of which were highlighted in a media briefing today.

"NASA's strength has always been our ability and passion – collective and individual – for solving problems," said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. "All the work being done shows how NASA is uniquely equipped to aid in the federal response to coronavirus by leveraging the ingenuity of our workforce, mobilizing investments made in the U.S. space agency to combat this disease, and working with public and private partnerships to maximize results."


On April 1, NASA launched an agencywide call for ideas on its internal crowdsourcing platform NASA@WORK for how the agency can leverage its expertise and capabilities to help the nation with this unprecedented crisis. In just two weeks, 250 ideas were submitted, more than 500 comments were submitted, and more than 4,500 votes were cast.


In addition to the NASA@Work challenge, the agency workforce developed ideas and worked with partners to quickly respond to the health crisis within the last month. Agency efforts highlighted during the media briefing include:


VITAL Ventilator

Engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California designed a new high-pressure ventilator tailored specifically to treat COVID-19 patients. The device, called VITAL (Ventilator Intervention Technology Accessible Locally), passed a critical test on April 21 at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York – an epicenter of COVID-19 in the United States – and now is under review for an emergency use authorization by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).


VITAL is designed to treat patients with milder symptoms, thereby keeping the nation’s limited supply of traditional ventilators available for patients with more severe COVID-19 symptoms.

The device can be built faster and maintained more easily than a traditional ventilator, and is comprised of far fewer parts, making it more economical to produce. It was designed to use parts currently available to potential manufacturers but not compete with the existing supply chain of currently made ventilators.


Aerospace Valley Positive Pressure Helmet

NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California partnered with Antelope Valley Hospital, the City of Lancaster, Virgin Galactic, The Spaceship Company (TSC), Antelope Valley College and members of the Antelope Valley Task Force to solve possible shortages of critical medical equipment in the local community.


One of the task force’s first efforts was to build an oxygen helmet to treat COVID-19 patients exhibiting minor symptoms and minimize the need for those patients to use ventilators. The device functions like a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine to force oxygen into a patient’s low-functioning lungs.


Called the Aerospace Valley Positive Pressure Helmet, the device was successfully tested by doctors at Antelope Valley Hospital. The Spaceship Company began producing 500 this week and a request was submitted April 22 to the FDA for an emergency use authorization.


Surface Decontamination System

Through its Regional Economic Development Program, engineers at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Ohio partnered with Ohio company Emergency Products and Research in 2015 to guide the development and production of a small, portable, and economical device that decontaminates spaces such as ambulances in under an hour and at a fraction of the cost of systems currently in use. AMBUStat is being used in police cars and other areas killing airborne and surface particles of viruses. Now NASA is conducting additional research to continue to maximize the effectiveness of this device on COVID-19.


NASA’s legacy of human space exploration, research and technology development has yielded countless innovations that prove the direct and profound impact of taxpayer investment in America’s space program on our quality of life on Earth, including improved technologies for water purification, air filtration, kidney dialysis and tele-medicine, as well as research that has led to improved vaccines, drug therapies, and mitigations for bone loss. We can only speculate as to the breadth of transformative benefits that will come from America’s return to the Moon through NASA’s Artemis program and our efforts to put the first humans on Mars.


For more information about NASA’s efforts, visit:



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Bettina Inclán / Matthew Rydin / Karen Northon

Headquarters, Washington

202-358-1600 / 202-603-7522 /202-358-1540

bettina.inclan@nasa.gov / matthew.m.rydin@nasa.gov / karen.northon@nasa.gov










Friday, April 24, 2020

How Ya Gonna Pay For It? Stop Giving Money to Israel.

Did you know that the U.S. government has done something odd with your tax dollars? The ones you get so furious and indignant about when they’re used to feed anybody who’s hungry? It has given over 280 billion of those dollars to the government of Israel (not counting classified hush-hush super-secret amounts).
Israel is not a poor country. It is certainly not the poorest in the world. Why is it the top recipient of “aid.”
It isn’t. Its military is. Most of those billions of dollars are for weapons, and most of those weapons have to be bought from U.S. weapons dealers — you know, the ones crammed into close quarters risking the spread of a deadly disease because their jobs have been deemed “essential.”
Economists tell us that military spending reduces jobs, that you get more jobs by never taxing the money, or by taxing it and spending it on anything else. That has to be even more strongly true when funneling the money through a foreign military. So, this scheme is the opposite of a domestic jobs program. It also has some surprising corrupting influences on U.S. state governments, which themselves pile more billions onto the mountain of free loot for the Israeli military.
A new book by Grant Smith called “The Israel Lobby Enters State Government: Rise of The Virginia Israel Advisory Board,” recounts how the state of Virginia has created a state agency called the Virginia Israel Advisory Board which uses state funds to launch Israeli companies in Virginia at the expense of Virginia companies in Virginia, while boosting Israeli imports to Virginia, and — last but not least — enriching its members with state funds. Oh, and also “attempting to insert Israeli government propaganda into the curriculum in the K-12 system” of Virginia schools at public expense.
It’s not all weapons. Have you ever bought Sabra hummus? You can’t answer no if you’ve paid taxes in Virginia.
Well, one might ask, (as is perhaps implicitly asked by the silence of Virginia media outlets) what’s so wrong in a completely corrupt political ecosystem with spreading a bit of the corruption to Israel as a sort of 51st state? After all, there was a Holocaust 75 years ago, and there were fascists chanting about Jews in Charlottesville 3 years ago. Surely worrying about corruption only when Israel gets in on it is Antisemitic just as worrying about Trump’s worldwide corruption only when Russians are involved is Russophobic.
I have 10 responses to that.
1) I worry about all corruption everywhere, oppose giving free weapons to any country on earth, and just wrote a book highlighting 20 of the worst governments armed and trained by the U.S. military. Israel wasn’t in that list by virtue of not technically being a dictatorship. No other nation is in this list because no other nation gets the deal from the U.S. and Virginia that Israel does.
2) Some of the motivations for arming Israel with money that’s desperately required for human and environmental needs are a lot crazier than misguided anti-Antisemitism. They involve Islamophobia, militaristic madness, and magical schemes to bring back Jesus at the expense of destroying the world — including destroying you, dear reader.
3) As Grant Smith points out, “Under the Symington and Glenn amendments now incorporated into the Arms Export Control Act, no U.S. president knowing about Israel’s nukes is supposed to approve aid transfers, absent specifically issued waivers. Rather than comply with the law, presidents pretend they don’t know Israel has nukes and issue agency wide gag orders threatening any government employee who talks about it.”
4) Israel uses its weapons for horrific wars against the trapped and brutalized people of illegally occupied territories.
5) Israel uses its weapons to enforce a vicious Apartheid state.
6) Israel uses its weapons to train U.S. police departments in how to treat the U.S. public as a wartime enemy.
7) Israel pushes the United States toward illegal, murderous, catastrophic wars and programs of sanctions.
8) The United States is already too big and doesn’t need another state from thousands of miles away that gets the privileges without the responsibilities of inclusion in the federal system.
9) The United States has colonies in the Caribbean and the Pacific and Washington D.C. that should be given priority as 51st state.
10) Global unity and survival come through cooperation among all nations, not the imperial expansion of one.

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David Swanson is an author, activist, journalist, and radio host. He is executive director of WorldBeyondWar.org and campaign coordinator for RootsAction.org. Swanson's books include War Is A Lie. He blogs at DavidSwanson.org and WarIsACrime.org. He hosts Talk Nation Radio. He is a 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 Nobel Peace Prize Nominee.
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