| #JustWearScrubs: GOP chairwoman tells anti-lockdown protesters to impersonate health care workers Posted: 27 Apr 2020 11:37 AM PDT  Dr. Kelli Ward, chairwoman of the Arizona Republican Party, is urging would-be demonstrators at rallies against social restrictions to wear personal protective equipment to punk the press.
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| Trump says he knows about Kim Jong Un's health 'but I can't talk about it now' Posted: 27 Apr 2020 04:43 PM PDT  President Trump was asked about the widespread speculation surrounding the health of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a White House news conference on coronavirus on Monday. Trump suggested he knew "exactly" how Kim is doing, but declined to reveal that information.
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| Andrew Cuomo wishes he had 'blown the bugle' on coronavirus earlier Posted: 28 Apr 2020 06:22 AM PDT  New York governor discussed US reactions to first news of the outbreak from China in interview with Axios on HBO * Coronavirus – live US updates * Live global updates * See all our coronavirus coverageNew York's governor, Andrew Cuomo, has said he wishes he had "blown the bugle" about Covid-19 earlier.According to figures from Johns Hopkins University, New York state has confirmed more than 290,000 coronavirus cases and approaching 23,000 deaths. Countries such as France, Italy and Spain have recorded more deaths but not by much, and New York City alone has the fifth-highest death total in the world, with the UK in fourth.Speaking to Axios on HBO, Cuomo discussed US reactions to the first news of the outbreak, from China in December."When we heard in December that China had a virus problem," he said, "and China said basically, 'It was under control, don't worry,' we should've worried."When China says, 'Don't worry, I have a fire in my backyard,' you don't hang up the phone and go back to sleep, right? You get out of your house and you walk two houses over to make sure I have the fire under control. Where was every other country walking out of their home to make sure China had it under control?"Cuomo added: "I wish someone stood up and blew the bugle. And if no one was going to blow the bugle, I would feel much better if I was a bugle blower last December and January … I would feel better sitting here today saying, 'I blew the bugle about Wuhan province in January.' I can't say that."Cuomo's handling of the outbreak has nonetheless met with widespread approval, even fueling talk of an unlikely presidential run – speculation he has consistently turned down.The governor has given daily media briefings widely praised and contrasted with those delivered by Donald Trump at the White House, and demonstrated a grip on governance of his state that has kept it on lockdown while he manages its often fractious relationship with the federal government.Still, questions are increasingly being asked about whether New York's heavy death toll might have been avoided.Cuomo first voiced fears the New York healthcare system would be overwhelmed but that has not turned out to be so."I don't think New Yorkers feel or Americans feel that government failed them here," Cuomo said. "I think they feel good about what government has done … their healthcare system did respond. This was not Italy, with all due respect … There were not people in hallways who didn't get healthcare treatment."Cuomo also said he thought the US would be better prepared for the next such public health crisis."This will change society," he said. "Society will not allow this to happen again. They will want to be more prepared. They will want to move more quickly. And government will follow that social instinct."Cuomo is now considering how to reopen the state economy, a process he has indicated will be done in stages.
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| Possible link between COVID-19 and rare illness in children Posted: 28 Apr 2020 01:11 PM PDT  British doctors raised alarms about Kawasaki disease after a number of children diagnosed with COVID-19 died despite having no underlying health issues, according to a U.K. official.
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| Catholic Church angry after Italian government refuses to lift ban on religious services Posted: 27 Apr 2020 06:29 AM PDT  The Catholic Church in Italy is angry over the government's refusal to allow the faithful to attend religious services, as the country edges towards a cautious relaxation of coronavirus lockdown rules. Under a new decree announced on Sunday night by the prime minister, businesses, factories and building sites will be allowed to restart on May 4 and people will be allowed out of their homes to exercise. Public parks will be reopened and children will be allowed out for fresh air and exercise, Giuseppe Conte said. But the government said churches and cathedrals would remain closed to congregations because there remained a high risk of the virus being spread. Elderly people are particularly vulnerable to Covid-19 and make up a high proportion of Italy's dwindling churchgoers. "I understand that freedom of worship is a fundamental people's right," the prime minister said. "I understand your suffering. But we must continue discussing this further with the scientific committee." The Italian Bishops' Conference accused the government of "arbitrarily" compromising religious freedom. The decree also exposed divisions within the government, with some ministers calling for congregations to be allowed to return to churches. "So, we can safely visit a museum but we can't celebrate a religious service? This decision is incomprehensible. It must be changed," tweeted Elena Bonetti, the equal opportunities minister. Catholic leaders said the Church was working hard to alleviate the suffering of the poor and the marginalised during the coronavirus emergency. "It should be clear to all that the commitment to serving the poor, [which is] so significant in this emergency, stems from a faith that must be nourished at its source, especially the sacramental life", the bishops' conference said.
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| El Salvador gangs: 'No ray of sunlight for inmates' Posted: 28 Apr 2020 03:56 AM PDT  El Salvador, already criticised by rights groups, cracks down further on imprisoned gang members.
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| Police: Palestinian stabs Israeli woman, is shot by witness Posted: 28 Apr 2020 04:44 AM PDT  A Palestinian teenager stabbed an Israeli woman on Tuesday before being shot and wounded by a bystander, Israeli police said. The attack came on Israel's Memorial Day, when the country mourns those killed in wars and militant attacks. Israelis usually mark the occasion by visiting the graves of loved ones, but military cemeteries are closed this year and small ceremonies are being held without attendees as part of efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
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| Prague mayor under protection after reports of Russian plot Posted: 27 Apr 2020 05:18 PM PDT  Prague's mayor said on Monday that he was under police protection, but stopped short of confirming Czech media reports that he had been targeted by Russia for removing a statue of a Soviet war hero. Zdenek Hrib clashed with Moscow earlier this month after he oversaw the removal of a controversial Cold War-era statue dedicated to Soviet general Ivan Konev, a move Russian diplomats called an "unfriendly" act of "vandalism by unhinged municipal representatives."
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| Canceling a cruise due to coronavirus? Here’s a list of updated policies Posted: 28 Apr 2020 07:57 AM PDT  Following the COVID-19 outbreak, cruise lines like Disney, Norwegian and Viking are implementing strict travel restrictions to protect passengers and crew members.
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| Trump claims 'very good experts' told him the coronavirus 'would never affect' the US, despite multiple officials publicly warning of an impending outbreak Posted: 28 Apr 2020 02:31 PM PDT  It's unclear which experts he was referring to; public-health officials warned early on of a US outbreak that would severely disrupt daily life.
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| German doctors are nakedly protesting PPE shortages to show how vulnerable they are without protection Posted: 28 Apr 2020 03:59 PM PDT  One of the doctors, named Ruben Bernau, told a German magazine for doctors: "The nudity is a symbol of how vulnerable we are without protection."
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| McConnell to Move Quickly on Confirming His 38-Year-Old Protégé to the Bench Posted: 27 Apr 2020 03:50 PM PDT  When the U.S. Senate returns from a lengthy absence next week, one of its first orders of business will be advancing the nomination of a 38-year-old ally of Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to the second highest court in the land. According to two Democratic aides, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is expected to schedule a committee hearing for May 6 for Justin Walker, a federal judge in Kentucky whom President Trump has nominated to the influential D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. McConnell announced on Monday that the Senate would return to session on May 4 for its first full week of legislative business after the CARES Act passed in late March. And he has not been shy about his desire to start confirming judges as soon as his chamber is back in session. "I haven't seen anything that would discourage me from doing that. And as soon as we get back in session, we'll start confirming judges again," he told Hugh Hewitt in a recent interview. McConnell's office had no comment. Graham's office did not return a request for comment. Mitch McConnell Turned the Courts Conservative—and Democrats Helped HimWalker is a McConnell protégé who has close ties to Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and played a high-profile role defending him during his contentious confirmation hearings. Walker moved up the ranks of conservative legal circles before landing a judgeship on the United States District Court of the Western District of Kentucky. There, his record has been distinguished by conservative jurisprudence and a flair for unorthodox rulings. "On Holy Thursday, an American mayor criminalized the communal celebration of Easter," Walker wrote in ruling against ordinances restricting attendance at religious services do to the coronavirus pandemic, "that sentence is one that this Court never expected to see outside the pages of a dystopian novel, or perhaps the pages of The Onion."Walker's lack of experience and partisan background has earned him "not qualified" ratings from the American Bar Association and the opposition of Democrats, who see his nomination as a thinly veiled attempt to place young ideological allies in key judicial positions. "If Graham/McConnell go forward with this, it would show that Senate Rs are rushing the Senate back to confirm an unqualified, anti-health care judge instead of responding to the pandemic and conducting oversight," said a Senate Democratic aide.McConnell and Kavanaugh attended Walker's swearing-in on March 13 in Louisville. There, the majority leader and Walker, his former intern, praised each other effusively in public remarks.In his Monday announcement on the May 4 return, McConnell said the Senate "must focus on concrete steps to strengthen our response to this complex crisis," adding that lawmakers "cannot get distracted by pre-existing partisan wish-lists."Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Resettled Cambodian refugees still vulnerable to deportation Posted: 27 Apr 2020 01:21 PM PDT  As the U.S. commemorates the 45th anniversary of the refugee group's arrival, Southeast Asian American refugees still face hardships.
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| Driver who rammed Paris police pledged allegiance to Islamic State: prosecutor Posted: 28 Apr 2020 06:20 AM PDT |
| What is behind Nigeria's unexplained deaths in Kano? Posted: 28 Apr 2020 03:50 AM PDT  The authorities look at whether an apparent spike in deaths in the north is down to coronavirus.
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| The Supreme Court has thrown out major gun rights case Posted: 27 Apr 2020 01:20 PM PDT  The Supreme Court sidestepped a major decision on gun rights Monday in a dispute over New York City's former ban on transporting guns.
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| North Korea's Kim 'alive and well': Seoul Posted: 26 Apr 2020 11:13 PM PDT  Conjecture over Kim has grown since his conspicuous no-show at April 15 celebrations for the birthday of his grandfather Kim Il Sung, the North's founder -- the most important day in the country's political calendar. "Our government position is firm," said Moon's special adviser on national security Moon Chung-in, in an interview with CNN on Sunday. "Kim Jong Un is alive and well."
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| Retired Republican Senator Jeff Flake will vote for Biden over Trump and says GOP needs 'a sound defeat' in 2020 election Posted: 28 Apr 2020 12:12 PM PDT  Retired Republican Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona will not be voting for Donald Trump this November. No, he'll be voting for a Democrat for president for the first time in his life."This won't be the first time I've voted for a Democrat — though not for president [before]. Last time I voted for a third-party candidate. ... But I will not vote for Donald Trump," Mr Flake said in an interview with The Washington Post.
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| US coronavirus models increase anticipated death toll to 74,000, the second increase in a week as states begin to lift stay-at-home orders Posted: 27 Apr 2020 08:16 PM PDT  "If it looks like you're overreacting, you're probably doing the right thing," Anthony Fauci told CBS.
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| The big lie in 'Tiger King' and the truth about Carole Baskin Posted: 27 Apr 2020 10:22 AM PDT  "Tiger King" unfairly depicts Big Cat Rescue and Carole Baskin as keeping animals in inhumane enclosures, while Baskin gets rich off tourists.
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| China's new 'rule of law' in Hong Kong sets stage for new protests Posted: 28 Apr 2020 05:56 PM PDT  China's interpretation of the 'rule of law' governing Hong Kong is likely to further incite protesters following the arrest of activists.
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| OSHA Complaints Flood in From COVID-19 Frontline Health Workers Posted: 28 Apr 2020 10:49 AM PDT  Health-care workers and public employees in 10 states filed 40 complaints with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration on Tuesday, claiming employers failed to protect them on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic. The deluge suggests that even if the dangerous shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) shows signs of abating, disputes between hospitals and their employees may just be getting started.At least 35 registered nurses at Steward Hillside Rehabilitation Hospital in Warren, Ohio are in "imminent danger" of infection and serious illness in two patient care units, where at least two nurses contracted confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19, according to one of the complaints. That complaint also claims management at the hospital "failed to conduct risk assessments to assess when respiratory or other PPE is needed, resulting in staff exposures.""We deserve to be safe at work so we can do our job caring for patients, but the hospital failed me, my coworkers and the community," Nara Owens, a nurse at the hospital who claims she contracted the virus through one of those alleged failures, said in a statement from the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). The union spearheaded the mass filing in conjunction with locals, and several of the complaints were provided exclusively to The Daily Beast.Hospital management also allegedly "threatened to retaliate against workers for using or sharing PPE from outside sources," though some N95 masks were provided by the local leadership of the Ohio Nurses Association, the complaint claims."The safety of our patients and employees is always our top priority," said a spokesperson for Hillside, in a statement. "The clinical team caring for COVID-19 patients have all volunteered to do so. At all times, our volunteers have been provided proper—and authenticated—personal protective equipment, including masks, gowns, face shields, goggles, gloves and shoe covers, to safely and responsibly care for patients while protecting themselves."The statement added that all of those volunteers have been educated, trained, and FIT tested on how to properly use personal protective equipment."All patients are screened, temperature checked and masked upon admission," the statement continued. "Our staff are screened upon arrival every day and instructed to self-monitor their temperatures throughout the day. We continue to follow the guidelines established by the CDC."Pence Lied, Americans Are Dying, and Trump Is SneeringThe American Federation of Teachers' health-care division represents more than 112,000 health professionals, more than half of whom are registered nurses. The outbreaks in states where the complaints have been filed—New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Ohio, Wisconsin, Montana, Oregon, Alaska, Maryland, and West Virginia—have ravaged communities, flooded hospitals, and infected everyone from frontline workers to their families. Meanwhile, a national PPE crisis and overwhelming patient load has seen nurses across the country file civil lawsuits demanding more protection, calling the facilities where they work a "war zone," and even holding walkouts and sit-ins.In another complaint against Backus Hospital in Connecticut, Sherri Dayton, an emergency nurse, wrote that the hospital "is not providing healthcare workers with N95s when coming into close contact with suspected and confirmed COVID patients," who themselves are not made to wear surgical masks. "The hospital has surgical masks for every patient, but is not requiring patients to wear them in the room," wrote Dayton. "The hospital also has N95s but is not giving them to employees who are caring for unmasked patients."In a statement, Dayton called the complaint "an example" she felt compelled to set after "my employer forced me to crisis ration masks and gowns."In response to Dayton's complaint, Dr. Ajay Kumar, Chief Clinical Officer of Hartford HealthCare—which runs the hospital—said that "safety is of paramount importance" to the facility. "Hartford HealthCare provides staff with personal protective equipment, or PPE, to keep them safe and our patients safe," said Kumar. "All employees have masks, and N95 respirators. They are used consistent with or better than CDC guidelines. While we are confident in our current preparedness and work every day to secure PPE for the future, there is a worldwide shortage of PPE. In order to protect colleagues now and into the future, we are asking everyone in our organization to be disciplined, but always safe, in the use of PPE."Along with the mass filing, the AFT and its affiliated unions launched a petition on Tuesday demanding OSHA issue an emergency temporary standard to protect healthcare workers from infectious diseases like the novel coronavirus. The agency has reportedly begun "massive" inspection efforts following a directive on April 13 placing increased priority on COVID-19 and other pandemic-related inspections at medical facilities.A Nurse's Texts Lay Bare the Coronavirus Horror at Nursing Homes"It is unconscionable that employees still have to work with defective equipment at this late date in a global pandemic," said Debbie White, a registered nurse and president of Health Professionals and Allied Employees in New Jersey, an AFT-affiliated union, which filed complaints on behalf of employees at Hackensack Meridian Health's Palisades Medical Center in New Jersey and at the long term care facility attached to the hospital, called The Harborage."Health care workers need to be able to work safely without fear of contracting the virus and transmitting it to other patients, coworkers, or their families," said White. "They must have genuine N95 respirators and must be fit-tested for those respirators to ensure there's a seal of the mask around their faces. If it's not sealed, it's not safe."Dr. Anthony Passannante, the chief hospital executive at Palisades Medical Center, said in a statement on Tuesday that its policies and procedures, which are "in place to protect our team members and patients" are "all in accordance with CDC guidelines." "The current global health care crisis does not negate their importance," said Passannante. "Our priorities are to provide a safe work environment for our team members so they can provide the best possible care for our patients."Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Coronavirus: What African countries are doing to help people to eat amid the lockdowns Posted: 28 Apr 2020 03:28 AM PDT  What African countries are doing to help people to eat amid the lockdowns.
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| China accuses U.S. of 'barefaced lies' about coronavirus response Posted: 28 Apr 2020 07:50 AM PDT  China thinks the U.S. should start looking at its own coronavirus response before taking the blame overseas.U.S. politicians, particularly Republicans, have repeatedly blamed China's government for an allegedly botched response to the COVID-19 crisis, with President Trump saying Monday he'd consider billing China for damages. Beijing responded Tuesday to accuse those politicians of "telling barefaced lies" in an attempt to "shirk their responsibility" for their own sub-par response."American politicians have repeatedly ignored the truth and have been telling barefaced lies," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Tuesday at a press briefing. "They have only one objective: shirk their responsibility for their own poor epidemic prevention and control measures, and divert public attention."A reporter on Monday told Trump "Germany sent a bill to China ... for the damages caused by the coronavirus," though the 130 billion euro charge was actually drawn up by a German newspaper. "We are looking at things," Trump responded, saying "we are talking about a lot more money than Germany's talking about."China had previously admitted to "shortcomings and deficiencies" in its coronavirus response, but that was months ago, before the disease had majorly spread in the U.S.More stories from theweek.com Scientists are perplexed by the low rate of coronavirus hospitalizations among smokers. Nicotine may hold the answer. Biggest mall owner in U.S. reportedly preparing to reopen 49 properties over the weekend How Democrats blew up MeToo
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| Supreme Court tells U.S. government to pay insurers $12 billion under Obamacare Posted: 27 Apr 2020 07:12 AM PDT  The federal government must "honor its obligations" and pay private insurers $12 billion owed to them under an Obamacare provision aimed at encouraging them to offer medical coverage to uninsured Americans, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Monday. The 8-1 ruling authored by liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor paves the way for a significant one-time cash infusion for major companies such as Humana Inc, Anthem Inc and Centene Corp. The justices reversed a lower court's ruling that Congress had suspended the government's obligation to make such payments under the Affordable Care Act, widely known as Obamacare.
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| The CDC is urging Americans to avoid domestic travel because of the coronavirus. Here's what the US government's latest travel warnings mean for you. Posted: 28 Apr 2020 01:42 PM PDT  The CDC has warned Americans to avoid all nonessential travel within the US because of the coronavirus. Here are the CDC's updated guidelines.
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| Bill De Blasio Appoints Wife as Co-Chair of Coronavirus Racial Inequality Task Force Posted: 27 Apr 2020 07:04 AM PDT  New York mayor Bill de Blasio on Sunday announced that he would appoint First Lady Chirlane McCray as co-chair of a task force on coronavirus racial inequality.De Blasio will form the "Task Force on Racial Inclusion and Equity" as part of the city's plan to reopen businesses that have been closed during the pandemic. Many of New York's poorest zip codes have been disproportionately affected by the coronavirus, with black and Hispanic patients dying at higher rates than white residents."The economic and racial disparities that have been made so clear by this crisis, we knew about them before," de Blasio, who was elected mayor six years ago, said at a press conference. "A powerful, painful exclamation point has been put on them by this crisis."McCray's appointment to the task force has raised eyebrows amid rumors that she is planning a run for the presidency of New York's Brooklyn borough."This is political. I wish de Blasio would stop doing this," City Councilman Robert Holden (D., Queens) told the New York Post. "Let her win the Brooklyn borough presidency on her own merits."McCray has presided over ThriveNYC, an initiative designed to improve the city's mental health care, which has spent over $1 billion since its founding in 2015. Between 2015 and 2018, the number of police complaints in the city involving mentally disturbed people rose 23 percent, and the number of mentally ill homeless individuals rose by over 2,000 over the same period.
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| Italians in revolt over slow pace of lockdown easing as government takes cautious approach Posted: 28 Apr 2020 05:14 AM PDT  Italians are in revolt over the government's cautious lockdown exit strategy, with the mayor of Venice saying the World Heritage city is a "social bomb" ready to explode with anger and frustration. Italy has been under draconian restrictions since March 9 in Europe's longest coronavirus lockdown, and the strain is beginning to tell for millions of people as the nation's death tolls climbs above 27,000. The collapse of tourism has brought the lagoon city to its knees, said Luigi Brugnaro, a businessman who has been Venice's mayor for the last five years. "We're unfortunately facing a social bomb which is already primed. People are tired and angry and we are struggling to hold it together," he said.
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| A Former VA Secretary Volunteered to Return As a Doctor. No One’s Called Him Back Posted: 28 Apr 2020 11:26 AM PDT  After the VA announced it was seeking retired health care workers to return to duty, Shulkin threw his hat in the ring.
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| South Korean official says Kim Jong Un may be avoiding public due to 'coronavirus concerns' Posted: 28 Apr 2020 07:19 AM PDT  South Korean Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul said Kim's absence was not "particularly unusual" in the context of the coronavirus pandemic.
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| Coronavirus: Mike Pence flouts rule on masks at hospital Posted: 28 Apr 2020 05:49 PM PDT  In a deleted tweet, the Mayo Clinic said the US vice-president had been told of their mask rules.
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| Trump says he expects to see a 'lot of schools' open up Posted: 27 Apr 2020 04:23 PM PDT  President Donald Trump said Monday he expects to see a "lot" of US schools reopen after being shut down by the coronavirus pandemic. "Many (state governors) are thinking about their school system," Trump said at a daily White House briefing. "Not a long way to go in the school system right now, for this season, for this year, but I think you'll see a lot of schools open up," he said.
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| Germans urged to stay home as coronavirus infection rate edges back up Posted: 28 Apr 2020 01:18 AM PDT  Germany's coronavirus infection rate has edged up from earlier this month and people should stay at home as much as they can despite a lockdown relaxation last week, the head of the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases said on Tuesday. The virus reproduction rate, dubbed 'R', is now at 1.0 in Germany, said Lothar Wieler, president of the Robert Koch Institute. The education ministers of Germany's 16 federal states agreed on Tuesday that schools across the country would slowly reopen classes for all grades until the summer holidays, although pupils would have to work and learn in smaller groups.
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| Bill Gates thinks the global shift towards nationalism made the coronavirus response worse Posted: 27 Apr 2020 02:38 AM PDT  "Very few people get an A in terms of what they've done in this situation," Gates said in an interview with The Times.
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| Islamic Terrorists Confront Coronavirus Posted: 28 Apr 2020 03:30 AM PDT  NRPLUS MEMBER ARTICLE J ihadi leaders are telling their militants that the coronavirus is their friend, a fellow soldier of Allah, and that is good news for us. With a bit of luck, these lunatics will forego any health precautions, and there won't be any respirators available for them when that soldier of Allah comes to take them to paradise. Jihad magazines are now calling on their lone wolves to take advantage of this crisis and attack the West, pointing to places such as Paris, London, Brussels and Chicago. And it certainly is an excellent time for them to attack, especially if they choose self-immolation: My advice would be to do so in stadiums, nightclubs, or large venues, before the end of this mandatory confinement. I have spent the last few days monitoring radical messages for this article, and I suspect that this viral-jihadist plan might have some gaps in it, but I can't quite put my finger on them. From the point of view of a freedom-loving Westerner and enemy to scum in general, it seems like a perfect plan."The last thing [the Crusaders] want is for the horrible pandemic experience to coincide with attacks on their countries," they say in their pamphlets. ("The Crusaders" are you and I.) "America, France, Britain, and other countries are rechanneling their armed forces towards fighting the virus," they celebrate, claiming that this keeps them from concentrating on their anti-jihadi surveillance. As I read their propaganda, I receive a message on my cell phone from a source in the police: "One of Europe's most wanted jihadists has just been arrested in Almeria [southern Spain]. He was wearing a mask to hide his identity from the police!" I light a cigar, smiling like Hannibal Smith.The terrorist arrested in Spain is Abdel Majed. He is a former British rapper. After listening to some of his music, I wonder if perhaps he should have faced execution long before he decided to leave everything to go to Syria and join Islamic State (or at least a ban on public performance). There, he became infamous for posting gruesome images on Twitter of him holding the heads of decapitated hostages. This led the police to wrongly suspect, for a time, that he might be Jihadi John, the bloodthirsty individual who became notorious for his video of the disgusting murder of American journalist James Foley. Abdel Majed had arrived in Spain ten days ago. In a demonstration of state forces being "very distracted" by coronavirus, as Islamist leaders suggest, about 20 police officers armed to the teeth raided Abdel Majed's house in the early hours of the morning, arresting him without having to fire a single shot.For the most part, both Al Qaeda and Islamic state are convincing their terrorists that the coronavirus is Allah's punishment for infidels, inferring that the faithful are not harmed. Within this trend, there are two lines of theological discourse: one, more cautious, which points out that although it does not harm jihadists, "it is better to wash your hands," and another, more seductive from our point of view, that insists the coronavirus "is a friend of the jihad" and that, in the worst case, pneumonia is nothing more than a passport to paradise.As usual, these diatribes of jihadi leaders are the product of relentless predicating from radical clerics. On April 8th, the Egyptian "scholar" Mohammed Al-Hefnawi Al-Ansari posted a video on YouTube where, overjoyed, he signaled the way forward for the more ominous of his viewers. "Thank you coronavirus," he said, "by order of Allah, who has imposed this plague on us, the coronavirus has managed to close all the pubs." And he added with evident enthusiasm: "The coronavirus has closed the pubs and has banned bongs and cigarettes. Thank you coronavirus!" A guy who is happy about a pandemic that has killed nearly 200,000 people worldwide is, by definition, a bad person. But if he also celebrates that the bars have had to close, personally, and as a Spaniard, I consider Al-Ansari to be the damned offspring of a hyena.It is easier to sympathize with what a Canadian cleric, I think his name is Younus, said to his disciples. This Islamist leader claims that mingling with non-Muslims is "more dangerous than the coronavirus." This idea is interesting for two reasons: On the one hand, it could keep the jihadists away from us, which is exactly what we want, and on the other hand, it could keep the terrorists close to the coronavirus, which won't keep us awake at night either.Encouraged by such messages, a radical Islamist claimed that, thanks to the popularization of the mask, Europeans and Americans are finally discovering the benefits of the burqa. Meanwhile, in another forum, an enthusiastic Islamist writes a long message in which he repeats the same statement over and over again: "Muslims don't kill, they infect. That's only for infidels!" Brilliant. A definite candidate for the Darwin Awards 2020. The best thing is that there are hundreds like him all over the various forums and social networks.Far from our borders, in Iraq, Islamic State terrorists are taking advantage of the pandemic to intensify their attacks, especially against security forces, due to the fact that they are "distracted" in streets and town squares forcing civilians to respect the confinement. In Tunisia, two Islamists were arrested last week on charges of attempting to infect the police with coronavirus. The first of these masterminds hatched his brilliant plan and spread it among his followers. The second, who was already under police surveillance, was instructed to cough like crazy every time he visited the police station, so as to spread the virus. He was arrested for being unhygienic but ended up going to jail for jihadi terrorism.I stumbled across a prayer to Allah, written by a lunatic imam, asking the Almighty to annihilate all the infidels with the coronavirus, causing them as much pain as possible, and to protect the Muslims from the virus. Contrast that plea with another prayer that has also accidentally fallen into my hands, from European bishops, in which the faithful are invited to pray for an end to the pandemic and for the healing of all affected people in all countries of the world. All of this just reminds me that, when this pandemic is over, the cultural battle in the West will continue to live on. It's important to remember which side we want to be on.
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| Jewish history explains why some ultra-Orthodox communities defy coronavirus restrictions Posted: 27 Apr 2020 05:09 AM PDT  Most prominent rabbis around the world support government health regulations intended to curb the spread of coronavirus, even if it means closing places of study and worship. But some observant Jewish communities in the United States and Israel were slow to adopt social distancing. The leader of a strictly observant Jewish community in New York instructed his followers to continue collective study and prayer well into March, though COVID-19 had already killed thousands in the state. In Israel, residents of one observant Jewish neighborhood reacted with defiance – even violence – to the country's strict social distancing regulations.Outsiders are often outraged when religious communities defy government regulations meant to protect the general public. But the situation in strictly observant Jewish communities is more complicated than simply flouting the rules. As an anthropologist who studies religion, politics, identity and conflict in Israel and Palestine, my research helps explain why some religious groups might disobey public health guidelines. Who are Haredi Jews?Ultra-Orthodox, or Haredi Jewish communities, are a diverse population, with varying spiritual and cultural practices. But they all follow Halacha, loosely translated as Jewish law. As such, many do not share the same information sources that others take for granted. In accordance with the rulings of their rabbis, internet access, television broadcasts and certain cellphone functions are generally limited in strictly observant Jewish communities. Maintaining their closeness to God by distancing themselves from the secular world prevented many Haredim from seeing news reports of the virus spreading worldwide in February and March. Some Haredi leaders maintained that gathering to pray and study remained paramount. Studying the Hebrew scriptures, or Torah, is a commandment and a duty in Judaism. Haredi men generally gather to pray three times daily. Students at yeshivas, or Jewish seminaries, may spend 18 hours a day studying together. More than a way of life, prayer and study are the means for protecting life itself. According to Jewish sages, "One who engages in Torah study also protects the entire world." Indeed, "without Torah the world falls." The importance of engaging with the Torah explains why one prominent rabbi in Israel insisted even in March that "canceling Torah study is more dangerous than the coronavirus."Ultimately, the Israeli government intervened to enforce its coronavirus restrictions. On March 22, police were sent into Me'a She'arim, a Haredi neighborhood in Jerusalem, to end public gatherings, close synagogues and shutter schools. They were met with curses, slurs and thrown stones. Some Haredim even called the Israeli police "Nazis." Collective memoryWhile such responses might seem extreme to outsiders, they become clearer when considering Jewish history and the memories provoked by police intervention. Anthropological research demonstrates that people give meaning to their experiences in different ways. Our perception, imagination and actions are deeply embedded in the whole of our experiences. The past – whether individually experienced or collectively nourished by the community – gives meaning to the present. Henri Bergson, a French philosopher, used the term "duration" to explain how the past shifts to present itself in ways that appeal to current experiences in different ways for different people. In times of crisis like the coronavirus pandemic, this sense of duration becomes more acute. For some, hospital tents erected in public places evoke World War I. A Holocaust survivor recently told me the stay-at-home order brought back memories of her childhood years of confinement hiding from the Nazis. One New Orleans resident found that the "flood" of coronavirus deaths recalled Hurricane Katrina.Duration as personal memory is central to an individual's sense of self, but it arises in collective memories, too. Collective memory, including the stories we all tell ourselves and our children about our past, gives meaning and purpose to our collective selves. These stories recount struggles and triumphs and help define our moral community.Duration interacts with collective memory, and is key to the formation of group identity. History of persecutionThe historical persecution of Jews around the world is central to both secular and strictly observant Jews. However, how that memory works in contemporary circumstances is not predetermined. My research demonstrates that different aspects of the past inform collective meaning and actions differently. Unlike most Israelis – who see Jewish history as a justification for the state of Israel and understand the Israeli army and police as existing to protect them – some Israeli Haredim distrust the government and its functionaries. In fact, Haredi Jews, who make up about 10% of Israel's population, are foundationally opposed to Zionism, the political ideology of Jewish nationalism that led to the establishment of Israel in 1948. While Haredi Jews believe that God promised the land of Israel to the Jewish people, they are also certain that promise cannot be fulfilled by human intervention in God's work, such as the establishment of a nation state. They have previously clashed with the Israeli government and law enforcement over compulsory military service and other policies. Suspicion of policeSo when armed men in uniform entered their neighborhoods to close down synagogues and yeshivas, members of the Haredi community drew on their collective memories of soldiers and police wreaking havoc and destruction on Jewish communities in Tsarist Russia and later in Western Europe. Rather than feeling protected by the state, they were fearful and suspicious. Suspicion of the police is common in other communities historically mistreated by law enforcement. The collective memories of both black Americans and the Roma of Europe, for example, associate police with violence and danger. When facing a crisis like the coronavirus, many people rely primarily on science, technology and governments for protection. And the Haredim do not reject science or medicine.But for them, living the Torah life through daily study and prayer is the primary means by which all human life is maintained and preserved. When the political order interferes with their work, the consequences could be more disastrous than a pandemic. It could mean the end of Jewish life, if not of humanity itself. [You need to understand the coronavirus pandemic, and we can help. Read The Conversation's newsletter.]
Este artículo se vuelve a publicar de The Conversation, un medio digital sin fines de lucro dedicado a la diseminación de la experticia académica. Lee mas:
Joyce Dalsheim does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
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