Just because this new bug has lots of attention being paid to it, doesn’t mean that everything else simply stopped in place.

AFRICOM kills senior terrorist leader in Somalia as airstrikes intensify

STUTTGART, Germany — A senior al-Shabab leader who played a key role in plotting deadly attacks throughout East Africa has been killed in an airstrike in Somalia, U.S. Africa Command said Tuesday.

Yusuf Jiis was one of three al-Shabab members killed in the April 2 airstrike, AFRICOM said. The strike was one of a flurry of attacks in Somalia in recent days.

Jiis was “violent, ruthless, and responsible for the loss of many innocent lives,” AFRICOM commander Gen. Stephen Townsend said in a statement. “His removal makes Somalia and neighboring countries safer.”

AFRICOM has launched six airstrikes in Somalia since April 2, including one on Monday in which five terrorists were killed, it said.

AFRICOM said no civilians were killed in Monday’s strike on Jilib, around 230 miles south of the capital, Mogadishu, but it is investigating reports that allege there were civilian casualties.

“As with any allegation of civilian casualties U.S. Africa Command receives and reviews any information it has about the incident, including any relevant information provided by third parties,” it said.

AFRICOM announced last week that it will begin issuing quarterly reports on the outcomes of its investigations into civilian casualty claims as a way to boost transparency.

Senior Hezbollah commander found dead

Senior Hezbollah counterintelligence official Muhammad Ali Yunis has reportedly been killed in southern Lebanon.

The body of Yunis, who closely collaborated with Hezbollah’s ally Iran, was discovered over the weekend inside a car where he had been shot and stabbed, according to Haaretz. Hezbollah announced that he was killed on Saturday.

Hezbollah has not accused Israel or any other state entity of killing Yunis, although the commander was reportedly tasked with tracking potential Israeli or foreign agents. Lebanese security sources indicate that a suspect has been arrested, although further details are not yet clear.

Yunis was reportedly a “close associate” of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who was killed by the United States in a targeted airstrike in Baghdad in January.

“The information provided by Hezbollah suggests that the assassination of Younis was carried out by the Israeli Mossad and its agents,” Janoubia, a Lebanese news website, reported, according to the Jerusalem Post.

Hezbollah is closely affiliated with Iran, which has supplied it with funding and with weapons. The group, which is designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and other countries, has carried out rocket attacks against Israel.

TR opined to ‘speak softly and carry a big stick’. Well we know DT simply carries the big stick.

India allows limited exports of anti-malaria drug after Trump warns of retaliation

India, the world’s main supplier of generic drugs, said on Tuesday it will allow limited exports of the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine that U.S. President Donald Trump has touted as a potential weapon in the fight against the coronavirus.

The Indian government had put a hold on exports of hydroxychloroquine as well as on the pain reliever, paracetamol, saying stocks were depleting because of the hit to global supply chains after the coronavirus emerged in China late last year.

But Trump spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the weekend seeking supplies and on Monday said India may face retaliation if it didn’t withdraw the ban on exports.

India’s neighbours, including Nepal, have also sought the anti-malaria drug.

“It has been decided that India would licence paracetamol and HCQ in appropriate quantities to all our neighbouring countries who are dependent on our capabilities,” said Indian foreign ministry spokesman Anurag Srivastava.

“We will also be supplying these essential drugs to some nations who have been particularly badly affected by the pandemic,” he said.

One thing to keep in mind about the last Nuremberg Tribunal, it was after a world war that turned Nazi Germany -and a lot of Europe- into a heap of rubble. We can agree that the Chinese Communist leaders need justice done upon them, but to pay to get to that point?

Gordon Chang: ‘There Needs to Be a Nuremberg Trial for Chinese Leaders’ over Coronavirus

China’s leaders should face something akin to the Nuremberg Trials for “crimes against humanity” regarding the global coronavirus outbreak, said Gordon Chang, Daily Beast columnist and author of The Great U.S.-China Tech War. He offered his comments on Monday’s edition of SiriusXM’s Breitbart News Tonight with host Rebecca Mansour and special guest host Ed Martin.

Mansour said, “I kind of feel as if we need to have an international reckoning.” She added, “We need like a Nuremberg trial to look at the atrocity that was committed here to get to the bottom of it.”

Chang concurred, “I absolutely agree with you. There does need to be a Nuremberg Trial for Chinese leaders because they have committed a crime against humanity, because if this is not a crime against humanity, then what is?”

“The world needs to get justice,” continued Chang. “We need justice for the Americans that we’ve lost and will lose, and we need justice for other people around the world. It’s a Nuremberg Trial. It’s Guantanamo. It’s a visit forever to Florence Colorado Supermax. I don’t care what it is, but we’ve got to take the Chinese leaders off the streets and make sure that they do face justice of one sort or another.”

Man shot on Yori Avenue dies

RENO, Nev. (KOLO)– UPDATE:
On April 5, 2020 around 2 p.m. Officers responded to 2625 Yori Avenue after a report of a battery with a deadly weapon, locating one man who had been shot.

After further investigation Detectives determined that the incident was related to an earlier RPD call, where a female resident of the apartment complex had been battered and strangled by her boyfriend, who had fled the scene prior to Officers arrival.

The suspect (boyfriend) had later returned to the complex looking for the female.

While at the complex, the suspect confronted the landlord placing him in imminent danger. In self-defense, the landlord shot the suspect once.

The case is still under investigation and names of all involved are being withheld for the time being.

Suspected car thief killed outside Oak Cliff store

DALLAS – A man police believe tried to steal a vehicle was killed outside a convenience store in east Oak Cliff Sunday morning.

Police believe the person inside the vehicle shot the would-be robber on Bonnie View Road near Illinois Avenue and Interstate 45.

They are still looking for the shooter, who left the scene before officers got there.

Armed home invader shot dead, another arrested in Arlington Heights

Police are investigating a Saturday home invasion that left one suspect dead and another arrested in northwest suburban Arlington Heights.

Officers responded to a call about 2 p.m. from someone who said there was a man with a gun in their home near the 2400 block of North Evergreen Avenue, Arlington Heights police said in a statement.

One suspected home invader, 58-year-old Larry Brodacz of Buffalo Grove, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. He died of a gunshot wound to the abdomen, and his death was ruled a homicide.

Not the deadhead’s first run in with the law.
He finally ran into a resident that decided that his days of crime were over.

Home surveillance video shows two masked men approach the home and ring the bell, Arlington Heights police Cmdr. Joseph Pinnello said. The video shows the men fighting outside and then enter the home, he said.

Pinnello would not say who fired a gun inside the home, but said a gun discharged and struck the 58-year-old man. Two children who lived at the home were present during the altercation, he said.

Video of the incident leaked online shows the scuffle return outside the home, where a resident of the home can be seen punching the other suspect.

That man ran from the scene, but was arrested by police nearby, Pinnello said. No charges have been filed.

And why should we be concerned?

British Even Take Guns From Royal Bodyguards

By now, we know that the British aren’t fond of guns to any degree. After all, their own police are generally unarmed, something that would never fly here in the United States.

Thankfully.

But just how bad is it? It seems the British government has opted to disarm at least some bodyguards of members of the royal family.

Royal bodyguards responsible for keeping the outcast Prince Andrew and a number of other royals safe have had their guns swapped out for cheaper tasers, it has been reported.

The royal protection officers assigned to Princess Anne and Prince Edward have also allegedly lost their firearms as part of a drive to reduce protection costs for minor royals and politicians, the Sun reports.

The thing is, while tasers cost less, they’re also less effective. Especially if you have multiple attackers, something members of the royal family might well have to face.

Would those who have made this decision think the cost savings are worth it should one of these members of the royal family be kidnapped or murdered because their bodyguards lacked the appropriate tools?

Met Police personal protection officers guarding The Queen, Prince Charles, Prince William and Duchess Kate will still carry pistols.

And it is believed that when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are visiting the UK from their new home in LA, their officers too will only be armed with stun guns.

The move is reportedly part of a drive to move expenses from protective duties into other departments such as terror and gang crime.

But the cuts – alongside the fact that officers have been told their roles have become more advisory and less active – have not gone down well with senior staff.

Oh, I can’t imagine why. “Hey, I know you’re responsible for protecting these members of the royal family, but we’re going to hamstring your ability to do it by taking away the most effective tool for the job. But at least we’ll save a bit of money!”

Yeah, that’s a winning argument.

Of course, this is the British we’re talking about here. While they may like their royals, they really hate guns and seem to think you can get along just fine without them. Which is why a terrorist with a knife is able to run amok striking fear into many a heart in the city until some dude fights back with a narwhal tusk.

Here, we just shoot the bastard and call it a day.

Remember what happened when terrorists tried to attack an art show in Texas? They never even made it out of the parking lot.

Frankly, protecting royals is the kind of job I wouldn’t do on a bet, and that’s if they armed me for the job. Every one of them is a huge target and everyone knows it. It’s only a matter of time before this results in one of them being killed or kidnapped.

At that point, we Americans are going to shrug and recognize that this kind of thing wouldn’t happen if their bodyguards had the means to put down attackers like rabid dogs.

And Goldfinger was just on last night.

James Bond actress Honor Blackman dies aged 94

In a statement, her family said she died peacefully of natural causes at home in Lewes, East Sussex.

Blackman was also known for playing Cathy Gale in the 1960s TV series The Avengers opposite Patrick Macnee.

The pair had a novelty hit with 1964’s Kinky Boots, which reached the Top 10 in 1990.

Her other roles included Hera in Jason and the Argonauts and Laura West in 1990s TV series The Upper Hand.

Honor Blackman

 

The statement issued by Blackman’s family said: “As well as being a much adored mother and grandmother, Honor was an actor of hugely prolific creative talent.

“With an extraordinary combination of beauty, brains and physical prowess, along with her unique voice and a dedicated work ethic, she achieved an unparalleled iconic status in the world of film and entertainment.

“With absolute commitment to her craft and total professionalism in all her endeavours she contributed to some of the great films and theatre productions of our times.

“We ask you to respect the privacy of our family at this difficult time.”

Comedian and Bond fan David Walliams said Blackman would “live forever” as Pussy Galore.

Director Edgar Wright, meanwhile, remembered her as the “ultimate Bond girl and original Avenger”.

The Atlantic  – so well known for its leftist point of view- published this!?!?

Consider the Possibility That Trump Is Right About China.
Critics are letting their disdain for the president blind them to geopolitical realities

When a new coronavirus emerged in China and began spreading around the world, including in the United States, President Donald Trump’s many critics in the American foreign-policy establishment were quick to identify him as part of the problem. Trump had campaigned on an “America first” foreign policy, which after his victory was enshrined in the official National Security Strategy that his administration published in 2017. At the time, I served in the administration and orchestrated the writing of that document. In the years since, Trump has been criticized for supposedly overturning the post–World War II order and rejecting the role the United States has long played in the world. Amid a global pandemic, he’s being accused—on this site and elsewhere—of alienating allies, undercutting multinational cooperation, and causing America to fight the coronavirus alone.

And yet even as the current emergency has proved him right in fundamental ways—about China specifically and foreign policy more generally—many respectable people in the United States are letting their disdain for the president blind them to what is really going on in the world.

Far from discrediting Trump’s point of view, the COVID-19 crisis reveals what his strategy asserted: that the world is a competitive arena in which great power rivals like China seek advantage, that the state remains the irreplaceable agent of international power and effective action, that international institutions have limited capacity to transform the behavior and preferences of states.

China, America’s most powerful rival, has played a particularly harmful role in the current crisis, which began on its soil. Initially, that country’s lack of transparency prevented prompt action that might have contained the virus. In Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, Chinese officials initially punished citizens for “spreading rumors” about the disease. The lab in Shanghai that first published the genome of the virus on open platforms was shut down the next day for “rectification,” as the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported in February. Apparently at the behest of officials at the Wuhan health commission, news reports indicate, visiting teams of experts from elsewhere in China were prevented from speaking freely to doctors in the infectious-disease wards. Some experts had suspected human-to-human transmission, but their inquiries were rebuffed. “They didn’t tell us the truth,” one team member said of the local authorities, “and from what we now know of the real situation then, they were lying” to us.

Now China’s propagandists are competing to create a narrative that obscures the origins of the crisis and that blames the United States for the virus. This irresponsible behavior and lack of transparency revealed what Trump’s National Security Strategy had identified early on: that “contrary to our hopes, China expanded its power at the expense of others.” Instead of becoming a “responsible stakeholder”—a term George W. Bush’s administration used to describe the role it hoped Beijing would play following China’s entry into the World Trade Organization in 2001—the Chinese Communist Party used the advantages of WTO membership to advance a political and economic system at odds with America’s free and open society. Previous National Security Strategy documents had tiptoed around China’s adversarial conduct, as if calling out that country as a competitor—as the 2017 document unequivocally did—was somehow impolite.

Dr. Praises Hydroxychloroquine For Coronavirus: ‘Very Ill’ To ‘Basically Symptom Free’ In Hours

A Los Angeles doctor praised using hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 during an interview with a local news station on Sunday, claiming that it has a dramatic effect on patients who are seriously ill when combined with zinc.

Dr. Anthony Cardillo, CEO of Mend Urgent Care, made the remarks during an interview with ABC 7 news anchor Jory Rand.

“What we’re finding clinically with our patients is that it really only works in conjunction with zinc. So the hydroxychloroquine opens the zinc channel, zinc goes into the cell, it then blocks the replication of the cellular machinery,” Cardillo said. “So, it has to be used in conjunction with zinc. We are seeing some clinical responses in that regard. There are people that take it regularly for other disease processes, we have to be cautious and mindful that we don’t prescribe for patients who have COVID that are well. It really should be reserved for people that are really sick, in the hospital, or at home very sick that need that medication, otherwise we’re going to blow through our supply for the patients that take it regularly for other disease processes.”

“Every patient I’ve prescribed it to has been very, very ill and within 8-12 hours they were basically symptom free and so, clinically I am seeing a resolution that mirrors what we saw in the French study and some of the other studies worldwide,” Cardillo continued. “But what I am seeing is that people that are taking it alone, by itself, it’s not having efficacy.”

Top Experts Used by CDC Move Total US Coronavirus Deaths From 2.2 Million to 200,000 to 81,766 in Only 8 Days!

Last TUESDAY Coronavirus Task Force Response Coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx pushed the talking point that by completely locking down the US economy and American public, the US government and Coronavirus task force “experts” were able to cut the total coronavirus deaths in the United States from 1 to 2.2 million deaths to 100,000 to 200,000 deaths.

This is based on “models” by her chosen scientific “experts” — Chris Murray and the IMHE.

Here is the chart Dr. Birx discussed during the daily coronavirus press conference at the White House.

It shows an estimated 2.2 million US deaths.
Again — this was at the press conference 6 days ago!

There is not a single country in the world today with over 16,000 total coronavirus deaths.

On Sunday night the IMHE cut their numbers in half.

Today the IMHE model used by the CDC and Dr. Birx and Dr. Fauci estimate the total US coronavirus deaths to be 81,766 by August 4th.
And 81,000 by May 21st.

The actual numbers are already below their current models.

Gun Law Reform in Bolsonaro’s Brazil, Homicides Drop Precipitously

In December, 2018, in an article published by the Wall Street Journal, this pronouncement was made. From the wsj.com:

Now, Brazil is set to embark on an experiment that will determine what happens when you loosen gun restrictions in a country battling an overpowering wave of gun crime.

Homicides in Brazil were at historic highs in 2017. They dropped a bit in 2018, as candidate Bolsonaro ran on reform of the gun laws to allow self-defense, and reform of the law to get tough on crime.  The homicide numbers dropped from 59,000 in 2017, to 51,000 in 2018. President Bolsonaro was elected in October of 2018.

After taking office on 1 January 2019, President Bolsonaro issued his first decree reforming some of Brazil’s extreme gun laws on 15 January 2019. The drop in Brazil’s homicide rate accelerated.

Gun control in Brazil has a long history. By 1997, restrictions on gun ownership were deemed as “severe” by the Wall Street Journal. From the wsj.com:

In Brazil’s violent cities, where 90% of the murders are committed with guns, ownership restrictions have become so severe that Taurus has branched out into motorcycle helmets, bulletproof vests, and auto parts.

(snip)

Brazil’s 1997 law, which requires gun owners to have unblemished police records and pass rigorous psychological and shooting-proficiency tests, has slashed Taurus’s sales to private individuals by more than 80% in the past two years, Mr. Murgel says. Taurus has sought to make up for that with an aggressive push into motorcycle helmets and increased gun sales in the U.S., where Taurus’s advertising spending is up threefold this year.

Early in the Bolsonaro presidency, a Brazilian lawyer predicted the homicide rate would drop. From ammoland.com:

César Mello, asked that I include information that early reports are showing a 25% drop in Brazil’s homicide rate, in the first quarter of 2019. If this trend continues, 16,000 lives will have been saved in the first year of President Bolsonaro’s time in office.

The rate reduction was not quite that high. Only 10,000 lives were saved.  From wtop.com:

Brazil had 41,635 killings in 2019, down 19% from the prior year and the least number of homicides since 2007, when the so-called Violence Monitor index was launched. It is a partnership between the non-profit Brazilian Forum of Public Security, the University of Sao Paulo’s Center for the Study of Violence, and news website G1, which published the data Friday.

“IN OUR GOVERNMENT HOMICIDES, VIOLENCE AND FALLACIES FALL!” an exultant Bolsonaro wrote on his Twitter account, sharing the G1 news report. “Our government extends a strong embrace to all the security agents of the country. Brazil continues on the right path.”

When translated to homicide rates, the rate dropped 17% in 2018, then 23% more in 2019. The population of Brazil in 2019 was 210 million. The rate of homicides per 100,000 was 19.83.  That is less than 2/3 of the homicide rate in 2017, which was 30.8.

Brazil has not had a homicide rate this low since 1995, before the highly restrictive gun law of 1997 was passed.

When the NYTs did an article on the reform of Brazil’s gun laws during the Bolsonaro administration, somehow, the reduction in the Brazilian homicide rate was not included.  The article was published on 31 March, 2020.   From the nytimes.com:

During Mr. Bolsonaro’s first year in office, the government issued more than 200,000 licenses to gun owners. The federal police, which issues licenses for self-defense, approved 54,300 permits in 2019, a 98 percent increase from the previous year. The army, which grants permits to hunters and collectors, issued more than 147,800 new licenses in 2019, a 68 percent increase.

The only mention of homicides in the NYTs article is this:

In Brazil, a country of more than 209 million that has one of the highest homicide rates in the world, the right to bear arms is not a constitutional guarantee, as it is in the United States. The gun rights movement has long been on the losing side of policy debates.

Will the Brazilian homicide rate continue to drop? We will find out over the course of the next few years. Leftist academics are already finding excuses as to why the reform of Brazilian gun laws made no difference.

They had predicted homicides would rise as the reforms were implemented.

Man shoots suspect armed with knife in central valley

LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Las Vegas police said detectives were investigating a shooting in the central valley on Sunday night.

The incident started about 6 p.m. on April 5, according to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Lt. David Gordon. Officers were in the area of West Washington Avenue and Spyglass Lane, near Decatur Boulevard.

At the scene, LVMPD homicide Lt. Ray Spencer said the investigation started as the Metro air unit observed a motorcyclist acting “suspicious” in a shopping center near Sahara Avenue and Decatur Boulevard.

Spencer said the motorcyclist then took off recklessly, speeding northbound on Decatur. The air unit followed to a community near Decatur and Bonanza Road.

At Vermont Avenue, Spencer said the motorcycle either stopped or crashed. The rider got off, removed his motorcycle gear, then ran eastbound toward the Friendly Ford dealership.

The suspect then jumped a barbed wire fence behind the dealership into a neighborhood. Spencer said a citizen, a CCW carrier in his 40s, went outside and saw the police helicopter above him.

The man told police he saw the suspect, a man in his 20s, jump the fence. He reportedly told the suspect he was calling the police and to stop running. The man followed the suspect to a pathway in the condominium complex, Spencer said, when the suspect pulled out a knife.

The man fired two rounds, hitting the suspect, then went to get a first aid kit. Metro officers arrived on scene and helped the man render aid. When medical arrived, Spencer said the suspect was pronounced dead on scene.

The citizen told police what happened and at the scene, Spencer said they believe the shooting was in self-defense. However, the case will be sent to the Clark County District Attorney’s office for review.

Pizza shop owner shoots attempted robber in Wissinoming

WISSINOMING – Authorities say a 16-year-old is in stable condition after he was shot by a pizza shop owner during an attempted robbery.

According to police, the incident happened on the 5800 block of Torresdale Avenue just after 10:30 p.m.

The teen allegedly tried to rob the store at gunpoint when the owner shot him once in the top of the left hand.

Police say the shop owner is legally authorized to carry a firearm.

The teen was taken to Jefferson-Torresdale Hospital by private vehicle and placed in stable condition.

Authorities say the suspect is currently in custody.

Homeowner shoots suspect in West Plains home invasion

SPOKANE COUNTY — A man who said he was just doing a homeowners dishes was shot by the homeowner in a possible occupied residential burglary last night.

According to a Spokane County Sheriff’s Office report, deputies and Airway Heights police officers were called to the home on the 2600 block of North Colville Road — northeast of Airway Heights and north of Palisades Park just off Trails Road — at about 11:55 p.m. on a call of a burglary in progress. The report said the homeowner and his wife were upstairs watching TV and had just turned it off when he heard a noise downstairs.

Fearing an intruder the homeowner armed himself with a shotgun and went downstairs where he encountered a man, later identified as 29-year-old Kenneth B. Caldero, in the kitchen using the microwave. When the homeowner asked Caldero what he was doing he replied he was doing their dishes, upon which the homeowner told him to leave.

Caldero failed to follow the instructions, and the homeowner again demand he leave. Caldero began walking toward the house’s staircase, and fearing for his family’s safety, yelled at him to stop or he would fire, at which point Caldero apparently advanced on the homeowner and struggle ensued. The homeowner fired a round of birdshot into the home’s floor, at which point Caldero stepped back and then again advanced on the homeowner.

The homeowner was able to load another round in the shotgun’s chamber as Caldero continued his advance and fire a round into the intruder’s leg. Caldero subsequently fled the residence and was found by officers a short distance away yelling for help and bleeding profusely from his thigh. Officers applied immediate medical attention to deal with Caldero’s wound, and after medics arrived and rendered further assistance, he was transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Caldero told officers he thought he was at a friends house and went inside to use the bathroom but must have gone into the wrong house because “some guy shot him.” He provided the name of the friend, but after further questioning said his friend was in prison, which deputies were able to confirm. Deputies were unable to locate any call history of Caldero’s friend at the victim’s residence or even near it.

Caldero remains hospitalized and will face first-degree burglary charges when released. Deputies said the homeowner will not face charges with the information currently known.

‘Could’ ought to be SHOULD.

Why gun owners could be the decisive vote in 2020

Recently, Joe Biden visited a construction plant in Michigan. A worker confronted Biden and accused the former vice president of “actively trying to diminish our Second Amendment right and take away our guns.” Biden, in turn, responded, “You’re full of [it].”

The exchange continued, cameras rolling, Biden clearly sensed an opportunity, recognized the political value of the moment.  Biden’s staff stepped in to try and move him aside. He waved them off. After all, his successful legislative record on guns – including the 1994 passage of a 10-year ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines – and frequent boasts about taking on and beating the NRA were at stake. Dodging the worker’s accusations was not an option.

Biden’s assertive posture on guns recalls the 2000 election. And this worries Democrats.

In 2000, the Democrat Party Platform celebrated Al Gore’s record of standing up to the NRA, the legislative successes of the Clinton administration, namely the Brady Bill and the Assault Weapons Ban, and called for mandatory gun locks and a host of federal programs regulating gun purchases.

Al Gore lost. Democrat leaders attributed the loss in part to gun owners support for George W. Bush, especially in states Gore was defeated including his home state of Tennessee. Public opinion surveys showed Bush won a historically large share of the gun owners vote – 66%, only Bush senior in 1988 attracted a greater proportion – 68%. To win elections, centrists Democratic strategists, concluded “Democrats need to reason with gun owners rather than insult them.”

Gun owners have long been a reliable GOP voting bloc. The General Social Surveys demonstrate that in 10 of the last 12 presidential elections, a majority of gun owners supported Republican candidates. Even when the nation supported a Democrat, gun owners typically remained loyal to Republicans. And in 2016, Donald Trump garnered over 60% of gun owners, which was the largest share since Bush in 2004. In the 2018 midterms, 61% of gun owners voted for Republican candidates compared to just 26% of non-owners, a 35-point gap.

This is not a small or insignificant political group. Opinion surveys estimate a third to 40% of households have a gun. That percentage increases notably among the all-important rural voting population. Moreover, in several key swing states gun owners comprise a substantial proportion of voters, including Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Florida, Michigan, and Wisconsin. As Democrats remember, in a tight election, gun owners’ vote can be decisive.

But the former vice president believes much has changed since Al Gore’s defeat.

“I have a shotgun,” Biden countered, “I have a 20-gauge, a 12-guage. My sons hunt, guess what?   You’re not allowed to own any weapon; I’m not taking your gun away at all.”

Will gun owners believe him? It may not matter.

Gun politics appears to be shifting.   Democrats are now better positioned to engage Republicans on guns. Mass shootings repeatedly remind voters of the dangers of gun availability and the unspeakable violence that can result. Gun safety groups are much stronger and better financed than in the past. They outspent the NRA by millions in the 2018 midterms and defeated many NRA backed candidates. Exit polling showed gun policy among Democrats ranked number two behind health care and ahead of immigration and the economy. It ranked fourth among all voters. In addition, gun violence prevention was the top issue among young people.

These facts strengthen Biden and calm fears of many Democrats.

Returning to Detroit, the factory worker repeated he had heard Biden make that claim, that he would take guns away. “It’s a viral video,” the worker declared. “I did not say that! I did not say that! Biden replied, his voice raising, temper flaring, finger pointing. “Don’t be such a horse’s ass,” he added.

Predictably, the NRA released the video of the confrontation on twitter with the headline “Joe:  Gun owners see through your lies.”

Biden’s campaign touted the video as well, using it to spotlight Biden’s authenticity and strong advocacy for gun control and his long-time commitment to an assault rifle ban.

Both sides are dug in, their collective heels firmly planted. Both are betting their position on guns will be the winner.

The 2020 contest will be close; it will be an epic battle.

Which party prevails may turn on whether swing state gunowners believe the factory worker or Joe Biden.

Deeming firearms retailers ‘essential’ during the pandemic affirms the 2nd Amendment as an individual right

And this gets laid out at The Trace of all places…

What does seem clear, Blocher said, is that the closures do not amount to a ban on armed self-defense, since anybody with access to one of the hundreds of millions of guns circulating in the United States can still use it to protect themselves.

That can be very true. That the collective right to keep and bear arms is not harmed in anyway by the closure of gun stores. However, the great precedent set by Trump declaring at a federal level (And many states individually doing the same) that firearms retailers are deemed essential is that it affirms the right to keep and bear arms as an individual right and that even someone who does not already own a firearm has the right under the second amendment to go out and purchase one.  Awesome.

They used to say an anti-gun liberal was merely a conservative who hadn’t been mugged yet. Now it seems to be one who hadn’t had the cluebat of being their own First Responder upside their head.

I’m One of Those Anti-Gun People Who Just Bought His First Firearm

Ilya from Michigan writes . . .

If you’d have met me three weeks ago, you’d unequivocally know my stance on guns. I was not only against the ownership of AR-15s, I was in the minority of folks who thought all private gun ownership should be illegal.

I’m still in a bit of disbelief that there is a dangerous weapon in my house: one that more frequently contributes to accidental deaths, violent homicides, and suicides, rather than the romanticized personal protection experiences.

What happened? The world changed overnight and my opinion…evolved.

I’ve always been a strongly opinionated person, but I pride myself on the idea that my beliefs are loosely held. Strong opinions are great, but what you don’t want is to be egotistically blinded by them. I don’t want to be held hostage by a belief that is no longer valid, given new information.

My views before

I live a pretty privileged existence. My family lives in one of the most affluent communities in Michigan. Everyone in the neighborhood leaves their doors open with bikes on the front lawn. Rarely do we worry about anything being stolen, let alone violent crime. I wasn’t born with this privilege, but worked really hard to get where I am.

Circumstances shape people’s understanding of the world, and my situation highly influenced my views on gun ownership. There was no argument, be it constitutional, personal protection, safety, hunting, or anything else that would change my mind and stop me from logically deconstructing your argument.

Guns are used in more than 20,000 suicides, 10,000 homicides, and just under 1,000 accidental deaths in the US each year. Yes, one can argue that people kill people, not guns. But I’d argue that access to firearms makes it much easier to accomplish the act. I believed that at the national scale, guns were a danger to our society. I wanted no part of this.

How my views have changed

For months, I heard the news of a novel virus spreading in China, which had the potential to turn into a global pandemic. This happens regularly, with Cov-2, H1N1, Ebola, MERS, etc.

We read about it in the newspapers, hear about people dying in other countries, watch coverage of civil unrest, and then we hit the off button and get back to our 21st century privileged American lives. It’s not that we aren’t worried or believe that this can’t happen to us; rather, we’ve never experienced anything similar to this. Our imagination can only take us so far. We think it’s “them”. This will just go away.

Then [it] got real. Countries started shutting down. Stay-home orders were being issued. Supply chains were disrupted and people were hoarding daily necessities.

Cracks in our supply chain became evident and we started experiencing shortages reminiscent of the former Soviet bloc. Companies were going out of business or downsizing. People were losing their jobs at an unprecedented rate.

I’m not a prepper. I’ve never left a store with more food or supplies than what’d I’d typically consume in a few days. I don’t overreact. But the supply disruptions, along with economic uncertainty, started to worry me.

Are we, as a country, prepared? Am I prepared?

We model our future preparedness based on past worst-case scenarios. My grandmother, who lived through WWII in Eastern Europe, stashed every penny away for what she called “the dark days.” The worst days she can recall in her life’s experience.

But as one of the best minds in risk assessment, Nassim Taleb, notes, you can’t prepare for the worst-case scenario based on past events, because the worst-case scenario hasn’t happened yet.

At about the same time, I was chatting with friends who are gun owners and they mentioned the long lines at gun shops. People were buying out all of the guns and ammo. But instead of my typical reaction of “guns are bad and those people are crazy,” my mind started wondering about all of the tail risk possibilities during this event.

What happens when food supply chains fail? What if my area becomes unsafe? Do I need to learn how to hunt? With what? Will civil unrest break out?

People will do anything they can to ensure the survival of themselves and their families. Our preparedness models are based on past assumptions of stability and civil obedience. But we’re in an uncharted territory.

The question I asked myself: What do I need to do to feel safe and protect my family?

I called my friend, who advised me that for personal protection, I should get a handgun. The next day, I walked into a store I never thought I’d set foot in. The line was long. I patiently waited while periodically watching the Fox News station on TV.

The store employees were all armed — very stern, but also very nice. I’ve never felt as safe around so many firearms. That’s when I filled out the background check form and I bought my first gun.

Philly Store Owner Shoots and Kills Attempted Robber

A Philadelphia store owner shot and killed a man who tried to rob his business, according to investigators.

Police said a man in his 20’s tried to rob a store on the 2700 block of Germantown Avenue at 4:25 p.m. Saturday. The store owner then pulled out a gun and opened fire, shooting the man five times.

The man was taken to Temple University Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 5:08 p.m. The store owner was taken into custody for questioning.

Man shoots suspect after ‘fearing for his life’ in Bel Air

BEL AIR, Md. (WBFF) – A man was injured in an overnight shooting in Bel Air, at an apartment complex off of Harford County’s Route 24.

Tyler Reid, 28, was found suffering from a gunshot wound to the upper body at about 12:59 a.m. on Foxhall Drive in the Calverts Walk complex, said the Harford County Sheriff’s Office.

Investigators determined Reid, who doesn’t live at the location, got in an argument with his girlfriend, who lives there, said the Sheriff’s Office.

Jordan Ellison, 27, another resident, got involved in the altercation and Reid physically assaulted him, said the Sheriff’s Office.

Ellison fired a round at Reid with a rifle during the struggle, saying he was fearing for his life, said the Sheriff’s Office.

Ellison has not been charged in this case. Charges are pending against Reid for second-degree assault and will be pursued after his release from the hospital.

REBELLION: ‘This Is Not Nazi Germany or Soviet Russia Where You Are Asked For Your Papers!’ Says Maine Sheriff

Maine’s Franklin County Sheriff Scott Nichols has a strong message for the Governor of Maine, Janet Mills, who issued “stay-at-home” orders with threats of police punishment if not followed. Sheriff Nichols issued a statement on the Franklin County Facebook page saying in no uncertain terms he will not follow the unconstitutional order.

“We will not be setting up a Police State. PERIOD,” he wrote. “The Sheriff’s Office will not purposefully go out and stop vehicles because they are on the road or stop and ask why people are out and about. To do so puts our officers at risk. This is not Nazi Germany or Soviet Russia where you are asked for your papers!”

The sheriff’s announcement comes as a welcome sign to Americans who have been arrested for inane things like praying outside, surfing, or trying to drive to work. Someone has to stand up to the unconstitutional directives that are being handed down daily by government officials and it will fall on the sheriffs to uphold what they know to be their legal and lawful duties, none of which involve trampling the rights of citizens…….

Nichols made it clear that he only intends to arrest for matters of law-breaking, and nothing else. Executive orders aren’t laws. He finished his announcement with words of encouragement for his constituents: “Most of you are doing a fantastic job – we appreciate that! Please look out for one another, especially the elderly and shut-ins. Please be a good neighbor/citizen always showing compassion. Please be kind especially on social media, negativity online only adds to the stress people are currently experiencing.”

Nichols signed this brave decree with his name and followed it with “Of the People, For the People.”

SEEN ON FACEBOOK:

The debate over immigration is over: restriction wins.

The debate over borders is over: they are needed.

The debate over globalization is over: the era of autarky begins.

The debate over Europe is over: it is a geographic expression, not a polity.

The debate over global warming is over: it is irrelevant.

The debate over international institutions is over: only nations matter.

The debate over the People’s Republic of China is over: it is a menace to the community of nations, not a member in good standing.

Crisis is clarity.

Well, at least someone is taking matters seriously

Gabon bans eating of pangolin and bats amid pandemic.

Pangolins are critically endangered and have long been protected, but they are sold in the markets of the capital Libreville and

Gabon on Friday banned the sale and eating of bats and pangolins, which are suspected of sparking the novel coronavirus in China where they are highly prized in traditional medicine.

President Ali Bongo Ondimba also announced the government was planning to lock down the capital Libreville and unveiled an emergency package for those hard hit by the pandemic.

The novel coronavirus is believed to have come from bats, but researchers think it might have spread to humans via another mammal.

Pangolins are critically endangered and have long been protected, but they are sold in the markets of the capital Libreville, as are bats, and their meat is popular.

The central African nation is 88 percent covered in forest and hunting and bush meat have long been a way of life.