From the Trenches World Report
Enforce our Bill of Rights
The World Health Organization has declared the novel coronavirus outbreak a global “pandemic.”
During a media briefing Wednesday, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the WHO, said there are now more than 118,000 cases of COVID-19 in 114 countries, with 4,291 deaths. Continue reading “WHO declares coronavirus global ‘pandemic’”
A stimulus package bill meant to boost the economy amid coronavirus fears will be introduced on the floor of the House Wednesday but seems unlikely to include a temporary halt to the payroll tax that the Trump administration has been touting.
The bill, which lawmakers have been furiously working on for days, comes as the U.S. economy and global markets have faced severe instability since the global outbreak of the coronavirus. Continue reading “House to move on coronavirus-related stimulus package, but Hoyer says payroll tax cut a nonstarter”
Disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison on Wednesday for sexually assaulting two women.
The sentence follows a landmark verdict on February 24, after a jury found that Weinstein raped aspiring actress Jessica Mann at a DoubleTree hotel in 2013 when she was 27-years-old, and forced oral sex on former production assistant Mimi Haleyi, now 42, at his apartment in 2006. Continue reading “Harvey Weinstein Gets 23 Years In Prison For Sex Crimes”
A U.S. Bureau of Land Management auction of 25 oil and gas leases in Northeast Utah received mostly minimum bids of just $2 an acre a day after oil prices collapsed due to the impact of the spreading coronavirus outbreak.
The sale representing 32,713.76 acres (13,238.79 hectares) drew total bids of $237,559.60, according to energy marketplace EnergyNet, which conducted the online sale. The average bid per acre offered was $7.26. Continue reading “U.S. oil and gas lease sale in Utah draws few bidders”
An Arkansas police officer was killed in the line of duty during a traffic stop Tuesday night, according to multiple reports.
Officer Brent Scrimshire of the Hot Springs Police Department was taken to a hospital and later died from his injuries. Continue reading “Arkansas police officer fatally shot during traffic stop; suspect’s condition unclear”
Oil prices suffered an historic collapse overnight after Saudi Arabia shocked the market by launching a price war against onetime ally Russia.
US oil prices crashed as much as 34% to a four-year low of $27.34 a barrel as traders brace for Saudi Arabia to flood the market with crude in a bid to recapture market share. Continue reading “Oil crashes by most since 1991 as Saudi Arabia launches price war”
Washington Examiner – by Tyler Arnold
With the legislative session winding down, the Virginia General Assembly approved more gun-control initiatives Saturday that were part of Gov. Ralph Northam’s 2020 agenda.
After Democrats in the House and the Senate worked out minor differences, the chambers came to an agreement on bills to expand background checks ( Senate Bill 70 and House Bill 2) and limit handgun purchases ( Senate Bill 69 and House Bill 812). Continue reading “Last-second gun-control bills pass Virginia Senate, head to Northam’s desk”
As we noted pre-open, S&P futures were locked limit-down 5%, but as we noted SPY was trading down 7.5% in the pre-open and now that the cash S&P 500 has opened and tumbled 7%… Continue reading “S&P Opens Down 7%, Triggers Circuit-Breaker – Halted For 15 Mins”
New York Post – by Yaron Steinbuch
President Trump on Friday signed into law an $8.3 billion emergency funding package to combat the coronavirus outbreak.
“We’ve signed the $8.3 billion. I asked for two and a half and I got 8.3 and I’ll take it,” Trump said at the Diplomatic Room in the White House. Continue reading “Trump signs $8.3 billion funding package to fight coronavirus, may visit CDC HQ”
Free Beacon – by Stephen Gutowski
Gun sales soared in Virginia as Democrats passed several new gun-control measures during February, according to an industry report.
Nearly 66,000 background checks were performed in Virginia in February as the state’s Democratic-controlled legislature weighs a number of strict background checks—a steep increase from the 40,381 checks performed in February 2019. Virginia experienced one of the most dramatic upticks in background checks—a strong indicator of total sales—in the nation, according to data released by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF). Continue reading “Virginia Gun Sales Surge as Dems Pass Gun Control”
Washington Examiner – by Paul Bedard
FBI gun background checks required in most weapon sales have jumped 30% as consumers have rushed in to gun stores and shows to load up amid threats from Democratic presidential candidates to end sales and safety concerns as the coronavirus spreads.
Background checks in January and February recorded the highest number ever for the period, said the FBI. In just two months, there have been 5,505,169 checks. Last year, there were 4,218,980 background checks in January and February. Continue reading “Boom: FBI gun checks surge 30% amid Biden, Bloomberg gun grab threats”
States have the authority to prosecute illegal aliens for using stolen identities of American citizens to work illegally in the United States, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday.
In a 5-4 decision — with liberal Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan dissenting — the Supreme Court ruled against three illegal aliens who were prosecuted for stealing the identities of American citizens to work illegally in the state of Kansas. Continue reading “SCOTUS: States Can Prosecute Illegal Aliens for Stealing American IDs”
Border Patrol agents in the Grand Forks Sector arrested a Guatemalan man wanted in Colorado for sexual assault of a minor. The arrest occurred during a targeted enforcement operation on February 28 in Grand Forks, North Dakota.
Pembina Station Border Patrol agents participated in a targeted enforcement operation in the Grand Forks area on February 28, according to information obtained from Border Patrol officials. Agents apprehended a 41-year-old Guatemalan man and transported him to the station for processing. Continue reading “Guatemalan Man Wanted for Child Sex Assault Arrested in North Dakota”
The United States has carried out an air raid against Taliban fighters in Afghanistan, a US forces spokesman said a day after President Donald Trump spoke to a senior Taliban leader by phone.
“The US conducted an air strike on March 4 against Taliban fighters in Nahr-e Saraj, Helmand, who were actively attacking an ANDSF [Afghan National Defence and Security Forces] checkpoint,” said Colonel Sonny Leggett in a tweet on Wednesday, adding that it was a “defensive strike”. Continue reading “US conducts first air strike against Taliban since peace deal”
On stage in Dallas, Texas, Monday night, former Vice President Joe Biden thanked his former political rival Beto O’Rourke for endorsing him.
“I want to make something clear,” Biden said: Continue reading “Biden Tells Beto O’Rourke: ‘You’re Going to Take Care of the Gun Problem With Me’”
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tornadoes ripped across Tennessee early Tuesday, shredding at least 40 buildings and killing at least seven people. One of the twisters caused severe damage in downtown Nashville.
Authorities pleaded with people to stay indoors, at least until daybreak could reveal the dangers of a landscape littered with blown-down walls and roofs, snapped power lines and huge broken trees. Schools, courts and transit lines were closed, and some damaged polling stations were moved only hours before Super Tuesday voting was set to begin. Continue reading “Tornado hits downtown Nashville, at least 7 die in Tennessee”
Authorities searching the California home of a UPS worker who threatened a mass shooting found body armor, tactical rifles and 20,000 rounds of ammunition, police said Monday.
Thomas Andrews, 32, was arrested on suspicion of evading police, driving under the influence and several weapons violations, police in Sunnyvale said in a statement. Continue reading “UPS worker planning mass shooting had 20,000 rounds of ammo and weapons cache, police say”
The United States and Taliban signed a peace deal Saturday aimed at bringing an end to the country’s longest war.
The agreement sets the stage for the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan more than 18 years after President George W. Bush ordered bombing in response to the 9/11 attacks. The US has spent more than $750 billion fighting the war, which has cost tens of thousands of lives on all sides. Continue reading “US and Taliban sign historic peace deal to end 18-year war”
A federal appeals court in California on Friday initially blocked a centerpiece of the Trump administration’s network of restrictive policies at the southern border, ordering officials there to stop sending asylum-seekers to Mexico, where tens of thousands of Latin American migrants returned by the U.S. have been stranded for months.
But later on Friday, the same court temporarily paused its own order, granting an emergency request filed by Trump administration lawyers who rushed to defend the controversial Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) program. Continue reading “Court pauses own order that blocked “Remain in Mexico” policy”
The Senate unanimously approved legislation on Thursday that would ban the use of federal funds to purchase telecommunications equipment from companies deemed a national security threat, such as Chinese group Huawei. Continue reading “Senate unanimously approves bill to ban purchase of Huawei equipment with federal funds”