On a regular basis, long before the Wuhan virus surfaced, Maryland was always one of the most leftist and regulatory states in the nation.  So it doesn’t come as a big surprise to see officials in Montgomery County, Maryland, present some of the most nonsensical rules to reopen their economy.  [Quite Remarkable Video Announcement below]

Pictured: Montgomery County Residents Listen to County Official Marc Elrich

After an extensive study and review by local scientists and public officials, you can go to a barber shop and/or beauty salon and get your “hair styled”, as long as the ‘styling’ doesn’t involve the actual cutting of the hair.   Apparently, in phase-1 the COVID virus can identify when scissors are present and the virus will attack with increased severity.

You can go to a church, as long as the going to church doesn’t involve the actual going into a building that would be identified as a church.  Worship services can only be provided outdoors, because the virus lurks in the building…… unless the building contains vegetables and is called a supermarket, and then the virus cannot enter the premises.

According to the local scientists who have analyzed the risks, you can now wash your car; however, it is only safe to wash the outside of the car.  If you attempt to clean the inside of your vehicle the virus will hunt you.  Interior car cleaning is forbidden.  No actual word on how you get your vehicle to a car wash without being inside it… but minor details are still a work in progress and will likely be addressed in phase-2.

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An interesting couple of things happened just as Richard Grenell passed the sunlight baton to DNI John Ratcliffe. First, SSCI Vice-Chair Mark Warner is angered about the sunlight Grenell has delivered. Second, former AAG Matt Whitaker outlines how the Mueller investigation threatened him. Both issues merge (outlined below).

Michael Flynn’s defense attorney Sidney Powell appears on FBN with Liz MacDonald to discuss recent events. WATCH:

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When considering that Robert Mueller was used as a weapon (threat) and a shield (bury information); and when considering Senator Mark Warner’s recent protestations against Grenell; it is well worth going back in history to May 2018 when SSCI Vice-Chairman Warner was demanding the Mueller investigation must not allow congressional oversight.

Yes, it now makes sense, why Senator Mark Warner was demanding DAG Rod Rosenstein and FBI Director Christopher Wray must keep records from congress.

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This afternoon President Trump held a press availability in the oval office answering questions from the media as he signed an executive order [Available Here] directing the prevention of on-line censorship in social media platforms.

The president was joined by Attorney General Bill Barr, and both leaders delivered remarks and answered questions from the media. [Video Below, Transcript to Follow]

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[Read Executive Order Here] – In the periphery of this executive action there are indications, and a widespread expectation, the DOJ is close to filing an antitrust lawsuit against Google Inc and their affiliated companies. There is a strong possibility the controlling ideology of ‘big tech’ is about to merge with legal action by the DOJ.

The DOJ action has not yet happened, but there are signals it is very close. There have been visible signals, subtle but visible, that the DOJ was/is about to move on a massive (the biggest in history) antitrust lawsuit against Google and all affiliates.

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Lee Smith appears on Lou Dobbs to discuss the latest revelations in the Obama-era surveillance operations.  Mr. Smith calls it “Obama’s culture of espionage.”

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After President Trump announced he would veto any FISA reauthorization bill, without a full investigative review of prior FISA abuse so that legislation could be created specifically to fix the severe flaws in the process, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has dropped the vote for FISA reauthorization:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The House of Representatives on Thursday dropped consideration of legislation that would have extended U.S. surveillance tools, after President Donald Trump threatened a veto and his fellow Republicans withdrew their support.

“The two-thirds of the Republican Party that voted for this bill in March have indicated they are going to vote against it now,” Representative Steny Hoyer said in a statement on Thursday, after a vote on the measure was unexpectedly postponed late on Wednesday.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sent a letter to members of the Democratic caucus saying she intends to hold negotiations with the Senate on a possible compromise bill that could be passed and sent to Trump.  (read more)

A little background context is needed.  In November of 2019 buried deep in the congressional budget Continuing Resolution (CR) was a short-term extension to reauthorize the FISA “business records provision”, the “roving wiretap” provision, the “lone wolf” provision, and the more controversial bulk metadata provisions [Call Detail Records (CDR)], all parts of the Patriot Act.

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White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany is scheduled to hold a press briefing from the James Brady press room today at 2:00pm ET.

UPDATE: Video Added

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The Dept. of Labor released weekly unemployment data showing an additional 2.1 million workers filed new unemployment compensation claims last week; bringing the total claims to over 40 million since the Wuhan virus mitigation effort shut down the U.S. economy.

However, there is some good news within the data.   The “continuing claims”, meaning those who have been collecting unemployment compensation for at least two weeks, is now at 21 million.  That’s a drop of almost four million from the prior week and signals that jobs are returning as the state economies begin reopening.

Additionally, the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) released the second estimate of the first quarter Gross Domestic Product.  The estimate moved the prior contraction of -4.8 percent slightly lower to a newly revised estimate of -5.0 percent.

With the first quarter at -5.0 percent (Jan, Feb, March) and a guaranteed much larger contraction in the second quarter (April, May, June) it is now a certainty we will officially be labeled “in a recession” when the Q2 numbers are released on the last Friday of July.  The media is using the data lag to narrate, and drag-out discussion of negative economic news, as long as possible.

There are some indicators the rebound will be strong (home sales, housing starts, mortgage applications, consumer confidence) but the key to both a wide and deep recovery is putting people back to work as quickly as possible.

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In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the Donald Trump Administration and Presidency.

This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread.

President Trump Twitter @POTUS / Vice President Pence Twitter @VP

Kayleigh McEnany Twitter @PressSec

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †

John Bash, the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Texas, has been assigned to assist USAO John Durham in the investigation of corrupt and malign activity by former USIC,  DOJ and FBI officials.  USAO Bash is in addition to USAO Jeff Jensen who is reviewing activity specifically as it pertains to General Michael Flynn.

John Bash is assigned to review the scale and severity of overall Obama-era unmasking to identify if laws were broken, and or if downstream leakers can be identified.

Tonight Sean Hannity invites Justice Dept. Spokesperson Kerri Kupec onto his television show so she could listen to him talk about it.  Within the interview: “the attorney general determined that certain aspects of unmasking needed to be reviewed separately as a support to John Durham’s investigation,” Ms. Kupec said. WATCH:

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