Another vote to reopen the U.S. … Chinese reporter busted by Trump … NY Times a tool for Chinese propaganda … Ohio state house rep wants Trump prosecuted … State Dept. rejects Hillary … 51 percent Trump approval in Zogby survey … security beyond the virus … and Gutfeld a ‘must watch’

These are my observations and opinions from my select news of the day.

REGULAR READERS know that I am hoping for the reopening our economy at the end of the month.  However, it will take your full support over the next few weeks, to faithfully practice social distancing and those hygiene measures called for in the guidelines published by the president’s virus task force.

We need to see evidence that we’re on the downside of the curve.  It doesn’t mean we wait for deaths to stop, especially in heavily-populated parts of the country.

“What if there were a middle way in which we could get 90 percent of our lives (and economy) back?” writes Wall Street Journal columnist William McGurn in “How We Get Our Lives Back.” “It’s not perfect.  But it would be a giant step forward over what we have now.”

No doubt, there’s anxiety out there, but reopening our economy where possible, in businesses where possible, it would provide a boost among Americans. “Seeing that a peak has been reached and the number of daily deaths start declining could be a psychological moment that could be a turning point,” says McGurn.

As I have suggested earlier in this space, McGurn visualizes offices and schools reopening, and even bars and restaurants, as long as they limit capacity and seat people apart.

BUSTED – With President Trump’s patience getting shorter with the media and their “gotcha” attempts, I paid particular attention to his inquiring of Youyou Wang, “Who do you work for, China?” during his Monday virus briefing.  “Hong Kong, Phoenix Media,” she responded.  Trump wasn’t satisfied, but he allowed her question.

It turns out that 65 percent of the company is owned by the government of China, with a former PLA propaganda official, who is close to senior Chinese government leaders, a 37.1 percent owner.

So, in effect, the White House Correspondents Association, allows a Communist Chinese Party propagandist to be seated in the White House briefing room.

MEANWHILE, our own pathetic media has been taking the side of China against President Trump and his virus experts.  On three occasions, as the blog Red State, notes, The New York Times has given Chinese state officials op-ed space, most recently a piece by China’s ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai.

Under the headline, “In Which the New York Times Morphs Into a Total Propaganda Tool for China’s Communist Government,” the ambassador coyly calls for peace and harmony between China and the United States.

In Tiankai’s op-ed, he claims that China’s government “has been providing updates about the disease in a responsible manner.” An outright lie.

ALSO, FROM THE LEFT comes the charge made by Rep. Tavia Galonski, the Democrat representing Ohio’s 35th District, covering the Akron area, in the State House of Representatives.

In her Twitter Sunday night, Galonski wrote @RepGalonski: “I can’t take it anymore.  I’ve been to the Hague.  I’m making a referral for crimes against humanity tomorrow.  Today’s press conference was the last straw.  I know the need for a prosecution referral when I see one.”

Galonski earned her knowledge of “prosecution referral” while serving as Magistrate in the Summit County Ohio Court of Common Pleas.  Veeeeery impressive, indeed.

WHERE PROSECUTION IS OVERDUE – That of Hillary Clinton and her aide, Cheryl Mills. We now learn that the State Department on Monday rejected Clinton’s effort to avoid depositions for herself and her former chief of staff in a lawsuit brought by the watchdog organization Judicial Watch.

Clinton and Mills are seeking a writ of mandamus to avoid a judge’s order requiring their testimony in an open records case involving Clinton’s use of a private e-mail server for government business.

In March, U.S. District Court Judge Royce C. Lamberth granted Judicial Watch’s request to depose about her use of a private e-mail server and to understand her grasp of State’s records management.

Expect Clinton to continue fighting the judge’sorders.

ZOGBY ANALYTICS’ latest survey reveals that the majority of voters – 51 percent – continue to approve of President Trump, despite the media’s effort to paint him negatively.

Trump’s support among black voters is getting better, according to Zogby, where his job approval is at 36 percent.

OUR DETERRENT FORCE (photo MSgt Mathew Plew)

The survey found that the public isn’t ready to blame the president for his handling of the mounting virus crisis, giving him a 48 percent approval rating. “Trump is winning respect for his efforts to focus on getting the economy back in business, while he and his administration fight the spread of the virus.

HOMELAND SECURITY goes beyond our current concern for protecting us from the coronavirus, and, in case you missed it, the president recently brought in Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and some of the military brass to brief the media on our stepped-up activity in our southern waterways to cut off drug movement.  On another occasion, a representative of our Border Patrol briefed about the on-going fence construction on our southern border.

And, we continue to deploy our airborne might around the world to conduct strategic exercises with our allies. Our enemies, especially Iran, need to know that our attention isn’t all directed at the virus.

GREG GUTFELD (screengrab)

GREG GUTFELD – If you’re not watching “The Five” weekdays and the “Greg Gutfeld Show” on Saturday evenings on the Fox News Channel, you are missing a true talent.  Of course, I recommend you have your remote handy so that you can silence the leftist ramblings of Juan Williams, a co-host on “The Five.”

Gutfeld frequently opens “The Five” with a monologue that is always spot-on, often taking on the Dems’ propaganda machine, Media Matters, and the talking heads at CNN (Brian Stelter) and MSNBC (Mika and Joe).  In his monologue opening his Saturday show, he usually weaves in his unique humor.

The blog Red State recently lauded Gutfeld for his response to Media Matters for accusing him of downplaying the virus in a piece written by Nick Arama, “Boom: Greg Gutfeld Busts Media Matters Again With What They Were Saying About Fox and Virus in January.”

Even after Gutfeld pointed out in a January 28, 2020 broadcast that the virus needed to be taken seriously, Media Matters president, Angelo Carusone, refused to retract the claim.

When Dana Milbank of the Washington Post wrote @Milbank: “The right begins Phase one clinical trials on scapegoat candidates: Fauci, the W.H.O and Jews,” Gutfeld responded creatively with this @greggutfeld: “Reminder, this hack (Milbank) works for a paper that told people to get a grip over their virus concerns, that we should beware an aggressive response, that the virus seems scarier than it really is.  Now he’s playing a pathetic six degrees of separation with antisemitism. Gross.”

May God continue to bless the United States of America.