NRA: The powerful US gun rights lobby

Yahoo – AFP, Joshua MELVIN, May 27, 2022

People look at semi-automatic guns at the Kalashnikov booth at the NRA's
annual convention in Houston (AFP/STRINGER) (STRINGER)

The National Rifle Association is the central and fiercest promoter of gun rights in America, and is again holding its annual convention days after a mass school shooting. 

Just like the NRA's meeting after the 1999 Columbine attack, which defined an era of gun massacres in America's schools, the gathering opening Friday in Houston follows the killing of 19 children and two teachers in a Texas classroom. 

The NRA has been weakened by scandal and turmoil, but remains the main force dedicated to advocating for the owners of the tens of millions of weapons that are readily obtainable across the country. 

Here are some key points about the organization: 

Potent political force 

The 150-year-old NRA concentrated its focus on battling gun restrictions in the late 1970s and has become one of the most powerful lobbying groups in US history. 

Its past influence on lawmakers has been far-reaching. 

From 2000 to 2012, the NRA and its allies in the firearms industry combined to pour $80 million into US House of Representatives, Senate and presidential races, according to an analysis by the Center for Responsive Politics. 

In the 2016 presidential election, the NRA spent about $20 million for ads attacking Democrat Hillary Clinton and another $10 million for ads supporting Republican Donald Trump. 

Since the 1990s, the NRA has been able to deliver a powerful punch against local and national politicians it views as a threat to gun rights, contributing to the defeat of numerous centrist candidates. 

Many guns, many deaths 

The NRA has been a key proponent for an industry that has produced more than 139 million guns for the commercial market over the two decades from 2000, including 11.3 million in 2020 alone, according to government data. 

At the same time, America annually records a toll of tens of thousands of gun deaths, with US authorities saying killings underwent an "historic" increase in 2020. 

The US racked up 19,350 firearm homicides in 2020, up nearly 35 percent over 2019, and 24,245 gun suicides, up 1.5 percent. 

The post-Columbine era 

In the April 20, 1999 shooting at Columbine high school in Littleton, Colorado, two students killed 12 of their classmates and a teacher, and signaled a new era of classroom killings in America. 

The NRA's annual conference was scheduled to open less than two weeks later in Denver, a short drive from Littleton, prompting state and local politicians to criticize the planned meeting. 

In the end, the NRA went ahead with a scaled-down gathering but voiced a defiant tone defending gun rights. 

"Over the next two decades, this unapologetic message would come to define the NRA's tone in the wake of mass shootings at American schools," US broadcaster NPR wrote, after publishing recordings it said captured the group's debate over the response to Columbine. 

A troubled NRA 

The state of New York sued the group and its leader Wayne LaPierre in 2020 for financial fraud and misconduct, aiming to dissolve the powerful lobby. 

Top NRA officials were accused of using dues and donations of members for years as a "personal piggy bank," spending tens of millions of dollars on themselves and their cronies in violation of laws governing non-profit organizations. 

The group called it a baseless political attack, and in March a New York judge ruled that alleged self-dealing by the group's leader, if proven, would not warrant such a strong penalty as the disbanding of the association. 

New York's lawsuit seeking to boot LaPierre from his post will, however, be allowed to proceed. 

Group in decline? 

NRA claims more than five million members, but there are signs that figure is on the wane, including a 2021 legal deposition from LaPierre in which he said numbers were "under 4.9 million." 

US network CBS reported NRA's revenue declined 23 percent from roughly $367 million in 2016 to $282 million in 2020, the most recent year for which its tax filings are available. 

It added that contributions and grants from members and corporations also have slipped 15 percent during that time. 

Yet after an 18-year-old man opened fire this week at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, the group spoke up as the voice explaining why yet another mass shooting had happened. 

"We recognize this was the act of a lone, deranged criminal," their statement said. "As we gather in Houston, we will reflect on these events... and pledge to redouble our commitment to making our schools secure."

Khashoggi fiancee sues Saudi prince in US over murder

Yahoo – AFP, October 20, 2020 

Hatice Cengiz, the fiancee of the late journalist Jamal Khashoggi, sued Saudi
Arabia's crown prince and other Saudis in US court over the Khashoggi's
murder in October 2018

The fiancee of journalist Jamal Khashoggi sued Saudi Arabia's crown prince and other officials Tuesday in a US court, seeking damages for his brutal murder in Istanbul two years ago. 

Turkish citizen Hatice Cengiz and the human rights group Khashoggi formed before his death, Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN), is pursuing Mohammed bin Salman and 28 others for damages over the October 2, 2018 killing of the US-based writer. 

Cengiz claims personal injury and financial losses over Khashoggi's death, while DAWN said its operations and objectives were hampered by the loss of its founder and central figure. 

"The ruthless torture and murder of Mr. Khashoggi shocked the conscience of people throughout the world," the suit said. 

"The objective of the murder was clear –- to halt Mr. Khashoggi's advocacy in the United States, principally as the executive director of plaintiff DAWN, for democratic reform in the Arab world." 

Khashoggi was killed inside Saudi Arabia's Istanbul consulate and his body dismembered and disposed of by a team of Saudis allegedly directed by right-hand men of the crown prince. 

After global expressions of outrage over the case and pressure from the United States and Turkey, 13 Saudis were tried in Riyadh and sentenced to stiff prison terms. 

But two top royal aides, deputy intelligence chief Ahmed al-Assiri and the royal court's media chief Saud al-Qahtani, were exonerated, despite links to the murder. 

Both of the aides, those convicted in Saudi Arabia for the murder, and others tied to the plot were named in the lawsuit. 

Cengiz and DAWN said they filed the suit in Washington federal court because they saw no chance for justice in Saudi Arabia, known for its opaque courts, and Turkish legal experts said the civil case would not go forward while Ankara pursues a criminal case over the murder. 

A prominent critic of the Riyadh regime, Khashoggi has been living near Washington and working in part for the Washington Post when he was killed. 

Cengiz said the two had wed under Islamic traditions and were preparing a civil marriage. 

The suit alleges that the plot against him involved the Saudi embassy in Washington, which directed him to travel to Istanbul to obtain the documents needed for their marriage. 

It also says his murder damaged the operations of DAWN, which is based in Washington. 

The defendants were "aware of Mr. Khashoggi's US ties and brutally killed Mr Khashoggi to silence him and prevent him from continuing in the United States his advocacy for democracy in the Arab world," the suit said.

“Manipulating Fear” – (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll)

Kryon.com, April 4, 2020

This live channelling was streamed live for Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Lee Carroll

To help the reader, this channelling has been revisited [by Lee and Kryon] to provide even clearer understanding. Sometime information is even added or condensed. Often what happens live has implied energy within it, which carries a kind of communication that the printed page does not. So enjoy this enhanced message which was streamed live for Toronto.

Greetings Dear Ones, I am Kryon of Magnetic Service.

We are not oblivious to the elephant under the table. This channel is being given in an auspicious time. It’s a time where many are in fear and others are struggling to stay out of it. Before we go into something that I want you to hear, let’s just take a moment…

There are those right now who are saying goodbye to their elders. That’s difficult. They never thought it would be this way, and it’s difficult. You can be told some of the principles and the esoteric attributes and reasoning of it all, but it doesn’t help when you’ve lost someone. Let’s take a moment of compassionate action to be the Lightworkers of the age, and share the peace and compassion that you have - Light of the world that you are, for those who need it, just for a moment.

Pause

There are those who will say, “How long is this going to last?”  The answer is: Long enough; long enough.

I want to tell you things, given in metaphors. Some of you will understand and some of you will not. Let’s talk about children for a moment.

When children are growing up and they reach a certain age, every balanced benevolent parent knows how to work this puzzle. Let’s say the child becomes afraid. They are afraid of just about everything because they haven’t seen everything yet, or perhaps certain unknown things frighten them, or they just need help. Sometimes the biggest fear is of the dark, and they’ll say, “Dad, Mom, I’m afraid of the dark; I don’t know what’s there. Help me because there could be monsters lurking there.”

Every good parent knows how to handle this. They will tell a child: “Listen dear little one, I’m going to turn on the light here for a moment. When I do, I want you to see there’s nothing there. When I turn the light off again, I want you to understand there’s still nothing there. But if you’re still afraid, even for a moment, I’m still here. I’m holding your hand; just hug me; just hug me.

“Don’t be afraid of what’s not there,” they will say to the child and eventually, through time, the child evolves and grows up. The child balances itself and It knows what the parent knows. Then it’s able to help the children that arrive in the future. It’s classic, absolutely classic: Children go through times of fear when they don’t understand things, but that is so easily correctible with compassion and love, and a nurturing explanation. Every good parent listening or reading here has gone through this and perhaps they even experienced it with their parents as well.

I’m going to give you two scenarios that totally go against this commonsense maturing, but which happen every day. Perhaps it’s inappropriate, but they happen.

SET UP: I want you to imagine that child for a moment - in that state of fear - trying to make sense of things in the dark. They always imagine things perhaps, which might attack them.

Scenario One: What if, instead of a hug, the child saw that the parent was afraid too? When that happens, it’s over for the child and they often check out [no hope]. They check out because it’s just too much to process. They’re afraid of the dark and so are their parents. It scars a child for life. They won’t forget this moment because there’s no hug. There’s no explanation; there’s no light; there’s only fear. Their parents are shaking in fear, as well. It happens. It has happened. It happens during war times when the parent can’t do anything about it.

Scenario Two: This one is even worse, and it represents inappropriate parental control. This is when the child is afraid of the dark and the parent says, Well, you should be! There’s are evil things there! So, you must do this and that. The child grows up with rules about evil, or invisible dark things, and understands that there is no hug for the dark at all. There’s only fear and rules to let you escape the worst.

Everything I’m telling you is a metaphor. Some of you are understanding this already, and some of you are not. Every Human Being listening here, every one of you, has an inner child. Some of those inner children right now are scared to death, and some are not. I know who is listening to this later, dear ones. I know who is listening to this and watching it now. Many very mature old souls, who know exactly where this is going, will say, Well, this message is not for me, I’ve gone beyond it.

Have you? Have you really? How far does it have to go before that maturity breaks down and you start to fear?

I’ll tell you right now, Lightworker, old soul: All of you have nurturing, compassionate tools inside you to soothe that savage beast called Fear. It’s what Adironnda [Marilyn Harper channel] said also; it’s what were all saying also.

If you didn’t hear it already from me, I’m giving you a prediction: One of the things that’s going to radically change when this event (virus) is all over, is the accountability from those who inform you in media. When the dust clears, you’re going to look at this closely and say, All the media made it worse, made it worse!

Dear one, in your life there’s never really been anything like this. Your media information sources are marketing-based media. They are not information-based. Dear ones, you know this. They all compete for your viewership and the more dramatic things they can show, the more humans are attracted. This goes for most of you, the world, and perhaps even Lightworkers. Many of you have to consciously remember to turn off the media, since it is carefully designed to “pull you in.”

The world is attracted to drama, so after the media gives you information that may be totally correct and accurate, they then “spin” the fearful side of it without you even being aware that they are doing in. Not only that, they depend on repetition to make certain you hear it many times. Did you know it’s possible for you to turn on the media when you wake up, then turn it off when you go to bed, and hear the same thing over and over 30-40 times? How does it make you feel? How does your inner child feel when all you’re seeing is that the adults are afraid too?

The media is not yet aware of something else they are doing automatically within their programming: In-between the designed drama they are giving you, they then are playing advertisements which create even more inappropriate ideas. The advertisements are often about medicine and drugs you need because you’re old, or medicine you need because you’re young and have pimples, or medicine you need because right now you are in anxiety (which they created), or medication you need just because you stand there as a Human Being, aging every hour. In other words, you’re never normal! You always need something to medicate you. Or perhaps you need an attorney to help you after the medication went wrong?

I don’t think that those media outlets are really putting together what they are doing: They are responsible for scaring the planet to death. That will change. Watch for it. The demand for Accountability for this scenario will eventually create “hope channels” of media. There will finally be room for the good news channels.

Lets call them TFH channels: (My partner’s term for TRUTH-FACTS-HOPE). They will present facts that are confirmed, then go to show things which are balanced and uplifting around those facts. Then you can see that which is, and is not, happening. There is so much good news that none of you know about, dear ones! None of you see it because that is not in the scope of what they do. Your media is currently in the drama business, and not the truth business.

The planet is going to demand this: You’re going to look at those in charge of your media and say, “Bad job! You didn’t do it well. You didn’t do it right. You gave us entertainment and drama. You didn’t give us anything that helped our hearts. You didn’t hold our hands when you could have, and you didn’t hug us enough. You didn’t do any of that.”

The media will defend itself and say, “It’s not our job to hold your hand. It’s our job to inform you.” Dear ones, welcome to the New Normal. Your media indeed should invest itself in giving you hope, as well as truth. There are two sides to the news, not just the drama. This is what will change, and what is next.

That’s one thing that you’re going to see change, Dear Ones. That’s a reboot. The earth will probably take a while for all of this, but you’re going to start seeing things differently and more truthfully. The main thing is that this will represent a paradigm change. Many will start getting their broadcast news from those who also tell “the rest of the story.” That will be the new, attractive thing that you will not expect. Humanity will start to become more wise about the manipulation that takes place “on the air.”

The Experiment

I want to tell you something else: I want to tell you something about an experiment done with children many years ago. It’s an experiment that probably would not be allowed in today’s rules, but it was a classic: Some psychologists know of this, and some nutritionists have studied it. It’s an experiment done with children and food.

The experiment: The children are given a buffet three times a day – breakfast, lunch and dinner, where they can select anything on the buffet, as much as they want of it, without anyone saying anything. No parents allowed.

The buffet is beautiful and nutritionally complete. It starts with vegetables and goes to the rice, the carbs, the fruit; and so on. All the food groups are represented, and it’s the standard wonderful healthy buffet for the culture of the children. And, of course, at the end of the buffet there are the desserts. Except these deserts are are more for kids. There’s the candy, the cookies, the cake, and the pie. It’s all there. It’s all there.

So, the children are turned loose at breakfast. What are they going to have? What do you think? The children all run to the end and stuff themselves with the cookies and cake!

Surprised?

Lunch time: They did the same thing. I mean, really! How how could a turnip compare with a candy bar?

Dinner? They did the same.

The next day, they were all sick. Surprise, surprise!

So, over a period of meals, what happened in this experiment is that the children started eating the vegetables, the rice, the fruit, and all the things they passed over before (even the turnip). The desserts were eaten in moderation (but they still loved them).

The innate part of the Human Being demanded the balance; not the junk, but the balance. It was interesting because the experiment showed that even children who desire sweets and don’t know any better, have an innate which starts to balance itself when given the right choices.

I want you to analyze what’s going on right now on this planet. I’m going to make a statement: You are not being given the right buffet. Dear Ones, right now on this planet, there are no vegetables and there is no fruit. I think you understand what I’m saying. That is going to change.

I think the wild card in all of this will be those who are going to step up and change it, and say, Look we’ve got some good news here. There’s hope. That’s the balance you have been craving. No wonder all of you are sick!

The Incredible Bias of Virus Reporting

I want to show you the bias. I want to show you the bias of your media that is hidden. If you look at the virus information channels, they’ll give you all the charts of the infected and the deaths. Over and over - the infected and the deaths. For every state or country, the infected and the deaths. I want to ask you, Where is the RECOVERED column? It’s not there, is it? That’s a bias. That is a drama bias. Did they tell you that over 99 percent of those who catch the virus recover completely? Where is that number? Do you also know that those who recover have natural immunity for a few years? Where is that information? These are the heros of your time! Did they tell you that? Where are the parties for the recovered?

THEN: There is all the economical doom and gloom that they’re telling you: Not since the depression, they say, have we seen this kind of economy. They are comparing your virus situation to the horrors of 1929 – yet nowhere are they saying: “Wait a minute – wait a minute... this was created! You told us to stop working and stay home! This is not an economic depression like 1929. It’s a temporary situation. The factories and markets didn’t collapse. We are just not allowed to go out and work!

Dear ones, the world economy will slowly return, and the stock market will also. It’s poised and ready. This is not the end of the the automobile industry or the manufacturing industry. It’s not. This is a bump. Are they saying that to you? Or are they comparing it to the worst of the worst, and you tune in and hear: “There’s no vegetables, no fruit. There’s just junk. Prepare to be sick for a long time.”

Historians, generations from now, will look at some numbers which are very telling. Humanity in general has increased its life span attributes. There was a time, even in this country, when you would live to 45 or 50 years old, and that was your life expectancy. You weren’t really expected to live that long. There was too much disease and bad nutrition. All of things have evolved so now you’re seeing a slow increase of life span because of nutrition and especially knowledge. This allows you to live well into the late 80s and even approaching the 90s. (First world nations)

But historians in the future will see something odd: Generations from now, they’re going to look at the life charts and say, “What is this dip here? How is it that for a little while, Humans didn’t live as long?”

They’re going to name it The Corona Dip.

The dip they may see is for an entire generation of humans, and it had nothing to do with being infected by the virus. They will determine that by the millions, fear shortened their lives. Fear shortened their lives! That’s how profound this media bias is.

Historians may eventually report that when they do all the accounting for what really happened, that fear killed more people than the virus.

Dear ones, are you going to be one of them? Or are you going to stand tall and say, “This is a hump, and we’ll get over it? It’s temporary. We’ll mourn when we have to mourn, but we’re coming back because it’s temporary.”

That’s what I wanted to tell you. The truth is not really being shown. As bad as you might say this is, the real truth is not being shown. The up-side is not even on the radar of the media. Not yet. There’s going to be a reckoning for that. You’ll see.

I am Kyron, in love with humanity. Two steps forward, one step back. You’re in the step back at the moment. Old souls, you were built for this. This is where you shine. You have the Akashic experience and the compassion factor that others don’t. That’s why you can show it to others, and let them find the innate balance that will keep fear in its place. This saves lives.

The time is now, to go to work.

And so it is.

KRYON

US police shooting of medical worker revives protest anger

Yahoo – AFP, May 13, 2020

Breonna Taylor, shown at a graduation ceremony, was shot dead by police
on March 13 (AFP Photo)

Washington (AFP) - The police killing of a 26-year-old emergency health worker in her apartment in Kentucky has triggered a fresh wave of anger in the United States over officers shooting black civilians.

Protests under the slogan "Black Lives Matter" have erupted regularly since 2012 over the shootings of unarmed African-Americans, with many accusing police of racially-biased brutality.

Breonna Taylor, an emergency medical technician (EMT) worker, and her boyfriend were asleep when police burst in and shot her eight times on March 13, her lawyer Ben Crump said.

Officers had the wrong address and used a battering ram to enter the Louisville apartment without warning and were searching for a suspect who was already in custody, Crump said.

Taylor's boyfriend is still being held after the raid, while no police officer has been charged over her death.

The police department "has not provided any answers regarding the facts and circumstances of how this tragedy occurred, nor have they taken responsibility for her senseless killing," Crump said in a statement.

A lawsuit was filed last month accusing officers of wrongful death, excessive force and gross negligence, according to The Washington Post.

"My priority is that the truth comes out, and for justice to follow," Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said Tuesday.

"The Breonna Taylor case is currently under investigation... Police work can involve incredibly difficult situations. Additionally, residents have rights."

Cases of US police brutality against people of color, and particularly black people, have become increasingly high-profile in recent years, sparking national protests.

In one of the most well-known cases, a white police officer killed Michael Brown -- an 18-year-old black man -- in Missouri in 2014.

Along with the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin in 2012 by a neighborhood watchman, the case inspired the Black Lives Matter movement.

And in recent days, although it was not a police killing, Americans have been outraged by the shooting death of a young black jogger named Ahmaud Arbery by two white men in Georgia.

Taylor "was one of the healthcare professionals helping us through this pandemic. But even as she helped to save lives, police violence took hers," said the verified Black Lives Matter twitter account.

Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called for action, saying that Taylor "was killed two months ago, and nothing has happened since."

Australian charged over 80s alleged hate crime murder of gay American

Yahoo - AFP, May 12, 2020

More than 30 years after the murder of Scott Johnson in a gay hate crime, police
in Australia say they have arrested and charged a suspect (AFP Photo/Handout)

More than 30 years after American Scott Johnson was killed in a suspected gay hate crime in Australia, police said Tuesday they had arrested and charged a man with his murder.

Detectives arrested the 49-year-old in the leafy Sydney suburb of Lane Cove on Tuesday and laid murder charges the same day.

The suspect's name was not released.

The breakthrough in the cold case came two months after the victim's family doubled a police reward in the case to Aus$2 million (US$1.3 million).

The 27-year-old mathematician Johnson's naked body was found at the base of a cliff in the Sydney suburb of Manly in December 1988, and police at the time ruled his death a suicide.

But a coroner found in 2017 that it was likely Johnson had been killed in a hate crime, suggesting he was either pushed over the cliff or fell while trying to escape unidentified assailants.

The inquest found that gangs roamed Sydney at the time searching for gay men to attack, and had been known to rob or assault men at the "gay beat" where Johnson's folded clothing was discovered.

In 2018, police announced an Aus$1 million reward for information leading to an arrest in the case, which was doubled when Johnson's brother, Steve, matched the amount in March.

Steve Johnson, who had long pushed police to investigate his brother's death, said it was "remarkable" the alleged killer had been apprehended almost 32 years later.

"This is a very emotional day. Emotional for me, emotional for my family who... love Scott dearly," he said in a video statement.

"It's emotional, I'm sure, for the gay community for whom Scott had come to symbolise the many dozens of other gay men who lost their lives in the 1980s and '90s in a world full of anti-gay prejudice and hatred."

In 2018, New South Wales police acknowledged that at least 27 murders between the 1970s and 2000 were homophobic hate crimes, admitting the force had played a part in marginalising the LGBT community and enabling society's "acceptance of shocking violence directed at gay men" during the period.

"It is clear and beyond question that levels of violence inflicted upon gay men in particular were elevated, extreme and often brutal," police said at the time.

The suspect in Johnson's murder is due to appear in a local Sydney court on Wednesday.

Canada bans assault weapons in wake of worst-ever mass shooting

Yahoo – AFP, May 1, 2020

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has ordered a sweeping ban on many
assault weapons after a deadly mass shooting (AFP Photo/Dave Chan)

Ottawa (AFP) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday announced an immediate ban on military-grade assault weapons, responding to a mass shooting and arson spree that left 22 people dead earlier this month.

"These weapons were designed for one purpose, and one purpose only: to kill the largest number of people in the shortest amount of time," Trudeau told a news briefing.

He said his government has approved a decree banning the sale, purchase, use, transport and import of 1,500 models of military-grade assault weapons and variants of them.

"There is no use, and no place for such weapons in Canada," Trudeau said.

The killing spree, the worst in Canadian history, began on the night of April 18 in Nova Scotia and led to a 13-hour manhunt for the shooter, who was eventually shot dead by police.

Authorities have said the assailant -- identified as 51-year-old denturist Gabriel Wortman -- was wearing a police uniform, driving a mock police car, and had several guns with him including at least one assault-style weapon.

Trudeau said there will be a two-year amnesty for people who currently own assault-style weapons to protect them from liability, and parliament will eventually pass legislation to compensate them for turning in their guns.

"For many families, including indigenous people, firearms are part of traditions passed down through generations, and the vast majority of gun owners use them safely, responsibly, and in accordance with the law, whether it be for work, sports shooting for collecting or for hunting," Trudeau said.

"But you don't need an AR-15 to bring down a deer," he added.

Mass shootings are less common in Canada than in the US "but the heartbreaking truth is, they're happening more often than they once did," the prime minister said.

He mentioned for instance a shooting at a mosque in Quebec City in 2017 that left six dead and 19 wounded.

Trudeau made banning assault weapons part of his campaign for elections that brought him to power in 2015. He repeated it in the campaign for the October 2019 elections in which he won another term.

Nearly four of five Canadians back such a ban, according to an Angus Reid poll released Friday.

China revises up Wuhan toll as Germany declares outbreak 'under control'

Yahoo – AFP, Jing Xuan Teng, with AFP bureaus, April 17, 2020

A worker disinfects the floor of a supermarket in Kosovo (AFP Photo/Armend NIMANI)

Wuhan (China) (AFP) - The Chinese city at the origin of the coronavirus outbreak revised up its death toll by 50 percent Friday, as global criticism mounted over China's handling of the deadly pandemic.

Since emerging from Wuhan late last year, the coronavirus has embarked on a deadly march across the planet, killing more than 145,000 people and wrecking the global economy with more than half of humanity -- 4.5 billion people -- trapped indoors.

But some countries across Europe are starting to slowly ease back weeks-old restrictions after deaths and infections showed signs of stabilising, and the German health minister said Friday his country's outbreak was "under control".

While President Donald Trump announced a phased reopening of the United States, the economic devastation was clear to see in China, where gross domestic product slammed into reverse for the first time since records began.

Wuhan's city government added 1,290 deaths to its toll, bringing the total to 3,869 after many dead were "mistakenly reported" or missed entirely, adding to growing global doubts over China's transparency.

Leaders in France and Britain joined Trump's broadsides against China, as two US media outlets reported suspicions the virus accidentally slipped out of a sensitive Wuhan laboratory that studied bats.

President Emmanuel Macron told the Financial Times it would be "naive" to think China had handled the pandemic well, adding: "There are clearly things that have happened that we don't know about."

Beijing hit back on Friday, insisting there had been no cover-up.

"There has never been any concealment, and we'll never allow any concealment," a foreign ministry spokesman said.

Life-and-death balance

World leaders are grappling with the question of when -- and how -- to reopen society, seeking a life-and-death balance between unfreezing stalled economies and preventing a deadly second coronavirus wave.

While Trump declared Thursday that the time had come for the "next front in our war" with a phased reboot of the US economy, others took the opposite path -- Japan, Britain and Mexico all expanded current restrictions.

Despite the United States suffering a staggering 4,500 deaths in the last 24 hours -- taking the national toll to almost 33,000 -- Trump proclaimed: "We're opening up our country."

The president's approach was a step back from previous hopes for a sudden reopening however, and state governors were given the freedom to set their own plans to resume business.

Lightly affected states can open "literally tomorrow", said Trump, while others would receive White House "freedom and guidance" to achieve that at their own pace.

In New York state for example -- where more than 11,500 have died -- Governor Andrew Cuomo extended a shutdown order until May 15.

In some of the world's most vulnerable economies, lockdown measures were starting to pinch.

Tobacco farmers in Zimbabwe feared a delayed start to normally busy auction season, the lifeblood for thousands of growers in impoverished rural regions.

"This year our harvest hasn't been good at all... just average," farmer Shaw Mutalepo told AFP, as workers in face masks crunched cured leaves into large bales.

"We might have a delay (in selling) just because of the lockdown," he added. "It will affect our preparations for the next season."

'Lost decade'

Meanwhile, there were more signs the global economy is imploding.

China reported Friday its GDP shrank 6.8 percent in the first quarter, the first contraction since quarterly growth data started in the early 1990s.

In the US, another 5.2 million workers lost their jobs, bringing the total number of newly unemployed to a staggering 22 million since mid-March.

John Williams, a top Federal Reserve official, predicted it would take "a year or two" if not longer for the US to recover from what the International Monetary Fund has termed the "Great Lockdown" battering the global economy.

The virus could spark another "lost decade" in Latin America, the IMF warned, while experts cautioned that freezing debt for poor countries will not save many developing world economies.

And in Europe, automobile sales shrank 55 percent in March, according to the industry's trade association.

'It's awful'

Some European countries -- such as hard-hit Spain and Italy -- were embarking on a long road back to normality, with Venice residents strolling around quiet canals stripped of their usual throngs of tourists.

Switzerland, Denmark and Finland were among those gradually re-opening shops and schools.

In Germany, select small shops will be allowed to reopen Monday and some children could soon return to school within weeks.

Infection rates there "have sunk significantly" and the outbreak is "under control", Health Minister Jens Spahn said Friday.

Germany's coronavirus deaths and infections have stood firmly below some of their worst-hit European neighbours, which experts say is in part thanks to widespread testing.

Spahn said Germany would produce up to 50 million masks a week starting in August, to fill a yawning gap in supplies prompted by the pandemic.

But Britain, which shut down later than continental Europe, extended its lockdown for at least three more weeks.

It announced close to 850 new deaths on Friday, a slight spike from previous days that saw fatalities start to draw down.

And in Russia, recorded infections topped 32,000 as President Vladmir Putin warned that "the risks surrounding the epidemic's spread are still very high, not just in Moscow but in many other Russian regions".

Around the world, people have come up with ingenious ways to bring back some semblance of normality -- and social connection -- to their upended lives.

In Rome an 18-year-old guitarist takes to his balcony every evening at sunset to play covers of Italian classics.

"We decided to lend a hand to Italians: a message of hope," Jacopo Mastrangelo told AFP from his patio.

"We are accustomed to always seeing Rome full, teeming with people. Now the grass is growing between the cobblestones, everything has been left abandoned, and we decided to help."

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"Corona 1", Reykjavik, Iceland, Mar, 2020 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll) - 

(>13.46 Min - Reference to the Global Coronavirus crisis)

"Corona 2", Reykjavik, Iceland, Mar, 2020 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll) - 

(>3,12 Min - Reference to the Global Coronavirus crisis)

You have a virus which is ‘spreading’ in your world …

The Federation of Light channeled by Blossom Goodchild – 2 February 2020

Blossom Goodchild

Blossom: Hello there! Giving it another go, to see if we are able to communicate. So much going on for everyone. So many Energies of all Vibrations flying around and yet, onwards we march! How is it where you are and do you fancy a swap?

Federation of Light: Dearest Blossom. Welcome to you and may our Energies be compatible … Indeed, ALL Energies be compatible in order for us to chat and discuss as we like to do.

You are correct in saying about the different Vibrations. This is what is causing so much upheaval for everyone in these times. As the Vibration of your Planet is lifting into a more deserving position, it is rejecting Vibrational magnetic fields that ‘want to come along for the ride’. The struggle between the Higher and the lower frequencies is an unruly dance conducted by the lower sensations and this is what is causing so much ‘unforgettable’ disturbance.

Why do you say ‘unforgettable’?

Because is it not a term used to ‘remember’ if we look at it that way?

I guess so. Yet, I wouldn’t really want to remember this particular time as it is not one to put in the ‘Fondest memories’ album.

And yet WHEN THS IS ALL OVER … WHEN EVERYTHNG THAT NEEDS TO BE SAID AND DONE IS SAID AND DONE … you WILL remember it and look back fondly upon it because it is recognised as the ending process of the old … as you bring in the New.

The New shall bring such Strength and Happiness to all.

The New shall allow you to FEEL the YOU that you TRULY are.

Everyone, including myself, seems to be feeling so vulnerable. So much is happening to so many … is it absolutely necessary for this to take place on an individual, personal level? So many needing to be in hospital, so many being served up, what I consider to be unnecessary predicaments that are far from pleasant. I mean why does it have to be so personal when the clearing of Energies is ‘in the air’, if you get me?

Yet, you are all One and the same. That which one is experiencing … is experienced for the Whole.

ALL that is taking place in one person’s life is like ‘taking one for the team’. Everything that you are now working through, is ridding the planet of all the ‘stuff’ that HAS TO BE RELEASED in order for the pathway ahead to be clear.

With respect … Haven’t we been doing that for the last few decades and then some?

Keep in mind Blossom, you and everyone else aware of their Light, are not just dealing with a few fibs here and there, or a little bit of jewellery theft.

You are dealing with the dark side of the WHOLE! You are choosing to be part of the removal system of all that has fallen into the pit of misery, greed, hate, … shall we go on?

No need, yet, yes, please do, just out of interest.

Jealousy, lust, pride, deceit. ALL that is below the line of that which is acceptable.

We previously expressed to you that this coming year would be a most interesting one in many forms of itself. One thing after another shall be presented to you as those of lesser Light … much lesser Light … struggle to redeem their status of power and control over the populous.

You have a virus which is ‘spreading’ in your world …

The Corona virus?

This is its given name.

I felt you wanted me to look up the meaning of the word ‘Corona’.  (Gaseous envelope of the sun and other stars … or ‘of the crown’.)

Interesting name. Considering there is much talk of solar flares and the sovereignty of a country that is under much strain due to news that has been leaked out. All that you are told goes much deeper than has so far been offered. Yet, it shall be revealed and there shall be no stopping these condemnations as they flow forth.

So, the virus?

A decoy! Put in place to mask rescue missions of those ‘under the thumb!’

‘Under the thumb’ meaning being controlled or dominated by someone. So, to speak as it is … you are saying the virus was put in place to take the attention away from those of darkness who are about to be ‘caught’.

Correct, Blossom.

Yet, none the less the virus is a real thing that is killing people!

As with many viruses that have been concocted to cause great alarm and fear. There will always be ‘some medical situation’ that is made prominent at a time suitable for undercover agents to slip through the bar and slip away unseen.

So much that is presented in your world is that of a decoy nature. So much!

Then the fear that builds, feeds itself until this particular threat ‘dies down’ and those who created it, sit happily in the knowing that once again their mission was successful.

Most of you who are aware KNOW all this.

May we ask … whenever you have heard about this virus or anything else, or seen it on your news, what have you felt? How have you reacted?

Well, to be honest … I very rarely watch the news, yet, if someone mentions it, I feel very unsympathetic, for I know it is just a ploy. Even though people are dying, I feel unattached somehow. It is just another part of the game and I am on the winning team. Of course, the I AM THE LIGHT. I AM THE LOVE. I AM. mantra comes into play at all times. For that which I cannot fully understand or accept is so very much ‘eased in strength’ by doing so. Saying this mantra allows me to stop questioning and pondering about it all and just BE (the Light and the Love.) Over and over again in every situation I say it and I know many, many are doing the same.

Yet, what you do not know, is the difference it is making to yourselves, each other and your Planet. When you continue to do so, you realise that you are not ‘falling for/under the spell’ that is deliberately designed to trap you. YOU ARE FREE OF IT … just by saying/feeling these few simple, yet so very Powerful words.

Dearest Blossom and all Souls of Earth who are struggling through these times … let the strength that lies within the coding of this mantra, guide you safely home. Use it as you are doing throughout … not just your daily circumstances … yet, use it throughout your Entire Being.

Let it become you. For you are THE LIGHT. THE LOVE. THE I AM presence in human form. Here to make the change into your Brighter world.

The particular Energies that are around at the moment shall subside and settle for a short time, yet, then, Dearest Ones …  A STORM OF GREAT MAGNITUDE SHALL BREAK and THEN shall you gather forces to see yourselves through.

I am assuming you mean storm, metaphorically?

Yes. Yet, when it arrives you will know why we used this as its sign.

Is this to come soon? I don’t believe I just asked that! I should know so much better.

We cannot give dates as you know. This ‘storm’ is a build up of events … and as each one ‘becomes exposed’ … the bigger the uproar which then leads to ‘the final straw’ … for want of an easy way of description.

Yet, it is to be this year?

We feel quite sure of this … yet, as you know Blossom … nothing is written in stone.

This year is to be the year of all years from the point of view of changes on a massive scale.

We trust your hats are firmly secured …

They will obviously need to be … judging from all that is going on for everyone in one way or another at the moment. It’s a strange feeling of surrendering to what is. No point in fighting it. It seems to be a one day at a time scenario and then I get into bed and the minute I close my eyes, my mind says, I AM THE LIGHT. I AM THE LOVE. I AM … Happy to have got through another day … somehow. Yet, knowing also, this is just the beginning.

You Know your strength. Each one of you can FEEL it from deep within. You can FEEL now that al the preparation you have ‘endured’ was leading up to these times, as you walk into the unknown/known segments of this journey of your lives.

We LOVE you. We are excited to watch the Glorious outcome unfold.

And so many Love you. Hope to bump into you one day … perhaps hitch a ride? In Gratitude. In Loving service. I AM.