thetennesseestar--2020-10-05--Commentary: Protect Elderly Votes Project Aims to Thwart ‘Ballot Harvesting’ Fraud

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic , the push for widespread mail-in voting and other alternatives to going to the polls ahead of the presidential election has increased the risk of vote fraud through “ ballot harvesting , ” and the elderly are particularly vulnerable , advocates warn .
To protect seniors , especially those with physical impairments , the American Constitutional Rights Union is stepping up its efforts to prevent what it calls “ Stranger Danger ” through its Protect Elderly Votes project .
The American Constitutional Rights Union is a Naples , Florida-based right-leaning nonprofit dedicated to what it says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Constitution and Bill of Rights .
Not only are those 65 and older more likely to be victims of COVID-19 , they are also increasingly at risk of falling prey to voter fraud this election year , American Constitutional Rights Union President Lori Roman said .
That ’ s because many seniors rely on assistance in voting from staffers of nursing homes and assisted living facilities , as well as from political activists .
The latter may target the elderly living in those facilities , disguising their true intentions with offers to help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ registration cards and ballot forms .
Political operatives also have been known to approach seniors near their homes and polling stations , and in residential facilities , with offers of “ voting assistance.
” The operatives ’ true objective might be to manipulate or change votes .
Among the physical factors that make seniors particularly vulnerable to those forms of voter fraud are health conditions , such as vision and hearing impairments and/or mobility challenges , according to the American Constitutional Rights Union ’ s Senior Citizen Voter Bill of Rights .
Such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political activists intent on committing vote fraud and ballot manipulation under the guise of “ assisting the elderly.
” Along with physical challenges , seniors may face cognitive problems , such as dementia or other forms of memory decline .
But seniors can protect themselves from vote fraud , Roman said : Vote in person whenever possible .
That ’ s the most secure way to vote .
Seniors who are not able to vote in person and have to use an absentee ballot should ensure that no one touches or tampers with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coerces them or tries to fill it out for them .
If they ’ re in a facility , and they fill out their absentee ballot , they need to fill it out themselves , and they need to mail it themselves using the mailbox at the facility and not hand it to anyone else .
Either turn in the ballot yourself or give it to a trusted family member to turn it in .
Seniors should also be wary of handing over their ballots to organizations claiming to be nonpartisan , Roman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ harvesting ” has increased as the presidential election nears .
The American Constitutional Rights Union recently reported widespread cases of ballot harvesting in Florida by third-party organizations , such as the left-leaning League of Women Voters and possibly also the American Civil Liberties Union , Roman said .
The groups may be using the coronavirus pandemic as an excuse to offer their “ assistance.
” To counter the practice of illegal ballot harvesting and to raise awareness of the growing risk of vote fraud , the “ Stranger Danger ” campaign has also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country , alerting the directors about the prevalence of ballot harvesting and offering to provide residents of the facilities with copies of its Senior Citizen Voter Bill of Rights .
Nathalie Voit reports for the Daily Signal .
Photo “ Elderly Voting ” by American Institute in Taiwan .

by Nathalie Voit
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the push for widespread mail-in voting and other alternatives to going to the polls ahead of the presidential election has increased the risk of vote fraud through “ballot harvesting,” and the elderly are particularly vulnerable, advocates warn.
To protect seniors, especially those with physical impairments, the American Constitutional Rights Union is stepping up its efforts to prevent what it calls “Stranger Danger” through its Protect Elderly Votes project. The American Constitutional Rights Union is a Naples, Florida-based right-leaning nonprofit dedicated to what it says is safeguarding the liberties enshrined in the Constitution and Bill of Rights.
Not only are those 65 and older more likely to be victims of COVID-19, they are also increasingly at risk of falling prey to voter fraud this election year, American Constitutional Rights Union President Lori Roman said.
That’s because many seniors rely on assistance in voting from staffers of nursing homes and assisted living facilities, as well as from political activists. The latter may target the elderly living in those facilities, disguising their true intentions with offers to help “fill out” and deliver voter registration cards and ballot forms.
Political operatives also have been known to approach seniors near their homes and polling stations, and in residential facilities, with offers of “voting assistance.” The operatives’ true objective might be to manipulate or change votes.
Among the physical factors that make seniors particularly vulnerable to those forms of voter fraud are health conditions, such as vision and hearing impairments and/or mobility challenges, according to the American Constitutional Rights Union’s Senior Citizen Voter Bill of Rights.
Such physical impairments make them prime targets for political activists intent on committing vote fraud and ballot manipulation under the guise of “assisting the elderly.”
Along with physical challenges, seniors may face cognitive problems, such as dementia or other forms of memory decline.
But seniors can protect themselves from vote fraud, Roman said:
Vote in person whenever possible. That’s the most secure way to vote. Seniors who are not able to vote in person and have to use an absentee ballot should ensure that no one touches or tampers with their ballot, and that no one coerces them or tries to fill it out for them. If they’re in a facility, and they fill out their absentee ballot, they need to fill it out themselves, and they need to mail it themselves using the mailbox at the facility and not hand it to anyone else. Either turn in the ballot yourself or give it to a trusted family member to turn it in.
Seniors should also be wary of handing over their ballots to organizations claiming to be nonpartisan, Roman said, adding:
We have, through our hotline, received tips that nonprofit leftist-leaning organizations all over the country—two in particular—are trying to harvest ballots from the elderly and assisted living facilities. They are claiming that they will take the ballots and get them to the election office for the citizens.
That “ballot harvesting” has increased as the presidential election nears.
The American Constitutional Rights Union recently reported widespread cases of ballot harvesting in Florida by third-party organizations, such as the left-leaning League of Women Voters and possibly also the American Civil Liberties Union, Roman said. The groups may be using the coronavirus pandemic as an excuse to offer their “assistance.”
To counter the practice of illegal ballot harvesting and to raise awareness of the growing risk of vote fraud, the “Stranger Danger” campaign has also contacted dozens of nursing homes across the country, alerting the directors about the prevalence of ballot harvesting and offering to provide residents of the facilities with copies of its Senior Citizen Voter Bill of Rights.
– – –
Nathalie Voit reports for the Daily Signal.
Photo “Elderly Voting” by American Institute in Taiwan.


thetennesseestar--2020-10-05--Court Filing Alleges Fordham Wants to Hide Ties to Chinese Communist Party

The attorney for Austin Tong , a Chinese immigrant student punished by Fordham University , recently alleged that the university has ties to the Chinese Communist Party that the institution wants to hide .
He argued that it is why the school wants to avoid discovery in the lawsuit it faces for its punishment of Tong .
Tong , a Chinese immigrant , was punished in June for posting a photo of himself holding an AR-15 with the caption “ Don ’ t Tread on Me ” and referencing the Tiananmen Square Massacre .
Now , Edward Paltzik , his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has a relationship with the People ’ s Republic of China that it wants to hide .
The Department of Education sent a letter in August to Fordham seeking information on a possible discrepancy in foreign funding disclosure .
The DOE separately opened an investigation into the school ’ s treatment of Tong .
The foreign funding letter said “ the Department is concerned that Fordham ’ s reporting may not fully capture all qualifying gifts , contracts , and/or restricted and conditional gifts or contracts from or with all foreign sources.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the university ’ s dismissal motion that “ expedited discovery ” is needed so the school can no longer “ conceal the truth ” about why it disciplined Tong “ and other subjects of relevance ” including the school ’ s relationship with the People ’ s Republic of China and the Chinese Communist Party .
He also accused university officials of being “ extraordinarily dishonest ” and said they “ have a great deal to hide , and have zero credibility.
” Paltzik did not respond to multiple emailed requests for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on his assertion .
His client defended his right to speak freely .
“ Some people do not like my opinions , but they are still protected opinions and speech , ” Tong told The Fix via Instagram messaging .
“ Speech is not supposed to be uncontroversial .
Very few issues that are worth discussing or debating are.
” “ While there were some who did not like my views and obviously wanted to see me punished , ” Tong said , “ the overwhelming sentiment has been extremely supportive , both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ express them.
” “ It is important that others recognize what is happening on college campuses and start standing up for themselves.
” Paltzik said the school ’ s court filing misrepresented the threat posed by Tong .
He noted that the dean of students , Keith Eldredge , conceded that public safety officers for Fordham did not consider Tong a threat after interviewing him and “ Eldredge himself conceded that Tong did not violate the Weapons Policy.
” The university responded on September 21 reiterating a request for dismissal of the case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ the personal insults leveled against Dean Eldredge are entirely baseless.
” The university ’ s media relations office did not respond to multiple emailed requests for comment in the past week .
Fordham ’ s attorneys reiterated their prior claim that Tong posed a threat to students and said Tong and his attorneys “ raise a host of factually barren assertions to obfuscate Fordham ’ s absolute right to discipline a student for a violation of University policy.
” The attorney argued that public safety only deemed Tong was not an “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point did Fordham ’ s Public Safety officers ever express an opinion as to whether Petitioner could possibly pose a threat to the Fordham campus community at a later time.
” Eldredge , the attorney argued , “ reasonably believed that [ Tong ] presented a potential threat in the future.
” The school ’ s attorney James Ryan said the “ the personal insults leveled against Dean Eldredge are entirely baseless.
” Eldredge , according to Ryan , “ reasonably believed that [ Tong ] presented a potential threat in the future.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ John Vasek , the public safety officer who investigated Tong , to back up the school ’ s argument .
Vasek confirmed he did not believe Tong presented a “ clear and present danger.
” Vasek said he never said that Tong could never be a threat in the future : “ Logically , no one could ever make that prognosis.
” Tong is currently taking classes online and the university “ agreed to hold off suspension and expulsion until a court decision is made , ” Tong told The Fix .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public safety officer escort him if he is on campus .
The case is still pending in the courts .
Landon will graduate from Kennesaw State University this fall with a bachelor ’ s degree in journalism and emerging media and a minor in sociology .
He is a contributor at Lone Conservative , a journalism intern for Pulp Magazine , a student writer for the Office of Research at KSU and a staff writer for his school newspaper , The Sentinel .
Photo “ Austin Tong ” by Austin Tong Instagram .

by Landon Mion
The attorney for Austin Tong, a Chinese immigrant student punished by Fordham University, recently alleged that the university has ties to the Chinese Communist Party that the institution wants to hide.
He argued that it is why the school wants to avoid discovery in the lawsuit it faces for its punishment of Tong.
Tong, a Chinese immigrant, was punished in June for posting a photo of himself holding an AR-15 with the caption “Don’t Tread on Me” and referencing the Tiananmen Square Massacre.
Now, Edward Paltzik, his attorney, alleged that the Catholic college has a relationship with the People’s Republic of China that it wants to hide. The Department of Education sent a letter in August to Fordham seeking information on a possible discrepancy in foreign funding disclosure.
The DOE separately opened an investigation into the school’s treatment of Tong.
The foreign funding letter said “the Department is concerned that Fordham’s reporting may not fully capture all qualifying gifts, contracts, and/or restricted and conditional gifts or contracts from or with all foreign sources.”
Paltzik argued in his September 11 response to the university’s dismissal motion that “expedited discovery” is needed so the school can no longer “conceal the truth” about why it disciplined Tong “and other subjects of relevance” including the school’s relationship with the People’s Republic of China and the Chinese Communist Party.
He also accused university officials of being “extraordinarily dishonest” and said they “have a great deal to hide, and have zero credibility.”
Paltzik did not respond to multiple emailed requests for comment from The College Fix seeking clarification on his assertion.
His client defended his right to speak freely.
“Some people do not like my opinions, but they are still protected opinions and speech,” Tong told The Fix via Instagram messaging. “Speech is not supposed to be uncontroversial. Very few issues that are worth discussing or debating are.”
“While there were some who did not like my views and obviously wanted to see me punished,” Tong said, “the overwhelming sentiment has been extremely supportive, both of my opinions and my right to express them.”
“It is important that others recognize what is happening on college campuses and start standing up for themselves.”
University insists Tong posed a threat
Paltzik said the school’s court filing misrepresented the threat posed by Tong.
He noted that the dean of students, Keith Eldredge, conceded that public safety officers for Fordham did not consider Tong a threat after interviewing him and “Eldredge himself conceded that Tong did not violate the Weapons Policy.”
The university responded on September 21 reiterating a request for dismissal of the case. The school’s attorneys said “the personal insults leveled against Dean Eldredge are entirely baseless.” The university’s media relations office did not respond to multiple emailed requests for comment in the past week.
Fordham’s attorneys reiterated their prior claim that Tong posed a threat to students and said Tong and his attorneys “raise a host of factually barren assertions to obfuscate Fordham’s absolute right to discipline a student for a violation of University policy.”
The attorney argued that public safety only deemed Tong was not an “immediate threat” and “At no point did Fordham’s Public Safety officers ever express an opinion as to whether Petitioner could possibly pose a threat to the Fordham campus community at a later time.”
Eldredge, the attorney argued, “reasonably believed that [Tong] presented a potential threat in the future.”
The school’s attorney James Ryan said the “the personal insults leveled against Dean Eldredge are entirely baseless.”
Eldredge, according to Ryan, “reasonably believed that [Tong] presented a potential threat in the future.” The attorney submitted an affidavit from John Vasek, the public safety officer who investigated Tong, to back up the school’s argument.
Vasek confirmed he did not believe Tong presented a “clear and present danger.” Vasek said he never said that Tong could never be a threat in the future: “Logically, no one could ever make that prognosis.”
Tong is currently taking classes online and the university “agreed to hold off suspension and expulsion until a court decision is made,” Tong told The Fix.
The university reportedly required him to have a public safety officer escort him if he is on campus.
The case is still pending in the courts.
– – –
Landon will graduate from Kennesaw State University this fall with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and emerging media and a minor in sociology. He is a contributor at Lone Conservative, a journalism intern for Pulp Magazine, a student writer for the Office of Research at KSU and a staff writer for his school newspaper, The Sentinel.
Photo “Austin Tong” by Austin Tong Instagram.


thetennesseestar--2020-10-05--ICE’s New Acting Director Plans to Change Public Perception of the Agency

Tony Pham is focused on changing the narrative of Immigration and Customs Enforcement by highlighting the work agents do every day , he told the Daily Caller News Foundation in an exclusive interview .
Closing his third full week as the senior official performing the duties of the director of ICE , Pham told the DCNF that he plans to focus on addressing the public misconception of the agency and its employees by promoting discussion around the “ remarkable work that the men and women of ICE do every day.
” Pham intends to draw on his previous experiences as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and criminal investigator to bring something different to the agency , he told the DCNF .
“ My vision for this organization is to highlight the hardworking men and women while I ’ m here , to be able to meet every single individual to address some of the issues moving forward with a thoughtful process based upon my legal background , and I think that ’ s going to be what is different , and it ’ s not better , it ’ s not worse , it ’ s just different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s mission is to protect America from illegal immigration and cross-border crimes that threaten national security and public safety , Pham told the DCNF .
ICE agents and officers enforce over 400 federal statues focused on smart immigration , terrorism prevention , and stopping the illegal flow of goods and people across America ’ s borders , according to Pham .
“ It ’ s those individuals that we meet in our everyday travels across the United States who deserve an acting director who will tell their story and recognize their value and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that ’ s the narrative that I want to put out there for the public to see , ” Pham told the DCNF .
“ That these are committed individuals that come to work every day , they ’ re anonymous , you don ’ t know them , but their charge is to make our lives better , ” Pham added .
Pham emphasized the work done by the agency ’ s Enforcement and Removal Operations ( ERO ) group , who identify and arrest illegal immigrants .
In the 2019 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the individuals that ERO arrested had prior criminal records or arrests , according to Pham .
“ That plays directly into our ability to protect our communities by removing those individuals that pose a public safety risk to our communities , ” Pham told the DCNF .
“ These are individuals that we focus on that have committed crimes , they do some time , they come back out and they have an opportunity to commit crime again.
” The Office of the Inspector General at the Department of Homeland Security investigated concerns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ICE facilities in June 2019 and found “ nooses in detainee cells , overly restrictive segregation , inadequate medical care , unreported security incidents , and significant food safety issues , according to an IG report released in June 2019 .
Democratic Reps. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan , Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts , Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York , and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota in a joint June 2019 statement called ICE and Customs Protection “ radicalized criminal agencies ” that violate human rights .
“ The Trump administration would rather criminalize immigrants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rather than practice empathy and compassion , ” the statement said .
“ We must abolish ICE.
” “ We approach individuals we take into our custody with the utmost compassion and professionalism , and we work towards providing individuals a safe environment while they ’ re in detention as their case works through the immigration courts , ” he added .
Pham spent 10 years working in two different detention facilities where he developed his career and learned to treat “ individuals in our detention facilities with compassion and professionalism , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ front-line prosecutor , Pham ran grand juries and learned the inner workings of the court system , he told the DCNF .
He added that his previous experience investigating gang-related incidents gives him a leg-up when working with Homeland Security Investigations agents because he can “ walk right in and have those conversations ” with a fluent understanding of the information .
“ I ’ m humble , I ’ m grateful and I ’ m blessed to be in the position where I am now because I enjoy people , I just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meeting people , more so enjoy meeting the employees who come to work every day and do their job to protect this country , ” Pham told the DCNF .
“ I ’ m going to try to do the best job I can while I have the opportunity to do it.
” Pham said he is not focused on whether he will be formally nominated or confirmed to the director position .
Kaylee Greenlee is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Photo “ Tony Pham ” by U.S. Customs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ICE Vehicle ” by Donald Lee Pardue CC BY 2.0 .

by Kaylee Greenlee
Tony Pham is focused on changing the narrative of Immigration and Customs Enforcement by highlighting the work agents do every day, he told the Daily Caller News Foundation in an exclusive interview.
Closing his third full week as the senior official performing the duties of the director of ICE, Pham told the DCNF that he plans to focus on addressing the public misconception of the agency and its
employees by promoting discussion around the “remarkable work that the men and women of ICE do every day.”
Pham intends to draw on his previous experiences as a front-line prosecutor, detention director, and criminal investigator to bring something different to the agency, he told the DCNF.
“My vision for this organization is to highlight the hardworking men and women while I’m here, to be able to meet every single individual to address some of the issues moving forward with a thoughtful process based upon my legal background, and I think that’s going to be what is different, and it’s not better, it’s not worse, it’s just different,” Pham said.
ICE’s mission is to protect America from illegal immigration and cross-border crimes that threaten national security and public safety, Pham told the DCNF. ICE agents and officers enforce over 400 federal statues focused on smart immigration, terrorism prevention, and stopping the illegal flow of goods and people across America’s borders, according to Pham.
“It’s those individuals that we meet in our everyday travels across the United States who deserve an acting director who will tell their story and recognize their value and recognize their commitment to our country, and that’s the narrative that I want to put out there for the public to see,” Pham told the DCNF.
“That these are committed individuals that come to work every day, they’re anonymous, you don’t know them, but their charge is to make our lives better,” Pham added.
Pham emphasized the work done by the agency’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) group, who identify and arrest illegal immigrants. In the 2019 fiscal year, around 86% of the individuals that ERO arrested had prior criminal records or arrests, according to Pham.
“That plays directly into our ability to protect our communities by removing those individuals that pose a public safety risk to our communities,” Pham told the DCNF. “These are individuals that we focus on that have committed crimes, they do some time, they come back out and they have an opportunity to commit crime again.”
ICE has faced criticism from watchdogs.
The Office of the Inspector General at the Department of Homeland Security investigated concerns about how detainees were treated in four ICE facilities in June 2019 and found “nooses in detainee cells, overly restrictive segregation, inadequate medical care, unreported security incidents, and significant food safety issues, according to an IG report released in June 2019.
Democratic Reps. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota in a joint June 2019 statement called ICE and Customs Protection “radicalized criminal agencies” that violate human rights.
“The Trump administration would rather criminalize immigrants, separate families, and detain refugees rather than practice empathy and compassion,” the statement said. “We must abolish ICE.”
Pham told the DCNF: “The criticism is unwarranted.”
“We approach individuals we take into our custody with the utmost compassion and professionalism, and we work towards providing individuals a safe environment while they’re in detention as their case works through the immigration courts,” he added.
Pham spent 10 years working in two different detention facilities where he developed his career and learned to treat “individuals in our detention facilities with compassion and professionalism,” he told the DCNF.
As a front-line prosecutor, Pham ran grand juries and learned the inner workings of the court system, he told the DCNF. He added that his previous experience investigating gang-related incidents gives him a leg-up when working with Homeland Security Investigations agents because he can “walk right in and have those conversations” with a fluent understanding of the information.
“I’m humble, I’m grateful and I’m blessed to be in the position where I am now because I enjoy people, I just love talking to people and I enjoy meeting people, more so enjoy meeting the employees who come to work every day and do their job to protect this country,” Pham told the DCNF. “I’m going to try to do the best job I can while I have the opportunity to do it.”
Pham said he is not focused on whether he will be formally nominated or confirmed to the director position.
– – –
Kaylee Greenlee is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Photo “Tony Pham” by U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement. Background Photo “ICE Vehicle” by Donald Lee Pardue CC BY 2.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-10-05--Gov. DeWine on CNN: President Trump’s COVID Diagnosis is a ‘Cautionary Tale’ for Mask Wearing

In a segment on CNN ’ s State of the Union Sunday , Ohio Governor Mike DeWine appeared to “ mask-shame ” President Trump , saying that the Chief executive ’ s diagnosis of the potentially deadly disease serves as a “ cautionary tale ” for people who are reluctant to wear masks .
DeWine , a fairly frequent guest on the news program told host Jake Tapper that , “ this should be kind of an alert to everybody that anybody can get the virus , even president of the United States can get the virus.
” So we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ learn from it .
People who maybe have not worn masks in the past , I ’ m hoping that they will look at this and say the president can get it , I can get it , and it can happen to anybody .
I hope that is what happens , and that is what comes out of this .
We pray for the president , and we pray for the first lady and everybody else who has the virus .
Tapper , visibly agitated , pressed DeWine , demanding the governor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coming in Ohio and “ recklessly risking the health of the citizens you were elected to protect.
” “ It ’ s a pretty simple question , ” Tapper said , “ You were elected to protect the citizens of Ohio , and the president and his team were putting them at risk.
” DeWine reminded viewers that the president ’ s team recommended people wear masks and even had face coverings as handouts .
After showing a short clip of Ohio Lt Gov Husted getting booed by boisterous rally-goers for encouraging them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the outdoor event , Tapper asked , “ Is that not the consequence of the president ’ s rhetoric against wearing masks ?
” DeWine said that despite a lack of media coverage , the White House has been supportive of Ohioans throughout the pandemic , and recalled that hundreds of thousands of tests are in the process of being distributed to the states , including Ohio .
We have people not only in Ohio , but across the country who What I hope is that what we have seen with the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people will understand , look , it can happen to the president , it can happen to you , and it can happen to your family .
You wear a mask to help other people .
And so if anything good can come out of this tragedy of the president and the White House , you know , we hope just people will look at that and say we need to wear a mask and this is what we need to do to slow this thing down .
( emphasis added )

In a segment on CNN’s State of the Union Sunday, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine appeared to “mask-shame” President Trump, saying that the Chief executive’s diagnosis of the potentially deadly disease serves as a “cautionary tale” for people who are reluctant to wear masks.
DeWine, a fairly frequent guest on the news program told host Jake Tapper that, “this should be kind of an alert to everybody that anybody can get the virus, even president of the United States can get the virus.”
He continued:
So we ought to use this and simply just learn from it. People who maybe have not worn masks in the past, I’m hoping that they will look at this and say the president can get it, I can get it, and it can happen to anybody. I hope that is what happens, and that is what comes out of this. We pray for the president, and we pray for the first lady and everybody else who has the virus.
Tapper, visibly agitated, pressed DeWine, demanding the governor answer whether or not he resented individuals coming in Ohio and “recklessly risking the health of the citizens you were elected to protect.”
“It’s a pretty simple question,” Tapper said, “You were elected to protect the citizens of Ohio, and the president and his team were putting them at risk.”
DeWine reminded viewers that the president’s team recommended people wear masks and even had face coverings as handouts.
After showing a short clip of Ohio Lt Gov Husted getting booed by boisterous rally-goers for encouraging them to don masks for the duration of the outdoor event, Tapper asked, “Is that not the consequence of the president’s rhetoric against wearing masks?”
DeWine said that despite a lack of media coverage, the White House has been supportive of Ohioans throughout the pandemic, and recalled that hundreds of thousands of tests are in the process of being distributed to the states, including Ohio.
He added:
We have people not only in Ohio, but across the country who What I hope is that what we have seen with the president is a cautionary tale for people and people will understand, look, it can happen to the president, it can happen to you, and it can happen to your family. You wear a mask to help other people. And so if anything good can come out of this tragedy of the president and the White House, you know, we hope just people will look at that and say we need to wear a mask and this is what we need to do to slow this thing down. (emphasis added)
Watch the full interview here.


thetennesseestar--2020-10-05--Commentary: Recognizing the Sovereignty of Taiwan Could be a Real October Surprise

Over the past three-and-a-half years , the lyrics for the mainstream-media ’ s antiphon were “ Will this be the end of the Trump presidency ?
” and “ bombshell ” , over the next five weeks , talking heads will nod and acid pens will retread new grooves , all repeating : “ the October surprise ” .
There is a great deal that President Trump can do over the next five weeks ( besides recuperate and beat the coronavirus he contracted , courtesy of the CCP ) that would constitute a historic surprise , and he would have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gesture needs to be simultaneously more symbolic and impactful than his relocation of the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem ; than normalizing peaceful relations between the UAE and Israel , and Bahrain and Israel ; than starting the process of reconciliation between Serbia and Kosovo ; than opening comms to the nuclear North Koreans and defusing Un ’ s rhetoric that could have amounted to a holocaust in Seoul ; than pulling tens of thousands of troops out of the Near East and bringing America ’ s longest war to a close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ domestic terrorist organizations ; and putting Judge Barrett on the Supreme Court .
President Trump has an opportunity to make his boldest moral , strategic , and catalyzing move yet , entirely in the interest of the American people and the free world : to recognize the Republic of China ( i.e .
Taiwan ) as a sovereign nation .
His administration has already taken significant steps to “ bolster ” Taiwan ’ s status .
This move wouldn ’ t be so subtle .
More than a Tweet ; Trump could recognize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ illegitimately claimed by the CCP , before the United Nations .
He could challenge democratic , freedom-loving allies and acquaintances to do the same , and in so doing , ascertain who exactly has the intestinal fortitude to call out the evil empire , and who is willing to subordinate their people to it in the decades to come .
President Trump should remind our nuclear adversary why it is that the United States Navy ’ s Seventh Fleet routinely transits the Taiwan Strait and for whom , and that the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the world .
President Trump should do this for three reasons : first , to end an era of reactive politicking and corrosive collaboration on the China front , and to instead exercise agency in the favor of the American working class ( i.e .
by onshoring business and manufacturing jobs presently conducted in China ) and the free world ; second , to prompt , in turn , a global referendum on the ambitions of a genocidal , totalitarian power that accelerated the spread of a manmade virus , which has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; and third , to signal a shift in foreign policy from the Near to the Far East , a resource prioritization of US Indo-Pacific Command and Space Force , and a reinforcement of American allies in southeast Asia .
The objective here is not to start a kinetic war .
Fortunately , as things now stand , it is not in the CCP ’ s interest to go to war .
Their hawks do not have shi on their side .
They know to overreact would be premature and self-defeating .
Ultimately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the CCP would lose , especially with America ’ s relationship with India strengthened by the Trump administration – India not a discountable force on China ’ s contested western border .
Though Beijing would no doubt read this as provocation , Trump ’ s formal recognition of Taiwan would not be an attack on China but a sign of support for the Republic of China ; signaling a radical international realignment extra to what has already occurred in 2020 .
This move would have massive economic , societal , and military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If the United States does not check the ambitious and evil empire when strong , it can not hope to do so when weak , and make no mistake : communist China grows at America ’ s expense and with America ’ s demise as a key driver .
A monumental and historic decision such as this would send a clear signal to the hawks in the CCP .
( We are well past the beginning of the Sino-American Cold War , and this decision would , by way of analogy , transform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) The free world will not permit an atheistic , genocidal , communist state to become the global superpower , as the CCP intends it becomes by 2049 .
Xi Jinping and the hawks in the CCP want China to entirely displace America and take the title of world superpower by 2049 .
This is neither a theory nor a dream .
It is a well-defined plan , which Director of the Center on Chinese Strategy Dr. Michael Pillsbury discussed at length in The Hundred-Year Marathon .
China is running a marathon , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ balance .
The failure in Washington – at least up until the Trump administration – to recognize that we ’ re in a race and losing , Dr. Pillsbury argues , constitutes “ the most systematic , significant , and dangerous intelligence failure in American history.
” This is not a partisan issue .
Responding to the House Intelligence Committee ’ s report , “ The China Deep Dive : A Report on the Intelligence Community ’ s Capabilities and Competencies with Respect to the People ’ s Republic of China ” ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on September 30th ) , Adam Schiff underlined that the stakes are “ enormous ” : Pillsbury noted that the first step , “ recognizing that there is a Marathon , may be the most difficult to take , but it is also the most important.
” The House Intelligence Committee ’ s report constitutes that first step .
Taking that first step : those American politicians not bought off directly or indirectly by the CCP , waking up to the existential threat that the CCP poses , not just toward America ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America itself .
Never mind a trade war ; China is concurrently waging a biological war and a cyber war against the mainland United States .
Senators Tom Cotton , Josh Hawley , and Martha McSally , and Representative Matt Gaetz , are among the minority of conscientious Americans who have for months been clamoring to draw everyone ’ s attention to what is now accepted .
Something must be done .
And Trump is the man to do it .
Ten years after the Tiananmen Square massacre , Chinese hawks went ballistic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chinese nationals in Serbia on May 7th , 1999 .
Clinton ’ s apologies were viewed as insincere .
At the time , doves within the party had a shot of reforming China for the better ; perhaps not of democratizing it or liberalizing it in a meaningful way , but of making China less antipathetic to the West .
The bombing in Serbia gave the hawks license to purge the doves from the regime , and inspired greater commitment among the remaining skeptics to both America ’ s destruction and the end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ West .
After all , the hawks believed that the American “ tyrant ” was testing their resolve ; that America had inspected their cauldrons .
( In the Warring States era , for one leader to ask to see the cauldrons belonging to another sovereign was to indicate his intention to take them militarily .
This concept is contextualized in Pillsbury ’ s book , where he discusses the relationship of Warring States strategy to the CCP ’ s marathon . )
In the alternate history , the CCP has impressed upon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Clinton ’ s apologies were theater ; intended as insult to an intended injury .
In the final weeks of 2019 , the CCP answered back in historic fashion .
This past winter , the Chinese regime asked to see America ’ s cauldrons , and did so by killing over 208,000 Americans while subsuming Hong Kong .
How does one run such a race ?
Carefully .
How do we win it ?
Decisively .
Would sanctions suffice ?
No .
Would a full and total decoupling be a nonviolent means @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Qualifying this last answer : yes , if that decoupling is done strategically , such that a key pursuit within the CCP ’ s grand scheme is thwarted in the process and its expansion checked .
The House Intelligence Committee ’ s recent report states that the Chinese Communist Party ’ s ideological vision for the 21st Century is : Furthermore , the CCP intends to “ pressure international organizations to integrate its own ideological maxims into multilateral agreements ” and seeks to globalize Beijing ’ s ideology .
To globalize Beijing ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We needn ’ t speculate about what a future in the shadow of the CCP would look like .
The Chinese Communist regime evidences its blatant disregard for human rights and freedom daily : its genocide of Uighur Muslims ; its brutal persecution , torture , re-education , imprisonment , organ seizure , and harassment of underground Roman Catholics , house Christians , and the Falun Gong ; its erasure of Nepalese and Mongolian culture ; its ‘ great firewall ’ preventing citizens access to content not approved by their censorious overlords @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s mobility ; its growing social credit program and surveillance initiatives ; its history of forced abortions ( an estimated 250 million since 1979 ) ; its ongoing aggression against Taiwan , Tibet , Japan , India , and other neighbors ; its abuses in Hong Kong ; and so forth .
A regime that monstrous to its own people and community can not be allowed to win this marathon , and America can not be abandoned by its friends to run alone .
The Trump administration rejects Graham Allison ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kissinger-types ’ policy of appeasement .
In fact , it has taken Pillsbury ’ s wisdom to heart and determined to shake off the naiveté and indifference of past administrations .
Trump ’ s America will no longer be exploited and weakened by the CCP ( as had been the CCCP ) .
It will not permit the globalization of Beijing ’ s ideology .
President Trump has sanctioned communist companies for their role in the manufacture of military islands in the South Sea .
He sanctioned additional CCP corporate protuberances for their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ butchery of Uighurs .
Sanctions are ineffective against a country whose overlords don ’ t care about the cost to its subjects .
After all , the CCP murdered tens of millions of Chinese in the 20th Century while leaping to the unstable ground it presently finds itself on .
The collectivist , leftist ideology embraced by Chairman Xi and his allies precludes them from feeling pressured to reform by the suffering of the Chinese people .
Rather than or in addition to imposing additional sanctions , Trump can recognize Taiwan and thereby @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country , two systems ” plan .
If the cost to America for defying the evil empire is “ decoupling ” – and recognizing that the CCP Virus has slain over 208,000 Americans and infected the President , our First Lady , and 7.5M of our brothers and sisters – the penalty is a prize .
If the rest of Congress and the Senate – particularly those outside of the Trump camp – don ’ t recognize that there is a marathon and that America could very well lose , the world is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Allison entertains ) or slavery .
Not only must America make a concerted effort to win this race , but it must check the CCP for daring to have inspected its cauldrons .
By taking this stand now , Trump can force our politicians to prevent the CCP from doing to Taiwan what is it is presently doing to Hong Kong , Nepal , and Tibet .
It can turn the tide against communist Chinese imperialism in southeast Asia .
It will end the trend in Washington of appeasement .
Most critically , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ freedom-loving people antipathetic to the most murderous regime in human history .
Joe MacKinnon is an author of six books , including his most recent The Gunpowder Coast .
Photo “ Taiwan Skyline ” by Greg Tavares CC2.0 .

by Joe MacKinnon
Over the past three-and-a-half years, the lyrics for the mainstream-media’s antiphon were “Will this be the end of the Trump presidency?” and “bombshell”, over the next five weeks, talking heads will nod and acid pens will retread new grooves, all repeating: “the October surprise”.
There is a great deal that President Trump can do over the next five weeks (besides recuperate and beat the coronavirus he contracted, courtesy of the CCP) that would constitute a historic surprise, and he would have himself to outdo. The action or gesture needs to be simultaneously more symbolic and impactful than his relocation of the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem; than normalizing peaceful relations between the UAE and Israel, and Bahrain and Israel; than starting the process of reconciliation between Serbia and Kosovo; than opening comms to the nuclear North Koreans and defusing Un’s rhetoric that could have amounted to a holocaust in Seoul; than pulling tens of thousands of troops out of the Near East and bringing America’s longest war to a close; than designating the KKK and Antifa domestic terrorist organizations; and putting Judge Barrett on the Supreme Court.
President Trump has an opportunity to make his boldest moral, strategic, and catalyzing move yet, entirely in the interest of the American people and the free world: to recognize the Republic of China (i.e. Taiwan) as a sovereign nation. His administration has already taken significant steps to “bolster” Taiwan’s status. This move wouldn’t be so subtle. More than a Tweet; Trump could recognize the island nation, constantly harassed and illegitimately claimed by the CCP, before the United Nations. He could challenge democratic, freedom-loving allies and acquaintances to do the same, and in so doing, ascertain who exactly has the intestinal fortitude to call out the evil empire, and who is willing to subordinate their people to it in the decades to come. President Trump should remind our nuclear adversary why it is that the United States Navy’s Seventh Fleet routinely transits the Taiwan Strait and for whom, and that the United States of America remains a force for good in the world.
President Trump should do this for three reasons: first, to end an era of reactive politicking and corrosive collaboration on the China front, and to instead exercise agency in the favor of the American working class (i.e. by onshoring business and manufacturing jobs presently conducted in China) and the free world; second, to prompt, in turn, a global referendum on the ambitions of a genocidal, totalitarian power that accelerated the spread of a manmade virus, which has now killed over a million people worldwide; and third, to signal a shift in foreign policy from the Near to the Far East, a resource prioritization of US Indo-Pacific Command and Space Force, and a reinforcement of American allies in southeast Asia.
The objective here is not to start a kinetic war. Fortunately, as things now stand, it is not in the CCP’s interest to go to war. Their hawks do not have shi on their side. They know to overreact would be premature and self-defeating. Ultimately, in the event of a clash, the CCP would lose, especially with America’s relationship with India strengthened by the Trump administration – India not a discountable force on China’s contested western border. Though Beijing would no doubt read this as provocation, Trump’s formal recognition of Taiwan would not be an attack on China but a sign of support for the Republic of China; signaling a radical international realignment extra to what has already occurred in 2020.
This move would have massive economic, societal, and military ramifications. It is also necessary. If the United States does not check the ambitious and evil empire when strong, it cannot hope to do so when weak, and make no mistake: communist China grows at America’s expense and with America’s demise as a key driver.
A monumental and historic decision such as this would send a clear signal to the hawks in the CCP. (We are well past the beginning of the Sino-American Cold War, and this decision would, by way of analogy, transform Taiwan into West Germany circa 1965.) The free world will not permit an atheistic, genocidal, communist state to become the global superpower, as the CCP intends it becomes by 2049.
Xi Jinping and the hawks in the CCP want China to entirely displace America and take the title of world superpower by 2049. This is neither a theory nor a dream. It is a well-defined plan, which Director of the Center on Chinese Strategy Dr. Michael Pillsbury discussed at length in The Hundred-Year Marathon. China is running a marathon, and the free world hangs in the balance. The failure in Washington – at least up until the Trump administration – to recognize that we’re in a race and losing, Dr. Pillsbury argues, constitutes “the most systematic, significant, and dangerous intelligence failure in American history.”
This is not a partisan issue. Responding to the House Intelligence Committee’s report, “The China Deep Dive: A Report on the Intelligence Community’s Capabilities and Competencies with Respect to the People’s Republic of China” (which was released in a redacted form on September 30th), Adam Schiff underlined that the stakes are “enormous”:
We must do everything possible to accurately predict and characterize Beijing’s intent, or we will continue to struggle to understand how and why the leadership of the CCP makes decisions, and fail to respond effectively.
Pillsbury noted that the first step, “recognizing that there is a Marathon, may be the most difficult to take, but it is also the most important.” The House Intelligence Committee’s report constitutes that first step.
Taking that first step: those American politicians not bought off directly or indirectly by the CCP, waking up to the existential threat that the CCP poses, not just toward America’s friends and allies, but to America itself. Never mind a trade war; China is concurrently waging a biological war and a cyber war against the mainland United States. Senators Tom Cotton, Josh Hawley, and Martha McSally, and Representative Matt Gaetz, are among the minority of conscientious Americans who have for months been clamoring to draw everyone’s attention to what is now accepted. Something must be done. And Trump is the man to do it.
Ten years after the Tiananmen Square massacre, Chinese hawks went ballistic when the United States accidently killed two Chinese nationals in Serbia on May 7th, 1999. Clinton’s apologies were viewed as insincere. At the time, doves within the party had a shot of reforming China for the better; perhaps not of democratizing it or liberalizing it in a meaningful way, but of making China less antipathetic to the West. The bombing in Serbia gave the hawks license to purge the doves from the regime, and inspired greater commitment among the remaining skeptics to both America’s destruction and the end of centuries of perceived humiliation by the West. After all, the hawks believed that the American “tyrant” was testing their resolve; that America had inspected their cauldrons. (In the Warring States era, for one leader to ask to see the cauldrons belonging to another sovereign was to indicate his intention to take them militarily. This concept is contextualized in Pillsbury’s book, where he discusses the relationship of Warring States strategy to the CCP’s marathon.)
In the alternate history, the CCP has impressed upon the Chinese people it runs roughshod over, Clinton’s apologies were theater; intended as insult to an intended injury. In the final weeks of 2019, the CCP answered back in historic fashion. This past winter, the Chinese regime asked to see America’s cauldrons, and did so by killing over 208,000 Americans while subsuming Hong Kong.
How does one run such a race? Carefully. How do we win it? Decisively. Would sanctions suffice? No. Would a full and total decoupling be a nonviolent means to annul the race? Perhaps. Qualifying this last answer: yes, if that decoupling is done strategically, such that a key pursuit within the CCP’s grand scheme is thwarted in the process and its expansion checked.
The House Intelligence Committee’s recent report states that the Chinese Communist Party’s ideological vision for the 21st Century is:
Inextricably linked to this is the achievement of the “China Dream,” a concept that Xi has tied to the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, the development of a powerful military capable of defending China’s core interests, the achievement of “one country, two systems” in Hong Kong and Taiwan, and the elimination of “lax and weak governance” over the Party through adherence to the mass line.
Furthermore, the CCP intends to “pressure international organizations to integrate its own ideological maxims into multilateral agreements” and seeks to globalize Beijing’s ideology. To globalize Beijing’s ideology is to enslave the world.
We needn’t speculate about what a future in the shadow of the CCP would look like. The Chinese Communist regime evidences its blatant disregard for human rights and freedom daily: its genocide of Uighur Muslims; its brutal persecution, torture, re-education, imprisonment, organ seizure, and harassment of underground Roman Catholics, house Christians, and the Falun Gong; its erasure of Nepalese and Mongolian culture; its ‘great firewall’ preventing citizens access to content not approved by their censorious overlords; its tight control on its people’s mobility; its growing social credit program and surveillance initiatives; its history of forced abortions (an estimated 250 million since 1979); its ongoing aggression against Taiwan, Tibet, Japan, India, and other neighbors; its abuses in Hong Kong; and so forth. A regime that monstrous to its own people and community cannot be allowed to win this marathon, and America cannot be abandoned by its friends to run alone.
The Trump administration rejects Graham Allison’s fatalism in Destined for War and the Kissinger-types’ policy of appeasement. In fact, it has taken Pillsbury’s wisdom to heart and determined to shake off the naiveté and indifference of past administrations. Trump’s America will no longer be exploited and weakened by the CCP (as had been the CCCP). It will not permit the globalization of Beijing’s ideology.
President Trump has sanctioned communist companies for their role in the manufacture of military islands in the South Sea. He sanctioned additional CCP corporate protuberances for their role in carrying out or facilitating the butchery of Uighurs. Sanctions are ineffective against a country whose overlords don’t care about the cost to its subjects. After all, the CCP murdered tens of millions of Chinese in the 20th Century while leaping to the unstable ground it presently finds itself on. The collectivist, leftist ideology embraced by Chairman Xi and his allies precludes them from feeling pressured to reform by the suffering of the Chinese people. Rather than or in addition to imposing additional sanctions, Trump can recognize Taiwan and thereby prevent Xi from achieving his “one country, two systems” plan.
If the cost to America for defying the evil empire is “decoupling” – and recognizing that the CCP Virus has slain over 208,000 Americans and infected the President, our First Lady, and 7.5M of our brothers and sisters – the penalty is a prize.
If the rest of Congress and the Senate – particularly those outside of the Trump camp – don’t recognize that there is a marathon and that America could very well lose, the world is either destined for war (a prospect Allison entertains) or slavery. Not only must America make a concerted effort to win this race, but it must check the CCP for daring to have inspected its cauldrons.
By taking this stand now, Trump can force our politicians to prevent the CCP from doing to Taiwan what is it is presently doing to Hong Kong, Nepal, and Tibet. It can turn the tide against communist Chinese imperialism in southeast Asia. It will end the trend in Washington of appeasement. Most critically, President Trump can reclaim the future for freedom-loving people antipathetic to the most murderous regime in human history.
– – –
Joe MacKinnon is an author of six books, including his most recent The Gunpowder Coast.
Photo “Taiwan Skyline” by Greg Tavares CC2.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-10-05--Los Angeles Ordered to Pay NRA Six Figures After Losing First Amendment Case

The Washington Free Beacon reports , a federal court ordered the city of Los Angeles to pay the NRA ’ s lawyer fees of approximately $ 150,000 , just months after he ruled a city ordinance violated the gun-rights group ’ s First Amendment rights .
The City of Los Angeles tried to penalize any contractor with ties to the NRA .
The NRA sued over the ordinance and federal district court judge Stephen Wilson ruled it was an unconstitutional violation of the NRA ’ s First Amendment rights .
The city eventually repealed it and on Tuesday , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NRA ’ s attorney fees totaling about $ 150,000 .
“ In this case , the text of the Ordinance , the Ordinance ’ s legislative history , and the concurrent public statements made by the Ordinance ’ s primary legislative sponsor evince a strong intent to suppress the speech of the NRA , ” Judge Wilson ruled in December .
“ Even though the Ordinance only forces disclosure of activity that may not be expressive , the clear purpose of the disclosure is to undermine the NRA ’ s explicitly political speech.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington Free Beacon , the NRA filed suit against the ordinance shortly after it was implemented in April 2019 .
Amy Hunter , a spokeswoman for the NRA , told the Washington Free Beacon the rulings prove the city unfairly targeted the group because of its advocacy .
“ Violations of any constitutional rights by government officials should carry consequences , ” she said .
“ The courts have rightfully imposed those consequences upon Los Angeles .
The NRA will continue our fight and , as always , work to hold politicians accountable.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ explicitly stated it was intended to prevent the city from doing business with anyone who had ties to the NRA .
“ The City of Los Angeles has enacted ordinances and adopted positions that promote gun safety and sensible gun ownership , ” the ordinance reads .
“ The City ’ s residents deserve to know if the City ’ s public funds are spent on contractors that have contractual or sponsorship ties with the NRA .
Public funds provided to such contractors undermines the City ’ s efforts to legislate and promote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ordinance .
In interviews with NPR , Mayor Eric Garcetti ( D. ) said he had confidence in the policy .
“ I support this policy , I ’ m confident in it , and we ’ re not going to be bullied by the NRA , ” said Garcetti in an emailed statement .
Council member Mitch O ’ Farrell ( D. ) charged that “ The NRA ’ s First Amendment rights remain firmly in place while the City chooses to exercise its own rights to require disclosing who has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Los Angeles know how and where their tax dollars are being spent.
” Other supporters of the ordinance called the NRA ’ s lawsuit “ desperate.
” Judge Wilson disagreed , saying , “ the City adopted the Ordinance ‘ because of disagreement with the message ’ of the NRA and with the explicit intent to suppress that message—the Ordinance should therefore be considered a content-based regulation of speech.
” The city agreed in February to repeal the ordinance , stop any enforcement of it , and notify contractors they do not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

by Catherine Smith
The Washington Free Beacon reports, a federal court ordered the city of Los Angeles to pay the NRA’s lawyer fees of approximately $150,000, just months after he ruled a city ordinance violated the gun-rights group’s First Amendment rights.
The City of Los Angeles tried to penalize any contractor with ties to the NRA. The NRA sued over the ordinance and federal district court judge Stephen Wilson ruled it was an unconstitutional violation of the NRA’s First Amendment rights. The city eventually repealed it and on Tuesday, the judge ordered city officials to pay the NRA’s attorney fees totaling about $150,000.
“In this case, the text of the Ordinance, the Ordinance’s legislative history, and the concurrent public statements made by the Ordinance’s primary legislative sponsor evince a strong intent to suppress the speech of the NRA,” Judge Wilson ruled in December. “Even though the Ordinance only forces disclosure of activity that may not be expressive, the clear purpose of the disclosure is to undermine the NRA’s explicitly political speech.”
According to a report by The Washington Free Beacon, the NRA filed suit against the ordinance shortly after it was implemented in April 2019. Amy Hunter, a spokeswoman for the NRA, told the Washington Free Beacon the rulings prove the city unfairly targeted the group because of its advocacy.
“Violations of any constitutional rights by government officials should carry consequences,” she said. “The courts have rightfully imposed those consequences upon Los Angeles. The NRA will continue our fight and, as always, work to hold politicians accountable.”
Los Angeles Ordinance No. 186000 explicitly stated it was intended to prevent the city from doing business with anyone who had ties to the NRA.
“The City of Los Angeles has enacted ordinances and adopted positions that promote gun safety and sensible gun ownership,” the ordinance reads. “The City’s residents deserve to know if the City’s public funds are spent on contractors that have contractual or sponsorship ties with the NRA. Public funds provided to such contractors undermines the City’s efforts to legislate and promote gun safety.”
City leaders publicly defended the ordinance. In interviews with NPR, Mayor Eric Garcetti (D.) said he had confidence in the policy.
“I support this policy, I’m confident in it, and we’re not going to be bullied by the NRA,” said Garcetti in an emailed statement.
Council member Mitch O’Farrell (D.) charged that “The NRA’s First Amendment rights remain firmly in place while the City chooses to exercise its own rights to require disclosing who has ties to the NRA, so residents of Los Angeles know how and where their tax dollars are being spent.”
Other supporters of the ordinance called the NRA’s lawsuit “desperate.”
Judge Wilson disagreed, saying, “the City adopted the Ordinance ‘because of disagreement with the message’ of the NRA and with the explicit intent to suppress that message—the Ordinance should therefore be considered a content-based regulation of speech.” The city agreed in February to repeal the ordinance, stop any enforcement of it, and notify contractors they do not have to disclose ties to the NRA.
– – –
Catherine Smith reports for American Greatness.
Photo “NRA Building” by Joe Loong. CC BY-SA 2.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-10-05--Man Arrested, Charged in Connection with Ambush Shooting of Two L.A. Sheriff Deputies

A 36-year-old male has been arrested and charged with attempted murder in connection with the recent shooting of two L.A. County sheriff deputies , authorities said Wednesday .
District Attorney Jackie Lacey announced the arrest and identified the person charged as Deonte Lee Murray .
Murray is accused of shooting the two law enforcement officers Sept. 12 while they sat in their squad car .
Security footage shows an individual approach the deputies ’ car and fire a handgun through the passenger window , in the Compton area of Los Angeles .
The deputies , a 31-year-old mother , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ radio for help .
Murray was separately arrested two weeks ago following a carjacking .
He was set to return court in late October for a hearing , but was suddenly called back to Compton court on Wednesday morning with no indication of the reason for being brought back .
The deputies , who both suffered head injuries during the encounter , have been released from the hospital and are recovering .
Sophie Mann is a reporter at Just the News .
Photo “ LA County Sheriff Vehicle ” by Jason Lawrence CC @ @ @

by Sophie Mann
A 36-year-old male has been arrested and charged with attempted murder in connection with the recent shooting of two L.A. County sheriff deputies, authorities said Wednesday.
District Attorney Jackie Lacey announced the arrest and identified the person charged as Deonte Lee Murray.
Murray is accused of shooting the two law enforcement officers Sept. 12 while they sat in their squad car.
Security footage shows an individual approach the deputies’ car and fire a handgun through the passenger window, in the Compton area of Los Angeles. The deputies, a 31-year-old mother, and 24-year old male, were able to radio for help.
Murray was separately arrested two weeks ago following a carjacking. He was set to return court in late October for a hearing, but was suddenly called back to Compton court on Wednesday morning with no indication of the reason for being brought back.
The deputies, who both suffered head injuries during the encounter, have been released from the hospital and are recovering.
– – –
Sophie Mann is a reporter at Just the News.
Photo “LA County Sheriff Vehicle” by Jason Lawrence CC BY 2.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-10-05--U.S. Supreme Court Reinstalls Arizona Ban on Ballot Harvesting as Ballots Hit Mailboxes

Arizona ’ s 2016 ballot harvesting ban will remain in effect for the 2020 General Election .
The U.S. Supreme Court announced Friday that they would hear Attorney General Mark Brnovich ’ s appeal against the Democratic National Committee over their challenge to a ban on anyone except a caregiver or immediate family member delivering an early ballot .
The practice , called ballot harvesting , was banned by a 2016 law making it a felony to return someone else ’ s ballot without being an immediate relative or caregiver .
The party challenged the restriction , and a federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying the ban violates the Voting Rights Act and the U.S. Constitution .
The court allowed the ban to stay in place until the Supreme Court decided whether to hear the challenge , which is confirmed by the announcement Friday .
Should the Supreme Court have turned away the case , the practice would have been legalized just as early ballots hit mailboxes in Arizona and other states .
“ We are pleased the Supreme Court will hear our case regarding Arizona ’ s prohibition on ballot harvesting and out-of-precinct voting , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no higher priority for public officials than to maintain the integrity of elections .
As we contend with a politically polarized climate and battle a global pandemic , we must sustain the cornerstone of our government and ensure the will of the electorate is heard.
” The latest announcement is one of a series of verdicts that have come weeks , even days before an election .
The DNC won a challenge to the law just four days before the 2016 election , only to be reversed by the U.S. Supreme Court , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In 2018 , the DNC rechallenged the case , only to lose to Brnovich .
The party received a favorable appellate verdict in the spring of 2020 , striking down the ballot harvesting ban before the Primary Election .
Brnovich was again successful in getting a stay on the judgment .
In April , the attorney general ’ s office petitioned the Supreme Court to hear the case .
Arizona has required in-precinct voting since the 1970s .
The bipartisan Carter-Baker Commission in 1996 recommended that states prohibit ballot harvesting , saying the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The court is expected to rule on the matter next spring .
Until then , ballot harvesting will remain illegal in Arizona and 20 other states .
Cole Lauterbach is a reporter for The Center Square .
Photo “ Ballots ” by New Jersey National Guard

by Cole Lauterbach
Arizona’s 2016 ballot harvesting ban will remain in effect for the 2020 General Election.
The U.S. Supreme Court announced Friday that they would hear Attorney General Mark Brnovich’s appeal against the Democratic National Committee over their challenge to a ban on anyone except a caregiver or immediate family member delivering an early ballot.
The practice, called ballot harvesting, was banned by a 2016 law making it a felony to return someone else’s ballot without being an immediate relative or caregiver. The party challenged the restriction, and a federal appellate court ruled in their favor, saying the ban violates the Voting Rights Act and the U.S. Constitution. The court allowed the ban to stay in place until the Supreme Court decided whether to hear the challenge, which is confirmed by the announcement Friday. Should the Supreme Court have turned away the case, the practice would have been legalized just as early ballots hit mailboxes in Arizona and other states.
“We are pleased the Supreme Court will hear our case regarding Arizona’s prohibition on ballot harvesting and out-of-precinct voting,” Brnovich said Friday. “There is no higher priority for public officials than to maintain the integrity of elections. As we contend with a politically polarized climate and battle a global pandemic, we must sustain the cornerstone of our government and ensure the will of the electorate is heard.”
The latest announcement is one of a series of verdicts that have come weeks, even days before an election. The DNC won a challenge to the law just four days before the 2016 election, only to be reversed by the U.S. Supreme Court, reinstating the ban just days later. In 2018, the DNC rechallenged the case, only to lose to Brnovich. The party received a favorable appellate verdict in the spring of 2020, striking down the ballot harvesting ban before the Primary Election. Brnovich was again successful in getting a stay on the judgment. In April, the attorney general’s office petitioned the Supreme Court to hear the case.
Arizona has required in-precinct voting since the 1970s. The bipartisan Carter-Baker Commission in 1996 recommended that states prohibit ballot harvesting, saying the practice opens up elections to fraud.
The court is expected to rule on the matter next spring. Until then, ballot harvesting will remain illegal in Arizona and 20 other states.
– – –
Cole Lauterbach is a reporter for The Center Square.
Photo “Ballots” by New Jersey National Guard


thetennesseestar--2020-10-05--Guatemala Says it Will Detain Around 2,000 Migrants Bound for the U.S.

Guatemala says it will detain and return a migrant caravan of around 2,000 that entered the country from Honduras on Thursday , the Associated Press reported Friday .
Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei vowed the caravan would be sent back to Honduras over concerns about coronavirus , the AP reported .
The caravan overpowered Guatemalan border guards who reportedly made little attempt to control the situation , according to the AP .
“ The order has been given to detain all those who entered illegally , and return them to the border of their country , ” Giammattei said , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allow any foreigner who has used illegal means to enter the country , to think that they have the right to come and infect us and put us at serious risk.
” Giammattei said that some constitutional rights would be suspended in provinces the caravan might go through in order to detain them , the AP reported .
Migrants were asked to provide negative coronavirus tests and to register at the border , but most reportedly pushed through the border without doing so .
Interior checkpoints have been organized by the Guatemalan military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ documents , the AP reported .
A majority of the migrants were young men , according to the AP .
One woman in the group accompanied by her daughter and granddaughter said she found out about the caravan on Facebook .
Migrants from Central America began to travel in large groups as a method of safety and to evade paying smugglers , the AP reported .
Though the likelihood that a caravan makes it to the U.S. border is low , and crossing the border will be nearly impossible due to the ongoing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Kaylee Greenlee is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Photo “ Migrant Caravan ” by boitchy

by Kaylee Greenlee
Guatemala says it will detain and return a migrant caravan of around 2,000 that entered the country from Honduras on Thursday, the Associated Press reported Friday.
Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei vowed the caravan would be sent back to Honduras over concerns about coronavirus, the AP reported. The caravan overpowered Guatemalan border guards who reportedly made little attempt to control the situation, according to the AP.
“The order has been given to detain all those who entered illegally, and return them to the border of their country,” Giammattei said, the AP reported. “We will not allow any foreigner who has used illegal means to enter the country, to think that they have the right to come and infect us and put us at serious risk.”
Giammattei said that some constitutional rights would be suspended in provinces the caravan might go through in order to detain them, the AP reported. Migrants were asked to provide negative coronavirus tests and to register at the border, but most reportedly pushed through the border without doing so.
Interior checkpoints have been organized by the Guatemalan military to check for the migrant’s documents, the AP reported.
A majority of the migrants were young men, according to the AP. One woman in the group accompanied by her daughter and granddaughter said she found out about the caravan on Facebook.
Migrants from Central America began to travel in large groups as a method of safety and to evade paying smugglers, the AP reported. Though the likelihood that a caravan makes it to the U.S. border is low, and crossing the border will be nearly impossible due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, according to the AP.
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Kaylee Greenlee is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Photo “Migrant Caravan” by boitchy


thetennesseestar--2020-10-05--Three-Quarters of Voters Say Faith is Important in Their Personal Lives

The vast majority of U.S. voters say their religious faith plays an important role in their personal life , according to a new Just the News Daily Poll with Scott Rasmussen .
A full 72 % of voters say that their “ religion or faith ” is either somewhat or very important to them .
Just 24 % of voters said religion holds little to no significance in their personal lives .
Only 3 % of respondents said they were unsure .
The high number of respondents who cite religion ’ s importance in their lives is “ a reality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Rasmussen said .
He cited further data indicating that , when faith and law conflict , just 41 % of Americans would follow the law .
The survey of 1,200 Registered Voters was conducted by Rasmussen using a mixed mode approach from September 24-26 , 2020 .
Click here to see this poll ’ s cross-demographic tabulations .
Click here to see this poll ’ s methodology and sample demographics .
Daniel Payne is a reporter at Just the News .
Photo “ People of Faith ” by Resilience Circles CC BY @ @

by Daniel Payne
The vast majority of U.S. voters say their religious faith plays an important role in their personal life, according to a new Just the News Daily Poll with Scott Rasmussen.
A full 72% of voters say that their “religion or faith” is either somewhat or very important to them. Just 24% of voters said religion holds little to no significance in their personal lives.
Only 3% of respondents said they were unsure.
The high number of respondents who cite religion’s importance in their lives is “a reality often ignored in the political world,” Rasmussen said.
He cited further data indicating that, when faith and law conflict, just 41% of Americans would follow the law.
The survey of 1,200 Registered Voters was conducted by Rasmussen using a mixed mode approach from September 24-26, 2020.
Click here to see this poll’s cross-demographic tabulations.
Click here to see this poll’s methodology and sample demographics.
– – –
Daniel Payne is a reporter at Just the News.
Photo “People of Faith” by Resilience Circles CC BY 2.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-10-05--Tax, Legal Experts Agree Leaker of Trump’s Tax Returns Could Face Prison Time

Tax and legal experts say the leaker or leakers who took President Trump ’ s personal tax returns and gave them to The New York Times , committed a felony punishable by prison .
Joseph diGenova , a former U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia who has advised Trump on some legal matters , told Just the News that the leaking was “ definitely ” a crime that could be liable for both criminal and civil legal actions .
“ If you obtain tax information , first of all , if you obtain it from the government — that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was an IRS worker , ” said diGenova .
“ If it ’ s an accountant or a lawyer who gets it as part of their duties and discloses it , that ’ s also a crime .
It ’ s a different type of crime , it could be fraud , or it could be all sorts of different types of crimes .
Obviously it ’ s theft of the property and then the illegal disclosure.
” diGenova said if the leaking was done by a lawyer , “ it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if it was an accountant , “ they can lose their license to practice as a CPA.
” “ But they also have defrauded their clients , so that ’ s a criminal offense , and when you release your client ’ s confidential information , you defraud your client , ” diGenova said .
“ And then there ’ s all sorts of other types of crimes you could use , but it ’ s mail and wire fraud.
” diGenova also said a Justice Department investigation to discern who leaked the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ official in the state of New York , Trump ’ s longtime former residence — could be initiated by the Southern District of New York or the Brooklyn U.S. Attorney of the Eastern District of New York , “ both of whom are extremely unfriendly to Trump.
” Because of this likely anti-Trump bias , diGenova recommended that Attorney General William Barr ’ s office in Washington , D.C. oversee any investigation out of the DOJ ’ s tax division .
He also said a separate investigation by the Department of Treasury — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could determine whether the documents were leaked by a Treasury worker .
Spokeswomen reached by Just the News at the Department of Justice and the Treasury Department both declined to comment on this matter at this time .
Rep. Kevin Brady ( R-Texas ) , the top Republican on the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee — which oversees tax collection — issued a public statement on Monday .
“ While many critics question the article ’ s accuracy , equally troubling is the prospect that a felony crime was committed by releasing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ individual — in this case the president ’ s , ” Brady said .
“ To ensure every American is protected against the illegal release of their tax returns for political reasons , I am calling for an investigation of the source and to prosecute if the law was broken.
” Julio Gonzalez , founder of the Palm Beach , Florida-based tax advisory firm Engineered Tax Services , told the “ Just the News AM ” television show in a video interview that “ there ’ s no doubt there was a felony @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 20 years in jail .
“ I ’ m sure we ’ re going to figure out who committed that felony , you only have so many people that have access to that , ” said Gonzalez , who has advised Trump and congressional Republicans on tax legislation .
Jay Mann , a prominent tax attorney in New York , told Just the News that the privacy section of the Internal Revenue Code , Section 6103 , was enacted after abuses by the Nixon administration of tax return information of individuals on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is every bit as bad as what Nixon did , ” Mann said .
“ There were instances in the Obama IRS of the tax returns of conservative tax exempt organizations being leaked so outsiders could see the identity of donors to those groups .
Those leaks were clearly by IRS employees.
” In its reporting releasing the president ’ s returns , the New York Times ’ Dean Baquet issued a statement saying : “ Some will raise questions about publishing the president ’ s personal tax information .
But the Supreme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amendment allows the press to publish newsworthy information that was legally obtained by reporters even when those in power fight to keep it hidden .
That powerful principle of the First Amendment applies here.
” Richard Roth , founder and managing member of the Roth Law Firm in New York , likewise said if the leaker obtained the returns legally , “ then there is nothing wrong with delivering them to the press.
” “ Remember , the press runs on legally obtained information , ” noted Roth .
“ If it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ POTUS or the government , then it is fair game .
Privileges and confidentiality is premised , under the law , on the right to privacy concept .
Once they are released , that privilege is waived and the documents are fair game.
” However , “ if they were illegally released by the IRS , the New York State Attorney General ’ s Office or another authority , then there may be some illegality in releasing the information Roth said , .
While , in that instance , they could be prosecuted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in prosecuting that person , the truth will be revealed.
” Carrie Sheffield is White House Correspondent for Just The News and host of the nationally-syndicated TV show , “ Just the News AM , ” airing live Mon.-Fri. from 9-10 AM EST on DISH Network Channel 219 , PlutoTV Channel 240 , Roku , Apple TV , FireTV and online at http : //AmericasVoice.news .

by Carrie Sheffield
Tax and legal experts say the leaker or leakers who took President Trump’s personal tax returns and gave them to The New York Times, committed a felony punishable by prison.
Joseph diGenova, a former U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia who has advised Trump on some legal matters, told Just the News that the leaking was “definitely” a crime that could be liable for both criminal and civil legal actions.
“If you obtain tax information, first of all, if you obtain it from the government — that’s 100% a crime if it was an IRS worker,” said diGenova. “If it’s an accountant or a lawyer who gets it as part of their duties and discloses it, that’s also a crime. It’s a different type of crime, it could be fraud, or it could be all sorts of different types of crimes. Obviously it’s theft of the property and then the illegal disclosure.”
diGenova said if the leaking was done by a lawyer, “it’s grounds for disbarment,” and if it was an accountant, “they can lose their license to practice as a CPA.”
“But they also have defrauded their clients, so that’s a criminal offense, and when you release your client’s confidential information, you defraud your client,” diGenova said. “And then there’s all sorts of other types of crimes you could use, but it’s mail and wire fraud.”
diGenova also said a Justice Department investigation to discern who leaked the returns —including whether it was a government official in the state of New York, Trump’s longtime former residence — could be initiated by the Southern District of New York or the Brooklyn U.S. Attorney of the Eastern District of New York, “both of whom are extremely unfriendly to Trump.”
Because of this likely anti-Trump bias, diGenova recommended that Attorney General William Barr’s office in Washington, D.C. oversee any investigation out of the DOJ’s tax division. He also said a separate investigation by the Department of Treasury — which oversees the Internal Revenue Service — could determine whether the documents were leaked by a Treasury worker.
Spokeswomen reached by Just the News at the Department of Justice and the Treasury Department both declined to comment on this matter at this time.
Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas), the top Republican on the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee — which oversees tax collection — issued a public statement on Monday.
“While many critics question the article’s accuracy, equally troubling is the prospect that a felony crime was committed by releasing the private tax return information of an individual — in this case the president’s,” Brady said. “To ensure every American is protected against the illegal release of their tax returns for political reasons, I am calling for an investigation of the source and to prosecute if the law was broken.”
Julio Gonzalez, founder of the Palm Beach, Florida-based tax advisory firm Engineered Tax Services, told the “Just the News AM” television show in a video interview that “there’s no doubt there was a felony committed” with a penalty of up to 20 years in jail.
“I’m sure we’re going to figure out who committed that felony, you only have so many people that have access to that,” said Gonzalez, who has advised Trump and congressional Republicans on tax legislation.
Jay Mann, a prominent tax attorney in New York, told Just the News that the privacy section of the Internal Revenue Code, Section 6103, was enacted after abuses by the Nixon administration of tax return information of individuals on the “enemies list.”
“This is every bit as bad as what Nixon did,” Mann said. “There were instances in the Obama IRS of the tax returns of conservative tax exempt organizations being leaked so outsiders could see the identity of donors to those groups. Those leaks were clearly by IRS employees.”
In its reporting releasing the president’s returns, the New York Times’ Dean Baquet issued a statement saying: “Some will raise questions about publishing the president’s personal tax information. But the Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled that the First Amendment allows the press to publish newsworthy information that was legally obtained by reporters even when those in power fight to keep it hidden. That powerful principle of the First Amendment applies here.”
Richard Roth, founder and managing member of the Roth Law Firm in New York, likewise said if the leaker obtained the returns legally, “then there is nothing wrong with delivering them to the press.”
“Remember, the press runs on legally obtained information,” noted Roth. “If it is in the hands of someone other than POTUS or the government, then it is fair game. Privileges and confidentiality is premised, under the law, on the right to privacy concept. Once they are released, that privilege is waived and the documents are fair game.”
However, “if they were illegally released by the IRS, the New York State Attorney General’s Office or another authority, then there may be some illegality in releasing the information Roth said,. While, in that instance, they could be prosecuted, the dilemma Trump has is that, in prosecuting that person, the truth will be revealed.”
– – –
Carrie Sheffield is White House Correspondent for Just The News and host of the nationally-syndicated TV show, “Just the News AM,” airing live Mon.-Fri. from 9-10 AM EST on DISH Network Channel 219, PlutoTV Channel 240, Roku, Apple TV, FireTV and online at http://AmericasVoice.news.