thetennesseestar--2020-09-04--11 Arrested During Protest Outside Richmond City Justice Center

Richmond Police arrested 11 people during a protest outside the Richmond City Justice Center on Tuesday .
The group was gathered outside of the Justice Center to protest conditions in the Richmond jail after COVID-19 outbreak among 100 inmates and staff was reported .
Richmond police officers arrived outside of the Justice Center to help the Richmond Sheriff ’ s office deal with the group protesters who had moved from the public sidewalk onto Justice Center grounds during the demonstration , causing a security concern , according to the Richmond police description of the incident , Just before 7 p.m. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to block a tow truck trying removing a vehicle that had been illegally parked in front of the Justice Center .
When a Richmond police officer arrived at the scene , the man tried to flee on his bike and was then stopped by the officer .
Other protesters witnessed this and attempted to stop the arrest , leading to those people being arrested as well , according to the police account .
A video of the incident was captured and published to the RVA Magazine Instagram account .
That video is below @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the protest read : “ Our comrades on the inside are facing retaliation from officers for simply requesting adequate medical attention .
These conditions are inhumane .
We stand in solidarity with those who have been kidnapped , convicted and caged.
” On Wednesday , Richmond police released the names and charges for the 11 protesters arrested .
Their names and charges are as follows : Jacob Taylor is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network .
Follow Jacob on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Protest ” by RVA Mag .

Richmond Police arrested 11 people during a protest outside the Richmond City Justice Center on Tuesday.
The group was gathered outside of the Justice Center to protest conditions in the Richmond jail after COVID-19 outbreak among 100 inmates and staff was reported.
Richmond police officers arrived outside of the Justice Center to help the Richmond Sheriff’s office deal with the group protesters who had moved from the public sidewalk onto Justice Center grounds during the demonstration, causing a security concern, according to the Richmond police description of the incident,
Just before 7 p.m., a man on a bicycle attempted to block a tow truck trying removing a vehicle that had been illegally parked in front of the Justice Center. When a Richmond police officer arrived at the scene, the man tried to flee on his bike and was then stopped by the officer. Other protesters witnessed this and attempted to stop the arrest, leading to those people being arrested as well, according to the police account.
A video of the incident was captured and published to the RVA Magazine Instagram account. That video is below.
A flyer on social media for the protest read: “Our comrades on the inside are facing retaliation from officers for simply requesting adequate medical attention. These conditions are inhumane. We stand in solidarity with those who have been kidnapped, convicted and caged.”
On Wednesday, Richmond police released the names and charges for the 11 protesters arrested.
Their names and charges are as follows:
Stephen Roach Obstruction of Justice Impeding the flow of traffic
Benjamine Skromine Obstruction of Justice Impeding the flow of traffic
Gabrielle Brost Hoffman Obstruction of Justice
Aditya Mohan Obstruction of Justice
Rachel Fidlow Obstruction of Justice
Andre Rosson Obstruction of Justice
Alex Oxford Obstruction of Justice with Force
Jonathan Miranda Disorderly Conduct
Susanna Keating Disorderly Conduct
Mollie Luck Disorderly Conduct
Carmen Day Disorderly Conduct
– – –
Jacob Taylor is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network. Follow Jacob on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “Richmond City Justice Center Protest” by RVA Mag.


thetennesseestar--2020-09-04--State Rep. London Lamar Says She Knows Who Really Vandalized Graceland, but She Refuses to Say More

State Rep. London Lamar ( D-Memphis ) said this week that Black Lives Matter and groups wanting to defund the police did not vandalize property in Memphis — presumably referring to Graceland — and she knows who really did it .
The Tennessee Star contacted Lamar ’ s office by phone and email Thursday and asked who she thinks really vandalized Graceland and what evidence she had to back that up .
Neither Lamar nor anyone else in her office returned our requests for comment .
On Tuesday Lamar tweeted the following : “ I bet my money that those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Defund Police are individuals trying to make this movement look bad !
Don ’ t believe that it ’ s the movement !
It ’ s not !
WE ALL KNOW WHO ’ S OUT TO MAKE US LOOK BAD !
” As reported Thursday , messages of Black Lives Matter and “ Defund the Police ” were spray painted on several tourist attractions in Tennessee on Monday night , including Graceland , the Elvis Presley estate .
The graffiti phrases were found Tuesday morning outside Graceland , the Levitt Shell Amphitheater in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Memphis ” mural in midtown Memphis , news outlets reported .
Besides “ Defund the Police , ” expletive-laced messages about President Donald Trump , Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland and demands to arrest the Louisville police officers who killed Breonna Taylor were also scrawled on the walls .
Memphis police said they were investigating the incident .
As The Tennessee Star reported in 2018 , Lamar scolded White Tennessee Republicans as supposedly racist and uneducated during a Facebook livestream that year .
The Star broke this story , which later went viral worldwide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s work .
FOX News , The British Daily Mail , CBS News , and The Washington Post , among many others , also did their own follow-ups .
Lamar took to her personal and professional Facebook pages to address The Star ’ s articles concerning her .
“ What was called a rant is actually a statistical analysis of the midterm elections based on my numerous years of political experience .
After a review of the numbers after the midterm election , I felt the need to record a Facebook live video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and nationwide , ” Lamar said .
“ My comments did not intend to make a generalization about every white person who voted Republican .
The truth about a large number of those who responded with their vote for Republican candidates this election cycle is , they voted in response to the racially charged rhetoric that has come from our President.
” Lamar said as an elected official she is the voice of her community , whom she described as mostly poor , black , and female .
Chris Butler is an investigative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ] The Associated Press contributed to this report .
Photo “ London Lamar ” by London Lamar .
Background Photo “ Graceland Destruction ” by wemcal .

State Rep. London Lamar (D-Memphis) said this week that Black Lives Matter and groups wanting to defund the police did not vandalize property in Memphis — presumably referring to Graceland — and she knows who really did it.
The Tennessee Star contacted Lamar’s office by phone and email Thursday and asked who she thinks really vandalized Graceland and what evidence she had to back that up.
Neither Lamar nor anyone else in her office returned our requests for comment.
On Tuesday Lamar tweeted the following:
I bet my money that those tagging property in Memphis with BLM and Defund Police are individuals trying to make this movement look bad! Don’t believe that it’s the movement! It’s not! WE ALL KNOW WHO’S OUT TO MAKE US LOOK BAD! — Rep. London Lamar (@RepLamar) September 1, 2020
“I bet my money that those tagging property in Memphis with BLM and Defund Police are individuals trying to make this movement look bad! Don’t believe that it’s the movement! It’s not! WE ALL KNOW WHO’S OUT TO MAKE US LOOK BAD!”
As reported Thursday, messages of Black Lives Matter and “Defund the Police” were spray painted on several tourist attractions in Tennessee on Monday night, including Graceland, the Elvis Presley estate.
The graffiti phrases were found Tuesday morning outside Graceland, the Levitt Shell Amphitheater in Overton Park and the “I Heart Memphis” mural in midtown Memphis, news outlets reported.
Besides “Defund the Police,” expletive-laced messages about President Donald Trump, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland and demands to arrest the Louisville police officers who killed Breonna Taylor were also scrawled on the walls.
Memphis police said they were investigating the incident.
As The Tennessee Star reported in 2018, Lamar scolded White Tennessee Republicans as supposedly racist and uneducated during a Facebook livestream that year.
The Star broke this story, which later went viral worldwide, with Newsweek citing The Star’s work. FOX News, The British Daily Mail, CBS News, and The Washington Post, among many others, also did their own follow-ups.
Lamar took to her personal and professional Facebook pages to address The Star’s articles concerning her.
“What was called a rant is actually a statistical analysis of the midterm elections based on my numerous years of political experience. After a review of the numbers after the midterm election, I felt the need to record a Facebook live video to discuss the numbers from both Tennessee and nationwide,” Lamar said.
“My comments did not intend to make a generalization about every white person who voted Republican. The truth about a large number of those who responded with their vote for Republican candidates this election cycle is, they voted in response to the racially charged rhetoric that has come from our President.”
Lamar said as an elected official she is the voice of her community, whom she described as mostly poor, black, and female.
– – –
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected] The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Photo “London Lamar” by London Lamar. Background Photo “Graceland Destruction” by wemcal.


thetennesseestar--2020-09-05--Blackburn Applauds Federal Taskforce to Improve Telehealth Access for Rural Americans

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn ( R-TN ) is applauding a federal initiative to grow the availability of telehealth for rural areas .
The Federal Communications Commission , U.S. Department Of Health And Human Services and the U.S. Department Of Agriculture last week announced they signed a memorandum of understanding ( MOU ) for the Rural Telehealth Initiative .
The initiative is a joint effort to collaborate and share information to address health disparities , resolve service provider challenges and promote broadband services and technology to rural areas around America .
Blackburn said in a statement , “ We ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ areas for one reason : telehealth works .
This FCC-HHS-USDA collaboration will addresses challenges inhibiting communities from access to telehealth , whether that be lack of broadband access or problems with provider service .
Telehealth ’ s growth throughout the COVID-19 pandemic has alleviated high volumes of in-patient care tremendously .
I look forward to seeing this partnership in action in Tennessee.
” Blackburn has previously highlighted the need for increased telehealth access during the pandemic .
The FCC said the agencies will establish an interagency Rural Telehealth Initiative Task Force .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ future recommendations or guidelines and exchange agency expertise , scientific and technical information , data , and publications .
This action delivers on President Trump ’ s recently signed Executive Order on Improving Rural Health and Telehealth Access .
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the critical importance of telehealth in delivering quality healthcare to rural Americans .
Rural Americans are acutely affected by gaps in the healthcare system , from hospital closures to a lack of specialty care .
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , rural Americans , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the U.S. population , face numerous health disparities compared with their urban counterparts .
Rural Americans are more likely to die from heart disease , cancer , unintentional injury , chronic lower respiratory disease , and strokes than their urban counterparts .
Telemedicine plays an increasingly critical part in treating patients , improving health outcomes , lowering costs , and helping health care providers maximize their impact on their communities , especially in rural areas of the United States .
Jason M. Reynolds has more than 20 years ’ experience as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Photo “ Telehealth ” by Intel Free Press .
CC BY-SA 2.0 .

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) is applauding a federal initiative to grow the availability of telehealth for rural areas.
The Federal Communications Commission, U.S. Department Of Health And Human Services and the U.S. Department Of Agriculture last week announced they signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the Rural Telehealth Initiative.
The initiative is a joint effort to collaborate and share information to address health disparities, resolve service provider challenges and promote broadband services and technology to rural areas around America.
Blackburn said in a statement, “We’re seeing increased adoption of telehealth in rural areas for one reason: telehealth works. This FCC-HHS-USDA collaboration will addresses challenges inhibiting communities from access to telehealth, whether that be lack of broadband access or problems with provider service. Telehealth’s growth throughout the COVID-19 pandemic has alleviated high volumes of in-patient care tremendously. I look forward to seeing this partnership in action in Tennessee.”
Blackburn has previously highlighted the need for increased telehealth access during the pandemic.
The FCC said the agencies will establish an interagency Rural Telehealth Initiative Task Force. The task force will regularly meet to consider future recommendations or guidelines and exchange agency expertise, scientific and technical information, data, and publications.
This action delivers on President Trump’s recently signed Executive Order on Improving Rural Health and Telehealth Access. The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the critical importance of telehealth in delivering quality healthcare to rural Americans. Rural Americans are acutely affected by gaps in the healthcare system, from hospital closures to a lack of specialty care. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, rural Americans, who make up more than 15% of the U.S. population, face numerous health disparities compared with their urban counterparts. Rural Americans are more likely to die from heart disease, cancer, unintentional injury, chronic lower respiratory disease, and strokes than their urban counterparts. Telemedicine plays an increasingly critical part in treating patients, improving health outcomes, lowering costs, and helping health care providers maximize their impact on their communities, especially in rural areas of the United States.
– – –
Jason M. Reynolds has more than 20 years’ experience as a journalist at outlets of all sizes.
Photo “Telehealth” by Intel Free Press. CC BY-SA 2.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-09-05--Commentary: Economic Recovery Continues as 3.7 Million Jobs Added in August

The U.S. economy added another 3.7 million jobs in the month of August , according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics ’ household survey of Americans reporting they have jobs , bringing the total up to 13.8 million jobs that have been recovered since labor markets bottomed in April , something almost nobody but President Donald Trump was predicting .
At the worst of the coronavirus recession , as many as 25 million jobs were lost by April , and now more than half of those jobs have been regained , as a V-shaped recovery has clearly formed .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million jobs have come back in the Trump-Pence economy — thanks to President Trump ’ s leadership to stabilize the pandemic and get the U.S. economy safely reopened for business .
For perspective , in the Obama-Biden economy , it took almost five years to recover the 8 million jobs that were lost in the financial crisis and Great Recession .
The reason is President Trump had the considerable foresight to work with Congress to implement necessary economic supports , including payroll protection for 5.2 million small businesses that Trump credited with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Thanks to our Paycheck Protection Program , we have saved or supported more than 50 million American jobs .
That ’ s one of the reasons that we ’ re advancing so rapidly with our economy.
” In addition , unemployment benefits were expanded , critical industries such as airlines were supported and state and local governments were reinforced .
Foreclosures and evictions were postponed , and banks were encouraged to grant homeowners forbearance on their mortgages .
All this in a bid to encourage Americans to temporarily stay home while an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ production was put into place .
Looking forward , on the pandemic side of the question , the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation is projecting cases they will remain relatively stable until mid-to-late September when the cold and flu season gets going again .
Also of note , on the establishment survey which asks employers how many people are on the payroll , businesses report 10.6 million jobs recovered since April .
The difference between the two surveys is the establishment survey doesn ’ t count everyone like those self-employed .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closures , the household survey reported 158.75 million Americans having jobs , while the establishment survey reported 152.46 million Americans working .
Those differences are well-known , and it might mean the household survey is more relevant to the American people .
The U.S. economy contracted an annualized , inflation-adjusted 31.7 percent in the second quarter as the pandemic was washing over us , according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis .
Now , the Atlanta Federal Reserve is projecting a 29.6 percent expansion of the Gross Domestic Product ( GDP ) in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic report that will be released right before the election .
The Trump-led jobs recovery is clearly what ’ s playing into that .
With more good news , an additional 765,000 Americans left unemployment the week of Aug. 22 , according to the latest data from the Department of Labor .
Because that is occurring later in the month , it may not fully factor into the monthly data until the September jobs report out the first week of October .
Meaning , when the September report gets factored in , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March 25 , the President predicted , “ I don ’ t think it ’ s going to end up being such a rough patch .
I think it ’ s going to , when we open — especially , if we can open it — the sooner , the better — it ’ s going to open up like a rocket ship .
I think it ’ s going to go very good and very quickly.
” President Trump was right , and now there is no stopping the economic recovery .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ most rapid economic recovery in American history .
It should benefit him politically as the presidential campaign against former Vice President Joe Biden wears on .
Stay tuned .
Robert Romano is the Vice President of Public Policy at Americans for Limited Government .

by Robert Romano
The U.S. economy added another 3.7 million jobs in the month of August, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ household survey of Americans reporting they have jobs, bringing the total up to 13.8 million jobs that have been recovered since labor markets bottomed in April, something almost nobody but President Donald Trump was predicting.
At the worst of the coronavirus recession, as many as 25 million jobs were lost by April, and now more than half of those jobs have been regained, as a V-shaped recovery has clearly formed.
In just four short months, almost 14 million jobs have come back in the Trump-Pence economy — thanks to President Trump’s leadership to stabilize the pandemic and get the U.S. economy safely reopened for business.
For perspective, in the Obama-Biden economy, it took almost five years to recover the 8 million jobs that were lost in the financial crisis and Great Recession.
The reason is President Trump had the considerable foresight to work with Congress to implement necessary economic supports, including payroll protection for 5.2 million small businesses that Trump credited with the recovery in his acceptance speech stating, “Thanks to our Paycheck Protection Program, we have saved or supported more than 50 million American jobs. That’s one of the reasons that we’re advancing so rapidly with our economy.”
In addition, unemployment benefits were expanded, critical industries such as airlines were supported and state and local governments were reinforced. Foreclosures and evictions were postponed, and banks were encouraged to grant homeowners forbearance on their mortgages. All this in a bid to encourage Americans to temporarily stay home while an adequate pandemic response including testing and ventilator production was put into place.
Looking forward, on the pandemic side of the question, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation is projecting cases they will remain relatively stable until mid-to-late September when the cold and flu season gets going again.
Also of note, on the establishment survey which asks employers how many people are on the payroll, businesses report 10.6 million jobs recovered since April. The difference between the two surveys is the establishment survey doesn’t count everyone like those self-employed. For that reason in February before the pandemic closures, the household survey reported 158.75 million Americans having jobs, while the establishment survey reported 152.46 million Americans working. Those differences are well-known, and it might mean the household survey is more relevant to the American people.
The U.S. economy contracted an annualized, inflation-adjusted 31.7 percent in the second quarter as the pandemic was washing over us, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Now, the Atlanta Federal Reserve is projecting a 29.6 percent expansion of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the third quarter — the last major economic report that will be released right before the election. The Trump-led jobs recovery is clearly what’s playing into that.
With more good news, an additional 765,000 Americans left unemployment the week of Aug. 22, according to the latest data from the Department of Labor. Because that is occurring later in the month, it may not fully factor into the monthly data until the September jobs report out the first week of October.
Meaning, when the September report gets factored in, it should be another gangbuster number. On March 25, the President predicted, “I don’t think it’s going to end up being such a rough patch. I think it’s going to, when we open — especially, if we can open it — the sooner, the better — it’s going to open up like a rocket ship. I think it’s going to go very good and very quickly.”
President Trump was right, and now there is no stopping the economic recovery. In fact, this is unquestionably the most rapid economic recovery in American history. It should benefit him politically as the presidential campaign against former Vice President Joe Biden wears on. Stay tuned.
– – –
Robert Romano is the Vice President of Public Policy at Americans for Limited Government.


thetennesseestar--2020-09-05--Biden Megadonor Owns the Atlantic and Reportedly Communicates Often with Reporter Behind Anonymously

Biden Megadonor Owns the Atlantic and Reportedly Communicates Often with Reporter Behind Anonymously-Sourced Trump Bombshell

The Atlantic ’ s majority owner has donated over $ 1.2 million to Democratic candidates and political committees since 2019 while reportedly keeping in close contact with the magazine ’ s editor-in-chief , who published an anonymously-sourced story Thursday alleging that President Donald Trump denigrated fallen American soldiers .
Billionaire philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs , the widow of former Apple CEO Steve Jobs , obtained a 70 % stake in The Atlantic in 2017 through her firm , the Emerson Collective .
In November , she further solidified her control over the magazine after its longtime chairman , David Bradley @ @ @ @ @ @ @ away from management , according to Politico .
Politico noted in its report that Powell Jobs communicates often with The Atlantic ’ s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg .
Powell Jobs contributed $ 2,800 to former Vice President Joe Biden ’ s primary campaign in October , and in June she divvied out an additional $ 610,600 to the Biden Victory Fund .
She ’ s also provided maxed out donations to at least 66 other Democratic politicians since the start of 2019 , all the while providing nothing to Republican candidates , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats that Powell Jobs has contributed to this election season include former Democratic presidential candidates Cory Booker , Tom Steyer , Amy Klobuchar , Andrew Yang and Michael Bennett , FEC records show .
She also contributed to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , Democratic Reps. Joe Kennedy , Ayanna Pressley , Eric Swalwell and Adam Schiff , the records show .
The Atlantic was the first outlet to report that Biden was running for president in April 2019 .
Bradley , who ’ s still identified as The Atlantic ’ s chairman in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a board member of the now-defunct Biden Cancer Initiative .
Goldberg and Powell Jobs did not return requests for comment asking if Powell Jobs had any involvement in or had any advanced knowledge of Goldberg ’ s anonymously-sourced story .
The report , published Thursday evening , alleged that Trump called fallen soldiers “ losers ” and “ suckers ” during a 2018 trip to France .
Democrat immediately seized upon the story , and by Friday morning , the progressive PAC VoteVets had produced an ad featuring six Gold Star families @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A VoteVets spokesman told Daily Caller News Foundation reporter Chuck Ross that the group had no advanced knowledge of The Atlantic ’ s story and that they pulled an all-nighter to get the ad up so quickly .
FEC records show that Powell Jobs has never made a contribution to VoteVets .
Biden said Friday that he ’ s “ never been as disappointed in my whole career ” after reading Goldberg ’ s report , saying it would be “ absolutely damnable ” if it ’ s true that Trump made disparaging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ multiple high-level administration officials denied Goldberg ’ s report , and critics said crucial aspects of the report were flawed .
Goldberg opened the story saying that Trump had falsely claimed he canceled a visit to the venerated Aisne-Marne American Cemetery near Paris in 2018 because rain had grounded his helicopter and the Secret Service refused to drive him there .
“ Neither claim was true , ” Goldberg wrote .
Instead , Goldberg reported that four anonymous sources told him that Trump rejected the idea of visiting the cemetery “ because he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rain , and because he did not believe it important to honor American war dead.
” However , BuzzFeed News reporter Jason Leopold published documents Thursday evening showing that the Navy did indeed cancel Trump ’ s air transport to the cemetery that day due to rain .
And Bloomberg News reporter Jennifer Jacobs tweeted Thursday that she was told by Trump administration officials that it would have taken three hours to drive the president to the cemetery .
The White House said in a statement at the time that Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ canceled due to scheduling and logistical difficulties caused by the weather ” and that former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly , whose son was killed while serving in Afghanistan , went instead .
Andrew Kerr is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Photo “ Laurene Powell Jobs ” by Rhododendrites .
CC BY-SA 4.0 .

by Andrew Kerr
The Atlantic’s majority owner has donated over $1.2 million to Democratic candidates and political committees since 2019 while reportedly keeping in close contact with the magazine’s editor-in-chief, who published an anonymously-sourced story Thursday alleging that President Donald Trump denigrated fallen American soldiers.
Billionaire philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs, the widow of former Apple CEO Steve Jobs, obtained a 70% stake in The Atlantic in 2017 through her firm, the Emerson Collective. In November, she further solidified her control over the magazine after its longtime chairman, David Bradley, said he was going to step away from management, according to Politico.
Politico noted in its report that Powell Jobs communicates often with The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg.
Powell Jobs contributed $2,800 to former Vice President Joe Biden’s primary campaign in October, and in June she divvied out an additional $610,600 to the Biden Victory Fund. She’s also provided maxed out donations to at least 66 other Democratic politicians since the start of 2019, all the while providing nothing to Republican candidates, according to Federal Election Commission records.
Other notable Democrats that Powell Jobs has contributed to this election season include former Democratic presidential candidates Cory Booker, Tom Steyer, Amy Klobuchar, Andrew Yang and Michael Bennett, FEC records show. She also contributed to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Democratic Reps. Joe Kennedy, Ayanna Pressley, Eric Swalwell and Adam Schiff, the records show.
The Atlantic was the first outlet to report that Biden was running for president in April 2019. Bradley, who’s still identified as The Atlantic’s chairman in the magazine’s masthead, served as a board member of the now-defunct Biden Cancer Initiative.
Goldberg and Powell Jobs did not return requests for comment asking if Powell Jobs had any involvement in or had any advanced knowledge of Goldberg’s anonymously-sourced story. The report, published Thursday evening, alleged that Trump called fallen soldiers “losers” and “suckers” during a 2018 trip to France.
Democrat immediately seized upon the story, and by Friday morning, the progressive PAC VoteVets had produced an ad featuring six Gold Star families pillorying Trump for his alleged comments.
Donald Trump called our fallen troops "suckers" and "losers."
They can't speak for themselves, but these 6 Gold Star families speak for our fallen.
Here is their POWERFUL message.#GoldStarParentsAgainstTrump #VeteransAgainstTrump pic.twitter.com/ZnbFevqkNR — VoteVets (@votevets) September 4, 2020
A VoteVets spokesman told Daily Caller News Foundation reporter Chuck Ross that the group had no advanced knowledge of The Atlantic’s story and that they pulled an all-nighter to get the ad up so quickly. FEC records show that Powell Jobs has never made a contribution to VoteVets.
Biden said Friday that he’s “never been as disappointed in my whole career” after reading Goldberg’s report, saying it would be “absolutely damnable” if it’s true that Trump made disparaging comments about fallen troops.
Trump and multiple high-level administration officials denied Goldberg’s report, and critics said crucial aspects of the report were flawed.
Goldberg opened the story saying that Trump had falsely claimed he canceled a visit to the venerated Aisne-Marne American Cemetery near Paris in 2018 because rain had grounded his helicopter and the Secret Service refused to drive him there. “Neither claim was true,” Goldberg wrote.
Instead, Goldberg reported that four anonymous sources told him that Trump rejected the idea of visiting the cemetery “because he feared his hair would become disheveled in the rain, and because he did not believe it important to honor American war dead.”
However, BuzzFeed News reporter Jason Leopold published documents Thursday evening showing that the Navy did indeed cancel Trump’s air transport to the cemetery that day due to rain.
Regarding the lede of this story: I obtained documents from the Navy via #FOIA about Trump's 2018 trip to Aisne-Marne American Cemetery near Paris and the documents say his transport was canceled by the Navy due to rain. https://t.co/oNWsvAPy1z pic.twitter.com/keFtW7QC8b — Jason Leopold (@JasonLeopold) September 4, 2020
And Bloomberg News reporter Jennifer Jacobs tweeted Thursday that she was told by Trump administration officials that it would have taken three hours to drive the president to the cemetery.
Trump aides defend Trump on Atlantic story. Sarah Huckabee Sanders was with him ahead of the visit to the French cemetery in 2018; aide Zach Fuentes came in to say a bad weather call prevented the helicopter trip, I’m told. It was nearly 3 hours by car. Kellogg wasn’t in room. pic.twitter.com/89DCLA4oH6 — Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) September 4, 2020
The White House said in a statement at the time that Trump’s visit to the cemetery was “canceled due to scheduling and logistical difficulties caused by the weather” and that former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, whose son was killed while serving in Afghanistan, went instead.
– – –
Andrew Kerr is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Photo “Laurene Powell Jobs” by Rhododendrites. CC BY-SA 4.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-09-05--UTK Law Professor Glenn Reynolds Talks to Legislative Ad Hoc Committee about Tennessee Governors’ Em

UTK Law Professor Glenn Reynolds Talks to Legislative Ad Hoc Committee about Tennessee Governors’ Emergency Powers

University of Tennesse at Knoxville ( UTK ) Law Professor Glenn Reynolds on Thursday spoke to members of the Tennessee General Assembly about various topics , including a governor ’ s use of executive orders and the reasoning behind him having such power .
His appearance was before the Legislature ’ s Ad Hoc Committee to Study Emergency Powers .
Reynolds ’ s biography with the UTK , available here , lists his interests as law and technology and constitutional law issues .
He is the co-author of Outer Space : Problems of Law and Policy .
In tune with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ songwriter and producer for bands including Mobius Dick .
Reynolds wrote briefly about his experience with the General Assembly .
That is available on PJ Media here .
Video of Reynolds ’ remarks is available from the Legislature ’ s website here .
He told the committee that people can generally be trusted to do the right thing in emergencies .
While the state has been well governed during this emergency , that may not be true during the next crisis .
The Tennessee Constitution is “ especially protective of liberty , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not to fight the last battle in regard to the pandemic .
They can require the governor to be transparent about his decisions .
A pandemic is like a war : you revise your tactics .
Public trust is easy to lose if they think you are lying .
They may consider time limits for executive orders , among other actions .
Reynolds ’ in-depth remarks about executive orders start around the 26 minute mark and were prompted by questions from state Sen. Kerry Roberts ( R-Springfield ) .
Reynolds had earlier mentioned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issue executive orders during emergencies .
Roberts mentioned “ duck and cover drills ” of the 1950s that were required for school students out of fears of nuclear war .
In 1951 , the Tennessee Legislature passed an act to grant the governor the power of executive orders .
Roberts pondered “ what it took for a senator or a representative to give up their constitutional authority.
” His conclusion : “ They thought it would not be possible to communicate.
” Roberts asked Reynolds about that in light of instant communications options @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That of course is for you all to decide ” and it is possible for Legislatures to meet fast .
The professor also said , “ Legislators meeting is not necessarily the same as legislators acting .
And getting legislators to meet quickly does not guarantee swift action…and that is a structural thing , because they are designed to be deliberative bodies .
And the executive is designed to execute.
” Reynolds also said , “ But faced with a crisis , legislators can often pull their socks up and move pretty fast.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Constitution , Article 2 , Section 2 : “ No person or persons belonging to one of these departments shall exercise any of the powers properly belonging to either of the others , except in the cases herein directed or permitted.
” Roberts said he was interested in this : “ except in the cases herein directed or permitted ” and asked Reynolds what does that mean for legislators if they try to pass legislation .
Reynolds said there is little case law around that topic .
He also said the legal trend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like that of the U.S. Constitution in interpretation .
The Tennessee Constitution is available here .
Reynolds also was asked about the executive orders for masks conflicting with a law making it a felony for concealed carry permit users from wearing a mask while going armed .
Reynolds said that would make for a good Tennessee Supreme Court case .
He said he believes it is a violation of due process to force a person to violate one law while he or she is trying to comply with another law , much less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ M. Reynolds has more than 20 years ’ experience as a journalist at outlets of all sizes .
Photo “ Glenn Reynolds ” by Glenn Reynolds .
CC BY-SA 3.0 .

University of Tennesse at Knoxville (UTK) Law Professor Glenn Reynolds on Thursday spoke to members of the Tennessee General Assembly about various topics, including a governor’s use of executive orders and the reasoning behind him having such power.
His appearance was before the Legislature’s Ad Hoc Committee to Study Emergency Powers.
Reynolds’s biography with the UTK, available here, lists his interests as law and technology and constitutional law issues. He is the co-author of Outer Space: Problems of Law and Policy. In tune with the music industry, Reynolds is a songwriter and producer for bands including Mobius Dick.
Reynolds wrote briefly about his experience with the General Assembly. That is available on PJ Media here.
My talk mostly focused on the Tennessee Constitution, though there were short sojourns into many other topics. I have to say, I didn’t expect the very kind remarks that Attorney General Slatery made after my talk.
Video of Reynolds’ remarks is available from the Legislature’s website here.
He told the committee that people can generally be trusted to do the right thing in emergencies. While the state has been well governed during this emergency, that may not be true during the next crisis.
The Tennessee Constitution is “especially protective of liberty,” Reynolds said. He urged the committee not to fight the last battle in regard to the pandemic. They can require the governor to be transparent about his decisions. A pandemic is like a war: you revise your tactics. Public trust is easy to lose if they think you are lying. They may consider time limits for executive orders, among other actions.
Reynolds’ in-depth remarks about executive orders start around the 26 minute mark and were prompted by questions from state Sen. Kerry Roberts (R-Springfield). Reynolds had earlier mentioned the speed with which a governor could issue executive orders during emergencies.
Roberts mentioned “duck and cover drills” of the 1950s that were required for school students out of fears of nuclear war. In 1951, the Tennessee Legislature passed an act to grant the governor the power of executive orders. Roberts pondered “what it took for a senator or a representative to give up their constitutional authority.”
His conclusion: “They thought it would not be possible to communicate.”
Roberts asked Reynolds about that in light of instant communications options like Zoom.
Reynolds said, “That of course is for you all to decide” and it is possible for Legislatures to meet fast.
The professor also said, “Legislators meeting is not necessarily the same as legislators acting. And getting legislators to meet quickly does not guarantee swift action…and that is a structural thing, because they are designed to be deliberative bodies. And the executive is designed to execute.”
Reynolds also said, “But faced with a crisis, legislators can often pull their socks up and move pretty fast.”
Roberts also asked about the Tennessee Constitution, Article 2, Section 2: “No person or persons belonging to one of these departments shall exercise any of the powers properly belonging to either of the others, except in the cases herein directed or permitted.”
Roberts said he was interested in this: “except in the cases herein directed or permitted” and asked Reynolds what does that mean for legislators if they try to pass legislation.
Reynolds said there is little case law around that topic. He also said the legal trend has been to treat the Tennessee Constitution like that of the U.S. Constitution in interpretation.
The Tennessee Constitution is available here.
Reynolds also was asked about the executive orders for masks conflicting with a law making it a felony for concealed carry permit users from wearing a mask while going armed. Reynolds said that would make for a good Tennessee Supreme Court case. He said he believes it is a violation of due process to force a person to violate one law while he or she is trying to comply with another law, much less the Right to Bear Arms.
– – –
Jason M. Reynolds has more than 20 years’ experience as a journalist at outlets of all sizes.
Photo “Glenn Reynolds” by Glenn Reynolds. CC BY-SA 3.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-09-05--‘Beyond Shameful’: Emotional Salon Owner Rips into Pelosi for Claiming She Was Set up

San Francisco salon owner Erica Kious said Thursday that it is “ beyond shameful ” for Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to accuse Kious of setting her up .
“ For the speaker of the House of the United States to go on TV and falsely claim she was set up and publicly defame me and send out PR firms to spin more lies about Jonathan in support of the speaker ’ s own lies is bad enough , ” Kious said on a Thursday evening press call to reporters .
“ But for Speaker Pelosi to frame @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continued , “ under a total false narrative , while small businesses and workers all over California , the state , she represents in Congress , suffer and struggle just to survive , is beyond shameful.
” Kious provided Fox News with security footage showing a wet-haired Pelosi walking through eSalon in San Francisco on Monday at 3:08 p.m. as she attended her appointment for a wash and blow-out .
San Francisco hair salons have been closed since March and were permitted to open Sept. 1 for outdoor hair appointments only .
Pelosi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying she was a victim of a set up .
The salon owner said that Pelosi contacted Jonathan DeNardo , an independent contractor who rents a chair in eSalon , and asked if he could provide a hair service at her private residence .
DeNardo informed Pelosi that this was not possible , according to Kious , and instead offered to perform the service at the salon .
“ I have nothing to do with this and have never approved or rejected any particular client or service at the salon , ” she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not call me to seek authorization to do Mrs. Pelosi ’ s care .
The appointment has already been made by him.
” She said that DeNardo did call her to express his excitement about cutting Pelosi ’ s hair , during which call she told him that if Pelosi “ came to the salon and felt safe doing so , he should speak to her about trying to get other salons to open everywhere.
” This suggestion upset DeNardo , she said , who told her that Pelosi had bigger things to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her , she added .
“ Jonathan actually texted me and conveyed that he did have a discussion with her about not only not being allowed to open to do hair inside the salon , ” Kious said .
“ Not only was the speaker fully aware that salons were closed for such services , but she and Jonathan actually discussed that fact during her appointment .
The speaker ’ s excuse that she was set up is false.
” Kious repeatedly emphasized that if anyone set up Pelosi , it could only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that she does not believe DeNardo set up the speaker of the house and that Pelosi has made him the scapegoat of the situation .
“ I don ’ t owe anyone an apology , ” Kious said with emotion .
“ Mrs .
Pelosi owes the entire country an apology.
” Pelosi did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Mary Margaret Olohan is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Photo “ Erica Kious ” by Fox News .

by Mary Margaret Olohan
San Francisco salon owner Erica Kious said Thursday that it is “beyond shameful” for Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to accuse Kious of setting her up.
“For the speaker of the House of the United States to go on TV and falsely claim she was set up and publicly defame me and send out PR firms to spin more lies about Jonathan in support of the speaker’s own lies is bad enough,” Kious said on a Thursday evening press call to reporters.
“But for Speaker Pelosi to frame herself as a victim,” she continued, “under a total false narrative, while small businesses and workers all over California, the state, she represents in Congress, suffer and struggle just to survive, is beyond shameful.”
Kious provided Fox News with security footage showing a wet-haired Pelosi walking through eSalon in San Francisco on Monday at 3:08 p.m. as she attended her appointment for a wash and blow-out. San Francisco hair salons have been closed since March and were permitted to open Sept. 1 for outdoor hair appointments only.
Pelosi responded to backlash over the footage by saying she was a victim of a set up.
The salon owner said that Pelosi contacted Jonathan DeNardo, an independent contractor who rents a chair in eSalon, and asked if he could provide a hair service at her private residence. DeNardo informed Pelosi that this was not possible, according to Kious, and instead offered to perform the service at the salon.
“I have nothing to do with this and have never approved or rejected any particular client or service at the salon,” she said, adding that Jonathan “did not call me to seek authorization to do Mrs. Pelosi’s care. The appointment has already been made by him.”
She said that DeNardo did call her to express his excitement about cutting Pelosi’s hair, during which call she told him that if Pelosi “came to the salon and felt safe doing so, he should speak to her about trying to get other salons to open everywhere.”
This suggestion upset DeNardo, she said, who told her that Pelosi had bigger things to worry about. DeNardo later apologized to her, she added.
“Jonathan actually texted me and conveyed that he did have a discussion with her about not only not being allowed to open to do hair inside the salon,” Kious said. “Not only was the speaker fully aware that salons were closed for such services, but she and Jonathan actually discussed that fact during her appointment. The speaker’s excuse that she was set up is false.”
Kious repeatedly emphasized that if anyone set up Pelosi, it could only have been DeNardo, but also emphasized that she does not believe DeNardo set up the speaker of the house and that Pelosi has made him the scapegoat of the situation.
“I don’t owe anyone an apology,” Kious said with emotion. “Mrs. Pelosi owes the entire country an apology.”
Pelosi did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.
– – –
Mary Margaret Olohan is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Photo “Erica Kious” by Fox News.


thetennesseestar--2020-09-05--Shelby County Says Woman Dead for Six Months Contracted COVID-19, Needs to Isolate

When is a COVID-19 patient not a COVID-19 patient ?
When the person has been dead for six months , as has reportedly happened in Memphis .
Media reports have carried the story , including coverage here by KVUE .
Troy Whittington said a shocking letter came from the Shelby County Health Department , the station said Thursday .
The letter said his mother , Sandra Whittington , 66 , had tested positive for the virus and needed to be isolated .
The problem is that she died of COPD on Feb. 16 , weeks before Memphis ever had its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matter means for coronavirus testing accuracy not only in Shelby County but nationwide as well .
He also said the supposed test for his mother was done in June and asked why it would have taken two months for results to be sent and the problem that would pose for a need to isolate .
Troy posted on Facebook : “ SOMEONE PLZ EXPLAIN TO ME !
!
!
HOW MY MOTHER WHO PASSED FEBRUARY 16 .
GOT COVID 19 .
AUG. 20 .
2020 .
PLZ EXPLAIN THAT ONE ?
?
?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ SHELBY COUNTY HEATH DEPT .
Ill wait !
!
!
Smh ” This is far from the only problem with the reliability of COVID-19 testing .
Albany , New York ’ s News 10 in July reported on a man who tested negative , then test positive , then re-tested and came up negative for the virus .
Florida ’ s positivity rate for children also came under attack this summer .
The CDC ’ s death totals also recently came into question , as The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 20 years ’ experience as a journalist at outlets of all sizes .

When is a COVID-19 patient not a COVID-19 patient? When the person has been dead for six months, as has reportedly happened in Memphis.
Media reports have carried the story, including coverage here by KVUE.
Troy Whittington said a shocking letter came from the Shelby County Health Department, the station said Thursday. The letter said his mother, Sandra Whittington, 66, had tested positive for the virus and needed to be isolated. The problem is that she died of COPD on Feb. 16, weeks before Memphis ever had its first case.
Troy spoke to Local 24 (WATN).
He questioned what this matter means for coronavirus testing accuracy not only in Shelby County but nationwide as well. He also said the supposed test for his mother was done in June and asked why it would have taken two months for results to be sent and the problem that would pose for a need to isolate.
Troy posted on Facebook: “SOMEONE PLZ EXPLAIN TO ME !!! HOW MY MOTHER WHO PASSED FEBRUARY 16 . GOT COVID 19 . AUG. 20 . 2020 . PLZ EXPLAIN THAT ONE ???? JUST GOT THIS LETTER TODAY FROM SHELBY COUNTY HEATH DEPT. Ill wait !!! Smh”
This is far from the only problem with the reliability of COVID-19 testing.
Albany, New York’s News 10 in July reported on a man who tested negative, then test positive, then re-tested and came up negative for the virus.
Florida’s positivity rate for children also came under attack this summer.
The CDC’s death totals also recently came into question, as The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy discussed here.
– – –
Jason M. Reynolds has more than 20 years’ experience as a journalist at outlets of all sizes.


thetennesseestar--2020-09-05--Steve Bannon Presents: CCP’s Plan for Global Domination

An all new LIVE STREAM of War Room : Pandemic starts at 9 a.m. Central Time on Saturday .
Former White House Chief Strategist Stephen K. Bannon began the daily War Room : Pandemic radio show and podcast on January 25 , when news of the virus was just beginning to leak out of China around the Lunar New Year .
Bannon and co-hosts bring listeners exclusive analysis and breaking updates from top medical , public health , economic , national security , supply chain and geopolitical experts weekdays from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon ET .
The show ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Voice News , the John Fredericks Radio Network , Salem Media Group , and Newsmax TV and the podcast is available on Apple , Spotify , Stitcher , SoundCloud , and Google Play .
You can watch past episodes here .
Previously , Bannon hosted a series of three , two-hour long special programs entitled Descent into Hell : The Chinese People Confront the CCP .
The groundbreaking specials aired live on the John Fredericks Radio Network , America ’ s Voice Network , Dish TV Channel 219 , The Epoch Times , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mandarin .
For more information , visit www.pandemic.warroom.org and @ WarRoomPandemic .

An all new LIVE STREAM of War Room: Pandemic starts at 9 a.m. Central Time on Saturday.
Former White House Chief Strategist Stephen K. Bannon began the daily War Room: Pandemic radio show and podcast on January 25, when news of the virus was just beginning to leak out of China around the Lunar New Year. Bannon and co-hosts bring listeners exclusive analysis and breaking updates from top medical, public health, economic, national security, supply chain and geopolitical experts weekdays from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon ET.
The show’s broadcast partners are America’s Voice News, the John Fredericks Radio Network, Salem Media Group, and Newsmax TV and the podcast is available on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, SoundCloud, and Google Play.
You can watch past episodes here.
Ep 383: 10 a.m.
Ep 384: 11 a.m.
Previously, Bannon hosted a series of three, two-hour long special programs entitled Descent into Hell: The Chinese People Confront the CCP.
The groundbreaking specials aired live on the John Fredericks Radio Network, America’s Voice Network, Dish TV Channel 219, The Epoch Times, ND TV, GTV and GNews in Mandarin.
For more information, visit www.pandemic.warroom.org and @WarRoomPandemic.


thetennesseestar--2020-09-05--ICE Arrests Over 2,000 Illegal Immigrants with Violent Criminal Convictions or Charges

Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested more than 2,000 illegal immigrants who have criminal histories involving victims between July 13 and Aug. 20 , ICE announced Monday .
The immigrants who are illegally living in the U.S. are subject to removal because of their previous arrests or charges connected to victims , according to ICE .
Of those arrested for immigration-related charges , around 85 % had pending criminal charges or previous criminal convictions .
“ The aliens targeted during this operation preyed on men , women and children in our communities , committing serious crimes and , at times , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tony Pham , the senior official performing the duties of ICE director .
Several of the illegal immigrants who were arrested reportedly had multiple pending charges and previous criminal convictions , according to ICE .
The most common charge was assault , and ICE reported 338 convictions and 386 pending assault charges among the group of immigrants arrested in the recent enforcement action .
“ By focusing our efforts on perpetrators of crimes against people , we ’ re able to remove these threats from our communities and prevent future victimization from occurring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we are eliminating the threat posed by these criminals , many of whom are repeat offenders , ” Pham said .
Other charges included domestic violence , sexual offenses including rape and assault , and various family offenses like neglect and cruelty , according to ICE .
Convictions in Colorado and Wyoming included child abuse , domestic violence strangulation , and attempted murder , according to ICE .
A 27-year-old illegal immigrant arrested in Denver , Colorado who is a documented member of the West-Side Bloods street gang was convicted for indecent exposure-masturbation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to register as a sex offender , according to ICE .
“ During this effort we focused specifically on those who may have suffered disproportionally [ sic ] during the pandemic , ” said John Fabbricatore , field director for ICE in Denver .
“ We specifically targeted our enforcement actions at abusers and helped victims by eliminating the threat posed by their perpetrators , and in some cases , preventing future victimization by recidivist offender.
” Individuals who violate immigration law are subject to arrest , detention , and possible deportation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .

by Kaylee Greenlee
Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested more than 2,000 illegal immigrants who have criminal histories involving victims between July 13 and Aug. 20, ICE announced Monday.
The immigrants who are illegally living in the U.S. are subject to removal because of their previous arrests or charges connected to victims, according to ICE. Of those arrested for immigration-related charges, around 85% had pending criminal charges or previous criminal convictions.
“The aliens targeted during this operation preyed on men, women and children in our communities, committing serious crimes and, at times, repeatedly hurting their victims,” said Tony Pham, the senior official performing the duties of ICE director.
ICE announces results of latest operations targeting criminal aliens https://t.co/3Nt3JdZ7n4 pic.twitter.com/6tSqFg5Wpk — ICE (@ICEgov) September 1, 2020
Several of the illegal immigrants who were arrested reportedly had multiple pending charges and previous criminal convictions, according to ICE. The most common charge was assault, and ICE reported 338 convictions and 386 pending assault charges among the group of immigrants arrested in the recent enforcement action.
“By focusing our efforts on perpetrators of crimes against people, we’re able to remove these threats from our communities and prevent future victimization from occurring. Through our targeted enforcement efforts, we are eliminating the threat posed by these criminals, many of whom are repeat offenders,” Pham said.
Other charges included domestic violence, sexual offenses including rape and assault, and various family offenses like neglect and cruelty, according to ICE.
Convictions in Colorado and Wyoming included child abuse, domestic violence strangulation, and attempted murder, according to ICE.
A 27-year-old illegal immigrant arrested in Denver, Colorado who is a documented member of the West-Side Bloods street gang was convicted for indecent exposure-masturbation, child abuse, and was required to register as a sex offender, according to ICE.
“During this effort we focused specifically on those who may have suffered disproportionally[sic] during the pandemic,” said John Fabbricatore, field director for ICE in Denver. “We specifically targeted our enforcement actions at abusers and helped victims by eliminating the threat posed by their perpetrators, and in some cases, preventing future victimization by recidivist offender.”
Individuals who violate immigration law are subject to arrest, detention, and possible deportation, according to ICE.
– – –
Kaylee Greenlee is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation.


thetennesseestar--2020-09-05--Commentary: We Have Had Enough Lockdown

Commentary: We Have Had Enough Lockdown

Take off the masks and remove the “ social distancing ” circles from the floors .
Open the schools , liberate college campuses , fill the restaurants and the gyms and the churches and the salons .
Enough .
If 2020 wasn ’ t twisted enough , the current political imbroglio centers around a verboten visit to a California boutique for a routine blow-out .
Americans are lining up either behind House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) , who claims she was “ set up ” to visit the San Francisco salon , or the salon ’ s owner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business alive amid cruel and unscientific edicts issued by her governor months ago .
The incident is the latest in a series of “ rules for thee but not for me ” gut punches from the ruling class ; whether it ’ s mask-free trips to the park or crowded funerals for anointed heroes or casual meals munched indoors , the government-ordered shutdowns apply to everyone except the sadists running government who order said shutdowns .
But here ’ s the rub : No one should be talking about Pelosi ’ s coif @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a story .
It shouldn ’ t have happened in the first place .
Erica Kious should never have been forced to close her business , fire her stylists , and sneak in customers like some 1940s underground operation hiding from the nation ’ s modern-day face covering and social distancing Gestapo .
Pelosi should be able to get her hair done whenever and wherever she pleases without concocting a preposterous excuse that she was framed for fluffy follicles .
Almost a half a year ago , Americans were asked to suspend their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schooling for 15 days to “ flatten the curve ” of rising cases of the novel coronavirus .
Americans , fearful of the unknown and willing to do what they imagined was the right thing to protect themselves and their family , acquiesced .
That was 172 days ago .
What has happened since will be studied and debated for decades with one likely conclusion : Global lockdowns , particularly in the United States , were one of the costliest man-made disasters of all time .
The decision was rooted in unscientific hocus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , mental , physical , and emotional catastrophes on a scale that can never be fully quantified—not to mention the way stay-at-home orders fueled racial and civil unrest across America months before a national election .
A very small handful of us recognized this horrific mistake at the onset ; we were shunned by both the Left and Right as heartless grandma-killers and “ armchair epidemiologists ” with no place in the debate .
It was clear from the start , however , that the “ experts ” were winging it .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a virus could be stopped defied science and common sense .
Initial models , based on untested inputs promoted by hucksters with an agenda , were prima facie garbage .
“ This is a dangerous time and not just because of the threat of a treatable disease , ” I wrote on March 19 .
“ Americans are willingly surrendering to government their freedom , their livelihoods , their long-term economic security , and their mental well-being over unjustified panic about a virus that might have already spread and now is abating .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ where incomplete data and media-fueled panic rule the day , that is an even more frightening prospect than what ’ s happening right now.
” Now , nearly six months later , the oppression of the “ new normal ” is baked into daily life .
Kindergartners cry at computer screens instead of navigating those first wobbly days away from mommy , a rite of passage critical to human development .
Remote learning strains the mental faculties and physical tolerance of teenagers now forced to stare for hours at virtual classrooms with no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who have suited up for football and soccer and cheerleading and cross country every season since grade school are sidelined ; lifelong dreams of college scholarships , gone .
Millions of nursing home residents in some states remain neglected from the life-sustaining touch of a son or daughter .
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis broke down during an emotional press conference September 1 when he announced the reopening of nursing homes to visitors .
Loved ones would just “ like to say goodbye or to hug somebody , ” the first-term Republican explained .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether the decision to shutter the eldery was the right one .
“ I think it ’ s difficult to think that some of our action may have .
.
.
prevented that.
” Every age group is tortured by the inhumanity of quarantine .
College dormitories , a place where new adults get the first glorious taste of grown-up liberation , resemble solitary confinement units .
At a time when Democratic mayors are releasing criminals from prison , simpatico university deans are criminalizing young people for .
.
.
acting like young @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a few in-person classes and some semblance of a regular campus atmosphere—until tuition was paid .
Those of us parenting college students already know about the punishing rules and penalties imposed on our children ; those who don ’ t should take a moment and read this collection of campus horror stories gathered by journalist Jordan Schachtel .
The accounts are heartbreaking and infuriating .
“ My son is a Freshman , ” one parent wrote .
“ All his classes are online .
In his giant dormitory , his room is only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knocked on doors in their hall trying to meet people , and have been chastised and hassled by the RAs for being ‘ radicals ’ for simply reaching out to others.
” We now live in a “ Black Mirror ” dystopia—as evidence proves how nonthreatening this disease is to the overwhelming majority of Americans , threats to comply with punitive commands from above escalate .
Remedies are dismissed while moneyed interests plug forced vaccinations so we can “ get back to normal.
” Other serious health issues go ignored or untreated as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has burned out in most parts of the country .
The federal government just canceled contracts to buy more ventilators ; nearly 120,000 machines are stockpiled and probably will go unused .
Mandatory testing is rising at the same time studies show roughly 90 percent of positive results are meaningless .
Students and teachers are back to school in Wuhan , the source of the plague , while our kids prepare to remain secluded and chained to laptops for the rest of the calendar year .
Meanwhile , grown adults argue over a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This must end .
At a Pennsylvania rally Thursday night , President Trump detailed the negative outcomes of the shutdown .
He reminded Americans that he once warned the cure couldn ’ t be worse than the disease and warned prolonged lockdowns in Democratic states are politically motivated .
The president is right—he should now declare the “ war on coronavirus ” is over .
Yes , there are battle scars but the country won .
Now , the reconstruction must begin .
Take off the masks and remove the “ social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Open the schools , liberate college campuses , fill the restaurants and the gyms and the churches and the hair salons .
Julie Kelly is a political commentator and senior contributor to American Greatness .
She is the author of Disloyal Opposition : How the NeverTrump Right Tried―And Failed―To Take Down the President .
Photo “ Abuse of Power Poster ” by Becker1999 .
CC BY 2.0 .

by Julie Kelly
Take off the masks and remove the “social distancing” circles from the floors. Open the schools, liberate college campuses, fill the restaurants and the gyms and the churches and the salons. Enough.
If 2020 wasn’t twisted enough, the current political imbroglio centers around a verboten visit to a California boutique for a routine blow-out. Americans are lining up either behind House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who claims she was “set up” to visit the San Francisco salon, or the salon’s owner, a woman struggling to keep her business alive amid cruel and unscientific edicts issued by her governor months ago.
The incident is the latest in a series of “rules for thee but not for me” gut punches from the ruling class; whether it’s mask-free trips to the park or crowded funerals for anointed heroes or casual meals munched indoors, the government-ordered shutdowns apply to everyone except the sadists running government who order said shutdowns.
But here’s the rub: No one should be talking about Pelosi’s coif controversy because it should not even be a story. It shouldn’t have happened in the first place. Erica Kious should never have been forced to close her business, fire her stylists, and sneak in customers like some 1940s underground operation hiding from the nation’s modern-day face covering and social distancing Gestapo. Pelosi should be able to get her hair done whenever and wherever she pleases without concocting a preposterous excuse that she was framed for fluffy follicles.
Almost a half a year ago, Americans were asked to suspend their personal freedoms, business pursuits, and schooling for 15 days to “flatten the curve” of rising cases of the novel coronavirus. Americans, fearful of the unknown and willing to do what they imagined was the right thing to protect themselves and their family, acquiesced.
That was 172 days ago. What has happened since will be studied and debated for decades with one likely conclusion: Global lockdowns, particularly in the United States, were one of the costliest man-made disasters of all time. The decision was rooted in unscientific hocus pocus that resulted in economic, educational, mental, physical, and emotional catastrophes on a scale that can never be fully quantified—not to mention the way stay-at-home orders fueled racial and civil unrest across America months before a national election.
A very small handful of us recognized this horrific mistake at the onset; we were shunned by both the Left and Right as heartless grandma-killers and “armchair epidemiologists” with no place in the debate. It was clear from the start, however, that the “experts” were winging it. The data was totally unreliable; the suggestion a virus could be stopped defied science and common sense. Initial models, based on untested inputs promoted by hucksters with an agenda, were prima facie garbage.
“This is a dangerous time and not just because of the threat of a treatable disease,” I wrote on March 19. “Americans are willingly surrendering to government their freedom, their livelihoods, their long-term economic security, and their mental well-being over unjustified panic about a virus that might have already spread and now is abating. If this is the new normal, where incomplete data and media-fueled panic rule the day, that is an even more frightening prospect than what’s happening right now.”
Now, nearly six months later, the oppression of the “new normal” is baked into daily life.
Kindergartners cry at computer screens instead of navigating those first wobbly days away from mommy, a rite of passage critical to human development. Remote learning strains the mental faculties and physical tolerance of teenagers now forced to stare for hours at virtual classrooms with no engagement or socialization. High school athletes who have suited up for football and soccer and cheerleading and cross country every season since grade school are sidelined; lifelong dreams of college scholarships, gone.
Millions of nursing home residents in some states remain neglected from the life-sustaining touch of a son or daughter. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis broke down during an emotional press conference September 1 when he announced the reopening of nursing homes to visitors. Loved ones would just “like to say goodbye or to hug somebody,” the first-term Republican explained. After composing himself, DeSantis wondered aloud whether the decision to shutter the eldery was the right one. “I think it’s difficult to think that some of our action may have . . . prevented that.”
Every age group is tortured by the inhumanity of quarantine. College dormitories, a place where new adults get the first glorious taste of grown-up liberation, resemble solitary confinement units. At a time when Democratic mayors are releasing criminals from prison, simpatico university deans are criminalizing young people for . . . acting like young people. Students were at first promised a few in-person classes and some semblance of a regular campus atmosphere—until tuition was paid.
Those of us parenting college students already know about the punishing rules and penalties imposed on our children; those who don’t should take a moment and read this collection of campus horror stories gathered by journalist Jordan Schachtel. The accounts are heartbreaking and infuriating.
“My son is a Freshman,” one parent wrote. “All his classes are online. In his giant dormitory, his room is only one with three guys. They have knocked on doors in their hall trying to meet people, and have been chastised and hassled by the RAs for being ‘radicals’ for simply reaching out to others.”
We now live in a “Black Mirror” dystopia—as evidence proves how nonthreatening this disease is to the overwhelming majority of Americans, threats to comply with punitive commands from above escalate. Remedies are dismissed while moneyed interests plug forced vaccinations so we can “get back to normal.” Other serious health issues go ignored or untreated as we fixate on a virus that already has burned out in most parts of the country.
The federal government just canceled contracts to buy more ventilators; nearly 120,000 machines are stockpiled and probably will go unused. Mandatory testing is rising at the same time studies show roughly 90 percent of positive results are meaningless.
Students and teachers are back to school in Wuhan, the source of the plague, while our kids prepare to remain secluded and chained to laptops for the rest of the calendar year.
Meanwhile, grown adults argue over a stupid freaking visit to a hair salon.
This must end. At a Pennsylvania rally Thursday night, President Trump detailed the negative outcomes of the shutdown. He reminded Americans that he once warned the cure couldn’t be worse than the disease and warned prolonged lockdowns in Democratic states are politically motivated.
The president is right—he should now declare the “war on coronavirus” is over. Yes, there are battle scars but the country won. Now, the reconstruction must begin. Take off the masks and remove the “social distancing” circles from the floors. Open the schools, liberate college campuses, fill the restaurants and the gyms and the churches and the hair salons.
Enough.
– – –
Julie Kelly is a political commentator and senior contributor to American Greatness. She is the author of Disloyal Opposition: How the NeverTrump Right Tried―And Failed―To Take Down the President.
Photo “Abuse of Power Poster” by Becker1999. CC BY 2.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-09-05--Sr. Correspondent of InsideArabia.com Sami Hamdi Analyzes the Current Power Struggle in Libya Betwee

Sr. Correspondent of InsideArabia.com Sami Hamdi Analyzes the Current Power Struggle in Libya Between Haftar and Saleh

Live from Virginia Friday morning on The John Fredericks Show – weekdays on WNTW AM 820/ FM 92.7 – Richmond , WJFN FM 100.5 – Central Virginia , WMPH AM 1010 / FM 100.1 / FM 96.9 ( 7-9 PM ) Hampton Roads , WBRG AM 1050 / FM 105.1 – Lynchburg/Roanoke and Weekdays 6-10 am and 24/7 Stream – host Fredericks welcomed Senior Correspondent for InsideArabia.com Sami Hamdi to the show .
During the show , Hamdi analyzed the current political power struggle between Khalifa Haftar and Aguila Saleh in Libya amongst the protests of the east and west @ @ @ @ @ @ @ London , UK , Senior Correspondent with InsideArabia.com , Sami Hamdi .
It ’ s always good to have him on .
Haven ’ t had him on in a few weeks .
Sami , thanks for being with us today .
Hamdi : Thanks for having me , John .
Fredericks : It ’ s always good to have you on , man .
I want to talk about a recent piece that you just did on Libya ’ s cease-fire and this protest and foreign interference .
This Libya situation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have now tuned out because of the election .
This is why I have you guys on , because there are other things going on in the world besides Biden and Trump .
The Libyan situation is out of control .
Obviously you had the bombing going on there .
The explosion .
You ’ ve got Haftar situation .
You ’ ve got Turkey involved .
Give us an update .
Where are we now on Libya ?
What is going on there ?
Hamdi : So for the first time in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a balance of power in terms of the military dynamic .
Because Turkey is now supporting the internationally-recognized government , which before was a very force on the ground .
There has now been a balance of power with Russia and Egypt and the UAE and France on one side .
And Turkey and on the other side .
And the US just watching to see who the eventual winner is going to be .
So because the stakes are very now because of this balance of power .
The international power brokers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Egypt sat together and said look , the price is about too high to keep fighting .
Why don ’ t we come to some sort of agreement in regard to a cease-fire ?
And the interesting thing is that despite the fact that you have these two blocs that are competing with each other – these two international blocs – their interests have started to align .
Let ’ s start with Turkey .
Turkey and the west now have some control of military bases .
It ’ s now building a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the coastline of the Mediterranean , which will allow it to project it ’ s power on the Mediterranean .
Russia has been able to bypass the US which has not had a clear policy at all , and has not indicated at all what it wants in Libya .
Russia has been able to bypass the US and exert itself and secure its key military bases in the south and seize control of some of the key oil facilities .
In terms of Egypt , they just want the war to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a headache with regards to Sudan and Ethiopia over the Renaissance Dam .
They also have a problem in the East Mediterranean .
There is a lot of tension there , so there is a war that might happen there .
So Egypt wants Libya to end so it can focus on more important issues .
So all of these interests align together to bring about this cease-fire .
You ’ ll notice I haven ’ t mentioned the Libyans .
Because Libyans are not in the driving seat .
The matter has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , because both sides of the international government and in the Haftar in the east , their power comes from international support .
It does not come from domestic popularity .
Both sides are resented by their respected Libyan citizens that live in the territory .
And that ’ s why it ’ s ironic that despite this cease-fire , we now see protests emerging in the east and the west .
It ’ s not just in Tripoli , but also in Haftar ’ s territory where the people are saying , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ war for a long time now .
For eight years .
All because you guys are fighting for your seats and the power .
We are the ones suffering from the blackouts and the various different tragedies , whether its the civilian casualties or lack of access to food and basic essentials .
In a nutshell , that ’ s where Libya is moving .
The problem now is that there ’ s now clear passage or no clear view as to where do we go from here .
Who will look over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are we discussing ?
Can we do elections the way that Egypt suggested ?
Some elections in the east and some elections in the west , and then they appoint a president between themselves .
The US is minding its own domestic situation , which you know better than I do .
Trump , Biden nobody is clear over who is going to win in the upcoming elections .
The US is concerned with its own internal issues .
And he ’ s essentially saying in regard to Libya , at the end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to come to Washington anyway .
When you guys figure it out , let us know and then we ’ ll get to a vote .
So that ’ s it in a nutshell .
Fredericks : So because of the political situation we are sitting this one out .
The Trump administration is not getting directly involved or weighing in one side or the other is what you are saying .
I ’ ve been telling you for a long time , folks , as goes the Middle East so goes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to InsideArabia.com based in Washington , D.C. Sami , a couple of questions here .
Let ’ s get to ex-general Haftar and his Libyan national army .
Where is he in this now ?
He was gaining control .
There was a time there where he looked like he might be in a position to take over .
Where is he now ?
Hamdi : So Haftar had his chance to establish control over all of Libya when he was attacking Tripoli the capital .
He had an implied green light from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ listen , we are not going to get involved in this if you can bring about a quick resolution to this offensive and unite Libya .
Then we are happy to recognize you .
But just find a way to end this war .
But Haftar failed in the offensive .
Haftar was unable to take over Tripoli and the Turks came in and dragged him all the way back to Sirte , which is bang in the middle of Libya .
Because of his spectacular failure , all of the international partners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the table and said listen , we need to find an alternative .
We can no longer continue to support Haftar .
He doesn ’ t listen to us too much , so let ’ s find an alternative .
So the attitude supports a rival of Haftar called Aguila Saleh , who is the political face and the Speaker of the parliament in the east .
And instead of Haftar going to Moscow or going to Paris or different capitals as the diplomatic faith , Aguila Saleh became the diplomatic face , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And Egypt also made clear to Haftar that there is going to be a few changes and Haftar will have to accept it .
Haftar of course is not happy because Hester ’ s relevance is contingent on the continuation of the war .
Haftar is only as relevant as long as the war continues to go on , because he offers that military solution .
But there is a political process that requires liaising cooperation between the various parties and gives space for his rivals in the east to start imaging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like .
The problem perhaps now is if he brings the cease-fire then he angers Egypt and Russia .
And if he doesn ’ t bring the cease-fire , then Egypt and Russia are already sidelining him and empowering his rivals .
So he ’ s in a very very awkward situation .
Fredericks : So what does he do ?
Hamdi : So essentially the US sent a delegation there to see Haftar , not necessarily to tell him don ’ t worry about it , but to say to him , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going forward .
It ’ s going to be a negotiated transition .
We ’ re going to try and negotiate from various different parties , and you failed in the offensive so we need to see where we go from here .
Haftar the reality is that he is not entirely sure what he ’ s supposed to do .
For Haftar , what is working in his favor and the reason he is quiet and the reason he hasn ’ t broken the cease-fire , is because of the protests in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gift from heaven for Haftar .
There are problems in Tripoli .
They are complaining about energy cuts .
The reason there are energy outages is that Haftar is preventing oil from being exported .
So the proceeds of oil are not going to Tripoli .
So they don ’ t have the money to maintain their energy requirements of Tripoli .
So Haftar is suddenly realizing that wait , I don ’ t actually need to go back to war .
If I am just patient and wait for these protests to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protests by continuing my oil blockade , then it may well be that when the government falls and the militias in the west start fighting each other once more and stop being united , then I can launch another military offensive and sweep up afterward .
So this I think is the gamble that Haftar is waiting for .
Fredericks : Sami Hamdi with us .
Excellence analysis .
Go to InsideArabia.com on the Libyan situation .
Sami , thank you for that .
Listen to the full show here :

Live from Virginia Friday morning on The John Fredericks Show – weekdays on WNTW AM 820/ FM 92.7 – Richmond, WJFN FM 100.5 – Central Virginia, WMPH AM 1010 / FM 100.1 / FM 96.9 (7-9 PM) Hampton Roads, WBRG AM 1050 / FM 105.1 – Lynchburg/Roanoke and Weekdays 6-10 am and 24/7 Stream – host Fredericks welcomed Senior Correspondent for InsideArabia.com Sami Hamdi to the show.
During the show, Hamdi analyzed the current political power struggle between Khalifa Haftar and Aguila Saleh in Libya amongst the protests of the east and west.
Fredericks: Joining us now from London, UK, Senior Correspondent with InsideArabia.com, Sami Hamdi. It’s always good to have him on. Haven’t had him on in a few weeks. Sami, thanks for being with us today.
Hamdi: Thanks for having me, John.
Fredericks: It’s always good to have you on, man. I want to talk about a recent piece that you just did on Libya’s cease-fire and this protest and foreign interference. This Libya situation, a lot of people in the US have now tuned out because of the election.
This is why I have you guys on, because there are other things going on in the world besides Biden and Trump. The Libyan situation is out of control. Obviously you had the bombing going on there. The explosion. You’ve got Haftar situation. You’ve got Turkey involved. Give us an update. Where are we now on Libya? What is going on there?
Hamdi: So for the first time in Libya’s conflict you now have a balance of power in terms of the military dynamic. Because Turkey is now supporting the internationally-recognized government, which before was a very force on the ground. There has now been a balance of power with Russia and Egypt and the UAE and France on one side. And Turkey and on the other side . And the US just watching to see who the eventual winner is going to be.
So because the stakes are very now because of this balance of power. The international power brokers of Turkey, Russia, Germany and Egypt sat together and said look, the price is about too high to keep fighting. Why don’t we come to some sort of agreement in regard to a cease-fire?
And the interesting thing is that despite the fact that you have these two blocs that are competing with each other – these two international blocs – their interests have started to align. Let’s start with Turkey. Turkey and the west now have some control of military bases. It’s now building a naval base in Misratah, which is on the coastline of the Mediterranean, which will allow it to project it’s power on the Mediterranean.
Russia has been able to bypass the US which has not had a clear policy at all, and has not indicated at all what it wants in Libya. Russia has been able to bypass the US and exert itself and secure its key military bases in the south and seize control of some of the key oil facilities. In terms of Egypt, they just want the war to finish, because they’ve got a headache with regards to Sudan and Ethiopia over the Renaissance Dam.
They also have a problem in the East Mediterranean. There is a lot of tension there, so there is a war that might happen there. So Egypt wants Libya to end so it can focus on more important issues. So all of these interests align together to bring about this cease-fire.
You’ll notice I haven’t mentioned the Libyans. Because Libyans are not in the driving seat. The matter has always been one of the international powers, because both sides of the international government and in the Haftar in the east, their power comes from international support.
It does not come from domestic popularity. Both sides are resented by their respected Libyan citizens that live in the territory. And that’s why it’s ironic that despite this cease-fire, we now see protests emerging in the east and the west. It’s not just in Tripoli, but also in Haftar’s territory where the people are saying, listen, you elites have fought this war for a long time now. For eight years.
All because you guys are fighting for your seats and the power. We are the ones suffering from the blackouts and the various different tragedies, whether its the civilian casualties or lack of access to food and basic essentials. In a nutshell, that’s where Libya is moving. The problem now is that there’s now clear passage or no clear view as to where do we go from here. Who will look over the negotiations? What kind of terms are we discussing? Can we do elections the way that Egypt suggested?
Some elections in the east and some elections in the west, and then they appoint a president between themselves. The US is minding its own domestic situation, which you know better than I do. Trump, Biden nobody is clear over who is going to win in the upcoming elections.
The US is concerned with its own internal issues. And he’s essentially saying in regard to Libya, at the end of the day, the winner is going to come to Washington anyway. When you guys figure it out, let us know and then we’ll get to a vote. So that’s it in a nutshell.
Fredericks: So because of the political situation we are sitting this one out. The Trump administration is not getting directly involved or weighing in one side or the other is what you are saying. I’ve been telling you for a long time, folks, as goes the Middle East so goes everything else.
You want to go to InsideArabia.com based in Washington, D.C. Sami, a couple of questions here. Let’s get to ex-general Haftar and his Libyan national army. Where is he in this now? He was gaining control. There was a time there where he looked like he might be in a position to take over. Where is he now?
Hamdi: So Haftar had his chance to establish control over all of Libya when he was attacking Tripoli the capital. He had an implied green light from Washington and from Paris who basically said listen, we are not going to get involved in this if you can bring about a quick resolution to this offensive and unite Libya. Then we are happy to recognize you.
But just find a way to end this war. But Haftar failed in the offensive. Haftar was unable to take over Tripoli and the Turks came in and dragged him all the way back to Sirte, which is bang in the middle of Libya. Because of his spectacular failure, all of the international partners that were supporting him went back to the table and said listen, we need to find an alternative. We can no longer continue to support Haftar. He doesn’t listen to us too much, so let’s find an alternative.
So the attitude supports a rival of Haftar called Aguila Saleh, who is the political face and the Speaker of the parliament in the east. And instead of Haftar going to Moscow or going to Paris or different capitals as the diplomatic faith, Aguila Saleh became the diplomatic face, which was a clear sidelining of Haftar. And Egypt also made clear to Haftar that there is going to be a few changes and Haftar will have to accept it. Haftar of course is not happy because Hester’s relevance is contingent on the continuation of the war.
Haftar is only as relevant as long as the war continues to go on, because he offers that military solution. But there is a political process that requires liaising cooperation between the various parties and gives space for his rivals in the east to start imaging visiting Cairo themselves and Moscow and the like. The problem perhaps now is if he brings the cease-fire then he angers Egypt and Russia. And if he doesn’t bring the cease-fire, then Egypt and Russia are already sidelining him and empowering his rivals. So he’s in a very very awkward situation.
Fredericks: So what does he do?
Hamdi: So essentially the US sent a delegation there to see Haftar, not necessarily to tell him don’t worry about it, but to say to him, look this is how we see it going forward. It’s going to be a negotiated transition. We’re going to try and negotiate from various different parties, and you failed in the offensive so we need to see where we go from here.
Haftar the reality is that he is not entirely sure what he’s supposed to do. For Haftar, what is working in his favor and the reason he is quiet and the reason he hasn’t broken the cease-fire, is because of the protests in Tripoli. It’s like a gift from heaven for Haftar. There are problems in Tripoli. They are complaining about energy cuts. The reason there are energy outages is that Haftar is preventing oil from being exported. So the proceeds of oil are not going to Tripoli.
So they don’t have the money to maintain their energy requirements of Tripoli. So Haftar is suddenly realizing that wait, I don’t actually need to go back to war. If I am just patient and wait for these protests to bring down the government and exacerbate these protests by continuing my oil blockade, then it may well be that when the government falls and the militias in the west start fighting each other once more and stop being united, then I can launch another military offensive and sweep up afterward. So this I think is the gamble that Haftar is waiting for.
Fredericks: Sami Hamdi with us. Excellence analysis. Go to InsideArabia.com on the Libyan situation. Sami, thank you for that.
Listen to the full show here:
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thetennesseestar--2020-09-05--Antifa Supporter Suspected in Fatal Portland Shooting, Michael Reinoehl, Killed by Federal Authoriti

Antifa Supporter Suspected in Fatal Portland Shooting, Michael Reinoehl, Killed by Federal Authorities

Antifa supporter Michael Forest Reinoehl was killed Thursday night when federal authorities attempted to arrest him in connection with the fatal shooting of a conservative activist in Portland over the weekend , according to multiple media reports .
Three law enforcement officials told The New York Times that Reinoehl was killed in Lacey , Wash. , after a federal task force attempted to arrest him in connection to the shooting of Aaron Danielson , a member of the conservative group Patriot Prayer .
The Washington Post reported that a task force officer shot Reinoehl as he pulled a firearm while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Danielson , 39 , died after sustaining a gunshot wound to the chest in Portland on Saturday night .
He was with a group of Trump supporters who showed up at Black Lives Matter protests held in Portland .
Reinoehl , 48 , attended several Black Lives Matter protests in recent months , according to his Instagram page .
He was reported to be a person of interest in the Danielson shooting , though authorities previously refused to confirm he was a suspect in the case .
The Times reported Thursday that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the shooting .
Reinoehl appeared in a VICE News interview that aired minutes before The Times reported his death on Thursday .
Reinoehl did not directly admit to shooting Danielson in the interview , though he said he was “ confident that I didn ’ t hit anyone innocent.
” He suggested that he was protecting a friend prior to the shooting .
“ I had no choice .
I mean…I had a choice .
I could have sat there and watched them kill a friend of mine of color .
But I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Reinoehl said in the interview .
Reinoehl expressed support for Antifa , a loosely organized left-wing group , in several social media posts , while comparing protests over police brutality to war .
Reinoehl wrote of protests that , “ like all wars there will be casualties ” Reinoehl had been charged twice in recent months with illegal possession of a loaded firearm , including at an incident at a protest in Portland on July 5 .
The Portland police department posted a photo on its Twitter account of Reinoehl being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ground next to him .
A spokesman for the department told The Daily Caller News Foundation earlier on Thursday that Reinoehl was issued a notice to appear for the gun charge the day of the incident , but didn ’ t show up .
The city of Portland rejected a public records request for a police report of the incident , citing an ongoing investigation .
Reinoehl was cited on June 8 with illegal gun possession after he was pulled over driving 111-mph on Interstate 84 near Portland .
Reinoehl ’ s 11-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time , leading to a reckless endangerment charge .
The Portland police department did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
Chuck Ross is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Photo “ Michael Forest Reinoehl ” by Portland Police .

by Chuck Ross
Antifa supporter Michael Forest Reinoehl was killed Thursday night when federal authorities attempted to arrest him in connection with the fatal shooting of a conservative activist in Portland over the weekend, according to multiple media reports.
Three law enforcement officials told The New York Times that Reinoehl was killed in Lacey, Wash., after a federal task force attempted to arrest him in connection to the shooting of Aaron Danielson, a member of the conservative group Patriot Prayer.
The Washington Post reported that a task force officer shot Reinoehl as he pulled a firearm while authorities attempted to take him into custody.
Danielson, 39, died after sustaining a gunshot wound to the chest in Portland on Saturday night. He was with a group of Trump supporters who showed up at Black Lives Matter protests held in Portland.
Reinoehl, 48, attended several Black Lives Matter protests in recent months, according to his Instagram page. He was reported to be a person of interest in the Danielson shooting, though authorities previously refused to confirm he was a suspect in the case.
The Times reported Thursday that Reinoehl was being investigated in connection with the shooting.
Reinoehl appeared in a VICE News interview that aired minutes before The Times reported his death on Thursday.
Reinoehl did not directly admit to shooting Danielson in the interview, though he said he was “confident that I didn’t hit anyone innocent.” He suggested that he was protecting a friend prior to the shooting.
“I had no choice. I mean…I had a choice. I could have sat there and watched them kill a friend of mine of color. But I wasn’t going to do that,” Reinoehl said in the interview.
Reinoehl expressed support for Antifa, a loosely organized left-wing group, in several social media posts, while comparing protests over police brutality to war.
“I am 100% ANTIFA all the way!” he wrote in a post on Instagram on June 16. “We do not want violence but we will not run from it either!”
Reinoehl wrote of protests that, “like all wars there will be casualties”
Reinoehl had been charged twice in recent months with illegal possession of a loaded firearm, including at an incident at a protest in Portland on July 5.
The Portland police department posted a photo on its Twitter account of Reinoehl being apprehended while a gun laid on the ground next to him.
Officers arrested a male at SW Broadway and Main St. who had a loaded firearm on his person. He fought with offices during the arrest. pic.twitter.com/RXgYHnB5ue — Portland Police (@PortlandPolice) July 5, 2020
A spokesman for the department told The Daily Caller News Foundation earlier on Thursday that Reinoehl was issued a notice to appear for the gun charge the day of the incident, but didn’t show up.
The city of Portland rejected a public records request for a police report of the incident, citing an ongoing investigation.
Reinoehl was cited on June 8 with illegal gun possession after he was pulled over driving 111-mph on Interstate 84 near Portland. Reinoehl’s 11-year-old daughter was in the vehicle at the time, leading to a reckless endangerment charge.
The Portland police department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
– – –
Chuck Ross is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Photo “Michael Forest Reinoehl” by Portland Police.